Chapter Five - First Accident

Academic

The Sunday morning sun shines into my apartment. I put on a red t-shirt and dark jeans and get ready to go shopping for the ingredients for dinner tonight. I hit the street market that is a few blocks away from my apartment.

I grab meat, fish, and vegetables. I am still not quick sure what I should make for Yoongi. But I think a main protein portion with side dishes should be just fine.

On my way home I hear my phone ringing, its my sister, "Hi," I say into the phone. She is probably checking on me because I haven't had much time to get back home and see all of them.

"Hey, just checking on you," she said in a cheery voice. "What are you getting up to this morning?" She asks.

"I am picking up some groceries, I am making dinner for my friend tonight," I say looking down at my bags.

"Hmm, who?"

"Another professor at the University. Professor Min," I reach my car and put the bags in the back and get in the drivers seat.

She coos, "Like a date?" She laughs, "Only you would go after a woman in academia," I laugh with her.

"Ya, don't misunderstand. He is another professor. He is just my friend," I roll my eyes.

She sighs, "Okay okay, you know I'm joking. I will leave you to it, but try and come home soon so we can have dinner with mom and dad," she says sternly.

We say goodbye and I start my drive home. Is this really a date? I don't think it is. We are just friends. If this is a date then us getting dinner on Friday would be a date too. So, it's silly to even think this is anything more than two friends having a meal together.

Before I knew it, the evening sky turned a bright orange as the sun set. Yoongi arrived with beers and I welcomed him inside. He had on just a simple dark green sweater and comfy black pants. He slipped off his shoes and gingerly walks in.

I take the beer and head back into the kitchen, "Welcome," I smile. "You can sit in the living room, I am almost done," and I watch him look around before turning back to me. He moves on to the other side of my kitchen island.

"Are you sure you don't want my help?" He asks.

"I am positive. It would be silly of me to invite you over and then put you to work," I laugh.

I nod my head in the direction of the living room. "Make yourself comfortable," I say, and continue frying up the fish.

He walks around my living room slowly. He sees all of my dancing competition medals and trophies. He looks at my pictures of me on opening nights of plays that I have been in.

"Wow, Mr Jung you have a well experienced life," He says, without looking at me.

"Good job," he mumbled under his breath, and I almost didn't catch it.

I finished frying up the last of the fish and I brought all of the dishes down to the table on the floor in the living room.

I poured him a cold glass of the beer he brought and he sat with his legs crossed in front of the meal. I pour the last of the beer in my glass and sit on the opposite side of the table.

"Hyung, I hope you enjoy it," I smiled and held out my glass and he clinked it against mine and took a sip.

We dug in. He was eating like he starved himself all day for this meal. I was getting full just watching him. I couldn't help but smile.

He cleared his throat, "So tell me more about you," he asked taking another drink.

I sigh, "Well I was born in Gwangju, performed in dance competitions since I was 7 and I did that all over South Korea,"

He nods in awe, "Then I had an injury that pretty much ended my dance career," I raised my eyebrows, "shoulder and knee," I take some bites of food, "I can still dance but it is no where near the level I was at before the injury,"

He nods while looking down at the food, "Well how did you get into acting?"

I smile, "After the injury I decided to take a break from dancing and get a degree in performing arts. I don't want to brag but, it came naturally to me," I flaunt in an exaggerated way and this cracks him up. He keeps laughing as he takes another gulp from his drink.

I set my chopsticks down and stretch, "What about you?" I ask, leaning back on my hands.

He waves his hand, "Not much to me," he shrugs, "I'm from Daegu, I worked a lot of part time jobs through school and college to earn money for tuition," he put his elbow on the table and rests his chin in his hand.

"What made you pick museum studies?" I wonder.

He forms a small smile, "I have always been a big history nerd, but I particularly liked going to history museums," he takes another sip, "I am just passionate about preserving artifacts and educating people in an ethical way," he finishes his entire glass of beer.

Thats nice. Yoongi is such a kind person. I cant take my eyes off of him. For a moment we just stare at each other in silence. He is the first to break the silence.

"Are you just going to stare at me all night, or are you going to give me a refill?" He raised one eyebrow. I snap out of my trance and see he was tapping his glass.

I get up and run into the kitchen to grab another beer. When I come back I see he has scooted over a bit, and I walk over and squat down.

As I'm pouring the beer in his cup, he is watching me. I just know he is watching me. I can feel it.

"Professor Jung, you can sit here," he says scooting over a bit more. I hesitate before sitting down next to him.

He continues to eat, finishing up the last bits of food left on the table. My eyes move up to the top of his head, his dark hair gently falls in wisps around his face and the back of his neck.

His neck. It's slender and soft. I'm just now realizing he has a thin silver chain on. My eyes follow it down, and down, until it disappears into his shirt. He sweater is hugging his chest and his shoulders nicely.

"Professor Jung?" His voice echoed in my head and I blink. "I said, thank you for this meal it was the best one I have had in a long time,"

I shake my head, oh my god, snap out of it. "Thank you, I'm glad you liked it,"

Yoongi leans back on to the sofa behind us. "Im sure you know how to cry on demand because of your acting training," he chuckles.

I nod and laugh with him, "Actually you are right I can,"

"Teach me," he says simply.

"Well for me, I think about the worst thing that could possibly happen to me," I say bluntly. "I also tend to visualize what it would be like to drown in the middle of the ocean where no one can see or hear me,"

I swallow hard, "and then..." I blink and tears fall from the corner of my eyes.

Shocked, Yoongi sits up and moves closer, "Woah, real tears," he said shocked.

I freeze because he is now inches away from my face. He reached his hand up and gently swiped away my fake tears with his thumb.

"Good job Professor Jung," he says chuckling as he wipes the tears.

And then I did it. I don't know what came over me.

I tilted my head back slightly and brought my lips up to the open palm of his hand from where he was wiping the tears.

It was a gentle peck. But it was enough to have him freeze. His hand was still motionless in mid air. His eyes were wide and he doesn't blink.

I move back and quickly chuckle, "Hyung I'm sorry, I didn't mean to move, but I did and it looks like my lips accidentally brushed against your hand," I laugh quickly to cover it all up.

I jokingly rub my hands together in an apologetic way, "Sorry, I may be a little drunk," I bite my lower lip.

He finally puts his hand back down and swallows, "Don't worry about it, it was just an accident," he says flatly.

He turned away from me and started gathering up the plates and dishes, "Let me help you put these away," he mumbles and starts heading to the kitchen.

I jump up and grab more plates off the table, "Hyung, I can do that, you are a guest," I say following him into the kitchen.

He sets the plates down into the sink and scratches the back of his head. "Are you sure?" He asks. I nod. "Okay, I think I am going to head home, I feel a little tipsy," He starts making his way back to his shoes.

"Professor Min," I say just as he puts his hand on the door handle. He glances back at me and gives me a crooked smile and gives me the peace sign before walking out the door.

I breathe a heavy sigh. I messed up.

Like this story? Give it an Upvote!
Thank you!

Comments

You must be logged in to comment
No comments yet