🏹 𝖼𝗅𝖺𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝖾 ── 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟖𝟒
-ˋˏ Tuesday, 16th August 2021, 6.27pm ˎˊ˗
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
Heeseung scowled as Jiyeon pressed the cold compress against the pad of his bruised cheek. His facial features upon his canvas winced owing to the sudden contact to the cold, his pearls sinking into the flesh of his bottom lip as his palm ascent towards her's, only for his fingers to curl around her pallid wrist.
Upon halting in her posture on the chair alongside his at the dining table, Jiyeon emitted a deep sigh from within. "Heeseung, you're going to live, I promise. Just stop overreacting."
"We wouldn't have been here if only you had kept your cool." Heeseung's gripe around the armrest of the chair tightened as his eyelids fluttered close above his irises.
"You basically started it—" She muttered as she budged closer towards his chair, the pads of her fingers ascending towards the underside of his chin to strain his neck back to better place the cold ice pack against his developing bruise. "—Because apparently, I'm not nice according to you."
At this right moment, Heeseung could feel the nimbleness of wildlife awakening a neurotic hysteria, deep in the hollow of his stomach as he observed how concentrated she was while she was treating him, slightly biting the inside pulp of his cheek whilst his irises trailed into her earthy orbs at his side.
"You know I can do it myself." The Lee mumbled as he suddenly broke his eye contact away from her, cowering his pate, only for his line of sight to fall upon the ground that lay beneath their feet.
"Well you never said anything, I just assumed you wanted me to do it for you." Jiyeon released a long huff, allowing it to slip through the pulp of her lips as she seized his hand that was once rested atop his lap in her own, placing the pack upon his rouge palm. "Go ahead, do it yourself."
With this, Jiyeon briskly stood to her heels and ambled away from him, picking up the utensils and other objects that were previously thrown into the open, amid their brawl.
"Now that we've both calmed down and you aren't throwing shit anymore, can we peaceful go back to making those cookies?" Heeseung released his breath that he had held in just until a second ago, pressing the pack against his cheek before standing to his soles and walking in behind her.
"Do you want me to start up again?" The brunette raises her arm with the clutter of utensils in one hand, an indication that she had no problem launching them towards him again.
"Not at all, Beanhead." Heeseung muttered in a lower octave, seizing and getting a hold of the utensils off of her, whilst swiftly sauntering ahead of her small physique beyond the island.
"Good, because I wasn't in the mood either." Jiyeon mumbled as she followed in his trail behind him, her own palms clasped together behind her back. And although she couldn't see his face right then, she could nimbly tell that he had chuckled at her words.
Suddenly, as she was walking in his steps behind him, Heeseung halted on his track, making Jiyeon come to an abrupt standstill behind him, obscurely bumping into his broadened back at the unexpected stop.
"Wait..."
Seeing how stiff his stature became with the single word he spoke into existence, as his irises suddenly fixed ahead of him, Jiyeon hurries to stand next to the tautened figure of the Lee. "What?! What are you staring at? Is there something there?!" Jiyeon nervously nagged alongside him, her gaze oscillating back and forth from his blank visage to the empty air he's been staring at.
Heeseung turned to the side, his eyes dilating in realization. "Earlier. Did you punch me because I kissed your hand?" He blurted out, his voice filled with surprise and confusion. Jiyeon's eyes widened, initially thinking something had broken into the house, but then her expression shifted — A sudden mix of embarrassment and amusement crossing her face as she realized what he had just said.
"You only realized now?" Jiyeon blinked blankly, not sure how to approach his concern in question.
"Did you not like that?"
"You startled me, you doofus. What was I meant to do, dance out of joy? Do a little wiggle?" Jiyeon raised a brow as she ascent her arms mid air just before her, swaying them a little.
"So, did you or did you not?"
As Heeseung's eyes met Jiyeon's, a wave of contemplation washed over her as she began to ponder on his question. Heeseung could feel the weight of the moment, his heart pounding in his chest on the spur of the moment. Heeseung couldn't tear his gaze away from her, drawn to her presence, daring a small step closer, whilst closing the distance between them ever so slightly. The air was thick with anticipation as they both stood there, lost in their thoughts, wondering where this unexpected connection might lead them.
"Did I like it that you kissed my knuckles?" Jiyeon rubbed the bare nape of her neck, her orbs trailing away from his. "What kind of question is that??"
"Just checking for future purposes."
"Future purposes? Why do you need to know for future purposes?!"
"Just."
"Just?! What are you planning to do in the future, kiss my knuckles again, you creep?!" Jiyeon exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief. She couldn't hide the shock in her eyes as she hit Heeseung's arm with her fist, her body jolting up slightly at the same time. The unexpectedness of his words had caught her off guard, leaving her feeling wary at the thought.
Seeing how Heeseung has given no reaction, Jiyeon's irises gaped while she comprehended the situation. "Wait— you aren't thinking of kissing me elsewhere, are you...? Like, like my t-toes..."
Her hand slowly rose towards her mouth, her palm covering the lower half of her face, leaving only her widened globes of her eyes visible against her flushed cheeks. The absurdity of the thought made her both flustered and slightly leery, creating a mix of emotions that danced across her face.
Heeseung's eyebrows scrunched at this as he tilted his head, a concerned expression creeping up his face. He couldn't help but wonder what goes on in her small enclosed mind as her unexpected comment left him perplexed.
"Why aren't you saying anything, you aren't really planning on kissing my to—"
With this, Heeseung abruptly places his palm against her hand still placed above her mouth, closing the minuscule gap to shut her off from speaking anything more ridicule coming through.
"I'll kiss you on the lips, if you keep going on about toes."
For a brief moment, both of them froze in silence, their eyes agape with a mix of stupor. Heeseung took a moment to process the words that had just slipped out of his mouth, as they stood there in a state of shock, unsure of how to proceed. The unexpected turn of events left them momentarily speechless, their expressions mirroring the revelation they felt inside.
"Jiyeon— Shit, that came out— T-that's not what I meant." Heeseung released a nervous breathy exhale, pulling his arm away and turning to carry on walking towards the electric mixer leaving Jiyeon stood stunned in her feet. "Please don't take it the wrong way..."
Shaking herself out of her daze, Jiyeon spun on her heels whilst rubbing the side of her head, peering out the window above the sink before finally uttering the words she had ought to ask for awhile. "When did you start liking me? I feel like you haven't really told me much about that."
"H-hmm? Why, is it bothering you?"
"No. I'm just...curious." Her words faltered as her breath hitched at the base of her throat.
"I've liked you for awhile now and—" Heeseung raised his behold from his fidgety fingertips, glimpsing over his shoulder to watch the Park girl looking out the window. "—I only realized that I liked you when I lashed out on you that night, through our texts."
Jiyeon finally turnt back and blinked at him blankly, a little taken aback when she noticed he was already looking her way, with a slight furrow laced in her brows, "You've always lashed out on me though." She uttered in a low tone. "Does that mean you've always liked me?"
"Perhaps. But I guess I was certain of my feelings for you on the 21st of January, that Wednesday night."
"That's oddly specific, and kinda creepy."
"Probably the reason I went off on you, I just wanted to figure things out on my own, but nothing else seemed to make sense."
"I thought that ignoring you would be the best way to keep my feelings from becoming anything more. But obviously it's you we're talking about, you didn't even let me avoid you."
"So~ Are you saying you can't control yourself around me?"
"Apparently I can't."
"Oh—"
"What? Is it that shocking?"
"Uhh, sort of. Very. This kind of feels like something you'd see in a drama, not in real life..." Jiyeon murmured beneath her breath, her earthy orbs falling down to where her feet lay, the tip of her slipper going back and forth against the grout line of the single square floor tile she's stood on.
"Want to tell me why you were sad that day now then? We have the time."
"You think I'd remember now?" She gradually wanders to his side again, seizing her phone that was once atop the middle of the island counter, and clutching it in between the pallid pads of her fingers. "Hold on let me check our messages."
Upon scrolling up to the exact date Heeseung had mentioned, memories from that day onwards began to resurface within the realms of her mind, hesitant to muster the courage to speak up about what she harked back to. "Oh~ that...Wednesday."
(𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟑)
"Yes that. So tell me, why were you sad that day?" Heeseung gave a brief reassuring smile, his palms gently resting upon her forearms as he turned her figure around to face him, Jiyeon's back leaning against the island.
"Didn't know you would be playing as my therapist today." She shrugged his arms off from around her shoulders in a sassy flair to make the situation of no worth, adverting her gaze away into the far distance of the kitchen.
"But now I want to hear it, sweet cakes." Heeseung grips onto the edge of the island's counter top, as his arms on either side of her physique locked her in between his warmth.
Taking a deep breath from within, Jiyeon glanced back towards him, spotting a small flour patch on the tip of his nose. With the ascent of her fingertip, she goes to wipe it, the grooves of the pad of her finger brushing against his skin sending shivers down his back, before she looked back into his eyes.
Time stood still for a moment as their eyes met, and for when their eyes met, neither of the two had the ability to break away from the contact.
"Heh— I actually don't remember. It was probably just something that has been bothering me then. Nothing serious. You know how I am..."
She briskly turns back around to grab the broom leant against the counter, sweeping the floor with her head hung low whilst leaving Heeseung inches away from her figure in a state of haze.
The Lee decided not to push this anymore further on what she meant, for an argument was at the bottom of both of their priority lists that evening, accepting that his defeat was probably the only decent option to rest upon.
For the next hour, everything was silent between them as Heeseung continued with checking the tray of cookies in the oven every so often, while Jiyeon was gone into a state of daze, stirring the frosting in the bowl in a tedious manner, just opposite him on the other end of the island.
The silence ensued — well, at least for a moment, until Heeseung decided that enough was enough.
"How are you feeling now?" Heeseung suddenly broke the tension that hung aloft between them, his gaze breaking away from the oven below him to land upon the brunette on the other side of the island, her entire focus steadied on making the icing.
"Why, thank you for your concern, good sir. In actual fact, my head quite literally feels like a ticking time bomb that'll explode anytime now."
"Strangely enough, I could literally hear the ticking bomb in this silence."
"Here I thought it was only me. Good to know it's not just me."
"Do you want me to do anything to help?"
"To help with the ticking bomb or this atrocious headache of mine?"
"How about both?" Heeseung broke into a wide smile, his pearls peeking through the flesh of his lips as his eyes turned into his renowned moon crescents even the elderly were obsessed with.
"And how exactly are you planning on doing that?"
"Jiyeon, you are meant to shoot the blue team not the red! That's our team." Heeseung exclaimed in a rather loud tone, his entire concentration remaining glued to the tv screen before them. His fingers were quick to shoot the opposing team that were coming for the two, with Jiyeon's character stood still right next to him in the game as she were in real life.
With her frustration rising to the brim and headache intensifying, Jiyeon slammed her controller onto the couch alongside her, the loud thud echoing throughout the living space, yet going unnoticed by him.
Instantly standing to her heels, Jiyeon released a sigh from the depths as her narrowed peer adverted towards the Lee who remained oblivious of what's going around him with his entire focus still on the game.
Jiyeon couldn't help but feel a touch of disappointment as Heeseung had suggested playing video games instead. After everything that has happened today, Jiyeon had expected him to at least come up with something a bit more meaningful, perhaps something that would create a deeper bond between them. But boy was she wrong.
"What's wrong?" Heeseung uttered, finally noticing her missing presence on the couch next to him, her shadow eclipsing the living room light from on top of him, keeping him in the dim.
"Wow, would you look at that, my headache is completely gone! This was so helpful! Thank you for making my day so much better, Egghead." Jiyeon shut her eyelids closed before suddenly turning towards him and looking at him afresh with a fervid, hot-blooded look in her eyes.
"Wait, really?" Heeseung's orbs turned into one of a baby deer's, still managing to glisten ever so brightly even with her shadow veiling atop of him, as his irises dilated at the thought of his idea of playing games together being not so bad after all.
"I take back everything nice I said I about you today! Gentleman my ass!" Jiyeon vociferated, her voice loud enough to reverberate within the walls of the entire house before barging out the room in utter frustration boiling her insides.
However, before you know it, Jiyeon's vexation has reached its boiling point as she marched back into the room, her footsteps echoing with determination. Without a moment's hesitation, she snatched a cushion from the couch, gripping it tightly between her fingertips. With a mix of rage and chagrin, she vigorously launched it directly at him, her eyes blazing with fury as she turned on her heels, storming out of the room once again, not even bothering to look back.
Leaving an unsettled atmosphere in her wake, Heeseung shot his glance towards the doorway she had left through, his visage holding a look of confusion, rubbing the side of his pate where the cushion had hit him.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"You as a whole is wrong!" Heeseung heard Jiyeon ululate from the top of her lungs as she was stood at the base of the ligneous staircase, causing the Lee to jolt at the sudden action.
"What is that even supposed to mean?" He got to his feet to follow in her trail, leaving the controller behind on the coffee table and the game playing in the background of yet another round in their ongoing series of arguments today.
Tension rose in the air, ready to ignite into another heated exchange that had become all too familiar throughout the day. The empty house brimmed with unspoken frustrations, setting the stage for thus another clash of words and emotions.
Oh, now it's really starting to look a lot like a lovers quarrel like Hyeyoon had previously said.
-𝖧𝖤𝖤𝖵𝖱𝖲 ━━
. · 。ﾟ୧ ⋆. 🏹🖇 → 𝐀/𝐍. ₊˚.༄
gahhhh i am so so sorry for
the long wait, i rlly did intend
to update months ago but trust
me i was so tied up wi uni and
exams that i just couldn't make
the time to do so any sooner.
but hey, finally got round to
doing it although it isn't to its
highest quality and to make up
for the lack of updates, i will be
uploading a behind the scene
type chapter as well, especially
to feed you little hungry angels.
also, from the bottom of my
heart, i truly want to thank u
sincerely as i am rlly grateful
for all the love and support i
have been receiving for this
book, despite me being on
and off from this app for
quite some time. you guys
rlly make me want to keep
writing 🤍🥹
have a good day / night ! 🤍