TOUGH ROMANCE || scoups || BOOK ONE

22

Hani

On the way home, I programmed Nina's mum's number into my shiny, new phone. It wasn't the first number in there. Seungcheol had already programmed contacts for Jennie, Lock's Glass, Seungkwan, Mimi's school and Café Krown.

There was even one for himself.

I didn't know what that said or meant. And frankly, I was too damn tired to worry about it. Especially when I had a bigger problem.

The bigger problem was sitting on the front steps of the cottage with a glass of wine.

"Stay in the truck." Seungcheol muttered.

But I was already halfway out. "It's fine. I know him."

Mimi, crammed in the backseat with all our purchases, rolled down her window and stuck her head out. "Who's that?"

"That's Dokyeom." I said.

He put down the wine and opened his arms. I ran into them. Lee Seokmin, or Dokyeom as I like to call him, was the world's perfect man. He was smart, funny, thoughtful, outrageously generous, and so pretty it hurt to look directly at him. The only son of a real estate developing father and an app developing mother, he was born with an entrepreneurial spirit and exquisite taste in everything.

And somehow I'd gotten lucky enough to land him as a best friend.

He swept me up in his arms and twirled me around.

"I'm still incredibly pissed at you." He said with a grin.

"Thank you for loving me even when you're pissed." I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and breathing in his expensive cologne.

Just seeing him, hugging him, made me feel more grounded. "Are you going to introduce me to baby and the beast?" Seokmin asked.

"Not done hugging yet." I insisted.

"Hurry it up. Beast looks like he wants to shoot me."

"He's more of a lion than a beast."

Seokmin tilted my head back with his hands and planted a kiss on my forehead. "It's all gonna be fine. I promise."

Tears stung my eyes. I believed him. And the relief I felt from that was enough to release Niagara Falls of tears.

"Where do you want your shit?" Seungcheol asked loudly.

That was enough to dry up Niagara Falls. I spun around and found him standing only a foot away. "Seriously?"

"Got things to do, Rose. I don't have all night to stand around watching you make out with the off-brand Kento Yamazaki."

"Kento Yamazaki? Nice." Seokmin said.

"Mimi, come meet my friend!" I called.

High from her shopping, arcade and burger experience, Mimi forgot to look annoyed.

"Mimi Lee. Choi Seungcheol. This is Lee Seokmin. Dokyeom is his other name. Mi short for Mimi. And that's.. a lion when he's being moody." Seokmin laughed, Mimi admired his shiny watch and Seungcheol rolled his eyes.

"The pleasure is all mine. You look like your aunt," Seokmin said to Mimi.

"Really?" Mimi looked not to horrified by that statement, and I wondered if my shopping bribery had worked its magic.

Score

Seungcheol, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to dismember Seokmin.

"What's your problem?" I mouthed at him.

He glared at me as if I was the one to blame for his sudden mood swing.

"Seungcheol." Seokmin said, holding out a hand. "I can't thank you enough for looking out for my girl here."

Seungcheol scoffed and stared at the offered hand for a beat before shaking it.

The handshake went on longer than necessary.

"Why are their fingers turning white?" Mimi whispered to me.

"It's uhm..a man thing?" I explained.

The handshake was finally over, and both men were now locked in a staring contest.

"Uhm..Seungcheol very graciously took us shopping today." I explained to Seokmin.

"He bought me pink sneakers and he bought Aunt Hani underwear and a phone!"

"Haha..thank you for that information, Mi. Why don't you go inside and not talk anymore?" I suggested, giving her a shove toward the house.

"That depends. Can I have the last ice cream sandwich?"

"It's yours as long as you stuff it in your mouth instead of talking!"

"Pleasure doing business with you. See ya Cheol!"

He was already halfway back to his car.

"Don't leave on my account." Seokmin called after him.

Seungcheol didn't say anything, but I did hear some sort of annoyed sound coming from his general direction.

"Hang on a second." I said to Seokmin. "He's got the better part of a mall in his back seat, and I don't want him to drive off with it." I caught him just as he was opening his door.

"Seungcheol. Wait!"

"What?? I'm busy. I have shit to do."

"Can you give me one minute to get Mimi's department store out of your back seat?"

He muttered a few colourful expletives and yanked open the back door. I looped as many bags as I could over my wrists before his frustration took over. He marched all the new stuff to the porch and set it in a pile next to Seokmin.

"You did get new underwear." Seokmin said, sneaking a peek into the Victoria's Secret bag.

Another low sigh emanated from the vicinity of Seungcheol's chest, and then he was storming back to his car.

I rolled my eyes and went after him.

"Seungcheol?"

"Gosh, woman." He said, rounding on me. "What now?"

"Nothing..just..thank you for everything today. It meant the world to Mimi. And me."

When I turned to leave, his hand shot out and caught my wrist. "Future reference, Rose. My problem is always you."

I don't know why I did what I did next, but I did it.

I raised on tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

He was still standing there when Seokmin and I walked inside with a dozen shopping bags between us.