Worlds Apart - Taekook - Book 2

Chapter 231 - Moo's Night

"Do you have to be so serious?" Muyeol asks. He's got rice stuck to his fingers, flicking it off in his white marble kitchen.

"Can you focus? Is your cleaner coming in before everyone arrives tonight?" Jin is less than impressed with the mess that his boyfriend is making.

"No, she's coming tomorrow." He states, striding across the pale grey stone effect flooring, towards the wall that houses the two large chrome ovens. He whips a cloth from the hook that held it and proceeds to wipe his hands.

"I don't know how you live like this." Jin says, looking at the chaos around him.

"Well, I do... this is me... take it or leave it." Muyeol bites back. He sensed that something had shifted between them. Everything was fine when they were in Paris for a couple of days but since then, in the last week, he felt his boyfriend pull away.

"After seeing the way you make gimbap, I'll think it over." Jin says while laying a sheet of seaweed onto the counter top.

Muyeol prided himself on being upfront and honest and at this moment in time he wanted to tell the model not to bother giving it too much thought and to just 'fuck off' but the words lodge in his throat and he can't bring himself to say it. He is sure that Jin is just biding his time, maybe wanting to get through this evening to save face? That's why Muyeol can't bring himself to say anything... he's sure that handing Jin the easy way out on a silver platter would be the death of their relationship and he doesn't want to make it easy for him. If Jin has something to say, he can say it and Muyeol will just have to be ready for it. They've been through a lot and Muyeol was sure they'd been heading in the right direction but since Paris, it all felt uncertain.

"Gimbap was your idea." the photographer points out.

"I thought it would be a simple option for the party. You said you'd never made it."

"I hadn't made it before. What else do we need to do?"

"If you would like to slice these into pieces, I will finish the avocado one."

The kitchen was as tastefully decorated as the whole two floor penthouse. The focal point of the entire apartment was the open plan lounge area with a wall of windows that looks out over the city. The talking point of the living area, isn't the ivory painted walls, coffee coloured suede couches or grand piano. As striking as the polished flooring and winding staircase was, it was the life size giraffe statue that sparks conversation. The head of the giraffe reaches the second floor, overlooking the interior balcony and the hallway that has access to the four bedrooms.

The cream rugs were plush, the surfaces were shiny, yet the show home apartment gave off a homely, warm vibe. The piano in the corner was bathed in sunlight, a bright area of the open plan space where Muyeol often sat and thought as his fingers tinkled with the keys. There was too much seating for one or two people, arranged strategically so part of it faced the windows and part of it was the prime spot to watch tv via the plasma screen mounted on a wall. Past the piano, underneath and beyond the staircase, there sits a reclaimed elm wood dining table, complete with matching benches. The beeswax candles that sit on minute shelves, punched a strong vanilla scent into the air, whilst the flames cast a halo of light on the wall. The table is set for an informal gathering of friends, covered with platters and dishes of finger foods. Littered on the walls, amongst the randomly placed candles, are large, framed collages, evidence that the person who lived here, was a photographer or someone who had an eye for life through a black and white lens.

Muyeol's parents bought the apartment because they wanted their son to have somewhere secure to live. He didn't want to follow in their footsteps with Kira Kira, chose not to drive one of the expensive cars in the garage, was an understated, yet proud, gay man, so he thought the least he could do for his parents was to accept the apartment. One of the best times of his life was the six month period after being discharged from military service when he filled a backpack, grabbed his camera and went travelling. He loved travelling economy but sometimes it was much more fun to dress like he couldn't afford a meal, let alone a plane ticket, whilst mixing with business class. He enjoyed the looks of judgement as he walked through the gilded lobby of an overpriced hotel. His experiences led to a less than favourable opinion of the wealthy. Muyeol had never understood the people that allowed the size of their back balance to define them. His parents were some of the most down to earth people he knew and the same went for his extended family who could've got carried away when fame and fortune landed, as a result of Lil Gem's success. Platinum records and iTunes numbers ones around the world would change some people... but not Muyeol's family.