Chapter Eight

The Run-In

Sungmi hoped and prayed that Friday night would never come. In fact, she had been protesting the same topic with Kai all morning before she had left for university.

"Can't you make me do something else?" she had whined. 

He merely shook his head and pursed his lips. "Sorry, but that's not happening. I'm getting bored and I need to do something."

"You can go yourself, " she countered.

"No, you're coming with me. I never see you go anywhere except school. Have you even had a girlfriend before?" 

Sungmi choked on her cereal. A girlfriend? What-- For a moment, she almost forgot that she had a fake identity as a male. 

But then again, she couldn't even get a boyfriend as a female, so in reality, he had asked the same question. Her pride hurt either way. 

"No," she replied, "but I'm fine with that." Because I want you. 

Kai scoffed. He had leaned closer to her face and whispered, "Did you forget our deal already? Or should I stop cooking your meals and help you with homework all together?"

Sungmi paled. He won, again. 

She tried a different tactic. "What about an arcade? I'm good at games. Or a food market? They have really good k--"

Kai had suddenly slammed down his glass of milk that he was drinking. A slight milk mustache clung to his upper lip. "We are going to a club," he growled. "Conversation over." 

And that was that. 

Sungmi's prayer did not come true like she had hoped. Friday night came way too soon, and before she knew it, she was standing in front of the mirror, examining her brand new "club outfit". Apparently, while she had been at school, Kai had managed to get clothes for her (in what way, she didn't know and he didn't bother to explain). She was now wearing a pair of black jeans and a lightweight blue blazer with a graphic tee underneath. A pair of flashy high-tops decorated her feet. Her hair was styled to the side and her body reeked of Bvlgari cologne, all thanks to Kai. Everything looked so expensive; Sungmi was sure her entire outfit could pay for somebody's house rent. She wondered how exactly Kai had managed to afford all of this.  

Sungmi was still observing herself in the mirror when the bathroom door opened. "Kai, how much did all this---" She froze when her eyes landed on the person in front of her. It was like her breath was knocked out of her completely. Forming words suddenly became the hardest thing she had ever tried to do. She could actually feel herself melt into a puddle of chocolate right at his feet. 

Kai had his hands in his pockets while leaning against the wall. He had on a pair of dark, tight skinny jeans that hugged his lean legs to perfection, and a white tank hung on his upper body covered by a black leather jacket. His hair was styled up into a little quiff and little pieces parted wildly in different directions. If there was one word to describe how he looked, it would be badass. 

"I know I'm y, you can stop staring now," Kai said, smirking. He had caught Sungmi's expression like a deer caught in the headlights, but she wasn't even embarrassed because it was true. Her eyes were practically him. 

"Are we ready?" Kai asked when he realized his little comment didn't faze her at all. She nodded slowly. 

"Okay then." He walked over and grabbed her by the wrist and proceeded to drag her to the doorway. Her face flushed at his skin contact. Curse whoever gave women such bad hormones. Dirty thoughts were running rabidly through her mind. 

Kai took her keys and dragged her to the car, pushing her into the passenger car seat. He had been slightly afraid that she would run away when he wasn't aware, but Sungmi wasn't even giving up a fight. Instead, she could only stare at his every movement like her eyes were programmed to track his motions. She wasn't all there at the moment and her body seemed to do whatever it was forced to do. 

It only occurred to her that Kai was driving the car---her car---about ten minutes after he took off. "Hey, do you know where you're going?" she asked. 

Kai looked at her funnily. "You ask that now? Well, obviously, I do. I'm behind the steering wheel, dummy. I looked up the directions yesterday."

"Oh," was all she could say. Another question popped in her mind. "What do you do at a club?" 

Now Kai really looked at her like she was stupid. "What?! What do you think you do?"

"Uh, I've heard that people grind on each other and make out in dark corners..." She blushed at her own choice of words. 

Kai chuckled loudly. The sound was honey to her ears. "Well, people do do that, but that's not all of it. Have you ever heard of...dancing?" His eyebrow raised on the last word. 

"Dancing?" she repeated.

Before she could get an answer, Kai veered sharply to the left and let out a cheer. "We're here!" 

Sungmi gulped as she looked at the building in front of her. Music was practically booming off the walls and lights could be seen flickering right inside the entrance. Women dressed in skimpy dresses walked on sky-high heels in and out of the club, either clinging to a man or multiple men. And then there was the occasional person wobbling out the door, drunk to the core. As Kai parked her car into an empty space, she witnessed a man throw up on the curb two cars over. The sight almost made her gag. 

"Kai...I'm not sure I want to be here," she mumbled shakily. 

He killed the engine and opened the car door. "Too l