16

"Cheers!" they chorused and gulped down their drinks, then sighing in content.

"Tao, why didn't you ask Hyomin to come along?" Sohyun asked Tao, while he just shrugged his shoulder and took another glass. "She said she had some leftover things to be done." Kris glanced at them. "Tao. Are you going to ask Hyomin to stay in your house? Please, you have four bedrooms and a guestroom, just give the guest room to her."

"Nope. I have no intentions of renting out my apartment and Hyomin has no intentions of freeloading."

"Selfish," Kris muttered and shook his head in amusement, then grabbed a piece of cake, going over to the living room.

"Unnie! I need more food!" Sohyun shouted from the dining room, while her sister and grandfather nodded their heads.

Instinctively, Sohyun stayed away from Kris, and Tao was just in between the two of them, sitting awkwardly on the sofa in front of the television.

From the corner of his eye, he could see how uncomfortable Sohyun was sitting even though it was her own house. He stifled a laugh and scooted closer to Kris, while he glanced at Tao and raised an eyebrow. 
"Kris, what do you think of altruistic people, for example, what do you think of me?" Tao asked.

Kris looked at Tao, scanning him from head to toe, then stifled a laugh. "You? To be honest, you are not my cup of tea,” he replied. “I think Sohyun’s the altruistic one.”

Tao rolled his eyes and walked away. "Talking to you it's like talking to a wall. How many times have he said the same old thing?"

He immediately thought of an idea and quickly ran into the kitchen, grinning evilly at BT and her sister, while both of them looked at him in confusion. "I have some matchmaking job to do," Tao said, grinning evilly as he rubbed his hands together. 

He didn’t do this because he was bored, (or maybe he was slightly bored) but because he doesn't want to see his good friend remain as a bachelor for his entire life, and at the same time he didn't want Sohyun to lose her youth. Based on his calculations, he really finds Kris and Sohyun a perfect pair.

What rubbish, Sohyun and Kris must say.

“BT.” He grinned, slinging an arm around his shoulder. “The other day you asked me whether I'm interested in Sohyun, or you need a son in law soon. And well, I was thinking of someone. Sad to say maybe he's the type for Sohyun, and maybe he will be a better boyfriend than me I admit," he sadly said and pouted while Sohyun's sister stifled a laugh and BT blinked in surprise. "Who's that person?" he asked immediately.

Man, BT was more desperate than Sohyun.

Tao bit his lip and leaned forward. "Kris," he whispered and BT blinked. "Sohyun's mentor?" he asked and tapped his chin. "Maybe he can be, but.. He's so cold."
Tao waved away and shook his head. "Nah, he's just strict. Plus, don't you know opposites attract?" He wiggled his eyebrows at BT and he nodded. "It sounds convincing though.."

Tao is indeed straightforward.

They gathered at the table when dinner was made, and they happily tucked into their food, while Tao placed his chopsticks down, his eyes focused on an object. He slowly walked over to the trophy, and he pressed his palms on the glass panel, admiring the trophy.

1976. Police Academy. Elite Force.

"BT. You're a policeman?" Tao asked in awe and he covered his mouth, stifling a laugh. BT's ears perked up, and he immediately rushed to Tao's side then nodded his head proudly. "Back then, I was the elite in the elites. Now now. Our three generations all uphold justice. Except for Sohyun's sister, she's doctor. That feeble one." He laughed while she elbowed BT and rolled her eyes, smiling.

"Back then I was young police officer, passionate about upholding justice and kicking bad guys' butts. I ran blocks of flats just to catch the robber, and I was even on the news. You can check that out if you want to, you'll see the photo of me," BT grinned proudly.

Sohyun approached BT, and rolled her eyes, chuckling. "But it's all in the past. And now you can never run fast just because of one shot in the leg during an operation. Shame on you." She wrinkled her nose at him and stuck her tongue out, while he stuck out his tongue back.

"BT, please remember that and not show off your rusty skills to Tao. I don't want you to get hurt." She patted his shoulders while he nodded.

"Ah hah! And that was when I was transferred to office work and became a computer freak. Then I became the computer elite in the police-"

"But that was all in the past. BT," Sohyun warned, while he just resigned to his fate and went back to his seat.
"Alright! We're done eating. Let's go up!" Tao exclaimed and hurriedly but stopped and turned when Sohyun’s sister called out for them. "What wait! What about the dishes?" Sohyun’s sister asked. "Of course you'll be doing the dishes," BT remarked and grinned in victory. Sohyun's sister gawked at her grandfather and blew her bangs. "But why me? Isn't it supposed to be Sohyun?"

"Aish you ingrate. I have been cooking for you all these years and now you won't do a single dish? How could you," he said and shook his head in disappointment, while Sohyun's sister just frowned at gawked at him.

"Then what about Tao?" she asked.

"He's a guest. Of course he can't clean the dishes right? And he has a job to do," BT explained while she crossed her arms and brought it to her chest, quirking her lips. "Tao's moonlighting, am I right? Then what about Sohyun's mentor? He's a guest too and you can't possibly ask him to do the dishes with me, right?"

"Well Kris and Tao have a choice. Tao doesn't want to do the dishes and if Kris doesn't mind he can help." BT shrugged innocently and ran up before she could say anything.

She huffed and stuck out her tongue at BT, then cleared up the dishes and went into the kitchen. Sohyun smiled and walked into the kitchen. "Unnie I can do it. Just go up and talk to BT."

"But-"

"I'm used to this anyway, just go." Sohyun smiled, and her sister kissed her cheek. 

"Aish BT. You know how to act huh?" she said and closed the door, while BT beamed proudly.

Tao closed the door and gathered BT and her sister to the desk when Kris plopped himself beside Tao. "What are you discussing about?" Kris asked as he closed the door after entering. They all gawked at him while he just raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Aren't you downstairs helping Sohyun out? Why are you here?" Tao asked and pushed him out of the room. 

"But I have a choice-"

"No no no. You don't have a choice. You can't possibly leave your disciple alone in the kitchen. Do you want her to call you sinister again?" Tao knocked some sense into his head, as Kris's eyes rounded in surprise and frowned. "I hate doing the dishes."
Tao shook his head and dragged him to the kitchen while Kris held tightly onto the frame of the door. "I don't want to," he hissed while Tao frowned. "You have to," he hissed back and kicked his foot and pushed him into the kitchen as he stumbled in, creating a large commotion.

Sohyun scrubbed the plates even harder, removing the stains while as she cleaned her forehead with her sleeve when she felt a person behind her.

She turned back and looked at him. "Kris? Why are you here?" she asked. While Kris blinked in surprise and rubbed his neck, glancing over his shoulder to see Tao signalling him to go on then disappeared within a second.

"Uh.." his voice trailed off and he bit his lip. "To help, with the dishes of course." He smiled.
Damn, sometimes being alone with Sohyun is no big deal to him. He can easily strike a conversation with his protege weeks ago because whenever they talk their will always talk about cases.
And now there's no cases, there's like this dead air surrounding them, or maybe just him.
Sigh.

Sohyun stifled a laugh. "I'm actually glad that your head wasn't scraping the ceiling. You know your height, sometimes can be of a problem," she joked and Kris faked a laugh, nodding. "Well, I can't possibly let my protege do all of the work."

Sohyun bit back a smile and handed him the plates, while she cleaned and scrubbed the bowls clean. He bit his lip and looked down at the plates. 
"I'm used to labour work after working with you." She laughed and Kris frowned. "Why?"
"Because you made me do the labour work for you. I can list them down," she replied.

"That is because I'm your mentor-"
"And you have to be strict with me yes I get it." She sighed, scrubbing the plates even harder.

Kris tilted his head to one side. "Was I? I communicate with people in that way."

She blinked in surprise and laughed. "Of course! But don't you find your life dry and boring?" Kris blinked. "I never thought of that. And come to think about it.. maybe you're-", he paused. "Right." His voice faltered. 

Sohyun smiled. "For once I'm right," she whispered. 
"Key word: Once." Kris pointed out and smiled.

She sighed. "There's one thing I don't really understand," Sohyun spoke up. Kris' ears perked up. "About what?" he asked.

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