Chapter 12

Everyday Love: Monday through Wednesday

Monday night

“He told me he loved me… madly in love with me,” Hyoyeon whispered to herself; her fingers placed gingerly over her lips with an unshakeable red blush on her cheek. She sat in her usual chair at the dinner table, where Kris had left her after carrying her downstairs. She sported a wide smile gracing from cheek to cheek, unmindful of the icy, freezing cold temperature.

Kris on the other side was going through varying, but similar emotions.

He had cooked up so many types of sweets and pastries the past couple of days; sampling and trialing for just the perfect wedge of chocolaty goodness, cleaning tragic messes and spending sleepless nights in the kitchen, all in the name of his 5’3 angelic brown-eyed goddess, Hyoyeon. He had perfected the baking of a triple chocolate fudge cake all in under thirty minutes. For what better way to get into a woman’s heart than through the delicious richness of a well-made dessert. But no amount of rehearsing could have prepared him for what he had experienced tonight.

He was wasting precious time trotting through the blue tainted kitchen floor, smiling foolishly to himself as he thought about his stubborn little hyoraengi of a wife. But there were spurts in between the sifting of the flour and the blending of the eggs, where he thought, ‘I might just get this cake to cook on time’, but her scent still lingered on his shirt, constantly reminding him with very precision filled flashes of the heated scene the two had shared moments ago, making him shaky and unable to work even the buttons of his 10-speed cake mixer.

. . .

“Close your eyes. I’m coming through.” Kris pushed the kitchen door open with the firmness of his back.

“Hurry up, it smells delicious. I want to see what it is already,” said an enthusiastic Hyoyeon, bouncing up and down the frame of her chair.

“Ok, open them.” Kris placed the silver platter on the placemat.

“Wow,” Hyoyeon mouthed, her eyes sparkling bright like gems. She looked at Kris, cheeks mighty high pleading to get a taste of the mouth-watering brown fudge goodness in front of her. Kris urged her with a nod of the head.

. . .

While Hyoyeon ate, Kris babbled on about how his silly little plan to make her jealous had failed, how everything had been such a big misunderstanding, from Seohyun’s constant visits all the way to that shameful day Hyoyeon had found them on the floor. But he also kept an eyeful watch on the petite blonde, who was unperturbed by his insistent incoherency. Nothing could pry the fork from as she enjoyed the cake that had been done to a perfect fluffy consistency. No one had ever met up to her cooking standards; not until now.

“Hyoyeon, are you listening to me?” Kris asked with a mild frown as he watched her gobble down block sized pieces of chocolate cake.

“Yeah, I’m listening” Hyoyeon picked up her fork yet again and continued to speak with a mouthful of cake. “Do you know that this cake practically melts in your mouth?”

“I don’t want to talk about cake.” Kris groaned. “I’m glad you liked it, but I think we should talk about something else.” Kris gulped a wad of saliva as he watched Hyoyeon the ends of her fork, making it all the more watery inside his mouth.

“Like what?” She asked with an almost uncaring tone to her voice as she continued to serve yet another piece of cake to her plate.

“I feel like I’ve been the only one investing in this relationship.” He stammered continuing to watch her relentless form. He wanted to hear her say to him something specific, something that was gnawing at the back of his mind. It would make the moment feel more special; real, it would make his happiness feel reciprocated. “I already told you I loved you. It’s your turn” He whined childishly as he wasn’t getting what he wanted.

“OH THAT!” She hollered in understanding, putting her fork down. “I thought that my actions would have sufficed for you to see that I also feel the same way, but if you want to hear me say it, fine.” Hyoyeon watched Kris lean forward to the edge of his seat, his eyes glimmering in anticipation.

“I love me too.” Hyoyeon howled loudly at her poorly made joke and watched Kris’s enthusiastic expression turn into a funny protruding pout. It made her laugh uncontrollably in her seat.

“THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT!” He scrunched up his nose and threw a small crumb from the edges of the platter across to her face, but it went straight down her neck and into her bra.

“Hey!” She bellowed looking down to see if she could find the piece before it smudged her lace undergarment.

“Here, let me help you find it,” Kris said eagerly; an impish smile curving at his lips. He climbed over the width of the table and crawled over to her side.

“That was your plan this whole time wasn’t it? You ert!” Hyoyeon placed both hands at the edge of the table, ready to spring up. She looked intently onto Kris, who was mere inches away from opening up her bathrobe, fingers placed strategically on the linen’s corners. Her eyes bore into his, a naughty thought crossing her mind.

 “Don’t you dare run,” Kris warned with his gummy smile at a challenge that was most surely going to be presented. Hyoyeon pushed off the ledge of the table and sprinted into the hallway and up the stairs.

 “I just want to help!” Kris whined as he continued to chase the determined Hyoyeon down the stairs once again. She ran wildly in burst of laughter as Kris tracked her down throughout the rooms, making piles of messes as they went.

And she was faster than Kris on any other occasion, but the house was quite confining so of course Kris was going to have the upper hand; his long legs making it possible for him to capture her in his arms with a manageable ease.

 “I told you not to run.” Kris pinned her to the ground, his knees at each of her sides. He used his index and middle finger to make slow, lingering down her neck and into the deep curve in between her chest. He went through the bathrobe, occasionally grazing the sides of her s, found the chocolate filled crumb and ate it. He then picked her up; her body stretched across his, enveloped within his arms.

“You’re so disgusting!” Hyoyeon threw her head back, squirming and cackling from his latest obscenity, but the smile on Kris’s face quickly vanished; transforming the happy, cheerful ambiance into a hushed, more serious like mood.

“Hyoyeon,” he whispered softly into her ear. “Let me sleep with you tonight.”

Hyoyeon could swear her heart started to make unhealthy somersaults inside her chest; her cheeks turning a bright shade of red when his husky voice released a hot breath against her reddening earlobe. She nestled her head into the side of his shoulder embarrassed and nodded, ruffling his shirt with her cheek as she tried to suppress inescapable giggles. Kris gave her a kiss at the top of her head and settled her gently on to the living room floor.

Tuesday

“You have been there for me when I have most needed you. And I value our friendship, like you can’t even imagine. But don’t you ever come in between Kris and me ever again.” Hyoyeon sat at her desk, speaking with an angry firmness in her tone. “I’m the head of this department and your best friend, but I won’t hesitate to fire you.”

Kai sat across the scolding girl, feeling regret and an immense amount of embarrassment. He couldn’t even look at her, remembering that he had acted so rashly and put her in quite an undignified position. He could blame no one but himself for the almost healing, now slightly purplish bruise plaguing his left cheek.

With a simple understanding they resumed to their work as they usually did, reviewing a couple of the pending contracts that needed to be signed. Just then Kris barged in without so much as a knock.

“Hyoyeon I wanted t…” his voice trailed off as he saw the two blonde friends working agreeably with each other.

He watched Hyoyeon, who was working diligently, unstirred in her seat, but Kai was looking back at him smirking.

“She forgave me.” Kai flaunted in a creepy translucent smile that bared all his pearly white teeth. And he had said it in such a showoff-y manner; only Kris could have read the mouthing of his lips.

This flustered him to no end, giving him an uncontrollable blood curdling feeling that made his shoulders stiff and his stomach muscles become pulled and contracted. Kris shook his head and tried to brush off the tiny rancor that he always felt when he saw Kai and Hyoyeon together. It was a swelling bitterness at the tip of his tongue; it almost made him forget why he had come in the first place.

“I wanted to know if you wanted to come eat with me.” Kris walked to Hyoyeon and bent behind her, taking a whiff of her hair as their shoulders grazed against each other, mildly. He’d leaned in with this position, with his mouth to her ear with the sole intention of sounding convincing and as seductive as possible.

“Not right now Kris. Can’t you see that I’m busy?” Hyoyeon rejected him bluntly; her eyes concentrated over a paper as she crossed out lines and made circled patterns with the tip of her pen, not even glancing at him in the slightest.

 Kai snorted loudly in mockery.

Kris’s heart deflated, sinking into a sullen abyss of emotions and with low-spirited, slouched down shoulders, dragged his feet to the door.

“Kriiiiiiis.” Hyoyeon called out long and playfully; stopping him on his tracks. She gave her head a small turn to the right and pointed at the center of her cheek with small taps of her index finger. “Are you leaving me without a kiss?”

Kris’ lightened up instantaneously and ran to her side, not a full sprint, but quick enough to show his excitement. He bent down slightly to give her a kiss on the cheek, but she turned her head slightly back to her left; tricking him into a kiss on the lips. She giggled when he saw his surprised expression.

 But she was going to be the one surprised to find that Kris wasn’t going to be satisfied with just a peck. He pressed her tight into another kiss that neglected her any room for a proper breath of fresh air and he too ended up losing himself in the soft cushiony confines of her supple, pink-stained lips.

They also ended up forgetting that Kai was in the room. In fact, they were so enraptured in their own little world; that the smacking of their mouths even managed to drown out Kai’s failed attempts of disruption through the constant and annoying clearing of his throat. He was only successful until he thought up of dropping one of the pencil cans to the floor.

The noise of all the pens scattering around the floor prompted them apart, gasping heavily for air.

 “On second thought, wait for me outside. I’ll be out in 30 minutes.” Hyoyeon ended the awkward silence and pretended to shuffle some papers, trying to alleviate her flushing cheeks.

Kris walked to the door, fixing his tie; smiling widely at his victory.

The room grew quiet again; Hyoyeon and Kai back to their original working position.

“Pssssssstttt!” Kris whispered to grab Kai’s attention, who was still sitting in his seat wrinkling up his nose.

Kai ly to see Kris sticking his tongue out at him in the most childish way possible. Kai rolled his eyes backwards while Kris marched out, with a happy swinging of his hands, forwards and backwards they went as he held a grin so wide, perfectly reminiscent of the triumphant feeling that was celebrating inside his delighted little heart.

 Wednesday

Kris and Hyoyeon came out of their car walking hand in hand, smiling at each other, all knowingly of a disdain they had for the manor like building in front of them; a house that belonged to none other than Kris’s father.  It brought other worldly aversion just looking at the place, Kris because he couldn’t stand his father and Hyoyeon for other reasons, but it was the old man’s birthday, it would look bad not to show.

They walked in lethargic lazy maneuvered steps, regretting the decision to have come in the first place.

The house was reasonably large, three times the size of their estate home, but bare and unhomely, nothing to be jealous about. The only thing that the couple greatly admired was the Venetian crystal lighted chandelier hanging from the ceiling, giving a waft of elegance and charm to all the guests upon entry. It was the only thing Kris ever liked about his old home and the only thing that sparked Hyoyeon’s interest. Unbeknownst to her, it had been chosen by her late mother-in-law.

. . .

“Hyoyeon, are you ok?” Kris asked concerned watching the blonde stuff her face continuously with several helpings of shrimp-stuffed rice balls.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Hyoyeon averted further questioning by chasing after a silver platter seemingly floating around with flower decorations and cream filled truffles. Kris felt a queasy feeling at the pit of his stomach and followed her closely.

“Will you tell me what’s wrong? I’m going to get it out of you one way or another.” He approached from behind, towering over her, bringing her close by pressing her back against his chest. He nibbled on her ear making her release a loud gasp; sounding dangerously close to a moan, and it made all eyes turn on them. They bowed apologetically, in embarrassment.

 “Kris, can it not be here though?” She asked of him, tilting her head back against his neck to face him seriously. He nodded reassuringly and ushered her to the dining room by her elbow length, golden glove covered arm.

. . .

Hyoyeon sat at the very first seat at the edge of the table, Kris to her right and Kris’s father to her left.

“It’s so great to see such a big smile on my son’s face. It truly reminds me of his mother.” He preached to his guests. “It makes me feel an unimaginable happiness to know that you and Hyoyeon have patched things up.” Mr. Wu clasped his hands and faced his son.

“Hyoyeon, my dear, whatever you are doing for my son,” he paused, “-it’s working miracles. I’ve never seen him so happy.” He said a little suggestively, placing a few of his wrinkled fingers on Hyoyeon’s fisted hand. Kris looked at the scene disgustingly and brushed his father’s hand off of Hyoyeon.

“It is sad however that I will have to lose acquaintance with one of my favorite candidates now that your marriage looks like it’s running so smoothly. Dr. Jung really would have suited you well Kris.” Mr. Wu waved about a merrily finger. “Don’t you think so, Hyoyeon?”

“Candidate? Dr. Jung? Who is Dr. Jung?” Kris asked feeling left out from a conversation that only Hyoyeon and his father seemed to know about. He felt his temper beginning to rise when he looked around and felt as if even the guests knew what the two were talking about.

“Hyoyeon answer me, who is Dr. Jung?” Kris queried glancing over at her.

He saw that her face had become austere and the glowing in her eyes had dimmed to an alarming darkness. His stomach twisted with worry as he felt Hyoyeon’s fist harden into a tight and freezing clench.

“Is anyone going to tell me what this conversation is about?” Kris asked feeling lost and helpless, but with everyone remaining silent, the anguish grew and his patience dwindled severely.

“What is this about suitable candidates?” He fumed through flared nostrils.  “Tell me!” Kris slammed a hand on the table shocking everyone in their seats.

“Well you left didn’t you? I could only assume that you were going to divorce from Hyoyeon, so I made her search up and interview suitable candidates for your inevitable second marriage.” Mr. Wu spoke carelessly, unmindful of the murmuring guests. “I’m getting old and I need grandchildren. And who better to choose what’s best for you other than Hyoyeon? ” He added.

“YOU MADE HER DO WHAT?!” Kris rose furiously to his feet making his chair swing backwards to the floor.

“Well don’t look at me like that. I’m not the one who left her. If it makes you feel a little better, I didn’t make her do it for free. I paid her, of course. Food doesn’t pay itself, you know. I offered her the best job I could under the circumstances.” Mr. Wu also rose to his feet and did as he had accustomed himself to doing by spinning the entire blame on his son.  “But you should be proud of her; she showed great potential in the company. I even promoted her to the fashion department, where she met someone as bright as Kai. She should be so lucky. Aren’t you grateful Hyoyeon?”

Hyoyeon sat like a zombie, unmoving in a somber like trance, but when she felt Mr. Wu place an unpleasing, hypocritical hand on her shoulder she started to shake uncontrollably.

“Get your filthy hand off of her!” Kris swatted his father’s hand away and created a barrier between the two.

“It’s nothing to be mad about, Kris. She did it wholeheartedly. Well she probably wanted to find herself a replacement just as bad as you did; that and she’s incredibly stupid.” Mr. Wu spoke with a deliberate malice that earned his comment a few snickers and blatant laughter from the rest of the guests; proving themselves to be just as shallow as he was.

Kris wasn’t sure what sent him off edge first, whether the heavy rounds of snickers behind him or the last word as it had left his father’s mouth so mockingly and insulting, making Kris turn a crazed dark red.

He struggled with his heavy breaths, but there was no hesitation in the deliverance of a thunderous right jab to his father’s right cheek that wiped the snobbish grin right off of him. The blow had not only managed to sit his father back down, it also hurled the chair backwards, dragging his aging body down with it, breaking the chair into pieces.

Kris walked over to his father who was squirming in agony on the ground with broken pieces of the chair scattered beneath him. “Don’t you dare meddle in my life ever again, don’t come near my wife, and at work if possible avoid us both or so help me; I will burn your precious company to the ground.” Kris bent down to grab one of the scattered splinters and threw it at his father’s leg.

“Happy birthday,” he said before he pulled Hyoyeon off her chair and dragged her out the ostensibly hostile atmosphere.

. . .

“Why did you do it?” Kris paced rapidly to their car, raking his hands through his hair in utter helplessness.

“Don’t be mad at me Kris,” Hyoyeon said through stifled whimpers as she tried to keep up with Kris’s long strides. Kris stopped suddenly and turned to face her.

“I’m not mad at you. How could I? I’m the jerk here. I’m the one who left you, unprotected. I couldn’t even be there when your father died. Making you do something he knew would pain you, that was his way of showing you that his debt to your father has been repaid; I should have known my father would try to do something like this.” Kris cupped her chin, and wiped some of her stray tears.

Just thinking about the humiliation she had to go through made his blood boil. It hadn’t been enough that he had hurt her, but also his father.

A colossal amount of guilt washed over him watching her body frame become smaller. He had never seen her look so fragile trying to hold her tears from falling; her lips pursed tight.

 “Please, don’t hold it in anymore.” He begged her. “I’m here for you now, you can tell me everything,” he cooed, laying his head gently on top of hers in a reassuring manner. And just like that Hyoyeon liberated herself from the tears.

was slightly open, planted on his shirt; her arms clutched around his waist; to release a desolate crying that carried the weight of a disguise she wanted desperately to get rid of. Never in a million years did she think that she would be showing her vulnerability to the one person who had hurt her deepest, but she loved him tremendously and she trusted him now enough to do that.

Kris stood strong, hugging her, comforting her; he wanted to desperately show her that he would never leave her again; that he would be her rock. Although the strong vibrations of her cries within his chest made him shudder, he was going to show her that she could confide in him and that he would spend his entire lifetime trying to make up for the lost time.

. . .

“A year after you left, when my father died, he started to cut off all the credit cards. The bank board granted his requests to freeze my checking and savings accounts, he even paid employers off not to hire me anywhere,” she explained through haughty whimpers. “I desperately needed the job he offered me. It was great that I was eventually promoted as head of the fashion department, but the daily insults he threw at me still haunt me to this day.” She spoke under broken, jagged breaths.

“And just when I thought that I had found the right woman for you and that all of it could finally come to an end…” she paused, “…your father would hand me more files. It was an endless supply, and he wouldn’t stop.”

“Every file that I opened, every woman that I interviewed right to the very last one was a constant reminder of what an insignificant thing I really was to you; their double majoring degrees, high end personalities, sophisticated manners, how could I compare.” Hyoyeon leaned her forehead on his chest.

“That’s right you can’t compare.” Kris placed his fingers over her shoulders and pushed her away at arm’s length. “You want to know why?” He asked genuinely, but before she could answer he pulled her in with a hand tangled in her hair. He placed her head on his chest, to her height’s reach, so her ear could be inches below his neck.

“Do you hear that?” He asked, keeping her nailed within his embrace, blurring her surroundings so that she couldn’t see anything, so that her senses could become attuned to only one thing.

Nailed within his embrace, she could hear the erratic strumming of his heartbeat, an uncontrollable thumping that she could feel resonating throughout her body.

“It doesn’t do that for anybody else.” He affirmed seriously.

She looked up at him and shrugged; feigning to still be unconvinced because she wanted to continue hearing him speak in his marvelous low-key tenor voice that expressed a rare frailty that he only ever unmasked to her.

He pushed her off again and grabbed her right hand and crossed it over his left pectoral. She felt it rise and drop smoothly with each inhalation and with each exhalation. “I can breathe freely thanks to you.”

She raised an eyebrow, confused.

“Before you, I was broken; asphyxiated by my father’s constant disapproval, but you know what? I don’t care anymore. I smile because of you and only for you. You saved me. No other woman can and will ever make me feel what you do. No one could have rescued me the way you did.” Kris gave her a piercing look.

“Well one of the women I interviewed was a doctor.” She laughed trying to blink back tears; lightening the mood with her impeccable comical timing, because Kris’s eyes were getting just as watery as hers.

“Shut up,” He shushed her playfully. He looked down at her glimmering eyes and felt a sudden urge to kiss her, but her growling stomach interrupted him.

“We didn’t even get to eat properly, huh? There’s a burger stand 10 minutes from here. Come on, I’ll give you a piggyback ride there.” He watched Hyoyeon nod, wringing her hands together in excitement.

He bent down and exposed his back to her, “Get on.”

“Don’t you dare drop me,” she pointed a warning finger as she climbed on his back.

. . .

They walked through the quiet neighborhood, admiring the well-kept area and smiled widely at each other every once in a while.

Hyoyeon wrapped her arms around his neck securely and gave him a small kiss on the cheek, inducing him to flush a bright shade of pink.

_______________________________________________________________

Alright, so there is the next chapter, did you like it? Was it a little bit boring, or do you see it like me; dark yet a bit happy. Well if there is something you don't understand or something you don't like, it's ok, you can ask or tell me.

Anyways as you can see, it will have a second part, which I will admit, for me it is the better part, maybe because it is on the lighter side, and it's really going to show more of the growing strength of their bond. Anyways this chapter aside from trying to develop their love story was also trying to fill in the gaps of what happened while Kris was away for the two years, it was also aimed for the fluidity of the later upcoming chapters.

Sorry it took me so long to update, but all my final exams were smashed up withinin the first half of the week, but the next part should be up soon, it won't take me longer than a week to update, maybe not even two days. So thanks again to all the readers, the commentors and the subscribers. Please enjoy this chapter and anticipate the next one, it's going to get steamy(according to me.lol)!