Chained To My Bad Boy's Wild Love

Spontaneous Date

The man’s grin widened even more when he saw Esther’s startled face flush a deep shade of red. “Y—yeah? Err… I—I didn’t mean it like that, but… ugh!” She let out a frustrated sigh and stayed silent for a moment, as if trying to gather the right words in her head. It was clear she was annoyed at herself for suddenly becoming so flustered. “If you don’t mind,” she finally finished, looking slightly bashful.

Putting aside her appearance, Gaara actually liked her; the more he interacted with her, the more he noticed a side of her that was… cute? She may not have the allure of Elise Northway, nor the radiant charm of Nelsy, the campus diva, but Esther had something that kept Gaara’s attention fixed on her.

He liked watching her lips move when she spoke, especially when she got nervous. He even found himself turned on by the way she often wet her lips after biting them, as if silently inviting him to taste those soft, luscious lips again.

Tempted, Gaara leaned closer until his lips were now perilously near her ear. “Then show me the way.”

Esther nearly dropped to her knees in relief; she truly couldn’t imagine the embarrassment she would have endured if Gaara had refused her invitation just now.

Her choice was to head to a nearby café, considering they were walking and only had about an hour before Gaara’s car would be finished with its service. The café was tucked at the far end of a row of old buildings in the area.

As Gaara had said, he walked behind Esther, letting her lead the way. So when Esther turned into the café, he followed quietly. Upon entering, they immediately headed to the counter to line up, while Gaara took the chance to observe the surroundings.

The place was classic, slightly dull, yet somehow charming at the same time. Much like the girl standing in front of him now. Everything about the café seemed to match Esther. Her way of walking, the way she spoke, the subtle glances she threw back to ensure Gaara was still following.

From the moment they left the workshop until they reached the counter to place their order, Gaara hadn’t spoken a single word. He did it intentionally. After all, it was the girl who had invited him, and he still didn’t know what her motive was. He wanted to see just how far she would go to break the awkwardness between them.

“What would you like, Gaara?” Esther asked as they reached their turn.

Gaara paused for a moment before placing his order, his eyes scanning the menu. “Double chocolate.”

“I’ll have triple cookies & cream,” Esther replied.

Gaara glanced at the girl, who was noticeably shorter than him. Triple? Was she that hungry?

“Would you like it in a sweet cone, plain cone, or a cup?” asked the salesgirl, her voice sweet, her eyes fixed entirely on Gaara.

“Sweet cone,” Gaara answered quickly.

“Cup, please,” Esther added.

“All right, that’ll be Double Choco and Triple Cookies & Cream,” the cashier said, turning to prepare their order. Within a few minutes, she returned with two perfectly scooped ice creams, sliding them across the counter. Her gaze flicked toward Gaara, and she gave him a knowing wink as their hands brushed for a brief moment.

Gaara, ever the picture of calm, returned her gesture with a subtle nod toward Esther, who was preoccupied and entirely oblivious. The cashier understood the unspoken message immediately.

Let her think whatever she wants, Gaara mused silently.

“That’ll be eighty-seven thousand,” the cashier muttered, her earlier friendliness vanished as abruptly as it had appeared.

Esther, meanwhile, was fumbling in her pockets for her wallet, unaware of the silent exchange that had just occurred. Before she could locate it, Gaara had already laid a single note in front of the cashier.

“Keep the change,” he said swiftly, then took Esther’s hand and led her away from the counter to one of the seats near the window.

“I’ll pay you back later,” Esther said, a tinge of embarrassment coloring her voice. “I think I left my wallet in the car. Besides, I was the one who invited you here, so I should really be the one paying.”

“No need to make a fuss over who pays, okay?” Gaara replied, already turning his focus toward his own ice cream, unbothered.

“All right, then,” Esther said, settling into her seat across from him.

The awkward silence settled between them once again, thick and stubborn. From behind her ice cream cup, Esther watched Gaara, who seemed entirely absorbed by the view outside the window. Clearly, he had no interest in entertaining her company, or perhaps she was simply too boring, she mused, to hold his attention.

“What are your hobbies, Gaara?” Esther ventured, weary from debating with herself and realizing that the man across from her was unlikely to initiate conversation.

Gaara finally shot her a glance, his brow furrowed at the unexpected question. “I like having fun,” he replied curtly.

Esther blinked, caught off guard. The words sounded ambiguous coming from him. “Like… what?” she pressed, silently hoping his answer wouldn’t match the dirty thoughts her mind had already conjured.

“I like testing my strength on annoying people,” he said without a hint of hesitation.

Esther raised an eyebrow. In other words, he enjoyed fighting, she concluded.

“I play games,” Gaara added, and this time, Esther’s lips twitched into a faint, intrigued smile. A surprising side of Gaara, she thought someone so reckless could enjoy something as harmless as gaming.

“Lastly, just hanging out with my friends,” he finished with casual tone.

But the last remark made Esther frown. Her expression soured, as if the flavor of her ice cream had turned unexpectedly bitter.

“Why the sudden face?” Gaara’s voice cut through, sharp enough to sting her ears. “You’re the one who asked about my hobbies, aren’t you?”

“Well… it’s just…” Esther began, attempting to soften her expression, to mask the crease of her brows with some semblance of calm. But she failed—she was never very good at pretending. “I’m sorry if you don’t like my reaction. But I can’t lie when you mention your friends. They’re… bad people. If you paid attention, you’d have seen how they’ve treated me back at campus from the very first day I was a freshman until now.”

Her words left Gaara momentarily speechless. A few fragments of memory surfaced, stirring within him. He realized that the girl sitting before him had almost never been seen in the company of others on campus. Every accidental encounter he had with her, she had been alone.

And then he remembered, Vinson’s treatment of her had been less than kind.

Yet somehow, she had persevered. Somehow, she had stayed, continuing her studies rather than transferring somewhere else. And that… thought alone made Gaara pause, an unfamiliar stir of respect coiling quietly in his chest.

“You must be thinking, why don’t I just transfer somewhere else if it’s so bothersome, right?” Esther said suddenly, her voice calm yet carrying a weight that made Gaara freeze. It was as if she could read his thoughts.

“No use,” she continued, eyes distant. “Wherever I go, Vinson will follow. I’ve tried it back in high school. The result was always the same. I guess I’ll be dealing with him for the rest of my life. Don’t ask me why. I don’t know myself.”

“All right, I won’t ask,” Gaara replied, exhaling slowly. Then, after a pause, he added, “But I’m different from my friends. I don’t like bullying girls. I prefer to settle problems one-on-one… with raw fists.”

Esther held his gaze, a small, thoughtful smile tugging at her lips. “Hmm… you say you’re different, huh? What makes you different from them?” she asked softly. “From what I remember, you just stayed quiet when your friends tormented me. Was I just an entertaining spectacle for you? Because from where I’m standing, you were just like them. No different at all.”

Gaara’s jaw tightened at her words. They were direct, almost piercing. Yet Esther never faltered under his scrutiny, never lowered her gaze, even knowing she had struck a nerve.

And slowly, with that unwavering stare, a twist of guilt began to coil in Gaara’s chest. She was right. If he was honest with himself, he had done nothing while Vinson treated her poorly. Worse, in some ways, he had crossed a line of his own like kissing her so recklessly in the kitchen, driven by desire, disregarding her feelings entirely.

“I guess… you’re right,” he admitted finally, the weight in his voice betraying his rare vulnerability. “I’m a bastard too. I’m… sorry.”

Silently, Gaara planted a resolve deep within himself to never let Vinson trouble her again. Consider it a form of atonement for his own sins, a way to make amends for the guilt he carried toward the girl sitting across from him.

A genuine smile spread across Esther’s lips, the kind that illuminated her entire face, making her seem twice as radiant, like a flower just beginning to bloom. “I’m glad to see you realize that.”