KIM TAEHYUNG | taehyung x irina

nine

I whipped my head towards the direction of the door. I was just placing the food on the dishes I washed and dried when the doorbell rang. I'm still wearing an apron covered with all sorts of stains from cooking. Yeah, I cooked, or should I say, I tried. I had to gather some tips from Mara who was on loudspeaker the whole time while I was cooking.

The doorbell buzzed again and I hurriedly took the apron off, wiping my hands with it before throwing it somewhere, "Coming!"

"Hi." Irina stood in front of my door and she looked nice, smelled nice.

I smiled sheepishly back at her, "Hey, sorry I took long. I was baking. Come on in."

"Baking?" She questioned, "Since when do boys bake?" She smiled as she followed me inside.

"Since now." I turned to face her and instead bumped into her, crashing onto me because she wasn't looking when I stopped.

"Ow." She scrunched her nose that hit my chest, making me unable to stop smiling.

"Sorry. Let me see." I brushed her hair out of her face and tilted her face up. At first, I was focused on her nose but when I saw her eyes and realized how they were staring back at my face, I just got so lost in them.

My gaze lowered to her lips, her soft-looking lips that I so badly wanted to feel against mine. Irina knew what I wanted to do. I know exactly what she's thinking by wearing a dress that would make every man turn their heads as she passes by. I know exactly what she's thinking by putting on this perfume that made my head dizzy with thoughts of her on my bed. I know exactly what she wants me to do but I'm not falling for it. I have something to prove and I am doing just that.

"Your nose is fine." I pulled away and said.

"Why didn't you kiss me? You had all the chance in the world but you let it go, why?" Irina asked again as I took her hand and made her sit on the table.

I let her settle down before I moved my lips beside her ear, my hands on her shoulders, "I have all the time in the world."

I flashed her a smile as I filled her wine glass and then mine, "I told you. When I saw that girl in that photograph, I knew she's something special and I knew she will make me lose sleep just by thinking about when I'd see her again."

"I'm flattered." Irina smiled back before she took a sip of her wine. "I wonder how many girls in my class would die to be where I am tonight."

"I wouldn't do this just for any girl." I replied and she leaned forward with a grin, "I feel all tingly, having this secret dinner date with my teacher. So kinky, don't you think?"

My food almost went down in my windpipe, making me cough. She laughed heartily, pouring me another drink because I just drank the previous one in one gulp, "Please don't mention that while we're eating."

"What? Kinks?" She repeated, cocking her head innocently, "I just knew when I saw you that you are a man of kinks."

"I'm not." I told her honestly and she gave me a look of doubt, "Well, I used to like.. it. But not anymore so can we please move on to another topic?"

"Why, Mr. Kim? We're both adults." She insisted on staying on the topic, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Well, okay. If you insist."

Our dinner went really great. The apple pie I baked earned me additional points because it happened to be her favorite. We sat on the couch, on our third bottle of wine. I could feel my body warming up from the alcohol but Irina kept on drinking. I don't know how long she can keep herself going, her face is starting to turn red. She drank her glass empty and asked me for more.

"This wine is great. I bet it costed you a lot." She grinned then her hiccups began. "Oops. I think I'm drunk. My face is so hot. I'm so sorry I got drunk over wine." She laughed.

I just watched her, my head propped on my hand, "Then stop drinking." I said as I tried to remove the glass from her grip.

"Last one." She shrugged me off and asked for another drink. "I promise I will stop and go home after this."

"No. You can't drink another glass, Irina." I recapped the half empty wine bottle and placed it far away from her.

"Please just one last drink.." Irina fought for it, reaching over behind my back like a little kid.

I grabbed her arms and made her sit still, "No is no." I repeated and she pouted. She's kinda cute when she gets drunk. I tousled her hair and gently brushed my thumb against her cheek, "I prefer this Irina better, because you're so honest. I feel like this is the real you, not the Irina who always frowns and push others away."

She swatted my hand away, "Tell you what, I'll tell you my life story if you give me one drink."

She was drunk. I shouldn't even be thinking about agreeing but it was so tempting. I wanted to know her but I would be taking advantage of her if I did.

"You want to know, right? Why I'm a stripper. Why I'm alone. Why I can't have real feelings for anyone. You're dying to know." She pointed her index at me and scooted closer, "I want to know too.. why I feel so affected by your words?"

"Because you have feelings for me too that you keep on pushing away." I whispered back to her, my hands cradling her face as she closed her eyes. "You can't just hide it somewhere and think it'll go away after sometime. Why can't you be honest for once? Why can't you give that to yourself?"

"Because I don't know how. I lost the ability to love a long time ago.. I can't even love myself because of this stupid job. This fucking job that I need so much." She spoke with such sadness, all of a sudden, she looked into my eyes as if she was sober. Then she pushed herself away but I grabbed her, holding onto her because she needs me. "Let go, Taehyung."

I did what she wanted me to do. I released her arm and she sat straight up, fixing herself but failed to stand when her legs wobbled from being too intoxicated. I caught her upper body when she tripped.

"Can you really go home like this?" I asked her softly but she was too drunk to hear me. Irina nuzzled her face against my chest, holding onto me like I'm her arm pillow. "Sleep on my bed."

I set her gently down on my bed and pulled the covers on her sleeping body. She snuggled warmly against the blanket, curving her body slightly in a fetal position which I found really cute for a stripper. I sat down beside her and just watched her sleep. She has so much secrets and I want to know all of them. I wish she would just tell me but that would be too much to ask. I know how hard it is to place your trust on others so I understand how she feels, especially because I hurt her pretty badly before.

"You remind me of myself a lot." I told her as I put another blanket on her. I smiled when she scrunched her nose. "Goodnight, Irina."

I was fixing my bed for tonight, the couch, placing a blanket on it and using the small pillows to rest my head on when I heard a hone ringing. I sat up again and found Irina's phone hidden under one of the couch pillows around me. Taemin's name was displayed on the screen, one missed call it said followed by a text message. I was tempted to read it but I know it's wrong to do so. It didn't take me three seconds to open the message he sent her.

Taemin
My bed feels so empty without you.
Please come over because I miss you.
So bad.

I shouldn't be doing this, my mind chanted but for once I didn't follow what my brain told me to and acted on what I feel at the moment. After I read his message, the once confused feeling in my chest became more clear to me, I was jealous.