In Lines Of Love ~ Kimchay

68. Him

Kim would kill someone today. There's no other way around it.

The vein throbbing on his temple would burst if he didn't - and he'd much rather throttle one of these annoying motherfuckers than let himself die from stress-induced frustration.

It was that damn Cultural Festival again. And this year, his class decided to do a Café.

Kim thought it couldn't possibly get worse. At least he was assigned to the cooking crew, which meant no dealing with irritating customers.

All he had to do was make cappuccinos and serve frappes.

Piece of cake.

Right?

Things started going downhill the moment he found out the class had decided on a Maid and Butler theme.

That meant he'd have to wear a suffocating bow tie. It was bad enough, but manageable. What really made Kim's blood boil, however, was when the servers arrived.

And somehow, Porchay was dressed as a maid.

Porchay stepped into the café, face flushed bright red, tugging at the absurdly short skirt he was forced to wear.

He looked so out of place and awkward, and yet... the girls in their class were fawning all over him.

He was in a black dress, white apron, mid-thigh socks, and that ridiculous frilly headpiece.

The girls squealed, and Kim wanted to throw something.

"Man, that's bold, Porchay! Rockin' it with those legs!" Macau called out, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Y-yeah, you look... good!" Arm said, his voice shaky with excitement.

"Th-thank you, guys! It's just a costume mix-up... Tay bought the wrong one for me, but it's no big deal," Porchay stammered, his discomfort clear.

"You look adorable, Porchay! Very brave!" Big chimed in.

"I'm sorry for the mishap, Porchay, but you do look great!" Tay added with a teasing grin.

Kim's fists clenched around the edge of the counter.

This was getting out of hand. Porchay was still so embarrassed, but as time passed, he started to adapt.

He'd forgotten his discomfort and was now running around, smiling at customers and balancing drinks on a tray like it was nothing.

Kim couldn't focus on anything with that idiot parading around in that skimpy outfit.

At first, Porchay had been a blushing mess, and Kim could laugh at that.

But now, watching the idiot get comfortable in that stupid costume while everyone looked at him like he was some kind of prize? That was just too much.

And don't get Kim started on the customers. Some of them were clearly not there for pastries but to ogle Porchay. How could they be so obvious?

They practically fawned over him, calling him cute, making comments about his legs, and even complimenting him as if he were a fucking god for wearing a short skirt. It was gross.

Kim had burned his hand on the espresso machine twice, and dropped more than a few pastries, all while seething with frustration. He was pissed and couldn't even deal with his own irritation.

Then Tay showed up, bringing Kim his next order. "Stop glaring, Kim, and enjoy the view,"he teased, leaning over the counter, his voice light.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kim snapped, practically spitting.

"The costume? For you. You're welcome,"he said, rolling the eyes.

Kim almost dropped the cup of coffee in his hand. "What the hell?!"

"I bought the uniform for Porchay. You're welcome," Tay added, casually.

Kim's stomach churned. "Why the hell would I care about that idiot in a skirt?"

He just smirked. "Because, duh, you have a thing for him. I thought this would help you figure it out... I wasn't expecting the whole café to turn into a freak show, though."

Kim froze. There was a deep, growing pit in his stomach. What the hell? He didn't have any "thing" for Porchay.

He was just... frustrated. The way the extras were looking at him made Kim feel like he was about to snap.

Sure, Porchay was smart, strong, and stubborn, and yeah, sometimes he was cute when he smiled or got passionate about something. But cute? No way. Not like that.

And then, of course, things went south when some assholes showed up and started harassing Porchay. They weren't even pretending to be polite.

They were actually trying to grab his phone number and blatantly hitting on him. Porchay tried to defuse the situation, but Kim could see the discomfort on his face. That was enough.

In less than a second, Kim was over the counter, pushing the idiot who dared to grab Porchay's skirt.

"Touch him again, and I'll blow your face off. Got it?" Kim snarled.

The assholes, scared for their lives, bolted out the door, and Kim grabbed Porchay's wrist, dragging him through the hallways of the school.

"We're leaving. Now. I'm done with this."

"W-wait, Kim! We still have a shift to finish," Porchay protested, looking over his shoulder.

Kim pushed him into an empty classroom, slamming the door behind them. "We're not going back," he barked. "I've had enough."

Porchay blinked in confusion. "B-but... we're supposed to work, Kim."

"No," Kim growled. "I don't want to watch those creeps ogling you anymore."

Porchay's face softened, his expression a mix of concern and confusion. "Kim... are you okay?"

"I'm not!" Kim snapped. "I'm tired of pretending, okay? I don't want them staring at you. I want... I want you to myself."

Porchay's eyes widened in surprise. "Kim, I-"

"I'm a fucking mess," Kim admitted, his voice low. "I hate that they're looking at you like that. I... I just want to be the one who can."

Porchay's face flushed even deeper. He fidgeted with the hem of his skirt, his gaze shifting downward. "I wouldn't mind... if you wanted to look. Or... more than that."

Kim stepped closer, heart pounding in his chest, his hand cupping Porchay's face. "What if I wanted to do more than just look?"

Porchay blinked, confused. "Li-like what?"

Kim leaned in, pressing his forehead to Porchay's. "Like kiss you."

Porchay's eyes widened, and he stammered, "Y-you can kiss me."

Without another word, Kim closed the distance between them, his lips crashing gently against Porchay's.

It was soft, tentative, like both of them were discovering something new and wonderful.

Hours passed in that classroom, and they spent every second of it learning more about each other.

The lesson that Chay looked way too good in a skirt? Well, that was one lesson they'd never forget.