Beyond The Kiss | JoongDunk

Eighteen: Brother

[ DUNK ]

"You didn’t say you were coming; I could’ve picked you up!"

Gemini scoffed, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest, looking as smug as ever.

"It’s a surprise, you know? How will you be surprised if I told you?" he said sarcastically, making me roll my eyes before letting out a small chuckle.

We were at a cozy Korean restaurant now, the kind with sizzling grills and the smell of marinated meat in the air. Milk had stepped into the bathroom to wash her hands, leaving just me and Gemini at the table, waiting for both her and our food to arrive.

"Here's your order, sir," a soft voice interrupted out of nowhere.

I glanced up as the waitress placed a small cake on the table in front of Gemini. Her gaze lingered a little too long, her lips curling into a flirtatious smile. With a coy tilt of her head, she tucked her hair behind her ear and let her eyes linger on my younger brother.

My eyebrows knit together immediately. Is she for real? I thought, watching the scene unfold.

Gemini looked down at the cake with obvious confusion. "I didn’t order this."

The waitress bit her lip shyly before replying in a sugar-sweet tone. "It’s on the house," she said, following it up with a wink.

I scoffed audibly, loud enough to get her attention. Seriously? I cleared my throat dramatically, forcing her to turn toward me. I gave her my most sarcastic smile.

"Where’s mine?" I asked, my grin sharp and pointed.

She faltered, clearly caught off guard. "Uhh… sorry, sir. That’s the only thing we have," she stammered awkwardly, forcing a smile before quickly bowing and practically running away.

I sighed, shaking my head. Wow. Just wow.

"Give me that," I said, snatching the cake away from Gemini before he could protest. I glared at him, feeling extra annoyed.

Gemini only laughed, leaning forward on the table with that infuriating grin on his face. "Hey, that girl gave it to me," he reasoned, trying to take the cake back.

I rolled my eyes. "I feel sorry for your mate if she hears you talking to that girl."

Gemini chuckled, completely unbothered. "She won’t know for another four years," he said with a playful wink.

That earned him another eye-roll from me. I sighed as I stabbed my fork into the cake, scooping up a piece before putting it in my mouth.

"How’s life?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"If you mean how Dad is, he’s fine… I guess. We barely talk to each other. He usually locks himself in his room, carrying a huge pile of documents, or he’s at the company."

I nodded, chewing thoughtfully. So, he’s treating Gemini the same way he treats me. I opened my mouth for another bite—

"So, how’s your boyfriend?"

The question hit me like a truck. I froze mid-bite, the spoonful of cake halfway into my mouth. Before I could react, the piece of cake slipped straight to the back of my throat.

"Ack—!"

I choked violently, my eyes going wide as I grabbed my chest. My throat burned, and I couldn’t breathe. I pounded a fist against my chest as I coughed, trying desperately to get the piece of cake out.

"Shit, are you okay?!" Gemini shouted, leaping out of his chair. He rushed over, shoving a glass of water into my hand while patting my back—probably a little too hard.