TOUGH ROMANCE || scoups || BOOK ONE

24

Seungcheol

It was too fucking early for someone to be banging on my front door. They deserved what they got. I stumbled down the stairs, rubbing sleep out of my eyes.

"Someone better be dead." I muttered, nearly taking a header over Kkuma, who put on the speed on the last three steps.

"What?" I said, yanking the door open.

The obnoxiously good looking Seokmin - or Dokyeom, whatever the fuck his name was - peered me over his expensive sunglasses.

"Good morning to you, too." He said. He wore golf shorts and one of those patterned button downs that only lean guys who spent hours a week at the gym could pull off.

My dog shoved half his body out onto the porch and gazed lovingly up at the intruder.

"Who's a good boy? Who's a handsome boy?" Seokmin said, squatting down to pet him.

Kkuma basked in the attention.

I rubbed a hand over my face. "What do you want?"

Mr Smooth held up two cups of coffee in a to go tray. "Coffee talk."

I snatched one out of his hand and stomped away from the door into the kitchen. Kkuma trotted after me anticipating his breakfast. I poped the lid off the coffee and guzzled while I scooped up a helping of kibble.

Dog fed, I shoved my head under the faucet and turned on the cold water, willing the shock to wake up my brain.

I came up for air and found a hand towel hovering in front of my face.

I took it without a thank you and dried off.

"Why are you bringing me coffee at an inhuman hour?"

"To talk about Hani, of course. I assumed you were quicker than this."

"I am when my sleep isn't interrupted."

So maybe it hasn't been the sleep I was pissed off about.

"My apologies, I figured this talk couldn't wait." He said, pulling out a stool at the counter.

I crumpled up the towel and threw it in the sink. "Is this the part where you tell me to back off your girl?"

Seokmin laughed.

"Something funny?"

"You're one of those singles with baggage that complicates everything." He said, leaning on the counter.

"You have until I finish this coffee before I throw you out."

"Fine. I appreciate you looking out for Hani. You hear a stranger is asking questions around town looking for her and you got her and Mimi out, made sure they were safe. She's not used to someone taking care of her like that."

"I didn't do it to get in her pants."

"No, even though you do. Because you're not stupid. You did it because you wanted to protect her. So even though you've got this whole sexy lion thing going, you're already miles beyond Jun in my opinion."

I kept my face neutral, not willing to show any interest in this topic.

"Jun used her. And I tried to warn her. I even warned him. But Hani did what she's always done."

"Cleaned up everyone else's messes." I said.

Seokmin raised an eyebrow. "Well, well, well. Look who's been paying attention."

"What's your point?"

"She spent her entire life trying to make up for her sister, who sucks, by the way. And it keeps biting her in the ass. Be the perfect student. Get the perfect job. Marry the perfect guy. Now she's signed up to take care of an 11 year old in a strange place and is hoping that if she can just be good enough, she can stop her parents' hearts from breaking again."