TOUGH ROMANCE || scoups || BOOK ONE

03

Seungcheol

The woman was staring at me as if I just suggested she French kiss a rattlesnake.

My day wasn't even supposed to be started yet, and it had already gone bad. I blamed her. And her asshole sister, Chae.

I also threw some blame in Mingyu's direction for good measure, since he'd be the one to text me that Chae had just walked "her trouble making ass" into the coffee shop.

Now here I was, at around the brink of dawn, fighting with a woman, that I've never met, like an idiot.

Hani blinked at me as if she's just came out of a fog, "You're kidding me, right?"

Mingyu needed to get his fucking eyes checked if he really mistook this brunette, fiesty, young lady for some blonde, tattooed pain in the ass.

The differences between them were pretty fucking obvious, even without my contacts.
Chae's face was equivalent to an old brown leather couch. She had a hard mouth bracketed by deep frown lines from smoking two packs a day and feeling like the world owed her something.

Hani on the other hand, she was much classier.

She was tall like her sister, but instead of the whole crusty look she went for a more Disney Princess look. Her face was softer, paler, her eyes reminded me of the velvet chocolate and those plump lips...

Anyways.

She wasn't really my type. I don't do tall doe eyed princess in need of saving. I didn't waste time with such women.

But since I already stuck my nose into the situation, called her trash and yelled at her, the least I could do was bring the whole thing to a fast conclusion.

Then I was heading to nap.

"No I'm not fucking kidding you." I stated

"I'm not going anywhere with you"

"You don't have a car." I pointed out.

"Thanks, Caption Obvious. I am aware that I am in no possession of a vehicle currently."

"Let me get this straight. You're a stranger in a new town, who just got robbed. And you're turning down the offer for a ride because......?"

"Because you stormed into a café, screamed at me! Then you chased me out and continued to scream at me! I get in a car with you and I'm more likely to get chopped up into peices and scattered around a desert than end up in my destination."

"No deserts here..some hills I think?"

Her expression suggested she didn't find me helpful or amusing.

I exhaled through my teeth. "Look I'm tired. I got an alert that Chae was causing trouble at the café again and that's what I walked into."

She took a long hit of coffee whilst looking up and down the street, debating escape.

"Don't even think about it." I told her. "You'd spill your coffee."

When those pretty hazel eyes went wide, I knew I hit the mark.

"Fine. But only cause this is the best latté I've had in my life. And is that your idea of apology? Because if so, then just like your way of thinking somethings wrong, it sucks."

"It was an explanation. Take it or leave it."
I didn't waste time in things that didn't matter. I don't do apologising or making small talk.

A bike roared up the street. Hani got a little distracted so I took that as a chance to snatch her precious little coffee and head down the pavement.

"Hey!!"

She gave chase like I'd known she would. I could have taken her by the hand, but I wasn't exactly the fan of the reaction I had when I touched her earlier. It felt...complicated..

"Should've stayed in fucking bed." I muttered.

"What is wrong with you?!" Hani jogged to catch up with me.

She reached for her cup but I held it away and continued walking.

"If you don't want to end up in someone's basement, then I suggest you get in my car"

The dishevelled flower child muttered a couple of uncomplimentary sounding things about my personality and anatomy.

"Look, if you stop being a pain in the ass for five whole minutes. I'll take you to the police station, you can get your damn car and get the hell out of my life."

"Has anyone ever told you have the same personality traits as a pissed off porcupine?"

I ignored her and kept walking.

"How do I know you're not going to kick me into your basement?"

I came to a stop and gave her a lazy once over, "baby you're not my type."

She rolled her eyes, "Excuse me, let me just go and cry myself a river"

I stepped off the curb and opened the passenger seat door to my Sedan. "Get in"

"Your chivalry sucks" She complained

"Chivalry?"

"It means-"

"Fucking hell I know what it means."

And I knew what it meant that she used it in the conversation. She had fucking rose petals in her hair. This lady was a romantic. Another strike against her in my book. Romantics were the hardest women to shake loose. The sticky ones. The ones who pretend they could handle the "No strings" deal. Meanwhile, they plotted to become "the one" and con men into meeting their parents and secretly looking at wedding dresses.

When she didn't get in by herself, I reached in and placed her coffee in the cup holder.

"I'm really not happy with you right now." She said.

The space between our bodies was charged with the kind of energy I was not happy with. It was dangerous and adrenalising.

"Get in the damn car"

Considering it a small miracle when she obeyed I slammed the door shut. 

I climbed in behind the wheel and started the engine.

"A witness saw me get in this car so think long and hard before murdering me" She said pointing at Wonwoo leaning against the telephone box without his glasses on. I scoffed as I knew he was the blindest guy in town without his glasses.

"I'm not murdering you." I snapped. Yet.