JIYONG

They were smiling at each other. I didn't like that. No, not at all. Why are they smiling at each other like that? Why is she smiling at him like that?

What am I supposed to do to break their eye contact? I can't think straight. I just want to shut his eyes closed, carry Dara over to her room and lock the door. Should I actually do that?

But of course I can't do that in front of her parents. Going out of the bedroom with nothing but my boxers on was stupid and rude of me already. I don't know what possessed me to do that. I must have lost my mind. I seriously can't pull another stupid act in front of her parents because I might get blacklisted from this household and that'll be a huge disadvantage - wait, what?

Yeah, I've lost my freaking mind. Disadvantage?

"You're still a messy eater, aren't you?" I heard the guy asked. I looked up and saw him smiling at Dara. He suddenly reached out across the table and wiped something off Dara's cheek with his thumb. I went stiff for a moment and then  I felt like everything inside me coiled, waiting to spring. A soft hand suddenly rested on my thigh under the table. My eyes went wide when his thumb lingered a little longer on her cheek.

I suddenly feel so hot, like something's boiling inside me. A squeeze on my thigh made me stay put but if he's not going to  pull back and sit the down, I'm going to -.

"How's the food?" Dara asked, her voice piercing through the fogginess of my thoughts.

"What?" I asked back.

"How's the food?" she asked again, facing me.

I watched the guy pull his arm back and sat back down first before answering Dara. "Everything's great."

She squeezed my thigh again but did it gently this time.

"Are you okay, Jiyong?" Minyu asked. "For a moment there, I thought you were going to flip the table upside down."

"I'm okay," I answered with a smile. "Everything's all good."

The rest of the meal was okay. Dara and that guy often exchange looks and jokes but I've managed to keep calm and quiet although there were times when I get tensed, Dara's quick in warning me or maybe assuring me everything's good by squeezing my thigh. Her hand never left its place and I think that actually helped stop any outburst from me.

He was a talker. . . and well, maybe a charmer. He got all of them listening to his story. I wasn't interested though so I tuned him out. My mind was focused on the fact that Dara's hand has never left my thigh. I want to hold her hand. I want to play with her fingers. I want to move it upward and maybe - I felt my body tensed as the stirring of arousal started to hum in my veins.

Oh .

Dara seemed to have felt me tensing because she gently squeeze my thigh again and started patting it as if comforting me. I appreciate the gesture, I truly do but it's not helping me. I should brush her hand away but I liked the feel of her hand on my thigh too much to do something about it - way too much if I should say so myself.

I tuned out their voices as the conversation went on. To distract myself, I started thinking of everything I could think of to turn myself off and have my arousal cool down. When nothing worked, I silently willed the time to go faster for the meal to finish so I could run off somewhere and ease myself.

Of course willing the time to go faster did not work so I had to endure the pain of not being able to ease myself for a few minutes more.

What felt like a decade later, lunch was finally over. The moment it did, I sprinted to the bathroom without a word to anyone. I locked the door behind me and quickly took my clothes off.

Shower - that's what I need. I need a shower to cool me down. Just when I was about do that, I heard a knock on the door followed by Dara's voice. "Jiyong? Are you okay?"

.

"Yeah," I called out. "I'm just. . .going to take a shower." My hand fisted my hard on.

There was a pause. "I don't believe you," I heard her say. "Open this door now or I'll ask my mother for the keys and have her open the door."

Yeah, that's exactly what I need right now, her mother seeing me and aroused. With a hissed I walked towards the door and opened it wide enough to grab Dara's arm and pull her inside. I closed the door and locked it again before pinning her against it.

"What do you think are you doing?" she started, glaring at him.

I pressed my lower body against hers, making her eyes go wide. "Does that answer your question?"

She went red. "Why. . . why are you. . .?" she sputtered.

"It's your fault," I gritted. "You were squeezing my thigh!"

"You were so tensed and I was trying to calm you!" she gritted back.

"Well yeah, it did calm me down all right," I snorted, sarcasm filled every word.

She started looking pissed off and it felt like she was about to punch me so before she could do that, I beat her to it. "Yeah, go ahead and punch me. It's as if I'm not in pain or anything already."

Her face cleared for a moment but then she frowned. "Is it actually painful?"

The innocence and sincere curiosity in that question started cooling me down. "It can be," I answered.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

I groaned as I leaned my forehead against hers. "You need to stop doing that."

"What?" she asked.

"Being adorable and cuddly," I replied. "I'm already having a hard time stopping myself from doing anything inappropriate right now."

"I'm not being cute and cuddly!"

"You are being cute and cuddly."

"No, I'm not!" she countered.

I want to some more but I'm close to surrendering to my hormones so with every strength and will that I could muster, I stepped away from her. I was about to tell her to leave me be when her eyes darted down and snorted. Is she actually. . . .? I expected her to turn red or maybe even throw a punch or ran away from me the moment I stepped back. "What's so funny?"

She started giggling then. The sight of her entire face lighting up and the look of mischief in her eyes did it for me. I started chuckling. I don't even know why she's giggling - for all I know she could be laughing at the size of my but I'm pretty confident about that part of my body. I know I can perform.

A few seconds of silence enveloped us as we stared at each other the moment her giggles and my chuckles faded. "I think you should leave," I whispered. When she just frowned at me, I sighed. "Leave, Dara or I might end up kissing you."

"I. . . you. . ." she mumbled but then fell silent.

When she didn't move and showed no signs that she's going to move, I fought the urge to kiss her for about a second before finally giving in. Who was I fooling? I'm at the age where I'm still being ruled by my hormones and - okay, that's just an excuse. I'm physically attracted with Dara.

There I just admitted it.

My arms went around her the moment I closed the distance between us. My head swooped down and my mouth captured hers. A grumble of relief echoed through the four-walled room the moment our lips touched.

More, I wanted more.

I started moving my mouth against hers. I moaned at how soft she felt. My hand travelled up her spine and went to fist her hair. She started kissing me back and I know I'm going to end up having another hard on if I let this go on.

I know I'm playing with fire - we both are. I know I should stop while I still can but she felt so soft, so good and so right that I just want to never stop.

A knock on the door made her pull away from me, her eyes wide with emotions. "Dee, I know you're in there. Open this door now or I'll tell your mother you're locked up with him in the bathroom."

"Get dressed," Dara said, pushing me away. "Or put a towel on."

"Dee," Soo Hyun hissed.

Dara pushed me harder. Before I could stop her, she already slipped through the door and closed it behind her.

"What do you think are you doing?" I heard him ask through the other side.

I grabbed the towel that was within my reach and wrapped it around my waist. I opened the door and was greeted by the guy looking down at Dara. "Don't talk to her like that," I hissed.

His eyes snapped up to me and his face darkened the moment he saw me. Before I could even blink, I found myself staggering back as a punch landed on my jaw.

"What are you doing?" Dara whispered in shock. I stood up and was about to retaliate when Dara put herself in the middle. "Stop!" she pleaded. "Or my parents would know. Please."

"Get away from him," the guy said, pulling Dara to his side.

I stepped forward and was about to pull her back to my side when I stopped at the look on her face. I ground my teeth together to stop myself from cursing out loud. My eyes moved back and forth between the two of them. After a while, I turned around and closed the door behind me without a word. I leaned against the door for a few minutes before I eventually decided to take that damn shower I was supposed to take and get the hell out of here.

I don't like the idea of leaving Dara behind to spend time with that guy but I don't trust myself to not do anything that might embarrass Dara or cause her trouble with her parents.

So when I was done taking a quick shower to cool myself down, I quickly put on my hoodie and boxers before seeking out Dara's parents. I found them in the kitchen. I thanked them for letting me stay over and told them I had to leave.

They exchanged looks and I didn't bother thinking too much into it. "I don't think Dee's going to let you leave like that, though."

"She's busy," I mumbled and thanked them again before heading to the front door.

"Where are you going?" I heard Dara asked as I walked past by them in the living room.

"Leaving," I said.

"What?" she asked.

"Let him be," I heard the guy said. I was tempted to turn around and throw a punch but I forced myself out the door.

I stopped when I reached the gate and looked back. , was I expecting Dara to chase after me? I must have lost my mind. Why would she go after me and stop me from leaving when she's too busy catching up with her childhood bestfriend.

Huh, whatever.

With a huff, I walked myself out of the gate.

"Jiyong!"

I didn't stop. I didn't look back.

When she appeared in front of me with her arms out, I sidestepped on went on my way. She caught up to me again and this time, placed her hands on my chest to stop me and pushed me back at the same time. "You can't leave looking like this!"

"Yes, I can."

"Look, if this is about Hyunnie punching you, I'm sorry. He can be a bit overprotective."

"Yeah, sure."

"Let's go back," she said. "You can stay in my room for the meantime."

"And do what? Stare at the ceiling while you and your bestfriend spend time catching up?"

I regretted it the moment the words were out. I sounded like a whining jealous boyfriend having a childish tantrum.

"You're. . . you're not jealous, are you?"

"Of course not!" I denied.

Liar.

"Let's just go back, Jiyong. I don't think your mother's going to be happy with you having a bruised jaw while under my parents' roof. I don't want to cause any conflict."

I frowned. "Is that what you're worried about?" I asked. "That my mother's not going to be happy with your parents?"

"I just don't want to cause any misunderstandings and conflicts. My parents don't have friends here because of. . . you know, what they are and I think they see your mother as their friend."

"I can explain it to her."

"You don't really want to be seen looking like this, do you? You have a reputation to uphold," she said and I could tell she was trying to joke about the situation to lighten my mood up or get me to agree. "Please?"

"I don't know. . ." I grumbled.

The look on her face suddebly changed. "I'm done wooing you," she growled, grabbed me by the ear and started pulling me back to her house.

"Ow, that hurts. Let my ear go. I can walk!"

"Shut up!" she hissed. "Or you'll get another punch on the other side of your face."

"Seriously, I'll stay in your room and keep to myself just let my ear go. Owww, that hurts!"

Dara did not let my ear go until we reached her room. "Sit," she ordered, pointing to her bed.

Like a puppy, I went to her bed and sat down, pouting.

"Stay," she then said before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.

I sighed and went to lie down on her bed. I closed my eyes and memories from last night flooded my mind, making me smile. I was busy reminiscing the kiss we shared when I heard the knob being turned. I scrambled to a sitting position with my head bowed and my shoulders slumped in defeat. I jutted my bottom lip out for a pout.

I kept my head and eyes down as I listened to her footsteps. From my peripheral vision, I watched her place a glass of water on the table. She sat down beside me, facing me with her legs folded under her. "Let me see," she said, her fingers going to my chin and directed it towards her direction.

Something cold was the pressed on my jaw. I winced a little at the contact only realizing that it's been throbbing from pain.

"Stop that," she whispered.

I lifted my eyes to her and saw her trying hard not to smile. I jutted my bottom lip out further in a pout. She started laughing and it somehow lifted some of the tension from my body.

"A wounded puppy look doesn't suit you," she said. "Here, press the ice pack on your jaw for a few more minutes."

I lifted my hand and kept the ice pack pressed on my jaw. "Where are you going?" I asked when she stood up and started heading to the door.

"I'm just going to show Hyunnie around," she said. "I'll be back around 5 or 6."

"Sure, go ahead. I can survive being alone in your room with a bruised jaw. Don't worry about me, I'm totally fine."

"Sheesh, stop acting like a baby. It doesn't suit you. Just stay here and maybe take a nap or something."

I was about to say something more when she left and closed the door. I glared at the door and had the urge to stuck my tongue out. But she was right. I was acting like a baby and this is just not me.

The door opened again a few minutes later. "I thought you were going to show that guy around."

"That guy is my childhood friend and he has a name, Jiyong."

"I can't remember," I mumbled.

"You're such a baby," she said.

"What are you still doing here anyway?" I asked.

"Stop it," she said, sighing and went to sit beside me.

"You should go," I said. "Your bestfriend's probably itching for you to show him around."

"Will you stop with your tantrum already? I'm staying, okay? I already told Hyunnie I'll show him around next time and he already left."

"Hmmph," I mumbled and looked the other way.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "Are you really going to keep this up?"

"Don't talk to me."

"Keep this up and I'm going to kick your , Jiyong."

Without a word, I lied down and rested my head on her lap. "Better," I murmured.

"What are you doing?"

"Shush," I hushed her. "I'm going to take a nap."

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An update! Ahahahaha. The cringe! LOL. Am I the only one who wants to kick Jiyong's ? 😂