37. kisses

Han Seojun had never felt the adrenaline rush through his veins as he did at that very moment. He felt akin to when he would play in the court, or sing back then, but this was the only time that topped the others. If there was anything better than this feeling, even then he would not give this up.

To kiss someone was one thing, but to kiss Kang Soojin was another.

She had held him closer, hands holding his the collar of his jacket, demanding more everytime they were panting and pulling him closer like they were not two but one. She tasted different than the last time he kissed her, it was more sweet, more addicting and more of his scent mixed with hers. He liked it, rather he loved it. So he hungrily kissed her, caging her soft lips in his, pinning her on the wall, her hands were also pressed against the wall.

And Seojun enjoyed how frustrated she was because of the lack of movement. He had taken all of the authority between them, towering her and not leaving her any room but to comply with the kisses. He would never let go of her if it was he could wish for.

Kang Soojin hated being under the hold of anyone, she was never the one to oblige to anyone's orders. So when Seojun held her against the wall, taking his sweet time in kissing her lips and curling her toes, she felt both helpless under his hold and captivated by his hungry kisses.

She had never been kissed like that. It was more demanding, more meaningful than the ones she had before, and this one meant so much. It was the only reason why she'd kiss the boy than tend to her paining ankle.

As much as she would want to let Seojun take her down slowly, she had to do something to turn the tables.

So she did what she could think of, she frenched her way out of this because the moment she let her tongue touch his, Seojun was taken aback for a split second and she took her chance. She turned immediately, slamming him behind as she kissed him more, even though they were breathless, they just could not let go.

Seojun was already stunned by Soojin's grit. But he would be lying if he said he did not enjoy it, to be taken control over than being in charge for once.

They broke apart when Soojin winced, unable to hold the pain of her ankle and panting for breath, they had to take a minute to calm down.

Seojun was in a daze, he was kissed like what he had heard and seen only in movies or when the girls he kissed told him that they were blown away. So this is what it felt to be kissed the heck out of him. But when he did catch his breath, he tended to the girl who sat on the bed, holding her ankle.

"I am so sorry," He said, kneeling down as he faced the girl, "is it hurting a lot?" He asked, concerned but Soojin held his shoulder, shaking her head.

"Ani," She replied, wiping the tears from her eyes, "just..."

They looked at each other, this time Soojin was inches taller than him and they were for the first time gawking at each other, without the need to hide it. Her hand holding his jacket, his hands on the either side of the cushioned bed and all they did was stare at each other.

Of course they wanted more, a lot more and whatever it was, no matter how twisted it seemed, it was nice.

"This may seem weird to say," Seojun replied, hands rubbing the back of his hair. "But is there something to eat, I am famished."

Soojin tilted her head, of course Seojun would talk about food post their moment. "geureom," Soojin said, reaching out to the landline in her room. "What would you like to eat?"

Seojun stood up, getting rid of his damp jacket, running the water off his head by vigorously shaking it. "Whatever there is at home?"

"We have it all cooked as per personal preferences, what do you want?"

They were rich, Han Seojun forgot how rich though. But he would rather be poor and happy with his little family than be rich and miserable as Soojin was. And he knew Soojin would trade lives instantly too.

"What do you like?"

"I am not hungry," She replied, sighing, "I had something..."

"You don't have to lie to me. I know you did not eat anything."

Soojin had no reply to that, she just dialed the number to the kitchen and asked the chef to make them some tteokbokki and few side dishes and rice with soup bowl, and bring in some cool drink to wash it down.

While she did that, she offered Seojun to get rid of his cold uniform if he wanted to and gave him a pair of her tracks and hoodie. She had a couple of oversized clothes so it fit him easily and while he changed, Soojin peeped outside her room only to find her father gone for the night and her mother drinking in her room.

Great parents for real.

The meal was readied by the time Seojun stepped out of the hot shower, he was marvelled by the way Soojin's bathroom was bigger than his room and that she had a closet huge enough to be mistaken as someone's house.

Fame and royalty, she really was a princess, he thought but never been treated as one. Seojun stepped with water dripping from his hair but he did not dry it when he saw the hot meal laying on the coffee table and he forgot everything as he sat on the floor.

"you can sit up."

Seojun was already attacking the hot food, burning his tongue but still enjoying the meal and waved his hand at Soojin, clearly he was comfortable and Soojin watched how mannerless Seojun was but still enjoying his meal. She was amazed at how he could be at ease anywhere, enjoy little moments like hot food and smile ever so often.

"YA Soojin-ah," Seojun mumbled with mouthful, "you should taste this, this is five star kinda food. Aish, best thing I have ever eaten..." He kept feeding himself and Soojin shook her head.

Nevertheless she sat in front of him, lowering the table so it was at proper height and watched the tall boy eat the food made for the two of them.

"I LOVE THIS!" Soojin fiddled with the drink she poured in the glass for herself, it was a mixed fruit juice, freshly made for them but her appetite was never present to enjoy meals as Seojun did. "If I knew the chef here made such amazing dishes," He gulped the food, still mouthful, "I would have befriended you much before."

"If I knew your Omma makes such great ramyeon, I'd befriend you long back too." She replied, keeping the drink aside, she really felt too full already. "Besides, this food is good once in a while, you cannot have it daily."

Han Seojun rolled his eyes, "you clearly have not been with me." He downed the food with the drink and got ready for a second serving. "Here, you should have this," He forwarded the chopstick with the rice-ball towards her and urged her to eat. "Have it!"

"I don't want it." She replied, but Seojun did not pay heed to it and kept the chopstick closer to her mouth, "YA Han Seojun."

"Eat up, I need to eat more."

It was legit senseless to argue with Seojun so Soojin took the other pair of chopsticks and held the rice-ball from his, and ate it slowly whilst Seojun smiled at the girl. She really was way different from all of the girls she met and it was worth noting how much he was growing to like it.

"Tasty, is it not?" He asked, eyes lit up like a little kid.

"De," She nodded, wiping her mouth with the napkin, neatly keeping it down. "Eat up, and leave, it is past evening. Did you climb nine floors again?"

"Aniyo," Seojun thought Soojin's manners were her being prim and showing off her staus but knowing troublesome her father was, this was clearly a sign of trauma. "I came from Suho's room."

"Wait-" Soojin tilted her head, "so Suho knows you are here?" She did not like the idea of others knowing about her whereabouts. "That is right, I did tell him to not wait up so its cool."

"Ani, it is not cool." Soojin replied, a little loud getting Seojun's attention and he stopped drinking the soup. "What are you going to tell him when you leave?"

"I am going to tell him that I had dinner and that I am full?" He was confused, resuming to eat and Soojin realised that Seojun was still the dumb idiot she knew since they were in middle school. "Wait, you are asking me to go and eat with him too? Why would I eat twice?" He stopped, thinking, "maybe I should, he could have made something nicer for me to eat..."

That was when Soojin laughed.

At first Han Seojun was stunned, every time Soojin smiles, he feels something as close to as he does whenever he sees his girls laugh, or when Jugyeong did, and now when she was laughing, Seojun put the chopsticks down and watched the girl.

She never smiled, laughing was out of question and that added to how precious her smile was.

"YA why are you laughing at me?" He said, eyeing the girl with feigned annoyance.

She chuckled, shaking her head, "ani, I am not laughing at you." But she could not surpress the smile, the more she did, the more she smiled. "Stop staring at me, it makes me laugh more."

"Well then I am going to be staring at you forever."

That made her conscious and she stopped smiling, daringly meeting Seojun's eyes, the same ones she had seen him gawk in love at Jugyeong. Those happy pair of eyes were now attentive at her and she did not know how to react to them.

They made her both melt in a puddle and nervous as hell, but Soojin hardly let emotions take over her grim stance.

"Ajhussi," Soojin changed the subject, pointing the chopsticks at him, "you need to focus on studying, there is hardly a week left for exams."

"AJHUSSI!" He exclaimed, dramatically of course, "YA, don't bring in the exams and ruin my appettite." He pushed the food, sighing, "I guess I already lost it."

"Lost it?" Soojin scoffed, eyeing the boy, "you already ate so much. Just say you are full."

They narrowed their eyes as they went on a staring contest. After Soojin's unwillingness to give up, Seojun backed off and finished the rice in the bowl. He may not be well aquainted with table manners, but many a nights with little to no food had taught him to not waste any.

Seojun helped Soojin clean up afterwards, and once they were done, Seojun was ready to leave. He did not want to. He wanted to talk to Soojin, about them, about the kiss, about her past, everything that was bothering her and everything about them.

But he did not want to force her to do anything she was not comfortable to do.

He stood at the balcony, ready to walk the thin line back at Suho's room but before that he faced Soojin who came to shut the window behind him.

"What?" She asked when he turned, the bag of his wet clothes in his hand and the other he held hers, dumbfounding her.

Without wasting a single second, he leaned in for a quick peck and Soojin shut her eyes rather instinctively, and while she would not have denied another set of Seojun's kisses, a peck on her lips was all he gave her.

"You are not alone." He said, pressing her hand softly, and with that he slipped her a little something. Soon he was gone.

Soojin watched him walking across the little cement pathway and hop into Suho's balcony, and before he could turn she shut the window. She could finally hear her heartbeats in the room, her breathing seemed to ease and weirdly a smile hit her lips.

Her palm held the piece of paper Seojun had given her, on opening it she saw it was a another paper flower. The origami flower which was a bit wet from being in his pocket but it was cute, yellow and she held it close to her.

Smiling at the flower, she opened the drawer to her wardrobe and opened the little wooden box Suho had gifted her on her tenth birthday. It had all sorts of things, the movie tickets when Suho and she had gone when they were thirteen, So-ah's handmade cards for her birthdays, her brother's baby toy and the scrunchie she and Jugyeong had bought together. There she kept the paper flower, neatly.

Next to the paper flower he had given her back in the cafe.

All of these would be her something to cling to when it was time to go.

_

I'm high on them.