Lilac Skies

Yuanfen

"I think I might have a stroke if I keep dealing with that brat."

She massages her neck and glares at her daughter who's happily eating her food. The four of them have sat together in a table in her room for lunch. Seri pretends she never heard what she said and continues to eat anyway, taking a drink from her glass of water from time to time.

"Yeobo, just let it go. If she wants to do that to herself, let it be. If she ends up lying in a hospital bed again, that's on her."

"Jeun Pyeong!"

The old couple went on to exchange words, with her father insisting she's a grown up and her mother countering, "And yet she still lives like a kid."

Jeong Hyeok slowly chews his food, trying to eat all the meat on his bowl only for her mother to refill it. Again. And again. When Seri ate all of hers, she reaches out to take a piece from his bowl only for her mother to slap her hand away.

"Where are your manners?"

"Eomma...."

"It's okay," Jeong Hyeok says before it turns into another argument. "Here. It's all yours," then proceeds to pour all of his meat on her empty bowl.

"Jeong Hyeok-ah, oh, what a kind soul you are."

Seri rolls her eyes, popping a meat on her mouth. She lifts her leg and folds it close to her chest so she can eat more casually. She's very much convinced that if Jeong Hyeok was an orphan, they would've took him in a long time ago. Seri remembers how her parents stood with him on stage back in preschool while he gets his award, when both of his parents unfortunately had to go on a business trip abroad.

It was a theater play and everyone knew how nervous he was. Sitting side by side with a young Mu Hyeok, young Seri elbows him to get his attention while they waited for the program.

"Where's your mom and dad?"

"Out of the country."

"Why are they not here?"

"They can't."

Seri sighs, feeling bad for the siblings. After the program, she went to buy three ice creams and gave it to them, taking the last one for her. Se Hyung and Se Jun complained, of course, but Seri didn't care. Seeing Jeong Hyeok quietly enjoying his ice cream made her smile.

"You're a very good lion." She pats his headdress and wipes the ice cream on his chin.

"Can I take this off now? It's heavy," Jeong Hyeok pouts.

"Ten minutes. I still want to see it on you."

Going back to the present, Seri almost chokes in her own food when her mother suddenly blurted out, "You should take care of our daughter."

"Yes," her father agrees.

"I'm very tired now and I feel like my blood pressure shoots up whenever she pulls something like this again," Han Jeong Hyeon tells in a forlorn voice.

Ri Jeong Hyeok simply had his spoon held up in the air, chewing a mouthful of food and listening to her.

She continues, "I want to send her far away.. wherever that is. Good thing you're here. Take her away from us, Jeong Hyeok," she pats her hand to her chest in a dramatic plead. "Let me live in peace."

"Eomma! Isn't that too harsh to say to your own daughter?"

"Are you going to eat your food or are you going to stay in this hospital for another week?"

Seri kept her mouth closed, mumbling, "I wouldn't say no to that."

When her parents finally left, Jeong Hyeok tidied up the table and arranged the tupperwares in the mini fridge that her mother brought. An evening show was playing on the television and Seri lays on her bed and munches on potato chips he bought from the convenience store.

"That looks fun."

"What is?"

"They went mountain hiking," she points out to the TV, the casts of the variety show in hiking clothes, doing challenges and tasks to earn points."

"Maybe I should do that once I'm on break," she ponders to herself before biting on another chip. "Do you want to come with me?"

"Sure," he echoes from the bathroom.

By the time he is done, he goes back to her and she moves to give him space, the two of them together in the bed again, sharing the snack.

Seri reaches out to take her phone from the table and he automatically gets it from her, putting it under his pillow.

"Don't," he says. "You'll just give yourself headache if you want to check the news."

"You're like my mother."

He grins, adjusting their blankets.

"Is that funny?"

He nods, about to laugh.

"Tss," she shots another question, "Are you really going to take care of me?"

The smile in his face dies down, turning to a serious look as he lowers his head. She holds her breath and regrets asking that for a moment.

Before she could say anything to take it back, she sees him slowly nod.

"I would," he whispers under his breath.

She moves closer. "Hm? I didn't hear you."

He lifts his head to look at her, only for their noses to softly bump, foreheads pressed. Hitched breath, he moves a fraction to repeat. "I would, Seri," he echoes.

The distance is thin, charged with tension and pining. If she just moves her head a little more close, she would finally feel those soft lips against her. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even to herself, but the voice in her head never lies. She had always wanted to know what it feels like to kiss him.

"Jeong Hyeok.."

He doesn't respond but she knows he's listening.

"Can I kiss you?"

The foremost reaction she expected from him is he would get red in the face, retreat and shy away, and pretend he never heard it.

But what she received was his hands, starting to cup her cheek. The warmth awakened her senses and before she registers anything furthermore, he presses his lips on hers.

They can feel each other holding their breaths at the contact, butterflies in their stomach. She softly sighs and relaxes her closed eyes, mind filled with nothing but his touch. And then, she starts to move, gentle and tentative, softly pressing her lips more to his lower lip.

In the next heartbeat, he finally moves.

It was more urgent, more meaningful, more passionate. This was her bestfriend she's kissing. The one who's always tying her shoes for her, secretly cleaning her room when she's out on a hectic day. Her hands move to hold on to his neck, feeling his warm skin there.

Despite the many kisses she had done on her work, kissing Jeong Hyeok made her heart genuinely race and at that moment, she knew it will forever be her favourite.

Their soft kiss slowly comes to an end, with her gently pulling away from him.

She's leaning to him. If they were standing, her weakening knees would've probably gave way already. She tries to search for words, eyes looking somewhere on his shirt, well aware his gaze is fixed on hers.

Her mind struggles to register the burning realization that they just.. made out.

If you were to ask teenage Seri that she would be locking lips with Jeong Hyeok ten years into the future, she would've laughed at you and tell you to go the infirmary.

Her hands trailed up to stroke his cheek.

In the heat of the moment, fueled by their attraction for each other that's been begging to be let out, she whispers,

"Do you.. want to do it again?"