In a 7-Star Restaurant
I sat with Giyi in a secluded area of a VVIP private room. We had just finished lunch when a waiter approached to clear the dishes. "Would you want dessert?" the waiter asked politely. That voice—I couldn't forget it. I looked up, and my glassy, bluish-green eyes met his smokey brown ones. Just like in the hospital, I'd thought I had cat-like eyes. My cheeks warmed instantly.
"It's you again, huh?" Young-i sneered.
"Leave the dessert, I'm full," I said, trying to dismiss him, but Giyi had other plans.
"Get five different trays of sweet desserts, all at once!" she smirked. I pinched her slightly.
"Don't get it, here's your tipping, and just go, don't come back, please," I murmured, my face heating as our eyes met.
"Mr. Kim, we meet again, and your girlfriend is causing trouble for me, and you want to just overlook it?" he said, a hint of challenge in his voice.
"What should he do, huh?" Giyi snorted. My face turned a deeper red as they argued.
"As your class captain, can't you stand up for me?" he asked in disbelief.
"Yohan... I..." I stuttered, my voice barely audible.
"Ki-Ki, are you going to do what he asked?" she said, her voice rising slightly. Ah, I hated this. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I fumbled for my handkerchief. Not finding it, I snatched a tissue and wiped the tears away immediately before they could fall.
(Giyi & Yohan arguing silently)
"You guys should stop it, okay? Young-i, please take it easy on him. Don't you think you're being too much? What if your causing trouble for him makes him cause trouble for me at school? Remember, he is my class captain, and who would want to offend their class captain and get piles of work to do later?" I said, my voice low and cracking, as if any moment, I would burst out crying.
"I am protecting you, Ki-Ki, can't you see that he hurt you? Yes, right from time, you have a soft heart but..." I cut her short with a sudden outburst of sobbing tears. Yohan stood looking at me in confusion, but I could bet he was also worried. As a waiter, he had to not touch the customer, especially now that this troublesome cousin was nearby.
"Is that why you would yell at me? Mother, Old Woo, and Grandpa had never spoken to me in an annoyed way, but Giyi, you of all people are yelling at me!" I stood up, pushing my chair back with frustration. The tears immediately started flowing like streams. I threw the tissue at Giyi and made my way to the door. That's when I tripped and fell... Ah, this was a... no, who caught me?
I closed my eyes, bracing for the hard hit, but a pair of strong, comfortable arms caught me before I reached the floor. Ah, his scent was omg, I can't even describe it. I leaned in to inhale his scent. Ahhh, I loved it! A smile subconsciously tugged at my lips. But then, he tried to stabilize me, and Young-i interfered. "Give him to me, he doesn't like others touching him." And yes, she was right, I hated it, but for some reason, I felt like he should hold me forever. Was I in love with him? No, this can't be. I don't think this body was gay, right? And my heartbeat wasn't racing... Oh, wait, it was racing, but not because of him, but because I was about to fall. Hahaha, such irony, right? But I knew I was not in love.
Young-i reached out her hand to take me, but I clung to Yohan, shaking my head. "No, don't come close to me... I... I don't want to go with someone who yells at me," I sobbed. Yohan's stiff body relaxed a bit after what I said.
"But he is an outsider, Ki-Ki, aren't you afraid that he will hurt you?" she asked, her voice softened.
"Mr. Kim, please go with your girlfriend to avoid causing trouble for me," Yohan said, but I could feel the reluctance in his voice.
"I prefer to go with a stranger who I know will speak to me in a calm voice than for me to go with someone who yells at me," I insisted, burying my face in the crook of his neck and also seizing the opportunity to sniff his scent as much as I could. Haha, killing two birds with one stone.
"Kim, are you really going to ditch me for him?" she asked in disbelief, feeling betrayed.
"Yo... Yohan, please take me home," I said, ignoring her completely.
"But I am still working," he replied.
"Don't worry, I will talk to your manager," I assured him, then pulled him outside to the parking lot. Thank God I had the car key with me, and I handed it to Young-i, who had also followed us, but to my surprise, she refused to collect it.
"I'm not going in the same car as him!" she declared, looking Yohan up and down in a disgusted way. Now I could see his outfit as I followed her line of gaze. He wore a white, ironed, long-sleeve shirt and black pants with polished shoes. He looked perfectly fine in the clothes, so I didn't know what Giyi was disgusted about.
"Gigi," I said in a soft voice.
"In fact, you two take the car; I'll hail a taxi!" she said and turned to go, but I held her hand.
"I'll go instead," I said, holding Yohan, afraid that if I left him, she would bully him again. But then he slowly pulled my hand away.
"I can't be the cause of the fight between lovers, so I'll go," he said.
"You are going to take me home, Yohan! She will yell at me again!" I pleaded innocently.
"I said I'll go!" She left us there and hailed a taxi. Thinking she would go to the Woo mansion, she went to the Sae mansion. Arrgh, this was bad.
"If I may have the key, Mr. Kim, it's already late," Yohan said. That's when I remembered it was 8:45 PM. "Oh," I mumbled, then gave him the key, and immediately our hands touched, I flushed crimson red.
"Yohan, please call me Kim. We are colleagues, and you are older than I am," I said.
"As you wish, Kim," he said and opened the door for me to enter the back seat, but I pulled him in.
"I have to drive," he said in a calm voice, as if scared of making me cry. Haha, I was now marked as a crybaby.
"N... no need. The car can drive by itself," I stammered, now even my exposed neck was red.
"Then I'll go back to work," he said, but I clutched his hand tightly.
"I already spoke to your manager, and I will pay you for every... for... for every hour you spend till you close," I said, my head low, my voice barely a whisper.
"I will be closing by 12:00 AM, that's four hours from now," he said. "Are you willing to pay?" he asked, and I nodded.
"Just take me home, Yohan," I said, then he shut the door, and with my command, the car began to drive itself.
"Why do you dress like girls?" This was what fell out from Yohan's mouth.
"I... I just like it," I said, playing with a strand of my hair and my head low.
"When I first saw you, I thought you were a girl," he said. I giggled, a faint flush on my cheeks. "People say that," I admitted.
The trip back home was an hour's drive. I transferred the money for him. "Take me in," I said, clutching his arm. He sighed and took me in. As expected, Mom was seated, looking worried. She was scolding someone. "You should pray to your ancestors of the sixteenth generation that my son comes back to me, or else your whole Sae family will suffer!" I heard her say over the phone. I could guess she was talking to Young-i. "I don't care, Giyi! How could you yell at my son and let him go with a stranger? Are you high?" she yelled, throwing the phone in her hand, then broke down crying. But Yohan had already caught the phone as I ran to hug her.
"I am okay, Mom," I said softly.
"My child," she turned and hugged me, kisses raining all over my face. "You shouldn't do that, son. You scared Mom," she said as I cleaned her eyes. Then she landed her gaze on Yohan. "Thank you, child. Thank you for bringing my son home safely. Name your price, I will give it," she said.
"Thanks for the offer. Oh, here is your phone, Ma'am," he said with a bow and handed her the phone.
"Ah, child... What's your name?" she asked.
"This one here is called Taeyang. Jisik Taeyang... But I acted in a movie in school and I was named Yohan. So anyone Ma'am wishes to call me is accepted," he bowed politely.
"Lovely Taeyang. So, have dinner before you go," she said, leading us to the table where hot food was placed. We all sat and ate to our fill, and I happened to notice Yohan... Oh, should I say Taeyang, was occasionally glancing at me. But I didn't dare to look up. I was feeling warm again. My mom seemed to misunderstand us because she not once caught him staring at me, and she saw I was all in a mess of red.
"Well, I almost forgot, we have about many guests, and they've occupied the rooms, so Ki-Ki, why don't you share a room with your boyfriend?" she suggested. Huh? I almost choked on the water I was drinking as I turned redder by the second.
"M... Ma'am, you must be mistaken, we are just colleagues," Yohan defended, but Mom seemed not to buy any of it.
"Mom," I called.
"What?" She smirked, chasing us back to my room.
In My Room
"Sorry for that," I said, my cheeks still warm, letting myself fall onto the bed. Before letting my eyes wander to Yohan, "Take a shower and change," I said, reaching for my wardrobe. I brought out one bathrobe and three towels. "Here," I gave him the purple bathrobe and a white towel with the picture of a cat.
"Thanks," Tae said and began to undress, starting with his shirt. Oh, his abs... Well, I closed my eyes, my face flushing heavily, that I didn't notice his chuckle. Then I began to hear the sound of water. Phew, he was so out of this world. I already brought out two sets of pajamas, one light blue, the other pink with bunny ears. Everything he needed for his body was on the mirror stand. Then the bathroom door opened, and he came out. Damn, I could still remember how Lee Song used to... I shouldn't be thinking of this; it was bad.
Taeyang's P.O.V
When I came out, the white angel was seated on the bed, and immediately he saw me, he turned red like cooked shrimp. I gave a slight chuckle and walked to the bed. "I am out, but I don't have clothes to wear," I said. Without a word, he gave me a blue pajama and pointed to his mirror stand, then hurried into the shower. Hahaha, childish. He's always shy. Is he gay? Well, if he is, then I'll get a hold of him... Hhh, silly me. I dressed and combed my short hair that was well maintained, then took out my phone to tell my mom I would not be back tonight. Then I lay down and closed my eyes, but the door opened, and my mouth dropped open.