16

As I stare at my phone, the time now ten PM, steam coming out of my mouth as I put it back into my hood pockets before I see him walk towards me.

I already start smiling but he ignores me, going to the drivers seat and opening it "Get in"

He enters first and I open my door and enter as he immediately starts the engine and begins to reverse "I am taking you home"

My heart suddenly lurches there "Why?"

"You've already caused too much trouble for one day" He says "You should go rest your privileged ass"

I sigh, resting back on my seat "You'd just run out of gas, cause I'm not going home"

"Why?"

"I said I bought you a gift" I say.

He reaches out for it but I slap his hand away as I say "I want to put it on for you myself"

"Put it on?" He asks.

I don't answer him.

He stares at me, letting out a sigh as he grabs the steering wheel tight, still saying nothing then drives off.

Throughout none of us say anything before he says "You said you paint?"

"Yes"

"Then where the fuck do you get your money from?"

"I make a lot of sales"

He scoffs "Hell with that. From what I've heard, you gave that little thief a watch yesterday and now you don't just save his ass, but also give out another one, like it means nothing to you"

"Because it doesn't"

"That's a fifty thousand won watch" He continues "Which means a hundred grand gone, and then let's not talk about the ten thousand won shoes and ridiculously perfect trousers"

Then he turns to me "An artist does not flaunt his money that way"

"Do you know many artists?" I ask.

"More than I should" He replies.

That makes me frown as I add and look away "I'm wearing a hoodie, so that doesn't count"

"It doesn't belong to you"

I turn to him "How would you know?"

"You have no single hood in your closet, plus the smell... Isn't like yours"

I stare at him, not sure on how to react as I take the hood to my nose before Geon Woo says "That doesn't even matter. Are you in some sort of Mafia?"

"No"

"Better be fucking honest right now cause I swear to God..."

"I am not Kim Geon Woo" I say as he lets out another sigh.

"Kyung is part of a gang under some major Mafia" He says "I thought you must have already known this before you hit him, but no, you don't"

"Is that a big deal?"

"You little shit" He snaps "Of course it is! There are going to be after you now like a pack of wolves to get revenge for hitting one of their own"

"Are you worried about me?"

"No" The answer is too fast, too suspicious "Just that they are going to somehow connect you to me and I don't want anything happening in that godforsaken bar anymore. I already have enough trouble as it is"

"I see"

I say nothing else, my hands now suddenly hurting as he parks in his garage.

As soon as he does so, I say "I won't let anyone happen to you"

"You better not"

That makes me smile now as I come out of the car and he does so too before he locks the car and heads inside.

I follow suit, the familiar place and smell pleasing me as I shut the door and enter, watching him remove his coat and throwing it on the couch "Are you staying over?"

"I might" I say "If you could wear this and not get turned on"

He has a questionable look on his face but he does not say anything about it and says instead "I'm going to shower, and hey, you'd be staying in the guest room if you end up staying here"

"Why can't I stay with you?"

"Don't be a weird ass now" He says as a reply and leaves.

I sigh walking around, my eyes falling on the paintings again as I now wonder how he had gotten them before I reach the couch and take up his coat, raising it to my nose and taking a sniff.

It smells like lavender.

Isn't that surprising?

I take my time going around the rooms of the house, once stopping at the room, his room, as I hear the shower falling, a perverted need to see how he looks comes but I ignore it and enter the next room, locking it and entering.

The first thing I do is go to it's bathroom, removing the hoodie, now standing with just a singlet before I take that off also, my eyes on the bandage that has been sucking out the air from me.

Slowly, I begin to unwrap it, taking in huge pants of air before I finally have all of it off, sucking in air as I stare at the red mark it has left.

My reflection has my eyes looking tired, bags now appearing under it and my short hair sticking to the sweaty sides of my hair before I suddenly begin to vomit.

It happens for a while, until I watch my mouth and my face, panting then hear me phone begin to ring.

I can already tell who it is before I pick it as Noona's sleepy voice tells me all I need to know "You couldn't have been serious"

"About what?"

"About leaving him alone in that house, it is a very big house"

"I have lived there alone for a while"

"That's different. You're a sociopath"

I let out a low chuckle "What happened? Did he call you?"

"He is worried, and more so. He knows you don't have many friends, and...."

"He's worried that I am at Kim Geon Woo's place, isn't it?"

"Yes, and so am I"

I let out a sigh, now sitting on the toilet seat as she continues "You shouldn't just stay over at people's places at your every whim. You shouldn't trust people that easily"

"If I don't trust him, how we would ever be together?"

She sighs now "That's a whole different thing"

"Is it?"

"You know it is. Could you just... Come home? Okay? Please?"

"It's too late, I can't get a cab"

"Zephyr will come pick you"

"I have to shower now, goodnight Noona"

"Eul Yi Song"

I hang up, letting out a sigh as I drop the phone, letting my body get used to the little freedom of not being bandaged for a whole day before I shower, then clean my body and put it on again, but not too tightly before I puke again and wear my trousers and head outside.

When i am out of my room, I find him in the backyard, sitting on the stairs, smoking as he says "Glad to see you're already making yourself welcome"

I join him, staring at the cigarette in his hand "Why do you smoke?"

"Cause I want black lungs, what else?" He replies.

"I don't want you to have it" I say

He scoffs there, smoking one more time before puffing and facing me, his eyes falling on my hand "Your knuckles are red"

"I punched someone"

"Yeah, I bet Kyung's head is as thick as a rock" He says "Do you need a bandage around it or something?"

"I'm fine"

He shrugs there, looking away.

I wish he would care, I wish he would hold it and kiss it, I wish he would fuss over me.

But I know he won't because he's not like the others that have lived with me all my life.

He is different.

"You can have it now"

I hand the bag to him which he collects, peering into it first before bringing it out, a small choking sound leaving his lips.

I stare at it "Do you like it?"

"A collar?"