Chapter 15 - Opening Up.

“You’re lucky I have some guy clothes in my wardrobe, or you’d end up wearing my crop top or something,” Minzy chuckles before she stuffs herself up with another spoon full of Chinese fried rice.

Out of instinct, she literally dragged the drenched Yongguk to her apartment and asked the man to take a warm shower before changing into something dry, to avoid the possibility of catching a cold. Yes, she ordered him. Her voice was so demanding that he did not even dare to mutter a word. Yongguk simply nodded and straight away rushed towards the direction of the bathroom she had just told him, like a dog obeying its owner. And now, approximately half an hour later, the two are sitting down at the dining table, enjoying a humble dinner that Minzy has prepared herself.

“Oh my god, don’t tell me… I’m not the first guy you’ve brought home, am I?” Yongguk gasps dramatically and at that point, Minzy really thinks that Himchan has possessed his soul or something – with how sassy and bimbostic his tone was (if bimbostic was even a real word to begin with).

“Yah! You wanna die?!”

“Chill, I was only kidding,” he chuckles but the lady does not seem to like his joke as she keeps on glaring at him, causing him to finally stop laughing and straighten up his body out of nervousness, “H-hey, I’m sorry, alright? I know you’re not that kind of person. It was only a joke. I’m sorry if I offended you, I really didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

Minzy remains silent, her eyes piercing through Yongguk’s, while her hand that is holding a spoon is clenching the object almost too tightly. Her stare is so intense that it makes him feel rather uneasy all of a sudden. He keeps on murmuring an ‘I’m sorry’ several times but it does not seem to have any effect on the girl. She just keeps quiet and continues burning holes all over his face with her eyes.

Then suddenly, Minzy bursts into a fit of laughter, the spoon in her hand falls onto the tiled-floor with a clink as she claps her hands retardedly like a seal. Shocked, Yongguk blinks his eyes in confusion, his mouth slightly agape. If she thought that Himchan has possessed his soul earlier, then Yongguk thinks that Eunmi’s spirit has somewhat possessed hers. She really seems out of her mind at the moment and it really frightens him a bit.

Her laughter finally dies down a bit after several minutes as she tries to catch her breath. “Man, that was hilarious!” Minzy snorts, trying her best not to erupt into another laughing fit, “You should’ve seen yourself in the mirror. The look on your face was just priceless!! Oh my god, I think I am going to die of laughing so hard!”

Once again, Yongguk just blinks his eyes in bewilderment and watches the girl lose her mind right before his eyes, both petrified and amazed at the same time. Finally, after a couple more minutes, she stops laughing. For real this time. She uses her right hand to fan her face, probably hoping that it would somehow help lower down her body temperature, while also trying to catch her breath. Still quite taken aback by what he has just witnessed, Yongguk absentmindedly offers the girl a glass of water to help her calm down which, to his delight, works.

The room becomes awkwardly quiet after that, with neither of them saying anything. Minzy is still trying to recover from her hysterical outburst, while Yongguk is pretty much still in a state of shock. Unable to take the awkwardness any longer, the latter gets up from his seat and offers to help with the dishes. Minzy just nods her head lifelessly, as if she has lost all of her energy – which she probably did from all the laughing fits earlier – and trails behind Yongguk, who is now approaching the kitchen sink with empty plates and bowls in his hands. 

 “Hmm, looks like the rain is not stopping any soon,” Minzy sighs, setting the empty glass that Yongguk has given her earlier into the sink as she stares out the window.

Yongguk, who is busy washing the dishes just looks over his shoulder upon hearing her voice. She was right, it really does not look like it is going to stop raining, at least, for another few hours. And the night is getting darker and darker by the minute. Making her way towards the man, Minzy helps dry the washed plates with a towel and smiles innocently at him, “Why don’t you just stay the night?”

He immediately freezes on his feet for a good fifteen seconds, trying to process what she has just said to him. Her question has completely caught him off-guard. Unknowingly, his heart starts racing in his chest as a red hue slowly makes its way out on his face. For some reason, his mind is not functioning quite properly for a moment as dirty thoughts begin to invade his head. He knows very well that she did not mean for it to sound like the way he thought it sounded but damn, he is a guy after all. He cannot help but to think in that direction sometimes.

Yongguk nervously clears his throat as he passes her the last rice bowl before nodding his head as a yes. He takes a quick glance at her only to see her smile that innocent smile of hers as she continues drying the bowl leisurely, like she had not said anything wrong at all. His mind is in a total mess right now and there is nothing that he wants to do more than to kiss those luscious lips of hers.

Damn his eyes! Why on earth could they not stop staring at those beauties? And damn his hormones for acting up all so suddenly. Damn. Just, damn! Before his mind could get even more corrupted, he lightly taps on his cheeks, trying to wash the dirty thoughts away. Minzy, however, notices his uneasiness and eyes him worriedly. “Gukkie, are you okay?”

Man, why does her voice have to sound so y like that? This is really not helping at all. Clearing his throat nervously for the second time, Yongguk just shakes his head and flashes her his gummy smile before grabbing her hand and drags her into the living room, startling the girl a little. “Let’s watch some TV!” he suggests, trying to distract himself.

“Uh, how about no?”

“But why?!”

So he whines like a baby now too, huh? Minzy just giggles at his cuteness. “Uhh, maybe because there’s a freaking thunderstorm outside?” she questions in a rather sarcastic tone.

“Right,” Yongguk nods in agreement, but not without his adorable little pout.

“How about some ice-cream instead?”

“At this kind of weather?”

“Why not? It could never go wrong with ice-creams.”

“I guess so,” Yongguk shrugs and Minzy just smiles at him before hopping towards the kitchen merrily.

While waiting, Yongguk takes his time looking around the living room, observing every tiny detail of it. A small sigh escapes his lips as he leans back against the fluffy, white couch. If this were Sims, he would definitely score the furniture a full ten out of ten for comfort. He continues to scan the room and he cannot help but chuckle. Minzy is bipolar, he takes a mental note of it.

At one corner, everything seems so girly. Pink and purple scented candles are aligned neatly on a sleek black, wooden sideboard, with a vase of fresh white and yellow daisies at the center. Beside the sideboard is a vintage looking rattan chest, with a few strings of yarns of different textures and colours coming out of it. She must be into knitting, he assumes and somehow the thought of it lifts the corners of his lips upwards into a smile. And there is also a cute penguin plushy sitting on the armchair by the window. How adorable!

At the other corner, however, is the total opposite of girly. There are two Gundam models standing proudly on either end of the TV bench – a Banshee Norn on the right and a Gelgoog Cannon on the left – as if they were guarding the 36" flat screen television. There are actually more of them along with some other figurines, like Be@rbricks and Marvel superheroes, being displayed in a modern, glass-door cabinet, placed slightly to the right of the bench. Yongguk can only stare at the exquisite collections in awe.

Scented candles, yarns and figurines in one room? Yup, Minzy is definitely unique. And rich! Those Gundam models probably cost, at least, fifty to sixty dollars each and there are like dozens of them! Overall, her living room is a simple, black-and-white themed setting but with a sleek touch to it. Moreover, the bright colours of the toys and other accessories help make the room seem more lively and fun. But there is one particular thing that has caught Yongguk’s attention – an art piece hanging on the wall just above the couch.

Being an art enthusiast, he is knowledgeable enough to know that whoever it was who drew the piece was not a professional painter. One, the brush seem sloppy and quite hurried, like those of a child’s drawings. Two, it really seems like a failed attempt of drawing an animal. At first glance, it looks like a bear but at the second glance, it looks like a puppy instead. Whatever it is, however, the piece is somehow quite interesting.

“I drew that when I was ten,” Minzy’s voice brings Yongguk back from his reverie, “Like I said, art was a big part of my childhood. It still is, actually. I enjoyed painting every now and then, and I actually bragged about my skills a little back then. Just a little. But my brother always made fun of my drawings so one day, I told him that I could paint something that would worth thousands of dollars, something that probably up to par with Picasso’s masterpiece. And voila! It ended up hanging on my own wall instead.”

Minzy chuckles as she reminisces about one of her childhood memories. Thinking back, her brother was probably right. She might not really have a talent in painting. However, that does not stop her from continuing her hobby. She still paints whenever she has the time to. Although, it has been quite a while since she last did so.

“It’s good,” Yongguk comments sincerely, taking her slightly aback, “It may not be the greatest piece but it is still an artwork. It is the product of your own imagination so it does not matter if it did not look good to other people for as long as it succeeds in interpreting whatever you had in your mind at the time. It really is an interesting piece, if you asked me. I like it. I actually like it a lot. And it’s priceless!”

“Awww, thank you~ Uri Gukkie ish sho shweet~” Minzy coos while pinching the man’s cheeks, causing him to groan in annoyance.

Yongguk then whines and complains that he is not a baby, and that he does not like to be treated like one, but that somehow encourages Minzy to even more. She rarely teases anyone but right now, she just cannot help herself. Yongguk is being too cute for his own good and it is darn irresistible! Heaving a defeated sigh, he grabs the tub of Belgian chocolate ice cream from Minzy’s hands and places it onto the coffee table in front of them. Minzy can only shake her head and giggle at his adorableness before rolling out a picnic mat onto the sofa.

“Don’t wanna get my precious couch dirty,” she winks before handing Yongguk a spoon, “Now, let’s dig in!”

And so, the two starts to dig in! For about five minutes or so, both of them just concentrate on devouring the dessert silently, enjoying every tiny and delicious bit of it. Especially, Minzy. That girl gobbles down the ice cream like she did not eat for a century. She practically finished half of it all by herself. Yongguk, on the other hand, chooses to eat in a rather slower pace while observing her every movement and expression. She may look contented on the outside, but he knows that the girl is suffering in the inside and that is really killing him.

Unknowingly, one of his hands reaches out and tucks a few strands of hair behind her right ear. Quite taken aback by his action, Minzy freezes on her spot and when she looks up from the tub, Yongguk is smiling at her. The hand that has tucked her hair just now stays there, brushing through her locks softly making her even more confused than she already is.

“Y-Yongguk?”

“Eunmi said that you had a family emergency just now, is everything okay?” he finally asks after a long ten seconds or so; withdrawing his hand back to his side when he notices the girl fidgets uncomfortably.

Minzy’s heart instantly drops upon hearing the word family. Other than Eunmi, she has not really told anybody about her family situation. Well, Namjoon may have a little clue about it but she never really told him anything. And now, Yongguk is asking her if everything were okay. No, everything is not okay! Her brother who she has not spoken to for years until she met him again just a couple weeks ago suddenly called her this morning, telling her that her estranged father had a and is now half-paralysed, and may or may not be able to recover.

And apparently, according to Daesung, the old man’s final wish is for her to move back into the house with them and he did not even care to apologise for what he had done to her. Did the somehow erase some of his memories or something? After all the humiliation he had put her through, did he really expect her to say yes to that ridiculous request that easily? Hello no!

So no, everything is definitely not okay! In fact, everything is so messed up!

But how in the hell is she supposed to tell Yongguk everything? She can’t. Not without breaking into tears.

Tears.

Minzy is too deep into her thoughts that she does not even notice the tears that are rolling freely down her cheeks. It isn’t until Yongguk’s thumbs wiping them away that she realises that she is already crying. And for some reason, she starts to sob even more as if crying could help ease the pain away. Instinctively, Yongguk scoots closer and enwraps her in his arms. “Cry it out. I’m here for you, my dear, so just cry it all out,” he mutters softly before kissing the top of her head, as if to reassure her that everything is going to be okay.

Fifteen minutes have passed and her sobbing finally stops, much to Yongguk’s relief. He really hates seeing her cry like that, it breaks his heart to the core. The two remain like that for a while longer – Minzy safely wrapped in Yongguk’s arms like a cocoon, neither of them saying a single word. They just remain silent and Minzy actually appreciates that. She finds it rather calming. The fact that he is hugging her protectively makes everything all the more tranquil. And when she finally has the courage to speak, she tells him everything.

How she was never close with any of her parents.

How she was so devastated when her grandmother passed away.

How she felt betrayed when her older brother suddenly left her.

How her father never treated her like his own daughter.

How she felt lonely and neglected all throughout her teen years.

How one special guy suddenly came into her life and changed everything.

How her father ruined everything and humiliated her in front of everyone, including that particular guy whom she loved with all her heart, by announcing practically to the whole South Korea that she was actually not his child but of his wife’s affair with a former business partner.

How he wants her back after all the damage he had done to her.

Everything. She tells him every single thing – from A to Z.

Yongguk, who remains silent and just focuses on listening to her story, cannot help but feel sorry for the girl. He really cannot fathom how someone would even dare break such a precious girl’s heart so heartlessly. If he could, he really would turn back time and probably kidnap her. Take her far away from home and protect her with everything that he has. From the first time he met her, he knows that her cheerful personality is merely a façade to hide all the pain inside. But he waited, he waited until she is finally ready to let him in.

“You wanna know something funny?” Minzy snorts, her head resting comfortably on his chest, “Despite everything that had happened, I still love my father.”

Yongguk tightens his hug and nuzzles her hair before kissing the top of her head again. “That’s normal. No matter how distant we are from our parents, we somehow still have some connections with them. Blood is thicker than water, they say.”

“I heard.”

“So, have you met your real father?”

“He is my real father, Yongguk. We literally look the same! Same eyes, same nose, same lips. If he were much younger, people could have easily mistaken him as my twin brother!”

“Then why did he say that you’re not his daughter? That’s just absurd.”

“Tell me about it!” Minzy huffs in frustration, unknowingly poking the man’s chest with her finger rather roughly causing him to groan in slight pain, “Sorry about that, reflex.”

“That’s okay,” Yongguk cannot help but chuckle at her cute response, “And that guy you mentioned, he’s a fool for leaving you just because you were supposedly an illegitimate child! That's just stupid! He really doesn’t deserve you!”

Minzy nods in agreement as she continues to poke his chest. The room suddenly turns quiet after that, both of them enjoying each other’s embrace, until Yongguk mentions something about how grateful he is that that guy chose to leave because if he didn’t, he wouldn’t get the chance to be here with her tonight. And that really makes Minzy’s heart beat a thousand times faster. Now that he mentioned it, she, too, is thankful that her past relationship did not work because if it did, she would probably be not able to experience Yongguk’s warm and loving hug like she is now.

“I will never leave you,” Yongguk says suddenly with that deep voice of his and once again, her heart is pounding crazily inside her chest upon hearing those words leave his mouth, “Illegitimate child or not, I promise that I will never leave your side.”

Turning her head slightly towards him, Minzy smiles at him. She is really touched by and grateful for everything that he said, everything that he has done for her for the past hour. She has not felt this happy and this free in such a long time. Talking to Yongguk was definitely not a wrong decision. In fact, it was most probably the wisest decision she has ever made.

“Thank you, Gukkie, that means a lot to me. Thank you for listening to my crappy story and for comforting me. Just, thank you.”

Smiling back at her, he reaches for her hand and places it on his chest just where his heart is, “Thank you, for making this heart beats again.”

TO BE CONTINUED.

Author's Note: Yay! New chapter is up! I hope you enjoyed the read! Now that Minzy's "family problem" is out in the open, what do you think will happen next? Will she do as her father's wish? Haha, Imma let you keep guessing on that because I won't tell just yet. ;p Anyways, this will probably be my last update for now. My cousin is getting marriied soon, like REALLY soon, and the family is quite busy with all the praparation and whatnot so I'm afraid that I won't be able to update anything for the time being. I'll try but I won't promise. Besides, it will not be that long, anyways. I'll be back by September, that's for sure! :D So until then, I hope you enjoy the rest of the chapters! Hee, love ya! Subscribe, upvote and comment~ ;)

Story by: afagyel | Poster and background by: Tomoe Graphic Shop