I LIKE YOU, KWON!
CHAPTER 34
BEG DORM“JeA unnie, I’m going off first.”
“Where are you going? You have to tell us where is this mysterious place you are bringing us to!”
“I’d message you the address later. And just dress comfortably. After all, it’s just a gathering between family.”
JeA half-squealed and hugged Ga-In but couldn’t help teasing her a little.
“What family are you talking about? So how ‘close’ are you to Kwonnie to warrant calling him ‘family’?”
Ga-In felt a blush climbing to her face but she replied in her usual chic manner.
“You are the one who goes round calling him Jo seo-bang. Alright, I’ve got to make a move. See you all later!”
“Wait! You are going out like this?!”
JeA pointed at Ga-In’s face which was without a trace of make-up.
“It’s the best disguise. Don’t worry. I would put on some make-up after I arrived at the meeting place.”
With that, Ga-In waved and quickly made her way out of the house. She could see Narsha coming out of the room. She knew if she were to be caught by her, it’s going to be another round of questioning.
“Kwon-ah, I’m on my way to our apartment to clean up the place. Can you go to the supermarket and get some groceries? Let’s invite our members over for a celebration later. Don’t let them know where we are going first. When we are almost ready, then we’ll let them know.”
Ga-In sent the message the moment she stepped out of the house. She knew that the apartment was the only place that they could celebrate in peace. After all, it was meant to be a haven.
The reply was immediate.
“Ok yeo-bo~ Is there anything specific that I have to buy?”
“Buy what your members would want to eat. And alcohol. Some wine would be good too.”
“What about the other BEG noonas?”
“Buy some food that would go well with alcohol. That should be good enough.”
“Alright. See you later!”
To say Kwonnie was happy to hold the party was an understatement. He was over the moon. When he saw Ga-In calling the apartment “ours”, his heart fluttered. It made him a little light-headed.
He quickly dressed up and made sure that he would not be recognised.
“Hyung, I’m going out first.”
“Ya! But you have to tell us the address! Ga-In didn’t tell us where to go!”
“I’ll message the address you later. Dress comfortably, since it’s just a gathering with family.”
Without waiting for a reply, Kwonnie was out of the door. It felt good to be out of the house finally and not have to worry about the scandal. He quickly drove his car out of the car park and headed for the nearest supermarket. Since they always shopped at that market, the shopkeeper knew them and was less likely to make a fuss when he saw him.
Upon reaching the supermarket, he quickly picked up some raw meat. He decided that a grill party would probably be the easiest to prepare and it suited the occasion.
“At least my yeo-bo won’t have to cook too much and we can get a little alone time before everyone arrives.”
He thought to himself and remembered that night at the apartment. He couldn’t stop the grin that stretched from ear to ear.
He paid for the food and sent a message to Ga-In, telling her that he had bought ingredients for a grill party so she didn’t have to cook.
“Alright~ I’m almost done with the cleaning up. I’d message them the address now. See you soon! ^^”
“Yeo-bo! Message them a little later.”
“Why?”
Ga-In knew that Kwonnie wanted to spend some alone time with her. It’s not like she didnt know his intent. But she knew that if they kept the rest waiting too long, they were going to be teased mercilessly when they arrived.
“Because I want us to spend some time ALONE first!”
“Alright, I’d message them 15 minutes later then.”
“But I need at least 30 minutes to get there!”
“Then you’d better hurry. But drive safely alright?”
Kwonnie didn’t bother replying since the most important thing was to get to the apartment right now.
Ga-In went round the apartment one last time to check if she had missed any spot. She had added a few of her personal touches to the décor and now it felt more like home. She looked at the time and realised it had been 15 minutes. She took out her phone to message the others.
“JeA unnie, Seul Ong oppa, this is the address. Let me know when you arrive.”
When JeA and Seul Ong received the message, both were surprised because no one was expecting a residential address. Not to mention, the apartment was in a rather exclusive area.
Nonetheless, they quickly left their dorms and travelled towards their destination. Seul Ong sent a message to Kwonnie to inform him that they were on their way.
When Kwonnie got the message, he was just reaching Han Suites.
“Aish~ yeo-bo really sent them the message like she said she would. Doesn’t she understand my intention?”
Feeling a little disappointed that Ga-In didn’t understand his wish to be with her alone before chaos descend on them, he rang the doorbell, ready to give her a piece of his mind.
When the door opened, he began.
“Yeo-…”
That was all he managed to get out. The sight that greeted him took his breath away.
Ga-In smiled. She knew this would happen. After all, he’s been wanting to see her bare face.
“Come in quick, it’s cold outside.”
Kwonnie could not take his eyes off the face he was seeing. Then he felt her pulling him into the apartment and closing the door behind him.
“Let’s see what you’ve bought…”
She took the bags from Kwonnie’s hands and was walking to the kitchen when she was pulled back by him and right into his arms.
“Ya! I’m holding glass bottles! They could break!!”
Kwonnie took the bags from her hands and put them on the floor. Once her hands were free from the bags, he lifted her and walked towards the bedroom.
“YA!! PUT ME DOWN!! Stop behaving like a…”
The rest of the sentence was lost in the passionate kiss that came crushing down on her soft, pliant lips.
In that kiss, Ga-In felt how much he missed her, how much he loves her, how much he wants her. She was humbled by how openly he showed her how much she meant to him.
A tear sneaked down her cheek and fell onto his arm that was round her neck. He felt the wetness and pulled back, afraid that he might have hurt her.
When he saw her teary eyes, he quickly put her down so that his hands would be free to wipe the tears off her face.
“Yeo-bo~ What’s wrong? Did I hurt you? Sorry, I was just too hap…”
Ga-In put her arms around his neck and hugged him as close as she could.
“Kwon-ah, thank you… Thank you for loving me. I love you.”
“Silly girl, why are you thanking me for loving you?”
Even though he said that, it felt good to be acknowledged by her in that way. He held her a little closer and the two just busked in the moment, in each other’s arms.
Just as he pulled back and was going to initiate a kiss again, Ga-In’s phone started ringing. Kwonnie closed his eyes.
“Damn…”
He whispered but that made Ga-In smile.
“Let go, I have to answer the phone. My members are probably here.”
“Yeo-bo~”
Ga-In held his face in both her hands and gave him a quick peck on his pouty lips.
“Aigoo~ So cute!”
“Yeo-bo~~”
“Alright, let go. We are the hosts. Let get this party started! Then we can end it earlier. You have to stay back later to help me clean up, don’t think of escaping back to your dorm with your members.”
Kwonnie was about to protest when he realised what Ga-In meant: they were going to stay over. He finally released her but before he did, he whispered in her ear.
“I love you.”
Ga-In smiled and broke free of his hold. She quickly answered the phone.
“Ya! Why did you take so long? Did we interrupt anything?”
Ga-In could hear Narsha and MiRyo “woo-ing” in the background.
“Unnie! I was preparing the food for later and couldn’t answer immediately.”
Kwonnie hugged her from behind and whispered.
“Liar…”
“Anyway, we are downstairs, open the gate for us!”
“Alright! Come on up!”
When the doorbell sounded, the two of them went to the door to greet the guests, hand-in-hand. The moment they opened the door, 6 pairs of eyes stared back at them. That was a little intimidating since they didn’t expect the 2AM boys to be with them.
“YA! How long are you going to keep us waiting outside in the cold?”
Seul Ong had to say to break the silence plus it was really cold outside.
“Oh~ Please come in.”
The 6 didn’t need to be invited twice. Everyone rushed in to get out of the cold. Everyone started talking. It was total chaos but the voices made Ga-In smile.
My family.Finally, after putting down their bags and taking off their coats, the 6 newcomers finally had the chance to look at the apartment. It was becoming clear that the apartment was not just any apartment. It felt like home and it was obvious whose home it was. But they still need a confirmation.
“Ga-In ah, whose apartment is this?”
JeA, as the eldest of the group present, was finally nominated as the person to ask the question.
“It’s ours.”
Everyone turned to look at Kwonnie.
“Yours?”
“Yes, I rented it.”
“But why would you need to rent an apartment when you are staying in the dorm?”
Jin Woon asked, still a little puzzled and confused at the answer.
“Ya~ Are you stupid or what? It’s for the two of them!”
Seul Ong hit the back of Jin Woon’s head.
Jin Woon opened his eyes wide.
“Are the two of you co-habitating?!”
“No!”
“Yes!”
Ga-In and Kwonnie responded at the same time.
“Is it a NO or a YES?”
Narsha asked, hiding the smile and putting on a strict face.
“No! We are NOT co-habitating!”
“Yeo-bo~ How can you say that?”
“But we are not. We don’t STAY here.”
“So this is a SECRET meeting place?”
Seul Ong chimed in. It was fun to watch the two of them squirm, especially Ga-In.
“Yes! A secret meeting place!”
Ga-In looked at Seul Ong, grateful for someone who wasn’t making the situation worse. But his next question wiped that thought away immediately.
“SO! How long have the two of you had this secret meeting place?”
“Oppa!”
“Why? Since you call me ‘oppa’, I should have the right to ask right? You! Jo Kwon! What are you intentions towards my sister?”
During this time, Seul Ong purposely pulled Ga-In closer to his side.
“YA~ Who are YOU to question my intentions?”
Kwonnie tried to pull Ga-In back to his side.
“Didn’t you watch the press conference this morning? Now, everyone knows that I’m her elder brother. So I have a right to ask.”
“You…”
“Aish~ I’m getting hungry. Can’t we have this conversation later?”
Chang Min couldn’t stand it anymore. He knew it was supposed to be funny but the situation was getting a little out of hand. He looked at Jin Woon, then at the rest of the BEG members.
“Yes, let’s eat! Whether it’s a secret meeting place, or a home, I think the best people to answer this question would be the two of them. But they only need to tell each other. It’s not like we are going to come over without an invitation.”
Narsha also knew that the conversation could go awry if it continued. Even though Seul Ong said everything in a joking manner, it wasn’t difficult to detect the protective stance that was coming out.
“By the way, Ga-In noona, you look very pretty without make-up!”
Jin Woon reminded Ga-In that she didn’t have her make-up on. She looked grudgingly at Kwonnie since he was the one who caused this to happen.
“Looks like Ga-In really put in a lot of effort to prepare that she didn’t even have time to put on her precious eye-line. Let’s go see what she had prepared!”
Everyone saw the look Ga-In threw at Kwonnie and could guess that she was probably pre-occupied by other more pressing matters before they arrived. MiRyo hid her grin and walked to the kitchen with the rest.
Ga-In was about to follow when Kwonnie pulled her back.
“Is this apartment just a secret meeting place to you?”
“Aish~ I don’t have time to argue this point with you right now. Go and attend to the guests while I go put on some make-up.”
“Answer me.”
“Look around you. Then maybe you’d see the answer.”
Ga-In could not be bothered to answer the question. She walked towards the bedroom and started putting on make-up.
Kwonnie was a little perplexed by Ga-In’s answer. He was upset when she said that the apartment was just their secret meeting place. But he did as he was told and took a closer look at the apartment.
Then he realised that the subtle changes in the living room: throw cushions on the sofa; floral centrepiece on the coffee table and a big photo frame showcasing their most memorable moments hanging above the television. He walked towards the kitchen and saw that there were some new pots and pans; potted herbs sat on one side of the kitchen cabinet and there were new plates and utensils.
In that moment, he understood: even if this was just a secret meeting place, it was theirs. He grinned and realised that he really had a lot to learn about how Ga-In expressed herself subtly and through her actions.
He walked into the bedroom and there she was, the woman he loves, sitting at the vanity table and putting on her make-up. The simple joy of watching her made him realise that love didn’t have to be showy.
He noticed the new bed sheets and when he walked past the attached bathroom, he could see that she had added basic toiletries.
He walked to the woman who held his heart in her hands and hugged her from the back. He rested his chin lightly on her right shoulder.
“Yeo-bo~ Thank you. I know now.”
“You should know by now that I’m not good with words. When two persons are in a relationship, we can’t just use our ears and mouth. We have to use our eyes as well. So, next time, when you don’t hear my answers from my mouth, use your eyes to look clearly, alright?”
“Ok~ I was a little distracted just now.”
Ga-In turned in his arms and hit his shoulders lightly. Kwonnie pulled her a little closer and kissed her forehead.
“Ya~ The two of you are the worst hosts I ever encountered! We actually have to set the table and get the grill ready. You’d better come out and show your faces now!”
Seul Ong stood at the door and his voice brought them back to reality.
“Alright, we’re coming out now.”
“You’d better hurry before we finish everything!”
With that, he ran back to the dining room.
Kwonnie stood up and pulled Ga-In up.
“Let’s go~”
When they arrived at the dining room, they saw that everything had been set out.
“We were going to leave the two of you alone and just eat up everything. But we decided that you have to do your duties as the hosts of today’s party.”
JeA said with a hint of reprimand in her voice.
“Unnie, thank you for setting out everything!”
“Don’t thank me. It was Chang Min who set out everything.”
“Oppa, thanks~”
“Let’s eat!”
And so, the two groups enjoyed their most carefree meal in a long time. They could make as much noise as they want and everyone could be themselves.
Because they are family.