7:30 P.M.

"Can you pass me the spring onions?",I follow the instructions on cue and pass my dad the bowl of chopped onions and retrieve fresh coriander from the refrigerator to put on the chopping board and prepare it for dinner.The rich aroma of the mixture flares in the hall, reminding me how lucky is to have my father cook for us."The girls are having fun, aren't they?",He steals a glance in the living room and despite talking about three women, his eyes are hooked on only one, his wife.

"No doubt, I can hear their giggles being the background music for our cooking session.",He chuckles at my comment and I put my eyes on the ladies who have occupied the couch facing the kitchen.My gaze travels to the girl who wears a wide grin on her lips, tucking her bangs behind her ear as strands of hair unfurl from her the bun tied roughly.Her pupils crease at my sister and mother as they laugh about a discreet topic that is incoherent but I couldn't care about it any less, I'm satiated alone by rejoicing her face gleaming with happiness.

My mind is filled with every look, every word and every blush she exchanged with me a few hours before, consuming every fibre of my body. I've never felt under such influence where every emotion I feel is blessed by someone else because nothing is more desolating than giving someone else the power to make you vulnerable but I love doing this with her. It's like she enforces a belief that I had long forgotten, kindles the emotions that I had started despising, which I'm supposed to counter with my control but at this moment, when I absorb the sight of pure joy on her face, everything seems insignificant.

She steals a look at me, smiling at me as if she caught me prancing my attention so I own my actions and wink at her, causing her to flush in her cheeks.I love this.

"You like her.",A deep voice retracts me to focus at the person next to me, catching me off guard so I pick the broth to pour in the pan, averting the eye-contact."What makes you think so?",I quip, his words still reverberating in my ears to my amusement. There's no possible way I'm slipping into the same thrall. I can't afford that, not with her.

"I'm your dad, jungkook. I see the way you look at her when she isn't looking at you and it's way more than some platonic friendship.",He doesn't stamp his assumption hard but enunciates his thoughts which I'm afraid to contemplate. I don't want to learn what he saw between us and I definitely don't want to turn out in the way he's phrasing. I'm desperate to occupy myself with some chores but we're nearing to plating the food so I stand at the counter, forcing my gaze on the ignition and notice him setting his vision at me.

"I know that you've changed after what happened with Soorin, jungkook.",He brings a name that I've buried underneath my composure, causing my calm to disrupt, a knot forming in my chest at her name but I don't put a stop on this conversation and listen him intently,"We've talked about this alot of times before and I trust that you've moved forward and started afresh on a new page. You were never at fault, you deserve someone who can understand how you're just a normal person who cares for his loved ones. I don't know what is the relationship between you and y/n but I do know that she is a sweetheart. If you ever start to feel about her or even someone else, don't suppress those feelings because of your fear. It's almost torturing yourself and the other person in the process.",He puts his hand on the back of my palm to give an assuring squeeze, leaving me speechless with a storm of thoughts conquering my mind.

I don't know how he perceived the exact thoughts in my heart, either I'm obvious enough or his father's instinct really read me transparently.I had promised myself to not ever let myself fell prey to those feelings that bring ruin and helplessness after the last girl I bared myself to tore a giant part of me and crumpled it like some filthy paper. It's not supposed to happen after we've mutually decided to not let our feelings come in the way of this new relationship between us but I can't help being curious about the need to discover her that arouses in my mind.

My eyes flick to y/n, the mere sight of her confirming my worst fear.If it wasn't evident already, the thumping in my chest warns me of a vow I made to myself. No matter how much I'm loving spending time with her, I can't ever like her. I can't ruin her like all those people she trusted, I shouldn't.

"I'll keep that in mind, dad but it's nothing like that between us.",I put my eyes on him, confused if I'm revising myself or clearing his assumptions but he gives me a warm smile like he knows something I don't. I've confided in him about every girl I've felt for and he has always reminded me how he knows me better than myself but it's not the same this time. It won't be.

I step behind the counter, pushing this conversation somewhere in my head where it cannot recover from and hold the plates to arrange the table, followed by my dad who holds the pot of stew. After a few rounds,we manage to bring the food to the table and join each other for dinner.

"Oh my god, honey. It smells amazing.",My mom holds her husband's arm, her eyes sparkling at the sight of a ravishing dinner and he chuckles at her reaction, kissing the top of her head."How lucky you are to marry me.",He teases her but earns a punch on his elbow before bursting into a laugh. My gaze travels from their adorable display of affection to the girl sitting on my right who watches my parents with a newfound happiness, as if she's lucky to witness their relationship. The corner of her lips are lifted in a faint smile, absorbing every word and laugh they exchange like a little child admiring a galaxy in the sky and I realise the reason behind her fascination. Their household probably never had such quality time and display of familial affection so this is undeniably new for her to see our family so close knit.

I hate that she's subjected to such a family that makes her find these things fascinating because this should be normal if you're connected with blood. Everyone deserves a family who shapes their children's minds and lives in the best way possible, regardless of anything. It's moments like these that remind me how lucky I am to have such parents for myself and my sister.

I tap her thigh with my finger, her eyes shooting at me with the same smile intact on her face."What happened?",For a split second, I see her pupils so gleaming that my reflection is blurred in them."Nothing..... I'm just.....so hungry,god. I'm going to eat so much, I'll turn into a pig. Don't look at me.",She hassles her actions, licking her lips glossy and her face glows with joy.

"You can eat all the food on this table and would still look more beautiful than anything.", Without much comprehension, the words are blurted in the air and her eyes freeze on my face.

She looks at me like I've stabbed a knife in her heart and the tip of my lips vibrate, copying my heartbeat at the same exhilarating pace. Not a word from her in response, I'm beginning to feel as if I've violated some boundaries but I'm not sorry for saying those words. I can repeat those words again. In fact I want to say them again because of her lack of response but then her expressions soften and her gaze falls down on her lap, her cheeks rising to pursue a smile.

I think I'm going to need to say it again just to see that blush again.

"Here",I retrieve the cloth napkin from the table and she handles that from me to cover her lap so I take mine to do the same. The soaring stare of the girl sitting across me obstructs my view and she digs at me with poise and suspicion, judging my intentions with her friend. I'm surprised she even managed to sit calm for two hours without a hint of discomfort after she learnt that y/n will be staying in my room but I can sense she's going to either crowd me or her by asking questions. She chews the piece of meat with speculation so I arch an eyebrow at her, causing her to shift her gaze.

"Oh my god, Mr. Jeon. You really are a great cook.",The girl beside me exclaims and I chuckle at the big spoon of soup she fills to almost swallow."Thank you. You should take more of the soup if you like it. I've made more than enough incase you guys are hungry around midnight.",My dad smiles warmly at her and she rejoices in happiness, focusing intently on the flavour of the soup which I believe has turned out best because of the minced garlic he put at the beginning.

I take my favourite side dishes and pickled jalapenos to join my dinner but come across y/n only taking the soup so I pick the tray of meat and slide it in her direction for her to notice."This is your immunity.", She contemplates the plate for some seconds and resigns by taking a few pieces of the grilled meat for her meal, relieving me so I focus on my meal as we engage in a conversation so smoothly that I don't realise the time flying by almost half an hour.

After my parents have retired to the room and I take the responsibility to settle plates in the kitchen, I spare a glance at my baby who taps her fingers on the table cloth, pouting nonchalantly with her pupils hovering over the walls. My attention inevitably falls on her lips, those lips that almost caved me into submitting into a devious temptation. She is sitting on the table, unaware of the misery and pleasure she made me experience and all I can think about is how I haven't had enough of it, how I loved watching her claim what she once feared and how beautiful she looked in the moment.I don't even realise when I resort my gloves on the kitchen island and step beside her, holding her hand to make her stand.

"What are you thinking?",I wrap my arms around her and she tightens her clasp across my waist as if it's the most natural thing."I'm so full, I think I'm going to be lazy and sleep a lot.",Her eyebrows wrinkle and I smile at the upset tone. My hands escape from her back to cup her jaw and tug a strand of hair on her scalp before looking into her serene eyes. They're chocolate brown, so deep and mesmerising that I can't stop looking into them."And why is that a bad thing?".

"Because I want to talk to you and actually enjoy my time with you instead of sleeping and wasting this day. I would be an idiot to do that.",She bursts a smile on my face, the giggle running out of my chest at the speed of light. It is now my turn to force the smile on my lips back so I sweep a tongue in my mouth and put my eyes on her face as she chuckles at my reaction."How about this?", I cock my head,"You go and get ready for sleep on my bed and I come join you to talk until you fall asleep after putting the dishes away?",This evokes a bright glow on her face and she nods at me, wordless so I lean forth to press a kiss on her cheekbone before allowing her to step away to reach my bedroom.

I watch her bouncing in her steps to the staircase, her hips swaying in thin pyjamas, so ecstatic that I might convulse in my breath if I don't tear my gaze away. Setting afoot in the kitchen, I put the gloves on to get hold of the cutlery and run the faucet to wash them."So",I look up to realise junghee taking a seat on the stool opposite me on the island,"Is it about time you tell me what is going in your head about y/n?",She doesn't beat around the bush and asks me straightforwardly.

"That was predictable of you. Don't put my name to shame like that.",I don't give in easily, considering how desperate she is underneath the normalcy she's wearing on her face."Atleast I don't act like a douche and get all lovey dovey with someone who I barely talked to a few months ago.",She explodes, the pent up frustration bubbling on the surface now but I don't lose my calm and leave the cutlery on the tray to dry before removing my gloves. Knowing that it was her who introduced y/n to our family, to me, also bears the responsibility that she is very attached with her and her concern is only understandable.

"Can you hear yourself? That's how connections work. Everyone is a stranger at first.", I deadpan at her choice of accusation.

She opens her mouth to protest but laughs in a knowing chuckle."I'm done with you. Just tell me what she means to you. One word and it'll be clear. I know how you stand by your words so I won't doubt you.",She shows a quaking trust in me despite her mad temper but I suppose she realises my true nature. No matter how much I think about it, my feelings for her cannot be poured into a word, into an emotion. Hell, any combination of 26 alphabets cannot invent a word that explains the effect she encompasses on me.

Whenever she's around me, I'm filled with joy and excitement in her company. Her chuckles and faint smiles wreck my composure until all I can find myself is deeply engrossed to learn more about her. There's something so delicate yet erotic about the way she reciprocates all the wants that I can't help demand more of it, more of her. I've felt attracted to many girls but none of them piqued my interest in their personality, thoughts and aspirations. I keep feeling the need to think better for her, express how special she is for me and this is all that fills my heart with satisfaction.

After a minute of silence, Junghee arches her eyebrow at me, investigating my expressions."She is important to me.",She ridicules my response and clueless lines appear on her forehead,"I know you're worried for her because she's your close friend but she means a lot to me, too. If you think that I'm going to fuck something up, it's not going to happen. We've already talked about everything that's necessary.",I leave out the details about our conversation for the sake of privacy but this doesn't content my sister and her eyes drop on the white marble of the counter as if she's finding it difficult to believe me.I don't blame her for being protective about her, infact I'm relieved that y/n has someone else other than me looking out for her but this is backfiring me and damn me if I don't want to veto this conversation and run upstairs to catch her in my embrace.

"It's just that she sees you as a really good person and she's comfortable with you.I can't lie about how much you matter for her because as much as it pains me to admit it, you've helped a lot and you're not the type to generally do that until you sense it inside you. I don't want this to end up bad because I would feel like shit to watch her get hurt again. Also, I don't want to end up choosing between you.",She insinuates both ease and depth from her words. I want to ask about what else has y/n talked about me to her but this is where I don't invade their friendship so I step back and nod to make a beeline.

"I would never hurt her.", This is important for her to say to put her mind at rest and she gives me a morphed smile."Goodnight.",I return the wish, desperate to take the stairs that lead to the corridor of our rooms.

The door flings open to let my eyes land on the hips of a girl who has bowed herself to sear the view across my window. I gulp the air in my throat at the sexy shape of her ass that tempts me to squeeze them but I walk towards her."What a nice view we have here.",My voice distracts her and she peeks behind to look at me with a smile at my praise. My arms capture her frame in my chest, swirling her front to face me as she lengthens her arms that barely encircle around my neck.

"I didn't know you had such a clear view of my room from here. You sure you didn't spend every night looking at me?",I love this feisty side of hers, which is full of confidence, so much that it turns on an ache in my heart.She looks at with a mischievous glint in her eyes as I roam my eyes from her room to her face, imitating a pondering expression."I might've but that shouldn't be a problem from now on.",I play with her to learn more of her reactions that fuel my body with excitement and joy. My fingers brush on the fabric of her oversized tee before I dig them underneath to feel her smooth skin that heats up at a warp speed, the emotion in her eyes drowning in lust. I love reading her feelings through her eyes.

"Why do you think so?",Her voice is tender, letting me know the soft squeeze of my hand on her waist is spreading the same hunger in her body.I can feel the beat of her heart vibrating her body, this is what makes me want to hold her close to me.

"Because now I know that you'll love to have me looking at you as much as I do.",My words make her pursue her lips to absorb a smile that colours her cheeks red, bringing a smug curve on my lips so I take her hands to lead her on my bed before I tuck away the blankets.

A/N : My sincere apologies for the irregular updates. I've been occupied with a lot of things lately as I'll be moving abroad for my further studies. The updates will be continue to be a little irregular but I'll try my best to post while keeping the anticipation still intact. I'm thankful for your support and patience and I hope you'll continue to enjoy the journey of the characters of the book.

I hope you're doing good and taking care of yourselves.