FORTY SIX

Seohyun opened her eyes and tried to focus on the empty side of the bed. She thought of last night how it started as another annoyance. Lately, she had been in and out of emotional torture whenever she would remember that night Yonghwa crept into her bed and claimed her over and over again—only to leave without any word the very next day. It had been weeks and she waited for him to talk to her, to win her back no matter how stubborn she could be.

One time, she got very mad thinking that he was only after her body—that he treated her so cheaply it made her sick. But then again, Seohyun could not discount the fact that he had been the same lover. Yonghwa treated her the very same way like before. Fiercely passionate. She counted the days that he would finally walk into her and beg her to tell her the reason, which she was ready to give if only he didn’t leave.

It was then she decided to put matters in her own hands. Lately, the strong smell of alcohol made her sick, even wine made her stomach churn, but she endured it hoping it was the best way to get him back without really sacrificing her pride. She took a few sips of the soju she left half-empty hoping the smell would stick on her. She didn’t really know what to do with the rest of the unopened bottles she bought so she just left them in her car. Seohyun then waited for Mr. Kang to check on her.

It took the old man over an hour to come and her acting skills to be put to test. In no time, she heard the man calling Yonghwa and begging him to come quickly— which she prayed with him too since she was feeling really sick from all the alcohol smell and the stale taste that got stuck in her taste buds. Yonghwa came when she fell asleep on Mr. Kang’s couch for real. Seeing him made those butterflies in her stomach rejoice with excited commotion. Seohyun only prayed that she would be believable enough for her plan not to be ruined.

Yonghwa indeed took care of her patiently but his amusement was irritating. She could not really tell if he was the same Yonghwa who fearlessly and shamelessly took her on the wall of a public restroom and most especially the one who gave her one passionate night she’d probably remember every day of her life—not only because of the but the pain she had when she woke up without him.

And now, as the new day started, the very same pain seemed to coil inside her.

Once again, he left.

But last night seemed to be telling her that he had finally managed to distance himself from her. So much for her standing in front of him. Seohyun wanted to cry, but most of all, she wanted to throw up. The teeny tiny amount of soju she took probably had that strong effect on her. She hadn’t consumed anything with alcohol for the past weeks so maybe the small amount gave her that effect.

She waited for her stomach to settle and ignore her gag reflex. After a few minutes, Seohyun slipped her legs off the bed and gasped at the coldness of the floor. She muttered out loud how much she hated that pompous of a guy who deliberately screwed her plan to win him back as she made her way into the bathroom.  

Grambling still, Seohyun decided she needed to eat first before she could make another plan of attack. Only when she reached the living room when the smell of fresh coffee and waffles that she imagined dripping with honey wafted into her senses. She stopped midway hearing that familiar whistle.

Her heart bled with happiness.

And she remained standing there perplexed and emotional until Yonghwa turned with the very same smile that made her throw her underwear at his face just last night.

“Hey, good morning…” Yonghwa said with a plate in one hand and a spoon on another. She probably caught him in the middle of transferring the waffles on the plate.

“Oppa…” She managed to say under her breath. Her head spun—literally.

Yonghwa looked at her for a moment as if he had something to tell her but the seriousness on his face was replaced with a lazy smile as he put the things on the table and made his way to her. Her heart beat fast, not to mention the increased speed of the spinning in her brain. When he stopped right in front of her, he raked his fingers through her hair from her nape and pulled her close dropping a small kiss on her cheek, “I had fun last night.”

Seohyun swallowed the need to puke, not because her brain interpreted that fun as the teasing she got last night, but she was really really close to puking.

“You were a wild drunk,” Yonghwa added as he kissed that sensitive corner of her neck just below her earlobe.

She shivered and there was this burning sensation on her cheeks from the gesture and the fact that he was lying about last night. It also just came to her how embarrassing she must have been when she tried to seduce him. “Oppa, I—”

He ignored her and wrapped his hand on her wrist pulling her to the kitchen, “Come eat breakfast with me, tiger.”

The word moved fluidly in his tongue and Seohyun thought he was still teasing but she ignored all of it as she took her seat in front of him while he filled the waffle on her plate with honey and some fruits like she conjured it.

They ate in silence; she would lift her gaze to him for a couple of times but he would just grin at her. When they were done eating, he took the dishes and washed silently. Seohyun remained seated pondering on her next move. Thinking that he left rattled her but knowing that he was still there was making her feel even more confused. That was exactly what she wanted—him being here—but she didn’t really know how to move forward especially now that she was weirded out by his actions.

Just last night she tried to seduce him but he firmly denied her and now he was acting like nothing happened. Or something did happen. Seohyun sighed. The confusion was making her even dizzier. The thought only reminded her how full she was and in no time, she felt like her breakfast was slowly climbing up. The nauseating feeling made her swallow only to feel the staleness in . She gagged and rushed to the bathroom.

Seohyun leaned close to the toilet to let her breakfast out, her eyes were watery and hurt so much. The world seemed to spin eventhough she had emptied her stomach and was now seated on the floor wiping her eyes. Only when she straightened and opened her eyes when she realized that Yonghwa was standing beside her holding a glass of water.

She looked up but saw something in his eyes—it was more of a confusion than worry. Ignoring that, she took the glass and drank everything.

“How are you feeling?” Yonghwa asked, his eyebrows furrowed as if in deep thought, and stuck some loose strands of hair behind her ear.

“Fine now…” she lied. Seohyun swore it was not hangover.

“Do you still feel like vomiting?”

She shook her head forcing herself to look at him, “I want to lie down.”

“Okay…” Yonghwa was about to stand but she held on to his hand.

“Don’t leave…”

He looked at her for a moment then nodded, “Okay…”

Yonghwa guided her on her bed and she lay on her side while he sat beside her. Sil