Chapter 12
Seoul, South Korea
~Kim Taeyung~
She was being really weird after I got close to her, and then she just ran off. Her friend started to panic, and honestly, I felt a little guilty, which is unusual for me.
I'll go check our room." Cherry said.
"I'll come with." Park Suho mentioned.
"I'll go out and look for her; it's about to rain." I told them.
"How do you know?" Cherry asked looking up at the sky.
"I can smell the moisture in the air, and the wind shifted. Live here long enough, you can predict Seoul's weather. Keep calling her though."
It was weird I cared so much. I've never given a shit when I've made a girl run off.
But for some weird, fucked up, unknown reason. I care that she left upset.
I cared that minutes later the clouds came rushing in, hiding the sun's rays. The moisture was clinging heavy to the air. Any second now.
And like clockwork, a downpour drenched the earth beneath my feet.
It didn't take me long to find her.
The garden gate was slightly ajar. Something told me that's exactly the kind of place she'd go to hide.
It was usually deserted during school event's, secluded, perfect place to hide.
I texted Mr. Jin and told him to get her a pretty white dress, fit for a dinner out. Not too fancy, but good enough to stand next to me. And one that showed less skin.
And as I suspected, there she was crouched down, hugging her knees, like a scared little girl. Her arms were trembling; I could hear sobs and staggered breathing coming from her.
Even like this, water droplets trickling down the ends of her hair, soaked to the bone and sad, she had this beauty to her, this raw vulnerable beauty.
There was no doubt, she was beautiful.
Her dress and shoes were muddy.
Glad I texted Mr. Jin.
I knelt down and just talked to her, making it seem like I thought it was something silly and fixable. Give her a problem to hide behind. I don't know what made her run like that and then crawl into a ball in the pouring rain, but it probably was something she wouldn't tell me.
I brought her to my uncle's office, and I wanted to get her out of her dress so she wouldn't get sick wearing that dripping wet one. I even offered to turn around and change with her, so she wasn't alone. But her sharp resistance set alarm bells off in my head.
Was she really this shy? She was at least 19.
I decided not to keep arguing and just change.
I could feel her eyes raking over my body. She looked like she'd never seen a shirtless man before.
Could she be that inexperienced?
No way, not someone with her looks and fire.
"It's none of your business, pervert." She snapped a little at me.
Pervert?
Her cheeks turned so red, she looked like she might explode.
Oh my god, she was a virgin.
How?
"Life's not all about sex you know. There's more to it than that." She claimed defiantly.
Cutely too, I might add.
But I wasn't convinced.
When Mr. Jin brought the dress, I thought she'd really like it, but she denied it, tried to give it back. Wanted my hoodie instead. And something about the idea of her preferring my clothes over an expensive dress, it ignited something deep inside me, a place only Mimi could touch.
I needed to convince her to wear that dress. But she was being so resistant to it, and I don't understand why, it doesn't even show that much skin. It's classy, yet fun and free. Seems perfect for her.
"Listen to me, take off my wet hoodie, put on that dress, and put the hoodie on over it, if you want to wear the hoodie so bad. You can tie something around my eyes and make me face the corner, like a kid in time out. I don't care, just put on the dress and get out of the muddy wet one before you catch hypothermia." The way that I spoke left no room for argument or negotiation. I was hungry and I don't play around about food.
She needed to change, and I needed to eat, chasing her around campus interfered with me eating from one of the vendors stands before the rain hit.
"Come on, let's go get something to eat.
She looked reluctant at first but agreed.
My car was parked in the garage that was attached to this building.
"This is your car?" She asked looking wide eyed, her eyes shifting between me and my car.
"Yes? Why?" I realized I was driving the Royce, and not the Audi, cause the Audi is in the shop getting new tires, new breaks and an oil change. I was going to pick it up later after the school event.
"Oh, I don't usually drive this one, my Audi is in the shop getting serviced." I mentioned.
"You have two cars!?" She practically yelled at me.
"Yes, and a motorcycle, a boat, some AV's; I like mechanical toys."
"What the fuck is wrong with my life that I don't have any of those things. I don't even have a home to back too, and you have vehicles, like Cherry has shoes." She groaned dramatically.
She didn't have a home to go back too, what did she mean by that?
I'll have Mr. Jin run a background on her.
I opened the door for her, and she looked surprised.
"What? I can be a gentleman."
She scoffed, but she had a slight smile curved on her lips.
I decided to try the most well-known Korean drama trope move, I grabbed her seat belt leaned over and clipped it in. I could smell her perfume and shampoo, floral, with a hint of rain.
I could hear her breath hitch with the distance between us closing inch by inch. I kept a calm indifferent demeanor, like this wasn't making my heart pound too.
I found myself holding my breath without even realizing it.
I pulled away and closed the door, steadying myself.
Ever since the airplane, she's done something to me.
Driving to the restaurant, I'd glance over at her from time to time, watching her stare out the window.
Her eyes were wide with curiosity taking in the buildings, signs and people walking by. Seoul was different from any city in America.
Better, New York City was dirty and smelled like shit and sewer. I don't know how people live there.
"Seoul is so beautiful, New York is a disgusting city, filled with roaches and broken dreams." She literally said what I was thinking.
"I didn't want to say anything out loud, but I was thinking the same exact thing."
"Yeah, I hated living there…" Her words drifted off at the end like she was remembering something she wished she didn't have too.
She had this haunting and hollowed look, before quickly fixing her face and stuffing whatever feeling she just had back in a box in shoved it to the back of her mind.
I didn't press; I let it go. She'd tell me on her own terms or I'll find out in the background check.
We pulled up to the restaurant, and I stepped out tossing the keys to the valet with smooth precision. Opening the door for her, I lend her my hand to step out of the car.
Her hair had dried mostly, her makeup was gone, leaving only her bare face. And just like on the plane, it was flawless. Perfectly symmetrical. Her green eyes gazed over the crowded restaurant. It was well-lit for the early dinner guests.
Black tablecloths, and servers dressed formally. She looked doe eyed and uncomfortable.
"I'm not dressed to eat at a place like this, and this is way out of my budget, can't we just go to like a chicken and beer place or ramyeon shop?" She asked quietly.
"You are dressed for this restaurant, if you take off the hoodie. And you won't be paying."
Her face drained of color, mentioning the dress again.
"No, I can't." She whispered lowly, looking down at her hands.
"Hello, Mr. Kim, would you like your usual room?" The hostess approached with her usual overly pleasant smile.
"Ye."
"Right this way." The hostess batted her eyes before grabbing menus and leading us to the back where the private rooms were.
I let my hand rest on her lower back as I guided her forward to follow the waiter. When I first touch her she stiffened, but after a moment she relaxed and even leaned in a little to my touch.
He led us to my private room. The one meant only for the Kim Group.
"You eat here that often?" She asked her jaw hanging open, I put my fingers under her chin, lifting it some.
"Yes, the Kim Group owns this whole building."
"YOUR FAMILY OWNS THIS WHOLE BUILDING! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?"