My Stripper!!!

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Y/N

It's now the end of June and the Seoul weather continues to confuse me, hot one day and almost chilly the next. On a Wednesday night I have to work. Lisa was given the night off so there's a different bartender making drinks, Mandy. I'm busy taking orders and delivering shots to customers when I spot Yoongi coming to sit in my section, alone. I walk over to him. He looks at me with an unreadable face. I haven't spoken to him since the accidental kiss and only passed him in the halls a couple times during those few weeks. My embarrassment about the incident wouldn't let me say anything. I tried to think about it for a long time, pondering why he would have given in to my accidental advance on him, and finally gave up on the subject. He could have pushed me away, or spoken up. I thought he was gay for God's sake. This is NOT my fault. "What can I get you?" "The usual" "Should have known. I'll be right back." I return with his and my favorite beer and look at him questioningly. "Are we going to talk about what happened or just continue to have awkward silence?" "Nothing happened" "Oh really because I feel like we kissed in the dark when I thought you were Namjoon, and instead of pushing me away you let me believe you were him and kissed me back." "Did you?" He pauses. " Believe I was Namjoon?" "Well yeah." "Hmmmm. Didn't seem that way." "What do you mean? Of course I thought you were Namjoon! As a matter of fact I also thought the real you, Yoongi, was gay!" He bites his bottom lip and squints his eyes at me. "You thought I was gay?" "Yes. I thought you had a thing for Namjoon." "You're strange. Stranger than I thought. The kiss was a mistake obviously. We should just pretend like it didn't happen. That's not really what I came here for though. You should stay away from Namjoon," Yoongi says in a harsh tone. Do what? "Stay away from Namjoon? Why? Seems like you are the one I should stay away from. Afraid I'm going to tell him about our little mistake?" "Just stay away from Namjoon. I don't really care what you tell him." He calls ME strange? What is his deal? "Alllllrightttt. No. If I can't get you anything else I'm going to get back to work now." I walk away and start to wait on the other tables. I catch Yoongi following me with his eyes, and he picks up his phone.

A group of guys sitting in the back corner call me over. They aren't in my section but I go over anyways to see what they need. I've heard them getting loud tonight so I know they are all really intoxicated. One of them reaches out and grabs my wrist. I politely try to wiggle my hand away when the guy to his right grabs my ass. The man holding my wrist doesn't give up and I quickly scan around for Rob or James. They are nowhere to be seen. Lisa usually keeps an eye on me when she is bartending, but of course she isn't here either. Where the hell are Rob and James? Why isn't Mandy looking over here? About that time I hear a deep male voice say, "Let go of her right now before I snap your arm in half." My eyes widen. Yoongi has approached their table and is eying the handsy drunk guy with a murderous look. The guy releases my wrist and stands up to Yoongi. He is about 6 inches shorter than Yoongi but doesn't seem to care. He immediately throws a punch at Yoongi, but Yoongi blocks it, and then does a high kick to the man's chest.High kicks in real life are awesomeness. The man goes down and his friends are up from the table in an instant. One makes contact with Yoongi but he acts unfazed, does some sort of karate move I've only seen in movies or Mortal Kombat, and knocks the guy on his ass. The other two cautiously start to back away and pick up their friends. Rob and James suddenly appear and start to grab Yoongi. "Wait guys, he was just helping me. Those guys grabbed me and they all threw punches first." "Doesn't matter Y/N he has to leave." I give Yoongi an apologetic look. He shakes his head no signaling for me to just leave it alone, and starts to walk towards the door. This guy is full of surprises. I hate surprises.

I tell Lisa the story when I get home and she explains Yoongi's extensive background in martial arts. His parents had him in karate classes from a very young age. I didn't get placed in a lot of extracurricular activities as a child. Being the only child of a single mother left me home with the neighbor while she pulled double shifts at the warehouse. Joining Girl Scouts or any sport wasn't important to me or Mom. She took careof me the best she could. Screw you Marcus. My heart pains thinking about my mom. Every day it gets a little better but sometimes the hurt still takes my breath. I grab my phone and start flipping through the pictures on my phone, staring at my mom's face. A knock on the door sounds. I open the door and it's Yoongi. "Hey sorry, I know it's late, but I figured I would just come over to check on you." Lisa shoots a weird toothy grin across the kitchen and heads to her room shutting the door behind her. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you for handling that for me at the club. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there." "You know you really shouldn't be working at a club." "I'm sorry what?" Pot meet kettle. "So what exactly should I be doing, since I shouldn't talk to Namjoon and now I shouldn't work in a club? You are a bit hypocritical you know." "That place is crap. Just don't get stuck there." "Don't worry about me, Yoongi. I'll be fine," I grit out. "Thanks for checking on me but you can leave now." He picks up the phone beSide me. Nosey much? I reach to grab my phone back but he's staring at it with a tight grip in his hands. "Is this you?" "No. That's my mom when she was my age. We looked alike." "Looked... past tense? She died?" "Yeah cancer....like I said....door's right over there." He starts to get up. "Look I'm sorry...about...your Mom. I'm glad you are ok." The pause is deafening. "Later Y/N." He walks out without another word.

July is hot in Seoul. That's really an understatement. I'm frying here. Lisa's stock of junk food and the deep fried everything on the local menus I order from are starting to take their toll. I tried running outSide a few days, but the heat makes that almost impossible. I saw a gym down the street on one of my outings in the city. I was able to buy a cheap, but running car with all the extra tip money I've been making. I have a nice start to getting my own apartment and a real bed. Not sure how much more my back can tolerate the futon. I tried sleeping on the floor once or twice but found some questionable things on the carpet and decided against that. It's almost 2:00 p.m. and I have a few hours before I have to be at work. I decide to throw on some workout clothes and go see what the gym has in the way of cardio equipment. I place my straight hair into a high ponytail. I really hate to run but I hate to diet even more. I pull into the parking lot and spot some women on ellipticals and treadmills through the large window. I walk through the front entrance and find a worker almost immediately. I get a 30 day membership and access card and special instructions on how to use the equipment that is available. He points me in the direction of the locker room to put my personal items in a cubby.

On the way to the locker room I pass an open door to the left that catches my eye. A tall muscular male body reflects on the mirror inSide. He wears gray athletic shorts that hang low on his hips and his feet are bare. His face is shielded by a workout dummy of sorts, which is in the middle of the room. He is holding a long stick and proceeds to twirl it in the air in a synchronized repetitive motion. The fluid movement of his body is hypnotic. The staff glides through the air quickly in cursory long motions. He attacks the dummy with blows and continues to move, placing his feet in almost a dance-like pattern. I pause to watch him for longer than appropriate. I've become one of those people I hate. Take a picture, it'll last longer! I tuck myself away on one Side of the door so that he can't see me. His back is covered in sweat that glistens in the lighting. A delicious trail flows down his back and disappears into his shorts. He has long muscular legs and stands well over 6 feet tall. I'm caught off guard when a male voice behind me speaks "Did you have trouble finding the locker rooms?" The gym worker from earlier has found me in the hallway gawking. I startle briefly then turn back to the occupied room and see deep green reflective eyes staring back at me. Yoongi's eyes. Busted. I stutter out "Sorry, did you say the room to the left or right?"What an idiot. I turn quickly on my heels and retreat to the locker room before he can respond.

With my keys tucked away in an empty cubby, I return to the large open room of equipment. An older lady with silver hair is stepping off the treadmill furthest away from the hallway. Maybe Yoongi won't see me over here. I get on the machine and start at a slow pace, placing my earbuds in and turning on my favorite list of gym music. Rap blares through my phone. The angry quicker beat and flowing rhythm of the music has me pumped and overzealous. Months of inactivity reflect in how winded I get when advancing the speed and elevation of the machine several minutes later. I used to be a long distance runner in high school, but that isn't very evident right now. I try to occupy myself with the feel of my feet padding on the treadmill floor and the thunderous music piercing through my ears. Perspiration trickles down my back in a rewarding manner. I remembered deodorant today didn't I? I have to restrain myself from lifting up my armpit to my nose to check. The television screen on the wall above me plays a rerun of some scandalous talk show. My mind drones on and I try to forget about life and where I'm at. I only focus on my feet making that thump beneath me as my worries drown out. My eyes shift when a male form takes the machine across from me. Yoongi starts up his piece of equipment and looks over at me. I quickly dart my eyes down to my own machine. Dang. Once several seconds have passed I chance a look up. He is still looking directly at me. I try to play the "Oh I didn't see you, Hey!" card and give him a shy smile that probably just looks more embarrassed than usual, and definitely uncoordinated since I'm trying to run and wave at the same time. He diverts his eyes back to his machine and purses his lips. His mouth is yummy looking and I just want to walk over there and bite his bottom lip. Oh my God no I don't, what am I thinking? I apparently overexerted myself on my first day at the gym. Time to skedaddle. I wind down the machine speed and finally turn it off. I wipe my brow with my towel and keep my earbuds in to avoid conversation. Yoongi peers down at me from his machine. I raise my right hand and twirl my fingers to wave goodbye. He gives me a terse nod of the head. I pick up my pace and head back the locker room. I decide to forego the shower at the gym and just head back to the apartment instead.