Written by our good friend and fellow author JisoosimpXD
* * *
I groggily opened my eyes. The warm, comfy vibe of my hotel greeted me as I sit up from my luxurious bed and grabbed my phone from my bedside table. 8am. Great, I wasn't late for breakfast.
I stretched out my body and lifted the covers off myself before getting my outfit for today. I took a hot shower, styled my hair and brushed my teeth before heading out of the bathroom. I had arranged with Someone-san to meet at 9 for breakfast.
I grabbed my keycard before turning on the 'Do Not Disturb' sign and opening the door. I was not sure how to feel when Someone-san was already standing in front of my suite.
"At this point I'm not even gonna fucking ask," I said as I closed the heavy wooden door. He chuckled.
"Good morning to you too, Momo!" he said, taking his hands out of his pockets.
"How long have you been standing there?' I asked him. He shrugged.
"About five minutes. Come on, the restaurant's going to be packed at this hour!"
I nodded in agreement and hooked my arm with his. I felt him tensing up just like last night, and I giggled.
"Okay... Babe," I whispered cheekily. His face went full red behind his mask.
"M–Momo... I–I told you to stop calling me that..." he stammered as he tried to pull his arm away, but I had locked mine around his, preventing him from escaping.
"Why not? Don't lie.... You know you like it~" I continued to tease him.
In truth, I thought I was the one who enjoyed this a lot more than him. He was everything I saw in my dream guy. Smart, handsome, witty... Maybe a little nerdy, but it just made him even cuter. I had a soft spot for nerds, especially nerds who knew I loved jokbal.
"I–I..." he continued to struggle. I laughed and rested my head on his shoulder.
"You enjoyed last night, why can't you do it today?" I asked cutely.
"Y–Yesterday was holding hands. Right now it's full-on cuddling! Y–You gotta be careful, Momo. Maybe some Dispatch journalist is lurking behind a corner," he whisper-shouted, trying to guilt-trip me. It didn't work.
"I'll take my chances. Besides, I've got you to keep me safe, right?" I giggled as I snuggled even tighter on his arm.
I could feel him relaxing a little bit. My charm always worked. He sighed.
"I'm supposed to protect you from danger... Like a moving car, for example! Not the media!" he retorted as we reached the restaurant.
"But still, you'll protect me, right?" I said, looking up at him.
He turned to launch another rebuttal, but stopped when we made eye contact with each other. I stared back into his eyes and found myself drowning in them, as if they were sending me to another dimension.
"Table for two?" the restaurant manager approached us. "Can I get your room number, please?"
"Takagamine Suite," I said, waking myself up from my daydream. The manager's eyes widened.
"O–Oh... Right this way please! You'll dine in our VIP room," he said.
I chuckled as I pulled Someone-san gently and followed the manager. He led us into the VIP room, pulled us our chairs, and as we sat down, he bowed a little before asking me.
"Shall we get the menu for you? What would you like to have for your breakfast?" he asked reverently. I shook my head.
"No, no. That's alright. I prefer to pick my own food. We'll explore the buffet ourselves. Thank you very much!" I said.
"Very well. Please enjoy your breakfast!" he said, bowing deeply.
He left Someone-san and I, and I turned and smiled at my chaperone.
"You go get your food first, I'll wait," he smiled.
"Okay!" I said, taking the offer up.
I stood up and walked outside of the room to the buffet. Gohs. Everything here looked so good! I wanted to try it all, and I planned to do just that. I grabbed a plate and started filling it with food. A few minutes later, I came back to the VIP room, finding Someone-san enjoying a cup of coffee. His eyes widened when he saw my plate.
"Jesus, Momo! You got breakfast, lunch, and dinner settled on that plate!" he joked. I laughed and slapped his arm.
"Oi! A girl's gotta eat!" I defended myself, picking up my cutleries. He chuckled.
"Alright, alright," he said in defeat, before standing up, "I'm gonna get my food."
I happily started munching on an omelette as I waited for him to return. He came back a few minutes later with a bowl of rice, miso soup, and an onsen egg. I gasped.
"That's all you're gonna eat?" I asked incredulously as he settled back down. He nodded.
"Yup. This is just enough for me," he replied as he removed his mask.
He once again muttered a quiet prayer before pouring his egg over his bowl of rice.
"Wow... You sure are missing out on a lot, then..." I uttered. He chuckled.
"Momo, when you're constantly running from one of the biggest criminal networks in the world, the luxury of time is not something you always have, hence my breakfast," he said calmly.
"A–Ah... Right. Sorry," I trailed off, feeling guilty about bringing up the subject.
He smiled, but didn't say anything. We continued eating our breakfast in silence. After a while, he looked up at me and started a conversation.
"So... Visiting your family today?" he asked. I gasped.
"Oh, right! I forgot to tell you! Okaasan called last night after we got back. Turns out Hana-nee chan and Otousan have some business to attend to, and they won't be back home until Friday," I said. His eyes widened.
"Friday? But that's... You're flying off on Saturday, right?" he asked. I nodded.
"Yeah... So... I gotta change all my plans," I said, chuckling, "That's alright! I love doing things without planning!"
He chuckled and continued eating his rice.
"So... What do you wanna do today, then? And... This week?" he asked. I thought for a moment.
"I don't mind doing some sightseeing for the next few days," I grinned. "Where should we go first today?"
He smiled.
"I think I've got some ideas. Come on, let's finish our breakfast and we can plan in your suite!"
I nodded, and we finished our breakfast. Well, more like it was me trying to finish everything on my plate, but he waited patiently, playing with his phone. After we were done, we walked back to the Takagamine Suite. Suddenly, I had an idea. I chuckled and looked at him.
"You know what, Someone-san... Let's not plan anything! I think we should just wing it!" I said cheerfully. His eyes widened.
"E–Eh? B-But..."
"But what? Gosh, you gotta be more carefree in life, Someone-san!" I giggled.
Even though he was wearing a mask, I could see that he was opening his mouth to protest, so I decided to not give him the chance.
"To start with: Let's not take your car!" I said. His eyes widened.
"O–Oi! That's for our own safety!" he protested. I chuckled.
"What's the difference? You dined with me without your mask on at Sakura Burger last night, remember? There were a lot of people there, and here you are, safe. You said yourself that Sana and the IPG are protecting you this week... So..."
He sighed, but I could sense his resolve crumbling.
"Alright, fine... You want the full tourist experience, don't you?" he said, and I heard him chuckling. I nodded.
"I do!" I exclaimed excitedly.
"At your own hometown..." he teased. I laughed.
"Oi! I haven't been around much ever since I debuted, right?" I defended myself.
"Fine, fine..." he uttered.
We laughed and continued walking. I flung my eyes around the forest that was surrounding the hotel, taking in the snow-covered trees and grass. I smiled.
"Kyoto in winter sure is beautiful, isn't it?" I said. "Feels like I'm in Hokkaido or Niseko..."
"Hokkaido and Niseko would have a lot more snow than this. Trust me, I would know," he said.
I stared at him. I guessed running around the country would take you to a lot of nice places.
"I believe you, don't worry," I assured him.
He looked at me and gave me his eye-smile. Damn. What was this warm and fuzzy thing I was feeling?
"Thank you, Momo... That means a lot," he said, nodding.
"N–No problem," I stammered back.
Now it was me who felt my face blushing. He noticed this and decided to tease me.
"You good? You're as red as a tomato," he said. I slapped his arm and giggled.
"Ya!"
We reached the Takagamine Suite, and I picked up some stuff before readying myself to leave with him. As we walked back to the main building and went out of the lobby, he turned to face me and asked.
"Where to first?" he asked. I smiled.
"How about Arashiyama?" I grinned.
He smiled and nodded. Off we went.
* * *
The next few days were filled with nothing but fun with Someone-san. We went all around Kyoto, seeing famous attractions and going on food trails (courtesy of me). With each passing day, the two of us only grew closer and closer together, quickly becoming close due to the fact we could relate to each other so well.
One thing I learnt about this mysterious man was that he was good at hiding emotions. Occasionally, he would let some nostalgia slip onto his expression, but he'd just quickly brush it off before I could say anything.
The days flew by in a flash, and before I knew it, my last day here arrived. Gosh. Time flew so fast! It felt like it was yesterday when I arrived here from Seoul, and suddenly tomorrow I'd be flying back to Korea, meeting my Twice sisters again. I kinda missed those crackheads by now.
These past six days... I did a lot of things, being a tourist in my own hometown. I bought Sana her expensive gift: A silk scarf with an intricate Kyonui embroidery on it, made out of gold threads. I went to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, I walked around Gion and bought many gifts and souvenirs for the girls, I went up to the Torii gates at Fushimi Inari Taisha, I shopped–and mostly ate–at Nishiki market, and I even went to Nara again and ate at Sakura Burger again, but this time I spent some time to meet the deers at the Nara Deer Park. On every single day, Someone-San was there with me.
Today, as per usual, Someone-san and I met up at the restaurant downstairs for breakfast before heading out to his car. I gave him the coordinates and he drove us towards our destination. As we drove there, I had a plan formulating in my head for me to repay him for making my week in Kyoto an absolute blast, while keeping me completely safe.
"Welcome home!" Someone-san exclaimed as we pulled into Kyotanabe, my suburb just south of Kyoto.
Much like the other places we went to, nothing had changed. Familiar shophouses lined the streets as we zoomed down the road towards my house. I knew that we were getting close when the concrete buildings started to fade away and were replaced by more traditional houses. I bounced excitedly in my seat as I started seeing familiar shops and neighbouring houses as we started to get closer and closer.
"Is this the one?" he asked as he stopped right in front of my house.
I nodded my head excitedly and unbuckled my seatbelt.
"Yup! Off we go!" I said.
"E-Eh? W–we?" he asked incredulously. I nodded.
"Of course! No way am I gonna let you spend a whole day alone! After all, we are friends, aren't we?" I charged him.
"B-But... I don't want to intrude..."
"Of course you're not intruding, come on! It'll be fun!" I exclaimed.
I saw the gears in his head turning, but then he relented.
"F-Fine... Where do I park?" he asked eventually. I smirked.
First step completed.
"Yay! Just drive me up to the gate and let me take care of it!" I said.
He slowly inched the car forward towards my house's gate. I rolled down the window and pressed the doorbell. The intercom by the gate crackled to life and a familiar voice spoke through it.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Okaasan! It's me! Momo!"
The other end went silent, and the gate started to slide open. Someone-san drove in and my mother came running out of the house. I quickly exited the vehicle and ran up to her.
"Okaasan!"
"Momo-chan!"
She wrapped me in a tight embrace, and I hugged her back.
"My, my! It's been too long!" she exclaimed.
Okaasan pulled away and examined me. That was her habit. Her eyes scanned me up and down before her wrinkly hands went to my cheeks.
"Still strong and healthy! Not to mention gorgeous!" she smiled.
"O–Oi, Okaasan..." I giggled.
My mother passed me and spotted Someone-san sitting in the car.
"And who's this fine gentleman accompanying you?" Okaasan asked as she nodded her head towards him.
"That's my friend, Okaasan. I was wondering if he could spend the day with us?" I smiled.
Okaasan stared at him through the windshield, and I could feel him shrinking away.
"Get him to come out and let me have a better look," she said.
I turned and gestured for him to come out of the car. He reluctantly did so, before walking slowly to approach us. He took off his mask and smiled sheepishly at my mom.
"K–Konichiwa..." he said shyly. Okaasan walked over to him and grabbed his face gently.
"Sharp cheekbones... Clear, healthy skin... Momo-chan! Are you sure he's just a friend?" she teased.
"O–Oi! Okaasan!" I complained. She laughed and let go of Someone-san.
"Would you like some matcha?" she asked as she walked inside the room.
I smiled in victory. That was Okaasan's green light.
"I–I–I... Um... Uh..."
I sighed and walked over to Someone-san, placing a finger over his lips.
"Just shut up and take the invite. You've passed her standards and she wants you to spend the day with us," I whispered in Korean.
"Momo, I'm not sure if it's appropriate for me to–"
"Shut up. Follow me," I interjected, dragging him inside the door.
Someone-san finally gave in and locked the car before taking his shoes off and walking further inside with me. Okaasan was already in the living room, and she gestured for us to sit around the tatami table.
"Please wait here. I'll be back with the tea!" she exclaimed before walking off.
Someone-san and I knelt on the floor cushions. He chuckled softly and placed his hands on his lap.
"Momo..."
"Hm?"
"You didn't have to do this," he uttered. I looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
"I know that this... Me joining you... It wasn't planned. You came up with this today... Just now, even. You didn't have to do it..." he explained.
Fuck. How did he catch on so quickly?
"You didn't have to do this... And yet you did it. And... I'm grateful for that," he said sincerely with a smile. I smiled back and grabbed his hand gently.
"I don't want to leave you alone. Plus... I do want to get to know you more," I replied. He nodded.
"Thank you, Momo..." he said.
We stared into each other's eyes, and... I felt something stirred inside me, like a whole cage of butterflies just got released inside my chest. I knew this feeling all too well, for it was the same feeling I had when I first started with Heechul.
It was love.
The clinking of cups pulled us back to reality as Okaasan came back with a tray filled with a teapot and three tea cups.
"Sorry for the wait," she said apologetically as she set the tray down.
"Mondai Nai, Hirai-san," Someone-san replied.
Okaasan smiled and poured the green liquid into the cups. She handed the cups to us before taking a cup for herself.
"So, what's your name?" Okaasan asked. I saw him thinking for a moment.
"I–It's... Yoru," he replied. I held back a giggle as Okaasan nodded.
"A very nice name! How old are you, Yoru-kun?"
"I–I'm... The same age as Momo," he said.
"Ah! You two make the perfect pair, then!" she said.
"Okaasan!" I scolded her.
My mother only laughed as she set her teacup back on the table.
"I'm only joking, Momo-chan... Calm down!" she chuckled.
I huffed and puffed my cheeks in frustration, but she kept chuckling and looked at Someone-san, ignoring me.
"As you can probably tell, she gets her humour from me," Okaasan said proudly.
"I thought so too, Hirai-san," he said, chuckling politely.
"Oi!" I scolded him. He continued chuckling, and I saw Okaasan looking at us with knowing looks.
"So... How did you two get to know each other?" Okaasan asked.
"I was sent by one of her fellow Twice members as her bodyguard, actually," Someone-san said truthfully. Okaasan chuckled and sighed.
"Gosh... My daughter is so famous nowadays that she needs a bodyguard... Still, it was nice of them..." she said.
We all chuckled lightly, before falling into an awkward silence. I turned to look at Someone-san, and he met my glance, and I knew we were both unsure of what to do. Okaasan looked at us with a smile plastered on her face, before eventually she spoke.
"Right! Since... I have two healthy young people in my house... This is the perfect time to do some housework! Come, help me out!" she said excitedly, standing up swiftly.
I groaned and stood up together with Someone-san. My mother always tends to make me clean the house and do chores with her whenever I come back to visit, which was one of the main reasons why I was only visiting them for a day. Any longer than that, and my back will kill me.
"Relax, Momo! It'll be fun!" Someone-san chirped happily as we walked side-by-side.
"Fun? Bitch, please! We're cleaning the house! What do you mean 'fun'?" I snapped. He laughed.
"Well, it's better than doing nothing..." he countered.
"Gosh, you're just like Jeongyeon and Jihyo..." I muttered, remembering my two members who loved cleaning the house so much.
"That's a good thing, right? Don't those two always keep everybody in check?" he smirked, before increasing his pace to catch up with my mother, exiting the house into the backyard.
God! Why was he so responsible?
I quickly followed them into my backyard, where Okaasan was handing him a shovel.
"Come, Momo-chan! Help him shovel out the snow!" she said, handing me another shovel.
"What's the point, Okaasan? It'll definitely snow again tonight!" I tried to reason with her.
"And you always get hungry again after you eat, and yet you still eat, right? It's the same thing," she said, not missing a beat.
I gave her the 'really?' look before sighing and snatching the shovel from her hands. She laughed and nodded approvingly.
"That's better. Alright, you two get to work on this, while I cook lunch!" Okaasan said, leaving us at the chilling backyard.
I shook my head in frustration, but I heard Someone-san chuckling again. I turned to glare at him, and he chuckled louder.
"What's so funny?" I asked him aggressively. He shook his head, but continued grinning.
"Nothing. That's a good point she made about you being hungry," he chuckled. "Let's get started!"
I groaned, but I joined him in shoveling away the ankle deep snow, getting into a quick flow of work. After what felt like hours, my back started to ache, and my arms felt like they were going to fall off my shoulders.
"Fuck! Maybe I won't visit again next time!" I groaned as I stabbed my shovel into the ground and plopped down onto the porch.
I flung my eyes around, and stomped my feet in anger while whining when I realized that we'd only cleared about one-third of the huge backyard. Someone-san laughed and continued shoveling the snow, looking like a giddy little boy.
"Come on, Momo... It's all about being a good child!" he said happily.
"I know! It's just... So annoying! I came back here to see them again after three years, and the first thing she did was to make me do housework! How the hell are you not annoyed?" I whined as I stared at him.
He stabbed his shovel perpendicularly into the snow and leaned against it.
"I learned to treasure the small things in life. You know... We have no idea how long our lives are gonna last," he said thoughtfully.
I stared at him. He was right of course, so I sighed and threw my head back. He walked over and joined me on the porch. I noticed that the two of us were sweating buckets, even though the temperature was still very low and we were literally shoveling snow.
"How much more do we have to shovel?" I asked as I looked around us.
Someone-san silently pulled out a pair of spectacles. He placed them on his face and pressed something on it, before sitting back and staring at the snow.
"About... 83 square meters," he replied.
"The fuck... How do you know?" I asked incredulously. He chuckled.
"Smart specs... Go figure," he said, tapping his glasses and turning to look at me.
Shit... I felt my heart fluttering again. He looked so cute with glasses.
"Momo-chan! Yoru-kun! Lunch is ready!" Okaasan called out.
My spirits lifted instantly at the mention of food and my body inexplicably rejuvenated with energy. I shot to my feet in a flash.
"COMING!" I yelled. Someone-san laughed loudly and got up to his feet.
"Someone has energy now," he laughed.
I punched his shoulder playfully before pulling him towards the house. We got in and immediately took off our coats before joining my mother at the dining table. My mouth began to water at the sight of the food Okaasan prepared for us. Chicken teriyaki, chawanmushi, some miso soup, hot steaming bowls of rice, natto... It was heaven!
"Please sit," Okaasan said as she knelt on the floor. We followed suit and gathered around the table.
"Itadakimasu!" I exclaimed as I picked up my chopsticks and dug into the food.
I munched on the teriyaki chicken and squealed loudly, before shoveling some rice into my mouth. Okaasan laughed as she ate her food slowly.
"Oi, Momo-chan! Slow down!" she scolded me.
I blushed and grinned sheepishly. I swallowed my food before speaking this time.
"Gomen-ne, Okaasan. It's just... The food's too good!" I giggled. Okaasan sighed and shook her head.
"You and your love for food..." she said, before turning to Someone-san, "How do you find it, Yo–Hey... Are you alright?"
I turned quickly and saw that Someone-san was staring at the chawanmushi with tears rolling down his cheeks. He had taken a small scoop of it, but was only staring at it, not eating it.
"I–Is something wrong?" Okaasan asked worriedly. He shook his head slowly.
"N–No... Go–Gomenasai, Hirai-san... It's... I–It's just... This... Really tastes like home," he sniffled as he quickly wiped away his tears. Okaasan smiled kindly.
"It's alright, Yoru-kun... We all grow up in our families, and fond memories of them are what made us... Well, us," she said wisely.
Someone-san smiled and nodded. Silently, he picked up his spoon and continued eating as if nothing happened. I gently reached for his hand from underneath the table.
"You wanna talk about it?" I whispered in Korean. He smiled, but shook his head.
"No. Let's not ruin the mood..." he replied quietly, also in Korean.
I decided to drop the subject for now and just enjoy the moment. I turned to look at Okaasan.
"Speaking of... Where's Otousan and Hana-nee?" I asked her.
"Your father went ice fishing with his friends as usual. He'll be back at dinner time. Hana is out with her boyfriend, she'll be back for dinner as well," Okaasan chuckled.
"Okaasan... You need to get out of the house more often," I said.
Okaasan laughed, but she shook her head.
"I'm too old to go out and about, Momo-chan... Besides, I prefer staying at home and tending to my plants!" she said, gesturing towards the array of plants she had in this house. Her collection seemed to have grown exponentially since I last visited.
"You and your plants..." I mused. My mother beamed proudly and continued eating.
"How long have you lived here, Hirai-san?" asked Someone-san.
"Since Momo was born. We've never moved... Just made a few upgrades here and there..." Okaasan said.
"Woah... That's... Thirty two years is a long time!" he exclaimed. Okaasan chuckled.
"It sure is," she smiled. "But... There's just so many memories here, I don't think I'd be able to let this house go. Hold on... Let me go get something!"
Okaasan stood up and walked out of the dining room. A few moments later, she came back with a photo album and set it down on the table. She flipped it open to the first page, revealing an old photo. The younger versions of my parents stood there side by side, Okaasan holding a baby in her arms while Otousan was holding on to a young girl's hand.
"This is the first photo we took when we just moved in," she explained.
She pointed to the baby in her arms. I knew exactly who that was.
"That's... My little Momo, and this is my little Hana..." she pointed to my sister's picture with a smile.
Okaasan flipped to the next page, and I laughed at the familiar photo.
"This was Momo's first photoshoot in her life. She was... Preparing for her future," she chuckled.
I laughed and stared at the photo. This was one of the few childhood photos that were posted on VLive a few years back. Okaasan flipped the album again, showing a picture of me eating a big bowl of katsudon.
"Oh... This next photo really shows her personality from a young age!" Okaasan grinned.
"O–Oi! Not this one!" I said as I blushed and hid my face in my hands.
"You can tell that she has loved food since she was a child," Okaasan laughed.
I peeked through my fingers at Someone-san, and found him grinning from ear to ear.
"Her childhood... Looks a lot like my sister, actually," he smiled.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. From it, he produced a polaroid photograph of a young girl. He laid it next to my photo, and I gasped at the striking resemblance.
"Damn, Okaasan! Is there something you didn't tell me?" I joked.
"Momo-chan!" she exclaimed as she slapped my head.
Someone-san laughed, and I turned to look at him.
"You keep a photo of your sister in your wallet? That's cute!" I told him. He chuckled.
"I keep photos of all my family members in my wallet," he replied.
He pulled out three other polaroid pictures from his wallet and laid them down on the table.
"This is my Okaasan..." he said, pointing at one picture.
"This is my Otousan..." he said, pointing at the next.
"That's Sachiko, my little sister," he said, pointing at the picture from earlier.
"And this is my family photo," he concluded, pointing at the last picture.
Wow... All of his family members were really good looking.
"Such a beautiful family," my mother said with a smile, taking up the family photo.
"This was taken when I was four... We went to Tokyo Disneyland," he explained.
Okaasan passed me the photo and I looked at the happy smiling faces of his family. I noticed that there were a couple wet patches here and there, and somehow... I knew what they were from.
My eyes fell onto the young Someone-san. He was so happy... So full of joy, so full of love. His family must have meant so much to him. I just couldn't begin to imagine how much pain he was currently in, having to be separated from them for so long.
I handed the photo back to Someone-san, and he accepted it gratefully. In a reverent manner, he gathered the photos and stored them back inside his wallet.
"Where are they now? Are they still living in Japan?" Okaasan asked innocently.
"That's... A little complex," Someone-san answered slowly.
I stared at my mother with a warning gaze, and she understood. She looked at Someone-san apologetically, before suddenly cutting him off.
"Oh! Let's finish the food before it gets cold!" she exclaimed, changing the subject.
"Yes, yes! Let's eat up!" I said.
Someone-san smiled at me sweetly and mouthed 'Gomawo' before picking his chopsticks and continued eating. I felt my heart fluttering whenever he smiled like that. Gosh, Momo... Calm down.
We finished our food and cleaned up, before going back out to continue shoveling the snow. This time, Okaasan joined us. We made small talk as we continued clearing the snow, and to be honest, I started to enjoy the work a little more.
After we cleared the snow, Okaasan didn't let us go easily. She told us to do other chores like sweeping, mopping the floor, and clearing out the store room. Time flew by in a flash, and soon, it was time to prepare dinner.
In a true Okaasan fashion, she made Someone-san and I help her to cut the vegetables for the shabu-shabu she was preparing for our dinner while she went out to buy groceries. We washed the vegetables and brought them over to the dining table to cut them up.
"Thank you, Momo..." he suddenly said. I looked up.
"Eh? What for?" I asked as I chopped the head of the cabbage off.
"For bringing me here and showing me what it's like to be with a family again," he continued.
I smiled at him.
"It's the least I can do to repay you for keeping me safe," I uttered.
"Thanks..." he said again. I looked at him.
"You... You miss them a lot, don't you?" I asked him. He smiled and nodded.
"Every day of my life," he replied softly. I continued cutting while asking him my next question.
"You sure you don't wanna talk about it?" I asked him. He smiled, but shook his head.
"No... I'm fi–OW!" he suddenly cried, dropping his knife.
Someone-san had just accidentally cut his finger. Without thinking, I rushed over to his side, grabbed his finger, and shoved it straight into my mouth, sucking the blood out of it, just like how Okaasan always did for me.
"M–M–Momo..." he stuttered in shock.
I stared at him. He was stunned, and he made no attempt to pull away. I continued to suck his finger and kept eye contact with him throughout. I finally released his finger when I couldn't taste any more blood, but his face had gone full red.
"Sorry... Home remedy," I whispered, feeling my cheeks blushing too.
"T–Thank you..." he stammered.
Shit. Why did I do that? We silently got back to cutting, both of us silent, unsure of what to say to each other. Finally, I mustered up enough courage to look up at him.
"Mo–"
"So–"
"Ah, you go first..." he said, chuckling.
"I... I–I'm sorry about... Just now," I said nervously. He shook his head.
"D–Don't be... It... Did the trick, though. No more pain," he said, lifting his finger.
I laughed awkwardly, and he did too. Fuck. I was usually confident around men. Why did he make me so jittery?
"So... What now?" he asked. We had just finished cutting the veggies.
"I–I guess, we can set up the pot? I–I'll take it," I told him. He nodded.
I quickly stood up and rushed to the storage room. As soon as I left the room, I placed a hand on my chest, trying to calm my heart. I hadn't felt this way since high school. Gosh... What did he do to me?
I shook my head rapidly and snapped myself out of my thoughts, flinging my eyes around the storage room to find the shabu-shabu pot and portable gas stove. Where did Okaasan put them, again? I looked up, and found the items I was looking for stashed at the top shelf.
I groaned in frustration. I wasn't exactly short, but I wasn't as tall as Jeongyeon or Tzuyu. How was I supposed to reach that? I looked around for a small step ladder and found one, so I set it up before climbing up. Fuck. Why was it so far up? I stretched my arm to reach it...
"Just a... Little... More..." I uttered to myself.
The door slid open.
"You alright, Momo? Can you reach it?" Someone-san asked.
"Y–Yeah. Just... WOAH!!"
I lost balance. My body started flailing in the air and I fell backwards. Shit!
"Got you!"
I didn't fall on the floor. Instead, I fell on his body, his arms catching me. He saved me yet again, just like he did last week on the streets of Gion. I looked up, and my eyes fell on his kind eyes.
"You okay?" he asked with a smile.
"I–I..."
I knew my face had gone full red. I quickly straightened myself, standing up and dusting myself off. I masked my embarrassment with a chuckle.
"Fuck... A week in Kyoto, and I've nearly died twice," I said. He laughed.
"Good thing Sana sent me, huh?" he teased, climbing the ladder to pick the portable stove and shabu-shabu pot nimbly.
"Sure is..." I said while chuckling, nodding as he handed me the two items.
"Let's head back?" he proposed, but my stomach gurgled loudly. I giggled.
"Lemme get something to eat..." I said, picking a bag of rice crackers from one of the shelves.
I heard him chuckling, so I shot him a glare before chuckling with him. I handed him my rice crackers bag.
"Want some?"
"Sure! Why not..." he said, picking one piece and popping it into his mouth.
* * *
Momo started zoning out as she continued to munch on her rice crackers. I chuckled. She was simply gorgeous, and her absolute love for food made her adorable. I flung my eyes to the front door, and I saw the silhouette of a girl walking up to it. The door unlocked, and soon it swung open, revealing a woman.
"Okaasan... I'm ho–MOMO-CHAN!!!"
"ONEECHAN!"
The two girls squealed and ran towards each other, crushing each other in a tight hug. They skipped around like two little girls while laughing loudly. I smiled. So this was Hirai Hana, Momo's older sister.
"WHEN DID YOU ARRIVE?" screamed Hana. Momo laughed.
"This morning! Oi! I was supposed to visit you last Sunday! But Okaasan said you're busy!" Momo exclaimed.
"I know, I know! I'm sorry! But I'm here now!!! Gosh, you look the same!!!" she squealed, cupping Momo's face in her hands. Momo laughed.
"It was only three years! Of course I look the same!" she said.
"It's so good to finally see you again!!!" Hana screamed, pulling Momo for another hug.
I smiled as I watched these two. Somehow, seeing Momo and Hana reminded me so much of Sachiko, my little sister. How are you, Sachiko-chan? Did you miss me?
"Hey, this is my friend Yoru!" Momo exclaimed suddenly, pointing at me. Hana whipped around and smiled.
"Konichiwa, Yoru-san!" exclaimed Hana, reaching to shake my hand.
"K–Konichiwa, Hana-san..." I said. Hana stared at me with a smile.
"Momo-chan! Did you actually finally eventually get a proper boyfriend?" she asked naughtily.
"Oi!" Momo exclaimed and slapped her sister's shoulder. They both laughed.
At that moment, we heard the front door opening again, and a large bodied older gentleman entered, humming a tune absentmindedly.
"OTOUSAN!" exclaimed Momo, rushing to hug her father. Her father looked stunned for a moment.
"M–Momo chan?" he stuttered.
"Yes! Yes!" Momo squealed excitedly.
A smile stretched across his face as he set his fishing rod and bucket down. He laughed heartily and pulled Momo into a hug. Hang on... Why did his laughter sound so much like my father's? Why... Why did this family remind me so much of mine?
"My baby's finally home!" he exclaimed. Hana pouted.
"Oi... I'm literally right here all the time!" she said in an annoyed tone. Otousan laughed.
"I see you everyday, Hana! But to see Momo is a rare occasion!" he replied.
Otousan scanned Momo from head to toe and pinched her cheeks. She squirmed out of his grasp.
"Stop that!" she said, giggling. Otousan laughed.
"Still eating healthy?" he asked. Momo nodded.
"As always!" she said.
Otousan gave a nod of approval, before looking at me and stared at me quizzically.
"And... Who's this?" he asked. Momo smiled.
"Oh, that's my friend, Yoru..." she said, gesturing towards me. I bowed respectfully.
"Konichiwa, Hirai-san... Watashino namae wa Yoru-des... I'm Momo's friend," I said.
He stared me down, and I had to fight the urge not to shrink down in fear. Momo slapped her father's arm.
"Otousan! Stop scaring him!" she said. Her father chuckled and bowed to me apologetically.
"I'm sorry. I'm not trying to intimidate you, Yoru-san..." he said. I bowed deeper.
"N–No, no, it's okay, HIrai-san!" I stuttered. He smiled kindly and looked at Momo.
"He's a fine gentleman," he said. I saw Momo blushing.
The front door opened one more time. Now it was Momo's mother who came in.
"Ah! Everyone's here! Perfect! Come! Let's get this shabu-shabu dinner started!" she announced.
We all walked up to the table and knelt down. I helped Momo's mother unpack the different things she had bought, and there were a lot of things. The last time I saw this much food was back at AMAN Kyoto's breakfast buffet!
"Momo-chan, why don't you get the sake?" Otousan said. She nodded and stood up.
"I'll go help her," I said, sparing myself from another awkward conversation with her family.
Momo and I walked to the cellar and grabbed a large bottle of sake and a few cups. Suddenly, she grabbed my arm gently, and I turned to look at her.
"Don't be nervous, okay? They're nice people..." she said with a smile.
"I–I wasn't nervous," I said in denial. She snorted.
"Please... Six days of teasing you... I know all of your nervous tells," she smirked. I chuckled.
"Okay..." I said in defeat, staring at the floor.
"Hey, look at me," she said.
I did just that, and suddenly she cupped my face in her hands.
"I enjoy your company, and I know my family does too. So... Just relax. Don't be nervous," she repeated her words.
"It's... Kinda difficult when you have three pairs of eyes constantly focusing on you..." I defended myself. She smiled.
"Then let me help you focus on something else..." she whispered.
She tiptoed, and suddenly, she pecked my cheek.
My world went into a haze. I stared at her blankly, and saw her smiling at me.
"Don't take it the wrong way..." she giggled, before walking out of the cellar, leaving me alone.
Hirai Momo.
The Hirai Momo of Twice.
She had just kissed me on the cheek.
"Someone-san! Come on! You'll freeze to death inside the cellar!" she suddenly appeared at the door again.
"A–Ah, yes..." I stuttered.
We walked back into the dining room and sat down. She was right, though... Throughout the meal, only one thing filled my mind: Momo. I found myself staring at her a few times. Every single thing about her enchanted me; from her brilliant smile, to her rosy cheeks, to those round and beautiful eyes... I was falling so hard for this beautiful girl.
"Yoru?" Momo called out to me. I blinked my eyes rapidly.
"Y–yes?"
"Pass me your bowl," she said with a knowing smile.
I hastily picked up my bowl and passed it to her. Our hands brushed against each other for a moment, and I knew that I was blushing red. This alarmed Hana.
"Yoru-kun! You're blushing so red!" she quipped while chuckling. I chuckled nervously.
"A–Ah, yes... It's... The alcohol kicked in," I said. She laughed and nodded.
Momo placed my bowl back in front of me and smirked. I knew she was about to tease me, but I glared secretly at her to warn her. She giggled and nodded. Suddenly, Otousan looked up.
"Your parents brought you up well, Yoru-san..." he said. I looked up at him.
"E–Eh?" I asked in confusion. He smiled.
"I've watched you throughout the meal, and you're just so polite," he explained himself.
"Oh he's been polite the entire day, Honey..." Okaasan said. Momo chuckled.
"I told you they'll like you," Momo whispered in Korean. Her mother glared at her.
"Momo-chan, no Korean at the dinner table," she said.
"Gomen-ne..." Momo uttered, but she was giggling.
We finished our dinner and stayed for quite a while afterwards drinking sake and talking together. Momo's parents were kind and generous, and they continued to compliment me with every chance they had. I knew what they were saying behind those words–that they would appreciate it if Momo chose me as her partner–but to their credit, they never explicitly said it.
"Wow... It's late," Hana suddenly exclaimed.
I glanced at my watch, and found that it was 11pm already! Holy shit! Okaasan chuckled and looked straight at Hana.
"That's your cue to start doing dishes! Otousan, please help her!" she ordered them.
Otousan immediately got up while laughing, but Hana let out a frustrated groan.
"Okaasan~Why me?" she complained.
"Because Momo spent the whole day doing chores, and Yoru-kun is our guest! Do you seriously expect him to do the dishes?" Okaasan shot back
Hana grumbled but stood up begrudgingly anyway, joining her father. Momo laughed out loud in victory and stared at me.
"I guess... Doing chores the entire day does pay off, right?" she chuckled. I laughed and nodded.
"Yes, and Yoru-kun helped a lot! Momo-chan, you really should get together with him!" Okaasan finally said what was said implicitly the entire dinner.
"OKAASAN!" she exclaimed in protest, but her mother only laughed.
"Speaking of... Why don't you stay over, Yoru-kun? It's late already," she suddenly said while looking at me.
I shook my head and raised my hands panickedly.
"O–Oh, no, no! I... I really shouldn't overstay my welcome!" I said. Okaasan chuckled.
"You're not overstaying your welcome, Yoru-kun. It wasn't an invitation anyway, it was a request. I will not allow you to drive back to Kyoto in the middle of the night like this! It's dangerous!" she said.
I was about to object further, but Momo grabbed my arm and shook her head.
"There's no fighting this, just go along with it..." she said.
"She's right, Yoru-kun!" exclaimed Hana from the adjacent kitchen.
I sighed, but then I chuckled and nodded.
"Very well. Thank you for your hospitality, Hirai-san..." I said, bowing at Okaasan. She smiled.
"That's better! Momo-chan, why don't you show him his room so he can rest?" she said. Momo nodded.
"Follow me," she said as she stood up.
I followed her out of the dining room and up the stairs. She guided me to the last room down the hall and opened it, revealing a comfortable, traditional room. She went straight to the room's closet to pick up a futon and she dropped it on the floor.
I scanned the room. Other than the futon, there was a cupboard and a tatami table. It was perfectly simple, just the way I liked it.
"Get comfy. I'll get you something to change!" Momo smiled before walking out.
I smiled and sat down on the floor, storing my backpack by the cabinet. A moment later, Momo came back with a set of clothes.
"It's.... Otousan's pajamas... Hope you don't mind the... Style," she said, handing me a set of striped pajamas. I laughed but nodded.
"It's fine, Momo! It looks comfortable," I said. She nodded.
"Shower's just down the hall. Use the soap and shampoo to your liking. Toothbrush, though..." she trailed off, but I pulled out a pen and pressed a button on its side, and it turned into a portable toothbrush.
"Got it," I said with a smile. Momo laughed.
"You and your gadgets... Alright! Enjoy your stay! My room's just next to yours, if you need anything, you can knock," she said.
"I will..." I said, nodding appreciatively. A naughty grin flashed on her face.
"... Or you can run off... And I'll never be able to find you," she said, repeating my words from last week.
We laughed, and soon she left me in my room. I smiled. I knew I would enjoy my stay here. I decided to take a shower and slipped into the pajamas before returning to my room. I rested my back on my futon, picked up a book from my bag, opened it, and started reading.
I kept reading for a while as the house became completely silent, and after a while, I did a quick time check on my smartwatch. My eyes widened in surprise.
2 am.
Wow. I'd been reading for that long? Why wasn't I feeling sleepy, though? I shut my book and set it down, deciding that I should get ready to sleep. As I did so, I heard a creak outside my door. That was a foot, on the wooden flooring.
My body froze up. Paranoia took hold. Did they track me here? But... What about Momo and her family? My eyes darted to the unfinished taser in my bag. Project Origin... Should I test it on whoever was coming after me?
Footsteps approaching. My instincts kicked in. I quickly and nimbly dived over to my pack and retrieved the bracelets. I took it out, wore it around my wrists, and turned it on. The door handle jiggled. I prepared to defend myself. I lifted my arm, ready to strike...
"Someone-san...?"
"M–Momo?"
Momo poked her head through the door and smiled, but a second later she looked concerned. I was sweating, I was crouching in an attack position, I was wearing my weaponized bracelets. It was on.
"A–Are you alright?" Momo asked as she walked inside.
"I–I..." I stammered. "Yeah... I'm... I'm fine..."
I let out a relieved sigh and quickly took the bracelets off. Momo reached me, and suddenly her hand touched my cheek. I looked up at her, and I felt my heart beating faster.
"Are you sure?" she asked again, gently, concernedly.
"Yeah... I... I heard your footsteps and I thought–" I said, before deciding to change the subject, "Why are you awake?"
She chuckled.
"I could have asked the same thing about you..." she retorted.
I chuckled and looked down, and I noticed that she was hiding something behind her back. She chuckled sheepishly and lifted it up. It was a sake bottle and 2 cups.
"Care for a drink?" she grinned.
I smiled. Yeah. I needed a drink.
"Sure... Why not," I replied.
Momo squealed excitedly as she strided over to the tatami table. She cracked open the bottle as I took my place across the table, and she quickly poured both of us a cup, handing me mine.
"Kanpai..." we whispered, before downing our cups.
The alcohol burned my throat as it traveled to my stomach. I coughed and looked at her. Momo clasped a hand on her mouth to stifle a laugh.
"W–Woah! That's strong!" I said in a hushed voice.
"Yup! This is Genshu," she announced, lifting the bottle. My eyes widened.
"Genshu?" I asked. Genshu was an undiluted sake. No wonder it was so strong.
"Not just any Genshu," Momo smirked, "This one's 30%."
I gasped.
"30%? Isn't the limit at 22%?" I asked confusedly. She chuckled and poured herself another cup.
"I told you this is no ordinary Genshu..." she said.
"O–Oi... Take it easy! Let's not get drunk!" I cautioned. She scoffed.
"Oh, come on, Someone-san... It's my last night here! Plus, we're in my house! What could possibly go wrong?" Momo challenged, downing her second cup with haste.
This girl was wild. She winched, but she poured herself another, and then poured my cup too.
"I–I think I'm good, Momo..." I said apprehensively. She looked at me.
"Aww... Come on... Please?"
She pouted cutely and stared at me with puppy eyes. Fuck. I couldn't resist. Why was I so weak?
"F–Fine..." I huffed.
Momo punched the air in victory as I took my second cup and drank it quickly. Shit. It was so strong. I winched and let the alcohol sear my throat. Strangely, it started to feel nice. I chuckled, and she noticed this.
"See? It gets nicer with every next cup," she said. I laughed.
"That's exactly how people get drunk," I said.
She giggled and nodded, but she poured us another cup. Then another, and another. Third cup became fourth, fourth became fifth, and so on. We talked and joked happily, and before we knew it, we were both already drunk. The room was spinning, the lamp glared a little too garishly, but all I could feel was happiness and lightness.
"And so... I–I... Took–the bat... And... hic... and... Started... Hacking away!" Momo said, ending her story about the recent battle at SM Headquarters.
"N–No... F–Fucking way! Hic... That's... Shooo... Cool!" I said.
Shit. I was slurring. Momo wheezed.
"Y–Yes... F–Fucking–WAY!" she exclaimed her last word.
"Sssh!!" I shushed while placing a finger on her mouth. We giggled like little children.
"R–Right... Right... We–shouldn't wake... O–t–Otousan..." she whispered.
I found myself already sitting side by side with her. When did I get here? Momo rested her head on my shoulder and hummed contentedly. I pressed my head against hers and smiled.
"You gotta... hic... Tell me more of these stories..." I told her. She slapped my chest.
"N–Nah... You... You've got... More stories about yourself... Self... Hic..." she giggled.
"I do..." I uttered, closing my eyes to stop the world from spinning.
"T–Tell me... hic.. One!" she demanded.
"I told you... hic... F–Five already!" I retorted. She laughed.
"Did you? Shit... I... I can't remember anything," Momo said.
I laughed and shook my head. She was right. My mind was a haze. Nothing made sense. What story were we talking about again?
"S–Shame... Today's my last day..." she suddenly whispered.
I looked down at her. She closed her eyes, looking sleepy as hell. Yeah. Today was her last day. She'd return to Korea in the afternoon. She'd leave me here in Japan. She'd be happy with her friends again, while I... I would start running again.
Suddenly, I felt something inside me opening. Something I had kept inside me for so long... For two years, in fact. When did it all start? Right. After Dara got the names she needed. Fuck. She didn't use it anyway. Yeoni ended up getting the names from Rosé, right?
And yet... I was still targeted by Manse and his associates. Come to think of it... Did Manse have a connection to the Yakuza? It was a simple mistake I made, but why were they so adamant on killing me? What was it that I did? I couldn't even remember.
All I knew was... I had spent the last two years running away. I was alone. I was lonely. I was tired. I was sick of it. I missed my family. I missed my work in Korea. I wanted to come home. I wanted to stop running. I needed to stop running. I needed...
"Someone-san... Are you... Crying?" I heard Momo's words.
I looked down, and saw that she was staring at me. A second later, I realized that my cheeks were wet. I raised my hand to touch it, and I was confused when I felt tears dripping from my eyes. What was happening?
"Someone-san..." whispered Momo.
She sat herself straight, and she touched my cheek. Somehow, her gentle touch destroyed the wall I had made. I felt tears streaming out, and at that moment it was as if a stronghold was crumbling inside my heart. I started to sob.
"Some... Someone-san..." Momo called again, her eyes widening.
Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was my feelings, but I suddenly reached to hug her. She was stunned, I knew, but she didn't push me away. I cried my heart out on her shoulder, bawling like a little boy. Slowly, gently, she lifted her arms, and I soon felt her embracing me. Tightly, lovingly.
"Someone-san..." she whispered. "Daijoubu desuka?"
"Iie..." I uttered through my sobs, tears still streaming from my eyes, "Watashi wa subete ni unzari shite imasu."
My words took her aback. She pulled away from me, staring deeply into my swollen eyes. I met her gaze, and all I could see was pity, concern, and... Was that love?
"You're... Tired of everything?" Momo repeated my words.
I nodded slowly, still sobbing. Gently, I rested my head on her shoulder and continued crying.
"I'm... Tired, Momo... I'm... I'm sick and tired," I whispered.
"Tired of... What?" she asked.
"Of everything. Of running... Of being alone... Of... Of... Being l–lonely..." I whispered sorrowfully.
"Someone-san..." she whispered.
"Don't go..."
She stiffened. I lifted my eyes and stared at her. She was shocked, but I was shocked too. What was I talking about? That was inappropriate. It must be the alcohol. I wanted to stop talking, but something inside me kept urging me to speak.
"Don't go..." I repeated.
"W–What do you... Mean?" she stuttered. I held her hands.
"Don't... Don't leave me alone, Momo..." I begged.
"B–But..."
"I love you..."
My words shocked even myself. Momo stared at me, not saying anything.
Stupid.
I had just offended her.
Why must I say it out loud?
I slumped from her shoulder to the floor, and I cried. My body shook violently as two years worth of repressed emotions suddenly came flooding out like water out of a broken dam. That, mixed with the remorse and shame I felt from blatantly confessing my feelings to a world famous idol who was supposed to be someone I protected. I wasn't supposed to fall for her. I was so stupid.
"Someone-san..." she called out gently.
I dare not to lift my head, so I kept it buried on the floor. But then, I felt her touch. Her hands reached my cheeks, and she lifted my face gently but firmly until it was leveled with her.
I opened my eyes and found her beautiful eyes staring at me, deeply, intently. It seared into my soul, and I found my heart beating faster than usual.
"Momo... I–I... I'm sorry... I shouldn–"
I never got to complete my sentence. My words were cut short...
Because Momo kissed me.
Her lips felt so tender, her kiss felt so gentle. At first my entire body froze, but a second later, everything melted. My eyelids closed slowly, and soon, I let myself drown in her kiss.
I reached my hand up, caressing the back of her head. We kissed for what felt like forever, but at the same time I didn't want time to move. I wanted it to stand still. I wanted it to just continue like this for eternity.
"Momo..." I whispered after we finally stopped.
She didn't say anything. She merely smiled, and it was the most beautiful smile I'd ever seen. She cupped my cheeks and pressed her forehead on mine.
"You're not alone anymore, Someone-san... You've found me..." she whispered. "I love you too..."
My lips curved up. Was I smiling?
"It's my job, isn't it?" I whispered.
"What is?" she asked.
"Finding you..." I said. She chuckled.
"Mission accomplished, then..." she whispered. "You've found me..."
I chuckled, and we kissed again. We kissed passionately, lovingly, and lustfully. I had never kissed a woman like this before. I had never been kissed like this by a woman before. Our tongues entered each other's mouth, and we started caressing each other.
Still kissing me, she pressed me to the floor and straddled me. I watched in silence as she started taking off her top, revealing her black bra, hiding and showing a generous amount of cleavage at the same time. Without words, she unclasped her bra, and her massive breasts bounced free. They were big, they were round, her nipples were brown and perky... They looked delicious. They were perfect.
"M–Momo..." I whispered, marveling at the sight.
She didn't say anything, only smiling. Who knew Momo could be this quiet when drunk? Momo stooped down, and she nimbly pulled my pajama pants down. I didn't realize I had a boner until now, but I evidently had. She pulled my boxer down, and my cock was on display. When did I start getting a boner? Was it when she took off her shirt? Or was it when she kissed me? Nothing made sense.
"M–Momo..." I whispered again, but again she didn't reply.
She rested herself on top of my legs, and with one swift movement, she placed my cock in between her tits. Shit. I didn't know she was this big. An irresistibly soft and tender sensation started engulfing my penis, and with that, she started giving me a tittyfuck.
"M–Mo... M–Momo... M–Mh..."
Momo pressed her tits around my penis and moved them up and down slowly. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation. I could feel the warmth creeping slowly from my crotch to my brain and to my entire body, and I started moaning and gasping.
"M–M... Momo... A–Ah... M–M–Momo..."
She moved her tits faster and squeezed them tighter. I tried to find something to hold onto, but I couldn't. I knew we were not supposed to do this. I was supposed to protect her, not take advantage of her, not having sex with her. But my body didn't do anything. It couldn't resist her charm.
"M–Momo... M–Mhh... M–Momo... U–Ugh..."
She kept moving her tits faster and faster. My body tensed. I started squirming. I felt even dizzier, my vision went blurry, and I felt my climax was reaching soon.
"M–Momo... I'm... C–Cumming..."
I thought she'd stop, but instead she opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out. She licked the head of my penis, and that did it. I came. I came hard. Shot after shot of my semen exploded out of my penis, covering her face with thick white liquid, leaking down to her neck, down to her big breasts.
I gasped for air, panting laboriously. She looked up, smiled at me, and absentmindedly touched the traces of cum on her face and breasts. I stared at her, not able to form words. She giggled and slowly crept up, leveling with my face. Her smile grew wider, and she stared at me.
"Someone-san... I love you too..." she whispered.
With that, she slumped on top of me, and started snoring. She was asleep.
* * *
The alarm blared. I shot up immediately, and took the phone that was next to my pillow. It was 8 am. I tried to sit, but my head spinned.
Fuck. Hangover.
I laid back down on my bed and closed my eyes, pressing my palm onto my forehead. I tried remembering the events from last night. It was a blur... But I thought I could remember a few things.
I remembered I couldn't sleep, tossing and turning on my bed, thinking about Someone-san. At around 2 am, I decided to go out. I saw that the light was still on in his room, so I stole Otosan's genshu and tiptoed to his room.
I remembered he was shocked and was in a fighting stance when I opened his door. Gosh... That guy. Years of living on the run must have made him paranoid. I felt bad for him. Still, he invited me in, and we shared the genshu.
I remembered how he initially refused to drink more than one cup after tasting the strong genshu, but I insisted. I chuckled. Of course I insisted. I couldn't possibly let my last night with him go without a proper drink. He eventually relented, and we finished the genshu bottle.
Fuck... I had to replace the bottle before Otosan flips at me.
Hang on... What happened after we finished the bottle? Shit... I blacked out didn't I? Come on, Momo... Think! What did you do?
I shook my head and sat up again. I furrowed my brows. I... We shared stories. I told him about the SM Battle. He told me his stories too. We sat next to each other... But then...
My eyes widened as I remembered something.
Don't go...
Did he... Did he say that? Yeah... He did say those words. Was he crying when he said it?
"Momo-chan! Breakfast ready! Come down here!" that was Okasan yelling.
"Haai! Be there in a moment!" I yelled back.
Shit. Maybe I should ask him later. I stood up, and groggily walked to the door. I hoped Okasan made shijimi. Hang on. She didn't know I was drinking. Fuck. I missed Jihyo and Jeongyeon now. They always made haejangguk by default on Saturday morning, knowing that we'd spend Friday nights drinking our lives away.
I reached for the door, but right when I opened it, a question came to my mind.
How was I back in my bedroom again?
Did Someone-san carry me here last night? Did he...
Hang on.
"Momo-chan!"
"Haai! Haai! Coming!"
Shit. I'd think again later.
I swung the door open, and saw that Someone-san was making his way down the hall.
"Morning Someone-san!" I chirped. He stared at me.
"Ohayo..." he muttered as he avoided my gaze, he briskly walked past me to the staircase.
Huh... That was strange... I quickly caught up to him on the stairs.
"Hey, um... I wanted to ask you, did something happen last night?" I whispered.
He stopped dead in his tracks and I saw the gears in his head turning.
"N–No... Nothing happened..." he said after some time.
Something definitely happened.
I decided to wait until we get to the hotel back in Kyoto to prod a little further. We headed over to the dining room silently and took our places. Okaasan had prepared a simple breakfast of rice with a couple of side dishes for everyone. As usual, it was delicious.
I ate heartily, and although food normally cheered me up, something felt off inside me. It felt like a stone was weighing down my heart.
It was guilt.
Did I do something wrong last night? Did my drunk self say something that offended him? I wracked my brain, forcing myself to remember the details of our drinking session, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't.
"How's the food everyone?" Okaasan asked.
"It's great! Arigatou Okaasan," I replied with a forced smile. Someone-san just nodded and continued eating silently.
We finished our breakfast and cleaned up before getting ready to get back to Kyoto. I hugged my parents and sister tightly before bidding my farewell to them, and Someone-san bowed respectfully to each of them as we stepped out of the front door.
"Do take care of her, Yoru-kun!" Otousan said.
"H–Hai, Hirai-san," he replied dutifully.
"Please show her a good time as well~" teased Hana.
"OI! NEE-CHAN!" I exclaimed.
Hana and my parents laughed with me, but Someone-san didn't. He merely smiled nervously. Fuck. What was wrong? What did I do wrong for him to be this cold today?
We entered the car silently, and he quickly drove away to Kyotanabe's main road, taking us back in the direction of Kyoto. During the ride back, Someone-san stayed silent, and I hated it. I stared at him a few times, trying to start a conversation, but he kept his eyes locked on the road ahead, not saying a single word.
I did do something wrong, didn't I? I offended him. Shit, Momo! Why did you have to black out last night?
We eventually reached AMAN Kyoto, and he escorted me back to my suite. As I opened the door, I turned to talk to him.
"Someone-san, I–"
"Pack your things. We're leaving in 20 minutes," he said coldly, and he rushed off, denying me the chance to ask him.
I stared at his back as he walked quickly away, and only after he disappeared from view did I enter my suite. I huffed in frustration and started packing.
Did I offend his family? Did I say something about his parents or Sachiko? Fuck... Think, Momo, think! What did you do?
In frustration, I felt tears start to wet my eyes. Shit. I had just fallen in love with him, and I had to get so drunk I offended him. This was why I was always alone. I cursed my own mistakes and wiped my tears before pulling my luggages out of the room.
He was already out there. Of course he was. He took my bigger luggage and wheeled it down to the lobby, still in silence. We checked ourselves out and went straight to the carpark. He opened the door for me before putting my luggages in the trunk and entered the driving seat. Still in silence, he started his car and we zoomed towards Osaka, getting to the airport.
I stared at him, and felt like I was about to cry again. He was staring at the road ahead, wearing his menpo mask, not saying anything. I felt tears starting to well up in my eyes, so I instead pulled my bag up to my lap and checked if everything was there.
Shit...
"Oh shit!"
"What happened?"
"I–I think I left my passport back in the hotel!" I said as I frantically started pulling things out of my bag, searching for the small crimson booklet.
Someone-san sighed and swiftly turned the car around, taking us back to the hotel. After a lot of apologizing to both the hotel staff and Someone-san, we were finally back on track and headed to the airport... Except we were late.
"I am so sorry," I uttered.
"Don't be, Momo, it happens," he replied.
"W-Will I be late?"
He tapped at the clock on the dashboard.
"Nope, your flight's at three right?"
"Y-yeah..."
"Then you should be fine. It's only 1:30," he said.
I nodded and stared back at the road, going back to my attempt to remember something from our drinking session last night. I couldn't. It was a dead end.
I turned to look at Someone-san. I had to ask him. I needed to ask him. Now was my chance. He had no way of avoiding me.
* * *
"Someone-san?" Momo calls out to me.
"Yes?"
"What happened between us last night?"
This again. Shit, I hoped that she would just drop the subject. I stayed silent as we approached a red light and I brought the vehicle to a stop.
"What happened?" she pressed.
I continued to remain silent. I couldn't bear to look at her without feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt. I had used her in her state of vulnerability. I should have stopped her, but instead.... I didn't. I couldn't even control my own bodily desires.
"Look, if I did or said anything that offended you... You need to let me know, because I seriously cannot remember last night–"
"You did nothing wrong, Momo... It was... Me," I finally replied. I sensed her eyes widening.
"W–What?"
"I... I don't want to talk about it," I replied as the light turned green.
I stepped on the gas pedal and we dashed through the traffic into Osaka. I stayed silent as we drove to Kansai International Airport, and I felt Momo staring at me the entire way.
"What happened?" she tried again persistently.
I stayed silent, avoiding the question. Momo finally grunted and threw her back on the seat. I sighed behind my mask. This was so me... Running away from my problems like I always did. God... I was sick of this!
We arrived at the airport, and I parked my car. We walked together to the departure terminal, and Momo checked herself in. After she placed her large luggage on the conveyor belt and retrieved her boarding pass, she walked back and stood in front of me.
"Hey, uh... What time is it now? I don't exactly feel like entering the Departure Hall and do nothing if I still have some time," she asked.
Without thinking, I raised my wrist and showed her my smartwatch.
"Here you g–"
Oh fuck.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!
I had forgotten that my drunk self took a picture of her while she was sleeping and set it as my watch face. Shit! I must have looked like a total creep! I quickly brought my wrist back to my side as I felt heat rushing to my face.
"S–Sorry... Sorry about that..." I muttered.
I frantically tried to change the photo, but Momo gently grabbed my hand, stopping me. I lifted my face to look at her, and I saw her staring deeply into my eyes.
"Someone-san... Forgive me for being so annoying, but... What happened last night?" she asked again.
I stared at this beautiful girl. Should I tell her? Wouldn't she be mad at me?
"Please. I'll never be at peace if I don't know what we did," she whispered sincerely as she squeezed my hand, leaning closer to me.
My defences crumbled. The sincerity of her voice just won me over. I closed my eyes as I fought back the tears of guilt.
"I'm sorry..." I said shakily.
"For what?"
"Last night... We... We had... Foreplay. Y–you..."
I couldn't bring myself to describe what she did, what we did. I looked at her, and found her staring at me in silence. I took a deep breath and continued.
"I–I... I didn't stop you... I–I... I knew you didn't... You couldn't control your body, and... I'm... Ashamed of myself. I–I... I'm sorry for ignoring you the entire day. I wanted to stop, believe me... I–I... I'm sorry, Momo... I should've...
Her hands on my cheeks stopped me from talking.
She took off my menpo mask swiftly, and then...
She kissed me, right there and then.
The familiar touch of her soft, tender lips brought comfort to me as I finally let my tears fall.
* * *
As our lips touched, I swore I felt something opening inside my head. The events from last night came rushing back into me.
I remembered it. I remembered everything.
I remembered how he cried and begged me not to go. I remembered how he told me that he was sick and tired of everything. I remembered...
I remembered he told me he loved me.
I remembered the kiss...
And I remembered how I took off my shirt and gave him–Oh God...
I pulled away and looked into his now teary eyes. Warmth filled my heart, filling my heart to the brim. He was too sweet... He felt guilty for doing something I initiated while I was drunk. It wasn't his fault. Not at all... But yet, his conscience weighed him down. God... There was not a single reason not to love him.
"I remember..." I whispered.
"W–What?" he stuttered. I looked at him and smiled.
"I remember everything..." I clarified. His face was apologetic, but I touched his cheek. "It's okay, Someone-san, I did it willingly and I enjoyed every second of it," I smiled as I wiped his tears.
He stared at me and I met his gaze. I felt only love for him at this moment.
"It's sweet that you have the conscience that keeps you a righteous person, but you don't have to let it weigh you down anymore," I said with a big smile.
He looked stunned, so I continued.
"I did what I did last night because..."
I paused, mustering up courage, then I stared him straight in the eyes.
"Well... I love you... And I wanted to express my love to you... But... My drunk self did it in its own way," I said, chuckling a little bit.
I heard his breath hitching.
"You... You love me?"
I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck.
"What's there not to love about you?" I whispered before closing the distance between us yet again.
He kissed me back this time as I felt his arms wrapped around my back, holding me close to his body. We finally broke apart and stared at each other, both of us visibly over the moon.
"I love you too Momo."
"I know, you said it last night," I smirked.
"Looks like your memory serves you well then," he chuckled. I pulled him into a hug.
"I'm gonna miss you," I said.
"I'm gonna miss you too, Momo... Thank you... For this week," he whispered. I chuckled.
"It was my pleasure. Must be tiring to be my bodyguard huh?" I asked him.
He laughed.
"Watashi wa subete ni unzari shite imasu," he said, repeating his words from last night.
My heart fell slightly as I finally got the meaning behind those words. After I leave, he'd go back running. He'd go back to being lonely all over again. At this thought, I held him tighter.
"I'm gonna make sure they bring you home soon. Just hold out a little longer, okay?" I assured him. I sensed him smiling.
"Thank you Momo," he replied.
I opened my eyes and looked at him, but at that moment, something I saw behind him made my heart stop beating.
In the distance, I saw a man in a white hoodie. His camera was up, and he was clearly snapping photos of me... Of us. I quickly pulled away from Someone-san. He was alarmed.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Behind you, white hoodie, black camera," I whispered. He understood immediately.
"Okay," he replied as he put on his menpo mask.
From his pocket, he produced two golden cards. He swiftly turned and disappeared into the crowd. I saw him appear behind the cameraman a few seconds later, and I saw him slipping one of the cards into the cameraman's pocket before disappearing yet again.
He appeared a few seconds later and walked back to my side. He pulled out the other card and tapped a few things on it. Two rectangular, hologram panels emanated from the card, revealing a screen. He pressed a few buttons again, and soon the word 'EXTRACTING' appeared.
I watched in awe as the word changed to 'EXTRACTION COMPLETED'. Someone-san pressed a few more things before a photo of us kissing popped up. Someone-san swiped the hologram screen, and my eyes widened in surprise as I saw a collection of my photos with him from the past week.
"What the fuck?" I whispered in horror.
"Looks like he's been following us for quite some time..." he muttered as a photo of us holding hands in the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove popped up.
"Can you do anything about this?" I whispered in panic. To my surprise, he chuckled.
"Already done," he said.
I stared at him, and he lifted his gadget up.
"Meet Rendezvous, a data stealing gadget. It comes in pairs, the first card as an EMP, momentarily disables the device while all data from the device is stolen. Afterwards, the data gets uploaded to this card, and all media from said device is completely wiped. Just like that... No Dispatch article," he said proudly as he closed the gadget and pocketed it.
"But what about the other card?" I asked him. He shrugged.
"It'll self-destruct. It'll release a small vat of non-lethal acid that evaporates the entire card in his pocket without a trace. Don't worry, the guy won't be harmed."
I stared at him with a mixture of amazement and fear. I felt a smile breaking out on my face.
"That is the nerdiest shit ever... And I love it! And you... Mostly you, though," I giggled. He laughed.
"I love you too, Momo," he said.
I pulled him into another hug.
"Jesus, is there a limit to the things you can do? Can you like... Ooh! Transport someone's consciousness into a virtual avatar?" I challenged him.
"Like in aespa's Kwangya?" he asked. Wow. He knew his K-pop.
"Exactly like that!" I exclaimed.
"With time and resources, anything is possible, Momo," he replied confidently.
"Then I'd like to see it!" I said.
"I said with time and resources–" he said, but then he realized that I was only teasing him.
He sighed, and I chuckled, hugging him even tighter.
"When we finally get you back to Korea, you better have it ready. Can you do it?" I asked him. He chuckled.
"Are you doubting me?" he asked, jokingly sounding offended. I giggled.
"I'll never doubt you... Babe..." I teased. I heard him giggling.
"Okay, you can officially call me that now," he sighed. I slapped his arm.
"Damn right I can... Honey!" I teased him further. His face blushed behind the mask.
"O–Okay... That's a little too far..." he stuttered.
A sly smile crossed my face as I leaned in to whisper to his ears.
"Further than giving you Paizuri?" I whispered.
"Y-Ya!"
"You enjoyed it right?" I teased.
"M-Momo..." he said, and I felt something tightening below his waist.
"I'm going to do a lot more than just a tittyfuck next time... We're gonna go even further... A lot further... Shall I describe it? In detail?" I said naughtily, my hand tracing his belt.
I could feel him shuddering. Oh, how I loved this man... I wanted to continue, but at that moment I heard my boarding call.
'This is a boarding call to all passengers of Japan Airlines flight JL5213 to Seoul. Please proceed to the boarding lounge immediately.'
I smirked as I stared at him.
"Saved by the PA. You won't get so lucky next time," I giggled. He stared at me.
"I don't need to get lucky next time... Because we'll actually be doing whatever you were trying to describe just now," he said naughtily.
I gasped and slapped his chest. This guy knew me best! He laughed, and we hugged again.
"Thanks for everything, Someone-san... I'll miss you so much," I said. He nodded.
"I'll miss you too, Momo. Have a safe flight," he wished.
I reluctantly pulled myself away from him and waved at him. He waved back, and even with his mask on, I could see him smiling. Slowly, regrettably, I turned away and pulled my cabin baggage into the Departure Hall's gate.
That's when it hit me.
Dumb fuck, you forgot to ask for his name!
I turned back and quickly ran back to my lover.
"Before I leave... What's your name?" I asked him.
"You already know," he said.
"Your real name, silly," I giggled.
He stared at me with those kind eyes I was so crazy about, and finally he said it.
"Sabito..."
"Huh... Thought it'd be Doraemon from the way you pull gadgets from your ass," I quipped.
"Hirai Momo!" he scolded.
We laughed together, and I felt his hands tracing my face. My smile grew wider.
"Okay, okay! Last name?" I asked him again.
"Kobayashi," he said gently.
"Korobuta?"
"Ya!" he complained.
I stepped closer to him.
"Sorry... I'm just hungry," I whispered.
"You're always hungry," he chuckled.
I stepped even closer. I knew I wanted to do something. I needed to do it. I looked beyond him, and saw that the white-hooded cameraman was still there, panickedly checking his broken camera.
"How much longer until his camera's back on?" I asked him.
"About two more hours," he said. "Why?"
I didn't answer. I reached for his mask and tore it off his face. I lunged at him and hungrily planted my lips on his. He chuckled, and I felt his arms wrapping around me once again. We kissed passionately for a few long seconds, before finally we pulled apart, panting for breath.
"Give me your number," I whispered.
"Already did. Check your back pocket," he smiled.
My eyes widened in surprise as I reached for my back pocket and found a business card inside it. I pulled it out and saw his number in it. I chuckled.
"Ya... Why didn't I feel you touching my butt..." I teased. He chuckled.
"I'll make sure you feel it the next time we meet," he said.
I laughed and stared at him, holding his hands tightly. He pulled myself closer to him once again, keeping his eyes locked with mine, and pressed his forehead against mine gently.
"Text me when you reach," he whispered.
"No. I'll call you," I said.
I pecked his cheek one last time. He laughed and let me go, pushing me gently towards the gate. I laughed and complied, finding it really difficult to let him go.
"Go now! You're going to miss your flight!" he exclaimed.
I nodded, and finally I turned and walked towards one of the officers at the gate and gave my passport and boarding pass to him. As I walked past him into the hall, I turned to wave goodbye to my new boyfriend. He waved back, smiling widely, and I turned away with a smile on my face.
It won't be long now, Kobayashi Sabito... We'll bring you home.
I promise.