Luhan is waiting beside a convenience store while watching Minseok talk with the highway patrol who immediately responded when their chopper suddenly landed on that highway. Leeteuk went back to the club a few minutes ago so it is Minseok that talks with the policemen. It seems like the mess that they have caused has been fixed because the traffic is in normal situation now.

            Minseok went to Luhan. “You’re okay now?”

            Luhan just nodded but he can still feel the impact of riding a chopper for the very first time. He still can’t move properly. His knees are like jelly. Minseok went inside the convenience store and when he came back, he is holding a steaming coffee in a paper cup.

            “Drink this.” Minseok said when he handed the coffee to Luhan. “Just bear with it. They don’t have brewed coffee here.”

            “T-thanks.”

            But even in holding the paper cup, Luhan can’t do it properly. His hands just couldn’t stop shaking. Minseok held his other hand and helped him grasp the paper cup. Then he just held his hand. Luhan stared at him.

            “You can thank me later.” Minseok removed his coat and placed it on the cemented pathway at the front of the convenience store. “Just sit here. The tables inside are all occupied. We can’t sit there.”

            Minseok even helped him sit properly then he sat beside him. Their arms brushed as well as their bodies. But even if Luhan became aware of that feeling, Minseok doesn’t notice anything and just continued staring at the passing cars in front of them.

            “I already called someone who could fetch us here.” Minseok said. “We’ll just wait for him. He’s on his way now.”

            Luhan just nodded even if Minseok is not asking him a question. He silently sipped the coffee. He is not sure if the warm coffee calmed him down. Or if it’s because someone is taking care of him even if that person is the rudest person he has ever met. Minseok made it clear to him earlier that he will never change his way of treating Luhan as just an ordinary employee of the Exo Riding Club. But he still helped him when he asked for help.

            “Next time,” Minseok said without looking at him. “If you want to do something, just do it. You shouldn’t wait to be stuck in a situation, then reacting to it. Remember that you can disturb other people with that behavior. Like what happened earlier. If you just told me that you are afraid of riding a chopper–”

            “I’m not afraid of chopper. I’m just afraid of… high places.”

            Minseok became silent for a while. “Then, you should have at least told me.”

            “Sorry.”

            “It’s done. So we can’t do anything about it.” Minseok looked at his wrist watch and gently shook his head. “I’m very late for my meeting now.”

            “Sorry.”

            “Just finish your coffee.” Minseok took something from the pocket of his slacks. It was a mocha bread. He gave it to him. “Eat this.”

            Luhan suddenly remembered Minseok’s problem with his stomach. “No, thank you. You should be the one who’s eating. You haven’t had your breakfast yet.”

            “I don’t eat that stuff.”

            “Why did you bought that, then?”

            “Why do you ask so many questions? Just take this and eat it.”

            Luhan will say no when he realized something. Minseok said he doesn’t eat mocha bread. But he still bought it anyway. So, he bought that bread for him? Smiling, Luhan took the soft bread from Minseok.

            “Ah, excuse me.” Three girls were standing beside Minseok and looking at him, smiling. “You’re Kim Minseok, right? The mayor of Yeongcheon in North Gyeongsang Province?”

            “Yes.” Minseok said flatly.

            The girls happily giggled. “Can we have a picture with you? You’re so handsome when seen in person!”

            “Okay.”

            Minseok didn’t even smile when the women took pictures of him. But even if Minseok’s face is serious, they didn’t even mind because they are enjoying their “photoshoot” with Minseok. When the women left, Luhan can’t help but ask.

            “Why are you so affectionate with the female guests at the Exo Riding Club while on those three–”

            “I won’t get anything from them so I won’t bother associating with them.” Minseok took out a cigarette stick and lit it. “I won’t waste my time on someone who is useless for me.”

            “Isn’t that heartless, don’t you think?”

            “Because I know what I should prioritize? What’s wrong with wanting something out of everyone? They are all like that to me so we’re even.”

            So, Minseok is just nice to him because he needs him to stay at the riding club. This guy is so evil. Nevertheless, Luhan can’t help but to be happy because Minseok took care of him. Luhan looked at Minseok. He wants to believe that despite what he had said earlier, there is still goodness in this man’s heart.

            Luhan divided the mocha bread into two and gave the other half to Minseok. “You should eat too. Doctor Lee said you shouldn’t get hungry.”

            “Donghae is not here.”

            “But I am here. I told you before I was taught to be honest by my parents. You need to eat.”

            “I don’t have an appetite.”

            “This bread is small. Eat this just to fill your stomach with something.”

            “I said, I don’t have an appetite.”

            Minseok knocked his hand off and the poor bread was thrown. The bread bounced in front of him then rolled to the highway where it was ran over by a car.”

            “Poor thing.” Luhan said. “All that it wants is to give your body some nutrition. And you even did that. That bread will not go to heaven because it wasn’t able to do its only purpose in this earth.”

            “That’s your fault. If you just eat that, it will serve its purpose pretty well.”

            “I’m just worried about you. What if your stomach will hurt again? We’re not in Exo Riding Club now. Who will help you?”

            “I can take care of my own.”

            “I heard that before. But you still ended up in the clinic, don’t you?”

            Minseok pressed the cigarette to the ground and then he stood up. “Our car is here.”

            A black Cadillac Escalade stopped in front of them. A middle-aged man got off. “Mayor, good thing you are back.”

            “How’s Yeongcheon?”

            “Nothing has changed. The people are still persistent. You were gone for a few days but there are a pile of complaints in your office.”

            “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.” Minseok looked at him. “Stand up. We’re leaving.”

            Luhan immediately followed. But when he went near the car, he noticed the dirt outside the car.

            “Ah, the people went out on me again.” The man shyly explained. “Just ignore it, Sir…”

            “Luhan.” He answered. “Just call me Luhan.”

            “Sir Luhan.”

            “No. Don’t include the ‘sir’.”

            “Oh, I can’t do that to Mayor’s boyfriend.  I respect him so I should also respect you.”

            “Boyfriend? No! He is not my boyfriend.”

            “Stop chatting. Let’s go, Jungho-ahjussi.”

            “Okay, Mayor.”

            Jungho-ahjussi opened the door for him before going to the driver’s seat.

            “Thank you.”

            Their journey to Yeaongcheon was relatively quiet. Again. And Luhan, being a talkative person that he is, he just talked to Jungho-ahjussi while Minseok is busy talking with his phone.

            “Is Yeongcheon beautiful? What is your tourist attraction here? Are there many handsome guys here?”

            The driver just smiled. “I want to take pride in the place where I was born, Sir. But now…”

            “What’s happening?”

            “Uh… it’s a bit embarrassing to admit but the whole town is in chaos now.”

            “Why? I’m sorry. I wasn’t able to watch news nowadays. So I don’t have an idea what’s happening.”

            “Don’t disturb his driving.” Minseok scolded him. “If we get on an accident because you’re talking to him, I will throw you to the nearest cliff.”

            Luhan just straightened in his seat and looked at Minseok. His phone is still on his ear. He looked like a businessman more than a provincial mayor. Ah, no. Not a businessman but a ramp model. Yes, in his looks, there is no one who will not see him as a politician. He was too good-looking to be a politician. When does politics did became a haven of handsome men? One of the club members, Kim Young-woon or Kangin, is also a mayor in a town somewhere in South Jeolla.

            Minseok looked at him too. “What now?”

            “Nothing. Is it bad to look?”

            “Yes. Especially when you are looking at me.”

            But Luhan didn’t look away. “How old are you?”

            “`None of your business.”

             “I think you’re in your late twenties. Or early thirties. Have you been in the politics for a long time? Why did you choose to be a mayor?”

            “Hello, Mr. Choi?” Minseok looked at the window while talking with someone on his phone. “Yes, I’m sorry if I contacted you just now. I just fixed everything that we need for the contract signing. Yeah, it’s going smoothly as planned. No problem. When? This Saturday? Of course, I’ll be there. I would like to greet your daughter a happy birthday…”

            Luhan just stared at Minseok’s broad back clad in a white polo because he still has his coat. Luhan leaned his head on the headrest. He’s becoming sleepy again. His sleep in the clinic earlier is just short.

            “Such nice back…” Luhan mumbled, and then closed his eyes as he drifted off to sleep.

            -----------------------------

            Luhan woke up when his head bobbed and he fell sideways on the backseat. When he got up, he’s a bit disoriented on where he is. He is in Minseok’s car. And speaking of that guy… his sleepiness went away when he saw him surrounded by people outside. They are all holding a banner and other paraphernalia, obviously in a rally.

            Where are they?  Luhan go off to see the whole place. But he felt his feet submerged on the mud.

            “What the–” And that was when he had a good look of their surroundings.

            He is in the most rural part of the town. The road is muddy and rough. The other part is surrounded with tall grass and the houses are not in good condition, the fences are made up of wood. He grew up in a province but their place is not like this. Because wherever he looks right now, all he can see is poverty. It seems like God has abandoned the place.

            What is this place?

            “Please, just give me a chance to let me do all the things that I want for Yeaongcheon.” Minseok said. “Before you think negatively.”

            Yeongcheon? This place is Yeongcheon? The place that Kim Minseok governs?

            “No, we are not willing to do that, Mayor! All that you want is to let the businessmen come in Yeongcheon and you abandoned us!”

            “Our homes will be lost because of that business that you are so proud of!”

            “He’s right! We trusted you, Mayor. Because you promised us to have a good life! But you are like the other politicians that governed Yeongcheon. After being in the position, you just forget people like us!”

            “And you are the worst! You deny us our homes that we preserved for many decades!”

            The people all shouted. But Luhan managed to hear Minseok’s voice.

            “We are just starting to take a step for Yeongcheon’s prosperity. So just let me finish everything that I am doing before you judge me. I beg you. Give me a chance to show you that I can fulfill all the promises that I have made.”

            “But your people want us to leave this place? Where will we go?”

            “Yes! You just want to claim our lands that are the only thing that we have!”

            “Just leave us, Mayor. Before you lose any respect that we are giving you!”

            Luhan clearly sees how Minseok tries to explain, but the people won’t listen to him. Good thing that Jungho-ahjussi assisted him to go back to the car. Luhan is about to go back inside the car when he noticed how muddy his shoes are.

            “Why are you just standing dumbly there?” Minseok asked angrily.

            “Uh… my shoes are muddy.”

            “The hell with it!”

            Luhan has no choice but to get in because Minseok held his arm and nudged him inside the car. After a while, they left that chaos. Minseok let out a deep breath. As he leaned back against his seat.

            “Mayor, are we going to your office?”

            “Let’s go home first, so that my visitor can rest.”

            “Visitor?”

            “Fine. My maid, then.”

            “Excuse me! I’m not your maid!”

            “Do you know how to cook?”

            “Huh?”

            “I’m hungry. Cook something for me when we get home.”

            Luhan’s forehead is knotted. He seems like he rode a roller coaster because of the immediate change that he noticed in Minseok in just a few minutes. He showed that he is above everyone else when they left Exo Riding Club. But he became so caring when they rode the chopper. Then he’s back from being ill-tempered. When he faced those people earlier, he saw a different Minseok. Now, he’s different again.

            Who is the real Kim Minseok, really?

            “I want kimchi jjigae.” Minseok said, his eyes closed.

            “I don’t know how to cook.”

            “You don’t have a chance on having a husband, then.”

            “Just because I don’t know how to cook?”

            “It’s a prerequisite before you marry someone.”

            “I will marry someone because I love them and not because I dreamed of being a maid.”

            Minseok placed his arm on his forehead and he smiled. Luhan is not that sure because it immediately vanished from Minseok’s face.

            “Very well said.” Minseok said. “Wake me up when we get home.”

            Luhan didn’t say anything because he saw that Minseok is so tired. Just how much time was he spending on rest? Because he really looked so tired. Luhan gets Minseok’s coat on his side then gently placed it on the sleeping man. Luhan was surprised when he saw Minseok opened his eyes. He felt a weird feeling on his chest when their eyes met.

            “I was just returning your coat.”

            “Hmm.”

            Luhan didn’t dare to look at Minseok because he might feel that he became uneasy because of his presence. He doesn’t want to Minseok to think anything. Still… he couldn’t help but peek at him. And just like before, when it’s his first time to see Minseok sleeping, Luhan can’t help but to admire his calm face.

            When you’re sleeping like that, I always have this strange urge to be close to you.

            But he doesn’t move close because Minseok might wake up again. It seems like his rest is insufficient. He just fixed the coat that is on his body.

            “I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Luhan whispered. “But I do hope you’ll have a good sleep, Minseok.”

            Wow, Minseok! They are close now, huh? He calls him by his first name, no ‘sir’ or something. Luhan’s mind teased. He just ignored it. Whatever.

-----------------------------

Hi everyone! Sorry for the little delay on posting but here's a new chapter! :) Okay, just to be clear. I depicted Yeongcheon here as an awful place but in reality, this place is so beautiful. Look:

So yeah, here's a beautiful Yeongcheon for you guys. :) I'll go to sleep. It's 11:41 now and I need to be up by 5:30. So good night, everyone!