Ice Cream Bar, Book 1: Keep Lucky (🔥🔞 Spicy Version)

Chapter 3 - Keep (Friday afternoon)

Brzzt-brzzt! Brzzt-brzzt! My phone's vibrations wake me for the second time today. The first time was much too early for anyone to be awake. And now, it's really too late for anyone to still be sleeping. After my meeting with Detective Kang, I froze out my emotions for a minute so I could check in with my mom. Then I dragged myself back to my apartment and cried myself back to sleep. But that was hours ago now.

"Bro, are you sleeping?" JiHoon's accusation rings out from my phone speaker. "Did you go out last night? Are you hungover? We're still going to the gym before work tonight, right?"

"Slow down," I groan. "No, I didn't go out and I'm not hungover. I had to get up early to...do something for my mom and...I guess I fell back to sleep afterwards."

"It's almost one o'clock!" he guffaws.

"Anyway," I sigh and roll my eyes. "Do you want to meet at the gym now?"

Fifteen minutes later, I'm standing at JiHoon's door, gym bag in hand. Before I can even knock, he throws the door open and hollers, "Let's go!" He's wearing his trademark toothy smile with deep dimples. He's not nearly as tall as me, but what he lacks in height he makes up for in attitude. I can't help but smile back but I roll my eyes at the same time.

JiHoon is who most would probably consider my best friend. I wouldn't necessarily disagree with that but I always thought that best friends should be closer...emotionally, I guess? It's not like we have a lot - or any - meaningful conversations about our deepest secrets. We just spend a lot of time together because we have a lot in common.

We work together, we live in neighboring apartment buildings, we both love fitness. We're also both biracial in the same way - half Thai, half Korean. In a country that loves uniformity, mixed race couples and their children still get comments and sideways glances from the full-blooded Korean majority. Oh, and another strike against us in this country - we're both gay.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, your highness!" I joke. JiHoon sticks out his tongue as he brushes past me coming out of his apartment. As we make our way down the hallway to exit the building, I'm overcome with a strange feeling again. Every hair on my body is standing on end. I'm feeling that weird electricity again! But why here and why now, in this place where I've spent so much time over the last few years? What is happening to me today?

But then I see him. There he is again, walking down the hallway! The dude in the hoodie from the police station. He's alone this time and he's walking right towards us! How can this be happening? His face is still half covered by a mask but I'm sure it's him. I recognize his luscious curls and wide eyes, this time peeking out over a large box he's carrying. My heart is racing. I have to find out who this guy is!

I'm blatantly staring at him but his eyes are fixed ahead of him like he's on a mission to a specific destination. He doesn't even notice me. For some reason it makes me feel disappointed. I know it's ridiculous. I don't even know him. Do I? Wait what? There's that feeling again - like he's someone I'm connected to somehow. But he doesn't actually look familiar. He just looks mysterious...and beautiful.

"Do you know that guy?" JiHoon whispers. "Why are you staring at him like that?"

I open my mouth but I don't even know where to start. I don't know him. But I've seen him before. At the police station, which I don't like talking about with anyone. And I feel like I know him. He makes my heart race. But I don't know how or why. I can't explain this so I don't know how to answer JiHoon without sounding like a lunatic. It doesn't matter anyway because before I can say anything, just as he's about to pass us, the stranger looks over at me.

It's voltaic.

I knew it! He knew I was there! He feels it too! Our eyes are locked and time slows again. My mouth feels like it's full of sand and I'm flush and light-headed. All I can hear is my own heart pounding in my ears. His stare is so intense. I'm doomed. I manage to flash an embarrassed smile and raise my hand to wave.