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“Aren’t you going to answer me?” Jia huffed as the two of them sat in Mark’s car. Five minutes had already been wasted by silence and the girl couldn’t stand it any longer.

After taking a shower in the outdoors, the two of them had gone back inside and managed to dry themselves off a little. They didn’t have any extra clothes on them so there wasn’t much they could do about their soaked attire. They had both been scolded and questioned by their respective friends, however, none of the inquiries were satiated because just as the girl was about to repeat her demand to the boy again, thinking he hadn’t heard her the first time, he jumped in and told everyone he was going to take her home.

It was no mystery that everyone was stupefied with his commanding tone and unexpected offer but before any of them could protest, he had grabbed Jia’s wrist and dragged her to the car. Thankfully, the rain had lightened by this time, sparing them from getting even more drenched, not that it would have really made a difference.

Mark had driven a mere five blocks away from the school before he decided to pull over at a random curb and kill the ignition. So many things were going on in his mind and eventually, he forgot Jia’s presence altogether. At first, the passenger was fine with it being quiet but as the seconds ticked away, she realized she couldn’t last forever which led to her current question.

“E-eh?” the boy stuttered, snapping out of his own thoughts. Then his phone went off and as he glanced down at the screen, he saw that it was his father. Usually he would reject the call but because he was afraid of what Jia might have to say, he decided to answer in order to postpone the topic at bay. “Hello?”

“Your mother and I will be flying to Taiwan tomorrow morning. We left for Incheon just now. I called to remind you about the date you have scheduled for this weekend. You better show up and behave or else,” Mr Tuan warned like he typically did. “Oh and before I forget, Momo’s home alone in your room. If I were you, I would get there as soon as possible. I’m hanging up now.” The line went dead and a deep sigh left the boy’s lips.

“Who was that?” Jia questioned, her head cocked to the side.

“My dad,” he replied.

“You don’t sound too happy,” she pointed out bluntly. “Is everything okay?”

He was about to answer her when realization slammed into him. “Oh no! Momo! She’s going to ruin my room!” Panic started to consume him as he clawed at his scalp. “I’m sorry,”—he looked at Jia with an earnest expression on his face.—“You don’t mind if I go home first, do you? I promise we won’t stay long and I’ll drop you off right after I make sure everything is okay.”

“That’s cool with me.” Jia beamed. “It sounds important.”

“Thank you for understanding.” He exhaled as he forgot about the situation with Jia. Next, the engine roared back to life and the two of them were speeding down the road toward the Tuans’ place of residence.

In less than ten minutes, Mark managed to get to his house without breaking any laws. Hitting the remote on his key, the huge gates pried apart for their entrance. Once he parked the car, he unbuckled the seatbelt and climbed out. “Come inside. It’s warmer in there,” he said. With a nod of the head, Jia complied. She undid her own safety device and as she extended her arm to open the door, he stopped her. “Wait!”

Jia froze as she heard the door slam. She then saw Mark running around to her side of the car. Removing his blazer, he held it up over his head, forming an umbrella before he opened the door and ushered her out. “I don’t want you to catch a fever,” he explained as he shielded her from the rain. He knew she didn’t mind getting soaked but being a gentleman was part of his identity. He couldn’t resist. All that mattered was her well-being. At least that’s all that occupied his mind at the moment.

Unlocking the door to the breathtaking structure, Mark let her step in first before he followed suit. “Whoa.” Jia gaped as she looked around the luxurious mansion. “This looks like a palace.”

“Wait here. I’ll be back,” he instructed, running his fingers thorough his wet hair.

“Okay.” She hummed as her eyes basked in the beauty around her.

“Momo!” Mark was utterly mortified with the chaotic picture in front of him. Feathers were scattered everywhere while the shredded remains of his sheets decorated his bed. Looking around, his face as pale as a ghost’s, he heard a bark coming from the bathroom. Next, a little Yorkshire pranced out onto the scene, her tail wagging in the air whilst her tongue dangled out of . “Crud,” he muttered as he picked the creature up. “Look at the mess you made in my room. How can such a small dog cause such an atrocious disaster?”

Momo barked happily and his face. Mark couldn’t help but chuckle and pet the dog’s head. “You must have missed me,” he whispered. “I missed you too.” Ignoring the mess, Mark changed into a dry set of clothes. Suddenly, there was a loud crash originating from downstairs and his eyes widened in worry. “Jia?” he called out as he bolted toward the place he had left her at.

The girl wasn’t there anymore but he heard movement coming from the living room. As he entered the vicinity, the dog leapt down from his arms while his jaw broke off. “Mark!” Jia looked like she was about to cry as her eyes flitted to the broken vase sitting by her feet. “I-I didn’t mean to. I accidentally bumped into it and it fell. Please don’t be mad at me.” She was about to approach him but he yelled at her to stay exactly where she was before he exited the room. His tone was harsh and caused her to flinch. A pang of guilt struck her and she started to scold herself in her mind. She should have been more careful. She shouldn’t have wondered around. Now Mark was angry and it was all because of her.

Soon he returned with a broom and dustpan in his possession. With much ease, he swept the porcelain debris into the dustpan and left again to dispose of the shattered pieces. “I’m sorry.” Jia hung her head low and didn’t dare to meet eyes with him.

“You’re bleeding. You tried to pick up the pieces, didn’t you? God, Jia. What were you thinking? Are you trying to have me die a premature death? Come on.” Slipping his hand into hers, Mark guided her to the kitchen. There he motioned for her to sit on one of the stools. Next, he went over to a drawer and retrieved the first aid kit. He set the box down on the counter and pulled out some alcohol wipes, a tube of ointment and a bandage.

“You’re mad at me,” she whimpered, chewing on her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. Hearing how frightened she sounded, Mark looked at her and finally noticed how disheartened she appeared to be.  

“I’m not mad at you,” he lulled gently. He felt bad for yelling at her but it was only because he didn’t want her to step on any shards and risk getting hurt. “I was scared that’s all,” he muttered. “Don’t be sad, Jia.”

“But I broke a vase…” she answered.

“I don’t care about that. Something like that is replaceable. You’re not. I care more about you than I would about anything else.” He sighed as he lifted her hand and sanitized the cut on her finger. She winced because it stung and her sharp intake of breath halted him from proceeding any further. He looked at her with a concerned expression. “Am I being too rough?”

She shook her head. “It stings a little. That’s all.”

“Hold on.” He blew on her finger, wanting to sooth the pain. “Does that feel better?” It did and she told him so. Once the