Neon Lights

TWELVE

Alexander Moon Ga,  Alex, as I kept thinking of him as, walked into the kitchen- again, true to our nature- in weird hours of the night. It was a few days after, maybe three, maybe less- it was exam period and I was constantly exhausted. On paper I  might have been fired but in the staff had apparently no knowledge of that and I had no explanation of how I could've been fired yet still lived in the house- so I played along. I'd loved it, being caretaker, playing adult- I loved all of it. The relationships I'd managed to build with Ms Li (who gradually taught me to make local meals), the cleaner (So A- ni, but preferred Anne) and Kaji. The maintenance guy was evasive, and the driver was mostly out of sight. I didn't mind carrying my duties from before. At all.

I was just from class, changed into simple shorts and a tank top and decided to make myself a meal- as much as my body had adjusted my taste buds hadn't. He was in a black turtleneck and navy blue joggers- looking every inch a sin, hair slowly growing out falling just above his shoulders- thick and supple. I noticed it a lot , now that there was no barrier of formality, I noticed him a lot. He was beautiful, that was easy to see, it was the other part that was worrying- that his body was a sin and I was at that extremely delicate hormonal age. The lack of formality didn't help so I did my best to keep some semblance of it.

I didn't know how to be around him now,  the initial wall had been shattered and now the possibilities were endless, I was vexed by how many I'd considered. Reality played at the back of my mind , though, I knew lines that couldn't be crossed. He'd asked for friendship, to mean - companionship- there was no world where Alexander Moon Ga and I were friends. I didn't know how to give him that- companionship- so I'd turned my focus to my studies. He'd cancelled all his commitments for the upcoming four months, save for the Moon Ga obligations,  I didn't know he could do that- but then over the period I'd known him I never did comprehend the amount of power he held.

He didn't stumble, he was a little better but just as jittery, stood by the door as it locked behind him. I turned my earphones off, a little startled as I spread the ingredients over the counter, watching him. I didn't know what to do now, nothing to use to direct conversation,  no light in the dark. He listened for my location and I intentionally dropped a spoon. His face turned in the general direction. He was too good at this visual cosplay thing, although he missed my face by a fraction he had the most part nailed down, from his body language to the tilt in his neck. 

"Cooking?"

"Hm" I appreciated the lack of introduction,  the bypass of formality and that he took the initiative "Hungry?"

He nod. "What are you cooking?"

I had no idea actually, there were a couple of options available and I'd throw in whatever took less than twenty minutes to make. I was hungry. 

"Um, food"

"Thank goodness. That's what I prefer to eat, and I'm quite hungry. "

I couldn't help the smirk that followed the sudden show of humor. There was a personality there, one I tried so hard to peek at , showing itself slowly, I guarded myself against it. Finding him attractive was already murky waters. To actually be attracted to him would be off the Grey area.

"You haven't eaten yet?"

He nod. I threw the tomatoes into a bowl, I'd be making beef stew.

"You won't mind helping then. Here-" I placed two red onions in his periphery "help me peel these"

I didn't watch as he felt for them, so carefully, so secretly.

"Uh. The uhm, peeler?"

"Peeler?"