{Chapter 7: The immense dread}

***

I’d already know there was no way life would become smooth as glass, without feeling grief and despair. It was just unreal and unfair.

***

I'd just finished my breakfast when I started dwelled in self-debating; whether to give the strict-controlling lover of mine a call, informing him that I will hang out with Changmin today or... better not.

Since I was in my summer break, it had been a while I didn't see that friend of mine. And that persistent guy had kept calling me these past few days, bugging me about the promise I made to treat him last time; to repay for the good lunch he always prepared for me back at school.

After taking so much time contemplating, I braced up myself and speed dialed Yunho's number. It only took a second before the phone was answered by the mannishly-husky voice of his devoted right-hand man, Park Yoochun. The guy would always picked up the call instead of his boss, if the man was attending an important meeting, event or any indispensable business that required his full focus.

"Yes, Jaejoong-ssi?"

Upon hearing the way he muttered my name, I knew there must be some other people in the room that required him to say my name formally.

"Hurm, Yoochun... is Yunho there? I need to speak with him."

"Yes, certainly. I will pass the phone to him." Yoochun replied curtly.

"Yes, Boo. What is it?"

Once that deep-gentle voice greeted my ear, I got flabbergasted. It reminded me of what we did the previous night; that persistent and erted man wasn't letting me go the whole day. I meant... he was so damn clingy than usual for these couple of days!

"Erm, Yunnie... a-are you busy?" I cursed myself inwardly as my voice stuttered. I wasn't really prepared how to ask him for allowing me to go out with a friend for the first time.

"Not really. Why? Did you miss me already? I thought you would be sulking today over what was happened yesterday." He said with a low chuckle.

This man... He always enjoyed himself with teasing me.

"No, I... I'm not calling you to-" before I could spit out my real intention, I had been cut off with a cry voice of someone.

"Yunho-ssi!!! Please forgive me! I won't do it again. I promi-"

I caught the voice seemingly muffled into silence abruptly. It sounded close to Yunho, like the person was holding his arm or clinging onto him. It was enough to put me into puzzlement.

"W-who...was that?" I asked directly.

"It's just no one. Sorry for the sudden interruption. What do you wanted to say just now?" Yunho asked in his usual calm and cool tone. As always, knowing well how to corner me back to my subject.

"Oh, that... hmm...It's nothing important actually." I said with the thought it seemed not a right time to give him a call.

"Boo, you know what. You're not going to call me if there's nothing important you wanted to say or ask me. Since you're not a type that would call just on a whim." I could sense he was smirking over there, as he could read my mind like he always did. It was glad he wasn't here, because it would be irritatingly embarrassing if he saw my current flushed face.

"Err... it's really nothing. I just called you to ask what do you want to have for dinner today. But... you sound busy right now. I think I will just decide it myself." I lied.

"As always, anything you prepare is fine to me, baby. Just wait for me, I will come home after finish with my business."

After giving him a short answer of 'yes', I ended the call and sighed disappointedly at my failure of spitting out my purpose of calling him. I was so useless!

I looked at the time displayed on the wall-clock. It was still early in the morning. Suddenly, something triggered me. Maybe... I can sneak out to meet Changmin and come back before the time Yunho usually returned home. So, he wouldn't know about my absence, let alone to find out that I go meet up with Changmin. I must sounded desperate, but it wasn't usually this hard for me to go out. Yunho knew well how I hated public place. So, he would accompany me if there was a place I wanted to go, or else, there would be a bodyguard tagged along under his strict order.

But now, since it was first time to go out with a friend, that would be a problem to make that possessive and super jealous man understand. He would throw me a bullet of question and shooting me an interrogating stare before I was allowed to go out. And I was sure he won't let me go alone. He would probably come with me, or sending one of those usual obedient and stoic-looked bodyguard to accompany me. And I knew better, that would be the last weird and suspicious thing I wanted Changmin to see - about the kind of life I was living in.

Without proscrinating any longer, I rushed upstairs to get a change before called the cab to pick me up at the junction of opposite street.

*

"Yah, seriously Jae... you've more skill in cooking than me!" Changmin exclaimed while gobbling on his third bowl of spicy rice cake that I'd cooked. He emptied it in no time.

After taking my leave previously, I went to the nearer market for grocery shopping and straightly headed to Changmin's place. I decided to cook my special homemade dish for him. My intention of returning the favor seemed to pay off, after heard his spontaneous comment.

After finished eating, we engrossed with watching some weird animals documentary in his living room. Since I'm not much of a  talker, we just sat on the couch comfortably and enjoyed each other company in silence until I caught the nail on my watch almost ticked to five, and that alarmed me of something.

I need to get home before Yunho noticed my absence!

I excused myself immediately, and Changmin seemed reluctant to allow me to leave at first, but he didn't say more as he could see I seemed in haste for some reason.

*

I paid the fee and get down from the cab hurriedly, before proceeded walking on the sidewalk that lead to the familiar big gate. As I thought it was safe for me to get down a bit far from the house, suddenly, a black limousine came and pulled up to the curb near me. My steps stopped abruptly. My heart cringed by the bad thoughts that started to form.

Before I could step away to distance myself from the suspicious vehicle, the front door of the car opened and an unknown man came out and grabbed my arm.

“Whaa-”

I was pushed into the classy, luxurious car without having a chance to protest. I was panic and about to throw a fit to escape, when the person that was sitting composedly at the back seat beside me, which I didn’t even noticed his presence, pulling me slightly to face him.

“Hey, stop showing to be strong and just sit here quietly.”

My eyes widened upon facing the man. “Stupid, Yunnie!” I gave a light punch on his chest.

A  chuckle escaped his lips. “Seem I’ve success to make you get mad again.” Yunho said amusedly, somehow looking so pleased. “I’m sorry, Boo. Lately, it seems I’ve become addicted to see how adorable you look when you are angry. Only then, your face would get a slight change of expression.”

I turned to look away immediately, hiding my annoyed expression since I knew that would only served him to satisfaction. I'd already used to this man's weird way of showing his affection and love. And sometimes… even in a cruel and harsh ways. But deep down inside him, he was the most gentle and caring man I’d ever known.

“Hey, you can keep being angry at me, but don’t give me your back facing me. I don’t like it.”

Here we go, his cold-ordering tone had always left me with no choice but succumbed to his every childish and selfish command.

His lips quirked into the usual irritatingly handsome smirk as I turned facing him back grudgingly.

“What with that pouting face?” He asked with eyes still scrutinizing my look, in amused.

“You said… I can keep being mad at you. So I am, right now.” I muttered while dropped my look, staring at my fumbled hands on my laps.

Yunho burst into laughter. I was really irritated right now and he could still laughing? Did I’ve just said something funny?!

“Okay… I’m sorry. Seriously Boo, you’re so damn cute!” He tried to hold back his laugh, before he pulled me closer and his lips crushed on mine in a slow-languid kiss. That had enough to make my heart catapulted to beat at a frenzied pace, at once bring a warm wonderful thrum through my body.

As always, he was the only one that had this ability to bring the whirlwind that could mess up my feeling this way.

“Erm, Yunnie… Have you just got back from attending any special occasion related work?” I asked after a moment indulged into a sweet-longing kiss. I knew he won't used this one of his mostly conspicuous cars, if he didn't have any special event that needed to attend. I sensed the car moved out from the private residential area.

“No. I’m coming to pick you up actually.” Yunho answered while landed a quick peck on my upper lips. I tried to not blushing by the simple gesture.

“Huh? Are we going somewhere?”

“Well, yes. It's a sudden plan. By the way, Boo... I want to ask you, where were you just now? I saw you had just gotten out of the taxi before.”

I gulped down and unintentionally avoided eye-contact with him by the sudden question. I knew I could never lie to him, nor could I last longer if I did.

“Erm... I... I went to see Changmin. I’ve promised to treat him before. So I go to his place an-”

“You go to his place?” Yunho cut me short, making me looked up at him abruptly before nodding my head hesitantly.

“We just ate together, just that.” I said quickly.

“Then, why don’t you tell me this morning that you’ll go out today?”

“Because I know you won’t allow it if I said I’m going out to see him.”

“But then, you still go even you know well that I will say no?”

I could sense the slight change of tone in his voice this time, but his eyes were not looking seriously furious. It was more like… testing me?

 Sometimes, the expression displayed on this strict-cold man’s face was the one that hard to read.

“I’m sorry…” I knew I will submitted first whenever we were arguing about this kind of thing. So, there was no use to prolong the argument.

“Well, if you mean it. Then, take off your cloth now.”

“What? W-why…” Instantaneously, I backed away from him to another corner in the car.

“Just do what I said.”

“No, I won’t!”

Yunho stared at me in amused look. “That’s such a loud voice you’ve just used to speak to me.”

“Erm… I-It’s because you are asking me to do something weird.”

A cunning smirk broke across his lips, which always stirred me up inside. “What’s weird? I’m just asking you to take off your cloth. Or do you want I ask you to do something more extreme than that?”

“No… I don-”

Before I could complete my sentence, Yunho tugged my shirt slightly, making me stumbled onto his well toned chest. He then pulled off my cloth easily.

“No, Yunnie stop it!” I couldn't get a chance to protest as now, I was topless. I couldn’t help, but bit my bottom lips in annoyed while both hands covered my bare body. Even so, the man before me had a couldn’t-careless face as he turned around and pulled a shopping paper bag near the seat.

I stayed silent this time, looking confused as Yunho pulled out a new designed shirt and started putting it on me.

“Oh, it looks perfect on you just like I thought.” He smiled contentedly after put and zipped the warm-colored jacket after the shirt.

“What's all of this?” I asked confusedly and looked at the new, expensive cloth.

“You need to be in a suitable cloth for the place that we are heading to. There might be cold, despite it is summer now. So, I bought this limited edition sport wear for you.” He smiled.

“Where are we going?”

“Hmm… just some place that is so high…” Yunho mumbled and pulled me closer back to him.

My heart thumped slightly as he tightened his arms around me this time.

“And... we are going to stay there for a couple of nights, spend the moment just the two of us... without minding anything else.” He continued with a barely-there smile never leave that gorgeous face of his. He leaned down until our faces were just merely an inch apart, and finally closed the thin gap between us by capturing my lips again.

Later, I was pinned down on the back seat. I couldn’t help but just letting him savior the moment the way he liked and always did. Because I knew, I was powerless when it came about dealing with this man.

***

If there was any expression shown, I must say that my face probably looked funny right now. My eyes couldn't blink for a moment at the sight of the beautiful, big log cabin before me. It was situated right on top of the hill and the view of the high mountain at the back, overlooking the blue lake just lived up the surrounding picture, giving me a feeling of serenity like I had just stepped into a different world - far from the reality. For a moment, I indulged myself into calmness.

"Baby, stop staring and day dreaming. Let's get our things inside, then we will go hiking. I want to show you something." I glanced at Yunho who walked passed me to the cabin.

My eyes still wondered around once I stepped in. I could sense something seemed off. "Yunnie, isn't this a public rest house?"

Yunho who had just dropped the luggage on the floor turned to me. "Yes, it is."

"Then, why... there's nobody here beside us?" I asked wonderingly, eyes kept scanning the so quiet room. The house was fully equipped with a big kitchen and stone furnace in the huge living room, it was well arranged and cozy. Since it was a summer break right now, wasn't the place supposed to be crowded?

"Well, didn't I already tell you that I wanted to spend the days just the two of us?" Yunho looked at me with quirked eyebrows.

"But... you don't have to go this far by renting the whole place for us." I muttered in disagreed, at the thought this man had always spent his money like a draining water.

He chuckled and started stepping closer toward me. "Of course I don't, baby. This place is mine." He rested his forehead against mine. His eyes examining my expression.

"It's yours?"I looked up at him with wide-eyed. Seriously, how richest this man can be?

Yunho