Winter Hearts

Siana Gets Acquainted

N noticed Ken staring at her, realised it was a little too intense, and tapped him on the shoulder. Ken immediately laughed softly, making a cute little sound in the back of his throat, and stepping back, dissipating any obvious tension there was in the air.

Siana let her gaze follow the angle of his face as he laughed, and she couldn't help thinking that he had the prettiest eyes when he smiled like that. His exposed neck seemed dangerously close, and she felt a sudden urge to reach up and... Funny, she had never really thought much of his looks until now. She realised how little actual good looks had to do with attraction.

And Ken, whom she had never really thought of as hot, seemed incredibly attractive right now.

She stepped back too, smiling a tight-lipped smile, and looked to her dad, who was watching out of the corner of his eye as he spoke to Mr Joon. She hoped her lewd thoughts weren't showing too much on her face.

She noticed that Leo was standing next to her dad, looking at Ravi, who was talking, and Mr Joon, who had their backs to her. She almost thought Leo was actually looking past Ravi at her, and her eyes widened momentarily as she thought she looked him in the eye. But then, he nonchalantly looked down at the ground when Ravi turned to ask Mr Joon about having access to the space.

After Joon translated, Mikhalis looked up at Siana, saying, "That depends on Siana."

They all turned to look at her. All except Leo, who seemed to have found something very interesting on the ground, and was perusing it closely with his foot. She finally looked Ravi in the eyes, and it seemed as if he had noticed her for the first time. He seemed a little taken aback to notice that she had mixed looks. Perhaps he recognised that she was part Korean, or at least, Asian.

After a moment, she realised they were all waiting for an answer.

"Uhmmm... I haven't set any times yet." She said in English. Then she looked at her father and spoke to him in Greek.

"Baba, if you want I can set aside a fixed time for them, but I must have the weekends and early evenings free for now until I can set the times with the parents."

He replied in Greek also, "They don't want fixed times, they want access whenever they feel like it."

She looked at Ravi, who was watching her with interest. How could they possibly expect to have access whenever they wanted? She spoke again, a little louder this time.

"No, there are some kids expecting to have classes. They are repeat students who have been looking forward to it all year. Just tell them any weekday afternoon or early morning, like today. I need the weekend."

Mikhalis sighed, saying, "They all go to church on Sundays, I'm sure they won't want dance lessons on that day."

"Yes they go to church and some of them need a place for the kids to be looked after and kept busy while they are there."

She noticed that everyone was listening and watching with interest. She realised that perhaps they had expected her to be a gracious daughter who didn't question her father's authority, because she was Asian. However, that was not how their relationship worked. Even her mother didn't expect that behaviour of her. They had treated her as an equal almost as soon as she began having concrete opinions about the world around her.

But they had also taught her that having the right to voice an opinion came with a certain responsibility toward the people she wanted to hear her out. 

She learnt very quickly that "having an opinion" didn't make her any more adult or mature than others, if she didn't know how to BE an adult and mature.

However, knowing that the boys were from a rather conservative culture, she realised that she may have been coming off as rude, either towards her father, or towards them. She really couldn't tell if they were offended or intrigued by her interaction with her dad.

She turned to Mr Joon, who seemed pretty fluent in english, and explained carefully and politely that she had children who were expecting to re-enroll in her holiday classes and had been waiting all year.

Hyuk cocked his head, obviously understanding very well and getting interested in her explanation.

She explained further that, because she had just arrived, she had not yet had a chance to set class times with the parents.

Both Joon and Hyuk went, "Aaah!" with understanding and began explaining to those around them. She looked at her dad, who smiled a little, nodding.

Then she realised that Leo, who was standing near MIkhalis, was watching her with a frown on his face. She blinked, unsure if she had done something wrong. He cast his eyes down, turning to Hongbin, who had been a quiet observer all this time.

Joon and Ravi were having a quick, business-like discussion and she realised they meant to wait for her to set the times, and then request they could have access at other times.

She nodded, saying, "Yes that will be fine. I can let you know by the weekend." Ravi and Joon looked up in surprise.

N and Hyuk said one after the other, "She understands Hangguk." "But she doesn't speak it very well."

Ken looked at her, almost beaming with pride. She felt ridiculously happy that he looked at her like that, and tried not to smile back at him like an idiot.

"Really?" he said cutely. She couldn't help letting her eyes travel down from his gaze, to the hollow in his neck. God, what was wrong with her?! She looked back up to see him still smiling cutely at her, his eyes knowing. She was aghast that he had noticed her looking him up and down like that. At least he seemed polite enough not to acknowledge her lewd once-over.

Mr Joon then walked towards the door, with Ravi and the luggage guy following him. Ravi looked at her with amusement in his eyes and he nodded politely as he passed. The three of them went back outside and up the stairs.

Mikhalis walked over and said in Greek, "Mr Joon has your number. They don't want to have any meals prepared for them, so you won't have to worry about cooking. But they will require help ordering and going out."

He looked at her seriously.

"Will you be able to handle that?"

She nodded vigorously, maybe ten times, looking up at him with serious eyes. He nodded back at her once, slowly, then cocked his head slightly at Ken, who was next to him.

"I will be watching him. And you."

She clamped her lips tightly together and felt heat rising in her cheeks. She looked down as he passed, feeling a little ashamed that her dad had seen her gawking at someone like that.