Blush
When Fate Meets Love
Chapter 4 "Blush"
Jae Mi
I woke up as the alarm clock shook me awake from my senses. My head felt a bit stingy, it was already 15 minutes to 12:00 AM when we cast ourselves to sleep.
Lisa.
The first thought I had in my head. Is she now okay? I don't know. I slowly opened my eyes to see the world now. It was Lisa, I saw. She is sleeping peacefully, I felt satisfied. Her face is glistening brightly through the moonlight. It's just that, a tear left her eyes. She must have having a hard time even at her sleep. I longed for this, I missed my siblings. I see Lisa now as my dongsaeng.
I turned to look at the alarm clock behind her. 5:15 AM it says. No wonder it is still dark. I rose from the laying and fixed my senses before standing up.
"Unnie.," Lisa called. I turned to her and found her already awake.
"Oh. You can still sleep. I'll handle the bonfire mess.," I said, but it looks like she has been awake since time earlier.
"Anni. I'm awake. I'm actually waiting for you to stand before I do.," she answered. So her tears fell with her conscious with it. She's still crying, but I know she is preventing it for me not to worry.
"Shall we go down?," I asked her.
"Anni. I don't want to go down. Can I stay here?," she said, she looks scared.
"Sure you may. Stay here. Please be okay.," I said, worry is buried in my heart. I went to our bathroom to clean myself before going downstairs. I left her there, let her be. The adjustment is hard for her. I understand.
She must've been scared of Yifan. She was even before she saw him. That fool.
I went down and found lights already alive. I thought of who could it possibly be. I looked around while taking steps down.
A silhouette appeared at the garden. Some would take it as a ghost, but I know it isn't. How could a ghost open a light?
I went directly to the garden to greet whoever it is and to start cleaning too. I slid the door. The man appeared to be cleaning the mess and ashes.
"Hey.," I called.
He looked at me surprised. I figured out it was Jong In. One of the younger members. "Hi.," he said.
"Good morning.," I greeted and bowed. "Did you just woke up?," I asked him, but actually it looks like he's been doing for a long time.
"No. I woke up 4:00 am with Kyungsoo hyung.," he said and pointed inside.
"Oh? Where is he?," I asked him. I couldn't sense Kyungsoo around.
"He's cooking breakfast.," he detailed. I walked towards him and grabbed the rake beside him.
"Let me help you.," I offered. He picked up the burnt woods and some unused woods, while I do the raking of ashes. The bonfire seems a good Idea to do, but it's not actually. The mess will take hours to clean.
"Where is Lisa?," Jong In asked. Seeing Jong In, he fits Lisa. They might be a good couple, but Jong In is tasked on me. On me.
"Upstairs.," I answered while panting.
"Are you always the one who wakes up ahead?," he asked again. This guy must have a problem with questions.
"Nope. She's already awake.," I answered.
"Why don't she come down?," a voice from behind blurted. Oh right, Kyungsoo. I turned to him and bowed.
"Good morning.," I said.
"Good morning.," he greeted as well.
"Well, she doesn't want to. She's having a hard time adjusting to people. Especially, you guys are new here. Plus, she's feeling bad.," I narrated continuously as I stopped raking for a while.
"Last night?," Kyungsoo asked. He looked at the other direction. His eyes changed from being expressionless to worried. I tried to read him through his eyes, but he is so complex. They are. Well, we just met.
"Maybe.," and I continued raking.
"Mind if I go to your room?," he asked. It seems a good idea, maybe it will help Lisa to threw the guilt away.
"Sure.," I nodded. Kyungsoo walked away fast as I expected. He seems to care, but I'm not certain.
Sometimes, I wonder why the CEO gave most of the young members to me and gave Lisa most of the older members. Seeing Kyungsoo, I think I already saw the answer.
"Hyung must be really worried.," Jong In intervened. I looked at him. He's now playing with the woods.
"Ya. We're cleaning up, not messing.," I said. He smiled.
His smile is so warm. Warmer than the sunlight. He is handsome. He is really for the world of the celebrities. For seconds, I felt I was floating because of his smile.
He threw a leaf on me.
"Ya. You're not playing with me.," I warned him. He stood up and walked beside me. This guy. I felt slow thuds inside my chest. So slow it could be counted.
"Noona. Let's play.," he whispered. His breath touched my ears. I was stoned. Suddenly he laughed and jumped away. "I got you!," he said.
"Ya! I'm your noona!," I exclaimed, but instead of feeling anger, I felt different. I felt calmness inside. If I were really to be his noona, just noona, why is it that what I feel for Lisa as dongsaeng, different from what I feel towards Jong In. Is there a future? Will there be something unpredictable going to happen? Or is it just psychological?
I picked some leaves and threw them on him. What we are doing just messed things up. We stopped playing with the leaves until both of us got tired. We sat on the grasses. The sun is about to shine.
"Look! We've messed all things!," I said while recovering myself from laughing.
"Look! Your face was messed!," Jong In said impersonating me. I felt conscious.
"Omo. Really?," how could this happen? I don't want to look ugly! I can say it's a total ew just by looking at his expression. I wiped my face and looked at my palm. I found marks of ashes on my face. I kept on wiping it.
Suddenly, Jong In grabbed my wrist stopping me from wiping the ashes.
"Stop.," he said. I stopped, looking at his eyes. He is looking through my eyes too, but his is unreadable. My heart started to thud slowly again, this time, louder as it seems. "You... You still look beautiful.,"
There, he said it. How to stop this? I turned my gaze to the rising sun, easing the awkwardness.
"Let's get back to work.," I said monotonously, changing the topic. He smiled and brushed his pants, he proceeded to picking the leaves up. He's smiling all the time.
"What is to be happy about?," I asked awkwardly, getting my rake.
"This.," he said which confused me. Is he referring to what just happened or else?
"Huh?," I questioned.
"This. It is fun.," he means picking woods and leaves. I mouthed an Oh. "With you.," he added. I suddenly felt a hot rush of blush rising in my cheeks.
"You're funny.," I told him.
We continued raking and picking up woods until some of the members are already awake. They don't mind helping so they rather stayed inside.
It is now time to wash and water the grasses and plants, i prepared the hose of water and out of cautious, it is my first time to use the hose. It is kind of complicated but I should pretend I really know it. So I twisted the head.
Water splashed and I accidentally hit Jong In with water. Panicking, I forgot to close it and water just continued splashing at Jong In. He's fully wet now.
I admired the view. He might be young, but his body, his body is that of a man's. His soaked white shirt revealed his tanned body. I gulped.
He ran to me and switched the hose to face me now, he did a revenge. I was soaked, but I looked like an ugly duckling. We both played again, with water this time. At the same time, we watered the plants, the garden became harmonious again.
Someone slid the glass door open.
"Hey, breakfast is ready.," Chanyeol said. His tone seems not cheerful. Jong In and I got in. Chen threw a face towel on Jong In.
We stayed at the glass door, he dried his hair with the towel, and dried mine. I smiled at him. He walked ahead, realizing glares from the members on him. Tao is glaring at me, and I don't get why.
Jong In walked back again, weirdly.
"I forgot something.," he said.
"What?," Chanyeol said in a serious face.
"Her. My half.," and he pulled me upstairs.
I was shocked by his sudden actions, but I felt relieved, I think I got him and I'm happy to know that he could take care of me.
He sent me to my room where I found Lisa eating with Kyungsoo.
"Unnie. What happened to you?," Lisa looked at me bewildered.
"Watered the plants.," I said. I don't want to discuss further in front of Kyungsoo, so I decided to tell Lisa later. I changed the topic. "What are you doing?," I asked.
"Kyungsoo oppa, cooked breakfast. He delivered one for me and he brought his along so I have someone to eat together.," Lisa narrated. I raised my brow. Did she just call Kyungsoo, oppa? Seems she became comfortable with him. It's a relief.
Kyungsoo smiled.
"Just don't mess.," I warned pointing at their foods.
"Ara!," Kyungsoo saluted. It looks like I will now have a company in comforting Lisa.
I proceeded to the bath room to wash myself and clothe. I walked outside as I finish and someone knocked. I opened the door and found Jong In. He fetched me and we went downstairs together to eat.
"Where is Kyungsoo?," JoonMyeon asked as we approach the table. Everyone is sitting and their moods are so divided. Some are happy, some are unidentified.
"He's in our room. He delivered breakfast to Lisa since Lisa is sick. He also brought his food there.," I narrated as Jong In pull my seat for me. Unluckily, I have to seat beside Tao who is now one of those with unidentified moods.
"Kyungsoo is usually that concerned.," JoonMyeon cleared.
Everyone eat joyfully. As I dig in, Jong In continuously puts foods on my plate. I felt like a princess, being served on. But, as I was about to eat it, it's getting nowhere.
I guarded my food and watched Tao eating my food. He kept on getting and getting the foods Jong In is giving me.
My temper for Tao is just this low.
I decided to get foods for him so he won't need to touch mine. Tao became still.
And I don't want to think about it, but I think I saw him......
Blush.
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