𝙁𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙩𝙚 || 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙣

23. Keeping him warm

A/N:
Guys, are you liking the pace of the story? I'm curious 🧐

Jihoon

"Jihoonie..."

"Just get us a seat and I'll get your Hoppang"

I walk away even before he can utter another word that may melt me. I'm really pissed right now, he's always leading me to believe into things that aren't real only to drag me back to the reality where nothing but I exist, alone.

I don't know why I'm being like this when it comes to him, I've never let down the walls around me until he showed up like the beautiful sun in the midst of winter and I hate myself for that, so much that I want to tear my skin alive.

I stomp to the small shop, busied in making fresh Hoppang, I somehow am angry at this Hoppang shop right now as I almost glare at the workers from the distance.

"Having a bad day?" a chirpy voice says, I shift my gaze on her, she's smiling ear to ear as if she had met an old friend after so long.

"No," I nearly snap, but her smile doesn't waver.

"Hoppang & coffee, I guess?" she writes it down even before I confirm, it takes me off guard as I tilt my head to the side, she again laughs, a hearty one.

"Your boyfriend is literally glaring me, you know?" she wriggles her brow at me, I try to look back but, "Don't look back."

"Huh!?"

"You've got a jealous one, I see," she whistles as she passes the paper to the ajhumma who's making those steamed buns, but she doesn't take her eyes off me for once as her smile widens. It's irritating seeing someone smiling at me who doesn't even know me.

"He's coming this way," she squeaks, just before I can say anything, she rests her chin on her palms leaning on the wooden cardboard of the store, her prussian blue apron sticks out as she skimmed her fingers through the pages of the note of her hand.

I feel a presence behind me and when I look back it's actually him. Did he really get jealous because I was talking to her? No, it can't be. It must be that messed brain of mine that's working up, again.

"Looks like your boyfriend can't let you out of his side for a few minutes," she laughs, her laughter is bright, but not brighter than the man beside him.

"You're getting...."

"You're right," I try to correct her, but Soonyoung beats me to it as he smiles at me, pulling me near him by my waist and believe me when I say this, one would have to be dead not to blush at that when he dearly smiles like this. "I really can't let him out of my sight for too long."

My blush deepens as he comes near me, his breath ghosting over my ears as he whispers, "Right, boyfriend?"

"Here's your order," she laughs again, sliding a trey of two cup of coffee and Hoppang and Soonyoung quickly grabs it from her with his free hand before dragging me back to the table. She waves at me, smiling ear to ear and I take in the name in her name tag before being dragged.

CARAT

Soonyoung has been smiling ear to ear as he stuffed his mouth full with the buns and he might or might not have burned his tongue when he had tried it just after getting it and all I did was shake my head at his childishness, but somehow his childishness is endearing to me.

"Slow down!" I warn him but it's too late as he again put another bun in his mouth, he again burns his inner skin, as he tries to fan his mouth with his hand and believe me it's the funniest scene I've seen today.

"Calm down, you hamster! No one is taking it away from you," I try to sound intimidating but somehow my concerns don't hide from his eyes. "Tiger Jihoonie!" he whines after gulping it down, I've no idea how he did that, but his reply makes me roll my eyes heavenward, but the smile tugging at my lips gives me away as I see him smile.

"How can someone be this cute!" I mumble as I take a small bite of a bun.

"You said something?" he wriggles his brows playfully.

Omg! He didn't hear it, did he?

"No_nothing!"

"If you say so," he gives in, and I feel like I can finally breath. "But calling me cute isn't a crime."

Yeah, he heard it. Can my day get any worse?

"But I didn't say that!" I still protest as my cheeks turns bright red, but I can always blame the chill wind.

He laughs, the sound rings in my ear as his head tilts sideways as he laughs and all I wanna do is shove that bun in my hand in his mouth and I did as his laughs turns into a muffle of incoherent words.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," he pulls up his hands in defense after shallowing down the bun and I can't fight back the smile that tugs on my lips.

"Jihoonie," I look up from the coffee cup, he's looking at me with those soft dearly eyes of his, his hands are wrapping around the warm coffee cup. "Thank you."

"For what?" I question, tilting my head to the side in confusion, it's habit I can't change overnight, and it sucks when I'm aware of it.

"For being with me, making me feel like I deserve something better, someone better," he smiles, it doesn't reach his eyes, but I know it's genuine. But I know the truth, I didn't meet him just because he asked me to, but because I also have a question to ask, if he really is the Hoshi I'm thinking of.

"I..."

"You know," he starts, my words die down in the back of my throat as I focus on him. "I had to meet with an old friend of mine before I went to pick you up. You can say I was late because of that."

His words are heavy as they roll out of his tongue, I don't know what to say or think as I silently encourage him to continue, and he does.

"It was important but what she told me made me feel pathetic," his eyes tear up as he looks into my eyes, I reach out to touch his hand with mine, it's a good thing my hand isn't that cold because of the coffee cup as I press it lightly to encourage.

"That I don't deserve someone in my life, at least not you in my life," that's enough to tear my last string of patience, who that fucking girl is to tell something this rude to this pure of a guy, I quickly walk around the small table as I engulf him in a tight hug, letting him sniffle until he feels better.

"Jihoonie," he murmurs in the soft fabric of my cardigan that I was wearing underneath his jacket, his head still pressed against my tummy.

"What?" I don't mean to sound rude, but it just came out.

"Are you taking advantage of my vulnerability?" he laughs, taking me in his arm's length as blotches of red patches my cheeks. I press his head tightly against my stomach, preventing him from seeing my flushed face any longer.

"I'm just keeping you warm. Didn't you say I can warm you up when you get cold," he giggles against my stomach, nuzzling his face against my cardigan before snaking both of his hands around my thighs, keeping me close and I can barely contain the smile that makes its way to my lip.

'Maybe I can ask about it some other time'

This book has taken part in #thewattys2024 and this is all thanks to you guys for encouraging me to write it. Thank you so much, guys 🥺