TOUGH ROMANCE || scoups || BOOK ONE

40

Hani

"You don't have to come along, you know." I pointed out. "You didn't get much sleep in the last 48 hours."

"Neither did you." Seungcheol said, making a show of locking up the house before we left. I knew he was making a point.

I didn't like people who made points. At least not before I'd had my coffee.

We made the short walk to Jennie's in silence. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and my mind was spinning like a dryer with a lopsided load.

We'd slept together. As in fell asleep in the same bed without doing it together.

I didn't know much about no strings. Gosh, I had so many strings attached to so many things, I'd been tied up in knots for most of my adult life. But even I knew that sharing a bed and cuddling was way too intimate for what we'd both agreed to.

I mean, don't get me wrong. Waking up with Seungcheol's hard arms around my body was one of the best ways in the world to wake up.

But it wasn't part of the agreement. There was a reason for rules. Rules would keep me from falling in love with someone like him.

I chewed on my lower lip.

Men got tired and didn't want to walk women home or let women walk home alone only to be eaten by wildlife. The man had gone through a traumatic 24 hours. He probably wasn't making the most rational decisions, I decided. Maybe Seungcheol was just a restless sleeper.

Of course, that didn't explain why he'd volunteered to run next door and grab a bunch of my stuff while I showered. Why he'd put actual thought into an outfit for me. I glanced down at the high waisted grey shorts, the cute lacy top.

"Are you done thinking everything to death?"

I shook myself from my reverie to find Seungcheol shooting me one of those smiles.

"I was just running through my to do list." I fibbed haughtily.

"Sure you were. Can we go in now?"

I realised we were standing infront of Jennie's house. The smell of Dokyeom's world famous rice dish wafted through the screen door.

There was a single woof followed by a chorus of barks as four dogs barreled through the door and off the porch.

Kkuma was last, wagging his puff of a tail.

"Hey, bud." Seungcheol said, dropping to his knees to greet his dog and the other three as they jumped and yapped their enthusiasm.

I bent down and exchanged more dignified greetings with the pack before straightening.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" I asked him.

Seungcheol gave Kkuma's fur a last ruffle. "What plan?"

"Breakfast? With my family?" I prodded.

"Well, Rose, I don't know about you, but my plan is to gulp down half a pot of coffee, chow down on some rice, and then head back to bed for another four or five hours."

"I mean, are we still...you know..pretending?"

Something passed over his face that I couldn't read.

"Yeah. We're still..pretending." He said finally.

I didn't know if I was relieved or not.

Inside, we found Jennie and my dad standing sentry behind Dokyeom as he peered into the fry pan. Mum was setting the table in the sunroom. Mimi was making her way around the table, still in her new, pink, pajamas, carefully pouring glasses of orange juice.