Scholarship Princess | Choi Seungcheol

21.

::

Seungcheol liked her.

Ari could tell from the way his eyes swept over her person, the way his hand shot out to support her when she nearly stumbled out of the car. Ari could tell from the warmth that seared into her skin every time Seungcheol touched her and the look in his eyes when he spoke a truth that threatened a lie, "You needed a break."

Why? Why did he look away immediately after? What did his expression hide? Ari was confident Seungcheol liked her as she trailed behind him to the trunk of the car.

"Here," Seungcheol spoke opening the bank of bags nestled in the back. Bags lined up, Ari tried her hand at pulling one. Fingers curled around the handle, Ari estimated the weight of the bag for a split second, realising it was heavy but not hard to carry. Knowing she could handle it, Ari peeked a gaze at Seungcheol who was casually watching over her when an idea struck her. Ari's uncertain mind about the feelings Seungcheol kept hidden would receive a go-ahead if Seungcheol were to help her right when she was struggling.

It was Ari's chance to confirm his mind. Feigning her expression, Ari pretended the light blue bag had rocks filled in them. "Why is this so heavy?" Ari muttered audibly, grasping for attention while testing his response.

But Seungcheol was passive. He stood by, "Give it a try." He answered, eyes looking downward, not quite caring. "You can do this much."

One hand in his pocket, Seungcheol's relaxed attitude made Ari narrow her eyes. Was he truly just going to sit by and let her struggle? Weren't gentlemen the kind that never allowed ladies to carry their luggage? Ari's outdated take on romance and lack of experience made her struggle with Seungcheol's reaction. His response ticked her off. 'You can do this much,' he'd said as if he had a calculative answer to her capabilities.

In her world of ironies, Ari proved she could carry it, pulling onto the handle in one go, "I'll show you how it's done," she muttered, yanking it towards her in one swell pull, "-Woah!"

Ari wobbled backwards as the suitcases above came hurling downwards, adding extra weight. In an instant, Seungcheol supported her with a hand on her back, making sure she wouldn't fall. "Careful." He huffed his hand curling around hers, taking the handle and the bag along with it in one easy sweep. "Here you go."

A whiff of his perfume, the touch of his hand on her back yet all Ari could think was how beautiful his eyes were.

::

"The kitchen's fully stocked," Seungcheol explained leading them through the house. It was outlandish, the wooden interior cradled within the clutches of nature, the windows in huge rooms giving way to breathtaking scenery. "There are side dishes in the fridge and rice in the cabinet over here," he opened the white door to show a small stack of microwavable rice, "Everything including the drinks, vegetables and packaged foods get refilled every morning, so take what you like without any discretion."

Seungcheol grinned, proud as Ari looked around, nodding. "What about housekeeping and cleaning staff?" She asked, her feet light and hair flying in her hasty turn to face him.

"There's a very sweet ajhumma who takes care of the house in our absence. She'll come in to clean every morning at 8 am but otherwise, you have the house to yourself." He mentioned, leading her to one of the three rooms available, "Here's your room."

Ari peeked in, scanning the large room at her disposal. A king-sized bed, a couch, and a dressing table inside a room-like cupboard made her eyes go wide. Five months of living in the Royal Residence had yet to sink into her veins of being treated so generously. "You people sure do know how to go all out," Ari muttered to herself as Seungcheol continued on his tour of the house.