Defence

24

Taecyeon sat opposite Yoona on a wooden chair decked with black decorations at the back. In-between them was a table draped with white table cloth. Food had been freshly set on it and two wine glasses had been placed near the opposite ends. The fine window to his left offered a grand view of the busy street outside and yet nobody stopped to glance at who was inside eating away at lunch or maybe brunch.

"Can't you find another place for her to stay? Honestly, I don't like her there at your apartment," Donghae explained bitterly.

"Do you think I have that money?"

"Why not?" Donghae shrugged. "However, if you don't want to waste your money I can help look for a place for her and pay the bills for her. If that works, lets do that instead."

The conversation was flowing through his mind like an open water faucet, like the faucet Victoria always left on in the apartment. That dull interested look always appeared on her face whenever she turned it on. Did she have to show such fascination for it?

The restaurant was of fine construction built from the rocks on the ground with stubby edges. And the space inside was as spacious as the view from outside. Glamorous dimly lit lamps hung on opposite ends of the doors at the entrance, and they had been left on even during the daytime. It sort of felt like walking into an old chamber during the renaissance age. The restaurant was luxurious, in other words expensive.

"Do you think I have that money?"

Taecyeon felt like spiting himself. He snorted silently. He did have the money, he just didn't use it on stuff like finding a home for somebody else. He spent it on meals with another woman, his boss's woman - to be exact.

"Ahh...the irony of fate." a voice in his head protruded.

Taecyeon cut his steak into little pieces using a little more strength than needed that it created a high screeching noise that sounded like a high pitch scream of a hurt puppy. Pausing immediately he looked up at Yoona to find that she was gazing out of the window, her food had been untouched.

Then there it was in his mind. There was a reason for her visit. He was that other person, the only one she could go to and talk out her problems without feeling like she was pitying herself, without feeling like she would have to burden him. All because she didn't know him well enough. Because a personal relationship didn't exist between them.

"You seem like a nice person." she began. "I think it kind of feels better talking to a stranger who knows nothing about me."

Then he wondered if she'd seen it at all, that he did have an interest toward her that her fiancé, now, failed to show. And if she realized, did she pretend not to see? But then after all, he pointed out to himself, Yoona didn't specialize in reading people that way. She read people through a criminal logic way, the way she'd been taught by the police academy.

Reaching forward he grabbed her plate replacing it with his, the cut up one that had just screamed a few seconds earlier. Yoona turned when she noticed the movement.

"Why? What's that for?" she asked.

"Eat," was all he said.

Yoona pressed her lips together forming a small smile. The big words here were small smile.

Tacyeon labeled himself as a fine observer. As a person who had to defend himself during fights in high school he'd taught himself to read the other person's mind by the way his eyes twitched, scrolled around sideways, and the way he moved. If his feet slowly twisted creating a circle on the ground he was ready to pounce forward with his fists and Taecyeon would have to jump away fast enough, or if not fast enough at least get his nose or his jaw smashed up. Well...he'd been there before and had learned from it.