Idol(s): Kim Jong In / Kai (EXO)

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Inspiration: I’ve had a number of people express their desire for the main characters Kwon Ji Won and Kai from my friendship-focused genie stories Three Wishes and Genie get together romantically. I’ve written a romantic comedy one shot set in a realistic alternate universe for them before called The Big Question and this is just another one that you could say is sort of a part two to it. It was intended to be a one shot but it ended up being longer than I’d anticipated so will be a “three-shot” instead. Additionally, this story is a standalone. You do NOT have to read any of my other stories to read and understand this one.

Synopsis: It’s the day before Kai’s birthday and Kwon Ji Won has no plans and no gift for her boyfriend. Luckily he’s willing to pardon her neglect on one condition: she plays his servant for twenty-four hours.

Individual Story Link: King’s Play

Posted: 15 August 2016, 20:00 EDT

Word Count: 4,289

~//~

It was a crisp, winter morning and Kwon Ji Won had at least ten minutes left before her alarm was set to go off. Still being in a deep slumber, she of course was unaware of this.

“Ji Won,” she faintly heard her name being said as consciousness pricked her. The familiar voice of her boyfriend registered when he called her again. “Ji Won,” Kim Jong In – or Kai as he was referred to by those close to him – sweetly called.

Ji Won groaned and pulled the covers completely over her head. How dare he disturb my precious sleep?

A crushing pressure took the place of his cajoling voice and after Kai managed to pry the blanket off her head, an unpleasant smell hit her nose. Perspiring from an intense workout, he had jumped atop her and was now nuzzling his slick neck with hers. “Wake up,” he whined.

“Get off!” Ji Won fumed, trying and failing to push Kai off. “You’re sweaty and gross and you’re getting the bed dirty! I just changed the bedding yesterday!”

“If you’d come to the gym with me, we could have been sweaty and gross together,” he puckishly replied, rubbing his wet cheek with hers.

Ji Won scrunched her nose and shoved her hands into the side of his face. He only pushed back harder. “Like hell I’m going to wake up any earlier than I have to just to work out. Now seriously, get off! I still have eight minutes before I have to get up.”

Kai lifted himself onto his palms but his legs remained pressed into hers. “Do you know what tomorrow is?”

Glaring at the aggravating boy who couldn't take the hint, Ji Won grumbled, "Saturday, now go take a shower and let me go back to sleep." She tried to turn on her side but Kai had lowered himself onto her body again, locking her in her position on her back.

"And?" he pressed.

"And you're really testing my patience!" Ji Won snapped. "I swear to god if you don't get off –"

"My birthday," Kai interrupted. "Tomorrow is my birthday."

Ji Won froze mid-word for a long second before she had enough sense to fumble through an explanation. "Right, I knew that. It's just that I'm still half asleep right now."

Kai raised a dubious brow. "Oh yeah? Then you must already have a present for me, right?"

Ji Won went slack-jawed. "Uhhh...yeah." She'd known his birthday was coming up. She'd set multiple reminders in her phone's calendar about it, reminders she'd dismissed each time with the intent of dealing with it the next day. Well now his birthday was literally the next day and she had no plans and no gift.

"Okay now say that in a way I'll believe it," he deadpanned.

"Well you see I'm still deciding between a couple of options. I just want to make sure I get you the perfect gift.” Ji Won had a tell when she was lying. She smiled or laughed awkwardly and her eyes darted around because she could never look the person she was lying to in the eye.

Kai knew this. He was the one who’d pointed it out to her. "You know how this scenario would go down if the roles were reversed."

Ji Won shot him a guilty half-smile. "Well how about you give me a free pass this time and I'll give you one next time you forget my birthday."

"You say that like I have forgotten your birthday before.” His voice took on an unusually bright note. “But actually, it's a good thing you haven't gotten me anything yet because now you can give me exactly what I want."

Ji Won would have been relieved if not for the devious smirk on his face.

"And if you promise to give it to me, I'll let you off the hook for practically forgetting my birthday."

"What is it?" she apprehensively wondered. Something crawled around inside her stomach and it wasn’t fluttery and pretty like butterflies. This was anxiety of the kind where no good could come of the situation and could probably best be symbolized by squirming, worm-like maggots.

He leaned in closer until their lips were an inch apart. "For 24 hours, from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on January 14, you'll do everything I ask from you."

Ji Won pressed a hand to his lips and pushed. "No, I’d rather take a chance with a gift I choose."

Kai wrapped his fingers around her hand and pulled it away, again leaning in close. "I'll tell you right now that I won't like anything you get me," he stubbornly maintained.

"Well I'm not going to play servant for you," Ji Won pouted. "Who knows what weird stuff you'll make me do."

"Oh come on, don’t you trust me?"

“No,” she curtly replied.

If there was one thing Ji Won was sure of when it came to Kim Jong In, it was that he had a twisted sense of humor. His pranks were all in good fun for him but it oftentimes ended with bruising on her emotions and ego. The jerk had once asked her to move in with him by making it seem like he was going to propose. She could still hear him laughing at her as she’d finally realized his jest. He’d promised to never pull a stunt like that again but who knew what other tricks he had up his sleeve if she granted him twenty-four hours of complete authority.

“Alright, fine,” Kai yielded with a sigh. “If I ask you to do anything you’re really uncomfortable with, you don’t have to do it.”

Ji Won perked up with the beginnings of a smile. “Really?”

“Yes, but don’t think that just because I’m giving you an out, you can use it as an excuse to ignore everything I ask. This is for my birthday after all, the one you forgot about.” Dark brown eyes held hers warningly. “So proceed with that in mind.”

Lips pursed, Ji Won seriously considered the offer. That addendum would mitigate the risk of embarrassing herself in the process of his king’s play. Besides, it’s not like she had any other sound plans. She had forgotten his birthday. No, I almost forgot his birthday, she mentally corrected.

"Okay," she finally agreed.

Kai grinned and gave her a quick, wet kiss on the lips. He jumped off the bed and headed for the bathroom with a spring in his gait.

Ji Won lay there with a frown, already second guessing her decision. Kai seemed too happy. When he was this ecstatic, it usually involved some mischievous ploy for his own personal amusement. Had she agreed too quickly and now become a pawn in his master plan? "Crap, what have I gotten myself into?"

***

When Kai had said 12:00 a.m., he’d meant it literally on the dot. As soon as the clock struck midnight, he woke Ji Won just as she was about to slip into REM sleep.

“What?” a perturbed Ji Won exclaimed.

“Guess what today is,” he said with a grin.

She sighed and sat up. With a lazy smile, she drew herself close to him and gave him a peck on the lips. “Happy Birthday.” Then she proceeded to lie back down in bed and return to her happy place.

Kai’s hand was on her arm, pulling her back up. “Oh no, you’re just getting started.”

Ji Won groaned. “Right now? I really don’t have the energy.”

Yesterday had been a long one at work. As one of the newer employees, she was oftentimes left with the tedious tasks no one else wanted to do and on that particular Friday, she’d been forced to finish all the reports due Monday morning by herself so the more senior employees could leave early for the start of the weekend. She couldn’t wait till she could do the same to the fresh blood being recruited next month.

“Maybe in the morning?” she tiredly offered.

Kai laughed. “Don’t worry, that’s coming later. Right now I want a massage. I think I pulled a back muscle during my work out.” He his stomach and rested his head on the pillow with his folded arms elevating it from underneath.

Ji Won blinked, tired mind still trying to process what he’d asked.

Kai impatiently wriggled his body and shook the bed. “I’m waiting.”

With a heavy exhale, she climbed atop him and perched her bottom on his. Her legs folded themselves on either side of his torso. Fingers splayed, she pushed into the tight muscles around his shoulder blades. “Here?”

“A little higher,” Kai mumbled. She did as told and he let out a moan of pleasure. “Ah, that’s the spot.”

“So,” Ji Won prodded a few minutes later when her arms were already beginning to tire, “how long do I have to do this?”

“Until the birthday boy says stop.”

She rolled her eyes and continued massaging for another ten minutes. “How about now?”

Kai’s eyes were closed, but he still contentedly murmured, “Keep going.”

He never said stop. Kai had fallen asleep while Ji Won, unaware of his tell-tale soft breathing in her fatigued state, labored on.

For the umpteenth time she nodded off, except this time she didn’t wake. Her head fell on the curve of Kai’s neck, eliciting a soft grunt from him though neither stirred. The couple continued to sleep, Ji Won piggybacked on Kai.

***

A motion of being flipped over like a pancake jerked Ji Won awake. With a cranky look, Kai sat up rubbing his shoulders. “I think you actually made it worse.”

She scrambled up, lips pouting out of concern. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep on top of you like that.” She crawled behind him and diligently started kneading her thumbs where his hand that she’d brushed aside had been.

“Where was this energy when I asked for a massage last night?” Kai joked.

“You know I’m useless when I’m dead tired.”

With an acknowledging chuckle, he pulled away and rotated his shoulders and neck to rid himself of the residual tension. Then he turned around and smiled crookedly. “So I guess that means you’re well-rested and wide awake now, which is good because you’ve got a long day ahead of you, or did you forget that you’re my personal slave today?”

She had forgotten. Ji Won’s brain didn’t fully function until she’d gotten food in her. Still, she offered him an anxious smile as she said, “Of course not. How could I forget that today is my man’s birthday?”

Kai slid off the bed and made his way to the door. “Well come along then because your man has a lot of demands that he needs you to take care of.”

Begrudgingly, Ji Won padded after Kai into the bathroom where she found him seated on the edge of the bathtub, arms crossed like he was a king sitting on his throne.

“Brush my teeth,” he grandly ordered her, opening his mouth wide.

So this is how today is going to go, Ji Won thought with a sigh. She grabbed their toothbrushes and squeezed paste onto them. She slipped hers into with one hand and with the other brushed Kai’s. It was another workout for her arms, trying to angle his brush to get each tooth and crevice while simultaneously trying to clean her own.

When she’d finished and they’d both rinsed, Kai took his electric razor and held it out to her. “Shave me.”

Ji Won’s eyes rounded. “What?!”

He impatiently shook the device. “Take the razor and shave my face for me.”

She stared at the menacingly shiny, circular blades and took a step backwards. “No way, what if I cut you?”

“It’s practically impossible to nick yourself with this thing. I’ve shaved with my eyes closed and never cut myself.”

A shaky hand reached for the razor. Ji Won powered it on and the device hummed to life, sending vibrations up her arm and making the limb quiver more. Kai projected a remarkable calmness that she should have been exhibiting considering she was the one holding the sharp object. She pressed it gently against his cheek and employed the small circular motions she’d seen him use so many times before.

“I’m not hurting you, am I?”

He angled his head so that she was shaving along his jawline. “Nope.”

The hardest for last was around his lips. He stretched the skin around his mouth by curling his lips inwards and with great caution Ji Won maneuvered the razor around until she’d gotten every visible hair.

She sighed a breath of relief and wiped the layer of sweat glistening on her forehead with the back of her hand. “That was hard.”

Kai stood up and approached the mirror, gliding a hand along his face as he examined her work. “Not bad.” He smiled at her through the reflective glass. “Told you you could do it.”

It was nice to hear, but she hoped to never hold that razor again. It’d been too stressful.

Kai spun around and s his arms around her waist, tugging her into his embrace. “So, my slave, you have two choices for what you can do now. You can cook breakfast. And when I say cook, I don’t mean toasting some bread and slathering on some jam. I want a traditional Korean breakfast with rice and at least three side dishes. Or…” He dipped his head down and bit the top of her ear. Fingers were already crawling under her oversized t-shirt and sliding it up over her naval. “We can take a shower together,” he sensually whispered.

There was no question which one she wanted to do. Ji Won slithered out of his grasp and shuffled backwards towards the door. “I’ll go make breakfast.”

It was clear from the dumbfounded look on his face that Kai hadn’t expected this answer, but he should have known better. Food always took priority when she was hungry.

***

Ji Was no professional cook. She wasn’t even that great of an amateur cook. Rice was easy because a machine did all the work. All she had to do was measure out some grains and water, push a button, and ten minutes later, she had perfectly cooked, delicious rice.

It was times like these she remembered her mother. With her phone connected to Mrs. Kwon in one hand, she rummaged through the fridge and cabinets for the ingredients her mother listed to make three easy side dishes: soy braised onion, pan fried tofu, and braised mackerel. The fish was a bit more involved than Ji Won would have liked, but the culinary gods seemed to be watching over her today because not only had she cut herself only twice while chopping the vegetables, both times shallow enough to stop bleeding after a few seconds under cold water, but after a taste test, the mackerel actually turned out decently edible. And with a quick sprinkle of ramen flavoring, it had ended up kind of delicious.

The final step was to heat up the seaweed soup she’d had prepared a few days prior. Ji Won may have procrastinated on every other aspect of Kai’s birthday, but she had gone through the trouble of visiting her parents’ home and asking her mother for help with the traditional birthday dish a few days prior during her lunch break. Granted her mother had ended up doing most of the work, but that was because Ji Won believed taste trumped the thought of an unappetizing soup being made by her own hands. Besides, she had performed the arduous task of stirring the pot.

An hour had passed when Ji Won finally finished and, with good timing, Kai made his appearance. The guy could take just as long as her if not longer to get ready if he really wanted to. But to his credit, he looked dressed to impress in a casual chic attire of a black t-shirt with white stripes that was just fit enough to show off his lean figure, black skinny trousers that accentuated his long legs, and a red blazer that brought out a slight maroon shine in his parted and moussed up dark brown hair.

Even now, after more than three years of dating, Ji Won’s heart could still skip a beat at the sight of him.

Kai smirked and took a seat at the small breakfast table they used for their meals. “I bet you regret not taking a shower with me.”

Ji Won clamped her gaping mouth shut and finished setting the dishes. Throughout cooking, she’d tasted her food multiple times to the point that her hunger had been somewhat satiated. And now that she could think more lucidly, she wondered why she’d chosen to labor away in the kitchen instead of pressing bodies with a wet, , muscular Kai.

“Care to share those thoughts making you blush,” Kai teased as he picked up his chopsticks and tapped the ends on the table to even them out.

Ji Won touched her own to the tabletop and feigned nonchalance despite her racing pulse. “I’m not blushing. My face is red from slaving away over a hot stove to make breakfast for His Highness.”

“His Highness” grinned and examined the table setting before him. “Looks promising. And I see you actually went above and beyond with four dishes,” he remarked with an astonished look her way.

“Well the seaweed soup is actually from my mom so I still only made three,” she shrugged.

Kai smiled and took a sip of the soup. “In that case, tell your mom thank you because the soup is amazing.”

He then proceeded to try all her dishes, chewing each bite with slow deliberation. Ji Won nibbled on the ends of her chopsticks while she waited, unable to eat until he’d given his verdict.

After Kai had swallowed for the third time, his gaze slid to her. He breathed a heavy, serious sigh. “Ji Won, I don’t know why I gave you the option to cook.”

Ji Won almost dropped her chopsticks. “Is it that bad?” She frowned, dejection weighing her shoulders down. “I tried, I really did.”

Face grim, Kai said, “If this is what your food tastes like when you actually try,” the corner of his lips curved up, “then I would have made it an order from the beginning.”

Relief was followed by annoyance. Kai always had to twist his compliments in the most aggravating way. Being the physical type, Ji Won swung a leg backwards and aimed at Kai’s under the table. He’d anticipated it, spreading them enough so that her foot went through space and his legs caught her at the calf when he slammed them shut again.

“Is my servant acting up?” he asked with dramatic disbelief.

Ji Won crinkled her nose and pressed her lips into a tight line to keep from talking back.

“That’s what I thought.”

She tried to reclaim her leg, but Kai didn’t let up. He simply continued to enjoy his breakfast with the slightest smile on his lips.

***

Ji Won was given thirty minutes to get ready after breakfast. “His Majesty” had taken an hour yet he believed half that time would be sufficient enough for her.

She took a quick ten-minute shower and blow-dried her hair as she sifted through her closet for something appropriate to wear. She had no idea where they were going, but based on Kai’s own clothes, she had to look nice. Winter weather really limited her options though – no bare toes, no bare legs, and no bare arms. She hurriedly decided on something pretty yet practical for the season – a long-sleeved burgundy knit sweater with black leggings and vibrant red ankle boots that would match Kai’s blazer. Wherever they were going, she wanted people to know they were together lest other girls get any ideas about her preposterously attractive boyfriend.

With no time to do anything fancy with her hair, Ji Won brushed it out and kept it down to focus on her make up. There wasn’t enough time for anything fancy, but she’d managed to paint on a respectable daytime look in record time flat.

Already in his long black wool coat, Kai was leaning against the couch playing with his phone when she emerged from the room with her bag in hand. He scanned her up and down, grin broadening at her boots. “Looks like someone made an effort to match me.”

Ji Won lightly scoffed as she pulled on a black knee-length coat of her own. “Please, I just grabbed the first thing I saw since someone didn’t give me enough time.” She refused to acknowledge his claim. If she gave Kai an inch, he took a mile. They made their way out of the apartment and towards the elevator. “So are you finally going to tell me where we’re going? Because this feels a little backwards, the birthday boy keeping me in the dark like this.”

“And whose fault is it that I’m having to plan my own birthday?” Kai retorted. Ji Won guiltily averted her eyes. He chuckled and placed a hand on her lower back to guide her into the elevator that had opened up on their floor. “But to answer your question, we’re meeting my parents. They wanted to take me to a musical and then treat me to lunch afterwards.”

“Oh…should I just wait at home until you’re done then?” Ji Won didn’t want to intrude on his parents’ time with him.

Kai took her hand and interlocked their fingers together. “Actually, they demanded you come too.”

A big smile overtook Ji Won’s features. “Demanded, huh?”

Kai laughed and pressed his lips to the back of her hand. The elevator doors dinged open on the first floor. Outside their apartment complex, a cab had already been hailed and was waiting near the entrance doors.

“Why aren’t you driving your car?” Ji Won voiced as she slid in to the backseat before Kai.

“Because I don’t feel like driving,” he nonchalantly replied. To the driver, he said, “Seoul Arts Center, please.”

They arrived a half hour later and found Kai’s parents waiting in the lobby café. Mrs. Kim sprang out of her seat with the most ecstatic look Ji Won had ever seen on the graceful woman and to the girl’s surprise, attacked her with a hug. “Oh Ji Won, I’m so happy for you!”

“Um, thank you?” Ji Won uncertainly answered. Had she done anything recently that needed congratulating?

“Mom,” Kai said through the gritted teeth of his forced smile. Ji Won could have imagined it, but she thought he ever so slightly shook his head, like he was sending a subtle signal to his mother. “Shouldn’t you be hugging the birthday boy first?”

A look of embarrassed realization dawned on Mrs. Kim “Oh, of course, where is my head?” She released Ji Won and attended to her son with a warm hug and a gentle kiss on his cheek. “Happy Birthday, my baby.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Kai murmured when she pulled away.

His father greeted him jovially with a great bear hug and congratulations. He smiled fondly at Ji Won, if fondly was what it could be described as. There seemed to be more of a twinkle in his eye than usual, like he knew something that she didn’t.

“So, what’s going on that you told me not to check what’s playing here?” Kai finally asked once the reception was done.

Mrs. Kim took the reins in excitedly explaining their great surprise. “Your father and I know that your favorite movie is Billy Elliot.”

Isn’t it ever, Ji Won thought. When she couldn’t decide on something to watch on their nights in, that was Kai’s default choice, a movie about a boy pursuing ballet over boxing in the 80s. He referred to it as “masculinism ahead of its time”. Feminism fought against the uneven playing field for females in what was still a man’s world, but Kai believed men could have just as much social prejudice against them as women did.

“Well they’ve recently turned it into a musical which has only been performed in London,” Mrs. Kim continued with an air of suspense.

“Until now,” Kai’s father suddenly interjected. “A theater troop here picked it up and is having their first performance today.”

Kai’s mother affixed a nasty look on her husband. He’d taken away the satisfaction of the big reveal from her.

Kai didn’t seem to notice. “Wow, really?! That’s amazing! And you got tickets just for me?”

An apologetic Mr. Kim took a step back to let his wife take the lead once more. “Of course!” she exclaimed, resuming a proud smile. “Anything for our son on his special day.”

Ji Won wanted to disappear into the background. Kai’s parents had gotten him tickets to the musical adaptation of his all-time favorite movie, something they had to have planned for months in advance since it was the first showing in the whole country and tickets had probably sold out the first day they were up for sale. Yet here she was, the supposed loving girlfriend who’d procrastinated to the point of being without a gift or plans for his birthday. What if this became the catalyst for a break-up?

No, she wasn’t going to let that happen. Ji Won was going to make sure to do everything Kai asked of her today. She’d even extend the courtesy for the next few days to make sure he knew she was really sorry for not doing more for his birthday.

~//~

Author's Note