Wilt and Ruin

Chapter Eleven - New Beginning (Runn)

The room King gave me had a bathroom attached to it. I carried my toiletries bag into the beautiful room and set it on the white vanity with the golden taps and trimmings. For a moment, all I did was stare at everything wondering if I was really supposed to be in such a place.

Eventually, I pulled it together enough to pack things out, then hurried back to finish with the boxes my friends had helped me move into the large house. The room itself was bigger than my entire previous apartment. And I slowly, and carefully, navigated the space to set it up everything.

When King knocked on the door a while later, I was so far into my head, I jumped about a foot in the air. I smiled at him when he stepped in with a tray of food and bottles of juice and water. He placed it on the desk beside my laptop, and walked backward to sit at the foot of my bed.

I swirled in my chair to look at him.

"Thanks for this, P." I told him again.

"Would you stop?" He asked.

"I'll cook for you." I told him, smiling. "It'll be delicious."

King laughed softly. "You don't have to do that either. You're going home with me for Songran, that's enough."

I pressed my lips into a thin line. The idea of going to his home with his parents was a little strange. This felt as if we were dating, and he was taking me home to meet his family. I wasn't sure why I felt that way—but the idea didn't scare me.

On the contrary, as I stared into his beautiful eyes, the concept of being his excited me.

"Runn?"

"Mmm?"

"Are you okay?"

I nodded. I even managed to offer him a smile to reassure him.

After dinner, we set to work on editing the photos we'd taken during the competition. Though we worked in silence, and I had to step away to speak with my mother, the time with King filled me with something I'd never had with someone else before.

From time to time, I thought back to our moment by the waterfall, how playful he was, to the moment we almost kissed. It angered me now that I hadn't taken the chance.

King touched my shoulder gently and I looked up at him.

"It's late." He told me. "We have classes tomorrow. You should get some sleep."

"Do I look tired, P?"

"When we're alone, just call me King." He eased back to where he'd been sitting on the floor.

"But..."

"For me." I pushed.

My cheeks flushed and I hung my head. "Khap—King."

He exhaled as if he'd been holding the breath for an eternity. Since my face was burning with my shyness, I bid him good night and almost trip over myself. King grabbed me and I tumbled backward into his chest.

I sighed.

"You're not okay." He spoke close to my ears.

My body trembled at the heat of his breath against my flesh and that must have further worried him. King scooped me up into his arms, held me against his chest and turned for the stairs.

"King, I can walk." I assured him.

"Shh." He hushed me.

Though I wanted to argue, my exhaustion began pulsing against my lower back. I clung to him until he set me against my bed and removed my slippers. Those he placed at the side of the bed, then turned to pull the blankets up to my shoulders.