Kim Estate

All the way home from the festival I was riding on Cloud 9. Not even Suho's annoying flirtatiousness could bother me and that actually irked him more than I thought it would. Thankfully he didn't see Kris and I come from the roof together, but he did suspect that I was happy in some way or another. He guessed that it was because he got us free ice cream, but honestly it was all Shin's doing for using his puppy eyes to the girl running the stall. 

 

"Riannnn. Ohhhhh Riannn." I groaned turning my head to face Suho who was carrying a plate of cookies and a glass of milk coming from the stairs. 

 

"What do you want?" I asked slightly losing my happy mood. He did a little motion towards the cookies and milk.

 

"Want to share?" He nudged his door open with his side then motioned his head for me to follow. As much as I wanted to refuse, I was actually hungry...Yes, even after the ice cream food was always an option. I followed Suho into his room and plopped myself at the end of the couch far away from Suho as possible. As I started to reach for a cookie the plate was taken away. Looking up Suho gave me a mischievous grin. I knew this cookie thing wasn't going to come without paying some kind of price...

 

"What do I have to do for a cookie?" I asked without any second thought of arguing with him. I had to hold onto some kind of happiness, and arguing and fighting with Suho would just make it completely go away. He looked surprised hearing my response. 

 

"Answer a question for a cookie." He held the plate of cookies in front of my face. "If I am satisfied with your answer I will feed you the cookie. If I am not, then you have to feed ME the cookie."

 

"Wait, why do YOU have to feed me the cookie??" I reached across the couch to try and get the plate of cookies but his arms were too long. Okay, fine. If he wants to play this game, let him play his little games. What could he really ask to ruin this happy mode anyways? "Fine, fire away."

 

"First question" Suho pretended to look deep in thought, using his thumb and pointer finger to create a fake beard around his chin. "How many boyfriends have you had?"

 

Counting my fingers I tried to make it look like I had a lot to think about. Suho didn't look surprised or impatient though just keeping his eyes on me. I shrugged putting up a number using my fingers.

 

"6?!" He exclaimed recounting my fingers over and over again. He looked at me pretty surprised. "Whoa, Rian I didn't expect you to be THAT kind of a girl...

 

I punched him in the arm. "Suho, I am NOT that kind of girl. It's just that I was naive and young back then; they were more of casual boyfriends, nothing ever serious." I opened the palm of my mouth to recieve my cookie. Suho shook his head and opened his mouth to signify that HE was to feed ME the cookie. I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth allowing him to feed me the damn cookie.

 

"So, by casual do you mean...friends with benefits?" He asked playing his face up to still be in shock. I laughed, oh god it was going to be these types of questions, huh?

 

"Here" I took the cookie from his hand and told him to say "ahhh" in order to feed him. He pushed the cookie away from me.

 

"Yah! Why aren't you answering me?!" He asked with wide eyes. I shrugged taking another cookie for myself while tossing the other one in his lap, which he caught.

 

"Why should I open my past up to you? The past is the past so let's keep it that way." I copied the small grins he always gave me. "Besides, I was a different person back then."

 

"I'll tell you about my past if you tell me about yours" Suho said pulling the cookie plate away from my reach. I gave him a pout as he teased me by holding the plate in front of my face. I rolled my eyes slightly knocking the plate over gaining myself two cookies. His eyes widened a bit as he balanced the cookie plate in his hand again making me laugh at the sight.

 

"Fine then but you go first" I sat looking all wide eyed trying to look like an amazed child waiting for story time. He shook his head laughing at my stance.

 

"What would you like to know?" Suho asked with ease sitting back and facing the TV. "I'm basically an open book; every question and answer about me can be found on the web."

 

"Tell me about your mom." I expected a stumped look from Suho but he kept his cool and posture. He didn't flinch or pause in his speech as he answered me.

 

"Well, for one thing I miss her." He turned to look at me. "She would have loved you."

 

"Really? How so?"

 

"Well, for one she always wanted a daughter. But, that attempt was Shin." He shrugged then looked back at the TV. "You would have loved her too. She was always happy, optimistic, sarcastically funny, caring, loving...The only flaw she had was that her sense of her adventure was death threatening."

 

"Death threatening?"

 

Suho nodded. "Mom had a double life like I do. No one knew except Nene and I." Suho looked at me showing me a toothy grin. "She was the underground racing Queen."

 

That lady in the picture in such perfect smile, posture, beauty...She raced?! Not only raced, but was the Queen of the sport?! So that's how Suho got into the world he was in now...

 

"So, the way she died..."

 

"She lost control of the car running herself off the cliff." His face suddenly turned a bit blank as if he was replaying something in his head. "I told her not to go that night. I told her I would race them; that it wasn't worth it to race those bastards. But, she didn't listen to me....She told me it would be her last serious race she would be a part of" His eyes suddenly focused again. "And it literally was."

 

I looked at him closely and for some reason I couldn't help but feel his pain. My motherly instincts kicked in taking his head into my arms giving him a hug. I couldn't help but tear up a bit. This boy. Since when did this boy have such a story to tell and then still act the way he does? 

 

"Suho I-I'm sorry" I wiped a tear from my eye. He lifted his head a bit then we switched places, him hugging my head close to his chest now. I should have pushed him away, but it felt too natural on how my head fit under his. How the feeling of his arm lazily resting around my waist wasn't ticklish, but comforting. This all felt...too good to be true. That I was actually comforted by such a move that I usually pushed away when it came to Suho.

 

"Its okay Rian. It's been a while since I've talked about her, so actually...thanks for reminding me of her." I felt him run his hands through my hair. "Now that I think about it, you are the first person I have talked about her with since she died."

 

"You're lying" I replied pushing myself up a bit to look up at him. "How about the guys? Your father? Shin?"

 

He shook his head. "The guys: The only time they ever saw me cry was, well, never. Dad: We sort of grew a part after Omma's death. Shin: He barely remembers her." He poked my nose with his finger. "You and Nene are practically the only mother figure he has in his life."

 

I swiped his hand away now returning back to that annoyed feeling. But, really though... "Me a mother figure for Shin?"

 

"Well, you and Nene. I mean, your the only two woman figures that have a big influence on him since you are both around him so much."

 

"Yeah, I guess your right..." I lay back on his chest all too naturally. Why wasn't I feeling guilty about this? Was I not supposed to be thinking about Kris right now? Kris KISSED me tonight. He K-I-S-S-E-D me yet I was here in Suho's room embracing Suho as if the kiss never happened or had any long lasting effect on me.

 

"So..." Suho interrupted my thoughts swirling a bit of my hair in his fingers. "About earlier..."

 

"What about earlier?" I asked starting to feel a bit nervous. I hope he wasn't going to talk about the words he said to me at the Nurses office. Or wait...did Suho know about Kris and I...?

 

"You and Kris hanging out without being under my watchful eye." I guess I spoke too soon... I felt his hands around my waist grip a bit tighter, entrapping me like a cage.

 

"Come on Suho, you can't seriously be serious about that rule" I formed my hand into a fist then punched his chest lightly in annoyance that I couldn't escape. "Besides, why do you even care that I'm friends with him anyways?"

 

"Cause Rian, I've already warned you about him" I suddenly felt his hands removed from my waist, but landed on my shoulder with him pushing me off his chest to look at me. "I'm trying to protect you."

 

"If you haven't noticed Suho, I am capable of protecting myself." I shrugged his hands off of my shoulder. We're we seriously going to fight about this, AGAIN?! I didn't want to go through the same cycle where we get into a huge fight, don't talk to each other for a day, and then come back together again with Suho having the upper hand. Then an idea popped up into my head thinking I would turn the tables a bit to get something I wanted to know about MY WAY for once. I turned to him with an upturned brow.

 

"Unless...of course...you protect me because....maybe..." Taking two fingers I placed them on his chest moving from the middle of his chest up, slowly make them take a step with each word. "Maybe...you...like...me..." I reached his nose and gave it a little poke. I had to keep myself from laughing out loud cause at this point Suho's facial expression was PRICELESS. He looked so shocked and off guard that his ears were starting to turn pink on the edges. I'm pretty sure he was starting to form bullets of sweat on his head.

 

"R-Rian wh-what nonsense is this??" Suho said slightly pushing me away from him to stand up. Turning the tables indeed, I had always given hom a sarcastic side of me, but never in a way like this. Never in a way where I used my charm against him...Now he was gettign a taste of his own medicine.

 

"What do you mean nonsense Suho??" I asked stood up giving him a fake pout. "Does Prince Suho not like Princess Rian??" I took slow steps to Suho who was truly afraid of me at this point; as if he was witnessing a ghost or something.

 

"Ayeee Riannnn...." Suho was taking careful steps backwards until his legs hit the edge of his bed making him fall back. I smiled knowing that I was close to the goal of my plan.

 

"It seems as if Suho is getting a bit nervous..." I stood in between his legs hands on his knees looking down at him. "Why does it seem that Prince Suho is nervous?"

 

"Stop this Rian" he said in a sort of nervous, serious tone. "Don't do this to me..."

 

"But isn't this what you always imagined me doing to you??" I asked with a smile. I slowly bent my top half body forward getting ready to crawl; Suho shot straight up and back slamming his body on the headboard of his bed. I bit my lip again to keep myself from laughing; this was all too much.

 

"YE-NO" He said shaking his head furiously as he cheeks suddenly started turning pink. "Please stop this Rian! If you come any further--"

 

"I'll only stop this under one condition" I crawled up to him now sitting on his waist, one leg on either side of it. I put my hands on his stomach lifting his shirt to reveal a tiny bit of skin. I could feel him squirming under me now and this was my chance. I leaned forward getting ready to whisper in his ear something, making sure that my upper body was at a good angle for him to see. "If you want to stop seeing this side of me, then you'll have to let me start seeing Kris WITHOUT your watchful eye."

 

"And i-if I don't say y-yes?!" Suho asked trying to bring his charm into his voice, but stumbled a bit in his deliverance. I got you now...

 

"Then maybe I'll just stay here the night and sleep beside you whispering sweet nothings in your ear..." I pulled my head away to look him straight in the eyes. "Oppa."

 

That killed him. The word "oppa" killed him right there; seeing his eyes almost bulge out of my sockets he pushed me off him with such force that my back hit the mattress. He stumbled off it falling to the ground and with the pillow he was holding in his hand he held it in front of him like a shield of protection shouting,

 

"OKAY OKAY FINE DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH KRIS RIAN!" He quickly ran up his stairs to put more distance between us as I just laid there laughing my off; to a point where tears were streaming down my face and my stomach was hurting.

 

Suho put a hand to his chest as if he had a heart attack. "RIAN YOU LITTLE--" he threw the pillow from the second landing to my body, letting it hit me on the head. "God damn it why--how--"

 

I pulled myself together; taking the pillow he had thrown at me I took it in my hands hugging it. "That should explain how I had 6 boyfriends, huh?" Standing up I kept the pillow in my arms, walking towards the glass coffee table taking the plate of cookies in one hand and the glass of milk in the other. I turned around giving him a confused look about something I had just realized. "I'm surprised you didn't take that chance to try something with me Suho. Do you not find me attractive enough? Hmmmm??" I a bit by giving a little body roll then laughed. He just leaned over the railing shaking his head and laughing.

 

"Don't worry about me finding you attractive Rian..." His Casanova voice had returned in his voice, and looking up so had that glint in his eye. "It's just a matter of time when you find ME attractive. And when that time comes, everything that you just acted out to me right now will actually have meaning behind it. That way, our love is pure and not just lust." He gave me a wink. "But then again your right...its been a while since I've had a little something and now that I know what your capable of..." Suho started to slowly guide his hand across the railing making his way toward the stairs. I was now the one getting caught off guard and started to make a beeline for the door.

 

"Ha! In your dreams Suho!" I exclaimed as I ran across the hall, carefully balancing the milk and cookies in my hand with the pillow still in my arms. I went into my room placing the items in my hand on the ground before locking the door. Knocking followed with Suho's voice saying on the other side,

 

"Why must I wait for it in my dreams when I know you are capable of making it my reality right now??" Suho added a little menacing laugh that made me want to laugh my off. Really, how corny coudl this guy get?

 

"Goodnight Suho!" I hit my booty against the door signaling my leave from my stance, picking up the cookies, milk, and pillow from the floor.

 

"No 'Goodnight Oppa'??" I heard him joke on the other side of the door laughing. I put down the cookies and milk on my nightstand throwing the pillow at the door.

 

"Go to sleep you !!" I heard Suho's laughter on the other side of the door.

 

"Goodnight Princess Rian..." I heard a fading of shuffled footsteps then a door close signaling that I was now truly alone to myself now. But just to make sure...I tiptoed quietly across the room to my door, taking the pillow as protection as I opened the door to make sure Suho wasn't hiding or anything. Sure enough it was empty and the lights in Suho's room were shut off from what I could tell from the crack under his door. I closed the door softly, without a sound, then ran to jump on my bed hugging the pillow.

 

Putting the pillow under my head I turned my body to where I was planning to sleep on my right side. Taking a deep inhale, the scent of Suho hit my nostrils; it reminded me of the feeling that I had when he was comforting me earlier with me inside his arms. I pulled the covers around my body tighter to try to bring back that feeling; it just wasn't the same. I put my hand on my pillow closing my eyes taking another whiff of his scent off the pillow picturing that I was lying on his chest again, his fingers running through my hair, a hand softly rubbing the small of my back...and before I could even scold myself for thinking such thoughts, a soft vibration came from my nightstand. I opened one eye checking my phone to see the text message that was sent to me.

 

Kris

This may sound corny but...I can't stop thinking about you.

Anyways, I know you're probably sleeping right now so by the time you read this message I hope you have wonderful, sweet dreams & hope to catch a glimpse of you today (or tomorrow if you are going to read this then fall asleep, which I know you would).

 

I smiled to myself as I put my phone back on my nightstand then squirmed of happiness under my covers. He was thinking about me! Kris was thinking about me at this time of the night. I just-I can't-ahhhhh! I could feel the familiar giddiness from the kiss with Kris building up inside me again as I closed my eyes to do as exactly as I was told, forgetting about my thoughts on Suho.

 

Sweet dreams Rian, sweet dreams.

A month later; Shopping Mall

"Kris we can't."

 

"But Rian..."

 

"No! We don't have the--"

 

"Come on just a few minutes won't hurt."

 

"Kris..."

 

"Rian..."

 

"Noona pleaseeee??" We both looked down, Shin giving me a pouty face. Ugh, I couldn't say no to his little face. I looked up at Kris handing off Shin's hand to him.

 

"Ugh, just don't take too long in the toy store then or else we'll be late for the charity even" Kris and Shin looked at each other with a winning grin. With no further notice Shin ran into the toy store while Kris stayed behind coming up to me to give me a kiss on the cheek.

 

"Thanks babe." He hugged me from behind giving me another sloppy kiss on the cheek and I squirmed pretending to wipe off his kisses. I finally gained the energy to break out of his embrace turning around to face him.

 

"Since when did I start dating a little kid?" I joked shaking my head. He gave me a smile then came head on, kissing me on the lips. I stumbled back a bit in surprise, but just as quickly returned the favor. 

 

"You know how I am around Shin" Kris said still holding me around the waist as he pulled back from the kiss.

 

"Yeah, yeah, I know cause it feels as if I'm taking care of 2 kids instead of one." Ever since Suho agreed to lift the rule of "not seeing Kris", I was able to see Kris whenever I wanted too. Most of the time I always had Shin with me since I had my babysitting duties, yet Kris or the other guys didn't mind whenever I brought him to the EXO Garage. In fact, Shin was happy whenever he visited them. The only problem was, we didn't exactly know if Shin was allowed to hang out with Kris and his friends so at the end of the day I always had to treat him with a little extra something to tell him to keep it a secret. One time, that caused me to bake Star Wars themed cookies from scratch...

 

"I take care of you like a man should for his woman right?" Kris gave me a kiss on my forehead and I couldn't help but smile. God, he was always just something else.

 

"All right, whatever just go find Shin before we lose him" I gave him a quick peck on the lips as Kris let me go from his embrace. I took out the credit card from the wallet I was already holding in my hand handing it to Kris. "And if he tries to get you to buy the life sized R2D2, just say no."

 

"A life size R2D2?!" Kris playfully gasped putting his hands to his face to add to his awe. I laughed then shook my head pointing to the coffee shop in the middle of the mall.

 

"I'm getting coffee. Would you like some?? Or wait--" I put my hand up then put a finger to my chin. "Maybe you would want a little kiddie drink like--"

 

"Just get me a coffee Rian" he laughed returning to his normal state. I blew him a kiss as we turned around going our separate ways then sighed. Though we have been dating for a little bit over a month or so, I still had that bit of excitement in me whenever I was with him. Yet, there was a guilt factor considering how neither of us had told our circle of friends the truth of us dating. Suho and them understood that I was just friends with Kris and his gang. Hitting up the EXO club with me now in tow, they even got to hanging out with each other as well. Not ever outside of the club walls though considering how their friendship had to stay under the radar from "the enemies" they had. Now I knew that "these enemies" were mostly big shot businesses that I never would have thought to deal by racing. I had to find that out the hard way considering how more than once I was always part of the consolation prize. Adding on to that, I had apparently become there resident "Race Starter". As Kai put it: "the y lady in the middle of the two cars before the race reciting the rules, but no one really listens until the ready, set, go mark."

 

As I put my wallet into my purse falling in line for coffee, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I turned around coming face to face with a girl about my age. She waved at me then pointed at my purse.

 

"I LOVE your purse" she exclaimed in perfect English holding up the same bag I had in a different color. "I didn't know it came in that color!"

 

"I didn't know either" I said as I took a step forward in the line. "To be honest, this was just a present." Suho had given it to me during our attempt to celebrate Thanksgiving in Korea, not knowing any better on what the actual day meant. He thought it had something to do with saying "Thank You" for the gifts people give you. When in reality it was a day to give thanks for what you already have, then stuff your face with food without a care in the world.

 

"Ohhhh whoever got that for you must have good connections considering how this purse is hard to get", she gave me a wink then stuck out her hand to me then giving a slight bow. "I'm Krystal by the way!"

 

I put my hand in hers reflecting her actions. "My name is Ariana, but I prefer Rian."

 

"Rian huh?" Krystal smiled shaking her head. "I like it!"

 

"Thanks" I took another step forward in the line. It wasn't that I was feeling awkward about talking to the girl, its just that I felt that it has been WAY TOO LONG since I've had a conversation about girl stuff I was hanging out with guys too much so maybe I can FINALLY make my first girl friend here in this country.

 

"So, I'm guessing you come from the States huh?" She took a little walk now standing beside me as if we were already friends standing in line with each other. I nodded adding,

 

"I'm a part of a exchange student program." I took another step forward getting close to the register now. She followed in step.

 

"What school do you attend?"

 

"Seoul International Academy."

 

Her eyes widened a bit as she hit me on the arm in excitement. I stumbled a bit but she then held onto my arm jumping up and down in her place. "NO WAY! I use to go there!! But, then I moved to New York and thought I would stop by Korea before hitting up California."

 

"I came from California" I said moving forward in the line now at the cash register. I told them my order in the best Korean I could; Krystal ordered on that same tab as well, even paying for my drinks.

 

"You didn't have to do that" I said feeling slightly embarrassed that I didn't do more to stop her when paying for the drinks. Krystal took the box in which the drinks were held in getting hers then handing me the box with the other three.

 

"Well, I need an excuse to see you again, right?" She dug into her purse pulling out a marker. Using a napkin, she wrote down her name and number then handed it to me. "We can hang out for real next time and you can pay me back then! Arasso??"

 

I nodded looking at the flourished handwriting of her name on the napkin, as if it was more of giving me her autograph. Before I could say thanks, I looked and she was gone from my sight. I did a 360 in my place but no Krystal... I looked at the number and back up again. Well, she did say we would see each other again, right?