133. Don't Be Like That
Somin, Junu, Pomchun and Teho
Teho went up to Somin and sat close nonchalantly. The sad girl gave him a smile, feeling at ease and in a good mood.
She's so damn beautiful when she smiles.
"I got pancakes for myself too, since you all have ordered them and forgot about me," Teho said, sounding fake hurt as he had a bite.
"Hmmm." Junu's eyes lit up. "It is heavenly."
Mother would never let me eat such sweet food.
The young boy's eyes kept returning to the direction of the mysterious locker room's secret. Honey from his pancakes stickily glided down his fingers, associating things he only viewed on the internet in the midst of the night, smiling guiltily.
Pomchun's gaze was locked on the youngling like he was another course of a meal, treading the honey path closely.
...
The gorgeous photographer leaned closer to Somin's ear.
"I know that stare, that's how you look at me all the time. I guess it runs in the family." She turned up to him, feeling his warmth and scent up close.
"You keep being delusional." Somin drank her pancake down with cold almond milk, blushing profusely, but her tone was playful.
Yeah, I do look at him like that sometimes, but I never figured he noticed.
"You keep being in denial." Teho sweetly tucked her hair behind the ear and she let him, needing the touch of his soft hands, making pleading eye contact.
I still don't think we should be doing this. Somin worried, but let it happen anyway.
The thought of his interest in her terrified her.
Since the last night's kisses, her mind was on fire. It felt much better to think about him like an unreachable crush who's there to only make her feel the butterflies in the midst of the neverending work.
"It's so weird that your brother is this upfront about his emotions," Teho said carefully.
"He always had been I guess," Somin thought about it, "But he's mostly a show-off, you know, like you." She poked him and he shuffled closer.
"Me? A showoff, how dare you?" And there they were, those beloved theatrics.
"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. All drama and no substance," she shot at him playfully.
"You're so obsessed with my habits that you generously oversee your own acting skills," Teho tried, "I see right through you," his voice grew very low.
"You wish." Somin smiled cutely.
"I wish you'd be honest with me." Teho fought his honest battle. "I wish you'd let me in," his earnestness scared her immensely.
"Seriously Teho, it's hard for me to share, I'm nervous all the time. I rather shut up than say the dumb shit I'm thinking about," Somin opened up a little.
"Don't say that. Why are you this hard on yourself? I don't get it, let me be the judge of that," Teho patiently said, trying to make her talk.
Is this the way Cholsu treated her?
"Sorry," she whispered.
"Don't be, don't apologize," he grabbed her chin gently looking into her eyes.
"I wanna live my life more like you do, enjoying what it brings, grabbing the opportunities, but..." She moved his hand away from her chin, but held it anyway.
"But?" the boy encouraged her.
"...I'm simply scared," she ended hesitantly. "Painting is so comforting for me because I'm working in familiar places alone, I don't have to interact with anybody, it's just me and my ideas," she continued when he started to caress her hands with his warm palms.
"You're cold," the boy said, grabbing one blanket near and putting it on her shoulders.
They had this time for themselves as the other boys were consumed by their own emotions. Sort of a cat-and-mouse play where the older one made the younger one more and more abashed.
"It's safe, but also incredibly lonely," Somin finished.
"I'm lonely too, even when people are all around, but I learn to accept it. I can't shine brightly every day, sometimes the dimness must be enough," he let her in too, "but I don't hide my emotions like you do." He pushed a bit more.
"Well, maybe you should. Aren't you afraid you'd end up hurting others?" She attacked him, thinking about Mia and his hands squeezed hers tightly.
"I know it's inevitable," the unspoken confession burned him, but he couldn't find the right words and it felt like she was constantly escaping him.
"You always hurt someone along the way," he tried, saddened by the truth.
"That's why it is best to stay aside." Her heart raced, subconsciously feeling the danger in this conversation, where he tried to lead her.
"If you stay aside all the time you'd miss the parts which made life beautiful," Teho argued.
"Is it this easy for you?" Somin asked.
"No," the boy admitted. "But it's worth the try."Somin saw the faint outlines of what he possibly could try to indicate while his fingers massage hers, making her feel relaxed and way too intimate.
😳 Author's corner 😊
❤️ 🔥 Are you emotionally distant? ❤️ 🔥
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🎨Illustrations of each chapter are available on my Wattpad acc, AO3 acc -klubickoArt🎨