26

Your head was throbbing, and just as you were about to unwind, a knock emitted from the door. You groaned, irritated that your silence had been broken. You didn't bother lifting your face, but you were scowling as the couch pillows muffled your voice. You had no doubt that whoever was on the other end had clearly heard you.

"Someone you've missed dearly." You recognized the voice, nearly sprinting to the door with a small laugh.

You swung the door open and were immediately engulfed in a powerful and comforting hug.

"Nice to see you, too, big sis." You laughed as he cradled your head to his chest like a baby until he let go. Only to inspect your face while holding you at arm's length.

"How are you?" He asked, smiling down at you.

"You just got here and the first thing you ask me is if I'm okay?" I scoffed, stepping aside and letting her into my apartment.

"Well, I've got to make sure everything is okay since you haven't responded to any of my texts." He makes himself at home and heads straight to your fridge for a bottle of water.

When he was done chugging, he wiped his mouth and placed himself on the counter.

"That's good water," Sunho mumbled, swinging his feet nonchalantly. "Seoul definitely has good water. I can taste the luxury."

"Luxury my ass. Water tastes the same to me." You muttered incoherently under your breath and sat on the barstool beside him, crossing your arms over your chest as you looked him from head to toe.

The latter narrows his eyes at you. He notices something unusual about you that he hasn't noticed before. It could just be the time you spent away from your family that he misses or the natural glow on your bare face.

"Yeah, because you're getting old and can't distinguish between flavors." Sunho chuckled.

You hiss and hurl a paper towel roll towards him. He easily catches it and sticks his tongue at you. "Ya, Park Sunho! We haven't seen each other in months and this is how you treat me?"

He places his backpack on the counter. "I'm just playing, Noona. You know I missed you."

"Doesn't seem like it."

He moves towards you with a boyish grin. You don't remember him being this tall, though. His hair is long and falls just below the base of his neck. His style has evolved significantly from the gothic clothes he wore at the start of high school. He now only wears button-down shirts and trousers.

"So, back to what I was saying..." he begins. "Why have you been ignoring my texts? I called mom and dad, but they said they hadn't heard from you since Kim's dinner."

"You mean they haven't returned any of my calls?" Your shoulders sag as you replay your father's words in your head. We don't want you anywhere near the Kims. Especially Kim Namjoon. That was the last thing he said to you before Namjoon took you out on that Yacht date, and you haven't told him anything else.

It's not exactly something you want to indulge in. Your family had already formed their opinion about your boyfriend even before his parents made the glib proposal in the middle of the casual get-together. Even if you and Namjoon didn't seem to think of it as a big deal, your father has morals and pride.

"What else happened at that dinner?" Sunho asked. "I was right, huh? I told you people with that much money are as—"

"Sunho," you finally snap. "You're being unreasonable. The Kims aren't anything like that. You would know if you actually met them."

"How am I being unreasonable? I'm just saying... people like us don't fit in their world."

"People like us? This isn't the first century. Not everyone wealthy will throw money in your face. So stop with the stereotypes, because they are far from snobby. Namjoon isn't like that."

"When did you start addressing your boss by name?" He interrogated, and the fluttering nerves in your stomach are matched by your quick heartbeats. "Did I miss anything?" His voice suppresses the faint sound of the television in the background.

You tilt your head back to avoid his gaze. You haven't told anyone about your relationship with Namjoon, and quite frankly, you both haven't discussed where you want your relationship to go.

When he asked you to move in with him, you knew things were getting serious. That particular topic had to be dropped as well because you couldn't say anything. It's been nearly two days since you've spoken or seen each other as you've been avoiding him by turning off your phone and trying to figure out things for yourself.

You clear your throat and give him a smile that doesn't reach your eyes. "No? Why do you say that?"

"Because I know when you're trying to hide something from me."

"Yeah, right. You say that like we see each other every day."

"Noona, c'mon," he said with a shake of his head. "We tell each other almost anything. I told you I was in the hospital even though I knew you'd be mad when I could've kept it from you."

You narrowed your eyes at him. "Sunho, it's not like you have any other choice. I paid for your medical bill. Who else would've done it?"

"Well, that's not the point," he says dismissively. "All I'm saying is that we've always been there for each other, and I always tell you and Sooya about anything important in my life."

You meet his eyes with resolute, nipping at the corner of your lip. He's right and you know that. Aside from Sooya, your younger brother is one of the only people you can rely on. But is telling him about you and Namjoon a good idea? What would his reaction be? You're well aware that your brother does not share the same feelings toward your boyfriend.

Would he accept Namjoon? You mentally sighed and brought a hand over your face. Who cares anyway? You're the one dating Namjoon; you don't need anyone's approval. Not even your parents.

"These last few days haven't been the same between us," you tell him as your face warms at the thought of Namjoon.

You were certain that after spending such quality time with him, you would never see anyone else. When you were alone and trying to think rationally about your situation, all you could think about was him.

You were so tempted to open your phone and read his chats throughout the day that you decided to remove the battery and stash it somewhere in your closet.

You cleaned, washed dishes, and dirty clothes, and organized small details in your apartment until you were exhausted.

"In what way?" Sunho's comforting voice relaxes you.

"I don't know... we started spending more time together," you said, carefully studying his face, "-a a couple of times outside of work."

Sunho remains silent as you continue.

"He asked me out on a date." You notice him opening his mouth but stop him before he can say anything, "It's mutual, though." You get ahead of him when he might misinterpret the situation. It's awkward talking about your love life with your brother.

You believe that as the older sister, you should be the one giving him advice rather than the other way around.

"We feel the same way about each other, and so...we're trying it out and we want to see where it goes."

Sunho's lips are pressed together, his stoic face devoid of emotion. For the first time, you have no idea what's going on in his mind. And for a second, you start to think if this was a good idea. "At least say something."

"How serious is it?" Is the only thing that comes out of his mouth after all the rants.

You simply stared at him. "It's only been a few days-"

"And you've always felt something for him?"

His question surprises you and you fall silent to think for a moment. "I don't know... I can't say. Things just happened. We're still figuring it out."

"Hmm, okay." Sunho hums before walking past you and into the living room. You stare at him as he throws his jacket on the armchair.

"That's it?"

He reaches for his bag and drops it on the carpet next to the sofa where some of your pillows are. "What do you want me to say?"

"Something," you exhaled.

"Why does it matter what I say?" He replied while leaning against the sofa and ignoring your stare.

"You were the one who insisted!" You snap, and your tone intensifies unexpectedly. Then, he finally looks up from his phone. "And now you act as if you don't care."

"'Cause I don't." He says monotonously, making your blood boil even more. One thing you hate is getting ignored and not being taken seriously. "If that's what you want, then I can't stop you. It's your life."

You frowned, displeased with his tone. "You're being disrespectful to me right now, Sunho."

"What?" He appeared genuinely surprised by your words because he believed he was being truthful without any hidden intention. He has no idea why you're so upset with him.

"All I'm saying is—" he doesn't get to finish his words when the sound of the doorbell rings, catching both of your attention.

Sunho questioningly looks at you with the same confusion on your face. You don't remember ordering any food, and the old couple from down the hall is on a getaway in Jeju.

"Go get that, it might be urgent," Sunho said as he leaves you alone in the living and disappears into the bathroom.

Sighing, you head towards the door and fix the straps of your tank top, not bothering to look through the tiny hole.

"Y/N," your name leaves his lips as you frantically look up into his eyes.

The skin around his eyes was puffy and swollen like he hasn't slept in days. Your heart sinks as you silently examine him from head to toe, the formal attire looking all too familiar.

"Why haven't you returned any of my calls or messages? I was starting to get worried-"

You blink, unsure whether this was a dream or a hallucination that had manifested into reality. "Namjoon, what are you doing here?" You asked softly, noticing his movements and tone seem strange to you.

The corner of his lips lifts and he closes the distance between you. Your heart thumps against your chest when he moves to gently run his fingers down the side of your neck. He licks his lips, which glisten with so much moisture that you can't help but look at them.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" His speech slurred as he frowned. His feet can't stop swaying.

Did he drink?

Recognizing that your brother could appear at any moment, you step out into the hallway and carefully close the gap with one foot. Namjoon arches his brows, moving to the side for a better view of your living space.

"Do you have someone over?" He asks innocently, not a hint of suspicion or malice behind his tone.

You shake your head a 'no'. "It's getting late, let's talk tomorrow?"

"No, I don't want another day to pass with you still mad at me." He argues. "Let's talk inside," he says, reaching for the knob, but you stop him by putting a hand over his.

He steps back, defeated.

"Namjoon—" just as you were about to talk, Sunho's voice erupts in the back. "What are you doing?" He calls out. You nervously look at your boyfriend to find him already staring at you with glistening eyes.

"It's not what you think-"

"Where do I sleep!?" Sunho shouts once more.

"Please, don't tell me..." Namjoon releases you from his hold with a pained look on his face. You quickly reached for his forearms.

"It's my brother, Sunho." You blurt out and watch as the uncertainty in his eyes fades.

"What?"

"He's visiting me in the meantime."

He rakes a hand over his head with the realization. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your quality time together. I should go-" Namjoon prepares to turn around when the door to your apartment fully opens, leaving your brother perplexed.

"What's going on here?-"

Namjoon freezes in place, almost as if he did not plan to get caught or meet your brother in this way. Sunho, on the other hand, is astounded to see Namjoon—your boss, and the one he's only seen on television—standing in front of him with such a commanding aura.

He is much taller in real life, more tanned, and he can see why girls were fawning over him. The guy had it all. The looks, wealth, power, influence, and, most importantly, the brain. Had he not heard your past struggles at work, he believes they would get along pretty well.

Your boyfriend looks over at you as you nervously stared at your brother's face like you wanted to tell him to go easy on him, but unfortunately, Sunho does not give you any attention.

"Sunho, he was just leaving-"

Namjoon steps forward with his head held high and his chest buffed out. He appeared as if he were in front of an important business partner, and the fire in his eyes was meant to persuade.

"I'm Kim Namjoon," he says, forcing a smile that isn't too wide that his dimples show.

"Yes, I've heard of you," Sunho flatly replied.

You look over at your boyfriend, who is still smiling despite Sunho's cold demeanor toward him. You can feel your heart squeezing as a result of his kindness. "Oh, it's great to finally meet you, Sunho."

Your brother nudges his chin. "I didn't imagine for us to meet like this." He says without looking at you. "What brings you here at this hour?"

"I, uh... I was just visiting."

"Visiting? For what exactly?" Sunho pressed, finally switching his attention to you. "Are you not feeling good that he has to visit you?"

Your frown deepens as you hear him say these words. You can't believe he's behaving this way in front of someone you care about. "Sunho, go back inside and take care of dinner," you tell him firmly. "I'll be right there in a second."

"Great timing, come on in Namjoon." You almost choke at the way he casually addresses Namjoon. You take note to scold him later.

You look at Namjoon to find him already softly staring at you. Flashing him an apologetic look, his mouth lifts as if he's telling you he doesn't mind.

"No, it's alright," Namjoon said. "I don't want to bother with your time together."

"I insist," Sunho muttered in a cheerful tone that belied his face. "My sister is an excellent cook. But I'm sure you knew that already."

Namjoon swallowed a lump in his throat, clearly overwhelmed with your little brother. You badly want to embrace him, hold his hands, and tell him that he shouldn't be affected, but you can clearly see that he is trying his best to look presentable in front of your brother. Even if your family members were opposed to your relationship, it didn't matter to you.

You're an adult, perfectly capable of making decisions for yourself- good or bad. That's for you to learn.

"I'll set the dinner plates," Sunho said before finally leaving and disappearing behind the hallway wall into the kitchen. He doesn't even bother holding the door open for you, closing it behind him with Namjoon still baffled.

"I'm sorry," you blurt out right away. "He doesn't usually act like this—"

"Don't worry," Namjoon gently cupped your cheek, making you want to close your eyes.

Not being able to see him for two days was not the best feeling in the world. This new feeling was a surprise to you because you had gone days, even weeks, without seeing Namjoon while he was on business trips that did not require you to accompany him. It's just now, you realize how much affection you truly need.

You yearn for his touch more than anything else. And you're not afraid to show it by wrapping your arms around his torso right away. As you stand on your toes to press a kiss on his jawline, your bare feet make contact with the tip of his dress shoes.

Namjoon softly chuckles and stretches his muscular arms as he returns your affection, wrapping one around your waist and the other around your neck and face.

"I'm sorry too," you tell him. "I should have talked to you right away like a normal adult. I just... I needed time to think."

"I'm also sorry for not giving you enough space and for rushing you. When I asked you to move in with me, that was not my intention. I was..." He huffed. "I was caught up in the moment, and I realize now that I should've waited a little longer."

You hummed. "Did you drink?" You asked, letting his manly scent fill your nostrils.

"Just a glass of Makgeolli," he replied.

"And you drove here?"

"No, Mr. Song is driving me home today."

When the old man is mentioned, your ears perk up. "I'm still concerned," your voice is muffled by Namjoon's chest. You let your fingers trail the back of his neck.

"What about?"

"Everything."

Namjoon exhaled deeply. "I am too," he says. "But I have you with me so I know we'll work it out together."

You smiled as if he could see your reaction. "You're right, but we should still be careful, hm?"

"Be careful? In what way?" Namjoon asked with an amused tone. You snort and pinch his sides playfully.

"You're unbelievable," you laugh. "My brother is still inside."

Namjoon clears his throat, realizing. "Right. We should go," he detangles himself in your arms as you groaned in protest. "Behave," he tells you.

You look at him pointedly. "You're telling me that? Really?"

He crosses his arms across his broad torso. "You are the real trouble."

You sneered, reaching for the doorknob to enter. Your dramatic entrance does not go as planned when you suddenly feel a stinging sensation land on the thin material of your shorts.

A gasp escapes your lips, and you quickly cover your mouth with your hand to muffle any noise. When you turn around, Namjoon is already walking past you towards the kitchen with a satisfied smirk.

You nearly tumble over in the narrow corridor as the feeling slowly gets replaced with a pleasing sense. Your stomach tightens and the pulse between your legs has you wanting more.

You're certain that this will leave a mark for days.