THE ONE I THOUGHT I'D NEVER KISS

CHAPTER 13

(What We Wanted)

"IS HE DEAD?" nervously, she asked.

"I think not."

Her gaze turned to Kairen who was getting on his feet. She hastily went after him to support.

"Are you okay?" she asked, faltering.

He nodded sparingly. "We need to get away here. If a man catched after us, some may come more." He picked up the guns that had fallen earlier and then started walking. "You should've just use the gun earlier. It would have been done right away."

"Well, I don't know if I'm going to pull the trigger right away or should I click something before anything else. Told you, I haven't held a gun yet."

"Anata wa hontōni Imperial desu ka, soretomo tada no bakadesu ka? [Are you really an Imperial or just an i***t]?" he mumbled in his language she really can't understand.

"I said, I can't understand Chinese."

"Machigainai, anata wa bakadesu. [No doubt, you're an idiot.]," he mutters again. "You wanna learn?" he finally asked in English.

"Huh? Learn what? Using a gun? That over protected old man doesn't like it. I hate how they treat me like a princess."

"Maybe because you're not a woman, that's why you hate being treated like one."

She just rolled her eyes. Soon, vehicles arrived when they reached the side of the road. These were the back up Kairen called earlier.

"Take care of that man," he ordered the men from his family.

He took one of the newly arrived vehicles.

"I'll drive," she said, reaching for the keys in his hands which he abruptly moved away from her. She just remembered that he has a wound on his arm.

"No way. If you're going to drive, we might get home by morning then," he said as he enter the car. "I'll take you home tonight."

"What?!" To her surprise, she blurted.

"Are you still planning to go back to the dorm after what happened? We don't know the people who just chased after us. And we don't know if someone will still follow us after that. Do you want to risk innocent lives? They got nothing to do with our world, Bryan." One of his eyebrows rose. "You can't go home looking like that. That tiny scratch on your cheek will make me a bad reputation to your grandpa."

He started the engine.

"As for your friend, Jinro is still with her. So, you have no choice, Bryan. I'll be taking you to my home."

She would have punched his arm but she remembered he had a wound on that part. She lowered her fist and sat in front.

In a few minutes, they arrived at a very large house. The enormousness of the house is like of a palace. She is used to their mansion but it was still different to step into another house that is in the same state as them.

As they got out of the car, a man in his traditional japanese clothes walked near them. He bowed to Kairen and turned his head on her.

"You must be the young miss of the Imperial," he said in a gentle smile, bowing.

The bowing is making her to move her head like them. Ot must be a custom.

She was waiting for Kairen who were talking to Higure-san, the name Kairen called the man, in a language she can't understand. They might be talking about what happen earlier.

The man was the right hand of the Ayasaki head. It was also the father of Jinro. So, that's why, he also introduce himself as part of the family back then.

As she can see, Higure-san is a very decent man. Except for the black gloves he wore that feels weird on the way he clothes himself. It may have a special reason behind that.

She followed Kairen as he set his foot inside the house, while her eyes were glancing around with amusement.

A lady in a silk robe, with flower embroidery on hems, greeted them. If she wasn't mistaken, this is Kairen's mother. Her hair is now untied and her makeup's gone but that doesn't make her less attractive. In fact, she looked like an innocent angel. Her eyes were glistening in joy and exitement upon seeing them together.

"Oh! I see you took your fianceé home," she said after hugging her.

"Whatever mom. It's not what you think. She's staying in the guest's room. Tell a maid to provide what she needs. I need to wash myself up. Excuse me." he told as he went up the stairs.

"Ah, ma'am..." she hesitated to talk to her. When Kairen left, the air seems to be awkward with the pretty lady.

"Oka-san [Mother]. Call me Oka-san."

"Oka-san? [Mother?]" she repeated in rising intonation.

"Hai. [Yes.]" She nodded, making her to understand that it was a word for "yes".

"A--ah, O--oka-san. Can I borrow a first aid kit?" she stuttered.

She looked at her cheek with a small scratch, brushing her soft hands on it.

"I'll take care of it."

"No, thank you but I can handle it Oka-san. It's just a small scratch. But I would like to know where is Karen's room. I just wanted to say something."

"Karen?" Her forehead furrowed.

She just smiled.

The lady shrugged and personally pointed Kairen's room which is just adjacent to the room they offered her to stay for the night.

She knocked on her son's room.

"Kairen. You're fianceé is here. She said she wanted to talk to you."

The door partly opened. Kairen had changed his clothes and was obviously came out of the shower because of his messy wet hair. There is also a towel slung over his shoulder.

"I'll leave you two alone. Leave the door open. And don't ever think of doing anything to her. Understand?"

"Hai. [Yes.]"

She waited for his mother to leave so she could enter his room. The guy stepped backward at what she just did. She closed the door, leaving it unlocked, before facing him.

"Take off your shirt," she ordered.

Gradually, a smirk drew on his lips. He stepped closer to her, putting his one hand on the closed door behind her.

"My mom told me that I should leave my door open. But you closed it and even asked to take my shirt off. You're a naughty girl."

He brought his face closer to hers, but didn't show any emotions rather she just stare at him.

She suddenly pinched his other arm, making him backed away while holding the part she just touched.

"Ittai nani yo?! [What the hell?!]" His face is expressing both anger and pain.

The particular part on his upper arm stained his blood on his new white shirt.

"What is your problem?!" Outraged, he said.

She grinned fiendishly. She began ambling closer to him but he just took a step away from her.

"Bryan!" he yelled, warning her.

She took a deep breath and rolled her eyes, holding up to show the first aid kit his mother had lent her.

She hissed, sauntering straight to his bed and sat. Her hand patted the soft white sheet beside her, telling him to sit there.

The room was wide enough but unbelievably tidy for a guy's room. The yellow undertoned white colored of the walls contrasted the dark chocolate marble floors. Even the curtains hung on the way to his balcony is dark with a few gold linings on the ends, allowing the owner of the room to sleep all day without the sun interrupting. On his bedside table was a picture frame slumped its face on the surface, tempting her to discover what is inside.

Kairen slowly removed his shirt, making her to shift her attention to him. Her jaw almost dropped when his body crossed in front of her, making her feel her saliva were about to fall because of the gracious abs he has.

He can now see his tattoos secretly hiding under his clothings. All she thought, he don't have one. The special patterned tattoo, with a special kind of fish in the middle and a tiger's head on the end, sexily embraces the right side part of his body. It starts from the lower part of his waist up to and back to under his arms, continuing to wrap aroud his arm where there is no wound. Aside from that, he also got a separated on at his left chest, like special kind of symbol. It has two intertwined circles, the other one is a little smaller and has two broken gaps. On top of it was a letter of a language she can't understand. Surrounding the whole with a triangle. That must be their family crest.

"Are you gonna clean my wound or are you just gonna stare at my body?" he asked as he sat down.

She cleared her throat a few times, adjusting herself to give space between them. Once again, she cleared her throat as she opened the kit.

"Thank you," she whispered while rubbing his wound with cottonballs stained with antiseptic solution.

"Is that really you Bryan? Or did a spirit joined your body?"

"I'm serious," she said.

"What for?"

"You saved me back there." Honestly, she didn't need any saving. But even though it was very difficult for him, he still tried to shield her with all his might. "Someone told me to be thankful for those kind of things."

"What a princess kind of manners," he commented on what she stated.

"I told you, they treat me like a princess."

"And you hate it," he added.

"Yeah."

"But you still do the things you were told to."

She smiled sparingly. "Yeah."

Knowledgeably, she learned how to sew a wound. After all, the wound is not that big. And she was also impressed with the guy who haven't showed any glimpse of in pain. But she can feel the tightness in his muscles, bearing the pain. because he didn't even sleep. She carefully taped the bandage afterwards.

"Not bad." he praised what she did while moving his arm around, checking for sturdiness. "Arigato na. [Thanks.]"

Her forehead furrowed. But she ignored whatever he said. Automatically, she move her face away when he was about to touch it. He presented to treat the scratch but she told him that she can take of it in her own. It just feel uncomfortable for her.

He stood up, entering a room for his clothes. When he got back, he is already in his new navy blue shirt.

Why does she feel disappointed that he was no longer topless?

Am I attracted? No. No. No.

She shook her head to drive her thoughts away. "Let's talk about your business proposal a while ago. I'll listen but I'm not saying that I'll agree whatever it is," she started another topic.

He stared at her intently before speaking. He sat down on the bed again but farther away from her earlier.

"I'm in love with someone else," he began.

"Okay?" she said, making the word longer. "But you want to marry me. That is considered cheating, Karen." She shook her head.

The condoms once again crossed her mind.

Tsk. Tsk. Definitely, a cheater.

"That's why I'm going to marry you so I can see her. She suddenly disappeared like a bubble. I'm serious Bryan," he said as she forced a fake smile.

"Okay. Do we have to make popcorn? I feel like eating something while you're talking about your love life."

"Bryan." His gaze deepened on her.

She then laughed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. All right. Go on," she said as she took on of his pillow and hugged it.

"I want to find her. And I can do that once I took over my father's throne. And to get my Father's throne, I have to marry you."

"That's quite a difficult one. Why me? There are so many other clans in our area."

"I do not know either."

"If I'll help you to find her, will you let our wedding off?"

"It's not that easy. I also tried hiring private investigators. But nothing happened. I also thought, there are people behind her disappearance. Someone's hindering me to find her. If I can get my father's throne, I can use the power to find her finally."

She just nodded.

"How about you? What are their conditions for you to marry me? What do you want in return?"

She put her hands on her chin, thinking. "Hmm. Just like yours?" she replied hesitantly.

"Your grandpa's throne?"

She shook her head. "His money. You may be wondering why I work. I've been kicked out from the privilege of the old man's properties, when I refused an arranged marriage. In order to have money, I need to work."

He knitted his forehead. "Why money?"

"I'm using it to something important," she answered weakly.

"So, that's why you even stole money from the men we fought at the bar?"

She laughed agreeing then suddenly stopped. "Wait. My money." She remembered her money on his car.

"Probably, still in my car."

"Probably? Hey! Be sure to return those to my without any cent missing."

"Okay. Sure. I'll give back your money. I'll even give you additional money. How much would you like?"

"Really? In return of what? It's impossible for me to believe that the money you'll give me will be free."

"I know you'll use the money in a good way."

"You really trust me?"

"It's a gamble. I'm betting all that I have."

She even raised an eyebrow. Does he really love whoever that woman is?

"So, what do you want to happen?"

"As I said, let's get married as soon as possible."

"That will be difficult, considering what the old man wants. I'm talking about my studies."

"After I get the throne and find her, we'll get separated."

"You're asking to break up, just before we marry? That's rude, Karen."

"I'll give you money afterwards. No matter how much. Name your price."

She can read the determination on his face. There was silence for a few seconds. She was thinking while Kairen patiently wait for her answer.

"The old man will not allowed us that easily."

"Let's pretend we like each other."

"What?" Her grip on the pillow also loosened out of shock. "That's very impossible." She even faked a laugh.

"Let's pretend that we started to like each other. When we proved them we're in love, we'll ask for the marriage they want yhe soonest. About your studies, I'll take care of talking to your grandfather."

She let out a sudden breath. "This is unbelievable, Karen."

He reached out his hand to her, offering a deal. He smiled. It was not a grin but a smile. It was a smile that could make all girls gone mad and agree to whatever he will ask.

"What can you say, Bryan? Deal?"