[CONTENTID1] Chocolate and Raspberry Coulis [/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2] A SELECTION OF CHOCOLATE BOYS [/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

Taekwoon pulled the car to a halt just outside Sungyeol’s house. Suzy stared out of the window and she didn’t have time to register the shock. Sungyeol’s house was large. No, large was an understatement. He lived in a four-story mansion. Flowers peeked over the ledges of the window sills A gold fountain, that of Eros with his bow and arrow standing on the tip of his left toe, stood in the center of the parking lounge, creating a roundabout.

His garden stretched miles and miles away. It was an orchid, in fact, with trees and a kaleidoscopic array of flower beds. Why did Sungyeol never flaunt his wealth? Who knew that he was a chaebol in disguise? It was almost as shocking as the fact that Myungsoo was his bodyguard. Then again, Suzy should have known better.

Sungyeol never mentioned his family. There was that rare moment when he opened up and told her about his late mother back at the cave. The memory forced the bile to rise up . She allowed it to effervesce to the corners of her mind.

Her heart raced in her chest. She glanced at Taekwoon. He nodded at her and she was reminded of how they could communicate without words. Having him there reassured her that she wasn’t alone. It inspired some courage within her.

She stepped outside and Taekwoon led her to the large doors, with their brass, dragon-headed doorknobs. They had rings inside their mouths. She held one of them and used them to knock on the heavy door.

It swung open, revealing a young man dressed in a butler’s suit. He wore a perpetual expression of disinterest, as if he didn’t wish to be there at all.

“Sunggyu at your service,” he greeted. “Who are you, may I ask?”

“I’m Kang Suzy,” she said, albeit with a nervous tone. “A friend of Sungyeol’s.”

Each minute that passed meant that she would get closer to him. Did he remember her? Was he better? Was the Sweety gang recuperated inside his room? Butterflies swarmed inside her stomach. She didn’t know if she was ready to face them all again.

“Kang Suzy?” Sunggyu frowned. “I do not recall him every mentioning your name?”

Her heart dropped into her stomach like a stone. “Wh-what?”

“He knows her,” an emotionless voice called out. “She’s his best friend.”

Suzy peered over Sunggyu’s shoulder and noticed Myungsoo amble towards them, still donned in his bright, white coat. Sunggyu sent him a revolting glare.

“Master Lee cannot endure more people inside his room.”

“Oh, he can endure Suzy. Trust me.” Myungsoo then reached for Suzy’s hand and dragged her inside.

Suzy glanced at Taekwoon who now had to face Sunggyu’s question. Her bodyguard seemed distressed since he wasn’t in the mood of answering to anything. She then glanced at her hand, hidden inside Myungsoo’s grasp who now led her across a spacious hallway.

There were paintings and fancy counters everywhere. Maids cleaned the dust off a grand piano somewhere in the corner. They draped the curtains over the windows and strutted in their heels from one room to the next. A flight of stairs, wrapped in red velvet carpet, was Suzy’s next destination.

“Myungsoo…”

“What?”

“My hand-”

“What about it?”

“Umh...you can let go now.”

A pink colour indulged Myungsoo’s cheeks as his hand slipped through hers. He rubbed his hair and glared at her smiling face.

“Stop that. Sungyeol’s in his room,” he diverted. “With everyone else.”

Suzy inhaled a deep breath. “Everyone?”

“No, I meant the ghosts. Well of course, everyone!” He added in a lower tone, “Everyone that I lashed out on.”

Despite his sullen mood, Suzy realised a new aura around Myungsoo. She knew he was delighted, though he didn’t tend to share that. He was elated and over the moon despite the fact that he still seemed like he hated the world.

It made her ponder over the true meaning of friendship. Friendship was not something about building up a social relationship with someone. It was much more than that. It was a garden of flowers who sang the same tune. It was understanding someone else’s soul and feeling a mutual bond that tied them almost as strongly as a family.

The bond between Myungsoo and Sungyeol was unbreakable. It was the type of friendship that Suzy sought after throughout her whole life. No matter what would happen between theses boys, Suzy knew that they would remain friends no matter what situation. She silently found herself growing jealous of their bond.

Perhaps she wished for such a bond as well.

“Will you be okay with it?” she asked.

He gazed at her with a soulful stare, one that pierced right into her mind. “Will you?”

“I can manage,” she breathed.

“So can I,” he admitted, “I was waiting for you.”

“Huh?”

“If we go in together, then you wouldn’t feel so awkward.”

Suzy raised a brow. “Did you do it so you wouldn’t feel awkward?”

He blinked languidly but said no more. Suzy wondered if Myungsoo was being cute, honest or sly about the whole situation. Of course, it was hard to decide because of his sardonic nature. At least it was easier to understand what occurred inside Taekwoon’s head despite his lack of speech.

Myungsoo knocked on the door, and pushed it open despite no answer from outside.

Suzy’s heart skipped a beat as all heads in the room faced her. Sungyeol was lying down on his bed. There were drips in his arms, he appeared paler than usual, with crescents under his eye, but once she entered, his lips stretched into that megawatt smile that she missed so much. Seeing him awake and breathing forced tears to blur her vision. As much as she wanted to swallow them back, it was futile. They trickled down her cheeks and hung off the tip of her chin.

However, she wasn’t alone. Sitting on the edge of Sungyeol’s bed was Nana whose eyes widened as large as dinner plates. Krystal was in the corner of the spacious room, reading a book from a bookshelf. She was sitting with Baekhyun, and both seemed shocked. Jieun and Joonmyun were perched on the window sill, forcing red curtains away from them. There was another butler in the room, about the same age as Sunggyu.

“Suzy! Myungsoo!” Sungyeol exclaimed. “Oh boy, where were you guys? I was waiting her for ages. Do you have any idea how long that was? I know you wouldn’t get all that jazz but still, the others managed to get here before you, genius. Suzy, how are you? Where were you? I tried to ring you but you wouldn’t pick up your phone-”

He was about to sit up straight but his butler pushed him back down.

“What gives Hoya?” he sniffled.

“Young Master, Grandpa Gyu told me that you must rest,” the young butler explained.

Sungyeol frowned. “Tell Grandpa to take a hitch. I don’t care about his lame advice. Go and clean that boogey from his nose.”

Hoya clucked his tongue and said, “Now, now Young Master. That is no way to talk about your Grandpa like that.”

“Like omo!” Nana exclaimed. “The guy who met us at the door is your grandpa?”

“It’s a long story,” sighed Sungyeol.

Suzy suddenly wished to punch Nana six ways down to next Sunday. She knew the girl was absurd and as dense as quicksand but it was beyond scope now. She wondered how Nana and Jaejoong were even related. Sure, both of them had celestial and drop-dead gorgeous looks that ensured apoplexy anywhere they strolled, but Jaejoong was the stars in the skies as Nana was the mud on the land.

Jaejoong was kind, charismatic and knew what to say in every situation. He was the sort of person that gave wings to people so they could fly. Nana was the opposite. She was ludicrous and tore wings apart, not knowing that people would fall if she did.

“I think he means grandpa in affectionate terms,” Suzy muttered to herself, unaware that her voice was loud enough for the others to hear.

Baekhyun’s lips puckered in. Jieun and Joonmyun watched in anticipation. Krystal’s eyes darted between Nana and Suzy while Myungsoo rolled his eyes. Sungyeol raised a brow. Perhaps he felt the distress that settled over them like a choking cloud.

“Do you, like, have something to say?” Nana demanded.

Suzy blinked. Heat crept up her neck and she quickly shook her head.

“What’s going on here?” Sungyeol uttered in a tone that was quite unlike his. When no one answered, a dark shadow covered his features. “Guys? Myungsoo?”

Myungsoo shrugged at the mention of his name.

“Baekhyun?” Sungyeol gazed at the short boy across the room.

Baekhyun let out a frightened yelp that oddly sounded like gurgling pig. He grabbed tufts of his, unaware that Krystal sent him a judgemental glare.

“I can’t take it anymore!” Baekhyun shrieked and he stood from his chair, smacking the book on a table next to him. He was oblivious to the fact that he read the book upside down.

“Suzy was kicked out of the gang and Myungsoo went with her!”

“What?” Sungyeol’s eyes widened. He glanced at Suzy and Myungsoo and there was a certain fizzle of electricity that sparked through them. “Why?”

Myungsoo’s mouth opened ajar.

“I didn’t leave with her, you brat. Do you even have a brain to remember what happened?” he intoned. He pointed a finger at Nana. “She fought with Suzy. It was a sign from heaven. I left because I couldn’t stand all of you.”