emotions | love alarm

16 ~

Chapter Sixteen

Sun-oh holds Ae-ri closer between his legs, his hand sweeping her wet hair to the side in order to press a kiss to her skin. Ae-ri shivers and squeezes his hand where it was laying on her stomach, resting her back on his chest.

The sun had already risen but the morning was still fresh and after their conciliation, they had decided to have a morning swim. They sat on the same slab as last time, filled with warmth in their chest that had yet to subside.

"What did you want to do today?" he asks softly, his fingertips brushing against the length of her arm.

She turns around slightly and looks up at him, "Oh, I forgot to mention—we have a formal event for today. It's for my parent's business."

Sun-oh smiles, "I've never seen you dress up."

"You're in for a treat then," she laughs softly.

***

"See? I told you they would get together," her mom notions to Ae-ri and Sun-oh intertwining hands.

"How do you know? They do that all the time," her father retorts.

Amara glances at her daughter and Ae-ri shrugs, "Nah, we are dating now."

"See?!"

"Interesting."

Ae-ri smiles up at Sun-oh and he smiles back at her, planting a kiss on her forehead before they leave her parents to bicker teasingly amongst themselves.

***

"Sun-oh?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you tie this for me?"

Ae-ri runs barefoot into his room, her dress flowing behind her, and stops in front of him. Her eyes gleam as she peers up at him and she goes on the tips of her toes, giving him a warm kiss before smiling and turning around for him to lace her up.

Sun-oh was still in shock from how good she looked. Her hair was in her usual curls but they were styled so that some of her curls was pinned up and there were some framing her face. Her dress was red and the material was soft to the touch; it was simple but she made it look ten times better.

He leans forward and clears his throat, his fingertips caressing the soft skin of her back before he proceeds to tie up the straps on her dress. Ae-ri could feel his warmth from where she was standing, the care behind his gentle touch made her feel safe.

Her lips part breathlessly when his lips press a wet kiss to her back, another kiss finding its way to her neck. His hands slip onto her waist as he tilts her head up to look at him and he kisses her with tenderness. He held her as if she was a beautiful yet fragile statue, her body art and her face the main attraction.

"You look so beautiful, darling," he whispers in her ear as he kisses her cheek.

Her hands lift up and she shifts a piece of hair off his forehead, smiling, "Likewise."

***

"Welcome," Ae-ri and her parents greet warmly to their guests, Sun-oh bowing is head slightly to emphasize the greeting. He had his arm around Ae-ri's waist gently which made him feel quite secure and slightly protective over her.

"Hola, señorita," Gabriel enters. Ae-ri's parents greet him warmly and Ae-ri gives him a smile as Sun-oh bows slightly at him. The two teenage men make eye contact and Gabriel looks down to see Sun-oh's touch on her waist.

Ae-ri doesn't need to follow his gaze to see where Gabriel was looking at and when he finally looks up, she feels no remorse. Gabriel looked resentful if not slightly upset and his eyes did not cover it up.

"Congratulations," he says.

"Thank you," she nods.

"You could've told me."

"Like that would have stopped you?"

"I wouldn't stoop that low."

"I'm not convinced."

The two ex best friends glance at each other and Sun-oh tightens his grip on Ae-ri before they go their separate ways.

***

"What was that about?" Sun-oh asks as he and Ae-ri share a bottle of sparkling cider in one of the quieter hallways of the venue.

The night was warm but the interaction between Gabriel and Ae-ri made him feel chilly.

"He home wrecked a relationship; it was the reason why I left him as a best friend."

"Really?"

Ae-ri nods and he realizes she had lost some of the freedom to feel she had displayed while they had been here. She had been less analytical up until now, he had almost forgotten her skills of emotional intelligence and observation.

He sighs and leans against one of the walls, Ae-ri leaning against one of the other ones. They both soak each other in, Sun-oh taking in how beautiful she seemed to look in all settings.

"You're brilliant," he says quietly.

She smiles, "You're radiant."