By Zephyria “Let’s go eat ice cream.”
“Huh?”
Why on earth did he think I liked ice cream? I was led by the hand by Sung Se-han to the car, and the Vice Manager leaned out of the driver’s seat.
“It took quite a while.”
“It turned out that way.”
Sung Se-han, who opened the back door, pushed my back. I bit my lip tightly and got into the car, sitting close to the window.
Today, Sung Se-han hugged my shoulder without hesitation and naturally held my hand. And I realized now that I had accepted it all without any resistance.
The moment Sung Se-han got into the seat next to me, I couldn’t help but grab my head.
“Ha…!”
What should I do now?
Now that I had escaped that huge house, I felt in my skin that the things I had vowed and decided for Sung Se-han were all starting to fall apart. That was the reality that was facing me.
“Hyung, I’ll go to the hotel.”
“Hotel? Why the hotel?”
I raised my head sharply at Sung Se-han and the Vice Manager’s conversation. Crazy! I had completely forgotten. I had followed Sung Se-han without telling the members, so it must be a complete mess by now….
I hurriedly took out my cell phone from my pocket, and the screen was cracked like a spider web. Ah… Come to think of it, I had dropped my cell phone in the parking lot earlier…! I unlocked the screen with a nervous heart, and fortunately, the power came on without any problems.
Contrary to what I had expected, that there would be a huge number of missed calls, there were no calls or texts from the members. There were only two missed calls from the manager Hyung.
“We’re going to eat ice cream.”
“Hey, wait a minute…!”
No matter how sweet Sung Se-han’s offer was, this was not the time for me to leisurely eat ice cream. I held my cell phone tightly and turned to Sung Se-han.
“I have to go back to the studio quickly. I haven’t even contacted the members yet.”
“We’re going straight to the studio, so you don’t have to worry, Tae-kyung.”
The Vice Manager looked at me through the rearview mirror.
“The PD must have taken measures for Tae-kyung’s lateness, so don’t worry about that either.”
“Hyung.”
Sung Se-han, leaning against the seat, crossed his arms.
“I said I was going to the hotel.”
There was laughter in Sung Se-han’s voice, but that didn’t mean it was a pleasant tone. The atmosphere in the car instantly sank, and I ended up looking at him for no reason.
This bastard isn’t going to get angry at the Vice Manager Hyung, who is suffering because of him, is he…?
“Se-han, think again. Sunbae is waiting, do you really have to go to the hotel now?”
My heart was pounding for no reason, perhaps because it was the first time I had seen the Vice Manager raise his voice.
Come to think of it, that’s right. If Sung Se-han went to meet his Maternal Grandfather for any reason, Kang Robin Sunbae would have no choice but to be anxious. In fact, I couldn’t just watch Sung Se-han follow those bastards.
Silence continued to flow inside as the sedan, which had left the quiet residential area, entered the four-lane road. I turned to Sung Se-han with a somewhat anxious heart.
“……!”
I was completely flustered when my eyes met Sung Se-han’s at that moment. It seemed he had been looking at me the whole time, leaning diagonally against the seat.
“If you’re going to the hotel, drop me off in the middle.”
I raised my voice for no reason because I had missed the timing to avoid his gaze. If I didn’t want it to be awkward, it seemed better to put strength in my eyes and pretend to be angry.
“But, my cell phone is broken, so I need to borrow some taxi fare.”
“Okay.”
Sung Se-han, who had been crossing his arms, raised one hand above the seat.
“I’ll go to the studio, Hyung.”
“Okay. Good thinking.”
The Vice Manager’s voice became lighter as if he liked the answer. On the other hand, I was rapidly getting tired because my nerves were on edge even with Sung Se-han’s small movements.
I already felt like I had exhausted all my energy while escaping the mansion, and now it seemed like it was time for my nerves to run out.
If I wanted to live, I had to get out of the car as soon as possible….
“What’s our Sky Blue Lee Tae-kyung’s ideal type?”
I barely managed to turn my gaze away, but I couldn’t help but look at Sung Se-han again.
“Hey, can’t you call my name properly?”
For some reason, my eyes flashed because of the guy who kept calling my name strangely.
“Not Sky Blue Lee Tae-kyung, just Lee Tae-kyung! Lee Tae-kyung, I said. Can’t you understand that?”
“It’s not that I can’t understand.”
Sung Se-han frowned as if he was feeling sorry.
“I want to call you by a different name than others. Can you understand that feeling?”
“No? I can’t?”
“Oh, dear.”
It was hard to keep responding sharply to the guy who was smiling with his eyes folded. No, actually, I didn’t want to.
Today, Sung Se-han had a difficult conversation with his Maternal Grandfather.
Even if I tried to pretend not to know and ignore it, the fact that he could continue to put a stop to Sung Se-han’s life was making me miserable and powerless. I was like this, so how would Sung Se-han feel? I couldn’t even guess.
“Can I hold your hand?”
In this situation, what was so good about this guy that he was smiling so beautifully?
“Sung Se-han, I have things to think about right now. I wish we could go quietly….”
It was the moment I let out a deep sigh. Sung Se-han’s hand, which had stretched out, gently grabbed my hand on my thigh.
I froze instantly and couldn’t move at all, even though his long fingers were digging into my palm.
“Are your hands usually cold?”
My shoulders shrank at the husky voice that was heard right next to me.
They’re not usually cold, but I guess it’s because I’m too nervous right now. That’s what I should have said, but I couldn’t say anything.
You know best what my body temperature is, Sung Se-han.
Maybe that’s what I really want to say.
I know it doesn’t make sense, but it’s hard to bear Sung Se-han treating me like a stranger. How can I feel this kind of resentment without being crazy? I felt disgusted with myself.
Sung Se-han squeezed my hand so that our palms were touching each other, and it felt like he was going to find out about my throbbing pulse. I couldn’t hide my trembling heart either.
What if he finds out that I feel like I’m suffocating and dying? I can’t. What should I do now? Hot breath poured out from my trembling lips.
At that time, Sung Se-han leaned his shoulder towards me and came closer.
“Do you want to be with me today?”
My mind went blank because of the voice whispering in my ear.
I bit my lip tightly to avoid nodding, but I couldn’t handle anything.
I want to be with you, Sung Se-han. I never want to let go of this hand. So please, I wish time would stop. Even if I closed my eyes tightly, fearing that my desperate heart would jump out of my mouth, my heart continued to pound in my ears.
“I’m sorry, but… I also have a schedule.”
It must be because I overworked my heart too much. A cracked voice that didn’t sound like mine was spat out.
My palms were already sweaty and damp from holding hands so tightly. I was only worried that Sung Se-han might be upset.
“Don’t you want to be alone with me?”
His voice, which had been lowered subtly as if to soothe me, seemed to melt in my ear. Sung Se-han’s thumb began to stroke the back of my hand in circles. I gradually became short of breath and let out a short breath.
Sung Se-han’s heavy hand pressing on my thigh. I couldn’t think of anything other than the hot weight that felt like I was getting burned. Haa…! The stuffy space was so suffocating and painful that my mouth, which was exhaling, opened wider and wider.
“I want to take you to my apartment.”
Sung Se-han’s apartment. If I ran away there, could we be alone without anyone knowing? If there was a place to hide so that no one could disturb us, I would jump into it no matter where it was.
If only I could, I would hug Sung Se-han and not let go until this long time was over. Like then. If Sung Se-han hugged me roughly.
What woke me up from my fading consciousness was a small clearing of his throat.
“Ahem, Se-han. I keep hearing the vibration sound? Shouldn’t you answer the phone first?”
I blinked for a moment with a dazed feeling at the Vice Manager’s clear voice.
“Ah.”
Sung Se-han’s sigh made my body react sensitively. The moment I reflexively turned around, my eyes met his clear brown ones.
“I was almost there.”
Even with his gentle eye smile, he couldn’t hide his confident gaze.
“Hyung, you’re really cutting in without any tact.”
While I stared at Sung Se-han in a daze, my head gradually cleared.
Every time Sung Se-han whispered, I felt a pain as if my heart was being squeezed and released. It seemed this bastard was enjoying my reaction.
Seeing Sung Se-han raise the corners of his lips in satisfaction, my head heated up.
Right. Seeing me completely frozen from head to toe, he must have noticed. He saw me sweating profusely from nervousness, so he couldn’t possibly not know.