Hold Me 8: Triggered

"Hold me because I don't want to give you to somebody else.."

“Well, what are we oppa… You tell me.” Joy tilted her head slightly to the side as her eyebrows raised questioningly but her lips were curled into a teasing smile.

“We kiss oppa. It is normal for me to act that way. I don’t want things to be awkward between us.”

Sungjae looked baffled. He had gathered all his courage but all he got was this.

She was teasing him. Her eyes flickered in amusement over his reaction and he found himself blushing.

“If it is any consolation, will you accept that I like spending time with you?”

“J-joy..” He had stuttered when Joy was inching closer to him.

“Will you?” Her big doe eyes were poking through his anger and bringing it down instantly. He can feel himself stepping backwards until his back hit the wall as he nodded.

This woman knows her effect on man and it seems to him that she is willing to put it to a good use.

She grinned as she stood at her original spot again. “So we are fine right?”

Sungjae adjusted his jacket as he spread his lips into a thin smile. “If that what you want.”

He knows she was trying to change the topic… and he wasn’t one to let things go but something about how much a mask she was wearing made him feel like letting go. It was because of the dissonance in her eyes and her smile. Her eyes were desperate but her smile showed people that she is happy. It was the exact opposite.

People build up their facade for a reason. If he had adopted the approach to embrace being alone, she was latching on people attention on her and convincing herself that she was happy, wearing a smile hoping to actually be happy.

It was her way of coping.

In a lot of ways, Sungjae knows she wasn’t ready. Neither does he honestly. If anything is to happen with Joy, it will be a serious relationship.

They barely know about each other yet.

He just needs to get to know her first.

“I want to know you Joy..”

His voice was deep and it was doing things to her. He was prying into her life and she felt a strong temptation to let him.

It was scary how jarring the change was when he blushed and now his eyes were looking at her like he wanted to explore every inch of her.

It was burning her.

Yook Sungjae was an attractive man. A handsome, tousled black hair guy with brown orbs that was imploring her with his intense eyes for her to relent and let him in.

“I want to know you too oppa.” She said, sounding almost like a whisper.

The way she spoke those words like it was so hard for her to say him, invoke his protective instinct. He just knew he was willing to go through extreme length for her.

“Let’s start Sooyoung ah.”

She blushed. He had never called her Sooyoung, neither does she had asked him to. It was a nice surprise.

“How about we go somewhere?”

“Do you drink oppa?”

Sungjae eyes widened. Did she just? A highschooler?

“I assume you didn’t then.”

“My so-called parents are not home, so let's just hang out…” Joy continued talking like whatever she said before was perfectly normal.

“Let’s just do it at the rooftop.”

“It will be closed at night.”

“Let's drop it right, we know you like a good thrill.” Sungjae laughed.

“I’ve been caught.” She giggled as she twirled the tips of her hair teasingly. He leaned in and grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the direction of the rooftop.

They talked endlessly that night about their dream, about their hope and what they think about happiness.

Sungjae had never felt so hopeful about life for such a long time like he did that night. Like the things he talks about was possible… he talked about his ideal family with her and she will nod agreeing… or will go ‘ehhh’ at his absurd idea of romance. He mentioned about how his apartment was so empty that he still wasn’t used to it so he barely sleeps at times. She quickly told him about the story she had listened about mirrors being the passageway for ghost and he was so scared that he almost pee in his pants.

She insisted for him to get rid of the mirror to sleep peacefully.

She had also talked about her small family in her hometown and the pain of leaving them. She felt as if she was being sold to the Lee’s and she struggled on accepting them as her parents. She talked about dreams of living with her family again and be a good big sister to her little sisters… She wanted to make her own path but being part of the ‘Lee’s’ she knows it wasn’t possible.

The ‘Lee’s’ want a child for a reason.

She didn’t understand why they choose to adopt her though. She was in her teens when they adopt her and is sure hell not a ma