28. Mysterious Tenant

Teho and Mia

"I really wanted to check up on her, 'cuz I'll be going out in an hour or so," Mia explained to Teho when they met on the stairs to her flat.

"Do you wanna join me?" she tried, ready to let him know that they could become an item.

"Maybe later," he smiled mysteriously, not wanting to decline or accept.

"Suit yourself then," she winked at him, taking her shoes off in the unusually silent room.

"Is she dead?" Teho joked nervously.

"Let's hope not," Mia said and peeked into her empty room while the photographer took off his jacket.

"Shush," she whispered, putting her index finger in front of her lips and gesturing to him to come closer.

Teho stood like a pillar above the sofa and looked down at the curled-up ball of sadness while Mia brought Somin a blanket. She tucked her in and put a pillow under the pink-haired girl's head.

"We can eat here, just try to not wake her up. I'm happy she found time to rest," Mia stated while Teho put the takeout he brought as a surprise down on the counter.

"You mean like with loud chewing?" he joked again and Mia shot him a sarcastic smirk.

"We can eat in your room," he offered boldly.

"Or not," Mia kept him at arm's length, hoping he'd want more with this resistance. She enjoyed the interest he had shown so far.

Teho sat on the ground and ate his Jjajangmyeon, as he watched Somin's chest slowly rise and fall with her breath. Mia joined him with her much smaller portion and a bowl of kimchi her mother had packed her.

"What are we doing?" she whispered curiously.

"Enjoying the silence," he answered at the same volume, nodding towards Somin.

"You know, I actually like her quiet presence. It's so refreshing after all the buzz I get in school and all. I bet she's only loud, because you press her too much. Why do you do it though?" Mia asked, putting a bite to her mouth.

"I'm not pressing anybody," Teho played being insulted.

"Ya, chill. I'm just telling you what I see," Mia stated, "If you manage to be more tolerable, we can make each other's time more pleasant," Mia finally hinted on her interest in the suitor.

"Pleasant," Teho smiled through the word.

That's what I need to do to make this Somin thing go away.

He suppressed his growing feelings, picturing himself and Mia in school being adored and envied by others, being the perfect couple worthy of the spotlight was just in his taste.

Teho settled into the quietness Mia had created. The dancer was a bit tired herself and she also needed a small recharge before she could go on another bender.

"Where are you going, you not gonna eat more?" he asked when she got up after a few more bites.

"Probably later, but for now I'm happy she's alright and I have to get movin'." With that she started to tend to her preparations for the upcoming night.

...

Under the sofa lay a book and Somin's unresponsive hand swung limply above it. Teho reached for it out of curiosity, but decided to touch her hand and gently tuck it under the blanket. This simple skin-to-skin contact made him feel butterflies in his stomach.

This is so weird. He thought bewildered.

Then he picked up the book to investigate more. It turned out to be a romance novel but was hidden in a newspaper-like cover.

Sneaky.

The hidden title read;

"Autumn Leaves"

The curious boy quickly read the synopsis, where he unwrapped the camouflage.

"A lonely librarian finds herself in a precarious situation when a mysterious man, looking like her childhood love, turns out to be her new tenant."

Haha, what the fuck? It looks like the shit's going down lady.

The boy chuckled and flipped through the pages, trying to find something to remember and joke about later, but the text caught him off guard. It was lighthearted and kind of sweet, even funny. Teho noticed that Somin had bookmarked a section so he started to read it.

...

"Jeff's large hands grabbed Britney's waist as she stepped out over the threshold of his space. The darkened room was only lit by the dim light of the window. The brooding man towered over her small frame as she stepped out of the dark.

"Why do you always have to run away? Leaving me hanging like this," his warm voice was strained.

"It's cold here," the small redhead whispered and shifted nervously.

"You're doing it again, you're changing the subject," Jeff accused the quiet girl who denied their mutual attraction in every way she could.

But he saw through the seemingly incidental touches they'd shared. Every accidental brush of her skin against his, every time their eyes met. They both felt it, yet Britney always escaped the much-needed talk, pretending nothing could change her deep-rooted routine of a being alone.

"Please don't..." She shook her head, avoiding his piercing gray eyes.

She dreaded falling to love again, trusting another man. The vague coexisting somewhat covered her need for intimacy, making her aching heart feel safe.

"The cold helps me think clearly after you leave me confused every time," Jeffrey answered, tightening the grip on her body.

He needed her to stay beside him, she was his beacon in the darkest night.

"Why can't we talk? You feel it too. It's there between us, every time, every day," the big man breathed out.

"Why should we ruin what we've built here with all of that...?" Britney's doll-like eyes pleaded with him.

She was on the edge of succumbing to his touch, but the confusion and fear held her back.

"Do we really need to say it all?" she asked desperately.

"You're so..." she stopped, "...so..."

Jeff brushed her copper hair aside, "...so?"

"So difficult," she whispered more to herself, "I like our..."

"Our friendship?" he said the dreaded word and pressed her small frame into his body.

Her eyes shut and she accepted the closeness, feeling the firmness of his chest. The lime-scent of her hair filled his nostrils while his heated palm grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted it an inch, exposing her lower back to the chilly air. Jeff made small circles on her skin, savouring the touch.

"Friendship," The word felt sour on her tongue while his hot fingertips traced her cold skin, gradually moving upwards.

The touch she craved finally liberated her mind as his other hand caressed her stiff shoulders.

"Is this - friendship appropriate?" Jeffrey asked and leaned in to her, putting passionate kisses on her neck, "Am I friendly enough?" he breathed the words into her ear.

She shivered, "Ah," and sighed with expectation as he lay the forbidden kisses on her jawline, gently working his way up to her lips.

The pair slowly drifted away from the door towards the lonely bed.

"Do you want me to stop, friend?" Jeff asked and her answer was the sweetest kiss he had ever tasted on his lips."

...

That's unreal, Somin reads smut. Jeezus fucking christ.

Teho laughed internally but felt a hunger to read more.

Oh man, I don't wanna spoil it. I better start from the beginning.

I know whatcha doing Jeff. You have no chill.

It's kinda hot.

He put a finger to the collar of his shirt and moved his head to loosen up. Teho shut the book and took it away with the rest of his meal.

"I'm gonna go," he whispered to Mia, who had just come out of the bathroom, looking stunning.

"You know where I'll be," she exclaimed.

"I'm not much of a dancer, have fun. I'll catch you later and we can explore what the whole 'pleasant' thing actually means," Teho joked and touched her hand, still heated from the book.

The feeling in his stomach wasn't the same as he wished when he touched her. In fact, there wasn't any.

...

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