21. Frog in a Stream
Somin, Mia and Teho
Somin was sprawled on the corner armchair, waiting for Mia to return. The day had been too long and she had already done sketches to try some quick poses with her wooden figurine. But the frustration from this exercise realized itself with her desire for distraction.
I hate figure painting. The tired paintress thought.
To better her mood she drew quick fantasy landscapes, using her pencil to render out the depth of a black forest and accentuate the negative space of the branches using her soft shapeless eraser. For a moment she got into the zone, shaving the graphite down to her paper, she used her fingertips to create the sky. She let her sadness manifest and tears streamed down her cheeks as she realized how desperately lonely she felt.
I want to go home.
Somin desperately wished for the comfort of home, like a small child after their first summer camping trip without their parents.
After the exhausting but satisfying drawing she tried to watch an episode or two of a new k-drama on her laptop, but couldn't find a focus. So the unhappy girl ended up blankly gazing at the ceiling.
...
Breathe it out.
Somin encouraged herself.
"Don't push away your feelings Ms. Lee. Try to live through them. If you need to scream, let it out," Dr. Jansen encouraged.
...
The rustling of keys and a high-pitched giggle was a signal of the company she had so badly wanted. But a second, much lower voice sounded out and soured her mood even more.
"...I can cook, really. Don't believe me? Then sit and watch the magic in real-time," Teho booted in the door and Mia giggled.
The boy was persistent and it flattered her immensely.
Maybe he's worth the effort. Mia wondered about how adamant he was about spending time together.
"Is she here?" Teho asked intentionally out loud.
"I don't know, probably," Mia answered, taking her shoes off.
"Ya, Somin-ah?" the boy shouted giddily .
"Don't," came from the faraway corner.
"Easy," Mia whispered and he nodded.
Putting his bag and equipment next to the sofa the excited photographer rolled up his sleeves to wash his hands. A red and white striped sweater with an oval neckline accentuated his prominent collar bones and fitted pants flattered his lean build.
"I'm gonna cook," Teho said to the quiet corner, bopping his head while Mia ran around.
"Food poisoning wasn't what I expected for today," Somin answered, annoyed by his presence.
Still laying on the armchair, her legs dangled over the armrest and her head loosely hung over the other, looking up. The sound of his voice made her more uneasy. Her stomach churned.
It's just my loneliness. Somin tried to convince herself.
Her attempt to straighten her homely blue dress stained it with graphite from her fingers.
Fuck.
Teho quickly assessed their fridge and came up with an easy receipt.
Cutting the vegetables he asked, "What did you expect then?" his tone was playful, wanting to establish new interactions between them.
Still honest and raw, but less aggressive and mean.
Don't say anything fucked up. He reminded himself.
But the fact she was the only one seeing him from the other side, made the words materialize in the wrong order.
"I don't know. Maybe a talk with my roommate," her accusatory tone made him a bit uncomfortable.
"Well, there'll be plenty of time for that," he said a little to himself and continued.
"Is there something interesting up there?" Teho came closer to where she sat and tilted his head to mock Somin's staring at the ceiling.
The girl stayed silent and he tried again.
"Oh, I see it now," his honeyed voice flew to her ears.
Shocked, Somin looked at him as he squatted down next to her face. Her pale eyes fixed on his dark ones while he closed in on her even more.
Please brush my hair. The thought came to mind, unbidden.
The atmosphere between them got heavier, and together with their quiet closeness came an exciting feeling. Teho observed this change with a mix of anticipation and denial.
I want her to talk to me. We'll be friends.
His palms itched with the need to hold her head and kiss the defiant girl "spiderman style". When their eyes met there was the electrifying feeling again. Under the facade of conscious decisions laid the undeniable chemistry.
She could feel his sweet breath on her skin. He's too close.
Somin nervously wetted her dry lips. The closeness was tantalizing. She hung onto it, wanting the kiss.
Teho stared back at her and gently removed a strand of hair from her face while his own hair fell into his eyes.
Why is it so fucking tempting? He felt the sudden shift in tension, to almost sensual.
I don't feel like this around Mia.
"I see a frog," he smiled, setting them both free from the fleeting moment. He hoped to maintain his charm and make her warm up to him.
"What the heck?" Somin gazed as he pointed upwards to the uneven ceiling, where layers of patchwork and paint dried into a strange lump
"You see the big drop of paint?" His finger traced the silhouette. "The darkest spot looks like a bulge of a body and the second drop is where the other eye is," the boy explained.
She focused and the shape revealed itself to her, "She's sitting on a stone," Somin let out happily.
"I just hope she doesn't sit on a stream," he stated.
"Why?" Somin dared to look into his dark eyes again and shivered.
He noticed the spark in them, "It's bad luck," Teho said and stood up while Mia finally made her way to them.
"Whatcha doing..." Mia investigated the silent couple, "...friends?" happy they hadn't argued.
"We're marveling about the patterns on the ceiling," Teho smiled.
"That's fun," Mia rolled her eyes and dragged him to the counter.
"You should focus on your marvels here, I'm hungry." And with that the beautiful dancer poured herself and Somin a glass of wine.
"I'd like one too," Teho said.
"That depends," Mia joked.
"On what?" Teho asked.
"How the meal's gonna be," and Somin chuckled in her corner.
"Water it is," the pink-haired girl joked, her heart beating loudly.
Will he be here all the time? Somin asked herself with fear and anticipation.
...
😳 Author's corner 😊
️ Which sultry moment do you remember as the most intense? ️
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🎨Illustrations of each chapter are available on my Wattpad acc, AO3 acc -klubickoArt🎨
