Ex-Idol's Role Afterwards

Chapter 14: Another Like

As Taejin finished with the last plate and was wiping down the counter, he opened his mouth. "I promise you that everything that happened today was a coincidence."

Damin, who unwrapped her hair that was in a ponytail, ran her hand through and let her strands spread lazily behind her ears. "I wasn't thinking so. Taejin, do you not have a driver's license?"

Taejin, who put the towel away, turned to Damin who sat back down in the chair and looked back at him. "I do, technically, but I don't drive in general. I get too nervous about it. I'm not really a good driver."

"That's a strange weakness to have. Any more?"

Taejin laughed and sat down across from her. "I don't know. Maybe you? I'm always a mess around you."

Damin frowned. "A strange weakness? Me? It's strange that I can be a weakness for someone, or that I'm a strange person?"

Taejin chuckled. "I was going with the flow. For real, I'm weak against compliments. And wanting to help people. That's why I don't like being useless, and why I wanted to help Dayoung. But, if there are circumstances I'm unaware of, I don't want to force anything. I'm not selfish in that kind of way. What about you? What do you think your weaknesses are?"

Damin knitted her eyebrows. "We aren't on a blind date, what kind of questions are these?"

Taejin smiled. "It would be nice to go on one with you."

Damin smirked. "It's not a blind date if I know who it's with."

"Then... a normal date. Or a home date."

Damin curved her lips up. "If I ever invite you to my place, you're going to need to pack for the night."

Taejin, who didn't expect such a line from her, felt his temperature rise up. His cheeks were tinted a slight pink while his ears turned a shade of red. Damin, who noticed this, pulled her lips down and pressed them together, avoiding to laugh.

"That was a bit too much!" He said as he pressed his lips together. "And unfair as well."

"I wouldn't be coming over here, it would be quite embarrassing for your mother to hear your voice late at night."

Taejin, who saw Damin's smile raise slowly, felt his heartbeat bursting through the seams of his skin. One part of his brain was extremely overworked as he processed her innuendo, while the other was pleasantly surprised to see a pure smile coming out of her face as she teased him, seemingly delighted by his embarrassed reactions. He had the thought that being teased wasn't too bad if he could see her elated expression in comparison to the irritated one. More so if he was the one creating them.

"H-hey, I think that was really too much." He covered his mouth with his hand as he looked away. "We only kissed."

"Only a kiss, huh? Who was the one who touched my waist and pushed himself against me?"

Taejin exhaled, completely embarrassed, as he rubbed his face with his hands, brushing past his fringe that followed the movement of his fingers. "Me. It was me. I just wanted to touch you more. Because I like you a lot."

"Ah... I see I've been upgraded from 'like' to 'like a lot.' How far away is that from that 'love' of yours?" She frowned in slight irritation as she rested her cheek against her hand.

Taejin heard the slight change in her tone and as much as he wanted to lie and keep her happy, he decided to himself that he needs to be truthful in front of her if he wanted to have a connection with her.

"I kind of explained it last time, but it's basically when I don't want to see you with another man. When I get so jealous that I want to be the only person you care for. Just to make it clear, I would never act upon it, or resent you either, for acting nice to a male friend or coworker, but I will just get a possessive streak. That's when I can tell it is serious."