Brute

Part 11

Joong

His slender fingers, those cutely munching lips, the beads of sweat on his forehead, covered by a bit long fringe that suited his heart shape face; I was staring too intensely, picking up every little thing; but I couldn't help myself. This chance was so difficult to have, too little time, and too high a risk. 

"Please, Joong. Stop. It's uncomfortable...", his words, the only one said after an hour of silence, didn't affect me a bit. 

"Then, stop looking down at the plate, I should be more interesting than your grains of rice", I teased and provoked him at the same time. He sighed heavily, put down his fork and spoon, and raised his face to look squarely at me with raised brows. I smiled, couldn't help but find his defiance so entertaining, "Ah, that's better, now I could see your eyes". He blinked several times, tightened his lips. He was considering either to blurt whatever it was that's resounding inside his mind or stay silent. He wiped his face and decided to speak it out at last.

"What is this? You are not liked this before...", he said, frowning, confused.

"Things happened and people changed, Nine. You were not with me for long. I can't be the same person as you knew before", I said, my words must be hurting him a little, the dim in his eyes were obvious. 

"Really? Well, maybe I couldn't understand it, Joong. Because my life was so stagnant, that all you see of me now, is what you knew of me back then too", he said quietly and had already stood up, to take his plate to the kitchen. 

"You have not finished eating. Please...sit back. I won't say anything more. Eat first", I said immediately walking to his side and pushed him to sit back again. I sat at his side, handing him the fork and spoon, to make sure he started eating again. 

"This is the last one!. I really am too full, Joong. All this food could've been eaten by five people!", he grumbled, but still started to scoop the rice again. 

"Ermm...", I said, and ran my finger along his cheekbones lightly, which caused him to turn his head and look at me, surprised, "This was not here before...you're too thin", I cupped and caressed his cheek tenderly with my thumb. "I can't even pinch your cheek now". I could see the blush spreading on his skin, felt my own heartbeat started to thump loudly, and I was slowly, unconsciously, leaning forward.  Time was arrested. Until, he suddenly shook his head to clear the trance off. The moment was broken. He took his unfinished plate, and rushed to wash it in the kitchen. I closed my eyes for a bit, and silently groan that I didn't move fast enough. 

Nine didn't know, but this affection towards him was not new. I just didn't have the courage to move on it before, afraid of losing him. Yet, he still left. But now, once again he was here. Though I couldn't predict how our relationship would be, we both were adult enough, for me to try. 

Nine

My hands were shaking. I washed and rewashed the plate that was already shining liked diamond. What had just happened? Am I overly imagining thing, or Joong actually made a slight move? Whatever it was, my heart felt weak, and it was not because of my sickness at all. When I was not looking, it was true liked he said, he had changed. 

Joong came to the kitchen to bring his own plate. I was too jumpy when I could feel his body at  my side.

"That plate could be a  mirror now, Nine. Stop scrubbing it too long", he said while taking the sponge from my hand to wash his plate. I immediately rinse mine and put it on the draining rack, and then moved to the living room, away from the cause of my unsettled feeling. 

After a few minutes, he came back with two cups of hot drinks. He gave one to me and sat at my side on the sofa. He was really testing my patience, this kid! There were three other seats, and he chose to clog my space. I should have taken the single seat if this was how he wanted to play around. 

"Don't even think of changing seat, Nine. Or I would sit holding your knees liked a puppy", Joong said when there's a slight movement that I was really about to take. 

"And how you are seated right now, really is not liked a clingy puppy?", I said in exasperation. 

"You are weary around me. We're together, well, more than an hour already, yet you are still running around, that I have to chase you liked a puppy", he said, smiling a bit, sipping his coffee while waiting for my response. 

"Alright Joong", I said and gave him a tight smile, "I promised, if in a minute you're not moving, I really would throw this hot water down your pants".

"There it is, the you that I used to have....", Joong said, finally relented and took another seat. He just wanted me to be less guarded. 

"How long would you keep me here? My parents would worry...", I asked Joong, since the time was already nearing nine. 

"Ah, about that. You're staying here overnight". My eyes widened,  and I accidentally spewed the coffee that I was drinking in surprise. Joong calmly took the tissue box, and came near to wipe the drips that was everywhere. "Oyy, messy baby". 

"Joong. Stop this! Tell me, what exactly did you tell my parents? We were together since Uni? As what?", I couldn't stop asking the sudden hoard of questions. 

"I didn't lie, Nine, if that was what you thought. I just said we had a close relationship, and were always together in Uni. Before I could explain further, your parents made their own conclusion, and I... just didn't deny them", he said, there's no trace of guilt in his words, meant he didn't lie.

"And why would they agree for me to stay overnight, with you?", I was still confuse. 

"Because I asked their permission, to take care of you for one night. You would go back to the village on Sunday, isn't it, since school started this Monday...", he said, kneeling on the floor, liked he said just now, looking at me liked a puppy on my knee. 

"You knew where I live, and work?", I said, alarmed. 

"Ah, about that....", Joong was darting his eyes from me. 

"You did a background check on me?. You'd sent someone? No wonder I felt liked I was being followed at one time", I said, feeling angry and pushed myself away from him. I stood up, "It's not right, Joong. What you did was a breech of my privacy. Are you crazy!?", my head had started to spin. The rising anger, must had caused the crazy pounding of my heart, I could feel my feet were getting weak. 

He stood up too, his eyes that were liked a puppy just now, had turned fiery, "Yes, Nine! Since you left me just liked that, I had lost not just my mind, you'd broken my heart too. And was it right, what you did to me?".

I heard what he said, understood his hurt too, but before I could answer him, I could feel the unsteady feet finally gave out, and I fell down. The crash was only soften by the speedy catch by Joong. The last I heard was his repeated anguish sorry; his tight hold; and then everything went dark.