Sixteen
Before All The Longings
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She lets out a sigh, staring at the empty glasses in front of her and contemplates. She really shouldn't drink anymore but the scene from dinner earlier is still playing in her mind. Maybe another glass will do it.
"I think you had enough."
Bella blinks repeatedly, trying to clear her blurry vision so she can see who is this person that lowered her hand down, preventing her from ordering another pretty drink. "So... phia? But... why are you a guy?"
"Because this is her older brother." Joonmyeon smiles as he watches the older fixing herself in her seat, slowly leaning back before she realizes the stool has no backrest. He holds the lean arm, making sure Bella won't fall backwards as she stares at him. "Hi."
She smiles as a familiar face greets her line of sight. "Joonmyeon." The young nods as he slides a glass of water towards her. "For me?" She earns a nod and grabs the cold glass, gulping the water in one go and sighs in satisfaction as the cold water refresh her insides, including her brain that enabling her to think a bit clearly than a few seconds ago. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm picking up Sophia."
"Already? Why so soon? Is she sick?"
Joonmyeon frowns. His little sister did just recover from a cold, the reason why he is picking her up instead of her returning by herself, but he came like usual when he has to pick up Sophia. "Not that soon. The club is closing in thirty minutes. She usually finished cleaning up in like, ten or so."
Bella blinks once, mind processing the words slowly before she looks around the room. There are only a handful of people left and the deafening music that was playing when she came in had already turned off. She turns to look at the bartender that is approaching her and nods when the male gestures to take her empty glasses before facing the younger again. How long has she been here?
"Are you okay, noona? Ah, I mean..."
She smiles. "'Noona' is fine too. Whatever you like." She stares at the younger, head tilting a little as she admires the pretty face in the dim light of the bar. "You looks so much like Sophia. Both so pretty and nice and everyone loves you. And both call me 'big sister'. Can I be your big sister? Then, we will become siblings and everyone will loves me too and Yifan..."
Joonmyeon watches the happy face turn into a solemn one as the older shifts her gaze from him to the wooden bar counter, staring at it before gathering her arms in front of her and lays her head sideway on them. "Noona..."
"My parents... they came to visit me. We had dinner, the four of us... it was fun. I miss them too and want to show off our home because it is pretty, right?"
He nods at the big eyes that being directed at him.
"Then mom said we should get married soon and I was like 'huh?', like, 'what?', you know? But then I look at Yifan..." Bella looks at Joonmyeon that seem to have been listening to her rambles tentatively. It is the same look Yifan had when her mother was talking about their wedding that she would like to see soon but unlike the younger's expression that is warm and caring, the Chinese male had a cold and unbothered look plastered on him.
A soft sigh reaches his ears and Joonmyeon can't help feeling sorry for the older. Being the only one that fall in lov in such relationship is so lonely.
"He didn't say anything but he nodded... I don't like it. Why didn't I like it? I should be happy that the person I like is going to marry me but I feel like punching him at that time, you know? Maybe I should just punch him!"
The abrupt stand from Bella startles him a little and he manages to get hold of the older's elbow as she tries to stand in her heels. "Noona, where are you going?"
"I'm going to punch Yifan in the face, like, how dare he is not in love with me like, I am clearly out of his league and prettier then you and rich and you know I had a princess bed with slide when I was little?! Do you had one?!"
Joonmyeon smiles, shaking his head as he pulls the older to sit again. The sudden change in topic tells him he should send the lady home as it is almost four in the morning. He doesn't know how long the woman was there but the alcohol is a bit late in kicking in. He looks around and sees Sophia coming out from the kitchen, waving at him. "Noona, I'm taking you home, okay?"
Bella looks up at the pretty face and nods, before remembering something. "But what about my horse? I came with my horse, are we going to leave my horse? Won't he get lonely? He hasn't eaten yet."
So the horse-logo car he saw outside the club is Bella's. He thought Jirayu bought a new car. "It's fine. I will ask the staff to take care of it." He earns a nod and steadies the older as she finds her footing. He lifts one of Bella's arm and puts it around his neck, taking a step forward before the older turns her body fully at his direction and hugs him. "Noo..."
"He... hesitated... as if something holding him back... A secret... he is keeping from me..."
Everything seems to have stopped for a moment as those words being uttured struck straight at his heart before Sophia appears beside him and brings him back to reality. He smiles at his little sister as he peels Bella off him, telling Sophia to support the older on the other side as they exit the place. If the secret he has between him and the Chinese male is the reason, then he really need to tell the taller about that one little detail.
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"Okay, let's change to the next outfit."
He looks up from the monitor to the model that is walking away from the white screen towards the stylist assistant standing by the rack of clothes. A familiar face gets closer to the model and he purses his lips. Of all people, of all the models she could choose, she managed to pick someone that connected with 'him'.
"Mr. Yifan."
He goes over to the assistant calling for him as the model has changed into the white jeans jacket. It is the large size that he would wear and it makes the model that is a head shorter than him looks drowing in it but somehow it works.
"Do we really need the hat? I think it is better without it."
He stares at the model, stepping back a little for a better view. Bella wanted the hat but he agress with the staff suggestion. "Let's take both. You worked with her before so you know how shw is." The assisstant nods at his words and fixes the jacket a little before going with the model towards the white screen, leaving him with the familiar face.
"So, Miss Bella won't be coming today?"
Yifan nods. The woman called around nine this morning saying she doesn't have the mood to go to the photoshoot today and won't be back home until late. From the sould of her voice he knew she got wasted last night and he's too lazy to argue with her since it is just overseeing a photoshoot and he can handle such a simple job. Until 'he' came.
"I am Joss, by the way. Nice to meet you." Joss smiles as his offered hand being taken, their gazes colliding. Sharp eyes and frim grip. The male is much more handsome up close. He likes him.
"Yifan." He retracts his hand and tries ignoring the suspicious smile being directed at him before walking back to the computer where all the photos being taken being uploaded at. The model's fair skin and small figure really complimets the jacket, making the geometrical flowers stand out.
"I didn't know he could look much more cuter than he already is."
He rolls his eyes at the praise but he has to admit that the model is cute even before with all the makeup and clothes. Bella apparrently made the deal while he was out trying to get sober and he came without knowing how the model look like before he saw a petite male getting his hari done by the stylist. The male was all by himself and he didn't think much when the other informed him that his friend will come later. How would he know that friend is 'him'.
"What do you think, Mr. Yifan? Pretty good for his first time, right?" Joss expects a full praise but that small nod the male gives him is fine too. He really can't be more proud of Baekhyun posing so coolly in front of the camera like that. He glances at the other male, tracing his sharp features with his eyes. No wonder Joonmyeon couldn't take his eyes off him.
Yifan can feel eyes burning a hole on his face but he just keeps pointing to the screen monitor, giving ideas as the model poses without the hat, which he likes more than with it but Bella has sayings in this too.
"Are you married, Mr. Yifan?"
He doesn't know why this person suddenly interested in his life but he shakes his head anyway, hoping the conversation will end there but that kind of question always has a follow-up. Is the male trying to befriend him? Making another connection he doesn't want to with 'that' person?
"Cool, cool." Joss tries to keep his calm but his heart is super elated knowing that information. He doesn't know what the male's preference is but they can just be friends first, right? He really doesn't know Joonmyeon well but he wants to help if that friend of his has taken an interest on someone since it is obvious the smaller won't be the one making a move first.
"Could you button up the first two buttons?"
He smiles at the deep voice giving direction to make his Baekhyun look cuter but in different version and breathes out. "Me and Baekhyun are going to eat after this. Why don't you join us?" Then he will call Joonmyeon to join and they can exchange numbers between themselves without him being the middleman.
Yifan turns to face the taller, a fact that is still pissing him off whenever he thinks about it, and looks at this Joss person with a blank face. "No, thank you." It is better rejecting it right out than beating around the bush since that can result to more questions that he is just doesn't want to bother answering. "Let's take a break."
Joss pouts as he watches Yifan walk to the other side of the room with phone against his ear. The cold face he saw that night is apparently his everyday face. Why couldn't Joonmyeon likes an easy person?
"Hyung!"
He smiles at the sight of his cute boyfriend as Baekhyun stands in front of him with a sleeveless blue T-shirt after taking off the jacket. The jacket might make him 'cooler' cute but he likes this 'cute' cute even more. "You looked so great! It is like you have done this before."
Baekhyun grins shyly as his left cheek being pinched. The older came just after he finished with the long-sleeved one which was the second piece. He was trembling the first few shots while posing for the first piece. "But it was very nerve-wrecking! I was afraid the pictures will turned out bad or something."
"I sawe them and they're amazing! You did great!"
He purses his lips at Joss' twinkling eyes that is looking so proud of him before closing hsi owns as the older leans in, giving his lips a quick peck and pinching the same cheek again after he pulls away. "That hurts."
"Mr. Baekhyun."
Joss turns around to see Yifan is stepping closer to him and Baekhyun before he turns back to the younger and sees him pursing his lips into a thin line, embarrass that the little reward he received a moment ago probably was seen by the male.
"Do you mind we change your hairstyle on your break?"
"Ah, yes. It's fine."
Yifan watches as the smaller one walking towards the dresser with the taller one in tow just by their little fingers. He smirks at the sight as a certain male pops up in his mind. He was right thinking someone that handsome isn't that perfect.
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He can hear the sounds coming from the television as he opens the door and enters. "I'm home." He bends down to take off his shoes and a pair of pretty feet enters his line of sight.
"Welcome home. How was school today?"
Joonmyeon smiles as he straightens back up. It has been a while since he being greeted right at the door like this. "It was okay. We got our test result back and I got an A-minus." He gets a big smile in return as those big eyes staring at him. "Have you eaten, noona? I bought some fried chicken."
Bella's vision shifts from the fair face to the paper bag being shown to her. Sophia said she can eat what's available in the house and just cook if she wants to but she was just lazy to do anything as her stomach was still squeezy and continued to sleep after saying goodnye to her as she left for work. "I finished that cookies in the fridge, just so you know, but other than that, I am starving!"
He follows as the older marches towards the kitchen with the fried chicken in hand and heads straight to the cabinet, taking out a couple of plates and puts one in front of the other that is already sitting at the table. He pours water into two glasses before joining Bella that is waiting for him.
"Thank you for the food, Joonmyeon."
He nods as he watches the older taking a bite of the chicken before taking a piece for himself and starts eating. He decided to bring Bella here instead of sending her home when she was already fallen asleep beside Sophia at the back of the car, leaving it to her consience whether she would snoop around the house like last time or not.
"Are you sure this is enough? What about your dad and Sophia?" Bella looks at the younger as she bites on her second piece fo fried chicken. There is like, a few pieces left and she would easily eaten them all.
"It's fine. She would choose the club's staff meal over this simple fried chicken. And dad texted me he will be having dinner with his friends. So, you can just finish them all."
She grins at the offer. "Then I will!" She takes another piece with her right hand as she puts the bone from the last one on the plate with her left, eyes staring at the younger as he is just finishing his first piece. "Did I say something last night?" He sees Joonmyeon frowning at her question.
"What do you mean?"
"I remember seeing you and talking to you but don't know about what. Did I say something weird?"
Joonmyeon nods as the older's eyes get bigger. "You were calling your car a horse and that 'he' hasn't eaten yet." He puzzles when Bella isn't as shocked as he thought she would because he would be if someone told him he sid that while he was drunk.
"Ah, that. That is nothing. I mean other stuff. Everyone knows about the horse, even my parents and Yifan." Bella breathes out at the Chinese male's name. "It was about Yifan, right?" The younger nods slightly and she lets out a sigh. "What did I say?" She sees hesitation all over the fair face.
"About the wedding and how you doesn't like his reaction."
She purses his lips, letting out a sigh through her nose before continues taking a bite on the fried chicken in hand. After returning home from the dinner, seeing Yifan just acted like nothing happened pissed her off and she drove out for some air, decided to stop by the club when she was in the area. "That jerk is really..."
Joonmyeon watches as the small piece of chicken being teared roughly like a carnivor tearing its caught prey and tries to hold in his smile at the intentionally loud chewing noises the older makes. He hands Bella another piece and the older accepts it before doing the same thing with the new piece of fried chicken. The older is so funny but he can't help feeling sympathize at the one-sided love she has.
"Can you get me some more water? Oh! I saw some milk too. Can I have that?"
"Sure." He gets up and takes out the milk carton from the fridge before reaching out for the water bottle on the counter and puts both drinks in front of the older. He washes his hands before sitting back down and decideds to watch the other eats instead. "Are you okay not going to work today?"
Bella nods, mouth full with mixture of chicken and milk. "It's fine. There's nothing to do anyway." No calls whatsoever from Yifan so the photoshoot went well, she guesses. Served him right too for what happened last night. She finishes her milk, eyes looking up at the male in front of her. "Are you free later?"
Joonmyeon frowns before nodding. "Why?"
"Let's go to a park or something. I feel stuffed." She sees the younger nodding at her suggestion as he fills her empty glass with more milk. Letting out her frustration with drinks and chicken aren't enough. Yifan's expressionless face keeps popping up inside her mind and she stares at the younger. "Screw the park. Let's go to a boxing gym instead!"
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