Chanyeol: Okay
He only replied that short word after all the shady expression I crammed over my visage. He probably learnt something after all

Y/n: Thank you
In a blink of second, I turned into an unholy to the beautiful with an tiny indulgence. My soft gratitude got him satisfied willingly meeting my eyes with his bright ones

Chanyeol: What for?
I knew that he knew why. And I knew he wanted to name his honourable helps, also he knew I would point them out voluntarily since I was enlightened by that time

Y/n: For buying me ice cream, tho you ate it at the end, for the security belt-
He giggled at ' the security belt ' words and nodded rhythmically to his snickers

Y/n: And for Jongdae's number
I painted a smug over his lips just there pointing out his goody goody and persuaded for my own path of getting Jongdae's number. And the one who literally had no hint of my cunning, just grinned satisfactorily

Chanyeol: You're welcomed

Y/n: So, give it now
I hurried extending my hand to his face solicited what I'd been striving from the start

Chanyeol: Huh?
C.O.N.F.U.S.E.D clearly written on his visage, proofing me that he himself was sometimes almost understandable and yet stupid

Y/n: I've shown you my gratitude, and now you have to match with it
I hanged my palm in front of his nose jerking and gesturing with the cocky fake smile

Chanyeol: What? Hm, hahaha hahaha
He bursted out in laughs at me easygoing boastfully, playing along with my mood swings

Chanyeol: You said thank you to have his number asap?
He inspected unbelievably confirming if my statements were meant for him or for Jongdae's number, earning a quick nod from my skull

Chanyeol: Give and take doesn't work on me darling, wait
He was like a master who was training his puppy how to be patient in front of his food

Chanyeol: Then, I take my gratitude back
He neighed a laugh at my childishness and learned my face expression in silence reading every signatures upon each inch of my facial skin

Chanyeol: There's three things you can't do to man. You know what're those?
He slapped my palm to the bed pressing it with his own hand oppressing me from nagging him the number. When I looked up to his brown shady orbs, I found seriousness and crankiness all mixed in the same ratio

Y/n: No
I wondered his question goodly waiting for the solutions he'd unravel by himself, but I hadn't thought of him to be that theorist type and luring

Chanyeol: One, you don't close your eyes in front of him
His threat got me considered over my past altitudes in a daze trapping in a trance
* Did I close my eyes in front of a man? *

Chanyeol: Two, you don't open up or show your weakness to him
I thought he'd unravel his question but deeper the conversation, quizzer the solution

* Weakness? Open up? *
I perked my lips squinting and twitching my whole face at the additional question in my thoughts

Chanyeol: If you do, he'll protect you till his last breath

My mind slowly captured in a hallucinated fantasy and the background got blurry and my vision only highlighted his figure. His existence started threading me from the 0 possibility to much more intimidating amount but I tried to back off. He clutched my hand under his palm forcefully spreading my fingers. He filled the space between my fingers with his long thick ones and intertwined our fingers linking them perfectly like they're made for each one of them

Chanyeol: Three, you don't stay close to his face
Well, last thing wasn't what I exactly expected but also utterly brutal to my forecast

* What is he intriguing now? *
I got suspicious over his coolness for such nonplused solvability along with the thought that what if he's just messing with me

Chanyeol: Ya know why?
I shot my gaze to anywhere just not his face frantically tended to avoid his fierce gaze, as if I wasn't captured with invisible cage which he sneakingly barred me from moving, so called hypnotism

Chanyeol: Cause, he might kiss you there
An awkward gasp escaped out of my lips which he enjoyed and fed on its nervousness right away

* What is this situation? *
My lips withered and my throat became dry. My chest begged my heart not to thump fast so that it could still stick to my body. His captivated lips chortled a silent giggle and after that my whole body already got sweaty

Y/n: And,and who said I'd let you kiss me?
I shrugged uninterestedly and turned around before he caught the tint red marks on my pink cheeks. But I regretted for blabbering like that when he pointed out a missing fact

Chanyeol: And why you think I'd kiss you?
Nothing spilled out of me. My throat was already choked with the lump inside it and my eyes died right on his visage not really capable of attempting anything, cause he already had tempted me. Somehow I felt an offend in the flow of his tone but someway, he reminded of my actions and feelings weren't hod I really thought they were. He's not stupid. He's just allowing me to think he was, totally making me a fool

~ Next morning ~

It was a hectic morning for me. Once I finished washing the dishes after the breakfast, Yoonhae aunty asked me to make an exalted challenge. I knew she wanted me to cope about the kitchen staffs and I wished I could handle all the cooking staffs too. So like a obedient daughter-in-law, I nodded and approved her advice when she asked me to make cinnamon rolls

The waft of the breeze from the opened window was blowing and the whole kitchen was cloudy with the flour. Because of the flour in the air and the fever I got from last night, I was coughing from time to time. I poured some butter, milk, sugar and yeast together and stirred them patiently during my sneezes and coughs

After adding some flour, I slept them for an hour. I killed that one hour by taking shower and reading newspaper. Everything was fine till I officially met the yeast dough. I was struggling with the dough while rubbing the sweat on my temple with the back of my hand. It didn't come out exactly like the one in the book. It looked stiffened and when I sprinkled water, the dough ball became sticky and my fingers were stuck with it

* Let's see who'll win at last between you and me, you ball dough *
I challenged inside my thoughts to non living thing like a total gone crazy woman. I tolerated the sticky dough and exerted to do better. I kept pouring water and kneading the dough over and over again but it just didn't become the relevant one to be baked

* How long do I have to message this lifeless thing? *
I wailed silently along with a scratchy sigh from my throat. The dough ball was totally devastated in my hand. Just only it's figure was pathetically scary and I wouldn't dare to think what its taste would be like. I puckered my lips and tried to save it by adding some more water, but my inner self knew that I was more than killing the faultless dough. At the same time, Diamond barged inside my view of vision scooting into the kitchen and rubbing my ankles with its delicate fur. She was probably asking me for some food

Y/n: Sorry, Diamond. I'm quite busy right now. Go to Miranda
I let her know and sighed a long heavy huff. And when I reluctantly looked at the clock on the kitchen wall, I realized it was half past of 11. It had already passed a half of the day and I still remained to meet Jongdae. If I didn't meet him on that day, I'd have to wait for the next weekend to have a solution for my curiosity. That thought unmotivated me badly and I also didn't have any better way to finish doing that dough

" Love me don't hurt me, just kiss me don't burn me babe, I'll be yours. I'll be yours "
I heard footsteps entering the house with the humming of a song which someone used to sing. I recognized his humming immediately

* He must be coming be coming back from gym*
I realized that he went for gym every Sunday and hanged along with his friends. He came back at almost at the noon for lunch and it circled every weekend. I heard his footsteps passed across the living room and stopped right in front of the kitchen. Also his humming quietened right there while I kept struggling on my own work ignorantly to his existence

Chanyeol: Who made you do that again?
He spoke out rather not angrily or happily with a neutral look on his visage while taking a seat at the dinning table

Y/n: Your mother gave me another exam and I gotta pass it
I scraped my forehead with my hand and replied before I turned my gaze back to the ruined dough releasing sighs non stop

Chanyeol: And are you doing good?
He asked sarcastically while grabbing an apple on the dinning table before he took a delicious bite. I remained silent not giving a single reply. Then suddenly the flour were stormed in the air and I automatically backed off immediately, eyes closing tightly, hands in front of my face in a defensive position. When I opened my eyes, I saw him leaning over me with a cheerful grin. He just blew the flour intentionally to disturb me

Y/n: Arghh, why would you do that?
I whined irritatedly earning a chortle from his lips

Chanyeol: I'll ask you again. Answer the truth or I'll blow the flour to you again? Ahem, are you doing well?

A fake cough, it wasn't even necessary to do so. He sure knew I was having trouble at his mom's exam and I willed to pretend no longer either. So I shook my head unpleasantly. Right after that, he took off his hoodie and cap then placed it on the seat. I was sure he was good at kitchen staffs and he'd help me at that too

He rinsed his hands at the basin and wiped it with the towel before he touched the dough. He firstly started inspecting the dough with his fingers. Then his face showed an uncomfortable expression and poked the bowl of the dough away. He was shaking his head while looking at it quizzing me again

* Why, is he shaking his head? *

Chanyeol: Auuuu, what'd happened to you dear?
He sadly murmured while looking at the dough with pitiful facial expression

Chanyeol: Rest in peace. I'm so sorry for you
He said and gave me the bowl signing me to take it away with his brows

Y/n: What's that reaction for?
I asked out while cuddling the bowl quite displeased by the look in his eyes

Chanyeol: I can't save his life
He sighed provokingly and pressed his lips linearly with a grey expression like he lost someone. His overreaction won a disgusted look from me and I was sure he was enjoying on my feedback. Tho I'd love to bark him back, I swallowed that urge and tolerated his tease 'cause I needed his help desperately and he'd only love having me closed my mouth.
He focused on the creation of a perfect dough after the conversation while I was gawking his features clarifyingly. I memorized his sleeves above his wrists at his elbows, his hefty chest under the sweaty shirt and the cloudy flour on that shirt. That man looked perfect and suited learning me a new thing that he was also a man who was over by so many women. I was curious about him since I rarely focused on his life before and I felt I should learn to know him better

Chanyeol: Close your eyes
He commanded with a hard time suddenly pulling me out of my little fantasy and I wasn't his little puppy who would obey him whatever he demanded. My pride stuck up on the way to my safety. The three things he said, danced on my eardrums and made me disobey his command

" You don't close your eyes in front of him " Those words forced me to remain my eyes opened over the insecurity of my feelings proving I didn't will him to do the thing he warned me last night, the kiss thing.
I stubbornly stayed my eyes wide opened and didn't realized him shaking the fine-mesh sieve with the flour. He was closing his eyes but I didn't, which foolishly gave an entry of flour to my eyes

Y/n: Ahhhhhhh
I wept and rubbed my eyes with my wrists with unbalanced pose slightly infuriated at the case

Chanyeol: Are you ok? Come here
He pulled me towards him and cupped my chin with his hand when his other hand prodded my eyes by the help of soaked towel

Chanyeol: Open your eyes
He softly insisted but my inner insisted something else, so I struggled and tried to back off which angered him ungodly

Chanyeol: What are you doing? STAY STILL
His sharp tone froze me got me I stopped moving. I opened my eyes gradually felt him blowing some soft waft into my eyes, while my hands found their way to clutch his biceps grippingly on his clothing

< END OF CHAPTER 17 >