Chapter 48: A cat-mouse Relationship 3

The sun was already streaming through the window curtains and resting on Bella's face. She stretches and whines in-between sleep before opening her eyes slowly. As if stung by a bee, she sprang up quickly and hand-combed her hair, The duvet was already in a tangled mess between her body; she leaned down and redressed the bed, before walking to the door but stopped when she saw Hoseok stills sleeping peacefully on the chaise couch.

"Hmmm! She sniffed gazing down at Hoseok who was peacefully sleeping.

She has this irresistible urge to caress his cheeks as she watches how he clutches his pillow as if his life depends on it.

She seriously admired him, but she doesn't want to appear too desperate to him.

Her eyes roam all over his body and she takes a deep breath. Slowly she left the bed and strode down finding her way downstairs.

"How are you feeling Bella" Seokjin asked immediately as she saw her advancing towards the kitchen.

"Good morning Oppa.....I feel better now... thanks so much" she cheerfully replied.

"Want some coffee? He asked her and she nodded in response.

A cup of coffee was handed to her and she blow over it before taking a sip.

"Awwwww" she mumbled running her tongue through her mouth.

"Hot"

"Yes"

"Sorry,  mind adding cold water to it" Seokjin reckoned.

"Where is Hoseok ?"

"Still sleeping"

"I bet he must have stayed up all night, poor boy; he seriously needs enough sleep and rest."

His sudden statement wasn't what Bella was expecting, he wanted to ask Seokjin-oppa what he meant by his last statement but on the other hand, she found it difficult because she thought doing so will make it look like she is so desperate to be by his side.

"Oppa" she began trapping her teeth and trying to get her bearings before proceeding. "Is everything okay with Hoseok?"

"Absolutely, just that he has lots of work on his shoulders and the due date is fast approaching and it will be bad if he didn't deliver." Seokjin sigh.

"What will happen to him?" Bella said with a questioning look on her face. She was probably wondering what will happen and the thought of it scared her the more.

"If he didn't deliver before the due date then he gonna pay a fine of 20 million USD ($20,000,000,000,)"

"WHAT? Bella screams out. "How does he come to such debt ?" Her hands flew over her mouth.

Seokjin stared at her for a moment, he can see the panic in her eyes and how she fidget with the mug in her hand.

"It's a long story, Bella, I bet he will be in a better position to tell you more," he said, excusing himself.

Immediately after Seokjin left, Bella wasn't herself again, she sigh and sigh, scratching her head. The thought of Hoseok being in such debt disorganized her. She gulped down the coffee and rush to pour in a mug for Hoseok before leaving to meet him who was already awake and peeking through his laptop.

"Good morning." She said and put the mug on the table. " I made coffee for you, have some."

"Morning, How are you feeling now"

He responds to her greetings, taking the mug and sipping from it. He looked tired and his eyelids were a bit swollen which makes her worried more.

"I'm fine, I told you I will be alright by morning"

"What could be wrong" she battled within her. After pondering for a few minutes, she decided to follow whatever comes out of her mouth.

"Hoseok is everything okay?" she began almost panicking with her voice.

He paused with his mug, slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and put the mug down on the table.

"Everything is fine Bella, do I look worried, I'm just waking up from sleep"

"I know I just want...to...to know...why.." she paused and everywhere grow quiet, she wondered what she should say so she did not sound desperate or make a fool of herself.

"You said the project you are working on,  the due date is approaching, hope there won't be issues if you fail to deliver approximately." She paused, trapping her teeth as she watch Hoseok.

There was uncomfortable silence for a moment and Bella wondered if she was wrong by bringing up the topic.

"It's okay" she began, breaking the silence. "You don't have to tell me anything" she mumbled bringing her head on a low.

Hoseok was silent as he contemplate if he should open up to her, instantly he brings his hands down lifting her chin to face him.  His eyes radiated what Bella couldn't understand.

"Fine! I will tell you"

Bella was stunned as she heard that, she stared at him with a smile displaying on her lips.

"I lost my former company tape, I sign a deal to produce a few tracks and music videos after working it through, unfortunately, I lost it. It has been a year since I lost it, so I'm working on new tracks for them."

He said quietly and Bella's heart clenched.

"But you shouldn't shoulder all this alone, your production crew and the rest of your workers should also help you out, like! what I mean is this, you divide the work and force everyone to choose the one they can do" she reckoned.

"Stop blabbing, Does my company look like a military camp."  He counters her.

"No, that's not what I meant, just that you won't be stressed out and looking always tired" she argued.

"You don't hold people accountable for your own mistakes, they are employed to work for me not to pay for my carelessness and they all have one thing or the other keeping them busy. Just because I am the boss doesn't mean I should toy with their emotions and strengths. They are all human beings just as you and I." Hoseok snapped, rising from his seat.

Bella's heart melt at his remark, the dude he thinks always gets on her nerves or is good at saying something negative to her was far from it. "Is this what Jimin meant when he said, "Hoseok-hyung is not who you think he is, I hope you understand him one day." This particular Hoseok is different from the previous Hoseok she had met. Her heart wandered around trying to figure out the next thing to say.

"But how did it get lost? she heard herself voice out.

Hoseok inhale deeply, slowly turning his back on Bella who was waiting in anxious anticipation at the words to come. Her heart is in doubt if Hoseok will end up opening up on how he lost the Tape.

Hoseok hesitate and he wondered if he should reminisce. He peeked at her through his shoulder and see the anxiety in her eyes "I thought she wants to annul the agreement, what is wrong with her? Why is she not talking about it ?" He mumbled in his mind.

"Don't worry Bella, just get ready I will drop you at home." He said, emotionlessly as he resume his former sitting position, dragging his mouse along and focusing on his laptop.

Bella felt disappointed, her face dropped and she swallow hard struggling to control her emotions. Her eyes ignite a spark of pain. She looked up at him, her eyes slowly becoming teary. Suddenly she frowns, she seems to think for a while.

"Are you okay? Hoseok throws a gaze at her.

"Yes, I will just use the bathroom then" she nodded, feigning a smile and gradually getting up from her seat.

"I will prepare breakfast before you finish," he asked.

"Her eyes softened and she shook her head. "never mind I'm not hungry."

"Are you angry with me? he queried her quirk reactions.

"Why should I,  I have no reasons to get mad at you. I'm only respecting your decisions." She countered him, her voice very tiny and for some reason, it ignite a spark of pain in it.

"And why should I tell you how it lost, of what use it is to me punishing myself by remembering the past and how I lost it" His voice was low, his emotions masking up but he forced himself to put up a better front.

"And why won't you tell me; we are friends by the way, what is wrong in me knowing a bit about you? If I should celebrate your wins with you then why can't I also know about your pain? Why shouldn't I know what is troubling you? If you wanted to keep it a secret then you shouldn't have invited me here in the first place." She blurted out grabbing the mug and trying to leave the room.

Oh! She shouldn't act like this, but here she already did; forcing herself to know someone's secret. She wanted to leave right now, she just wants to be a bit closer to him like a friend, and shoulder some of his burdens but now she is torn on what actually she is to him. Maybe a temporary friend. It hurts her heart.

"Bella" Hoseok called out.

"Don't Bella me, I'm not interested again".

"Can you just shush your mouth?" Hoseok said, crossing the distance between them.  He grabbed her chin, lifting her head so that she was looking at him.

"You are misunderstanding the whole issue, not that I don't want to tell you,  it's just that I really don't know how you will react." He said with a soft voice.

"I promise I won't react badly." She uttered, waving her palm in the air as a sign of promise.

"Promise." Hoseok widened his eyes on her and she nodded in agreement.

"Fine then, follow me." He said grabbing her arm and leading her towards the three-seater sofa.