A Sort-Of Date

The Pretty One II

DOUBLE UPDATE! GO BACK ONE CHATPER

 

 

L.Joe sped all the way towards the Lee house, a thousand different scenes playing in his mind.

He knew it wasn't Jaekyung's fault for leaving her sister at home when she was sick because he knew for a fact that if he was in Chaekyung's position, he would have wanted Jaekyung to catch the musical for him too. However it still irked him that she left her alone. Sick.

Goddamn that stupid princess was so naive and dependent that you would even worry about her if she was merely pouring a cup of warm water for herself. Just the thought of her being alone when she was suffering from some illness made L.Joe tremble with worry.

Moreover, L.Joe knew firsthand just how much Chaekyung had wanted to attend the musical. To say she was eager was a serious understatement. That girl was simply obsessed and enthusiastic beyond belief.

"She must be disappointed to have missed it." L.Joe muttered as he parked his bike, hopping off in front of an eatery. He popped in and ordered a few things before going over to the convenience store beside it for another few more things in mind. His phone rang and he picked it up, annoyed. "What?" he barked.

"H-hyung." Ricky's voice seemed slightly wary. "I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to come over to my house to play video games. CAP hyung is here too-"

"I'm not free." L.Joe replied curtly, fumbling with his wallet to pay the cashier. "Why!" Ricky whined. "We need another player can't you come over?"

"My girlfriend is sick goddamnit so shut up and don't bother me!" he snapped and hung up. No doubt Ricky was whining at the other end but he would probably understand since it was Chaekyung that fell ill. It never even occurred to L.Joe just how natural he called Chaekyung his girlfriend without even thinking.

"Girlfriend is sick?" the female cashier smiled at L.Joe in appreciation. "You're such a nice boyfriend."

L.Joe grunted a reply, grabbing the bag and dashing to his bike. If he was a nice boyfriend he would have known she was sick wouldn't he.

---

L.Joe stopped in front of the Lee house and within a blink of the eye, he was already ringing the front door. He heard distinct sounds of a movie playing in the living room and tried to see through the curtains. Huh, shouldn't she be sleeping or resting in her room?

The door opened to reveal Chaekyung in comfortable slacks, her geeky specs and an oversized tee with half a biscuit sticking from and not looking sick at all. "Ariel?" Chaekyung blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

L.Joe grabbed her wrist and yanked her into the house, heading straight for the dining table to put down the many things he bought. He turned towards her and positioned her in front of him, his hand going to her forehead while his other hand on his. He frowned and clicked his tongue. "Doesn't feel hot." he observed.

"What?" Chaekyung asked in confusion. "What feels hot?"

L.Joe looked her up and down. "Do you feel unwell somewhere else? Is it a cold? Cough? Or stomachache, headaches..?" L.Joe prompted.

"Huh?" Chaekyung scratched her head. "I'm not unwell. I'm perfectly fit." she did a jumping jack to prove her point. She looked up at him with a suspicious gaze. "Why are you here by the way?"

"I saw your sister and her boyfriend at the National Theatre and they said you skipped the musical because you're sick!" L.Joe frowned and flicked her head. "But I can see now that you're not. Why did you lie? To..." he raised his brows at the TV playing in the living room. "Watch How I Met Your Mother?"

Chaekyung fidgeted and wringed her hands behind her back. "Oh...so that's why you came." she felt apologetic now that L.Joe came all the way to her house on a Saturday night because of her lies. "I'm sorry about that."

"No need to be sorry but some explanation would be nice." L.Joe gave her a pointed look as he crossed his arms. "Why did you lie then? You wanted to go for the musical."

"Hmm, maybe I don't really feel like going for it now?" Chaekyung answered unsurely, not meeting his gaze. L.Joe rolled his eyes and lifted her chin to meet her eyes. "That's bull and you know it."

Chaekyung shifted uncomfortably. "I don't have to explain to you..." she faltered when she glanced at the bunch of things he bought her because he thought she was sick and a pang of guilt hit her. "I gave it to unnie." she finally admitted in a small voice.

Confusion arose. L.Joe looked at her, not understanding. "Why? You could have gone with her and she would still be able to catch the musical. You didn't have to fake an illness to give up what you want."

"Yes but," Chaekyung took a deep breath. "Yesterday I overheard unnie talking on the phone with L oppa. She said it would be nice if they could go together and it was too bad that there was only two tickets." she looked down at the ground. "i figured unnie would want to go with L oppa more than she would enjoy it with me since even though it's contorted, it's still a love story for couples to watch. And besides," she sighed softly. "I can get the DVD version of the musical when it comes out."

L.Joe stared at her for a long time without speaking. What in the world was she thinking? She could so easily give up something she wanted so much just because of one sentence Jaekyung said? Just like that?

Why? It wasn't like she owed Jaekyung anything....right?

"Are you out of your mind?" L.Joe finally asked, sighing. "Do you have to give in just because of one sentence Jaekyung said?" he shook his head at her in disapproval. "What happened to the stubborn sassy princess I knew?"

Chaekyung pouted at him. "She's still the same, just...don't question my actions okay?" she looked at him with Puss-in-Boots wide aegyo-filled eyes. "Please?"

L.Joe groaned inwardly, knowing it was hard to say no. "Aish fine fine. Whatever, even though I still think you're stupid to have given up your chance on going to the musical."

"Aww it's nothing. I bet the DVD will be better." Chaekyung said cheerfully. She scanned the items L.Joe bought and he suddenly regretted buying so many things at once. Not the monetary value but...it showed that he cared didn't it?

"Wow ginseng chicken soup and abalone porridge." Chaekyung sniffed and swallowed hungrily. "Let me see, hmm panadol, cough syrup, stomachache pills and...huh?" she picked at a pink package. "You got this?" she looked at him wide-eyed.

L.Joe turned into the colour of apples as he snatched the darn packet and shoved it into the bag again. "I didn't know why you weren't feeling well so I thought it may be..uhm...women problems." he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ariel you bought me menstrual pads!" Chaekyung squealed in laughter. "Oh my god this is too epic you actually walked into a store and bought these?" she laughed in amusement. L.Joe cleared his throat till it hurt and he looked away. "Aish."

"Anyway thank you for the concern Ariel." Chaekyung grinned and poked L.Joe's cheek which sparked a pout from him. "Which reminds me," she raised her brows at him. "What were you doing at the National Theatre? Your house is miles away from there."

Okay so he might have gone to the other side of town to get his errands done so that he could pass by that place but she didn't need to know that. "Aish I don't ask you questions and you don't ask me, deal?" L.Joe held out his hand for a handshake.

Chaekyung grinned and shook it firmly. "Deal." She picked at the ginseng chicken soup and her lips. "Thank you for visiting by the way, you're good to go now." Chaekyung waved at L.Joe dismissively.

L.Joe caught her wrist and frowned at her. "Excuse me, are you saying you're chasing me away after I rushed over here concerned about your well-being?"

"You RUSHED here and you're CONCERNED?" Chaekyung stressed, teasing. L.Joe's cheeks flushed slightly pink but he continued, ignoring her comment. He messed up her bun and gave her a look. "We're going out. Go change into something nicer for goodness sake."

"Where are we going? I never said I wanted to go out." Chaekyung scratched her head. "And you're just going to waste your Saturday night watching stupid shows?" L.Joe snorted.

Chaekyung tried to think of a witty come back but L.Joe already nudged her up the stairs. "Come down in five minutes, or I'll go off myself." L.Joe warned.

She didn't even want to go with him but strangely, she did rush.

 

 

 

"Why didn't you wear a dress?" L.Joe complained. "How about the yellow dress you got. That one's nice."

"You mean the one I wore in one of the pictures on my wall?" Chaekyung scratched her head and gave him a strange look. "Why would I wear a skirt or dress when I'm going to sit on your motorbike? And you actually remembered that dress?"

L.Joe didn't answer her last question. Of course he remembered. He spent more time in her room than in his apartment and well, he remembered her looking exceptionally happy and sunny in that yellow dress and he wanted to see it for himself. He grunted and strode beside her. "Remind me to save up for a car then." he muttered.

He took her to a new restaurant called Saveur in town which was wildly popular due to it's low prices. They had to join the end of the queue which L.Joe wasn't too pleased about, but Chaekyung looked really interested in the menu which was why he stuck with the choice.

He leaned against the wall and watched as she flipped the menu excitedly, pointing out dishes she would like to try which she would no doubt be unable to finish should she order everything she wanted. Such a child she was, L.Joe mused. He never really liked those popular girls that acted y or cute but with Chaekyung, there wasn't any acting involved.

What he saw was what he got, except for the irritating parts where she had to act like being in love with L didn't bother her but he could see through her awful acting no problem.

L.Joe sighed softly and reached out to ruffle her hair without thinking, causing Chaekyung to pout up at him in annoyance while smoothing her hair. "You're always doing that." she complained. "Oh yeah?" L.Joe grinned. "I'm doing it again." he made her hair even messier.

Chaekyung let out a half-shriek and reached out with both hands to mess up his red hair as well. L.Joe caught her wrists in time in a firm grip, smirking at her outraged face. "So weak, princess. Do you even have any muscles in those limpy arms?" he teased.

"Yah!" Chaekyung wriggled her wrists. "Let me go."

"No." L.Joe held up both her hands and shook them about, making her look silly as if she was dancing in an imitation to a seaweed. "Ariel!" Chaekyung blushed red when she saw that people were looking at their silly behavior. "It's embarrassing." she hissed.

"Hn." L.Joe raised her hands to ruffle her own hair, much to her annoyance.

"Chaekyung sshi?"

L.Joe's expression turned sour within seconds when three of their school mates joined the queue. Coincidentally, they were the three fanboys that had tried to defend Chaekyung's honour the first time Chaekyung ran into L.Joe. Irritating fanboys.

L.Joe eyed the boys with disdain and got similar looks of displeasure back.

"Oh hi!" Chaekyung beamed brightly, oblivious to their exchange with the guy she came with. "Are you guys coming for the french food too?"

"Yeah!" One guy called Junjin nodded. He eyed L.Joe slyly and turned to ask Chaekyung with an innocent expression. "Since we're all here, want to share a table together?"

Chaekyung opened to agree when she found herself being slammed against L.Joe's chest. She looked up at him with wide eyes as his arm curled around her waist tightly. "No thanks. We're on a date, as you can see." L.Joe bit out, trying to keep a straight face.

"A date?" Chaekyung echoed without thinking. The three fanboys leaned closer curiously, eager for dispute between the couple.

"A date, of course. What did you think this was, princess?" L.Joe raised his brows at her challengingly. Chaekyung glanced at the three guys and gulped. "What was I thinking! Of course it's a date. With my boyfriend." she added. "Ahehe."

"You're so unnatural you're going to blow our cover." L.Joe hissed into her ear, pretending to nuzzle her cheek much to her fanboy's dissatisfaction.

Chaekyung sent him a look. "You're the one who surprised me with the sudden terminology for this dinner thingy." she whispered back, pouting. "Terminology?" L.Joe laughed, making it seem like the two were really exchanging coos and loving words. The fanboys scowled.

"It's called a date, stupid princess." L.Joe nudged Chaekyung forward as the queue moved. "And of course I wouldn't go on a date with you," he blurted, although one could call it a lie. "This is a sort-of-date."

"What in the world is a sort-of-date?" Chaekyung frowned in confusion.

"It's a date between faux girlfriends and boyfriends. Sort-of-date." L.Joe flicked her nose. "And even if it's a sort-of-date, I'm not going to share you with your fanboys so you better shoo them away before I do that for you." he warned.

Chaekyung huffed at him and turned away.

L.Joe smirked in satisfaction as he heard her telling her fanboys that she would prefer some privacy with him and that they shouldn't share a table. The fanboys looked so disappointed that L.Joe wanted to burst into the Korean Football cheer.

He kept his arm firmly around Chaekyung's waist and didn't even budge when she tried to tickle him to let go.

Nuh-uh. Even if this was a sort-of-date, he was going to do it his way.

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Comments

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blondesakura
#1
Omg it's been so long. Just came back to this website to check if this has been updated but sobs. I guess it'll never be. But thanks to this author for raising teenage me lol
amicoolikethat #2
Still no update 😢
Scarlet07
#3
Chapter 33: Please continue 🙏 😔😔😔
amicoolikethat #4
It's been years :(
cheonchoni
#5
Chapter 22: I just had to scoff. Heh, I came here for jaesoo couple so I guess I'll stop here since the story isn't even completed anyway :( I might die from curiosity if I continue
cheonchoni
#6
Chapter 20: L.joe is such a hypocrite lmao. As if he's not whipped for chae! And both of them are so dense i just wanna bump their head together
cheonchoni
#7
Chapter 19: Idc if I'm being mean but at least chaekyung know her place ( ̄ヘ ̄)
cheonchoni
#8
Chapter 16: Ahhh jaekyung really deserve everything the world. I kinda hate chaekyung at first, but I'm glad to see her changing into a better person
cheonchoni
#9
Chapter 15: Look at that, at least he have some concience to apologise properly. And did he just ditched a time alone with jaekyung to go after chaekyung? I see improvement there