by Marian Tee
Park suddenly turned around. “Where do you—” His eyes widened.
She quickly looked elsewhere but it was too late.
“You were totally checking me out, weren’t you?”
“Nope. Not. Wasn’t.” She still couldn’t make herself look at him, and especially after that totally lame comeback. Park didn’t say anything else, but she could sense him smirking all the way to the shower. Ass.
Over an hour later—who knew there were guys who actually took longer than girls to shower—and they were inside a nearby sushi house, waiting for the salmon sashimi on the motorized tray to reach them. They grabbed the first plate at the same time, tugged at each end, and when Violet saw that he wouldn’t budge, she simply let it go, almost causing Park to drop the entire plate.
Giggling as she heard him curse, Violet grabbed the second plate of raw salmon from the motorized tray. Making sure she had enough wasabi in her sauce, she drowned one slice of salmon in it before popping it into her mouth.
Park watched Violet close her eyes in seeming bliss as she slowly chewed her salmon. Shit. He was pretty sure he wasn’t the only one watching her have some kind of public foodgasm, and by the way the men around them were gaping with glazed eyes, he definitely wasn’t the only one having a hard-on either.
“Mmmm…” She tried not to smile, knowing even without seeing that all eyes were on her. All she cared about was that Park was staring at her, too.
“Like what you see?” she murmured, eyes still closed.
When she opened her eyes, Park was pretending to study the ala carte menu in front of him. All the other men were the same.
She giggled, not fooled at all. With a happy little sigh, she leaned close and swiped a piece of crabstick from his plate, deliberately causing her breasts to temporarily graze his side.
He stiffened.
She took the crabstick into her mouth, chewing ever so slowly, taking it in bit by bit, knowing what every guy inside the sushi house would be imagining at seeing her. Violet had always loved attention, but she had never been this sexual about it, not even with…him.
Violet hurriedly shook the thought away.
Park finally recovered enough of his senses to snap at her. “What the hell are you doing?” He still couldn’t get over the fact that Violet had practically smashed her breasts against him. He read girls like a book, but for some reason he couldn’t figure Violet out at all, didn’t even know if Violet actually had an angle to start with.
She wasn’t flirting with him–he could feel that. But…what the fuck was this about?
Violet laughed at his words. She took another crabstick from his plate, pressing harder against his side just to make him more uncomfortable. After dipping it into her wasabi-laden sauce, she took it all in with one bite. Bliss.
Everything right now was bliss.
Maybe it was because she was in Japan and far, far away from home but Violet couldn’t remember feeling this carefree for ages. She felt like she had been reborn again, and most of it had to do with…Park.
But only in a platonic way, she was quick to remind herself.
She started when Park suddenly dumped a plate of crabstick in front of her.
“So you can stop stealing mine,” he gritted out.
Violet burst into laughter. “I love, love, love Japan,” she enthused as she munched on another crabstick, feeling like Bugs Bunny with a carrot stick as she did. “With this—” She made an expansive wave with her free hand to encompass her entire surroundings. “All those days I sweated blood and tears to get admitted to uni here are worth it.”
He grunted.
She looked at him expectantly. “What about you, Park?”
He shrugged.
“Tell me why you came here,” Violet wheedled. “I can just feel it,” she insisted. “You just didn’t come here because you love Japan, too, didn’t you?”
“Violet…”
“Yes?” She gave him an expectant smile.
“None of your fucking business.”
This time, she didn’t lose her temper. She was fast becoming used to his Nordic ogre ways. “I knooooow that,” she told him with a roll of her eyes. “But I still want to know.”
“Has anyone told you that you meddle too much?” he asked mildly.
“Yup. My sister Lilac–tells me that all the time. But you’re the first guy who’s ever told me that to my face.”
Park snorted. “What did you do, duct-tape their mouths shut when they didn’t let you get your way?”
She gave him a flirtatious look. “Oh, let’s just say that all of them loved me.”
Park shook his head with a groan. “You are so full of yourself.”
“I just know what I’m worth,” she countered. The words were…liberating. Once she had forgotten that, but not now, not ever again. This time, she would remember what she was worth.
* * * *
After lunch, they went around the city again, this time Park taking her to a nearby temple. All the while, she had her arm around his. At first, he had tried wriggling and pushing her away but she had stubbornly stuck to him like glue.
“I’m touchy-feely with my friends. Deal with it,” was all she said.
Ha. Deal with it; how the fuck could Park deal with that when her closeness made it difficult for him to walk, thanks to his raging erection?
They went back to the dorm at around two in the afternoon, agreeing to freshen up and meet again so they could head out for work together.
Inside his room, Park found himself standing underneath the shower in utter bemusement, unable to figure out why it had been so easy for Violet to worm her way into his life.
Ever since his breakup, he had no problems despising girls, hating them for their weakness and their devious ability to use that weakness to guilt-trip others to doing what they wanted.
So what made Violet different?
Was it because she flirted and not flirted with him?
She was such a fucking enigma, and it just made Park want to get to know her more. She wanted him. He was fucking sure of that. But was she like the rest, wanting to make him fall in love with her, too?
Someone was banging on his door when he came out of the shower. Scowling, he stalked towards it and flung it open with a curse. “What the fuck, Violet? Didn’t I just teach you how to—” He shut up when he saw her face.
She was completely red, her eyes swollen with tears.
“Why do you look terrible?”
She growled—she actually growled—at him before pushing past Park.
What the—
When Park whirled around, it was just in time to see the little whirlwind of trouble actually get on his bed and burrow under the covers like a mole hiding from the light.
Park immediately roared, “What the hell are you doing?”
Violet answered with an incoherent mumble, followed by a loud sniff.
For a moment, he debated with himself about whether or not he should toss Violet out of his room. Cute or not, sexy or not, she was obviously hysterical for some reason, and he wasn’t ready to pretend to be her BFF and comfort her.
“What the hell’s wrong with you?” he finally snapped, trying to pull the covers away.
Violet tightened her hold and burrowed deeper into the covers. “I feel so bad all of a sudden.”
Park was alarmed. “You’re sick? If you are, I want you to get out of my room right now.”
Violet just had to push her head out with that one, needing to give him a dirty look and thank him sarcastically for being such a great friend.
“Gotcha.” He whipped the covers away and tried not to grin when she actually let out another growl. Who knew a banshee could turn into some kind of mini growling monster?
“That was a sneaky, underhanded move,” she accused him, but he still noticed the way her lips were trembling in an effort to keep her tears in check.
He asked imperturbably, “What the fuck’s wrong?”
“I�
�m homesick, okay? It just suddenly hit me.” Then taking him by surprise she grabbed the covers back and burrowed underneath them again.
Park was confused and alarmed at the same time. “What are you doing here then? I’m from Korea, if you haven’t noticed. I won’t be able to help you reminisce about your country because I don’t know anything about your country.”
Violet, still under the covers, confessed, “I knew I’d feel better if I fought with you.”
Ah.
Park thought for a second about what he should do then he determinedly went to bed, sat on the side, and hauled her to his arms.
Violet immediately struggled out of the covers. “What are you doing?”
Park grinned at her. “Comforting you. Hopefully, you might even cry a little.” He pulled her back to his arms and tried not to enjoy the sensation too much.
Violet pushed herself away with her hands on his bare and ridiculously hard chest. She took one look at Park’s wicked expression and felt herself bubbling in laughter. “You jerk! You’re deliberately doing what I don’t want you to do, aren’t you?”
He ruffled her hair with mock tenderness then asked hopefully, “Feel like crying now?”
Her laughter filled the room. “Sorry, no.”
“Damn.”
She laughed harder. But then her smile faded and she told him, “Nevertheless, you did comfort me though. Thank you, Park.”
He said seriously, “You’re scaring me again. Go back to the shrewish banshee I know,” he urged.
Violet stared at him blankly for a second before she recovered her wits. She grabbed a pillow and slammed it at his face. “Jerk!” she exclaimed in disgust. She took the pillow back and flopped to her side on the bed, hugging the pillow to her as she turned her back to him. “I’m sleeping here. Wake me up when it’s time to go to work,” she declared.
Park was aghast. “You have your own room!”
No answer.
He stared at her in appalled fascination. Then, after a full minute, Park said, “Violet?” He bent over her and saw that she had actually fallen asleep. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep. Park moved back almost unwillingly. He let out a yawn and realized he was feeling pretty tired himself.
Park got out of bed, set his mobile phone’s then padded over to the armchair and went to sleep himself. As he closed his eyes, Park again asked himself how life had gotten so out of hand the moment Violet came into it.
Wonderfully out of hand, he admitted to himself reluctantly, drowsily. But still–it was out of hand and he had to do something about it sometime soon. He could not and would not let another woman ruin his life again.
Chapter Six
“Some guys have all the luck,” Akito sang his complaint in Japanese. “Park here is the surliest guy you’ll ever meet, but he’s the one who got a babe for a dorm mate.”
The other guys laughed in the stockroom laughed.
Crayon, a nerdy American exchange student, slapped Park on the back. “Is she your girlfriend already?”
“Hell, no!” Park said before thinking.
His co-workers laughed again. “You’re still a woman-hater?” Jun-Yee exclaimed in surprise. Like Park, he was also Korean but unlike Park he was so by right of blood as well.
Park shrugged. “They’re an unnecessary complication.”
Jun-Yee gave him a considering look. “Then you don’t have any claim on Violet? If any of us here want to ask her out, we won’t be encroaching on your territory?”
“If you’re that stupid to like the little shrew, feel free.”
“Little shrew?” Akito gave Park a look of disgust. “She’s the sweetest little angel I’ve seen! I swear, man, your looks are wasted on you!”
The “sweetest little angel” Akito was talking about had nearly bitten his head off when he had shaken Violet awake because they had been in danger of being late for work. For some reason, his mobile alarm had failed to wake him.
Or maybe the reason was obvious, Park thought irritably. With all the morning banging on his door lately, it was no fucking wonder Park’s sleep had been a little heavier than usual.
“Why can’t I exchange my life with Park?” Akito was bemoaning.
“Stop feeling so envious,” Crayon laughed at the morose expression on Akito’s face.
Akito sighed glumly. “It’s just not fair. Everyone likes Park, who likes no one, I like everyone, but no one likes me.”
* * * *
The topic was virtually the same outside with the girls, who were stacking the shelves with new deliveries.
“So the two of you really aren’t an item?” Midori asked.
It took a second or two longer than usual for Violet to reply because she was still adjusting to the fact that she was listening to people actually speak Japanese. Back home, her only practice was through reading and writing. “No,” she finally answered with a smile. “Not an item at all.”
“But he’s gorgeous, isn’t he?” Gladys, the Australian exchange student, giggled.
Violet shrugged.
“You don’t find him handsome?” Midori was staring at her in wide-eyed surprise.
To be honest, handsome was utterly inadequate to describe just how hot Park was. She wasn’t blind. Even though she had absolutely no plans dating anyone, Violet had still noticed the way all the girls looked at Park every time they left the dorm. She also hadn’t forgotten all the nasty looks those same girls gave her, just for walking next to Park. Those looks were more than enough to remind her that she shouldn’t make the same mistakes again.
Park might be a good friend, but that was all he should be in her life.
Seeing that Midori was still waiting for an answer, she explained, “I just don’t have time for guys.”
“Even for guys like Park Jin?”
She laughed at her new friend’s exaggerated tone. Midori made it sound like Park was a young god fit for every girl to worship.
Violet paused.
Dammit, but if she had to be honest–he did look like a young god fit for every girl to worship. She uneasily remembered how she had felt the moment she opened her eyes and saw her world encompassed of Park looking down at her, still dressed in his boxer shorts. Thank God he wasn’t just covered with a small towel or she might have totally lost it then.
He had been beyond sexy that time. The urge to pull him down for a kiss had been so strong she had panicked.
Her lips twitched.
Ah, well, what had followed—her way of distracting herself from Park’s sheer hotness—was not her fault. She had shrieked at him, nearly kneed him in the groin, and shoved him to the floor in her haste to jump out of the bed to put distance between us.
That was self-preservation, for both of them, and so if anything he should be thankful to her. If Violet had not managed some semblance of self-restraint, they wouldn’t be here now.
They would be having sex on his bed, against the wall, in the shower—
Violet gulped at the images.
They were not in love, but oh they were so dangerously attracted to each other both of them had to be extremely careful not to cross the line.
Someone snapped her fingers in front of Violet, and when she looked up everyone was grinning at her.
“Admit it,” Midori teased. “You were daydreaming about him.”
Violet turned red. “No. I wasn’t. I was just thinking that his looks are totally wasted on him. He can be such a jerk, you know?”
Gladys laughed. “He does tend to be rude sometimes.”
Midori snorted. “Not sometimes. All the time!”
The guys came out of the stock room just as they laughed. It was already ten in the evening, which meant they could officially clock out of work.
Park and Violet, having already eaten at work, took their time walking back home since Violet insisted on savoring the sights of Osaka’s nightscape. And it was breathtaking. It might not be as glittery as Tokyo’s famous cityscape but Osaka had its own beaut
y, like glamour with a little bit of traditional combined, and Violet just couldn’t get enough of it.
She did a little twirl, hugging herself in sheer pleasure. “I just can’t believe I’m here! Isn’t Japan the most amazing thing?”
Park couldn’t help grinning. “You’re a real Japan fan, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely,” she averred feelingly. She gestured to their surroundings. “Don’t you feel blessed to be here?”
“I feel happy, but I don’t think my feelings match yours. Your enthusiasm is on a whole new level.”
She turned to him and made a face. “You mean I look crazy drooling over everything, don’t you?”
He shrugged and said innocently, “If the shoe fits.”
Violet threw her bag at him.
Park blinked but managed to catch it in time with a stunned laugh. “You really are crazy,” he commented as he handed her bag back.
Not satisfied, Violet took it and immediately used the bag to hit Park on the shoulder.
He yelped. “Hey!”
She gave him a smug look. “That will teach you to laugh at me!”
Park gaped then he leaned down and, placing both hands on the sides of her face, he began to mash Violet’s cheeks like it was pizza dough requiring kneading. “You. Are. One. Crazy. Girl.”
Violet pulled away and glared at him, touching her cheeks. “You’re a jerk!”
“Takes one to know one.”
Violet burst into laughter despite herself. “You really are a jerk.” She knew literally dozens of guys in her life, and almost all of them adored her. Only Park was ever insulting in her presence, and for some strange reason, she was comforted by it.
“You’re a good friend to have,” she told him impulsively as she caught up to him.
Park tried pulling his arm away from her hold, couldn’t, and gave up. He looked down at her and warned, “You’re scaring me again. You almost seem nice.”
Violet shook her head. “No, seriously, Park. You’re a good friend to have. I was afraid I’d be all alone the whole time I’d be here.”
“I am NOT your friend.”