MERCHANT SERIES

Now

Ayan's POV

"I said am working this weekend".I tell Park,but he won't take no for an answer and is now begging me using every trick in the book.

"Please Ayan,please please please" he says as he does a puppy face.

"Fine,am flying back on Thursday i will see you then"i tell him.

"Really really"he starts our childhood pledge.

"Always truly" I pledge.

I cut the call.Guess i will be heading back to Zambia a day earlier. Meaning i need to finish that pile of work.

I have been back for 2days now and today is bonding day, a day my father all so graciously made for me and my siblings to bond.The choice for bonding this time watching a movie and not from the theatre in the main house but we literally have to go to manda Hill shopping mall.

I get up,have a quick workout in the main gym before talking a shower and heading down stairs.I find mom,dad and my younger siblings having breakfast."morning Fam".I greet.Hearing hey bro,good morning and beauty is finally up,from priya,mum and park respectively .

"Hey! not my hair,it takes two hours to look this good" park says as I ruffle his hair as punishment for his earlier comment.

"Really, then why does it still look like a bird's nest"says Priya.

"That's cause hyeong ruffled it"he defends.

"But doesn't it always look like a nest"Priya pesters.

"Eomma"Park whines.

"Now now children, behave"mum says.

"where's hyeong and nuna"i ask no one in particular."anit they suppose to be here already."I add on.

"Joon Oppa called saying he has a surgery to monitor and Lin eonni says she's swamped in work.Its just us this time."Priya says while pouting.

"Don't worry am all the fun you need. Besides,Cia will be there".I hear Park say.I wonder who this Cia person is,cause just the mention of the name has Priya showing all of her teeth.

I sit down and greet my father "joh-eun achim appa".

"And to you a good morning"says my father.

"Everything good at the office"he asks.

"It's good" i say.

"And will you be going with your siblings"he asks.

"Yes i will"I say.

"It is always good to unwind and bond with family".He says.

"See even dad agrees yet i don't hear a thank you park or a good job park.Heck i can even take a high 5 park,cause am the one whose convinced him to come."park says while pouting.

"Ooh is baby parky upset,oh my parky park good boy"priya says while pinching park's cheeks and petting his head.Everyone busts out laughing.I try to smile but it feels like a lump is logged into my throat.So I quietly eat my food.

I know my family has been everything but a pity party but am just not quite there yet.This bonding session may just be what I need,Maybe i will even get to meet this cia person that  my siblings and friends seem attached to.

Cia's POV

Hey kasheila am by the entrance to the mall,where are you?,i text my niece/cousin/closet friend.

"right behind you" she says.

Ok i was so focused on typing i didn't hear her approach."let's go"i tell her as we enter the mall and head upstairs to the cinema hall.

We are approaching our friends when i see Priya rushing towards me and says "emergency, bathroom now".I turn to kasheila and she says she wants to guard our pieces of chicken from the boys.

Priya and i look at her sceptically and ask "really,the boys or your mouth".

"I can be trusted"kasheila defends.

"Yes with anything but food" i tell her.

"just go,Priya did say it was an emergency"she replys.

We walk into the bathroom when i ask"What's the emergency."

"I just started my period and forgot my pads"she says.

"dont i always tell you to have some in which ever bag you're carrying"i reprimand.

"Am sorry i always forget and you always save me,so please please help,i will change and won't........"

I cut her of by removing 1 pad from my bag and giving it to her.

"Oh my hero"she exaggerates.

"Just go change."i tell her.

"ok"she says as she walks to one of the bathroom doors.A while later and we walk out.

We are heading back to the cinema hall,when Priya sees a funny costume by a window seal. She points it out to me and we bust out laughing unable to stop even after we reach our friends at the table.

Am a laughing mess as i sit down on the empty sit next to priya while trying to greet my friends between giggles.Its then that i notice the gorgeous specimen sitting across from me.Suddenly all my laughter is gone as i find myself taking a deep breath.

Wow,his eyes are grey and are those flecks in them?.I have never seen eyes like those,wow so pretty.Is he male or female cause men shouldn't look like this.

His beauty makes me self conscious of my,well my everything and i suddenly feel very uncomfortable against everyone else's beauty.So i break eye contact and look down at my feet.

"Are you ok?"a deep Buritone voice asks me,sending shivers down my spine.

I really want to see the source of that voice so,i look up and see no one,i look to priya only she's not there anymore.In her place is the gorgeous man.Where is priya?,I look around and i spot her across the table happily eating and chatting with kasheila.

"Cia,are you ok?"he asks again and i can't bring myself to look at him.what is wrong with me?!.

"Look at me,am i really that ugly that you hide your eyes from me"he asks again.Is he talking to me?.

"Yes,i am talking to you" startled i look at him.

"Oh my gosh i said that out loud".I say.

"Yes you did and that too"he says.

"Oh am gonna shut up now"i say and i cover my mouth...He giggles..."did he just giggle?."

"I sure did"he answers and i realised i had opened my mouth again,so i hide my face in my hands and this causes him to laugh out loud.

wow, his laughter sounds so beautiful,tempting making me to drop my hands and when I do,what i see makes me speechless.

He has dimples!!! Ahhhh!!!I internally scream,no fair no fair why does he have the eyes,face and from the looks of it the body and now dimples!!.I feel like crying.so i slowly lay my head on the table and turn away from him,am currently facing.....

Hyeong (older brother-male calls another male)
Nuna(older sister-male calls female)
Oppa(older brother-female calls male)
Eonni(older sister- female calls female)
Joh-eun a-chim appa(good morning dad)

Word count:1198