Going to Tahiti was one thing, but then again I can’t help but feel sad for Shuhua, especially after she began to be a bit dry after learning that the vacation would involve a lot of water. I did remember her mentioning on one of their guesting that it was an inherent childhood accident that caused her hydrophobia, but then I never realized it until she mentioned it herself. I tried to talk to her about it, but with the expression she was giving me when I began to shift the conversation for her to open up; I elected to stop considering she’d begin to sulk as opposed to the usually bubbly and random spirited Yeh Shuhua.
It turns out, even though I had already invited her for breakfast (much to Sven’s delight), I could still imagine that she was still stuck on the thought as she consumed her food rather lifelessly. My mother began to notice this too; as she sat on the middle of the glass clad dining room, and on the table she silently observed Shuhua. We would often exchange looks of concern, with eomma talking to me through the expression of her eyes. Losing patience and leaning more towards concern for her, eomma then tilted her head to meet Shuhua’s eyes and began to speak.
“Shuhua, dear, is there something wrong? Don’t you like the food? I can make the maids cook something else for you.”
“Hmmm…?” Shuhua said, apparently waking up from her trance. “No, no, eomma the food is delicious! I’m sorry for not eating that enthusiastically, I’m just thinking of something else…”
“What is it? Is this about work?”
“Ummm…”
I wanted to speak. I began to open my mouth but then I figured it would be better if Shuhua told eomma herself about it. With that, I continued to pick the thinly sliced vegetables with my spoon and listened to her confessions.
“It’s about the vacation eomma. I was so excited about it but as soon as I found out where we’re going, I can’t help but feel sad because I think the space allotted for me there would be wasted.”
“What made you think that way, dear? Don’t you like Tahiti?”
“No, of course I do eomma. It really does look breath-taking and all, it’s just…. I’ve always been afraid of large bodies of water eomma, and I’ve carried that ever since I was little.”
Eomma nodded and beckoned her to continue.
“My unnies are fine going there. In fact, most, if not all, of them are really looking forward to it. Of course since it’s a beach and sandbar eomma there would be a lot of swimming. I figured I’d be going there and just stay on the beachside while most of my unnies enjoy the beautiful waves.”
“I see, so that’s what’s been bothering you since this morning dear?”
Shuhua nodded. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“You know, no one blames you for being afraid of the water. It’s normal; and we’re all afraid of something. Now I totally understand how you feel, but then again there are a lot of things to do in beaches without going to the water, right? I’m pretty sure you could do something that you’d find enjoyable. Y/N’s dad here went his way to go out early and personally organize what was left of your trip. Everything’s going to be fine, dear, don’t worry about that.”
“You think so, eomma?”
“Yes, I do. Besides, there’s Y/N here who’s not that much of a fan of water, aren’t you Y/N?”
The sudden announcement of my name caused me to shift my gaze suddenly towards Shuhua and Eomma, although being caught mid chow, I blankly stared at them with a strip of bacon hanging from my lip down to my chin.
Perhaps judging by the distraught look on my face, eomma continued.
“We always brought Y/N here whenever we went to our vacations even when he was little. Back then, he was very enthusiastic on the water but he also quickly loses interest once he had spent enough time on it. He never was the water-type person; I guess you can see by his complexion.”
“Eomma,” I said in protest.
“What I’m saying is, just go to the vacation, dear. It was prepared for you after all, and I leave Y/N here to take care of you when your unnies are going for a swim. You’d do that for me, right Y/N?”
What?
Take care of Shushu for her?
“We-Well of course! Don’t worry about it Shushu, I’ll keep you company throughout the entire trip! If that’s what you’re worrying about, consider it solved already. I got you.”
“Thank you Eomma, oppa,” Shuhua said, bowing lightly and giving both of us shy smiles.
“Okay, now that’s done, let’s finish the food. I heard you need to go back to the dorm before lunch right?”
---
Shuhua was definitely assured after what had transpired during their short yet meaningful breakfast with Y/N’s mother for the rest of the morning as she slowly crept back to her light spirited self. Slowly as minutes began to pass during their packing, she became a lot louder, and what also came to Y/N’s surprise was that Sven went all the way to his bedroom once again. He can’t help but think that even Sven likes Shuhua as much as his parents did.
Well, of course, since Manager Lee requested them to be at the dorm before lunch, Shuhua and Y/N elected to go ahead even though it was still 10 AM in the morning considering he also didn’t want to take any chances with the traffic. He and Shuhua were comfortably seated on the new AMG with his mother standing near them while the housemaids prepared the gate. Although thoroughly focused and looking forward on the trip before them, he was ocassionally distracted with Shuhua’s milky white legs, thoroughly emphasized by the short denim shorts she was wearing complimented by a loose blood red shirt finished with ankle length black leather boots.
Stop it. Control yourself Y/N, you damn idiot. What the fuck are you thinking?
“So, how’s the new car, Y/N? Are you already accustomed to it?” Mrs Kim asked.
“I think I get the entire gist of how it runs. It would take a bit more time to get used to eomma but I’ll get there,” Y/N replied. “I can make it run safely to say the least.”
“This car looks really amazing eomma!” Shuhua said as she sat on the passenger’s seat admiring the console. “It has smaller room than the other one but then this one really feels luxurious!”
“I did tell dad to keep it a bit low profile. Apparently, this is ‘low profile to him,’” Y/N explained to the amusement of his mother.
“Okay, you two best be going ahead if you’re in such a hurry,” Mrs Kim then lowered her gaze to look at Shuhua through Y/N’s window. “Shuhua, dear, thank you for accepting my invite; I look forward to seeing you here in this house again sometime in the near future.”
“Thank you for everything eomma, I enjoyed my stay!” Shuhua exclaimed a she waved in return from the passenger’s seat. “Please send Sven my regards!”
“I will, go ahead Y/N; I don’t want you too to be late. Oh and enjoy your vacation!”
“See you soon eomma, we’re going,” and with one last beep of the horn thanking the maids and his mother, Y/N pulled away from the black gates of the house and drove towards the stone street towards the main road.
Y/N then never hear Shuhua speak again for a good ten minutes as they paved through the morning sunlit road, and inevitably caused the ride to be a bit awkward on his part with the only thing breaking the silence between them was the sound of EXO’s Love Shot playing through the stereo.
“Oppa, your mom’s so nice,” Shuhua finally spoke as she brought her phone down. “I just talked to her and she was sending me messages of encouragement for the trip.”
“Oh, so that’s why you’ve been silent. Do you always talk? Were you two always like this?”
“Ocassionally, yes; mostly before I sleep for the rest of the day I talk to her. Oppa, I never knew you were an only child. You never told me anything.”
“No one really asked me. Well, yes, I am an only child. I haven’t told anyone else about it. Maybe that’s why I was so close to you girls because, in a sense, I see you as my sisters.”
Sure Y/N, sisters.
You call them sisters and yet you fucked Soojin and Soyeon.
Y/N immediately blushed after realizing what he just said.
“Come to think of it, oppa,” Shuhua said. “I know so much about you and your family already, doesn’t it bother you at the slightest?”
“Well, at first I was bugged when I saw you eating dinner with eomma last night. It just didn’t cope well when she repeatedly told me to keep the secret of our wealth to ourselves. But then again, if eomma trusted you enough to bring you to the house and show you around, I figured I won’t have a problem with it.”
“Is that how that works?”
“I don’t know, but you women have that certain ‘eye’ on whom to trust, and I trust eomma’s judgement more than my own. You know: Mother knows best.”
“So, are you saying that you don’t trust me?” Shuhua said on a very sarcastic tone, which then caused Y/N to blush once again.
“N-No! It’s definitely not like that… it’s just… I can’t explain it.”
“It is okay oppa, I totally understand it,” Shuhua replied with a smirk, clearing showing her intention of teasing him. “I can pride myself to be the most trustworthy member of idle, and it’s been tried and tested throughout the years I’ve lived with my unnies.”
“They trust you with all their secrets?”
“Yes, mostly because I tend to forget about it all the time. I don’t even know that they told it to me unless they remind me of it.”
They trust her…
I wonder…
“Wow, is that true? I find it really hard to believe trusting you personally though,” Y/N replied.
“Yah…!” Shuhua said before lightly slapping his arm.
“No, no, I’m joking. I know you can keep a secret otherwise you would’ve told me that you and eomma had been talking through DMs all these time, right?”
“Hey, in my defence it wasn’t entirely on purpose oppa. Besides you never really asked me anything about it,” she concluded, supplying him with a pout. “And I somehow forgot that it was a big deal.”
Although he was driving, Y/N could clearly see through his peripheral vision that Shuhua was supplying him with that cute pout of hers, and he did his best to not remove his gaze on the road as they trailed through the long highway, blinded by the morning sunlight that is Seoul.
They swiftly passed by a large billboard with the picture of what Y/N recognized to be the Korean actress Park Shin Hye holding a glass of milktea, which promptly caused Shuhua to jump in place and gaze at the billboard as they passed by it. Y/N saw this and immediately engaged her in a conversation.
“You’re a fan of Park Shin Hye? I heard Miyeon-noona talk about her a lot when she stumbled upon her at one of your awards nights.”
“Oppa, can we go to the coffee shop that you snuck onto before? You still remember the place right?”
What is she talking about?
Perhaps Shuhua recognized the rather confused expression on his face, and then proceeded to continue describing it.
“You know oppa, the place that has no name so we just call it ‘There’? It was the same coffee shop where Minnie and Miyeon-unnie took you when they kidnapped you for the night.”
“Oh, of course I remember where that place is,” Y/N replied, his face lighting up. “But that’s too far from the dorm though, and I’m not sure if the roads are clear this morning.”
“Aww, I wanted to go there ever since you went with my unnies… you three even snuck out during midnight.”
“Hey, it wasn’t planned and you said it yourself, they kidnapped me. I don’t know, Shushu, we might be late for the recording before lunch.”
“Please oppa?” Shuhua said with a very soft tone.
Fuck, she really knows how to hit me on my weakest spots.
“Shushu, but what if we get late on our way back to the dorm?”
“Hmmm…? We won’t have to worry about that when we’re not late right?”
“I…”
She had a point though.
“Fine then,” Y/N said. We’ll make the trip quick okay? I don’t want to get caught on Soyeon’s scolding. And for the record, if that happens I’m readily blaming you.”
“Don’t worry oppa, I’ll handle Soyeonnie on my own, I’ll be the one to talk to her. You should worry about Manager.”
“Why do we talk about this as if we’re planning to get late?”
Shuhua shrugged her shoulders and smirked; “I don’t know. Let’s just get to it oppa and I’ll be the one to treat you.”
Y/N smiled as he exited the highway, but not before he felt his phone vibrate on his pocket.
Dammit I forgot to put my phone on the dashboard. I’ll just read that later; let’s just hope that it isn’t urgent.
---
Y/N and Shuhua’s little detour trip to the infamous K-pop café was nothing short of quiet as the latter moved to ask Y/N almost about everything on the new car, including some of the buttons and the lights that even Y/N himself didn’t know what they do, primarily due to Shuhua’s endless curiosity. It was definitely entertaining, and helped ease up the atmosphere as they were caught in a small traffic jam for a few minutes, but as soon as they were off from it, Y/N zoomed towards the direction of the café.
“What time would Soyeonnie’s briefing be at, oppa?”
“That’s the thing; I don’t think Sunbae mentioned anything so I have no idea. Let’s just make it quick. You have something to cover yourself right? We’re nearing there.”
“Of course I do oppa. A facemask and a hood is good right? I saw this from your cabinet last night and borrowed it. I like the color. You don’t mind do you?”
“No, of course not; we’re here, let me just look for a good spot,” he dismissed.
As soon as he found a small parking space on the cliff overlooking the city skyline of Seoul, Y/N gently pressed his AMG on the small space and killed the engine afterwards. Shuhua, on the other hand, was notably excited on the passenger’s seat as she covered herself with her face mask and wore a bright green hoodie; something that she personally thought was very unnecessary since she would just need it for the first few minutes before entering the shop.
“How do I look, oppa?”
“You look completely fine. Completely unrecognizable if I didn’t know that it was you.”
I don’t remember buying that hoodie though. I wonder where she found it.
“Alright then, let’s go,” She said as she opened the door and walked to the outside.
To say that Shuhua was gorgeous was already an understatement, but then again she proved to Y/N how much of a goddess she looked like as soon as the sunlight hit her barely-shown face. With Shuhua’s milky white skin tone, her basking on the sun like that seemed to cause her skin to radiate and glow, much to Y/N’s amazement. Little did he realize, he was already staring towards Shuhua, as he stood beside the open door of his AMG.
“Oppa, I know I’m pretty and all but you don’t have to stare at me like that. I thought we’re in a hurry?”
“Wha- huh…? No! I’m not staring,” Y/N blushed as she put his shades on. “Let’s go.”
The descent towards the place where the café was located was definitely a lot less intimidating now compared to when he first went there at night. Perhaps it was the presence of the light that caused things to be a lot clear and natural than before, but then it was still exactly how he remembered it: The entrance that was almost a cross between a drug den and a dungeon, but of course it was all for cover as Y/N expected what’s beyond it before Shuhua opened the door with a creak. Even through his eyes adjusting to the now dark setting, he could still muster the wooden floors and tables just like before.
Y/N and Shuhua rushed inside the unusually empty milktea shop, with every step they make on the ground making the wooden floorboards tap in sync to their walking. There were a few patrons, perhaps because it was still morning, but then again Y/N recognized one that seated on the corner as MAMAMOO’s Wheein, apparently engaged on a conversation with another girl, but of course that was what his eyes could recognize after the bright glare from outside.
“Looks like there aren’t that much idols today,” Y/N whispered towards Shuhua.
“Of course oppa,” She replied while pulling down her face mask and removing her hood. “This place usually becomes alive at night. I was hoping that we’d get to see Tzuyu, but I think she might be busy on their comeback.”
“Tzuyu…? You mean Twice’s Tzuyu? You’re friends with her?”
Shuhua nodded, but as soon as Y/N could give her the next question, she skipped the next steps towards the counter rather quickly and left Y/N to stand in disbelief with what he just heard. Despite being with the girls for almost 24/7, at some points he would still be baffled with the nature of their work. He would often forget that they could actually interact with other idols as if it wasn’t just normal.
Yeah they’re humans too. I keep on forgetting that.
But of course, that was just him and he often elected to keep that thought to his own given how ridiculous it sounded.
Y/N stood on the bare middle of the café and gently scanned his surroundings and at the same time tried his best to not look too ignorant as he looked for more idols. However, aside from Wheein he couldn’t recognize the other people. They were perhaps from a group he didn’t know or they were close friends of idols for them to know the place.
“Oppa, I’m done ordering!” Shuhua said as she hopped from the counter once again, returning with a rather large looking milktea cup. She smiled towards his manager, of which Y/N returned with a look of combined confusion and concern.
“Why is it so large? Are you sure you can drink that all on your own?”
Shuhua nodded promptly. “Well, it is chocolate flavoured so I’m sure to love it, but then I also wanted to give you something oppa since you went for the trouble of brining me here…”
“Oh no, I don’t really mind having—“
“…that’s why I took two straws; one for you and one for me. I’ll hold the cup for you to drink while you’re driving us back.”
Oh God not this again.
“Wow, thank you,” Y/N said before thinking what he wanted to say.
“Good! Shall we go back to the dorm now oppa?” Shuhua said before smiling towards him with her visuals almost taking his breath away.
I fucking love my job.
“Oppa…? Hey, you’re staring at me again…” she chided with a smirk, before playfully waving her hand in front of his face.
“Oh-s-sorry,” Y/N breathed as soon as he got back to earth. “I was just thinking of something, sorry. Should we go?”
“That’s what I just said oppa; I thought you didn’t want to be late.”
“R-Right”
Y/N and Shuhua exited the café before being greeted once again by the sunlight, of which caused both of them to promptly ran towards the car. After unlocking the car with a soft beep, the pair almost instantaneously rushed inside, panting as they both closed each of the doors.
“Why… did you run… oppa?” Shuhua panted.
“I don’t know… I thought it… it was you who ran first.”
Shuhua shook his head before removing the face mask and the hoodie, although doing so caused some of her undershirt to come with the hoodie, exposing her tightly toned midriff that glowed as it got exposed on the sun. Y/N gulped and turned his attention away from her before starting the engine.
“Wow that was a relief! You had no idea how hot it felt with that thing on. It was rather large, don’t you think, oppa?”
“It certainly does look a bit… hot.”
“Here oppa, take a sip, that’s one of my most favourite flavours of chocolate ever. I tasted almost every chocolate flavoured bubble tea and this is one of the best,” Shuhua said as she offered her cup of bubble tea. “Try it yourself; I promise you it does taste good.”
As soon as the flavour hit Y/N’s throat, it was the taste of pure chocolate that hit him: the perfect mix of sweetness and the slight tinge of bitterness that blended together, forming a rather addicting flavour. Shuhua wasn’t joking when she said that she knew chocolate flavours in and out, and so far it was indeed one of the best tasting blends he had ever tasted.
“Wow, Shushu that really is good. You weren’t joking when you said you knew which chocolate was best.”
“I seek to taste all flavours and blends of chocolate there is, and this flavour so far has my best bet. Thank you for letting me go here, I’m actually craving for this ever since.”
Shuhua took a sip, but then she jumped and yelped on her seat for a brief moment which startled Y/N causing him to lightly angle his head so that he could see her through the corner of her eye but still had his focus on the road ahead.
“Why? What happened?”
“I drank on your straw…” Shuhua said rather shyly.
Minnie’s voice echoed on his head once again, as he remembered a situation that was extremely similar to this.
“YOU TWO JUST INDIRECTLY KISSED!”
“You know what,” Y/N said before Shuhua could even say a thing. “Never mind that, just drink. I don’t mind sharing straws but if you do, tell me which is mine.”
“Well, I got things mixed up anyway so we might as well… here, have another sip, oppa.”
---
Thanks to Shuhua providing a rather light atmosphere throughout the trip, we never really took account much of the time. But I guess for today, luck was on our side since we didn’t encounter any traffic jams on our way back to the dorm, none that matters at least. Although with her subsequent request for detour, we were racing against the clock once we got back to the city proper. If I was driving the CLK, I’d surely floor it to make the trip a lot shorter, but since this is roughly the second time I’ve ever driven this AMG, it’s hard to get to a speed I know I can’t control; not when I haven’t accustomed myself to the controls of the console, and definitely not when Shuhua’s here on the passenger’s seat.
Despite her loving the flavour through and through, I could easily recognize with my occasional glances towards her that she was taking the drink too slowly, perhaps doing so to not damage her vocals with the sudden surge of cold liquid. At that pace, however, even with me helping her I’m pretty sure we can’t chug down the entire thing before going back at the dorm given how big the size of the drink is.
It was almost noon when we arrived at the dorm. I almost encountered problems with the guards when they initially refused to let the car in the building. Well of course it was a new car, and even though they pretty much know that I worked for the company anyway it was still foreign for them to see it, but as soon as they saw me and Shuhua riding inside, we were granted clearance almost instantly.
“Why are you still wearing your disguise? We’re literally at the premises of the building,” I asked Shuhua as I backed the car on the far end of the parking lot. “I don’t think that would be necessary.”
“I don’t want to hold a lot of things. Besides, since we came from outside, I’m sure that the dorm would feel a bit cold with the thermostat set so low because of Soyeonnie.”
I killed the engine as soon as we were parked, and went out to open the trunk on the backside. Shuhua followed suit, but even through her eyes I could see that she was already confused.
“You parked far oppa; you don’t usually go here.”
“Well, I got traumatized with the accident from yesterday; I better not pull my luck and park it on the same place. Here, hold this and I’ll pull your baggage,” I replied towards her as I handed her a small bag with the cosmetics that mom bought for her, while I pulled the large baggage containing the clothes as I closed the trunk’s door. A swift beep locked the car and we both made our way to the elevator.
Shuhua was notably silent as the elevator descended, and I had no idea how to break the silence between us. Suddenly, everything felt awkward as the elevator racked up. I then began to feel a small tugging sensation on my left arm, and as soon as I turned my gaze towards her, Shuhua silently clasped her hand around my left forearm before sipping on her drink like everything was natural.
I wanted to ask her why, but then I realized maybe she was silent because she was debating if she should do it or not, and so I left her be.
We reached the floor where we were to walk off, and as we exited the elevator to make way for stairs to their dorm, Shuhua’s hand remained around me, and if there was someone who could see us they’d definitely mistake us for a couple. Luckily, I had an excuse.
Shuhua and I eventually treaded towards the small hallway and into the doors that was their dorm, with the usual girly scent with the combined perfume of the six girls already greeting us as we were on the right on the electronic lock. I opened it and Shuhua followed suit, hand still clasped onto mine and the other holding the bubble tea and the bag.
I hope we’re not yet late.
As soon as the doors swung open and we both made a few steps inside, the dorm was empty aside from the person seated on the main couch, seated with her legs far apart and feet resting on the couch itself and dressed on casual dorm clothes. Soojin transferred her gaze from her phone, but then her expression turned from indifferent to rather pissed, supplying me with a stare that could definitely kill me right then and there.
Fuck
“Soojinnah…!” Shuhua greeted as she saw her elder member, albeit still not letting go of my arm.
“Hello, I figured you to would come here anytime now,” She replied, her tone oozing danger with every syllable. “Looks like you two made a small detour.”
Shit, she saw the drink! Fuck there’s still even two straws on that thing!
“Yes, we went to the milktea shop,” Shuhua said rather casually, completely unaware that there was already a storm building up. “I figured we’ll just share on one drink because oppa can’t drive his new car and drink at the same time.”
Dammit, Shuhua please you’re going to be the death of me.
“New car, huh…? That’s sweet,” Soojin replied. “It seems like you were the first one to be his passenger on that. I’m… envious.”
Soojin stood up and straightened herself up, and my heart was beating so fast it almost felt vibrating against my ribcage.
“Well, you’re not late for anything. Manager Lee postponed the shoot later this afternoon because Soyeon wanted to check on the production room and alter little details. She said she texted you, but then again maybe you’re too busy and… distracted, Y/N-nim.”
She then paced towards us, each step so heavy and filled with emotion. I thought she was going to approach me and slap me right in front of Shuhua, but then she walked past and opened the door.
Damn
“Soojinnah, where are you going? You don’t want to taste this Choco Chip Bubble Tea?” Shuhua asked before Soojin could exit completely.
“I’m going for lunch. I think you two had a lot of stuff to unpack and I don’t want to disturb your little moment. You can follow in the conference room if you’re hungry, and I know you are. Oh and oppa,”
“Hmmm…?”
“I think Shuhua wears your hoodies better than you do, perhaps you should consider giving it to her permanently.”
And she exited with a slight slam on the door.
“I guess she was right though,” Shuhua answered, smiling. “I like this one.”
But then I fell silent.
The situation was already fucked up as it was, but then I think I just made everything a lot worse.
Fuck, how did I not realize what I just did?
When we left the house, I carelessly allowed Shuhua to wear a random hoodie she got from my closet.
Only this time it wasn’t just a random hoodie,
Because it was the hoodie that Soojin gave me back at Hotel Zeus.