Aeipathy | Ryu Shi-Oh and Tsetseg

Chapter 17

See, the latter half of this chapter is written in mixed pov, to give it a movie like feel...so I hope you don't get confused.

Also there's a trigger warning for claustrophobic people.

Ryu Shi-Oh

"How stupid can I be? I forgot to ask their names...I literally gave her a free plane ride..." Tsetseg spoke, lips forming a pout at the sudden realisation. Shi-Oh silently listened to her lamenting with a mirthful smile on his face during the car ride to the hotel.

"Perhaps, your airline business wasn't as impressionable as you thought," he added with a teasing smile, wanting to provoke her a little. "You should stick to being a lobbyist."

"How dare you, Shi-Oh? You can't insult my airline business just like that...She completely enjoyed it!" Tsetseg thundered, making him chuckle at her fired up response. And then embarrassment settled in her eyes, as she turned to face the window silently, muttering something like, "You're mean."

"Am I? Is that what you think?" he questioned in the same tone, settling his amused gaze on her. Leaning closer to her figure he whispered, "Should I start being nicer? Would you like that?"

Abruptly turning around, she glared at him in a childish sort of anger but then her expression changed as if she noticed their proximity. He straightened himself, leaning back on his leather seat with barely visible smirk, eyes still focused on her. He waited for her response with patience, with her he was always pateint. Finally she spoke, "Yes, you should be nicer...or...or I'll quit my job."

"I feel threatened..." Shi-Oh said, maintaining the playful eye contact with the woman who seemed to be annoyed with him. Her narrowed eyes resembled that of a angry kitten, but he was also aware of their sharp claws, so he decided to end his teasing with honesty, "I can't have my favourite employee leaving because of my rude behaviour. I apologise, Tsetseg."

After staring at him in silence for a few seconds, before her lips erupted into a suspiciously beaming smile, "Fine, I'll forgive you...but, tell me what Mr. Novikov was talking to you about? I have a feeling it was about me..."

I should have known that the smile was trouble. He thought to himself.

"And why do you think that?" he asked, genuinely curious about her thoughts regarding that man. Why did she still remembered him or his name? She wasn't the one to recall such minor details like that.

"Well, he was staring at me with strange eyes and didn't even let go of my hand until you arrived," hearing her words ignited a flame of something unbearable inside his chest. Her hand, he didn't let go of it. "I even saw him glancing towards the exit when I was leaving..."

"He did?" Shi-Oh asked in a low, restrained voice, not letting a single emotion flow through. His eyes darkened in contempt, a surge of jealousy ensued in his veins, mocking his sanity. "You don't have to worry, Tsetseg. The conversation definitely did not involve you."

"If you say so..." Tsetseg trailed off, as if still reluctant to believe his obvious lie but did not question further. She turned to face the window once again, indulging herself into the sparkling city lights.

The car was engulfed in a comfortable silence after that, while Shi-Oh's head had never been this loud. A plethora of conflicting thoughts and emotions were emerging from deep within his heart. There were some that he could recognise, but there were many that were unknown to him, completely unfamiliar. The day had brought many unexpected revelations to him.

He was still unable to fathom the surge of jealousy that he had detected. Was it even jealousy? He was not sure. Emotions were complicated and extremely peculiar to him, how could he discern them so easily? Maybe, it was time. Time would tell everything, it would bring clarity to his hazy mind, clarity to his feelings.