Chanyeol’s eyes narrowed when his eyes felt the presence of the lampshade on the bedside.  Its gleam was slitting through his eyes making him feel in discomfort. Though his body protests he still snapped to reach and shut it down before pulling the white duvet back onto him.

But after around minutes of keeping his eyes shut it happened that using force to shut it did not to bring him to dreamland again. He knows he’s exhausted enough to be sleepy but it seems like Sandman had sprinkled him insufficient magical dust of dozing off for him not to go back to sleep.

He gives up. Forcing his eyes to shut isn’t even helping so he then pulled himself up, his back propping against the headboard of his bed. Just then he realized the triggering pain in his head. He placed a hand on his forehead when the pain instantly rose without prior caveat. He immediately jerked his head on either side to check his surroundings. Not a thing beams and radiates inside his room, even the window’s wholly covered by the dark curtains. Not even a single glimmer to make him feel sensitive. But Chanyeol’s head still hurts that his nose scrunched up with his brows meeting and his sweat trickling just everywhere.

He groans to himself when his hand tried reaching for his phone but failed. Not with the reason that he can’t make himself look for it with his condition, but because of the whispers he’s getting from his subconscious mind where someone tells him not to call for other people’s help. It’s no use Chanyeol. Isn’t this what you want? Just by yourself? Isn’t this what you mean by happiness?

Chanyeol could only breathe deeply when the pain finally decided to subside. The neckline of his shirt soaked from his continuous sweat.

Soothingly massaging his head, he gets out of his room. He directed himself into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. He immediately closed the refrigerator after taking out the cold water container. The illumination the refrigerator emits just irritates him.

He consumed about two glasses of water before leaving the container and his glass just on the counter. He didn’t bother to turn the lights on and was just guided by his own familiarity to the place. And besides his eyes have already adjusted to the dark shade the place furnishes.

He knows he can’t sleep after drinking but then he doesn’t have something in his mind to do but to go back to his own room and wait until the lord of dreamland gives mercy on him and let him sleep.

Chanyeol’s room is just beside Nouf’s so it’s impossible for him not to pass through and notice it. And with whatever influence, Chanyeol stopped in front of it and think for a minute.

I just want to make sure she’s sleeping that’s just it. He tells himself when he reached her bed.

She was soundly sleeping and Chanyeol has to keep himself from chuckling when he saw how the damsel fronting him snuggles on some cloth, which he figured as a gray hoodie, just like how she snuggled on his coat the previous night.

“Cute.” Chanyeol was sure the word left his mouth he just can’t believe it really did left his very own.

No. She is not.

He felt how peculiarity and anxiousness rushed through his veins so he decided he needs to get out of there before the oddness even grows to something he can never imagine.

His pace was then halted when his foot stepped on something. He swiftly picks what the thing was. It was the plastic bag of the food Kai had bought. But the thing is, it is now empty which just means she ate everything that was in it.

Out for the count, a smile flashed on his face as he places the waste on the table just beside the door.

He’s happy...  with some unconfirmed reason.

Chanyeol sighed when he suddenly remembered Baekhyun. He’s grateful Nouf had trusted them and chose to stay with him or else his death’s going to be on Baekhyun’s hands.

Good thing Chanyeol dozed off the moment he reaches his bed or else he’ll be like one of the zombies from the Walking Dead for now.

The morning after that, Chanyeol checks his phone for the time.

7:30 am

Still too early for him to leave his bed but some undefined forces pushed him to do so. He opens the door of his room and his eyebrows rose in confusion when he caught sight of something in the living room. Eventually it was Nouf with cleaning materials all over her. She was even wearing a cleaning apron with feathery sticks on her hand.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING??” He exclaims but he only received an annoyed look from Nouf. “And how did you got those stuffs?!” He puts his hand on either waist.

“Just making myself entertained.” Nouf replies nonchalantly. “Oh’ you mean these? I was looking for some cleaning materials this morning, luckily there’s this old woman who entered the room with these stuffs so I asked to borrow these and…. she let me.”

“You find entertainment in CLEANING??!” His jaw almost dropped.

“Then what you are you expecting me to do while I stay here? Stare on the ceiling? Gawk on some passing birds by the windows? Count my breaths? Seriously Mr. PARK CHANYEOL, I’ll die if you’ll insist me to do such dreary things.” She retorts as she resumes her cleaning session.

Chanyeol just palmed his face in nuisance before speaking.

“My God! You’re so smart Nouf! That was a cleaning service. She’s supposed to clean here. It’s her job!” He almost yelled.

“Aist. Nevermind. Just leave those things there and go get yourself ready before you steal other staff’s work here. You’re a threat to them do you know that?”

“Why where are we going?” She stops cleaning.

“I’m keeping you not to get hired by the management…Oh’ by the way, stop calling me by my whole name it’s giving me the creeps.”

-

It’s not that Chanyeol purposely set this day for them to eat breakfast in a new American Cuisine Restaurant in Macau that Sehun had informed him. He just really craves for such cuisine and he think it’s not that bad to make up on her for what he did the previous day.

It’s a need rather than a want.

Chanyeol was busy doing something in his phone when the lady before him made a sound of contentment. His eyes land on a happy looking lady that turned to be a little girl as she joyously sips on her cup of cappuccino.

“So you like coffee?” Chanyeol inquires though he already knows the answer just by looking on her expressions.

“No.” She straightforwardly replied which made Chanyeol raise his brow.

“I LOVE COFFEE!!!”  She beamed before she started chuckling sweetly.

Chanyeol’s heart fluttered just on how she chuckles with the likeness she shows in coffees.

Weird. Seriously, this is too weird.

Chanyeol may be the feistiest and sassiest in SK’s Big but he also has some things that make a little difference to the usual him. Actually there’s this thing that really makes a very huge difference.

“A greenhouse?” Nouf gapes at the sight of a large glasshouse ahead.

“FYI, It’s one of Young Master’s favorite place here.” Kai flashes from behind the car after getting Chanyeol’s gardening get up.

Chanyeol was quite amazed he didn’t have his plan for the day. And besides it’s way too early to go clubbing and do other things with his sassy side that’s why his favorite greenhouse became the choice.

Nouf was reasonably amazed the moment she stepped outside the car just to be welcomed by a very large greenhouse. She couldn’t believe that this young master has a thing on plants, and vegetables to be exact when he told them they’re going to start on the veggies station.

She noticed how the people there acknowledge his entrance, just enough proof that he really goes often there for him to be treated such. But what really amazed her is the interaction they have. Almost all workers there are women but she could see how close they are to him. He speaks with all respect. Too much different on how she always sees him. Too much different on how she knows him.

“Just when did you get in Macau son?” An old lady someway in her 40’s asked after giving a welcoming longing hug to Chanyeol.

“Just the other day. I’m sorry I forgot to inform you.” He replies softly.

“It’s fine son. At least you’re here now. We missed you so much.” The other one in her mid 30’s patted his shoulders.

Nouf was left admiring no scratch that, gazing with great interest how Chanyeol interacts on these old people. She even imagined what kind of relationship the lad has to his family since he accidentally overheard Chanyeol’s phone conversation that time. He was screaming over freedom to his brother, wasn’t it? She’s not that sure but just something like it. With the difference Chanyeol shows she kinda admits to herself that she’s starting to get interested to know more about this Young Master.

“Sehun! Kai!” An old man and old woman approached them three. “Oh who do we have here?!” The female one said.

 “Oh’ we would like you to meet our dear friend, Nouf.” Nouf, sometimes is a shy person, just like on how she acts when Kai introduces her to the two old persons fronting them. “So our Kai here’s growing up. We’re happy for you my boy.” The old man winks and gave Kai a congratulatory pat.

“N-No!! No!! It’s not what you think!” Kai immediately defended.

“Then perhaps our Sehunnie?” He shifted his gaze on Sehun’s, and as expected Sehun just breathed in reply if that’s even considered as a reply so Kai did the honor to explain things as vaguely as possible to conceal the auction part of the story since it’s a confidential issue.

“So he’s Chanyeol’s then?---No!!” Nouf almost raised her voice good thing Kai covered and made stories and even diverted their attention.

“Geez. Why are these people so into dating issues?”  Nouf asked herself in relief after Kai had successfully dragged the two excited and cheerful couple.

“You’re the first girl we have ever brought along. They’re just curious so you better prepare yourself for more nagging interviews.” Sehun warned before leaving her handsomely with both his hands inside his pockets.

Sehun was right. Almost everyone there keeps on asking her things relating Chanyeol like “When did you start dating?”, “How did he courted you?”, “Where did you met?”, while some were words of blessings. If she was to choose, she’d rather have them in a mass just to tell them that she’s not dating anyone and that she’s just with them because of some confidential reason. Because these people come to her one by one so she has to explain things on each of them. Isn’t it tiring to explain the same thing again and again? She sighed seeing another approaching lady.

It was that time when she roamed on the tomato area that the inquiring people got vanished in her eyesight. She just wants to breathe and appreciate this greenhouse. The thing is no one can describe how she loves such things. Mother Nature’s her epitome of heaven. But with those bombarding questions she receives everytime someone notices her make her overlook the extreme beauty surrounding her.

*sighs*

“Hello Mr. Tomato. Could you take care of me for a bit?” She talks nonsense things as she suits herself on the ground just beside the red tomato plants.

“I promise I’m not going to cause any trouble nor pick any of you. I just want to breathe. You can turn me into a tomato just like you if in case I break my promise. I just need to stay here—WHOAHH!!” Nouf’s heart almost fell when some object nudged the point of her elbow. “Yah! Tomato-head! What do you think are you doing there?”—

“Chanyeol?! What are you doing here?” She hissed silently cautious not to get any attention.

“I asked you first.” He replied coolly before setting himself beside her.

“I’m hiding can’t you see?” She playfully covers her face with the plant’s small leaves.

“You know. You’re really smart. I’m quite amazed.”— “What do you mean?”

“You look exactly like that thing. You’re so smart to think of using camouflage.” Nouf looks on the thing he’s pointing at. Tomato.

“Yah!! And when did I even looked like this one??!!” She almost picked the fruit from its stem when she tried comparing it to her face.

“That night when you got a fever… You’re as red as that thing.” He idly replied.

“Ow-“

“About that thing..” She paused for a moment before continuing. “Thank—You already thanked me like a lot. And I’m telling you this again. It’s really just fine. Now, just help me pick these fruits.” He passed her a basket and motioned her to start working.

Though she’s stammering a little for who knows what reason, Nouf obediently started picking up the tomato fruits. So he really did take care of me. She doesn’t really know but the thought that it was really him who took care of him that night made her feel good, no better to be exact.

Chanyeol, I want to know you more. She tells herself when her eyes caught Chanyeol who is seriously checking each fruit of tomato before picking and putting it on his own basket.

She was still gazing on Chanyeol when she realized something important that she has to scream so loud because of its significance.

“What happened??! Why are you screaming??!!” In a flash beams Chanyeol with a worried face written all over his face.

She gulped.

“What?!” He checks her hands and everywhere when she didn’t reply.

“Mr. Tomato!”

“What??!”

“I told Mr. Tomato that he can turn me into a tomato if I pick any of them—OUCH!! Why did you flick me?”

“Ahh~ Shut up tomato-head just continue with your work or else I’ll be the one to turn you into a tomato the old rotten tomato, I mean it.”