by Con Template
"Heh...oh you...hehe...you…you're a real sweet talker tonight, aren't you?" Yoori asked, simulating a joking tone.
She concealed both a frown and a pout. She nuzzled her cheek over his arm. Her chest ached at the absurdity of her words. Her face was flushing immensely and she was confused with herself. She was scared…not of Tae Hyun but at her reaction to what he said. She couldn't explain the multitude of emotions running through her. If he continued to speak as he did, then she was going to die from a weakened heart.
Though it was quite obvious that Tae Hyun caught on to how stiff she became, he didn't react awkwardly to her remark. To her relief, he merely laughed warmly. The resounding tone vibrated from her shoulder and then to her head where he laid his chin. She thought she felt him give her a quick peck behind her head but she wasn't sure.
"This won't last," he assured her, distracting her from her brief curiosity.
She could feel him smiling playfully, the wickedness in his voice reminding her of Tae Hyun and his teasing personality. It was one that she hated and adored with a passion. She already felt less awkward and she had a hunch that was Tae Hyun's objective when he decided to return to his old ways.
"I didn't sleep well last night so I'm feeling a bit disoriented right now but I'll return to my old self tomorrow."
Thank God, Yoori thought to herself. She could handle the playful and teasing Tae Hyun but she wasn't sure if she could handle sweet-talking and seductive Tae Hyun. The latter would have her weak in the heart (not to mention knees) for sure. If he didn’t turn off the charms in time, then his smoldering upper body wasn't going to be the only thing that would be bare for the remainder of the night.
She nodded inwardly. God bless ignoring obvious sexual tensions and going back to silly bantering. It was all that Yoori could handle for the time being.
"Augh…thanks for reminding me of your old ways," she muttered, pretending to be bitter. Realization sprinted across her gaze. "This reminds me," she started slowly, craftiness sparkling in her naughty eyes. "Since we're arch-enemies, I'm definitely still punishing you."
"I wouldn't expect anything less from you." Though his voice was confident, she could detect the thread of fear within it. Surely he knew she wasn't planning on going easy when it came to punishing him.
Speaking of which, she knew just the right punishment to give him.
"Hey Tae Hyun," Yoori launched excitedly, her chin resting on his arms.
"Hmm?"
"I decided on your punishment…"
There was a long silence before he said, "What is it?"
His weary eyes anticipated something horrifying.
She held back an evil giggle and said, "I need a personal assistant."
She could feel his heart freeze up. A grimace of despair devoured his face.
Yoori smiled. Her own heart pumped in excitement.
Making herself comfortable under the warmth of his stiffening hold, Yoori's sheepish smile grew wider as Tae Hyun groaned in misery behind her.
"Damn, you evil little minx, are you serious?"
"What'd you call me?" she confronted, pulling herself out of the embrace. She turned around and faced him with a stern expression. Her eyes challenged him to combat what she wanted.
"You're serious?" he asked again, ignoring her question. He gazed at her with incredulity. The heaving of his bare chest was profound with worry now.
Yoori crossed her arms and gave him a condescending stare. "Do you not agree?"
Though he looked inflexible to a compromise, his words sang a different tune. "I'm sure we can think of something else—"
"Don't talk to me anymore," she interrupted dramatically, turning on her heels with the quickest of ease.
As she anticipated, a hand caught her wrist.
"No, wait!" Tae Hyun shouted, pulling her back to him.
Yoori held in a knowing smirk when he turned her around to face him.
"I'll do it, damn it. I'll do it, okay?" he complied. His face was marked with bitterness. "How…how long?"
"A month."
"A month?" He snorted. Even under the confines of stress and trying to get back on her good side, the proposed timeframe was ludicrous to him.
"Eh, Choi Yoori," he began severely, making her stiffen in her once confident stance. Why did he have so much power when he used that tone of voice? "Did you get attacked by another duck today or something? Be reasonable."
Yoori grimaced at the reminder of the stupid duck. She knew a month sounded absurd but she wanted a good negotiation to start off on.
"Fine! Three weeks!" she bargained.
"Three hours," he countered curtly, folding his arms across his chest.
Trying to ignore the scintillating contours of his defined arms, Yoori mouthed a muted curse at him and then said, "Two weeks."
"Two hours.” His voice was calm and collected. He looked unyielding and Yoori was beside herself.
"What the hell, Tae Hyun?” she sputtered out. “What kind of negotiation is this?"
"You're not being rational, so why should I?"
"Fine!” Yoori shouted irately, extremely bitter that she couldn't even get two weeks out of him. “A week! A week! Was that what you wanted to hear?"
He nodded calmly, clearly hiding a satisfied smile on his face.
"Yes, I'll be your personal assistant for a week," he agreed blithely. He didn't take it very seriously. "Now can we go to bed? I'm exhausted from chasing after you all day."
She stared at him blankly, the resentment for losing at the negotiation having yet to leave her. "Who says you're sleeping on the bed?"
His eyes rounded in horror. "But I—"
"Uh, uh…" Yoori warned authoritatively, holding up an index finger to stop him from speaking. "Be careful with raising your voice with me."
"You raise your voice with me all the time," he accused, noticeably lowering his voice.
"Well, that's because I'm special!" she answered irrationally. Her eyes turned into slits. She gazed at him up and down with judgment. "But you're not, so you better watch your mouth."
"My entire body is tearing up with pain," he argued desperately. He deliberately made his eyes look weak as they tried to reason with her.
She shrugged, giving him a careless smile. She wasn't going to fall for the sad puppy dog act.
"Well then…you definitely shouldn't have fought Ji Hoon, you definitely shouldn't have brought up the duck attack and you definitely shouldn't have been so good with the negotiation, right Tae Hyunnie?" she responded mockingly, making her way to the bedroom.
He was ready to close his eyes in misery when she suddenly stopped. With one hand holding her steady, she hung listlessly from the doorway, smiling at Tae Hyun who was entranced with the sudden glow of the moon that veiled over her.
Was that adoration in his eyes that she saw?
Yoori wasn't sure and chose to ignore it. She continued to smile at him. As much as she was planning on making his life miserable for the week to follow, Yoori acknowledged that she was elated that Tae Hyun was back with her. It was the way it should be.
"It's nice to have you back, boomerang," she whispered delicately, her voice borderline teasing. Taking a step backward, she also added, "But get some sleep, will you? You have a long week ahead of you…and you'll need all your energy."
She imparted a devious wink and disappeared into the bedroom, leaving a completely devastated and miserable Tae Hyun to wallow in self-pity for the fact that he was now her assistant – or at least that was what she thought he was doing.
The curve of a small smile appeared on his face as his eyes flickered with desire after her departure. There was genuine warmness within his gaze while he stared longingly at the doorway where she stood seconds before. Yoori didn’t know it then, but that was actually the moment where Tae Hyun realized something that was unquestionably detrimental to his entire livelihood. He realized that against all his resistance, somehow, she had stolen every inch of his stubborn he
art. She had stolen every inch of it and she had him in the palm of her hands.
It was a terrifying yet exhilarating realization for Tae Hyun. And if that charming smirk was any indication, then Yoori had better save up all her energy for Kwon Tae Hyun had decided he was going to steal her stubborn heart as well.
“Just because the world kneels before you. . .”
15: Human Again
“Did you have to kill him?”
She shook her head. Her face was drained of color. She sat still on the steps of the quiet alley. When she spoke, her eyes were frazzled, distracted. “I just wanted to see if the guilt will eat me up alive.”
“Is it?”
His question was barely audible over the booming thunder. The sky was getting darker. A storm threatened to befall them. Yet, even though the threat of rain was present, they continued as they were. She was still sitting passively on the steps and he was still standing across from her, his hands buried deep in his pockets while he watched her with pity in his eyes.
She smiled dejectedly to herself. Her eyes were trained on an undetectable area of the alley. Misery glazed over her gaze. She may have heard his question, but she didn’t feel the need to answer it. She was too lost in other thoughts.
“When they trained us…they told us we’d be better than human.” Her voice was soft, remorseful even. “They told us that killing would be an easily acquired taste. All we had to do was keep killing and our souls would disintegrate. All we had to do was keep killing and we’d lose our souls and become better than human. We’d become Gods…”
She cast her attention to the pavement where blotches of blood continued to linger upon it. Tears brimmed her eyes.
“No one ever told us about that excruciating moment when our soul is returned to us – that moment where our tortured soul is decaying with pain. No one ever told us that once our soul comes back…then so do the faces of those we’ve killed. No one ever told us that this life would be worse than death…that we’d no longer be better than human, but less than human…”
“This is only momentary,” he interrupted, his voice strong yet anguished. “It happens to the best of us. Your time will pass.”
“This won’t,” she declared with confidence.
“Lil sis—”
“Did you know those kids were begging me not to kill them?” Her lips quivered. “They didn’t even blink when I pulled the trigger. They never stopped crying and they never closed their eyes when I shot them. I killed them…” Her voice broke at the last of her words. She shook her head with disgust. “And all for what? For this? To be sitting here…like this?”
His brows creased into a deep frown at his sister’s logic. “And you think killing yourself will make things right?”
She nodded freely, the tears finally escaping her eyes. Her broken and weak voice spoke again. “I just can’t live like this anymore. It hurts...” She bit her quivering lips. “It hurts to breathe.”
Her brother shook his head. He stared down at her, the needle she had given him firmly held between his fingers. “Do you realize the risks involved with that formula you gave me? If I inject it into you, there’s no guarantee that you’ll die. You’ll be paralyzed, thrown into a coma, or even lose your mind – all of which would be worse than death. Will you be able to handle those type of lives if this doesn't kill you?”
“The amount I gave you will ensure death. A quick and easy one at that.”
Her stubbornness began to aggravate his patience. “I can’t believe you called me over here to listen to all of this.”
“Please,” she continued, holding onto her older brother just as he was about to leave. Her hold on him was strong. It was just as strong as her desperate eyes, which was beckoning him to consider her request. “You know I can’t break my ties from this world unless you do it.”
He was quiet for a long while, lost in his own contemplation. It was clear he was considering all the options available. When he spoke, she had anticipated him to ask her why she had to do this, why she had to kill herself to make things right. She had anticipated him to ask her how she became so weak. The next words out of his mouth took her by surprise.
“What life would be better than this one, baby sister?” He was attentive when he awaited her answer. The content of his own question surprised him too.
She deliberated his question. Tears stroked her lips. What a dangerous question to ask someone who wanted to kill herself... Would it hurt to answer? No, it would be nice to answer. It would be nice to hear the answer even if she’d never truly get to live it.
“If I had it my way, I’d start over. I’d want a life far away from here…away from all of this…one where I can just breathe…one where I can just be human again…”
■ ■ ■
It was a dreary Saturday morning in Mint Park, an affluent park area known for its well-groomed scenery, spacious surroundings, and tranquil ambiance. Saturday mornings at Mint Park were always calm, especially in the winter when the light of the gray morning loomed overhead. The wind was cool, but not so cold where people needed bundles of layers to go out. The park, though filled with people, was a serene one.
It was peaceful until a happy squeal illuminated the once quiet ambiance.
“Ahhhhh! Hahahahaha!”
Park goers, those of whom consisted primarily of joggers, sight see-ers, and scenic photographers instinctively whipped their heads in the direction of the voice. A crooked smile crept onto each of their faces once they saw the heart-warming scene before them.
A couple had just raced down the jogging track of the park. The boyfriend, who was panting relentlessly, was shirtless as he only wore a pair of black basketball shorts and black running shoes. His girlfriend, who had her black hair tied up in a ponytail that bounced every which way as she came down the track, was dressed in black shorts, black running shoes, and a sky blue workout tank top.
The park goers smiled, not because they had never seen couples workout together before, but because this particular couple had an interesting approach to working out together. The boyfriend, as striking as he was, looked forlorn as he heaved violently, his jogging pace decreasing when they neared a park bench that was no doubt his preferred resting spot. On the flip side, the girlfriend looked utterly at ease with herself. A gorgeous smile remained bloomed across her lips. Her arms were encircled around his neck while he was giving her a piggyback ride. It seemed that she enjoyed the “ride” and the “workout” immensely. Even as her boyfriend jogged unenthusiastically down the pathway, her smile never faltered.
“Faster, assistant! Faster!” Yoori urged happily.
She giggled beside Tae Hyun’s ear.
At her command, Tae Hyun, who was still heaving for air – quite bitterly at that – increased the acceleration of his jog for the final haul.
“Yaaay!” she cheered merrily, tightening her arms around his neck. She closed her eyes. Her smile widened with ecstasy. The morning wind whispered past her face and into the locks of her ponytail, leaving her to bask in the glory of being Tae Hyun’s “boss” for the past glorious week.
Oh yes, time definitely flies by fast when you’re having fun, Yoori thought when she opened her eyes and leaned her chin on Tae Hyun’s bouncing shoulder. And, boy, did she have fun.
For the past six days, Yoori had a blast with being Tae Hyun’s boss. To say that she had taken revenge on Tae Hyun for being such a demanding boss over the past couple of months would be an understatement. She had completely tortured the poor guy over the course of the past six days and she damn well loved it.
Yoori had Tae Hyun, who at first still seemed quite assured that she was too chicken to torture him, perform the usual chores that consisted of cleaning up the apartment, doing all the laundry, washing all the dishes, and driving her anywhere she wanted to go. Easy stuff and she knew that. Her wicked fun, and the ultimate demise of his confidence that she didn’t have the nerve to be such a demanding boss, came in the form of unreasonab
le demands that killed any energy Tae Hyun had.
In the middle of the night, where she still wouldn’t allow Tae Hyun to sleep on the bed, she would wake up more than once and unabashedly shake Tae Hyun awake. After pulling the poor guy out of his much-needed sleep, she proceeded to tell him that she needed a bedtime story so that she could fall back to sleep. Feeling quite lazy to read her romance novels, she threw a chunky paperback book at him and instructed him to read her the story until she fell asleep.
Whenever it looked like he was about to combat her wishes, Yoori always made sure he saw the crease of a frown form on her face. Evidently hell-bent on not upsetting her too much, as he was still trying to get back on her good side, he pouted as he dejectedly opened the book and started reading from it. The poor guy, who looked like he was so miserable and was ready to fall asleep before her, kept on reading for a good two hours until Yoori finally fell back asleep. Once that time passed, much to his own horror, he realized that even though Yoori was able to sleep through the morning, he had to wake up soon after to go to the local grocery store to buy breakfast food that she demanded he make for her every morning.
She actually felt pretty guilty about all that…especially when she saw him hiding in the corner, sleeping soundly when she sought him out to make her the heavenly tea. Not that she blamed him for sleeping in corners – or hiding for that matter.
Essentially any moment where Tae Hyun was beside her, she’d make him do the most horrendous things that any sane guy would commit suicide over.
Craving special ice anyone? Yoori made Tae Hyun sit on the kitchen counter for hours on end, carving her stars out of ice cubes. The labors of his hard work dissipated before his eyes when Yoori unknowingly turned on the heat in the apartment and melted everything in plain sight. Poor Tae Hyun’s pale hands wouldn’t stop shaking after that horrible ordeal.
Shopping anyone? Yoori had never been much of a shopper but for the past week, she had the biggest urge to shop. This ultimately meant countless hours of Tae Hyun trotting around with her in stores, waiting in line for the fitting rooms for her, and waiting in line to help pay for everything. It got so horrible for him that he even offered to buy the whole mall for her so he wouldn’t have to deal with shopping with her. She still didn’t know if he was serious about that or not. If all of that wasn’t terrible enough, the girl started having cravings for working out. And in working out, she meant him giving her piggyback rides while jogging all around the neighborhood while she just screamed, “Faster, assistant! Faster!”