MY GANGSTER PROTECTOR ✔

CHAPTER 30 - Changes

Their eyebrows were deeply furrowed, their unsatisfied gazes settled on the pathetic-looking cake that Dara tried to bake.

"It's charcoal", Jiro stated flatly.

"It's chocolate", Dara said defensively.

"Charcoal."

"It's just crunchy."

"No, it's not. You can kill someone if you throw this at his face", he stabbed the cake with a fork and let it fall on the pan again to demonstrate how hard the alleged cake was.

"Hey, it's not that bad."

"Ramirez, are we looking at the same thing?"

"It's the first cake I baked. Of course, it's to be expected that it will not be perfect. It may be a bit...hard but-..."

"I'm not going to eat it."

Dara scowled at him and grabbed a fork briskly, cutting a slice of cake with it. She winced when a hard, crunchy sound emanated from it as she sliced.

"I heard that", Jiro informed her.

"I told you, it's just crunchy", she reasoned. "Here. Try it."

"No."

"Open up", Dara hovered the fork on his mouth, but Jiro just stared at it with obvious disgust. "Jirooo", she whined.

He sighed in resignation and bit the slice of cake...then he spat it out unceremoniously on the sink.

"Hey!" Dara exclaimed in protest. "You didn't even taste it", she mumbled somberly.

"I did. It's charcoal."

"Is it that bad?"

"Try it. I dare you."

"Fine. I'll just bake another one after consulting with Namee", Dara said, abandoning the cake and marching towards the living room. She plopped herself on the couch and turned on the TV. A few seconds later, Jiro followed her with cans of beer in his hand. He placed it on the table and sat on the other side of the couch, spreading his legs and opening a can of beer with one hand. Dara glanced at him, following his every movement with her gaze. It fascinated her that after a heartfelt talk with him, they were doing such mundane tasks as bickering over a cake, lounging in the couch, and watching TV. It was the kind of reality that was seldom shown in the drama shows. When she watched a movie, she often wondered what the girl and guy did after they exchange dramatic dialogues or after an intense scene, but the answer was simple: they go on with their lives.

"What?" He suddenly asked without glancing at her, sensing her scrutinizing gaze.

"Are you going to sleep here?"

"Yeah", he answered lazily.

A smile crossed her lips that she wasn't able to hide.

"Why are you smiling?" He asked as he looked at her.

"Nothing", she replied and gnawed her lips, her mind wandering back to what he did to her as her 'punishment' for hugging and kissing Bullet. She could feel her cheeks burning with the thought of him doing it again...and maybe more. Accckkk!!

"I'll sleep at the guest room", his voice mercilessly slashed through her consciousness.

"What?!" She exclaimed, her pitch higher than her normal voice. She cleared her throat to cover her embarrassment and faced him again.

"The guest room has no balcony", she said in a calm tone. "I mean, I thought you like lounging at the balcony to breathe some fresh air before you sleep", she reasoned. She knew it was a lame excuse but WASN'T HE SUPPOSED TO SLEEP BESIDE HER?! Sometimes, Jiro was so unpredictable that made her want to pull her hair in frustration. One moment, he'd be all over her. Then, he'd suddenly act detached and uncaring. UGH! The stress...