Run to You | Xu Minghao ; THE 8

VIII

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My I
나의 나
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Jia's POV:

Minghao wanted me to meet his parents. I insisted that he should spend time with them on his own. But he kept on pouting and sulking so I had no choice but to agree. He even promised that his mother would be enthralled to see me.

We decided to meet his family for dinner. We agreed on gathering at a restaurant nearby.

Once we arrived, we found our table. I could barely contain my nervousness as I sat in the chair next to Minghao. His hand slipped around mine, and this time it felt so much different from all the other times.

His family arrived, and his brother greeted us first.

"Hey, little buddy. I suppose this is your partner, Jia?" He nodded towards me, smiling while sitting across from us.

"Yep, it's Jia," he replied with a shy smile directed toward me. "Jia, this is my brother, Junhui." I nodded and shook hands with him. I introduced myself to his parents next, who greeted me warmly.

We gave our order and while doing so, I noticed how expensive everything in this restaurant was. My hands felt clammy as I went through the menu. I took a sip of water, trying to calm my nerves and relax.

The atmosphere at the table was very joyful. Minghao's mother was quite interested when I told her that I have a deep interest in painting and singing alongside dancing. It turned out that Minghao, too, liked painting.

She asked me about some of my favourite pieces I'd painted in the past. I told him stories of my childhood days and how I had been painting from a young age.

Once I finished telling my story, Minghao's mother leaned forward.

"You know Jia," She started off and I leaned towards her out of curiosity.

"You're a very talented and great artist. Don't get discouraged by that talent if you ever get stuck, because in life you'll experience many ups and downs. Just follow your purpose and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

I smiled shyly. "Thank you. I think it's really hard to become the best at something you're not good at, and still succeed at it...that's what I learned during my years of experience, and that is what helps me when it comes to painting or dancing. Not having confidence in yourself is a weakness, and I refuse to fall victim to something like that again." I looked over to Minghao, smiling, who softly smiled back.

I noticed that his father didn't really talk much. I tried to bring up a topic to converse with him, but the conversation would end up being really short and awkward, so I eventually stopped.

We chatted for a few more minutes before his parents and brother said that it was getting late and that it was time for us to part ways.

We bid them goodbye and walked them out of the restaurant. Once out in the parking lot, Minghao stopped walking.

"Come here."

I hesitated and looked over to Minghao. I tried to read his face but I couldn't really make out much, except that...there was a hint of sadness in his eyes...

He simply motioned with his hand that it was okay to walk right over to him.

I slowly came near him and stood next to him as we gazed up at the starry night sky. His arm circled around me and he rested his head on my shoulder as we admired the night sky.

"You should've invited your parents over too, why didn't you?" He asked, his tone gentle.

"My parents? Oh, um...they are going to be working until late tomorrow morning. I don't want to bother them with something like that. Besides, I think my mom has to work late tonight at the hospital." I paused, and then added, "And anyways, this isn't exactly their kind of place."

I heard Minghao chuckle lightly.

"Did you like meeting my parents, then?"

"Of course! They were so warm to me, it almost felt like..." I felt tears brim in my eyes.

"Like?"

I shook my head. "Nevermind. I'm just glad I met your family. They're...really nice." He smiled and locked our fingers.

"They're also pretty scary, though," He whispered in a joking tone. I could practically hear the smile in his voice as he spoke.

I smiled as well and snuggled even closer to him. After a while, he pulled himself slightly away from me as we looked at each other with a fond expression on both of our faces.

"So..." He nervously began, as he scratched his nape.

"What is it?"

"Well, um..." He stuttered as his gaze shifted to the ground. "What are we?"

"...what do you mean?"

"I mean.." He looked up at me, and then lowered his gaze to the pavement below us.

"Are we...dating now?" He asked as he finally looked up at me again.

I stared at him for a couple of seconds, trying to wrap my mind around what his question meant. Then I felt my cheeks heat up, and I quickly averted my gaze. When I dared to look back up at him, I saw that he wasn't faking his blush either.

"Do you want us to be?" I whispered.

"Yes," He whispered confidently.

My heart soared. My eyes filled with tears once again as I smiled widely. He shyly grinned back.

"Then yes," I whispered as I cupped his cheek and leaned towards him, connecting our lips. A small sigh escaped my mouth as his lips moved against mine in a sweet, delicate manner.

When we broke apart, we stared lovingly into each other's eyes. He grabbed my chin and gently pulled me towards him. The kiss resumed as a smile spread across my face. He tilted his head, making sure that our foreheads stayed touching. I couldn't stop smiling.

"Should we head back now? It's pretty late," he asked when we, at last, broke apart. I reluctantly nodded. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tightly against him. I breathed in his scent as I relaxed my body, happy to be so close to him. It made me feel safe.

We reached my dorm, and we broke apart from each other's embrace. I smiled sadly and hugged him one final time.

"Goodnight, my love." I hummed in response and we broke apart from each other for the final time. I placed a kiss on his nose "Goodnight, Hao."

Smiling, I opened my dorm door and went inside, collapsing on my bed as I processed what had happened today. I squealed inside my pillow.

Minghao. Xu Minghao. My boyfriend. My beautiful boyfriend. My ray of sunshine, who saved me and showed me a path. My saviour.

The words echoed through my mind and I couldn't help but laugh. I knew deep down that I fell for him long ago, but unlike him, I had been so hesitant to show it. I never expected myself to go as far as I did today.

But his lips, god his lips...were so addicting. Just thinking about the feeling of them on mine could cause me to crumble into pieces.

It felt wrong in a way. Did I really deserve this? Did I really deserve him? This happiness? And the fact...the fact I had lied to him earlier...he knew nothing about my parents, my past...

And yet, it didn't feel wrong at all. He brought out so much passion and emotion in me that I had never seen before. And I didn't regret any of it for a moment.

I turned on my back and I realised with a jolt as I processed what Minghao had said to me earlier before performing.

'My I...'

My...love

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(A/N: in case anyone is confused...'love' in Chinese is pronounced as 'i' (爱 / ài). So basically...'my i' as in 'my love' :D)

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