The sizzling sound was heard from the kitchen when I put the beef in the frying pan and stirred it. I could smell the meat was marinated well with the sauce.

The soup was almost done, need one or two more minutes till it boiled and was ready to serve.

I was about to cut the onion spring when I felt someone behind me. Seok-woo caressed my upper arms, bent down, and breathe deeply in satisfaction.

"Smells good, makes me hungry even more," he trapped my body inside his spreading arms—he put his palms on the cabinet, steadied himself to rest his chin on my shoulder.

"It's almost done; wait a little bit," I sprinkled the spring onion and more sesame seeds on the bulgogi and stirred it a few times, then turned off the stove as the soup started boiling. "Done," I exclaimed happily and turned to face the taller man who stared at me with his smile in his eyes. I cupped his face and pecked on his cheek lightly.

"Come on. I'll serve it on the dining table," Seok-woo complied and moved to sit on the stool. I put down the collagen soup pot in the middle and the bulgogi next to it. I sat beside him, took his empty soup bowl, poured the collagen soup, and gave it back to him.

He took a sip and gave me a satisfying reaction. "So good,"

I smiled and put more bulgogi beef in his rice bowl, "Eat a lot,"

Seok-woo devoured the dish and was pleasing his appetite as he said he hadn't had proper meals for days. Out of curiosity about his project, I asked him, "How's your project progressing? Do you still have to work on it?"

He sipped on the broth directly from the bowl and stared at me with his mouthful chewing on his food.

He swallowed and proceeded, "I sent it already to the provider. They're currently reviewing it,"

I put my chopstick down and sounded again, "Do you have to do it all alone? I'm always thinking you overwork yourself. Have you formed a team?"

"No," he replied. I waited till he finished chewing the meat to continue, "there are the three of us, but we're from different campuses,"

Ah. I nodded tried to process his explanation about working online. They had a meeting through video conference and often worked overnight. The three of them gathered to participate in an international competition.

"What will you get if you won the competition?" I glanced at him while asking the question.

He finished his last bite, then responded calmly, "Award, money, and maybe certificate? I don't care about the price, Baby," he turned his body to face me and was spreading his arms, trapping me inside. 

"So, what'd you care, then?" I teased him, to which he replied with a smirk.

"You,"

"Bullshit," I laughed as I playfully punched his bicep lightly.

He flashed his gorgeous smile and stared at me straight, then whispered, "Thanks for the meal," he said. I saw all the empty bowls and gave him a grateful smile in return.

He got up from the stool and collected the dishes, "I'll wash it," I nodded to his offer.

"Babe, it's your fault that I didn't bring any change nor a towel or—," I whispered a low "underwear," which he reacted with smirks. "So, I need to use all yours,"

"Oh, try open the second drawer, on the right. I think I have new pieces," I frowned but decided to walked inside his room and opened the second drawer only to find a few brand-new Calvin Klein woman underwears.

"Seok-woo!" I shouted from inside his room.

"Huh?" the latter shouted back. There was still the sound of water flowing from the sink; he was still washing the dishes.

"Why did you buy this kind of stuff?!" I ran outside his room and stood on a wall before the kitchen. He turned his head just to turned it back to the front, focusing on his activity.

He giggled when replying, "It's a gift from Inseong Hyung. Didn't you remember what he gave me on my last birthday?"

When they had Seokwoo's birthday party in his apartment, I recalled back the event that Inseong gave him a Calvin Klein set of couple underwear. I facepalmed in embarrassment.

"Why?" he finished washing the dishes and was drying his hand on a towel. "It's pretty. You'll look good in it," he was about to walk closer to me when I ran away back to his room.

"I'm going to wash up," I shouted, which he responded with chuckled.

Back to Seokwoo's room, I grabbed the bra and scrutinized the pieces. It was indeed pretty, though; the fabric quality and it was black. I like black, but I didn't have a lot of black underwear.

Had no other choices besides to accept it anyway, I shrugged and reached another drawer to grab a clean towel and entered his bathroom.

* * *

Feeling refresh after took a quick shower. I wrapped the towel around my wet hair. I was still wearing Seokwoo's oversized long sleeve t-shirt; I left my thigh exposed as the bottom of his long sleeve almost reached my upper knee.

I was about to clean up the scattered clothes on the floor and a few on his bed when I heard a vibrated sound.

I looked around but then realized I put my phone on the dining table. So, it must be Seokwoo's phone. I scanned the room, searching for his phone, and found it inside his coat pocket.

Three missed calls.

I slid the screen opened and checking the dialer.

"Seorina?" I frowned.

The phone vibrated twice; a message. I hesitated at first whether I should open it or told Seok-woo. But a woman instinct, I couldn't help to hit the notification and opened his messenger.

Seorina
20.12
Hey, handsome.
How about tonight? Do you have time?
We need to continue from what we left last night.
You can't leave me hanging like this!
Call me ASAP

I was stunned. I couldn't believe what I read; I blinked my eyes a few times then scrolled upward to read their conversation. It was too long that I could only reach their chat up till yesterday.

Seorina
14.55
What are you doing?

Seok-woo
14.56
Why?

Seorina
14.56
Check this out, need your opinion.

Seok-woo
15.06
LOL, what's this? Are you nuts?

Seorina
15.08
HAHA, it's pretty, right?

Seok-woo
15.10
Don't use a bright color. It's blinding. LMAO

Seorina
15.15
But RED is braver

Seok-woo
15.16
Black still is the best. Change it!

Seorina
15.18
How about taking both of them, Red and Black?
I think it'd be great.

Seok-woo
15.19
No, just take the black
Black is cooler

I was trying to click on the girl's picture, but it was blurred as the picture already expired. Yet I could see two photos of a girl wearing a long red dress with very low cleavage.

I abruptly closed the app and locked his phone. He used a different messenger from what we usually used. But how come? I swear his phone turned off for days.

Or maybe, he just turned it to airplane mode?

I was snapped back to reality as a sudden idea popped up in my head. Did he signed out to our messenger, and logged in to another one, put his phone on airplane mode, so that's why his phone had always turned off?

"Baby?" a low tone voice called out behind me as Seok-woo entered the room and walked closer to me. He touched my back with his torso, and his heat immediately radiated through my skin. I shut my eyes tightly, tried to calm down my breath and heartbeat.

"What are you doing?" he slowly moved his hand to release the towel wrap around my hair and tossed it to the floor. Let my damp hair loose to my back, all messy. He inhaled the scent of his soap on my skin, started from the back of my nape to the soft skin behind my right ear.

His phone was still in my hand. I gripped it tightly till my nails turned white. I was biting my lips, stared blankly on my front. I dropped his coat that I unconsciously held since then.

I dodged my neck to avoid his kisses and turned around, facing him. He pushed my body down to his bed and let me sit on its edge.

"Seok-woo," I called when the latter then sat beside me, was still trying to make moves, but I held him by his chest.

"Hmm?" he stared at me with a slight hint of confusion, but the rest of it was needs.

"Can I ask you something?" I hoarsely sounded.

He was silent for a second then nodded, "Sure, ask anything,"

"What did you do last night?" I was trying hard to control myself and my expression. I asked him the most basic question, tried to avoid any offending statement. Still waited for his response, I stared at him.

He frowned and stared upward for few moments, then answered, "I was working on my project, it was near the deadline, I need to submit the project at 10 PM, and that's it," he looked at me, confused, "Why?"

"No, just wondering," I handed him his phone. He looked at it briefly then took it. "I was about to gather our clothes when I heard your phone vibrated. Three missed calls from Seorina," I paused for a moment to learn his expression when he checked on his phone. His brows furrowed but still scrolling on the screen. The next second, he locked his phone back and threw it on the end table beside his bed.

"Who's Seorina?" I asked him with a very gentle voice when he finally turned his eyes to me, staring straight expressionlessly.

He breathed out, "she's a friend," he answered.

I kept silent.

He then opened his mouth again, was about to say something, but he swallowed it back. I didn't retort nor threw another question. I just stared quietly at him.

"She's just a friend," he emphasized once again.

I didn't utter any response. This girl was just a friend, but she has access to contact him while he blocked all the communication from me for a week. I was all suffered from missing him a lot, couldn't stop thinking about him. Meanwhile, I had no idea who that girl was, but she texted him, and he responded.

Seok-woo found the concern on my face. He sighed and explained, "She's one of my teammates in the competition. It was the three of us, and the other one is Jongin. Both of them are from KAIST,"

His phone vibrated again. Seorina is calling flashed on the screen.

"Answer it," it was the first voice that came out from me after a long silence.

He looked at me, figuring out my expression. Then the call stopped.

The next second, it vibrated again, and I got up. "Should I pick up the call?" I snarled and pointed to his phone. He reached out to grab his cellphone then glanced at me once before he rejected it.

I frowned. "It might be important," I blurted out upon seeing Seok-woo throwing his phone away again.

"I'll talk to her later," his voice stern and rigid. He turned his head to avoid my gaze. A wave of painful, solid ache hit me hard as if his action was indicating that my comment was troubled him. Did he intend to respond to the girl's calling? But he couldn't since I was here?

I was half hoping he would explain more and convinced me that there was nothing between them. But seeing him laid down to his bed while putting both his hands below his head and closed his eyes like that had me questioning my actual purpose of being here.

I quickly gathered my clothes, put on my pants, and was about to change clothes when I felt a hand grabbed my arm, and I cringed in pain from his firm grip.

"What are you doing?" he held me with panic in his eyes.

"I'd better go home," I said quickly without thinking.

"What do you mean?" he raised an eyebrow. I was trying to free my hand, but he was too strong. He got up and towering above me. "What are you thinking, Hyeyoon?" he asked again.

I couldn't hold it any longer. A single tear escape as I forced him to let go of my hand.

He let go, and I stepped back once. I stared at him; rage took over me, and all the piled-up emotion from more than a week of no news from him exploded at once.

"You ignored me for days. You said you were busy. I understand. You asked for space to focus, I granted. You said you'd find me once your work's done. I waited!"

I shut my eyes to ease the pain in my chest, but it won't leave. I let out a low voice, then added, "When I missed you a lot, worried that you might get sick from overwork, I came here just to check on you and gave you meals, but you rejected me,"

Seok-woo froze as he saw me furious for the first time.

"But guess what, turned out, you ignored me but had time to flirt with another girl?" I shot him right on the target.

He was ready to retort, but I cut him off, "I read your last messages with her, Seok-woo!" I hissed at him.

"You did?" he was dumbfounded but quickly restored. "Let me explain,"

I silenced, gave him the chance to explain himself.

"It was nothing. There was nothing serious between Seorina and me," Seok-woo began to explain after a moment of pause. "She was just asking my opinion, that's it,"

I asked him in return, "Let me confirm one thing," I had to compose myself before I completely lose my common sense. He waited, then I sounded, "answer me, honestly. Does she know you have a girlfriend? Did you tell her?"

But Seokwoo was surprisingly quiet. Not answering. My face darkened upon seeing his stillness. He didn't tell her, I assumed.

I broke his silence, "Then, can I block her number on your phone, too? Just like what you did to the guy I met ONCE at the supermarket?" I emphasized the word sternly to him.

But Seokwoo remained still. He didn't move for an inch. "You don't trust me?" he sounded.

I sighed in disappointment. It was getting more suspicious as he kept returning my question with another question.

"Seok-woo, the problem is not whether I trust you or not, but can I trust you?" I said then. "You said there's nothing serious with that girl. Then what makes me different than her? Are you even serious with me?" I asked him in a low and flat voice.

He gritted his teeth in response. Tried to calm himself down as emotion took him, never thought that we would be in a heated argument.

"You're talking nonsense, Hyeyoon," he got angry but didn't deny anything. That was confusing and frustrating at the same time.

As much as I was afraid that I might lose him, I couldn't stand the fact that he'd been ignoring me because of this and that, blocking the communication from me just to later was found out texting finely with another girl, while I was suffering from the lack of our interaction.

Yes, I was jealous and hurt.

He then realized the hurt in my eyes, and his expression softened.

"Do you like her?" I dare asked him and was taken aback as he didn't predict my question.

He stepped forward and reached my shoulder. He caressed it gently as he sounded in a low voice, "I love you, Hyeyoon,"

"You didn't deny," I was astonished by his honesty, but it also hurt me at the same time.

"No, she's just a friend. Yes, she was like that tried to attract me, I know that. I'm not blind," he reasoned. "But I felt nothing. That's why I said there was nothing serious with her. But I still need to contact her because of the project. I can't block her number, yet,"

"Did she know you have me already?" I asked him the same question once again.

He sighed and answered, "Not yet, we were mostly discussed about the project. I was more focused on that; I wasn't thinking about anything else," he explained.

"Can I believe you with that?" I finally asked. Seok-woo pulled my body into a hug.

"Yes," he said while resting his chin on my crown.

I breathed out, calming myself down, and said, "You should've told her at least,"

He nodded, "I know. I will tell her later,"

"Not only you can feel jealous, Seok-woo. I can feel jealous, too," I added more, and he tightened his hug.

"I know, I'm sorry," his voice softened. He then released his hug and pulled up my chin as he gave a light peck on my lips. "Please, stay tonight," he kissed again, grabbed my waist, and pulled it closer to his long body.

"I've missed you, too, Hyeyoon, a lot," he confessed eventually, and it somehow melted the ice in my heart that was unintentionally about to form when I need to defend myself from being hurt.

He leaned down to give me a sweet and gentle kiss. I let him devoured the taste of our sweet lips as he captured me in a heated and long kiss. Though we quickly solved the problem, I couldn't help to feel anxious as I sensed this might lead to other unwanted events in the future.

Something just seemed not right.

I shut my eyes to brush the thought off and tried to ignore the bad feelings.

Started to return his kisses. I pulled him tighter and kissed him back. He responded with a growl and pulled my body up just to laid me down on his bed, spending the rest of the night in his embrace.

====================================================================

A/N:

Hi... 😁😁😁
It's updated!!

To stick to the plot, I need to write this chapter even though it's also hard for me to write them arguing.

But every story needs a conflict 😄

And both Seok-woo and Hyeyoon are still young. They need to face difficulties to grow up more.

Their journey has just started, and it's still a very long way to go.

Thanks to everyone who still wants to read this story. I love you all, too.

It warms my heart to read all your comments.

And thank you to those who give feedback and correcting my mistakes. Hehe.

Please, let me know if there are any more mistakes. I'm so happy that everyone enjoys reading their story.

I'll work on the next chapter so, till we meet again in the next update.

Much of love.. 💕