Royals

Chapter 6 - Mint Chocolate

He instantly takes a step in my direction and keeps the garbage bag in front of me, my only defense at this point.

"What did you just call me?" he asks, his voice low and I am surprised I am not shitting my pants.

I don't know how a guy with pink hair can be intimidating but he is here proving that it is indeed possible.

"You called me stalker first. I don't even know who you are. Why would I stalk you? I saw you here for the first time" I say.

His posture seems to relax as he studies me with his head tilted to a side.

God, he is handsome even when he is so clueless.

God has his favorites.

Clearly.

"You don't know who I am? Is this a joke? Turn on that metal brick and show me what you recorded" he states and puts in hands in his pockets.

He stands directly in front of me, trapping me between the garbage bin and him.

At this point I would take my bet on jumping into the garbage can.

I don't think he would dive in it to get me out, would he?

Ugh, what am I even thinking! Get your head straight Yuri and try to find a way to get out of this situation as fast as possible.

"Fine" I huff, maybe I show him that I wasn't recording anything, he will leave me alone.

Although I don't understand why is he so obsessed with if somebody take picture or record it?

Like I understand that this was a private moment and all and nobody likes their privacy to be invaded but still.

I press on the side button for a minute straight and the phone finally turns on.

The boy's gaze stays stuck on my phone. My phone takes it's sweet getting turned on but once it does, I open up my gallery to see if I have any embarrassing pictures but there isn't.

My gallery is just filled with San, Woojin and my photos that wee took on our last weekend trip to the beach.

I mean, we are posing like fools doing stupid shit in the pictures but this man has seen me crouching on my knees in a dirty alley and thinks I am a stalker.

A few embarrassing pictures are not really going to change much of his opinion about me.

And the faster I show his paranoid ass that I was not secretly taking his pictures or videos, the faster I can get away from him and to my house.

I show him my gallery but don't give him my phone.

He doesn't ask for it, thankfully.

But he does scroll through a couple time.

I see his skeptical expression change little by little. He stares at a picture of San, Woojin, and I, both the guys on either side of me as they raised a lock of my hair to make a fake mustache on their faces.

It was a nice picture.

I smile at the picture involuntarily but when I look up at him, I see a foreign expression on his face. It is a contrast to the glare and cold stares.

He tilts his head, studying the picture quizzically. Like he's not siure what exactly he is looking at. I grow conscious of the picture and my goofy expression in it.

"And that's enough. You saw I didn't takes pictures of record anything. Are you happy now?" I ask and he looks up at me, his glare back in place.

But then, as he stares at me, his shoulders visibly relax under his jacket and his harsh glare turns softer.

"And before you ask why I was hiding. I needed to throw the garbage but I didn't want to come in between you and your girlfriend. I didn't want to be in the middle of the fight. So I stayed in the corner" I finish.

"Ex-girlfriend" he corrects, his face turning sour just at the mention of the girl.

I just nod.

What else can I say?

My big mouth and no filter have to get me in trouble again and again. Just when he seemed to relax a little I had to say something to sour his mood again.

I could have just not said anything but No, I had to word vomit.

Don't I want to live?

I know this is an unfair world but I still have a lot to do.

"Whatever. I don't want to get into all that. Now, since our misunderstanding is cleared, you can go your ways and I can go mine" I say and turn to dump the garbage.

"Do you really not know who I am?" Not this again.

"Listen Mr. I have no idea who you are and I don't want to know you. I am sure you are some rich kid or have a lot of connections, given your girlfriend is a Royals High student but I am least interested in it all. So please, let's just stop this" I sigh, resigned.

I am hungry and extremely tired. My mom can call any minute now. I am sure she is worried and angry I am so late.

I just want today to end as fast as possible.

"Do you have mint chocolate ice-cream in the store?" he ask casually and I just stare at him.

Is he crazy?

Why is he asking that so suddenly?

Where did mint chocolate come into the conversation?

I turn to look at him like he has three heads.

"Are you an ice cream thief on top of being a grade-A asshole?" my word vomit takes hold of me again. At this point I am sure, he's going to throw me into the garbage can and close the lid on me.

My expression must be amusing because he chuckles and tilts his head to the side again.

Why does he always do that?

And why am I noticing things about him?

Yuri, you need to get yourself out of this situation as fast as possible.

"I really missed mint-choco ice cream. Do they still have some in the store?" his deep red lips form a pout and his eyes soften.

Such a contrast from just a few minutes earlier.

He looks so different right now. No one would have guessed it was the same guy who was thretening me a few moments ago.

But I don't know, something about him made feel like he didn't want to be alone right now. What I didn't understand was that why did he want to drag me with him?

Did he forget he was just accusing me of being a stalker and now he is showing aegyo?

Is he bipolar?

He really is mad.

Or maybe I am.

Because, despite my better judgment, I nod.

Yes.