Chapter 11: Stalking and Potatoes.

Jiyong woke up at the noise; the first thing he saw was Seunghyun leaving the bathroom and wearing a towel around his waist. I’m having nightmares again? Jiyong asked himself and waited for Seunghyun’s next move, the black haired man approached to him carefully and rested the hand on his forehead.

       “Are you ok?”

       “Are you real?” Jiyong startled at the warm hand on his forehead.

       “I am” Seunghyun lifted one eyebrow “I came back in the morning and found you on my bed; you were sleeping, so I didn’t wake you up”

       Jiyong looked around and evoked last night, he waited for Seunghyun in Seunghyun’s bedroom, but he didn’t appear, then he fell asleep.

        “I was worried about you” Jiyong said “Why did you come in the morning?”

       “I stayed with Taehyun working about the runway, it’s in three days. Now, it’s two days left” Seunghyun sighed sleepily “Can you get out of here? I need to dress, have to meet Taehyun again”

       “Again?” Jiyong said in shock “Again? But you just came back!!!”

       “Yes, there’s still a lot of work, you know how hard is arranging a runway, don’t you”

       “Yes, but… Whatever” Jiyong got up from the bed and walked away.

       “Wait, Ji” Seunghyun called and the blond’s heart pounded intensely.

       “Yes?”

       “You forgot your panda” Seunghyun took the plushie on the bed and threw it to the designer.

       “Ah, thanks” Jiyong held his panda “No! You know what? You are a bastard!!! I stayed awake; I waited for you all the night in worry!!! I thought something bad happened to you!!! And you were having fun with Nam Taehyun!!!”

       “Having fun? We were working! I’m already adult; I know how to take care of myself if something bad happens!”

       “You didn’t even call! It’s so hard to use the damn cellphone?!”

       “I didn’t know you were my mom”

       “I… “ Jiyong bit his lower lip, he couldn’t use the boyfriend thing, Seunghyun would say they aren’t boyfriends “I will never, never be worry about you again!!!” Jiyong kicked the door and went towards his bedroom.

       “Fine” Seunghyun turned his eyes and dressed up and left.

Jiyong googled Nam Taehyun and found a fan page about the newbie designer, there were photos of Nam Taehyun and Seunghyun; it seems someone stalked them yesterday and took pics.

       “Oh my gosh, working? Working? They’re having barbecue in the garden of Nam’s house!!!” Jiyong yelled in shock.

       “Sir, Youngbae is waiting for you in the living room” the housekeeper said feeling scary.

       Jiyong left the tablet and slipped under the bed and came out with a bag.

       “Sir?” the housekeeper observed in confusion.

       Jiyong went to the living room where Youngbae was sitting on the couch.

       “Hi, Jiyong, it’s my free day, let’s play videogames all the day!!!” Youngbae said cheerfully before shocking, because he saw the bag the designer carried.

       “Get up, we’ll go to Itaewon”

       “I’m afraid of asking, but the bag you have, is the stalking bag?”

       “Yes. Binoculars, walkie-talkie, camera, plastic bags... Indeed, there’s still a gum chewed by Seungri in one of the plastic bags”

       “Are we going to stalk Seungri? I thought you were doing fine with him”

       “We are going to stalk Choi Seunghyun”

       “Your boyfriend?”

       “Yes. He said he was working with Nam Taehyun, but I don’t believe him”

       “Who cares? You don’t have feelings for him, do you?” Youngbae said, inquisitive.

       “Definitely no, but… I’m protecting him, I mean, Nam Taehyun is touchy and playboy, he sleeps with everybody, I don’t want Seunghyun to be a victim”

       “I think Seunghyun is a big man that can take care of himself; moreover, you said he wasn’t gay, so I don’t think he’ll do anything with Nam Taehyun”

       “There are many men that say they aren’t, but they are. Oh my God, they may be kissing each other right now while we argue!”

       “Ok, let’s go” Youngbae chuckled, deep down, he wanted to see how things were to end.

In Youngbae’s car, they went to Itaewon, a lot of foreign restaurants, Nam Taehyun’s fan page said the designer and his new male model was eating at one Spain restaurant called La Paella.

       Youngbae stopped his car in front of the restaurant. There were tables outside and inside the place and they were occupied. Jiyong took out the binoculars from the “stalking bag” and watched the place.

       “I can’t see them” Jiyong said.

       “Uh, they’re sitting next to the salad bar” Youngbae said and Jiyong lifted one eyebrow.

       “I forgot taking the caps from the binoculars” Jiyong replied and watched again “They’re drinking wine! Nam Taehyun wants to get Seunghyun drunk and make things to him!”

       “Oh yeah, in front of the commensals” Youngbae said sarcastically.

       “The waitress put a fruit salad on the table” Jiyong said “and Seunghyun took a strawberry and offered to Nam Taehyun!!!”

       “I think the only playboy here is Seunghyun” Youngbae chuckled.

        “I’ll kill him” Jiyong left the binoculars; he was going to get out of the car when a policeman showed up.

       “It’s prohibited to park here”

       “I didn’t know, officer” Youngbae said.

       “There’s a traffic sign right here” the man pointed the sign.

       “I’ll move right now” Youngbae drove away and parked the car in the restaurant’s parking lot “I’m hungry”

        “Me too” Jiyong confessed.

       “We can return home and make snacks”

        “Or we can get down and go to La Paella and eat there while watching Seunghyun and Nam Taehyun” Jiyong said.

       “Whatever, man, I’m hungry” Youngbae said and they went to the restaurant.

There were few vacant tables, but lucky Jiyong found one next to Seunghyun’s table. Youngbae sat down facing Seunghyun and Jiyong sat down facing the door, he didn’t want Seunghyun to notice his presence. Jiyong didn’t want Seunghyun to know he was stalking him like a sasaeng.

       “Welcome to La Paella, here’s the menu” the waitress gave the menu to Youngbae and Jiyong “Are you the famous designer?!” she shouted out enthusiastically.

       “Noooo!” Jiyong covered his face with the menu “I’m just an ordinary man”

       “Please, I want this escabeche” Youngbae said “and escudella soup”

       “And you sir?” she asked to the ordinary man, she still thought he was the famous designer Kwon Jiyong.

       “Ah, the same Youngbae wants” Jiyong said.

       “In ten minutes” the woman walked away as another woman emerged with starters and drinks. She placed on the table two glasses of water and something called canarian wrinkly potatoes, they were baked potatoes with pepper sauce.

       “What are they doing now?” Jiyong asked uneasily.

       Youngbae had good view to Seunghyun’s table, so he reported everything to his friend.

       “They’re eating now” Youngbae said.

       “Eating what?”

        “Seunghyun is eating lamb chops and Nam, something that looks like pork rinds and soup… Wait, wait, Nam dropped the wine glass on Seunghyun’s lap. Nam is mortified and grabbed the napkin to try to clean the mess; he’s rubbing the napkin against Seunghyun’s lap”

       “What?!” Jiyong turned the head towards the table and opened eyes wide as Nam rubbed the napkin on Seunghyun’s lap and touched him “Oh, no, that’s my territory” Jiyong roared and snatched a pepper sauce potato and threw it against Nam’s head.

Nam startled after being hit by something that looked like a potato, he stared at the table before him, but Jiyong covered himself with the menu quickly.

       “Are you ok?” Seunghyun said.

       “Yes, it had to be a kid playing with the food”

       “I expect the potato didn’t hurt you so much” Seunghyun Nam’s head gently

“I shouldn’t say this, but now Seunghyun is caressing Nam’s head” Youngbae said and Jiyong grabbed the whole plate with the potatoes and tossed it to Seunghyun.

       The black haired man didn’t see that coming; the plate hit his chest and stained his shirt with sauce.

       “Hyung, are you fine?!” Nam asked in worry.

       “Ye-s” Seunghyun looked at the stranger table and recognized the blond locks and the clothes that belonged to Jiyong. He got up from the chair and advanced to the table “Hi, Jiyong”

       Jiyong alarmed at the manly voice and prayed for disappearing right there.

       “Ah… Seunghyun…. I didn’t know you were here… I’m taking lunch with my friend, Youngbae, you remember?”

       “Yes” Seunghyun stared at Youngbae who smiled nervously.

       “Why did you throw food to us?”

       Jiyong looked at Seunghyun’s shirt covered with sauce and potatoes leftovers.

       “Youngbae is very hungry; when he’s hungry he behaves like an orangutan and throws food to people”

       “Me?!” Youngbae said and Jiyong kicked his leg under the table “Yeah, me, I’m an orangutan”

       “Hyung, we have to go to the atelier now to meet the models” Nam came closer to Seunghyun and took him by the arm “I told the waitress to pack the food to takeaway” he faced the strangers and identified Jiyong “You’re kwon Jiyong?” Nam said breathlessly.

       “Yes…” Jiyong said annoyed by the way the young designer held Seunghyun’s arm.

       “Let’s go” Seunghyun held Nam’s hand and left.

       Jiyong got up to chase them down, but the waitress stopped him.

       “Here’s the food” she said and Jiyong had to sit down again as he watched them go away.

       “Finally” Youngbae loved the aroma from his dish and started eating while Jiyong thought the worst about Nam and Seunghyun. After finishing the food, he decided giving up and returning to the mansion with Youngbae.

       They played videogames during the day. Later Youngbae left and Jiyong remained alone in the living room with his thoughts. He couldn’t stop thinking about Seunghyun and Nam.

“Jiyong is beautiful” Nam bit his lower lip timidly.

       “You more beautiful” Seunghyun took him by the chin and him gently “Can I kiss you?”

       “I thought you are Jiyong’s boyfriend!”

       “It’s just business, I don’t care about him” Seunghyun said “I like you, Taehyun” he said and kissed Nam passionately.

Jiyong woke up in shock, he fell asleep in the living room and dreamed about Seunghyun and Nam kissing each other. Youngbae is fine, Seunghyun and me aren’t real couple, Seunghyun can kiss whoever he wants and I hate to say it, but Nam is good looking, he’s younger and funnier.  I’m crazy and paranoiac, I always yell at Seunghyun, of course, he wants to be with Nam.

       The cell sounded and Jiyong answered.

       “Hello?”

       “It’s me, Ji”

       Jiyong’s heart skipped a beat when he heard Seunghyun’s voice.

       “The work’s finished soon by today, so I’m heading to the mansion. I’m in the night market, you want something? Noodles, french fries, crab, seaweed soup…

       Jiyong smiled big just by hearing the older’s voice.

       “Wait me there, I’ll go”

       “Fine, call me when you’re here.  I’ll wait for you in the stand that sells noodles”

       Jiyong took the jacket and walked to the door. He stopped in surprise when he met Seungri.

       “What… what are you doing here?” Jiyong said hesitantly.

       “I waited for you in Lotte World during hours. I called, but you didn’t answer, so I came here”

       “Sorry!!! I forgot!!!” Jiyong slapped his forehead “Sorry, sorry!!!”

       “No problem, I brought this with me” he showed a picnic basket to Jiyong.

       “What is this?”

       “Food, wine” Seungri said “We can have picnic in the living room, it’s going to be fun”

       “Of course” Jiyong bit his lower lip and went to the living with Seungri.