escort | njm

thirteen.

"You two lovebirds enjoy yourself, but don't have too much fun without me. I mean have as much fun but remember to use protection!"

Before Areum can publicly berate her for being so clear-cut, Eun-Yi pivoted half a circle on her heels and speed-walked in the opposite direction, blasting off so she doesn't get into any other trouble with Areum.

"So...Dinner at Din Tai Fung?" He answers with a simple nod, grabbing Areum closer by her waist, it's a habit he always had when they're out, he wanted to keep her safe yet he doesn't know the impact of it. How she wished she didn't blush so quickly, that she had some ability to keep her emotions to herself. In an instant Areum's cheeks were rosy and everyone on the streets could see her feelings as if she wrote them in little notes and handed them out.

"It feels like we haven't seen each other in ages from the last time we met." Jaemin commented mindlessly, furtively glancing at her to catch her reaction. "Yeah because you've been busy going around and attending galas slash dates slash parties or getting into some relationship I would never know of?" He catches her chewing on the bottom of her lips, a habit of hers when she's down and that was why half the time her bottom lip would be skinless if possible.

It's so sad but true, knowing the fact that she'll never know if he ever meets his future lover out there and decides to distance himself from her. Jaemin spends the night living his life all care-free and that was exactly what Areum wants, besides her normal routine of cooping herself in the bedroom either studying till dusk, watching movies from illegal streaming sites off her laptop, bonding time with her puppy or dealing with her very own insomniac ass.

"It is more than hard work to pretend to know everything about business and fake my richness." There's a pout forming at the end of his lips. "One thing I love about my job but not so job-ish is that I get served shits with truffle drizzled on pasta like what in the world of money and it's always western or korean food." The taste of truffle a week ago lingered in his mouth, probably from the continuous amount of truffle he has had a week.

"And is that why you're so desperate for Chinese food?" Areum gazes up at him only to find his eyes already on her. "Yes, with much hope I would want to have the taste of juicy steamed dumplings in my mouth right at this moment." He emphasizes, wasn't he all happy about the godly food he was served weeks or months ago when he first accompanied Eun-Yi to her family gala? "Alright then we'll order all of the steamed dumplings on the menu just for you. My treat today!"

They round off at the corners of the alley, bringing them towards the main streets of shop houses where a large and lighted banner of the restaurant they had been looking for. The familiar waitress dressed in an almost suit just with a skirt on smiles with her eyes turning crescents at the sight of both of them. A waitress both of them were way too familiar with, the one who gives them a secret discount of the price when they settle their bill and she says it's all because of Jaemin's looks and personality.

It was almost impossible to not love Jaemin as a whole, his bubbly and out-going personality asides his anger management issues. The smile he has plastered on his face when and wherever he goes. He was the epitome of perfection in a man, one every girl desires to get one's hand on. "The two of you only today? Is it a date?"

The waitress had her eyebrows raised at the both of them, mostly Jaemin with the hopes of him agreeing to her question. "No, a friendly platonic date, nothing with love." He strodes into the restaurant as if he owned it, that would probably happen if he went on ten or more galas and dates, Areum following behind as she softly bid their friend goodbye. "Dinner's on me, order anything you want."

Jaemin raises his hands up, catching the attention of an employee of many others. "The whole section of steamed dumplings but the basket of six, thank you." There's a hint of excitement in his voice, almost like he missed it way more than expressed, which he probably does. "It's been so long dressing so comfortably while eating dinner. How I missed this instead of putting in so much effort to dress up and look sexy."

"You make it sound like its a chore when all I wanna do is look hot and earn money." The man sitting directly opposite her has put in zero effort to look effortlessly hot despite all he wore was a normal oversized white tee and ripped jeans. He sat there, radiating light like a sun, radiating warmth and beauty. He was just the college version of a prince, name well known around the filthy wealthy international and local students.

"It's been so long since we wrote a song together, sitting on the floor arguing over lyrics and the melody." A sigh escaped his chapped lips, running his bony pale fingers through the perfectly tousled raven hair of his. "Yeah, it's been so long since we had a duo, your drums slash vocals and my guitar." How they missed the time they had when he showed up unexpectedly at her doorstep, seated on her wool carpet as they argued over the chords and words to use. To be exact, missed would be an understatement of exactly how much they missed that small moments.

"If only I could bring you with me to galas and entertain me, we could even perform there. They have a small band performing at literally every gala I've been to." Areum wishes just how he could do that, spending more time with him and looking after him in the dark. "Besides, I haven't seen you actually dressed up properly, like in a ballgown or something with make-up on."

"In your dreams, natural beauty is the best way to go." Jaemin chuckled slightly at her rebuke full of confidence and she was right. All he saw at such dinners were females hidden behind thick layers of heavy make-up when the woman right in front of him was showing off nothing but pure natural beauty. Her bambi chocolate eyes, perfectly rounded eyebrows and her rosy lips looking so kissable, just the right shape for his to fit on hers.

He pours her a cup of chrysanthemum tea he had ordered earlier and then pours one for himself. "Eun says I would make a good boyfriend, wait no almost everyone did." Jaemin boasts in glee considering how he has never dated anyone in his twenty one years of living. She chokes on the lukewarm tea as the waiter brings out his one of many baskets of dumplings, and she desperately attempts to avoid eye contact with him.

Areum sputters and coughed into a napkin, gaze avoiding the stare from both a surprised waiter and a concerned Jaemin, who awkwardly thanks the man and leans over to pat her back softly. "You okay?" Worry laces his voice, running his palm up and down her back. "Yeah I'm fine, it went down the wrong pipe and strangled my nose a little, it's fine." He doesn't buy that excuse with the small cough escaping her throat and doesn't do much to corroborate her reassurement. "It's just tea, relax a little, I'm all fine."

"And you looked like you were going to die any second..." He argues in return, settling back on his chair. "Which moment do I look like I'm not about to die, just tell me, you can't name it." And he nodded his head, she wasn't entirely wrong when under her eyes were slightly visible eyebags with dry lips she had to wet them so often. "And you were saying? What were we talking about before?"

"Being a good boyfriend, being your boyfriend."