138. Pink Nails
Somin and Teho
Somin eventually calmed down after dinner came. The diligent boy got the order and prepared the meals, handing her a bowl, while she blew on her freshly painted nails.
That's better. Somin felt a bit more satisfied with this simple caring gesture.
He sat on the ground opposite her, instead of his place where he had his workstation settled.
"You're really losing money," Somin said, a bit surprised he closed on her like that. He made a gesture and she threw him a pillow which he put under his butt.
"I can afford dinner break," he said in between the bites. "Nice color," he noted when Somin tried to eat while avoiding getting her polished nails destroyed in the process.
"You're into pink?" she mocked him.
"It's a nice color, I don't mind it. It reminds me of home." He eased the tension between them with a more personal subject.
Determined to try to voice his feelings when the opportunity of them being alone presented this nicely.
"Oh, your sister." Somin caught on and visibly relaxed with this more friendly talk.
"Kyuri, the youngest, used to paint my nails," he boasted, putting another portion into his mouth.
"Did she paint them pink though?" Somin asked in disbelief.
"I was just the customer. The service provided aesthetic choices, depending on the hospitality and mood of my specialist," he answered and Somin smiled.
"I never painted my brother's nails," the lonely girl thought out loud. "He started to paint them himself before I could buy a polish of my own."
"Do you want to paint mine?" Teho asked and she almost spat her food into a bowl.
"Do you want hot pink nails?" Somin asked seriously.
"I'll feel nostalgic even." He winked. "But you have to adhere to the very high standard of my previous provider. I haven't had my nails painted since forever..." the boy paused, recalling the traumatic reasons.
"Bad memories?" Somin tried to fish for more information.
"It's complicated," he finished, clearly half zoned out, reliving the feeling of pulsing paint on his forehead. The hotness of the bloodstream slid down his nose.
This request brought the tension a bit back, but Somin yearned for a more deep connection with a beautiful boy. His remark sounded almost sinister.
We're friends. It's a friendly business. She tried to persuade herself.
"You can paint them yourself," she offered.
"That's not really the same." He was visibly sadder.
"Please, I want you to do it. Maybe it'll help me cover some difficult memories," Teho confessed, touching his forehead even though the scar had already healed.
Somin brought her pillow closer to him and Teho straightened up, sitting on his feet pushing his hand into her palm resolutely.
"Should I ask what happened?" she tried.
"Not a memory I want to relive, let's just say, my dad isn't the biggest fan of colors," he honestly said. "Help me forget," he pleaded.
Somin found a position in which to not ruin her newly done nails, making a surprise face. A reaction at his pretty, cared-for long fingers. She had noticed them from time to time but always forgot, her brain associating the boy's hands to be dirty and rough.
"I'm very vain," he said theatrically, watching her reaction and she chuckled.
"Are you sure, it's a vibrant color?" Somin asked again and he nodded.
She dunked the brush into the smelly substance and applied the color perfectly on the whole space of his nail. Teho smiled and noticed a book laying nearby on the table.
"Anyone interesting to compete with?" he asked, aware of every touch of her fingers on his skin.
"Same old same old." Somin decided to talk and not focus on his soft moisturized skin.
"Looks our boss is hitting at us,." She let him in on a plot, her desire pulsing. So she tried to hide it with friendliness.
Let's talk it through, be friends. Not lovers, please. But she knew tonight, she'll dream about Teho again.
"Do we like that or do we wanna contact HR?" he joked.
"I'm not sure. He's saying we're a flirty bitch and we kinda like that," Somin giggled, her cheeks reddening. She was painfully aware she was not drunk enough to cover the sexually charged conversation with the excuse of alcohol usage.
"Do we?" Teho asked, glad they were in their heightened senses, hoping he'll find a way to confess.
"Yeah, we're a hot, young intern with long blond hair and apparently too long legs which is a fine enough reason to scold us," Somin said hesitantly, painting one finger after another, aware of the intimate moment.
"Do we dress inappropriately for work?" Teho asked.
"We are just feeling ourselves within the confines of the company guidelines. It's his problem to overly focus on them." She laughed nervously.
"That's a dangerous situation," Teho smiled too, exchanging hands, letting the first layer dry.
"We're making him 'suffer' with our inconsiderate behavior and he wants to touch the hem of our skirt." Somin suddenly laughed freely.
The whole situation was bizarre and focusing on his hand helped her continue.
"That's a classic move," Teho laughed. "I think our boss has a hard time with us. Dare I guess we're alone in his office?" Teho said slowly, feeling the chemistry between them, seeing Somin accepting, not running away.
"Oh yes, we are. Another after-hours. That prick is letting us work more, in our uncomfortably tight skirt," Somin dramatically stated.
"I should apply to that office," Teho said seriously, finding the right spot to insert his words.
"I'll guess again," he paused. "We're in his pants already." She finished his pinkie and he held her hand with both of his.
"We overestimated his tolerance for our bratty bullshit," Somin answered, moving her head upwards to face him.
"It's funny you find that appealing, but when I'm around, you're having your bitchy intern persona turned off." He dared to push the comfort zone.
Somin's heart raced, but she dared to step into the conversation with him.
What do you want to say? Let's get it over with.
"That's because I'm not the female lead here," Somin seriously answered.
"Where's the line though?" he asked.
"In that room." Somin bobbed her head in the direction of Mia's room and he furrowed his brows at her.
"I've heard it's an insurmountable line." She let him in.
"And there I was thinking we're all adults here," he said, treading carefully around the dreaded topic.
Should I confess now?
"You know, adults have to make adult decisions, but my stupid ass book can do things I wouldn't dare." She felt the direction in which he tried to head.
Without question, she got from his grip and started to apply the second layer to his initial hand.
"So I rather let Jake take me on a fantasy which isn't in line with the company guidelines," she answered honestly.
Teho breathed in and mustered the courage to ask. Here goes nothing.
"Don't you have better premises to read, than the stark CEO's harassing young naive secretaries? Perhaps one where the male lead falls in love with the best friend of his partner?" He let that hang in the air and Somin turned to face him, understanding loud and clear.
"That's an outdated and overused premise," the scared paintress answered indirectly.
"Isn't it a much more nuanced theme than meeting a very rich man and trying to change him?" He fought his battle. "One to explore the female lead's need?"
Somin let go of his hands and he held them again.
"The 'other woman' shouldn't be the lead though, she shouldn't take a man from her best friend. It's a disloyal thing to do." Somin tried to make him understand.
"The theme should be reworked more realistically, women supporting each other, not stabbing their backs. They both should move away from such a man and find one without the overbearing history." The tiny girl was hypnotized by his protruding stare.
"What if he made a mistake? What if they understand each other on a whole other level? Is it right to take away the fairytale ending for the "friend" character? Doesn't she deserve to be loved too?" the boy asked.
"What is fairytale-like about losing your close friend, the only one you ever had for a shallow, vain man?" Somin asked.
"Is he really that one-dimensional? Isn't it in human nature to learn from our mistakes?" Somin fell silent.
"Finding a partner isn't a one-shot where if you missed it, you'll be destined to be forever alone, right?" Teho condensed his metaphor and played with her new bracelet. This action made Somin more painfully aware of what was happening.
"That is the burning question," Somin said and stood up to stretch up, finishing his second hand.
I said enough. She breathed out the tension.
He stood to face her.
"WE shouldn't," she said directly when their noses touched and she enveloped the small gold leaves with her whole hand.
"My question is do we want to?" he asked and breathed warmly onto her skin.
"Please work." She breathed out desperately, holding on to the last straws of her sanity.
"I promised I'll be good." He withdrew, seeing her struggle.
"But I won't be next time, I'll change into a rich CEO soon and they aren't so considerate as you may know," he said, going away to work on his project.
😳 Author's corner 😊
💅 Do you like men with painted nails? 💅
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🎨Illustrations of each chapter are available on my Wattpad acc, AO3 acc -klubickoArt🎨
