Sweet Bites

Chapter 10: Closer

....

Johan carefully placed Seoyeon on her bed, gently lowering her onto her back. The position immediately aggravated her menstrual cramps, a fact her face betrayed before she could mask it. Johan's frown deepened, a mixture of concern and guilt twisting his features. This wouldn't have happened if he hadn't acted so impulsively. Stupid, the word echoed relentlessly in his mind. He should have thought before he acted. His gaze swept across her room, landing on a trash can overflowing with crumpled papers and three empty boxes of Kisses chocolates. He mentally berated himself again.

Seoyeon propped herself up on her elbows, her questioning gaze finding Johan as he sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes fixed on the floor. His distraction was palpable, a silent storm brewing within him. Anxiety clawed at her, a swarm of dark thoughts threatening to overwhelm her.

"Hey," she began, her voice breaking the suffocating silence. She secretly clenched her fists, bracing herself for whatever might come next. "If you're going to do something stupid again, I'm telling you—"

"Stay here, I'll be back," Johan cut her off, his face impassive as he turned and walked out, leaving Seoyeon staring after him, utterly bewildered.

Seoyeon's heart pounded. What the—? Why did he bring me here? The whole situation was baffling. He couldn't just order her around like that, in her own house. She wouldn't simply lie there and wait for him to return and do… well, only God knew what.

Lying on her bed offered a small measure of relief, but his presence in her house, at this hour, shattered any semblance of peace. Who wouldn't feel awkward? A girl and a guy, alone at night?

He said he'll be back. What is he doing?

Clutching her aching abdomen, she dragged herself out of bed, the pain a dull ache that refused to subside. From the kitchen, she heard the whirring of a blender. He was there.

The scent of kiwi hit her as she entered the kitchen. A familiar scent. Her eyes landed on Johan, his back to her as he worked at the counter. Kiwi juice? He hadn't noticed her standing there, completely lost in his task.

The juice looked familiar.

"What are you doing?" she asked. He jumped, nearly sending her precious blender crashing to the floor.

"Hey! Be careful!" She rushed to his side, snatching the blender away and setting it safely on the counter, far from the edge—and far from him.

"Did I tell you to stay there?" he snapped, his face regaining its serious expression. He reached for the blender again, resuming his work.

"And do you think I'll listen to you? No way," Seoyeon retorted, crossing her arms. She watched him pour the juice into a glass, surprised when he offered it to her. She thought he'd made it for himself.

"Drink it," he said, leaning against the counter, his gaze unwavering. She hesitated, holding the glass. Had he made this for her? What if…? "It's safe, Seoyeon. I didn't put any poison in it. If that's what you're thinking," he said, as if reading her mind. Am I that obvious?

"I'm just being careful," she mumbled, averting her gaze before lifting the glass to her lips. The taste was strikingly similar to the juice she'd had that morning. Her eyes narrowed, a question forming in her mind. The opened window, the freshly made kiwi juice… and now him, in her house, making juice that tasted exactly the same.

Did he… did he sneak into my room last night?!

"What's wrong? Does it taste bad?" His voice broke through her thoughts, making her take a step back, trying to hide her nervousness. The juice was already easing the pain.

"There's nothing wrong with the juice," she said, shaking her head and taking another sip. "It's nice. Thanks." He looked unconvinced, but a proud smile touched his lips. Tsk. This guy. She'd only said it was nice, not that it was heavenly or anything. But honestly, it was amazing. Not too sweet, just right. She couldn't bring herself to gush, though; it would only inflate his ego.

"Why did you make this for me?" she asked, before the silence could settle in. She couldn't stop sipping the juice. I hope he doesn't notice how much I like it.

"It's for your menstrual cramp—" He didn't finish. Seoyeon, startled by the mention of her cramps, spat the juice across his face. What the F! She hadn't been prepared for that. "Yah! Why the hell did you do that?! Ew!" he yelled, scrunching up his face in disgust and wiping it with his hands. Seoyeon coughed, scrambling for tissues to clear the juice from her nose.

"Give me some tissue, quick," she heard him say from behind her. He reached for the box, but she pulled it away. "Yah!"

"I'm not finished!" she snapped, moving the tissues out of his reach. She turned and saw him, his face still damp, but somehow… attractive. No, no, no. What am I thinking?!

"I don't care, just give me a damn tissue," he said, snatching the box from her.

"It's just juice, Kim Johan," she said, throwing the used tissues in the trash. He looked at her in disbelief, bordering on disgust.

"Just juice? It's not just juice, Seoyeon. Your saliva is mixed in it," he retorted. Like hell I care, she thought.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, young lady," he said, pointing a finger at her. She flicked it away. "Aw," he winced, glaring at her. "I made you juice, and this is what I get?"

"I didn't mean to do that, okay? I was just… surprised. That's it," she retorted. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Surprised? By what?"

When will I ever have a peaceful day again?

"Surprised when you said it was for my menstrual cramps," she blurted out, her face burning with embarrassment. He let out a low "oh," finally understanding. She didn't care about her flushed face anymore; she just wanted the conversation to end.

Suddenly, the lights went out. Seoyeon screamed, clinging to the nearest thing—Johan.

"Aaarghhh!"

"Aish, let go!"

.....

They walked the Seoul streets, bathed in the city's captivating night lights. Johan had practically dragged Seoyeon out of her house, claiming he'd take her to Aira's while the electricians fixed the lights. It was a good idea, she admitted; better to stay with a friend than to risk another panic attack. She could have gone alone, but Johan insisted on accompanying her. He's so unpredictable, she mused. One minute a jerk, the next a caring gentleman. Wait, why did I just think "boyfriend material"? She mentally dismissed the thought.

As before, their walk was mostly silent. But Seoyeon was consumed by curiosity, especially about the kiwi juice incident. She wanted to ask him serious questions, but hesitation held her back. What if it gets awkward? She kept stealing glances at his profile. Stop it, she chided herself, trying to focus on the bustling street. But after only a few seconds, her eyes were drawn back to him. He's looking at me…

"What?" she blurted out.

"Stealing glances isn't the way to get answers, Seoyeon. Ask me," Johan said, stopping and turning to face her. He'd noticed. She stopped too. He was right.

"I thought you wouldn't notice," she mumbled, looking away and then back. "Um, Johan…" She paused, unsure whether to proceed, but she'd started, and there was no turning back. He seemed calm, ready to answer whatever she asked. "Did you snea—"

"Seoyeon?"

Her words were interrupted. She turned to see Julius.

"Oh, hey Julius!" she greeted, smiling widely. He returned the smile.

"Hey. Where are you going at this time?" he asked, concern lacing his voice as he approached. His eyes fell on Johan, and Seoyeon felt a sudden shift in the atmosphere. Their faces hardened, their gazes locking in an intense stare.

What's going on?

"Right, um, this is Julius, a friend," Seoyeon said, nervously chuckling and nudging Johan's arm, trying to diffuse the tension. Why the sudden hostility? Were they enemies? They looked like hungry tigers about to pounce.

"Nice to meet you," Julius said, smirking as he offered his hand. What was with the smirk? Johan looked at his hand for a moment before taking it, shaking it briefly, but Seoyeon noticed the bulging veins, the paleness… and what sounded like a faint crack.

Uh-oh. This was seriously bad.

"I'm Johan," he said, finally releasing Julius's hand.

"Seoyeon, you never mentioned a new friend," Julius said, looking from Seoyeon to Johan, that smirk still playing on his lips. He looked… hot, she realized. Before she could speak, Johan slung an arm around her shoulder, chuckling softly.

"She's just shy about meeting a handsome guy. Right, Seoyeon?" he said, chuckling again. Seoyeon stared at him in disbelief. What was he talking about?

"Oh, I see you seem… close," Julius said, eyeing Johan's arm around Seoyeon. He seemed upset.

"We—"

"Yes, we are. Closer than you think, actually," Johan said, his gaze intense as he leaned in, his voice husky. He winked at Seoyeon. Oh, that's hot… wait, what am I thinking? She mentally slapped herself, removing his arm and laughing nervously as she turned to Julius.

"Um… ahehe… he's joking. Please don't misunderstand," she said, waving a hand and giving Johan a quick glare. "How about you? Where are you going?" She changed the subject, smiling at Julius.

"I'm visiting my aunt's restaurant. I was going to text you; Aunt Nena misses you. But it seems you're busy," Julius said, glancing at Johan. Seoyeon shook her head.

"No, I'm not. I can go," she said, jumping with excitement. She missed Aunt Nena terribly. Just as she took a step toward Julius, Johan grabbed her wrist, pulling her close. The excitement drained from her.

"Sorry, but perhaps another time, Julius. Seoyeon needs to rest, and besides…" He glanced at his watch, his grip on her wrist firm. "It's late," he finished, his voice low, trying to sound polite, but Seoyeon knew better.

What's wrong with these guys? She felt awful for Julius. He clearly had the wrong idea; he thought they were secretly dating. He thought she was keeping secrets, that she didn't trust him. It was all wrong. They were not dating.

"Oh, okay," Julius said, looking at Seoyeon. "Next time, Seoyeon."

"Yes, next time," she replied, nodding apologetically. They waved goodbye as he left.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?" Seoyeon asked, turning to Johan. He was already walking away. "Yah! I'm asking you. Answer me." She ran to catch up, joining him on the bus. He ignored her, putting on his earphones. Ouch. She was this close to smacking him.

Taking deep breaths to calm herself, she pulled one earbud out.

"What?!" he snapped.

"What's wrong with you, Kim Johan?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. He rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. She was more annoyed.

"Nothing, Eun Seoyeon," he mumbled, crossing his arms and sinking into his seat. He closed his eyes, turning up the volume. "Just listen to the music and be quiet. I'm tired of talking." She chuckled. Liar. She looked at the earbud in her hand; the music sounded nice. She put it in. Not bad. He had good taste. She smiled.

She studied his face for a couple of minutes. Not that I'm a pervert, she thought. I'm just curious why such a good-looking guy can be so weird, sometimes caring, sometimes not, sometimes fine, sometimes annoying. After a while, she felt sleepy, yawning. She turned to watch an elderly couple ahead. The grandpa held his wife's hand, smiling tenderly. The sight made her smile.

Is that what it's like? To have someone who'll stay by your side, cherish you until you're old?

She closed her eyes, yawning again. She wasn't planning to sleep, but her body gave in. Just before drifting off, she felt a hand caress her face, gently resting her head on his shoulder. She inhaled his familiar scent.

"Sleep well, babe."