Chapter 2

The sun was up high in the sky by the time Kai finished with the most part of the swimming pool. His torso were drenched with the fruit of his hard work and he wiped the off from time to time using the small towel given by the butler, Xiumin, a while ago. Despite all that, he was glad that Xiumin did not forget him completely or treat him like some sort of a low-class people as he would come and go, offering Kai some refreshment or just talking to him. Kai found out that Xiumin’s real name was Minseok. Luhan called him Xiumin because when he was a little he cannot pronounce Minseok easily, since he was Chinese.

From time to time Kai would send a text to Baekhyun or Chanyeol, asking about his dog Monggu since they volunteered to be the temporary caretakers until Kai is done with the summer job. He wiped his sweat once again, it was a particularly hot summer. He contemplated into just jumping into the pool but he think otherwise, since it’s noon already and the Young Master would come home anytime now. Xiumin had gone back inside the house, vaguely explaining that he has to prepare some snacks for the Young Master.

“Abs, are you doing fine? I hope I’m not working you too hard under the sun~” he patted his own abdomen while pouting to no one in particular. He spent too much time under the scorching sun, apparently.

Kai absentmindedly sway the filtering stick back and forth and chewed at his bottom lip, wondering when he could start doing other job, anything beside this job of filtering the swimming pool. He was so absorbed in his troubling thoughts that he did not hear a soft footsteps nearing.

“Are you our new pool boy? Wow you look so tanned!” chirped a voice behind Kai.

After getting the tanned boy a towel to dry himself, Luhan sat in front of the spluttering boy and blinked at him innocently. Kai looked at the person who just startled him to death in disbelief. After Kai fell into the pool, the boy (he could not be a man yet, looking at that face.) only watched in silence and stood beside the pool until Kai finally get a grip of himself and managed to pull out from the swimming pool. How nice, he thought.

“Hi, I’m Luhan. What is your name?” Kai choked on his own saliva. So this is the infamous Young Master Luhan, God he must be ten or something judging from his pale complexion, small but delicate button-up nose, an equally small lips (but it looked so….kissable. Stop right there, Kai). Luhan’s feet dangling from the chair and he swing them back and forth just like a child would.

“My name is Kai.” Kai timidly answered after he found his voice back. He bowed and he could see that Luhan smiled at his timid response.

Luhan tilted his head and gave Kai a once over, complete from head to toe. For some reason he nodded and stood up, mumbling about how he wanted to go for a short swim right now.

“I’m going for a swim right now, you can go back into the house and ask for the next chore from Xiumin. Oh, and don’t forget to put on some sunscreen the next time you are going to clean my pool. You look so tanned” Luhan turned his back and took of his blue plaids, completely ignoring Kai. Kai could not help but to ponder, what is wrong from being tanned seriously? It’s not my fault that he has this utterly y skin tone.

Kai went inside the house where he bumped into Xiumin, holding a tray of what looked like several nice-looking cakes. Xiumin smiled at him and signaled him to just go back to his room to rest or to explore the mansion if he liked it because for the time being there were no more chores to do. Kai grinned in gratitude and heading straight to his room, hair damp and all, and made a beeline towards the bathroom, flinging his pants and boxers along the way.

Back at the swimming pool, Xiumin placed the tray of the sweet treats on one of the tables and heading towards where his Young Master was currently flapping his two hands around cutely. Xiumin bowed and asked him about his visit at the friend’s place and other usual things he would ask to his Young Master every time he got home. Until Luhan asked Xiumin more about the new pool boy.

“He’s a high school student, isn’t he?” he inquired.

“Yes, Young Master.” the kind butler simply replied.

“I like him, keep him for long please, baozi.” Luhan grinned at the nickname he gave to Xiumin. Baozi meant steamed bun in Chinese, perfect in describing how Xiumin’s face resembled one.

Apparently, after getting a shower Kai took a short nap which unintentionally being extended until finally Xiumin knocked on Kai’s door, inviting him to have dinner with Luhan (the Young Master himself who requested for you to join.). Kai yawned and stretched out on the bed like a cat, his shirt riding up a little so a glimpse of his abdomen could be seen. He thanked the butler and followed him to the massive dining room. The floor was coated with shiny wooden planks that were placed neatly and there were four huge pillars on each side of the room. Up in the ceiling, a beautiful looking chandelier hung up and light up the whole room. Located exactly in the middle was an oval-shaped dining table, already adorned with eating utensils, with eight matching chairs around the table. And there, on the first chair in the right side was none other than Luhan himself. Luhan wore a casual beige shorts and a white t-shirt with Bambi printed on the front. Kai could not help but to think how similar the cartoon was with the person who’s wearing the t-shirt. He approached the table slowly, unsure of what to say. He finally opt to coughed softly to get Luhan’s attention.

Luhan looked up from his plate, he was so absorbed in eating that he did not hear Kai’s footsteps approaching. Luhan smiled and waved his hand to let Kai know that he should sit on a chair across from him. Kai nodded timidly and sat down on the said chair.

“Sorry I did not wait for you, Kai! I was so hungry from the swim earlier I could eat a whole deer.” Luhan chirped cutely.

“uh, its okay, um..?” Kai did not know what should he call him.

“You can call me Luhan hyung, I don’t mind. You don’t have to call me Young Master.” Luhan snorted at the word ‘Young Master’.

“uh, okay Luhan…hyung. Hyung, how old are you exactly? I thought you are younger than me actually…” he was taken aback when Luhan said he could call him hyung, just how old is he, really.

“I’m 22. You must be 18 or something right?” Luhan answered easily, still smiling, as if people mistaking his age was an everyday occurance.

After that, Kai just nodded because he was still not used to this situation of awkwardness. They continued eating, with Luhan initiating some casual conversation but looking at how Kai only responded with a word or two, he stopped asking questions. Unbeknown to Luhan, Kai was actually sneaking some shy glances on his new employer, eyes looking at the seemingly soft honey-brown hair, down to a pair of doe-like eyes and his cute little button nose, even more to the small lips which has a faint scar marring the upper lip. Kai idly wonder what the scar is coming from?

After an hour of awkward dinner, Luhan dabbed his lips with a white napkin and stood up. Kai did the same and they both bowed awkwardly and bid their goodnights. Kai watched Luhan until he disappeared to one of the hallways and mentally face-palming himself for being so tight-lipped earlier, which was so not like him at all.

The next morning, Xiumin knocked on his door yet again to inform him that breakfast is almost ready. Kai could not help but to think that he was being treated equally, they were not ignoring him even though he was a complete stranger. He then strutted sleepily towards the dining room to find Luhan already perched on the same chair as yesterday, all bedhead and crinkled shirt. Kai stopped to stare at the sight in front of him. Luhan looked almost angelic bathed in morning light. Luhan looked up and smiled at Kai (“oh God” Kai thinks).

“Morning Kai! Sleep well? Luhan asked.

“Yes, thank you for giving me such a nice room, hyung.”

“No problem, you’re going to stuck with me for two months anyway, might as well providing you with a nice accommodation.” Kai did not say anything after that, he simply sat on the table and grabbed two breads and lacing it with peanut butter.

After the breakfast, Kai was told that today he only need to tend the garden. Luhan did not have any work because all the money still came from his parents. But he has a hobby, which was to paint and he was doing a great job at it too as most of his paintings were sold to collectors at a high price.

Before Kai even manage to leave the dining room, Luhan grabbed his hand (with Kai visibly stiffen at the unexpected skin contact) and asked him to wait because Luhan was going to the garden to look at his white roses he planted by himself. And so, they went to the garden located also at the back of the mansion together with Luhan chatted happily along the way. They arrived at the garden and Luhan was showing Kai how to take care of the plants and which plants need special care. But he clearly banned Kai from touching the roses, because its Luhan himself who took care of their well-being. After one hour together in the garden, eventually Kai managed to loose himself around Luhan and able to even comeback with witty remarks, resulting him having a sore arms because Luhan smacked his arm all too often. But Kai did not mind, at all. Kai found Luhan to be an amazing talker, he would not stop talking until Kai cut him off with his witty comments.

By noon, Kai and Luhan got even more closer than before. Kai found out that Luhan was Chinese and he moved to Seoul to get away from his fretting parents, and he did not have any sibling but he consider Minseok, or Xiumin now, as his own older brother. Kai also found out that Luhan loved vanilla ice cream, taro bubble tea and white roses. He apparently also a very fanatic fan of the group DBSK and he had their albums and DVDs in his room. His favorite member was U-know Yunho. Kai almost lost his head when he informed Luhan that he was planning to try auditioning at the same agency as DBSK because Luhan smacked him so hard on the head he could have sworn he saw stars (or is it just Luhan?). In turn, Kai also told Luhan about why he was looking for a summer job while other students were celebrating summer holiday by clubbing and all. He also told Luhan that he was the youngest in his family and he had three older sisters who were very protective of him, and he also told him about his precious Monggu, in which Luhan promptly told Kai to bring the dog here instead of leaving him on its own.

Weeks passed and they both got incredibly closer. Luhan would often ruffled Kai’s hair and Kai would respond either by blushing or scowling when in fact he would feel sparks of emotion shooting up his spine. Luhan would then laugh and calling Kai as cute. It was three weeks later that Kai realized he’s falling for his so-called cougar. He accepted that feeling quietly as he thought that this newborn feeling was just because he stayed at the mansion for quite a long time and the feeling would fade as soon as summer holiday ended. The important thing right now is for Kai to be able to stay beside Luhan for most of the time and be his friend.

But then of course things would not go as smoothly as this. On week four, Kai experienced what people would usually call as jealousy.