WORDS. |Kim Seungmin

Thirty Six.

"Hmm." Changbin hummed in satisfaction before he turns his head to Felix who was behind him, massaging his shoulders. "I swear to God, Felix, that once you get cured from this bloody curse of yours, I'll make you drive for me for the rest of my life."

"Hey! I'm massaging you as an apology already." Felix whined.

Aria, who was sitting on the couch by the window, giggled lightly before she shoves her eyes to the window again. The four friends were sharing a room at a hostel. It's been three days since they hit the road. Their trip wasn't easy as they already expected. It was heavy on their hearts, specially Seungmin.

Starting with the first victim, Seungmin was faced with harsh words from the girl who remembered him clearly and his deeds. It wasn't enough for the girl to yell, curse or make a fuss, that her family joined in doing so, ending in the four friends receiving much hate and a few items flying to their heads.

What came next varied.

Some were just no difference from that girl. Some had a completely different life and did not want to get reminded of their past so, they refused to meet Seungmin and his friends. Others were already over what happened before. And then there were the few ones who sat patiently, listened to Seungmin's sincere apologies that were written across his face, cried with him when he couldn't hold his tears, and then forgave him.

The four friends were still halfway through this, but Seungmin wasn't even close to being forgiven. He wasn't even close to being cured.

A gentle thud from a door closing grabbed Aria's attention. It was Seungmin stepping out of the bathroom. The boy smiled at how Felix and Changbin were still bickering over the driving thing. He then looked at Aria who was looking back at him. The girl immediately felt heat creeping up to her cheeks that she shoved her face back to the window. Seungmin looked fresh and inviting right after the quick shower he had. His still damp hair fell gracefully to his forehead while his towel stayed dangling to his shoulders.

"I'm taking the bed." Changbin yelled, plopping back on the mattress and pulling the covers up his body, not caring about where his friends would be sleeping in this room. "My back hurts. I'm not leaving this comfy bed."

"I'm sharing it with you." Felix chimed as quickly as possible then joined his friend under the comfy covers.

Aria shook her head in disbelief. Her brother and her friend were acting childish when it came to their sleep. It's been three days and still, the two of them would always take the best spots, leaving the uncomfy ones to her and Seungmin. This time, they were sharing a room with a double bed and two couches, and since the two boys had already chosen the bed, that left Aria to one of the couches and Seungmin to the other.

Seungmin didn't comment or protest. He simply made his way to the couch where Aria was sitting and sat opposing her.

"Hey." Aria said softly in a low voice since Felix and Changbin were already drifting to their sleep.

Seungmin flashed her his twinkling smile as a response. He ruffled his hair with the towel for the last time before he drops it next to him. His hand made its way to his hair and his fingers passed through his damp bangs, pushing them backward, exposing his forehead.

Instead of being flustered as always, Aria chuckled. She did her best in muffling her chuckle in order not to disturb the two boys sleeping over there, who were already snoring softly by then. That chuckle didn't miss Seungmin's ears, making him look at her with confusion.

"Seungmin," Aria called lowly. "Do you by any chance, think that Changbin is beautiful?" Seungmin scrunched his face in disgust before he shakes his head vigorously. "Then, is it Felix? I mean the one you find beautiful?" She asked again, having a playful smirk on her face. Even more confused, Seungmin shook his head again. "Then, is it me? Do you think I'm beautiful?"

Seungmin's eyes widened when he finally started to get where that was going.

He really thought she was beautiful the second he stepped out of the bathroom and saw her sitting by the window, drowning in her own world. She indeed looked beautiful with her short dirty blond dyed hair falling to her shoulders. She looked breathtakingly beautiful with those freckles decorating her complexion and her dark brown orbs. And there was no say in how her long nightgown made her look innocently beautiful.

She was beautiful.

Instead of being embarrassed, he decided to go straightforward. "Is it that obvious that I find you beautiful?" He talked for the first time that night.

"It is obvious," Aria said smiling teasingly. "It has to be obvious when you have a big fat 'beautiful' written across your forehead."