MUFFLED GROANS

chapter 27 | Caring

Someone's warm hand touching my calf startles me, making me clench my thighs to close my legs, and I peek up at the one who came into my room and take my headphones off.

"Hey, I'm sorry for bothering you, but I brought you some food," Mister Jeon puts the dish down on the desk, but I cannot think about anything other than the fact that he must have seen my underwear when I could not hear anything and acknowledge his presence. This is embarrassing.

"Oh...thank you, but you didn't have to. Hasn't she said anything?" I straighten up on my chair, and the closed door catches my attention for a second. "No, I got you that while she's in the backyard."

"Thank you," I smile at him, and he does so. "I just want to make sure you eat well. Do not skip any more meals in the future, please."

I nod, despite the lie this makes me give him, and he bends over my desk. "How are you feeling?" he lowers his voice, and I slide my feet over the chair to try to relax and bring one leg a bit down. "Good, and you?"

"Good too, but I felt the need to check up on you. I don't want to sound like an annoying dad lecturing you or anything, you're not a kid anymore, but I'm worried about your health and the way you eat or seem to starve. It's really not good for you, sweetheart," he says this nickname that he knows makes me weak. My lips instantly curve up, and my heart speeds up. "I'll take care of myself, Mister Jeon. Don't worry about me."

He does not say anything but stares at me into the eyes, his position making his chain dangle, and his chest call for my attention, but I win against the temptation and do not succumb to it.

The eye contact lingering, I fidget on my spot and glance away out of anxiousness. I cannot take the tension it builds whenever I make eye contact with him.

"Do you want to sit down?" I get my feet off the seat, but he shakes his head. "I can't take too long, your mom's waiting for me. I just...I'll come back later tonight, so I want this dish to be empty, alright?" he orders me in a soft voice, and I grin but show obedience. "Alright, Mister Jeon."

"And I want the food to be in your stomach, not anywhere else, so don't try to trick or lie to me," he straightens his back and drops one hand on the handle of the door. "I wouldn't do that. I promise I'll eat."

"I trust you," he opens the door but does not get out. "By the way, I'm sorry for coming in without permission, but I didn't get an answer at all, so I was even more worried."

"It's fine. If I ever do not answer you or anything, you can come in, I won't mind," I tell him for the future so that he does not concern himself about it. "Alright, eat well. I warmed it up, but if it's cold, tell me about it and I'll put it in the microwave for you, okay?"

I nod to him, and he goes out of my room. Without waiting, I grab the chopsticks he brought and dig in right away, feeling hungry to such a point that my stomach is hurting.

No matter how weird it sounds, it felt like the hunger was eating me up today, it was painful.

Since he will not come back, I put my headphones back on and eat at the same time. Given the amount he served me, I am going to be bloated for sure.

•••

8:30 pm.

The knocking on the door of my bedroom makes me stand up, and I head up to it to open it to the one I believe to be the cheater. Once I see him, I raise my head up to look at him, and he steps forth but wraps his arms around my neck and suffocates me in his chest. "I missed you."

"I didn't, we broke up," I try to push him away, no matter how good this feels to be in his arms. His hair is still damp, he must have taken a shower before coming here. He smells like shea butter, this smells so good. "No, that's not true. You cannot break up with me."