Chapter LXXXI – Staying Indoors

Standing by the bedroom window with his hands behind his head, Arthur sarcastically smirked at the enjoyable view that was obscured by rainfall. Letting out a sigh, he turned to Irene who sat on the bed with a pillow behind her back, happily scrolling through her phone. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Arthur gently placed his hand on Irene’s leg. She looked up into his eyes with an irresistibly beaming smile.

“When we talked about a summer vacation at the beach house, I wasn’t expecting to be inside all day,” he chuckled, returning her an affectionate smile.

“The weather forecast said it’ll only be for today and we probably won’t see any more rain until we go back to Seoul.” She placed her phone to the side. “It’s a bummer that the water will probably be cold tomorrow.”

“What were you looking at?” he asked, glancing at the phone.

“Just some outfits that I might wanna get. Wanna see? I was looking at leather jackets as well.”

“Maybe later. I prefer seeing you try them on instead of just browsing.”

“Then you should take me shopping once we get back,” she teased, placing her legs on his lap.

“Sure, but this time I have a few outfits I’d like you to try out.”

“Oh? Does my dear boyfriend have something in mind already?” Irene smiled, biting her finger playfully.

“For the longest time, but felt weird asking you.”

“What?! Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, seemingly more excited than him. “Had I known I would’ve already tried them.”

“We weren’t together so I didn’t know if it was okay to suggest it.”

“I mean if we were just friends then I’d get it, but you knew I liked you. I would’ve totally tried whatever. Was it something weird?” she squinted her eyes trying to imagine what it could’ve been.

“Nah, I just thought you’d look cute.”

“You should’ve told me!” she raised her voice jokingly grabbing his shoulder. “Such wasted opportunity. . .”

“Don’t worry, I won’t hold back in the future.”

“Better not. . .” she smirked, leaning her head against the wall.

“Why were you looking at jackets anyway? It’s the middle of the summer.”

“Yeah, but autumn’s right around the corner and it’s better to be prepared. Besides, they’re super cute and could totally be worn during summer as well.”

The whole room flashed white followed by thunder that made Irene jump.

“You okay?” he asked, unsure if she got scared or not.

She let out a sigh and gave him a nod.

“I’m fine. It was just unexpectedly loud. I ain’t so good with loud bangs.”

“Must’ve been close.”

Irene reached for her phone which rested on the bed and moved it onto the nightstand before laying down, pulling on Arthur’s shirt. It was obvious she wanted him next to her and he happily obliged. Laying down, Irene shuffled closer throwing her leg over him. With her arm resting on his chest, Arthur expected her to give him an innocent peck on the cheek as she leaned in but was surprised by a playful but slightly painful bite.

“Ow. . .” he pulled back avoiding being bitten again. He was confused but kept smiling as she kept smirking at him pleased with herself. “What are you doing?”

“Just enjoying myself,” she tightly gripped his shirt while giggling. “Hey, Art.”

“Yeah?”

“What’s the craziest thing you’ve done since reincarnating?”

“Told you my secret?”

It was the first thing that came to mind.

“That’s not a fun answer. Tell me something else,” she insisted, getting slowly up and over him.

Without hesitation, she sat on his lap and grabbed his wrists, pinning them above the shoulders.

“I umm. . .” he had a harder time concentrating as she playfully smirked while maintaining strong eye contact. “It’s hard to think when you’re holding me like this.”

“Let me make it harder then,” she leaned down and bit his neck.

“Ouch!” he chuckled, exaggerating the pain. “What’s up with all the biting?”

“Maybe the vampire movie got me into it?” she teased, gently kissing the spot she bit on his neck before pulling up to his cheek and kissing it as well. “I’ll make sure to balance it out.”

“Don’t make me bite you back. . .”

“Are you threatening me?” she bit her lower lip, looking at him smugly.

“Take another bite and find out,” he tilted his head, exposing the other side of his neck.

Tempted, she leaned down with her mouth barely parted but teeth showing. However, their little moment got interrupted by the unique ringtone Irene had that was louder than her usual.

“You’ve escaped this time,” she whispered into his ear, letting go of his wrists and dismounting him after. She reached for her phone and answered. “Hey, Mom!”

Arthur let out a pleased sigh, touching the spot on his neck she previously bit. It was never strong enough to actually hurt which made it enjoyable. It seemed like the conversation was going to last so he got up and grabbed their empty cups before leaving the room. He was feeling a bit thirsty having not drunk a single drop of water in hours while enjoying the rain in the background.

Leaving the room, Arthur noticed Max and Sophie chatting by the stairs. She was helplessly chortling at a dumb joke he made. It was obvious to him that the two hung around each other more often as of late, but he didn’t think much of it.

“Having a good time?”

“She got me talking about school clubs,” Max looked at Art smilingly.

“Oppa! You should try acting in a play,” Sophie suggested. “I’d love to see it.”

“Didn’t I already play the role of Don’s friend?”

“Oh, yeah! You were his girl friend,” Max purposely misled Sophie.

“You were Don’s girlfriend?” the idea got her snickering.

“No. . . I played a friend that happened to be a girl.”

“Eh, it was more like you kept staring at your phone chatting to Irene.”

“Hey, it’s what they do anyway,” he referred to most girls he saw hanging out.

“That’s no fun,” Sophie crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. “You should try something for real.”

“Maybe some other time. . .” he sighed shuffling past them only to be surprised by another loud thunderous boom.

“So freaking loud,” Sophie exhaled deeply, annoyed by the sudden jump scares she and everybody else had to endure. “I wonder if Nabi’s okay.”

“Where is she anyway?” Arthur asked, standing by the stairs.

“She’s in her room with Hyun. They’ve been in there all day just like you two,” Max pointed out.

“I’d be in the room with her too if I was Oppa,” she teased.

“Yeah, yeah,” Arthur sighed, taking a step toward the living room. “You two have fun, I’m off.”

Before reaching the kitchen, Arthur overheard an argument Don and Tjay were having over a game of Uno. They were joined by Ari and Yeona who looked bored out of their mind as Tjay tried convincing them that a plus two can’t be stacked because it said so on the internet. Don argued how they never played like that and how he was only complaining because it happened to him right as he was about to win. Iseul on the other hand occupied the parallel couch, once again reading yet another book. Arthur started wondering if all she packed were books. It was either that or she had a hidden library in the house that nobody knew about.

Entering the kitchen, Arthur glanced at Amelia who was drinking coffee and scrolling her phone. It was hard denying that the sisters didn’t look and act alike.

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“Looking at clothes?” Arthur asked.

“How’d you know?” Amelia looked at him baffled, surprised by his random guess.

“Magic,” he joked, pouring himself water.

“What’s my little sis up to? She’s not bossing you around, is she?” she put her phone down, smiling affectionately.

While everyone was supportive of Arthur’s new relationship, Sophie and she were by far the biggest fans.

“Nah, she’s just talking to your mom,” Arthur explained, taking a sip of water before looking to the deck.

“It’s only for today,” she lowered her voice while placing her cup down. “I can’t wait for the weather to clear up.”

“Agreed, but I don’t mind being stuck inside with everyone.”

“That’s cuz you’re upstairs the whole time,” she chuckled.

“I’ll get her to come down.”

“Nah, I’m just messing with you. Honestly, you should enjoy yourself the way you want to. The whole I must be with everyone all the time because we came here together always annoyed me which is why I prefer to travel with Riri.”

“Riri?” he asked, not recognizing the name.

“Irene?” she looked at him confused. “Did I never call her that in front of you?”

“Maybe you did, but I don’t think so?”

“Eh, I switch it up all the time.”

“I’ve never thought of calling her by a nickname,” Arthur pondered for a bit. “I don’t know, it feels weird if I think about it.”

“I get it. I didn’t like shortening my partner’s name either, but it’s down to preference. I mean, Irene calls you Art sometimes.”

He shrugged his shoulders before filling the half drank cup back to full.

“Now I’ll be stuck thinking about it all day. . .”

“Well, it’s nice to have such silly struggles, isn’t it?” Amelia pointed out, making Arthur smile softly.

“True,” he said stepping out of the kitchen. “I’m gonna go see if she’s done with her call. Fun talk.”

“Always,” she winked, looking back at her phone.

On his way back to the bedroom, he noticed that Sophie and Max joined the others for Uno. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to play with them, but the idea of laying around with Irene for a change as a couple was too appealing to pass on.

After returning to the room, Arthur saw Irene sitting on the edge of the bed staring into the corner.

“Everything okay?” he handed her the water.

“Oh, yeah. . . I was just zoned out,” she said, taking a sip. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, Riri.” He tried using her nickname.

“Riri?” she chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

“Amelia called you that so I thought I’d give it a try. Feels weird though.”

“Yeah, I’m not used to hearing you call me that either.”

“What other nicknames did you have?”

“Amm. . . Some of my friends call me Irie and my mom loves calling me Rina.”

“That’s kinda cool. Anyway, what’d your mom want?”

Arthur placed his cup down, sitting down next to her.

“She wanted to check up on us after hearing about the storm.”

“I’m surprised she heard about it considering we didn’t know until it started.”

“She’s probably checking out everything that’s happening around here. Did so in Seoul as well, but my dad kept insisting she eased up a bit. Definitely on the overprotective side.”

“Do they know we’re dating?”

“Haven’t told them yet,” she said, but a sudden realization made her eyes go wide before quickly turning to Arthur. “It’s not that I have an issue telling them!” she defended herself. “It’s just-“

“Woah, slow down,” he chuckled, grabbing her hand. “That’s not why I asked.”

“Right,” she sighed. “I just didn’t want you to think I was hiding it from them.”

“Even if you were, it wouldn’t matter since you’re with me,” he smiled lovingly while staring into her eyes. “It’s not as if I told Ryung either.”

“Sure, but you haven’t talked to him yet, have you?”

Arthur couldn’t help but chuckle looking at the innocent expression on Irene’s face. Her barely parted lips and honey-gold hair that was tucked behind her ear fell brushing against her cheek, leaving him bewitched.

“I haven’t,” he mumbled, caught staring at her lips.

“Well, it seems you’re losing focus,” she smirked.

“Nope,” he answered straight away, looking up into her eyes. “Never been more focused in my life.”

“I bet,” she chuckled. “You owe me an answer by the way.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m talking about something crazy you did.”

“I’ve only been in a few fights, but I’m not sure you were thinking of that.”

“Nah, something fun. . .”

“I haven’t really done anything I think. If you ask me, everything I’ve experienced has been sort of crazy.”

“True.” She leaned in close enough for him to feel the warmth of her breath as their lips barely kept apart. “We should do something crazy while here.”

“What’d you have in mind?” he whispered.

“Something fun that we can laugh about later,” she leaned in, kissing him above the lip.

It was the same place she kissed the first time they met, a scene that was hard to forget. Pulling away, she tucked her hair behind her ear again and leaned on her other arm.

“If an idea comes to mind, I’ll give it a try that’s for sure.”

“Maybe we should go on a rollercoaster. . .” she mumbled but then got freaked out by her idea, shaking her head repeatedly. “If only I was good with heights.”

“I don’t know what that is, but you don’t have to worry about falling when you’re with me. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Dork,” she whispered, averting her gaze and gently pushing him away.

“You’re cute when you blush,” he whispered, noticing her cheeks redden.

“It’s still raining,” she changed topics, closing her eyes and listening to the rain.

“Seems like it slowed down a bit,” Arthur pointed out, looking toward the window.

“I owe you a kiss you know,” she finally looked back at him. “And I think I wanna sneak outside and do in the rain.”

“Kiss me in the rain?” Arthur chuckled surprised.

“What?” she kept blushing. “It’s romantic.”

“Let’s do it then,” he said, getting up and extending his hand to her.

She wasn’t sure why she was surprised by Arthur’s willingness to go along with her silly ideas, but it made her feel tingly every time as she smiled winsomely. Irene gladly took his hand and let him lead her into the living room where everyone seemed to be discussing something. Tjay tried turning the lights on and off, but nothing happened.

“You can stop doing that,” Iseul told him. “It’s obvious the power’s gone.”

“Something happened?” Irene looked at her confused.

“Yeah,” Max spoke up. “Amelia noticed her phone stopped charging and it turned out to be a blackout in the neighborhood.”

“Did you check outside if it’s just us?” Irene asked.

“Nope, but I got a message from Balam saying she has no power as well,” Amelia said.

“Let’s go check anyway,” Irene said, grabbing Arthur’s hand.

Operation Cliché Wet Kiss was in the clear as she used a poor excuse to drag him outside. The name was assigned by Irene in her head and would never be told to Arthur. While it still rained, it wasn’t quite the downpour it was a few hours ago. They approached the road together and she took the initiative by grabbing the collar of his soon-to-be wet shirt. Arthur grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in for a kiss. Their lips finally pressed together as she moved her arms around his neck, leaping onto him. It took them seconds to become drenched, but that was the last thing they were thinking about as their tongues met halfway.

Once they broke away from the kiss, Arthur spun her around and carried her toward the door, hiding under the wooden roof. Her innocent laughter as she tightened her grip around his neck softened his smile. He closed his eyes and leaned closer to her neck.

“I always wanted to do that!” she cheerfully yelled but was mostly muffled by the rain.

They eventually made their way inside and Iseul was the first one to spot them. She asked teasingly if they were surprised that there were no lights active during daytime, knowing well what they were doing out there for so long.

After taking a shower, they joined up with the others and spent the day having fun playing board games.

* * *

With the power gone all day, everyone went to bed relatively early once night came around. It was too dark to hang around and their batteries were slowly dying out. The moon was covered by dark clouds from the never-ending rain, making visibility practically non-existent.

Irene had an unused candle on her nightstand which the two lit while cuddling in bed. There was nothing more Arthur enjoyed than having her resting on his chest while his arms were under his head. It was a bonus whenever she put her leg over him, making him feel as if her presence alone was recharging his energy.

“I can’t wait for tomorrow,” Irene whispered, kissing his bare chest as he slept shirtless.

Arthur had his eyes closed as her hand traced from his neck down to his abs.

“Honestly, I wish we could stay like this forever.”

“Why don’t we?” she chuckled, tracing her fingers up to his cheek and cupping his face.

“Because there are other things I also want to do with you.”

“That makes two of us,” she moved her hand back down, mimicking walking with her fingers down his shoulder.

They cuddled for a while in complete silence, almost falling asleep. However, they were both suddenly spooked by a loud girly scream coming from downstairs. Arthur quickly got up and pinched himself, making sure he wasn’t asleep.

“Give me your phone,” Arthur said.

“Here. . .” she worriedly turned on the flashlight and handed it over.

There was no way she’d let him go out there alone so she got up, put on a shirt, and stood behind him. There was no more screaming coming from downstairs, but it was clear that they were spooked a bit, especially due to Arthur’s recent dream playing out similarly.

“Stay close,” he opened the door and grabbed her hand, unwilling to leave her alone in the room.

There was nothing out of the ordinary in the hallway and they could hear talking from downstairs. It was Ari’s voice and it sounded shaky. Considering they were talking in the living room, Arthur and Irene both let out a sigh of relief before heading down to see what happened. They lit up the room the best they could using their phones as Arthur saw them all grouped up. Sophie, Max, and Ari were sitting on the couch as Ari appeared spooked, Don hid under a blanket frightened by the sudden scream while Tjay walked around the living room half asleep and annoyed.

“What’s going on?” Irene asked now that they joined the others.

“Bullshit. . .” Tjay mumbled, looking around the corners.

“Ari said she felt something run past her in the dark,” Sophie explained while trying to calm her down.

“You sure it wasn't just your imagination?” Max asked.

Looking around it was hard to see anything without the lights on, but it didn’t appear at first glance like anything was there. Luckily, Ari’s scream didn’t wake everyone up.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Tjay raised his voice as he jumped back. “Something just ran past me. It’s probably a rat!”

Sophie quickly raised her legs on the couch. Irene looked uncomfortable but was more so perplexed about what a rat would be doing in the house.

“Go sit next to them,” Arthur gently guided her to the couch.

Irene gave him a nod and sat with her legs up. Tjay, the brave man that he was sat on a barstool with his legs resting on the railing.

“There’s no rat here. . .” Max argued, assuming he’d hear something at least.

Arthur wasn’t in the mood to spend the night hunting down something that might not be there so he closed his eyes and channeled some of his outer Qi, sending a pulse around him that mapped the whole room for him. It was what he commonly used when trapped in magical darkness or when dealing with invisible enemies. It worked similarly to echolocation, but it was more precise.

To his surprise, the Qi revealed something small hiding in the kitchen behind the counter. It was hard to tell what it was but it definitely had a tail and was curled up in a ball. His cultivation wasn’t at a level where he could create a higher quality field that would give him better insight.

Thinking that the whole situation was a joke when compared to the pests he had to deal with in the past, he bravely walked over to the kitchen and looked down only to see a scared furball.

“Well I found our culprit. . .” he said non-chillingly. “Definitely alive.”

The girls wanted to scream at the idea of it being a rat and Tjay looked at Arthur in awe as he stared directly at it.

“Can you deal with it?” Irene asked.

“Sure,” he chuckled. “Come here, little guy. . .”

Irene and Sophie who looked directly at him freaked out at the idea of him grabbing it directly. As he held it out for them, suddenly the power came back which revealed a small black cat resting in his hands. The girls gasped as Sophie rushed over to see the cutie up close.

The cat was clearly a kitten and it was wet as well, so Arthur wanted to put it down as soon as he could. However, once the girls swarmed him, there was no escaping. The fluffy black kitten with a large white spot that covered its mouth, paws, and the end of its tail meowed hungrily, making everyone aw in cuteness.

“What now?” Arthur sighed, potentially holding a new member of the gang in the shape of a cat.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.