The Next Day
Tae Joon woke up with a heavy feeling in his chest. His eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the morning light. The moment he turned his head and saw Ji-a sleeping beside him, everything from the night before came flooding back.
His breath caught in his throat.
He sat up quickly, his heart racing.
He had made a mistake. A terrible one.
Last night, in his broken, drunk state, he had mistaken Ji-a for Na-ri. He had called her by that name. He had touched her. He had held her, thinking she was someone else.
Tae Joon clenched his fists tightly and suddenly punched the wall beside the bed, his knuckles scraping against it.
"Damn it," he whispered harshly, swearing at himself. "What have I done…"
His voice cracked, but he didn't care.
He felt angry. Ashamed. Guilty. Dirty.
Ji-a, beside him, wasn't actually sleeping. She had her eyes closed, but she was very much awake. Every word he whispered, every angry breath he took—she heard it.
