-eighteen-

Living with each other was more manageable than they thought. During their stay together, Killa and her Boss get along nicely. She tried her best not to bother her Boss. She bought groceries from time to time, fruits, milk, bottles of different drinks that attracted her eyes, and instant food, which was easy to cook or just put in the microwave. She knew her cooking wouldn't be his Boss' taste, but it would more likely be a trash bin taste. If her Boss kept making food for her, it would be a burden.

Killa asked her Boss to sleep in front of the bedroom, but he still insisted on letting her sleep in his room, so he slept outside. To solve the problem, he bought a mattress and put it on the floor in front of the bedroom. 

However, there were only little things that bothered him. Because Killa was a young woman, and not just any young woman, but it was her. She got up and took a shower before him almost every day so she could have time to dress and prepare herself before going to class. During that time, Boss would wake up and see her out of the bathroom and take a shower after her every time. 

Seeing her with just a towel after opening his eyes, sometimes he needed to act like he was sleeping so she could walk into the room. To be honest, being with her, it was hard to stop thinking sexually. Normal interaction or any actions that she did, all men could fall for her easily. She already had high sex appeal, as usual, from other people's eyes. Let alone being around her every night, he must feel uneasy.

Little Drinks 

Killa met Maki and Liah, Maki's girlfriend aka. their senior. 

"Cheers!!" All three of them shouted out.

"Haaa—" And all three of them let the fresh air out of their mouths.

"So good!" Maki said happily,

"I haven't seen you lately," Liah said to Killa.

"Yeah, I see you only when we have class together." Maki supported.

"I was busy," Killa said,

"Then quit your job." Maki pouted.

"You still work at the Cafe?" Liah was curious.

"Yes,"

"Is it a bit too much? You have a lot of assignments for sure 'cause painting majors always do the work. They have no time for other stuff. You chose a minor in sculpture, right?" Liah asked.

"Yes,"

"That is triple the work!! Look at Alex. She's gone from our gang." Liah shouted.

"You need to quit!" Maki shouted instantly,

"I'm fine, honestly," Killa said with a smile.

"Are you kidding?" Liah asked,

"I'm not, senior," Killa said,

"I think she's fine," Maki said,

"Why do you think that?" Liah asked,

"She has no under-eye bags—at all, and she seems happy." Maki talked to Liah while surveying her best friend.

'Happy?' Killa thought while listening to them gossiping in front of her. Killa didn't say anything and drank her drink.

"Tell me!!" Maki got up, grabbed her shoulders, and then shook her.

"Yah! Hey! You're gonna waste my drink." Killa said back.

"You have a lot of secrets these days…" Maki said, glaring at her. "I am not your BFF anymore?" Killa looked at her, smirking. "Hiccc-Hicc," Maki was sobbing after Killa said nothing.

"Makiii—don't cry," Liah supported her girlfriend's performance.

'Your acting is not helping,' Killa thought.

"You! You have someone, don't you!?" Maki leaned her face closer to Killa.

Killa was shocked; her eyes opened widely,

"See!!? It's true, isn't it!!!?" Maki was making a fuss. Killa wiped the alcohol on her dress with a tissue. "If you don't tell me… I-I-I will sleep here and don't go anywhere." Maki was overreacting.

"Maki, stop," Liah kept supporting her role.

"I don't think you can. The owner will kick you out, and you have class tomorrow." Killa said,

"Liahh, look at her. She doesn't care about me...at all." Maki turned to Liah and cried on her chest.

"I..." Killa halted,

"Hmmm?" Maki made the sound, 'Does my acting upgrade?' Maki smirked a little.

"I can't say that I have someone." Killa awkwardly tried to explain.

Maki and Liah looked at each other. "Umm," Maki and Liah made a sound to show that they were listening and let Killa continue telling her story.

"I live with someone."

"What!!?" Both of them shouted at the same time. "In your apartment?" Maki asked,

"No,"

Their eyes were going to pop out. "You mean you move out and live with…someone?" Liah asked calmly,

"Whoo??!! Tell me, Whooo!!?? Killa, if you do not open your mouth now, I'll kill you!" Maki lost her mind,

"You can't kill me," Killa said truthfully,

"I can. I absolutely can!" Maki said,

Killa raised her left eyebrow while looking at Maki. "I can't, yes. But tell me!!" Maki shouted,

"Okay. It's Boss," Killa said,

"Whattt!" she held her breath. "You live with your boss?" Maki continued asking without a break.

"Maki, just let her speak first, then we will interview her later, okay? Please, calm down." Liah said,

"I-I-Okay, let's continue," Maki tried to keep to herself and sat down.

Killa sighed lightly, "After we met last time at Little Drinks...I came to the apartment a little 

drunk...You know the Cafe is on the way back to the apartment, right?" Killa said,

"Um-um," they nodded,

"I saw him, and he took me home." Maki was shocked.

"Um-um," Liah made the sound,

"And my room was invaded," Killa said,

"What!" Maki shouted

"Someone broke into my room," Killa said,

"Why didn't you tell me?" Maki asked,

"I don't want to bother you."

"You should! I am your friend, Killa." Maki was worried.

"I'm sorry, but it was late, and you just got back home," Killa said softly. "So, Boss offered me to stay at his place while everything is in process."

"I see..." Liah said,

"So that t-shirt!?" Maki said,

"Yes, it's Boss," Killa said,

"But that day...it was a long time ago, 2-3 weeks?" Maki said,

"Yeah, around that," Liah said,

"And are you still with him? Maki was surprised.

"Yeah, I told him already it was fine, but he insisted on having me at his place," Killa said.

"Oh...Whyyyyy...I wonder." Maki shifted her eyes to her girlfriend.

"Ahem," Liah acted like she was coughing a little.

"He told me it isn't safe yet," Killa said,

"Oh, reallyyy?" Maki made the voice even longer.

"Maki..." Liah called her name after hearing Maki's voice and her face's expression.

"So that's why you look so happy," Maki asked,

"Ha?" Killa was confused,

"You have class in the morning until evening and go to work until night...if it's a normal girl, she would be crushed. I should be crushed," Maki said.

"Not just a girl, everyone," Liah said,

"She's not normal." Maki.

'I'm not normal?' Killa thought while listening to them finish their sentences for each other one by one.

"Yes, because she's a girl who is in love…" Liah said with a bit of curl in her lips,

"Pfff," Killa spitted her drink out.

"What can I say...busy? A hard day? Can't hurt someone who's in love." Maki said. Killa blushed so hard and wiped her drink around her mouth.

"You love him, don't you?" Maki asked,

"Love? I..." Killa stammered,

"Eh..." Maki made a sound after seeing her struggle with her feelings to explain. 'It's Killa...maybe I have to help her a little bit,' Maki was planning in her head.

"Drink!" Maki poured her a drink.

"*Ajussi!!! We want five bottles of beer, please!!!" (*Ajushi means uncle in the Korean language.) Maki shouted at the uncle, who was the owner of the place.

"What!?" Liah was shocked. "You're gonna drink all of these, babe?" Liah asked.

"No...they are all for K," Maki whispered to Liah.

"I can hear that," Killa said,

"Ok!!! Drink, my friend!" Maki enthusiastically shouted,

They had plied Killa with liquor and let her slip out her feelings. Finally, they figured it out after 2-3 hours, then she passed out. They didn't know her Boss' place, so Maki contacted him with Killa's phone.

"Oh, he's here," Maki said. They were holding Killa up and trying to bring her to a masculine guy with a huge body.

Maki looked at the man, "You're her boss, right?" she asked, but he said nothing. "I'm sorry to call you out late, but..."

"She's a bit drunk. Can you take her home?" Liah asked,

"Since she lives with you..." Maki said,

"Why doesn't he answer me?" Liah turned to ask Maki.

The blue-haired guy stepped closer, gently grabbed Killa's arms, and took her into his. The huge guy bowed a little to say goodbye and walked away.

"Hey," Maki called him, but he didn't hear her. "Hey!" Maki shouted and pulled his shirt around his arm to turn around.

"Hey! You! You're not gonna do bad things to her, right?" Maki asked as she looked right at his face, and he could read her lips.

He shook his head.

'Is he shy or something?' Maki thought.

"Oh, Boss, is that you? How...how..." Killa opened her eyes and saw her Boss, and she suddenly smiled.

"Damn it, Killa..." Maki sighed, just like she was so into him.

"Please, take care of her," Liah said,

He nodded.

"You...Do you like her?" Maki asked,

He was stunned,

"Not just between employee and Boss…I mean, Do you like her as a man and woman?" Maki made the question more clear.

He stared at Maki for a second as he held Killa's waist and her right arm; she touched her softly. 

"Yes," He said.

'Ohhhhhhhhh, ' Maki screamed inside. "Then she can rely on you, right?" Maki asked,

He nodded.

"Good, she's very important to me...if you ever-ever break her heart, I will kill you!" Maki threatened him, "I'm real!" Maki shouted.

He nodded.

Boss's room

Crack!

The door opened sound.

Bang!

The door was shut.

"Let me…sleep here..." Killa said and led herself to the mattress on the floor in front of the bedroom.

"No..."Boss answered softly.

"It's okay…okay," Killa pushed her Boss out and hurried to the empty bed.

'How much did she drink?' Boss thought while looking at her. He sat down proudly on his bed, walked towards her, kneeled on the floor, and took off her shoes.

"Hmm?" Killa made a sound and tried to open her sleepy eyes to see. Killa said nothing; she just watched him remove her shoes. "Are you mad?" Killa asked out of the blue.

"Why do you think I'm mad at you all the time?" He looked at her and spoke it out with his deep voice.

'His voice..' Killa thought. "Are you?" Killa asked.

Thud

And suddenly, her forehead bumped into his forehead.

"I'm sorry, my head is heavy right now," Killa explained while trying to pull herself back, but because of the heaviness and the dizziness, her head leaned left and right.

And Boss raised his hands and held her head by grabbing her both cheeks still, her forehead was against his. "Your head is not heavy. You're just drunk," he said,

"Don't be mad" Killa said lightly,

"I'm not mad," Boss said,

"You are.." she said,

"You smoke?" He asked after smelling her cigarette thinly. She said nothing, but she didn't deny it. "You're stressed?" he asked as he gazed at her face, trying to look directly into her eyes,

"A little," She said softly.

"Why?"

She looked at him, "...you,"

Killa tried not to avoid his eyes, but she looked back at him. She saw the dark blue eye color. She felt like she was drowning in the dark and deep ocean at night, probably seeing nothing under there, but she saw herself reflected.

"I've never seen your eyes color this clear...you obviously didn't dye your hair, but how could someone have this color on their eyes too?" Boss wondered,

While she was thinking about him, he was also thinking about her. Boss' thumb gently slipped to touch her eyelashes down her cheek, to feel if it was even real.

-flashback-

"Now...why didn't you tell me how you feel about your boss?" Maki asked,

"Because I don't know what exactly I'm feeling right now." Killa took a deep breath, "More like I don't know how to explain...in words."

"Drinkkkk," Maki poured her drink.

"You drink!" Killa started to get dizzy and shouted at her.

"Ok! then you tell me, deal?" Maki made a deal,

"I'll try," Killa said,

"Haa!" They both drank together.

"You are more straightforward about your feelings, Killa....since school. I know you.." Maki said,

"I...like him," she said,

"Just like you like me?" Maki asked,

"You're my best friend. I can do anything for you."

"So, can you do anything for your boss too?" Maki continued asking.

"Yes, of course."

"Anything, anything? Not just like a simple duty that your Boss asks." Maki said.

"She's not answering," Liah said,

"We need to give her to process, babe," Maki whispered.

"I wondered to myself. Why am I so willing to do everything he asks me to do? Why am I so scared that he will hate me? And why am I so curious about what he feels about me or thinks about..." 

Liah and Maki looked at each other. 'I think I know what to do,' Maki thought. "Do you like him...like you liked Daiki senpai?" Maki asked.

Killa picked up her glass and swallowed all her drink in one go.

"Oh..." Liah made the sound,

"I think...it's more than that," Killa confessed.

"I got an answer!!!!" Maki stood up immediately and slammed on the table. "You fucking love him!! Killa!!" Then pointed at Killa while saying.

Killa was shocked, not because of her loud noise or because of her pointing fingers but because of the solutions she had tried to find the answer she had wanted to know for so long.

"I...love him?" Killa repeated.

"It's obvious, my K!!" Maki said. She tried to help Killa to acknowledge her real and deep emotions. To dig deeper than just a shallow solution that she never experienced before. She was a good friend. "Let's play games...you like challenges, don't you? I'll ask questions, you answer in your head, just yes and no, and you need to be honest."

"Yes," Killa tried to focus.

"You think of him every day? Think about him before you go to sleep? When you eat, you wonder if he has eaten yet. Do you want to know what he thinks of you? Will you be worried as hell if he gets a cold? And Have you ever wanted to hold his hands?"

"How many yes? Answer!" Maki asked,

"6," Killa said,

"6? How many questions did I ask?" Maki tried to count with her fingers,

"6," Liah answered. Maki and Killa were stunned themselves,

"Next, the important question…Do you want to kiss him?" Maki and Liah stared at Killa.

"Is she gonna tell the truth?" Liah asked Maki.

"She will because it's Killa," Maki whispered back.

"Yes,"

Maki and Liah opened their eyes widely. "Drink my K,"

"Ha..." Killa drank and let the air out.

"The last question...if you have to be apart from him...or you have to leave him...how do you feel?"

Killa started to picture, imagining, and then her face seemed down.

"What are you going to do?" Maki asked softly. She saw Killa's reaction, and then she chose to sit down. "You don't have to answer...I think your heart knows what it is, Killa..."

'I love him,' Killa thought.

-

Killa raised both hands and put them behind the Boss' neck. She pulled him closer and put her lips against his lips.