Sora was panting heavily, drenched in sweat, and unable to move her burning muscles. The man beside her was not in a better state.
“Damn woman, have I ever told you how breathtaking you look like that?” Nam-Jun asked between harsh breaths.
“Have I told you how hideous you look?” Sora retorted, not even able to spare the man a glance. “Come on, we have to shower,” she drawled and sat up with a grunt, wincing when she felt her muscles ache.
“Nah, I kind of want to lie on the floor until breathing doesn’t hurt too much... Why were you so vicious when I did nothing to you.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Sora said with a sheepish smile, finally standing up thanks to the help of a conveniently placed table.
Actually, now that the adrenaline was gone and her increasing frustration and accumulated stress were burnt, she did feel pretty guilty for using her best friend as scapegoat. A fully willing and more than capable to defend himself scapegoat. Perhaps it is for the best, Sora thought as she forced her legs to walk. Considering the alarming rate in which her annoyance was increasing, she would explode sooner rather than later and more likely destroy her hard-earned reputation in the process.
Sora looked back and almost winced when she noticed the bruises starting to bloom in Nam-Jun’s skin. While he fought for a living, she did not exactly fancy seeing him hurt, despite of being the current cause of his state. She decided she would get him something nice for helping her to deal with the situation, or better said, avoid the situation her moody self would undoubtedly cause.
“You also have to shower, come on. You have to take me home soon because the children can’t stay alone,” Sora reminded her friend, only receiving a pained grunt as response.
As she undid her hand wraps, Sora noticed her blistering knuckles that would bruise a deep purple without a doubt so she was condemned to wearing gloves for the next few days or weeks. More likely the latter, considering how long bruises took to disappear from her body.
In spite of all of the cons, Sora was elated. So relaxed and calm that she was no longer likely to kill the next person that annoyed her. Today’s training session was brutal and was sure tomorrow she would pay the price for it, but for now, she felt perfectly at ease.
She stumbled into the bathroom and fought with her clothes to take them off after turning on the water in the tub to fill in while she took a quick shower.
The hot water of the shower made her hiss when it made contact with the tender skin of the bruises, but it was not a terrible kind of pain. She spread the body wash with her bare hands, did a quick job of her hair, and immediately turned off the water, shivering when the cold air hit her heated skin. With hurried steps, she walked towards the tub and finally sinked in the water, turning the water off moments later, and relaxed.
Sora only realized she began drowsing off when she felt someone brushing her hair, looking with bleary eyes at the familiar figure and gave the man a lazy smile.
“Get out already,” Nam-Jun whispered and poker her cheek.
As a sleepy Sora entered the car and she remembered exactly why she loved to use her body to the point of exhaustion. The endorphin release quieted her loud thoughts and allowed her to catch a break of herself. The other methods she used were not healthy or convenient, actually, they tended to lean towards the dangerous scale even in her mind. Besides, they were not always available.
“Open it,” Nam-Jun ordered, depositing a black gift bag on her lap.
With nimble fingers, a curious Sora opened the bag and took out a rather large box of chocolates, her face immediately brightening.
“I know you couldn’t get some flavours you like here,” her friend said, not taking away his eyes from the road.
“Thank you.” What else could she say? Thanking someone that knew you better than you did was a pretty hard task.
“Look at the bottom of the bag.” Sora raised an eyebrow but looked inside the bag after taking out the surprisingly heavy box of chocolates. A gasp escaped her lips once she recognized the object. “Into the Magic Shop, first edition. I met someone who knows the author and got it signed, you better love me for it.”
A happy giggle left Sora’s chest and Nam-Jun looked at her fondly. There were no words needed.
----------------------------------------
Yunho was concentrating on cutting the meat on his plate in even pieces as he listened to his father’s monologue. As always, it was a unilateral conversation where he was informed on how disappointed his father was of him as a son. The hypocrite.
“I heard Kim Hara’s granddaughter is studying in your university. Have you met her?” His father demanded in an accusing tone instead of asking.
“There are many students with that last name,” Yunho said in a flat tone, not paying attention to the disapproving tone. “But I would have heard if someone important joined the student body.”
“...Perhaps,” his father acquiesced after a moment, taking a sip of his wine and savouring it. “However, no one really knows what Kim Hara’s granddaughter looks like. You know that old hag hid her grandchildren as gems once her daughter had that accident.”
“Well, it was a really convenient accident. It killed the only daughter along with the husband and eldest son,” Yunho said in a low tone and took another bite of his food.
“Her grandson became quite a public persona though.” His father kept talking as if Yunho never said a word. “Though it is well known he won’t succeed Kim Hara. People have been talking, you see, they say the granddaughter was hidden away in order to prepare her to assume her grandmother’s position.”
“And yet they are only rumours. We both know how fake they can be,” Yunho said, not bothering to conceal his accusing eyes.
The dinner continued in silence.
“What do you know about Jimin?” his father asked once the dessert was brought.
“There are many things I know about her, the question is what you want to know.” The tension in the room thickened as Yunho cut a small bite of his crème au caramel, not really tasting the flavour.
“I have been trying to convince her to go and study abroad.”
“But we both know how terrible that idea is,” Yunho said, perhaps interrupting his father but not really caring.
“...Indeed, we both do,” the man grunted and took another sip of his wine. “Jimin just needs time.”
“She had almost five years since she graduated, you would never allowe me to do the same.”
And there it was, Yunho was breaking the rule by speaking of the bright pink elephant in the room. His father’s expression hardened.
“That is different, you are my son.”
“Don't you say she is your daughter?” Yunho retorted, taking another bite of his dessert. He did not even need to lift his gaze in order to know his father was frowning at him.
Yunho sighed, knowing he should wave the white flag of peace before things turned ugly. Well, before they turned uglier. At least his father would never cut him off the benefits he was granted because people would talk, however, he could be even more unpleasant to deal with. So in the name of what little sanity Yunho had left, he decided to give up.
“So how is Ji-sub doing?” Yunho asked with a sigh.
“You tell me,” his father almost snapped.
“I wouldn't know, that is why I am asking.”
“Perhaps if you were more mature and finally got over that childish squabble you had so long ago,” his father said, no longer pretending to be civil.
Yunho sighed, knowing he should have kept his mouth shut. It was too late for damage control and now he had to deal with his father’s passive aggressive anger. Great, that was just the cherry on the top of an already crappy night.
“I tried to contact him on his birthday and sent a present to his manager only to have it sent back. Do you want to see my call log and the receipts?”
And there it was, if Yunho had to deal with everything already, then his caution could go to hell for all he cared.
“You know Ji-sub had a hard time ever since he left the house,” Yunho’s father tried to defend that person, just as always.
“Oh, I am sure he did. You paid for his university and apartment only for him to drop everything and try his hand at modelling, at least he managed to pull that stint off,” Yunho deadpanned, pushing away his unfinished dessert.
“He had a harsh childhood, you would never be able to understand,” his father sighed, looking defeated.
“Well, remember what happened when I got accepted in that university and managed to obtain the scholarship?” Yunho asked casually, as if he was talking about the weather.
Once again, he pointed one of those subjects he was not allowed to talk about. Honestly, he no longer cared at this point. If his father was going to try and blame him for everything then he better begin admitting his own goddamn flaws too and stop defending those two.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“Ah, now I remember. You told me I needed some adult supervision while you sent Ji-sub abroad and allowed Jimin to take a sabbatical year that extended till now. But of course, who am I to judge or remind you of that? I am just your son.”
The tension in the room increased but Yunho no longer cared. Finals were approaching and he dedicated all his free time to study so he was living off sleep deprivation and caffeine. This semester he actually had some competition he would like to win over, thank you very much.
“You would never be able to understand,” his father said at last and an almost cynic smile stretched Yunho’s lips.
“If you say so. I lost my appetite so I will be heading home already. See you next week,” Yunho said almost jovially and walked towards the door. “Maybe one day I will see one of those two here.”
The last words he said before leaving were intended to cause damage, but Yunho did not look back to admire the results. Honestly, he was far past the point of caring. At this stage, he knew he was the only child his father raised that was not a disappointment, at least in the eyes of the public. Fortunately, otherwise he was sure he would be excluded from the family business entirely in favour of those two.
With practised ease. Yunho lit up a cigarette and took a deep drag, knowing he would need to take his car to clean later in order to get rid of the odour. But he would worry about it later, when his body stopped craving the nicotine and his mind stopped torturing him.
For now, he would drown with the mentholated smoke and, hopefully, quiet his thoughts for a few hours.
----------------------------------------
Sora woke up when a familiar weight settled on her neck. She began scratching lightly and her cat began purring. It was perfect.
She allowed herself to enjoy the tranquillity of the early morning before taking out her phone and check on the time. A few minutes shy of six. She overslept, but it was okay. She was perfectly aware how sore her body must be so she was in no condition of working out, but it was fine. Her mind would be silent for another day or so, it was perfect.
Carefully, in an effort not to disturb the sleeping man who was cuddling her other cat, Sora got out of bed and a groan almost left her lips when she felt her muscles complaining. Yes, she was definitely paying for last night’s brutal training session.
Soft whimpers escaped Sora’s chest as she dragged her sore body to the kitchen and promptly collapsed on the closest chair, sighing in relief. Yep, it was definitely going to be a really, really long day.
Knowing Nam-Jun slept like a rock she decided to call her grandmother while she decided whether to wait and have breakfast in a coffee shop or to go through the pain of making something to eat. She stretched a little in order to pet her cat and the decision was taken. Sora would definitely eat outside today and maybe order takeout for dinner and save some left overs for tomorrow.
“Sora, dear,” her grandmother greeted in a warm tone, making her smile. “An early riser, I see that habit stayed with you.”
“What can I say? At least it is a convenient one. How are you doing?”
“Ah, pretty well actually. I got a yoga instructor not long ago and the classes are wonderful. And the sight, let me tell you that it is an extremely appealing one.”
“Oh my god, grandma!” Sora whined, torn between amusement and horror. “Please, don't turn into a cougar.”
“Please, child, I do have class. I would rather be an elegant Mrs Robinson.”
“Grandma!” Sora growled, covering her face with her cold hands. “Let’s change of topics before I am left eternally traumatized.”
“Okay, okay, so sensitive... So how are classes going?”
“Not terrible, I guess. Though I am ninety percent sure I am going to fail a subject and am not exactly sure how to feel about it.”
“Well, those are certainly news. What happened?”
“Group assignment and exposition. Got the most useless beings in the history of universe as teammates and basically am doing everything alone.”
“Whatever happens, young lady, you are staying here. You left for too long already.” And with that phrase, Sora knew she really should not worry about that small problem.
“Okay. I think I had enough of travelling either way... I won’t be able to visit this weekend or the next.”
“Don't worry about it, but do call me, okay?”
“Okay, grandma. Call you later.”
“Love you, dear.”
Sora sighed as she ended the call and decided to get ready once and for all. Then she moved a little and decided that she could spare five more minutes.
She approached the bed once she was ready to face the day, or as ready as she could be. Nam-Jun was sleeping peacefully despite of all the noise she made while getting ready. One of her cats was sleeping on his chest while the other was sleeping at the base of the bed, risking getting kicked off bed by the unusually tall man.
“Nam-Jun, wake up,” Sora whispered on his ear gently, knowing it would not be nearly enough for him to even open his eyes. At least now she could say she tried the gentle method, right?
She gently moved her sleeping cat only for him to look at her with curiosity before setting himself to go back to sleep. She carefully stepped on the bed and threw herself at him. The action was followed by loud cursing, something crashing (and perhaps breaking) on the floor, and the high-pitched scream of a man.
“What the heck is your problem?!” her friend hissed, his eyes opened as wide as saucers, and his hair sticking in every direction.
“I tried to wake you up the gentle way but it wasn’t enough,” Sora said while trying to pout, but still feeling her lips stretched in a wide smile. Oh, well, perhaps she needed to dedicate more time to her body control. “I have to go to classes.”
“Okay, don't kill anyone and pretend to enjoy them,” the sleepy man said jovially and covered himself with the blankets and not bothering to further acknowledge the person on him.
“There is some left over pizza so you can eat that. Don't forget to clean the children’s litter.” The only answer Sora received was a non-committal grunt so she uncovered Nam-Jun with a harsh tug to the blanket. “Does grandma knows you are back?”
“I arrived yesterday evening woman, give me a break,” Nam-Jun grumbled, his eyes were still closed and he looked more unconscious than not.
“I refuse to give you a break. You know she worries about you so give her a call when you are alive enough.” Her words were met by silence and Sora sighed. “Making sure you talk to her is the least I can do, you know she has been very kind to me.”
“I know, I know. You can stop guilt tripping me now, I will call her when I feel like a human. Can’t you move, you are hurting my already aching body.”
Sora rolled away and groaned at the action. She was definitely paying for yesterday’s session. “I won’t be able to visit her this week or the next so go and stay over a few days, okay?”
Nam-Jun finally opened his eyes and looked at her through his lashes. “You are lucky competition season is over or I was going to blame you when coach scolds me once I lose the babies.”
“A week of eating like a normal person won’t kill you.”
“I would tell you the same, but you eating like a normal person might mean collateral damage.” Sora raised an eyebrow at this statement, she had a pretty normal diet. “You eat as a famished cave man, I never understood where all that food goes when you are so small.”
“Shut it,” Sora grunted as she sat on the bed.
“You know? Grandma never gave me an apartment. I call it favouritism.”
“I call it ‘you are not leaving again, young lady’,” Sora retorted, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. “Besides, do you remember that apartment you had in Basel when-” she dexterously caught the pillow that came flying her way and smiled at Nam-Jun, who was now fully covered with the blankets.
“Don't you have classes?”
Sora giggled lightly as she left the room, picking up her backpack on her way, and putting on her shoes once she was at the door. As she took the lift, she was deciding between riding her bike and walking. In the end, she decided a cab would be far quicker and less painful.
As she opened the door of the car, Sora thanked the taxi driver and walked inside the familiar coffee shop near the university. It was pretty small, almost hidden away by the lush trees near the entrance and comparably less eye catching than the greenery it was surrounded with. The place was empty, not strange considering the early hour.
“Good morning,” the familiar barista greeted her once he saw her and Sora smiled.
“Rough night?” Sora asked as she fished for her thermos bottle and handed it to the barista. She eyed his red eyes and how deep his eyebags were that not even make up could cover them.
“You have no idea, my girlfriend and I went to a party last night and it was brutal. Chai, matcha, or chocolate?” he asked already knowing her favourites.
“Chai tea,” Sora decided, “and whatever you have to eat, I am starving. So how is Momo doing?”
“She actually likes being here. She has some strange obsession with tteokbokki so that has been on the menu ever since she moved in... You are lucky, the ham and cheese croissants arrived not long ago. How many?”
Sora pursed her lips as she considered her answer. She might get hungry later so she needed some extra snacks.
“Ten,” she decided and nodded sagely, not noticing the intense look of the barista.
“You know, I am glad the two of you haven’t met yet. Either you leave Korea without food or you end up deciding you should get married and eat happily ever after.”
Sora gave the man an impish smile, not bothering to deny the accusation. From what she heard of Momo, the two of them would be the perfect match.
“Here you go,” the barista said, handing her a brown paper bag full of pastries that she immediately munched on.
“Sorry, didn’t have breakfast today and I am starving,” Sora said after swallowing her first bite.
“I still don't understand how can something so small eat so much.”
“Curious, you are the second person to tell me that today.”
The barista just snorted and put on the counter her now filled thermo. “That would be... forty-five thousand six hundred wons,” he said after consulting the convenient calculator near the register.
Sora handed the man a fifty thousand bill. “Do get some coffee, It is on me.”
“You know I can no longer stomach it,” the man grumbled. “Have a good day at school.”
“Do try not to murder any costumer and say hi to Momo for me!”
Sora exited the place with raised spirits. Something about that coffee shop always raised her mood. She took a sip of her tea and almost moaned at the flavour. It was definitely one of the best places she visited and the company was not half bad.
She was definitely ready to face the day.
Five hours later, she was regretting ever getting out of bed.
Classes were not that terrible. Though Sora had to move around far too much for her liking and everything hurt. She gladly stabbed the food on her tray as she unvented her frustration and filled her complaining stomach.
“So, what happened?” Seo Jun asked, looking intently at her tray.
Mina slapped his arm lightly and looked at Sora. “You don't look bad or anything, but you are kind of grumpy.”
“I'm sore,” Sora sighed, taking a large bite of her food and chewed slowly. “Nam-Jun is back so we had a training session yesterday.”
“Oh, okay, that kind of explains everything.”
“Yeah, that is why I always have something to do when you ask me to join the torture you call training,” Jun said nonchalantly, ignoring Sora’s accusing eyes.
“You joined once though,” Mina reminded him, making wince at the memory.
“I did and it was one of my greatest mistakes. Remember I didn’t come the day after? I literally had to roll out of bed to go to the bathroom and almost killed myself when I tried to take the stairs. My ugly brother even got pictures,” he sighed.
“Mhm, he sent them to me along with a very effusive thank you,” Sora said and Jun remained silent, his eyes were fixed on the table.
“There is no longer loyalty between brothers,” Seo Jun stated in a defeated tone.
“Remember when you sent us and his girlfriend pictures of your brother wearing makeup after the two of you got drunk and decided you could be prettier than your sister if you wore her makeup,” Mina reminded him, her expression was totally unimpressed.
She allowed her friends to bicker and taunt each other while she concentrated on her food. Sora honestly wanted to skip classes that evening and go home, maybe take a hot bath and read a little while she ate whatever caught her fancy and the delivery person blessed her with. But she actually had a reputation to take care of, even amongst teachers. She would save that unjustified absence to when she needed it.
For now, she would suffer through her classes without a complaint... or at least without loud ones.