When one arm went to my waist, pulling me closer, I know I should push him away. When his other hand went to my face, I know I should slap it away. But I didn’t do any of those. Instead, my eyes closed in anticipation, my lips parted expectantly. This is wrong, I know, I made a promise, I know. I should really stop this stupidity but when I felt his hot breath on my parted lips, all apprehensions went away like bubbles. And when our lips met, nothing else mattered. My knees buckled so reached for his neck and hold onto it.

This kiss is different from the last time. The last time, we were both drowned in our overwhelming desire and passion. But this time, he’s taking his time. His lips were moving gently, softly and slowly. It’s sweet, gentle caring and heady. Why? Why is it so easy to be with him like this? Why does it feel so right? Why does it feel like I was born to do this with him?

I don’t want to stop but he pulled back.

“Now, do you understand why you don’t have to compete with Seohyun?”

I’m still dazed, I guess because I only understood the words: ‘compete’ and ‘Seohyun’. It brought me When one arm went to my waist, pulling me closer, I know I should push him away. When his other hand went to my face, I know I should slap it away. But I didn’t do any of those. Instead, my eyes closed in anticipation, my lips parted expectantly. This is wrong, I know, I made a promise, I know. I should really stop this stupidity but when I felt his hot breath on my parted lips, all apprehensions went away like bubbles. And when our lips met, nothing else mattered. My knees buckled so I reached for his neck and hold onto it.

 

This kiss is different from the last time. The last time, we were both drowned in our overwhelming desire and passion. But this time, he’s taking his time. His lips were moving gently, softly and slowly. It’s sweet, gentle caring and heady. Why? Why is it so easy to be with him like this? Why does it feel so right? Why does it feel like I was born to do this with him?

 

I don’t want to stop but he pulled back. “Now, do you understand why you don’t have to compete with Seohyun?”

 

I’m still dazed, I guess because I only understood the words: ‘compete’ and ‘Seohyun’. It brought me back to my logical state. I quickly pulled away from him and stepped back. “What are you talking about? I’m not competing! Why would I?”

 

“Ugh! You’re hopeless!”

 

~o~

 

SEOHYUN’s POV

 

My eyes went wide as I saw him smile, then laugh. I haven’t even said anything funny. Actually, we’re discussing about the current developments reported to us. We were both under a shade of a tree, in a wooden long chair.

 

“Stupid,” I heard somewhere. I looked around and saw Dara glaring at Jiyong then went back to the cottage. I rolled my eyes.

 

“I know what you’re doing,” I said and his face went blank again.

 

“What?” he asked.

 

“You’re making her jealous,” I accused. “Huh! You think I didn’t notice how you try to act like you’re enjoying yourself talking to me when she’s looking?”

 

He didn’t answer.

 

“I should be grateful,” I grimaced. “If not for her, I wouldn’t even see you smile or even laugh or even show any kind of emotions.”

 

“And you should stop being mean to her,” he said back.

 

I shrugged. “I’m jealous. It’s so unfair how she can make you act like a normal human being while I can’t. And I’m supposed to be your bestfriend.”

 

“All women are jealous.”

 

“It’s part of our nature,” I said. “And besides, if you want me to be on good terms with your girl, stop making her jealous. Ghad! I can’t believe you have this side!”

 

He was silent again. He usually is, so no surprise there. I clicked my tongue and shook my head.

 

“What’s wrong?” he asked mechanically.

 

“I just. . .” I stalled. “I just can’t wrap my head around it. I mean, it’s so unbelievable how someone as small as her can make you lose control.”

 

“Lose control?” he asked in that robotic tone of his again.

 

“Yeah, lose control,” I said. He gazed at me blankly. I rolled my eyes. “Remember the make out session in your room?”

 

“Oh,” he mumbled, amusement lighting his face. “Yeah, I remember. I would have appreciated it if you knocked, though.”

 

I sighed. I don’t really want to talk about the brat. But since I want to see some human emotions from him, I’m enduring it.

 

When I was a kid, I used to live in a place like this, provincial type. Jiyong was my neighbor. Every kid in our place was afraid of him, even me. There’s something scary with how he acts so. . . mechanical, so robotic. He never talks, never plays. He would just hang outside their house, reading books and doing some sort of training with his father and an elder Kwon.

 

I was curious about him. That’s why I can’t stop observing him. Then, they left. I heard they were going to live in a big house; his father as an assistant and his mother as a chef. When he came back for summer vacation, that’s when I heard him talk. I can remember it clearly. I was standing not too far from him, observing him again when he suddenly knelt down and a stray kitten’s head gently. “Hello kitten,” he said.

 

I was shocked, really. I don’t know what made me do it but I approached him. After some time, we became friends. For the first part, he doesn’t really talk but everytime I ask him about the big house he’s living, he’d then started talking about this girl who lives there. I was pretty surprised when he started talking about her because his face would then light up with amusement, irritation, confusion, gentleness- in short, emotions.

 

Then, I found out what he’s being told to do and who he really is. It was then that I decided to be like him, some sort of a super cool undercover private agent.

 

“I wondered about that at first, too,” his voice broke into my reverie. “But I think it’s her effect on people. Like you, for example. You lose your patience on her pretty easily.”

 

I snorted. “I can just imagine how hard it was for you to keep up your patience. But of course, it wasn’t really that hard for you, huh?”

 

He looked away, and then his face softened, his eyes gentled. He looked like someone who experienced nothing but happiness. I followed his gaze and I saw the brat coming towards us, looking every inch of a spoiled brat that she is.

 

END OF SEOHYUN’s POV

 

 

“I want to learn how to use a gun and how to fight,” I announced.

 

“Wow, finally! I’m hearing some sense coming out from your mouth! Glad you don’t want to be a burden forever,” Seohyun sneered.

 

“No,” the pest said.

 

“But why?” me and the girl chorused.

 

“Because I said so,” he said with all the finality in his voice. I glared at him. He obviously thinks I can’t do it, that I’m a weakling.

 

“Why are you so stubborn and difficult?” I stormed on the pest.

 

“I’m not being stubborn, you are.”

 

“Ugh! I hate you!”

 

“Heard that before,” he shrugged.

 

I stormed back to the house, kicking everything out of my way.

 

~o~

 

I woke up, feeling drained and sweaty. It’s that wretched dream again. Dang it! I climbed out of bed and looked at the wall clock. It’s five in the morning already. I then decided to go to the river.

 

I tried to erase the dream off my head. I’m sure the water will ease my mind. I stopped in my tracks as the trail spilt in two. I decided to take the left one. Not soon after that, I heard a stream. I can’t help but grin. Ha! I found the river by myself. See? I’m not really that stupid or brainless or dumb.

 

I took off my shirt and sweatpants then slowly stepped into the river. Just as I thought, the cold water helped me ease my mind. I swam a few times, took a rest then started swimming again. I was holding onto a rock, resting when I felt the muscles in my body tensed. I looked up and saw the pest looming over me, his face very dark.

 

“What the hell?!” he roared. “Do you have any idea. . . .?!” he stopped and took a deep breath.

 

“I wanted to swim. Am I not allowed anymore?”

 

“You could have at least informed us!” he gritted and shouted at the same time. “Do you have any idea what we thought when we found you were gone? We panicked, dammit!”

 

“Nothing happened, so stop shouting!”

 

His jaw clenched. He’s obviously trying to prolong his patience. “I’m trying my best to help you,” he said in a controlled voice. “But don’t undermine the situation. It won’t help if you just keep on wandering on your own and when you’re acting like a spoiled brat!”

 

My eyes narrowed. “Help me up, then,” I said. He looked at me for a while, and then sighed. He held his hand out to me. I reached for his hand and acted that I’m letting him pull me up but the truth was, I’m planning to pull him down. I leaned one foot against the rock, did a push with my foot and pulled him with my hand. I heard a loud splash beside me, the water whipping my face.

 

I quickly climbed out of the water and picked up my clothes. I put them on while marching away from the river.

 

“Kitten!” he called. I felt like I was electrified. Okay, I still don’t approve of him calling me his stupid nicknames but I haven’t heard him call me ‘Kitten’ for a while. That’s when I finally realized that for the past days or weeks, not sure, he’s been calling me ‘Dara’ whenever the girl’s around. How come I didn’t notice this before? “Kitten!” he called again, sounding terrified. I stopped and faced him.

 

“What now?” I snapped.

 

“Don’t move,” he carefully said.

 

“Why?” I asked, totally confused.

 

“There’s. . . there’s a snake near your right foot,” he breathed. I automatically froze, feeling the blood drained off my face. After a heartbeat or two, I screamed at the top of my lungs and threw myself in his arms. He automatically caught me, carrying me in front of him.

 

“SNAAKE!” I screamed. “Run, run, run!”

 

He suddenly laughed. “I can’t believe you always fall into that trick. Haha!” he laughs. I stopped and looked right back where I was standing a while ago and found no presence of a snake or whatsoever anywhere.

 

“You tricked me?”

 

“One point for me,” he grinned.

 

“KYAA!” I growled then kicked my way out of his arms. He then started walking, still laughing his head off. I fumed then, with a growl, I started chasing him. But he started running too, and well, he’s pretty fast.

 

We were near the clearing when he suddenly stopped, one arm held midair at his side. I suddenly sensed the tension shaking his whole frame.

 

I tensed, too. “What’s wrong?” I whispered.

 

He moved his face to the side, half-facing me. “Get back and go through the right fork.”

 

“Why?” I asked.

 

“Just do what I say!” he hissed. “And don’t walk on the trail but stay close beside it.”

 

“But-”

 

“Go!”back to my logical state. I quickly pulled away from him and stepped back.

 

“What are you talking about? I’m not competing! Why would I?”

“Ugh! You’re hopeless!”

~o~

-SEOHYUN’s POV-

My eyes went wide as I saw him smile, then laugh. I haven’t even said anything funny. Actually, we’re discussing about the current developments reported to us. We were both under a shade of a tree, in a wooden long chair.

“Stupid” I heard somewhere. I looked around and saw Dara glaring at Jiyong then went back to the cottage. I rolled my eyes.

“I know what you’re doing” I said and his face went blank again.

“What?” he asked.

“You’re making her jealous” I accused. “Huh! You think I didn’t notice how you try to act like you’re enjoying yourself talking to me when she’s looking?”

He didn’t answer.

“I should be grateful” I grimaced. “If not for her, I wouldn’t even see you smile or even laugh or even show any kind of emotions”

“And you should stop being mean to her” he said back.

I shrugged. “I’m jealous. It’s so unfair how she can make you act like a normal human being while I can’t. and I’m supposed to be your bestfriend”

“All women are jealous”

“It’s part of our nature” I said. “And besides, if you want me to be on good terms with your girl, stop making her jealous. Ghad! I can’t believe you have this side”

He was silent again. He usually is, so no surprise there. I clicked my tongue and shook my head.

“What’s wrong?” he asked mechanically.

“I just. . .” I stalled. “I just can’t wrap my head around it. I mean, it’s so unbelievable how someone as small as her can make you lose control”

“Lose control?” he asked in that robotic tone of his again.

“Yeah, lose control” I said. He gazed at me blankly. I rolled my eyes. “Remember the make out session in your room?”

“Oh” he mumbled, amusement lighting his face. “Yeah, I remember. I Would have appreciated it if yo knocked, though”

I sighed. I don’t really want to talk about the brat. But since I want to see some human emotions from him, I’m enduring it.

When I was a kind, I used to live in a place like this, provincial type. Jiyong was my neighbor. Every kid in our place was afraid of him, even me. There’s something scary with how he acts so. . . mechanical, so robotic. He never talks, never plays. He would just hang outside their house, reading books and doing some sort of training with his father and an elder Kwon.

I was curious about him. That’s why I can’t stop observing him. Then, they left. I heard they were going to live in a big house; his father as an assistant and his mother as a chef. When he came back for summer vacation, that’s when I heard him talk. I can remember it clearly. I was standing not too far from him, observing him again when he suddenly knelt down and a stray kitten’s head gently.

“Hello kitten” he said.

I was shocked, really. I don’t know what made me do it but I approached him. After some time, we became friends. For the first part, he doesn’t really talk but everytime I ask him about the big house he’s living, he’d then started talking about this girl who lives there. I was pretty surprised when he started talking about her because his face would the light up with amusement, irritation, confusion, gentleness- in short, emotions.

Then, I found out what he’s being told to do and who he really is. It was then that I decided to be like him, some sort of a super cool undercover private agent.

“I wondered about hat at first, too” his voice broke into my reverie. “But I think it’s her effect on people. Like you, for example. You lose your patience on her pretty easily”

I snorted. “I can just imagine how hard it was for you to keep up your patience. But of course, it wasn’t really that hard for you, huh?”

He looked away, then his face softened, his eyes gentled. He looked like someone who experienced nothing but happiness. I followed his gaze and I saw the brat coming towards us, looking every inch of a spoiled brat that she is.

-END OF SEOHYUN’s POV-

“I want to learn how to use a gun and how to fight” I announced.

“Wow, finally! I’m hearing some sense coming out from your mouth! Glad you don’t want to be a burden forever” Seohyun sneered.

“No” the pest said.

“But why?” me and the girl chorused.

“Because I said so” he said with all the finality in his voice. I glared at him. he obviously thinks I can’t do it, that I’m a weakling.

“Why are you so stubborn and difficult?” I stormed on the pest.

“I’m not being stubborn, you are”

“Ugh! I hate you!”

“Heard that before” he shrugged.

I stormed back to the house, kicking everything in my way.

~o~

I woke up, feeling drained and sweaty. It’s that wretched dream again. Dang it! I climbed out of bed and looked at the wall clock. It’s five in the morning already. I then decided to go to the river.

I tried to erase the dream off my head. I’m sure the water will ease my mind. I stopped in my tracks as the trail spilt in two. I decided to take the left one. Not soon after that, I heard a stream. I can’t help but grin. Ha! I found the river by myself. See? I’m not really that stupid or brainless or dumb.

I took off my shirt and sweatpants then slowly stepped into the river. Just as I thought, the cold water helped me ease my mind. I swam a few times, took a rest then started swimming again. I was holding onto a rock, resting when I felt the muscles in my body tensed. I looked up and saw the pest looming over me, his face very dark.

“What the hell?!” he roared. “Do you have any idea. . . .?!” he stopped and took a deep breath.

“I wanted to swim. Am I not allowed anymore?”

“You could have at least informed us!” he gritted and shouted at the same time. “Do you have any idea what we thought when we found you were gone? We panicked, dammit!”

“Nothing happened, so stop shouting”

His jaw clenched. He’s obvious trying to prolong his patience. “I’m trying my best to help you” he said in a controlled voice. “But don’t undermine the situation. It won’t help if you just keep on wandering on your own and when you’re acting like a spoiled brat!”

My eyes narrowed. “Help me up, then” I said. He looked at me for a while, then sighed. He held his hand out to me. I reached for his hand and acted that I’m letting him pull me up but the truth is, I’m planning to pull him down. I leaned one foot against the rock, did a push with my foot and pull with my hand. I heard a loud splash beside me, the water whipping my face.

I quickly climbed out of the water and picked up my clothes. I put them on while marching away from the river.

“Kitten” he called. I felt like I was electrified. Okay, I still don’t approve of him calling me his stupid nicknames but I haven’t heard him call me ‘Kitten’ for a while. That’s when I finally realized that for the past days or weeks, not sure, he’s been calling me ‘Dara’ whenever the girl’s around. How come I didn’t notice this before?

“Kitten” he called again, sounding terrified. I stopped and faced him.

“What now?” I snapped.

“Don’t move” he carefully said.

“Why?” I asked, totally confused.

“There’s. . . there’s a snake near your right foot” he breathes. I automatically froze, feeling the blood drained off my face. After a heartbeat or two, I screamed at the top of my lungs and threw myself in his arms. He automatically caught me, carrying me in front of him.

“SNAAKE!” I screamed. “Run, run, run!”

He suddenly laughed. “I can’t believe you always fall into that trick. Haha” he laughs. I stopped and looked right back where I was standing a while ago and found no presence of a snake or whatsoever anywhere.

“You tricked me?”

“One point for me” he grinned.

“KYAA!” I growled then kicked my way out of his arms. He then started walking, still laughing his head off. I fumed then, with a growl, I started chasing him. But he started running too, and well, he’s pretty fast.

We were near the clearing when he suddenly stopped, one arm held midair at his side. I suddenly sensed the tension shaking his whole frame.

I tensed, too. “What’s wrong?” I whispered. He moved his face to the side, half-facing me.

“Get back and go through the right fork”

“Why?” I asked.

“Just do what I say!” he hissed. “And don’t walk on the trail but stay close beside it”

“But-,”

“Go!”