INTERNATIONAL PLAYBOY

03 Growing Pains

You watch his fast hand gestures when he grab his phone and pick it up. Your jaw drops a bit but you quickly look back to the road and try to act normal.

"Yeah? Miss Sora?" He said. He only mentioned her name but you already feel annoyed inside.

"Ohh, is that so? Okay, I'll think about it and tell you later on. Okay. Ummm.... never mind. Hahaha. Okay, bye." He said before hung up the call.

"Who is Sora?" You asked him while clenching your fist, trying to not sound jealous.

"Oh, she's a new trainee in our company. I happened to be her vocal trainer for a while to fill her main trainer position that was sick now." He answer normally while keep driving.

You just humming in response and look back at the street. He keeps driving but turn to you few times.

"Hana, you okay?"

"Oh? Me? I'm okay. Why?" You answer and turn to him.

"Really? Because you didn't sound okay anyway. Don't tell me you're jealous again."

"I... I'm not. I was just asking." You lied.

"Good then." He replies and silence fill the whole trip until both of you arrived at your dorm.

"I will watch you until you safely get in." He said coldly but you were a bit happy that he still cares.

"John, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, you know I just... I love you too much that I scared if you wi-"

"I know, Hana. I'm not mad okay. Now, get in, it's pretty late and you need to wake up earlier tomorrow right?" He sound calm and warm this time, making you sigh in relief.

"Thank you, John. I'm going in now." You replied and give him a faint smile.

You get out from his car and walk towards your dorm entrance slowly. Once you arrived, you turn back to where his car was and he left. Your heart still feels uneasy but you decided to shrug it off and trust John.

After he dropped you, he continue drives and his phone ringing. Without look at the caller ID, he pick it up.

"I will call you once I arrive, Sweetheart. Don't worry." He said because he thought it was you.

"How I miss you call me like that, Cook." Another voice speaks up and he widened his eyes before check the caller ID.

"What you want, Yasmine?" He asked shortly.

"I was kind of miss you, can you come over?" She asked cutely.

"Why should I?" He scoffs.

"Come on, I need to tell you something important." She pleads in annoying way.

"Fine, I'll come by but if it's not important, I will leave, soon." He said and hung up the call.

Yasmine, in her apartment smirking after John hung up the call. "You wouldn't be able to leave me soon once you came here, Cook." She thought.

- THE NEXT DAY -

You wake up earlier today to work out in your company gymnastics. Because of last night meal, you don't want to gain weight and causing your manager to nag you, so here you are with your fellow member, Haylee, a half Korean half American member. You love to be here earlier because it was less crowded.

Before starting, both of you decide to do some stretching first then you begin to run on the treadmill. While you were running, your mind was in a complete mess and you thinking about your boyfriend again. You don't know if it was coincidence or anything but every time he came inside your thoughts and distract you, somehow you will hear his name got mentioned.

You can't contact him since last night, you were so worried. You thought he was practicing or sleeping but when you call him this morning, he still didn't pick it up and you become more paranoid.

"Do you remember John Cook?" A voice speaks up and you close your eyes, disbelief.

You tried to not turn to the owner of the voice afraid if she actually didn't talk to you also if Haylee might notice your expression. It was a relief that you stand still because another female voice replying her almost instantly.

"Of course I do. He's like the hottest man of the year. Did you succeed to bait him?" The voice said and you can't help but turning your head lightly while still running without make it looks too obvious.

You saw two girls were chatting and running with their super tight short beside you. You know them, members of your senior group from other company, Hara and Aeri.

"Kinda. He agreed to have dinner with me tonight. I can't wait. That's why I'm here earlier today. I want to burn more weight so I could eat more tonight." Hara exclaim and you feel your heart beat faster, not sure because you were running or because of her words.

"Wow! That was fast!! You're the best Hara! Have fun for tonight!" Aeri replies and they were laughing together.

You turn to Haylee but seems like she didn't heard anything because she was wearing her earphones. You sigh and slower the speed before left the machine completely after you give sign to Haylee that you will move.

She looks surprised but give you okay sign and continue running. You went to grab your drink and gulp it to calm down yourself. You really can't believe what just happened right now, like why every time you heard his name, it was something bad, something about him and a girl. You know John is handsome, sexy, and hot but it's like all girls were after him and you were in the worst position, his secret girlfriend. You can't stand off and slap or punch those girls who flirting with him because you're his secret girl.

Suddenly you remember what Hara said, they will have a dinner tonight. You need to do something about it, to prove if it was true or not. You grab your phone and call him while wishing it won't connect to mailbox again. Sadly, it was connecting to mailbox again.

"Ugh. Where the hell are you, John!" You muttered slowly.

You don't have any choice but planning to contact him later on. You put your phone back in your bag and turn around to continue your work out but you spot Haylee not far from you.

"Oh? Haylee? I thought you were still running?" You asked.

"Ah, I need to get my drink hehee, are you okay?" She answered and ask you back, noticing your worries expression.

"I'm okay. Let's continue." You answer and quickly left to prevent her to ask more questions. Without you know, she was smirking behind your back.

- YOUR POV -

It was around noon and I just done some dance practices. I was sweating hard but I feel good. Dance always able to makes me forget about any problems that ever exist. Although only for a while, I will feel free when I was dancing. I check my phone again and find nothing from John again. I sigh and hesitating if I should call him again. Without think any longer, I walk out from the practice room to get some privacy before try to call him again. It was already the third tone and I was getting nervous.

"What?" He asked rudely surprising me.

"J... John? Where have you been? I've been calli-"

"I was busy, don't you know that I was busy? Why you keep calling me?" He shouts at me and my jaw dropped. My heart beat fast and broken, I know it was broken. The scratches on my heart are increasing, thanks to John.

"What ass are you busy for in midnight? I've been calling you since last night and this morning until now. Did they make you to work 24/7? And if you think I was calling you because I was being a clingy girlfriend that should be entertains by you all the time, you're wrong. Is that wrong for me to worry for my boyfriend because he was missing since last night? A message won't hurt, John. A short fckg message will calm me down but you don't even bother to do it." I said, cursing for the first time and I cried. s**t.

He became silent for a while and I can't help it but let out a light sniff because it feels so suffocate. I tried to wipe away my tears but it keeps flowing. I hate myself because I can't hide my weakness at him. I hate that he's so important to me that even only a small thing able to scared me.

"I'm sorry, Hana. Don't cry. I don't deserve your tears. I didn't mean to shout at you earlier." He said slowly back to himself like usual. I still can't manage to say a thing and because of his words, my tears fall faster, damn.

"Stop crying, sweetheart. I said I'm sorry. What can I do to make it up for you?" He asked.

"Can we meet tonight?" I asked after wipe my tears away. I need to know what his answer will be, I need to know if what Hara said is true or not.

"I can't make it tonight. Can we meet tomorrow night?" Damn it.

"You have schedule tonight?"

"Umm... Need to works for little choreography and practicing and this and that. You know." He said and I closed my eyes while biting my lips. I hope you were saying the truth John.

"Okay then. Let's meet later on when you have free time." I managed to say.

"Okay. I'm sorry, once again." He said and I just humming before hung up the phone. You better saying the truth John, because I will watch you tonight.