Mei tried not to look at Yong Soo with a murderous glare, silently eating her bowl of nyangmyeon. The food was delicious, perfectly prepared and seasoned, but she couldn't help but think that it was not of her own choice to eat this meal, to eat this food before her; but what could she do? She was completely at the mercy of her savior, Yong Soo, who she now despised and was grateful to in one breath. But right now her anger was showing as she ate, listening silently and prolonging the explosion beneath her delicate looks.
Within all those years she had stayed with Kiku, she had absorbed one thing from his enigmatic, perplexing personality: his ability to stay silent and watch from the shadows.
Now it was her curse.
"This is really delicious~!" Aurora exclaimed. "Tack (1)!"
Berwald grunted in agreement, his large, silent form towering over the other customers at the popular restaurant.
Yong Soo gave his friends a smile: he had always been friendly with Sweden and his family. They often had art exchanges and they both understood the challenges of the frigid northern weather. "I'm glad you like it." He checked his watch. It was almost nine; his shift at the club began at ten thirty, when the normal crowd began to come in.
He looked over at Mei, who only glanced at him before focusing on her bowl of noodles again. Her brow was furrowed in anger- what other feeling could it be? He knew he hadn't really spoken to her, but was that really reason to be angry? He thought she didn't want to talk.
"Mei, are you-" he began.
"I'm not fine!" she snapped, slamming her hands on the table and standing up. "I'm finished here. Thank you for taking me in and for the nice meals. Thank you, Aurora and Berwald, for buying me clothes. I can stand on my own now, I don't need your help, and if you don't want to talk, I'm fine with not talking to you ever again. Goodbye."
She bowed stiffly before exiting the restaurant in a huff, jacket over her arm.
"Mei!" Yong Soo shouted. He turned to the Swedish siblings. "I'm so sorry I have to leave you like this, here," he handed them what he guessed to be enough for the meal, "Thanks for visiting Seoul and I hope you have a good time here. Maybe we can meet again. Please continue to enjoy your meal. Have a good evening."
"We understand," Aurora said. "We'll be fine and thanks for paying."
Yong Soo was already out the door, his jacket over his shoulders as he went to hunt for Mei.
What is it I feel for you?
It's only confusion.
Do I want to be in love?
Do I feel in love?
Or are you just running away
And I am trying to catch something
That's already gone?
"There you are," Kiku said matter-of-factly. The girl running down the street had long, silky midnight hair and a sweet, heart-shaped face. He knew it was her, it always happened this way. She would run away after a drunken episode and she couldn't live without him after. He knew it was only a matter of hours- she always came back to him within 48 hours- before she'd come running back to his arms.
Xiao Mei held onto the front of his black military jacket, clutching the fabric with all her might as she sobbed. Kiku looked down at her smaller figure heaving, expressionless, and used one hand to stroke her hair before wrapping his arms around her. The embrace was a cold, knowing one, expected to be given and expected to be received.
"You can't run from me."
"But I can hide," Mei retorted.
"You'll always come back."
"This is the last time," she snapped. The hardness in her voice came from years of this, years of not being able to escape and sinfully coming back for more. He was like an addiction, a forbidden fruit, in his rare moments of kindness, when they would lay together and he would whisper lovely promises into her ear…
Was it worth it each time?
Kiku smiled knowingly into her hair. It was more of a sneer now, because he knew he had won another round. And he'd keep winning.
Mei turned and gasped when she saw his figure in the shadows of the lamplights down the street. Im Yong Soo…what do I feel for you? I don't love you but I understand how you sob at night and I know why you always have a persona over that person. You are a mystery, just as I am and as Kiku is. An enigma that I am always drawn to but I am caught in the middle, just like I am between heaven and hell.
What did I do to deserve you? With your loyalty and your jokes, your tenderness always.
But we're not that close.
When we're across each other on the street, we could have an ocean between us.
He was running towards her. Yong Soo. He didn't owe her anything, and Mei knew she had gotten herself into this mess alone and she wouldn't be able to get out alone.
"You're mine."
"I'm not yours," Mei said defiantly. Was God giving her a second chance?
Yong Soo stopped in front of the couple as Mei pulled away from Kiku. His face was a mask of confusion and anger; Mei wasn't sure what was distorted in his eyes that made him look so fearsome, so different.
"You already hurt her once, now you're coming back for her? Do I really need to hit you over the head again?" Yong Soo said, scratching his head. Mei looked between the two men with fear in her wide eyes.
"No. She came on her own," Honda Kiku smirked. "Mei always comes back willingly, don't you, my pet? Especially because you don't care for her. You don't even ask for her opinion. I know; I've been watching you."
"You're totally sick. Let her go," Yong Soo said. "She's not a prize or an animal."
"So you see her that way, but you never treat her that way. You're such a hypocrite, Im Yong Soo," he said with a sneer. "She gave you 48 hours to win her over, to protect and learn from each other, and you blew it. Now you're sorry and you're trying to make her come back. You're so useless."
"Well, Mr. High-and-Mighty, eat my shit!" Yong Soo barreled into the Japanese man with fury in his eyes.
Mei was torn between them.
(1) Thanks! (in Swedish)
A short chappie before I leave for my studies :) I'll try to update continually but no guarantees! I'll be busy and I'll miss you all :)
Please enjoy and don't hesitate to leave a lovely review :) Please!