Chapter Thirty
It was the day of the luncheon the week before the banquet that shit hit the fan in the worst and best way.
Ae-ri and In-ho had been forced into interaction the day before for the sake of their parents and despite the silent seething that came from both of them, no one knew the better.
She would not fold, and if anything the distance was welcome.
All the guests were currently arriving as she and her family stayed in the foyer of their home, smiling and welcoming people as they came in. The activity reminded her of warmer memories of when Sun-oh had been next to her in the Dominican Republic when her family had gone on a business trip.
She missed him.
The conversation in the cafe had left her with a bottomless pit of dwelling sadness but also with a numbness she was more than accustomed to. In her head, she deserved to feel it and most importantly did not deserve Sun-oh.
Her mother, almost sensing her daughter's growing wariness smiled softly and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as the next guests came up. Ae-ri shifted and leaned in, sighing before painting her perfectly practiced smile onto her face.
Fifteen minutes passed by and she was beginning to grow a rhythm. Roughly 20 more minutes and by then all the guests should have arrived. The home stretch was near.
"Welcome, welcome!" Ae-ri's dad greets cheerfully.
Ae-ri looks up, her smile still warm and inviting, as she takes in the next guests. Her entire body stills, her breath leaving her lungs completely, her eyes locked into gentle eyes that stared right back with the same intensity.
"It's a pleasure," Sun-oh's mom and dad greet warmly.
Sun-oh eyes don't waver for a second even as his parents greet her with a gentle hug and she doesn't dare look away either. Their parents chat, making conversation, but it's Sun-oh's mom that suggests they catch up before the luncheon officially begins and Sun-oh doesn't spare a second for Ae-ri to reconsider.
"We will see you later," he says to no one in particular as he slips his fingers to the small of her back and leads her to a quieter part of the house, both of their bodies abuzz at the contact.
***
He had taken her to one of the activity rooms, this one filled with a pool table, a bar, and things her dad undoubtedly appreciated. She turns to face him when he closes the door and they breathe each other in from a distance, the silence warm, buzzing but also a bit heavy.
She opens her mouth to speak but she doesn't get past the first syllable before he is close, the warmth of their bodies greeting each other in a sigh of relief as his fingers slip up her arm to her neck and cup her jaw gently.
Ae-ri felt like a live wire had touched her, every nerve ending on her body alight and painfully aware of what he was touching and what he wasn't. His eyes soften as she looks up at him, her eyes full of emotion he mirrored right back at her.
He offers her a gentle smile. "Next time you plan on apologizing, can you make sure you hear my reply first?"
She lets out a relieved laugh, relaxing into his touch as her hands slip up to his hand and tug his hand away only to intertwine their fingers before nodding, "Okay."
"You're right. You were a bit of a hypocrite but for the plot I guess, right?" he muses.
She could kiss him.
"I forgive you," he murmurs, his eyes slipping to her mouth and back to her eyes.
"You shouldn't."
"I do."
"I'm sorry," she says softly, the words not feeling like enough.
He lets himself be selfish, his eyes fluttering closed as he leans in, allowing his arms to slip around her, pressing her into him. She melts completely, her eyes burning at feeling what she had yearned for for so long. He hums, his fingers slipping up and down the revealed skin on her back, "It's okay, sweetheart. We will work on it."
She feels her heart float at the implications behind his words and feels her lungs fill up with unfiltered relief. They stay like this, pressed together until she could hear his breathing, his heart hammering against his chest, and the growing chatter of people outside the door.
When they grow apart he sees the look in her eyes and feels his heart warm just as the door bursts open and a bored In-ho suddenly grows still.
Sun-oh meets his gaze full on, Ae-ri's back to the door. She turns around just as In-ho scoffs and realizes the scene before him. His eyes settle on her, he opens his mouth to say something, and instead closes it firmly, his eyes sending the message clear enough before shaking his head and shutting the door once more.
***
"Stop."
"What do you mean, stop? Ae-ri, what the fuck? You are better than this."
"Better than what?" she frowns.
"Better!" he fights back.
In-ho could feel his control slipping from him. It felt that every time he closed his eyes he could see the way they looked at each other, the way Sun-oh had held her, the way she was entwined into his arms.
He looks at her, his heart sighing at the person he had grown to love despite everything, despite the underlying reason he was even here, and despite her blatantly not wanting him.
If she only knew.
"Fuck this," he swears under his breath, turning away from Ae-ri before turning back as she begins the conversation once more.
"In-ho, what happened? I get that we left off on bad terms, but this is...why are you acting so protective-"
"Ae-ri," he breathes out, exasperated, his fingers aching to feel her under them, like the way she used to let him when his body couldn't help itself; the innocent caresses, the soft gazes, the playful banter. Had it truly meant nothing to her the entire time? Nothing but platonic attachment?
"In-ho," her head tilts, her eyebrows furrowing.
His eyes meet hers and he feels his whole body slump under her gaze just as a sharp ping disturbs the silence between them and both of their bodies tense up immediately. The air grows hesitant quickly, both of them realizing it at the same time. His eyes slip to her phone to confirm the ill-timed confession and his cheeks flush red as the alert flashes across the screen of her phone.
Someone within a 10m radius loves you!
He closes his eyes, desperately trying to control the reaction his body was having. His breathing was sporadic, his heart plummeting down to the pits of his stomach, and his mouth was turning dry.
"In-ho."
"No."
"Stop lying," she breathes out, her eyes full of worry.
Silence fills them and Ae-ri takes a step forward, just as he takes a step back, shaking his head, embarrassed and feeling too vulnerable for his liking. She exhales quietly before moving towards him once more, her feet stopping less than a foot away from him, her eyes wanting to meet his to help ease the nonconsensual revealing of his innermost emotions.
"Hey, it's okay," she begins but he just shakes his head again, gathering his thoughts in the growing silence between them. She hesitates but lets it go when he finally begins to breathe normally again, his fingers shaking. She watches as he fiddles with his feet for a second before speaking.
"I burn for you, Ae-ri," he confesses quietly.
Ae-ri feels her body grow slack at the words, her heart sinking in the worst way.
No.
"Maybe it was someone else," she tries to divert the conversation, anything to calm the flush of his skin, the nervousness at having his heart laid out bare right in front of her.
"I burn for you," he steps in close to her, his hands finding her elbows. She looks up at him to find nothing but the truth clear as day written on his face.
"You can't," she exhales.
"And yet I do," he reaffirms. "You are my first thought when I wake up and my last thought when I fall asleep, Ae-ri." He looks between her eyes, his heart beating too furiously against his chest for him to stop now.
"I love you," he almost whispers.
"In-ho, I can't-"
"I know," he comforts quietly, his fingers slipping to her chin. She stills at the touch and meets his eyes. "I will not rush you," he says gently as his eyes linger a bit too long on her mouth.
"I do not love you."
"I know," he nods, his voice small and his usually large presence practically nonexistent. "I know," he repeats, softer this time.
She feels her body try to relax enough to slip out his touch but he lets her go, slipping back into his usual persona—the vulnerability gone in a heartbeat. "Being your friend is more than I can ask for. I will not rush you," he clarifies.
"In-ho," she begins but he shakes his head.
"It's okay," he consoles, giving a teasing smile that did not reach his eyes. "Come, my beautiful Ae-ri, you have a luncheon to attend."