Wonwoo's Protection

15. Of Respect

The next day Inha woke up when her usual alarm rang at 7:00 AM. It took her a while to adjust to her new surroundings after her deep slumber. She prepared to go into the washroom to freshen up when she stopped on her tracks. Something was clearly burning from the kitchen and Inha went outside to check in a state of panic, not bothering to change from her nightgown.

Thankfully she found Wonwoo in the kitchen already. She tiptoed her way towards the compact kitchen to see what he was upto. Inha found out that he was trying to make breakfast for them and that he had burned the eggs beyond redemption. Inha found Wonwoo's frustrated groans cute and adorable as she stepped behind his broad frame, slowly taking him by surprise.

"Need some help?" She asked, her voice chirpy as she tied her long auburn hair in a messy bun preparing to take over the mess that her husband made in the kitchen.

"Gosh, you scared me," he said, clutching his heart. He turned around to face her. Wonwoo was wearing nothing but a black tank top that accentuated his muscles and grey shorts. His hair was messy but fluffy in a good way and even though Inha found him hot early in the morning, she tried so hard not to laugh when he saw his glasses that sat askew on the bridge of his nose.

"I'll make it, you can move now" Inha said firmly as she reached out to adjust his wire glasses. It was now Wonwoo's turn to blush at her sudden gesture.

"Inha-ya" he whined. He thought she had found him incompetent to make breakfast. But Inha smiled at him sweetly.

"Wonwoo-ya" she mocked his whine teasingly as she looked up at him. Wonwoo suddenly looked at her with surprise, eye-brows raised as if he was challenging her.

"Wonwoo-ssi" she corrected herself after seeing his expression as she cowered in front of him, reverting back to her shy self.

"Not going to tease me further huh?" He asked her with a smirk, stepping in front of her, to further close the distance between them.

"I was not teasing you" she said in a small voice and bit her lower lip. Wonwoo so badly wanted to kiss those pink lips. He noticed how cute she looked in her yellow nightgown and noticing Wonwoo's gaze on her, Inha felt conscious even though she was covered completely from top to bottom. Wonwoo seemed to notice how he hasn't seen her in any clothes that are not full-sleeved but didn't delve too much on that thought.

The couple who were too caught up in each other's gaze were rudely shaken by a loud thud that came from their balcony door. They turned around and through the glass door saw Mingyu who had fallen down on his ass and was rubbing his forehead. Inha looked at the whole thing unfolding before her in abject horror while Dokyeom who was standing behind Mingyu covered his mouth, trying so hard not to laugh at his friend's misfortune.

Wonwoo immediately ran to open the door of the balcony and both DK and Wonwoo helped Mingyu get up and ushered him in. Inha could hear Wonwoo reprimanding Mingyu for diving head-on into the glass door without checking if it was open or not.

"Don't you have eyes?" He asked the younger guy, shaking his head, as he looked at the severity of the bruise that was slowly forming it's way.

"You looked like that big dumb owl in Harry Potter who gets knocked out after hitting the window pane" said Dokyeom as he laughed. Both Inha and Wonwoo couldn't control their laughter after hearing that.

"Inha-ya, can you check the freezer if there is anything to reduce the swelling?" Wonwoo asked her and Inha immediately went towards the open kitchen and found a packet of frozen peas and gave it to Mingyu.

"Gwaenchanayo Mingyu-ssi?" She asked, concerned.

"Ne, ne, I am okay" he said wincing.

"Seungcheol hyung told to give some of this to you" DK said as he gave the box he was holding to Wonwoo.

"What is it?"

"Some braised eel" he said and went near his ears to whisper, "for your stamina" and smirked. Wonwoo became extremely flustered after hearing that their leader had given him an aphrodisiac.

"Did you have a good night Inha-ya?" Asked DK in a suggestive tone, switching to casual talk as they were the same age. But the tone was lost on an innocent Inha who answered that she slept really well.

"Yah, Seokmin-aa, why would you use casual speech with hyung's wife?" Asked Mingyu as she didn't know Inha's age.

"She's our age pabo-ya" replied DK who hugged her sideways. "We have a new chingu now" he said beaming. However one person was fuming with their presence in his house. Wonwoo didn't like DK touching his wife like that, given DK's track record with girls, he can't be blamed to think that way.

"Jincha?" Mingyu asked Inha and she nodded her head.

"So what were you guys cooking? I smell something burnt" Mingyu asked getting up from the couch and going over to the kitchen.

"I was trying to make eggs and it got burnt" Wonwoo admitted still not removing his eyes from Dokyeom and Inha who were now having a conversation. He realised that Inha was asking how they landed up on the balcony instead of coming through the main door like sane normal human beings.

"Aaahh, so Wonwoo hyung didn't tell you?" DK answered her question. "Our penthouse is upstairs. There are stairs which connect our dorm to your balcony" he said and cleared her confusion. "You should come up sometime later" he offered, giving his signature smile.

"Sure Dokyeom-ssi" she replied smiling at him back.

"You can call me Seokmin, Inha-ya" he said.

"Okay Seokmin" she said, happy to have made a new friend.

Thanks to Mingyu, the couple's breakfast dilemma was solved. He cooked them a heavy breakfast and laid it out for them before leaving their house with DK. However, Wonwoo kept quiet throughout their breakfast which bothered Inha, as she was oblivious to the storm that was raging in his heart. He was not the type to get jealous, but seeing her breakdown her walls with DK, getting close with him in just one day bothered him so much. Jealousy made him forget the fact that she was indeed breaking down her walls much faster in front of Wonwoo, than anyone else.

"You okay, Wonwoo-ssi?" She asked and Wonwoo winced at that.

There it is, the Wonwoo-ssi, he thought

"So Dokyeom is Seokmin and I am still Wonwoo-ssi?" He asked her, emphasising the last word in a hiss. Inha's psychology senses kicked in at that instant when she realised what this was about.

"I.. he said he is my age and so it doesn't make sense to use honorifics for him" she said truthfully. Even though Wonwoo was frustrated at that point, he appreciated her truthfulness as she laid out the facts in front of him without masking anything that could create a misunderstanding.

"Can't you do that with me too?" He asked her, his voice laced with desperation. Inha looked at him as if he had requesting something scandalous. Her mother might have passed away when she was 5, but still she was raised by her to show respect to others, especially when they are older than her.

"I... I can't" she said defiantly, her voice breaking when asked to do something that might make her go against her mother's words.

"Then, is it too difficult to call me 'Oppa' also?" He asked her which made her heart flutter. She hasn't called anyone Oppa before. She didn't grow up in a happy household where endearing words were exchanged. So it was natural for her to be uncomfortable to break down the 'words of endearment' wall with him. Maybe that's the last wall she might break when he's around her.

"I feel much comfortable calling you with respect Wonwoo-ssi" she said softly but firmly and there was nothing Wonwoo could do after to change her mind.
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A/N
Hi guys! Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I think it's almost like a filler chapter? I don't know, but I wanted to show a domestic side to Wonwoo! And Mingyu and DK crumbs too you got! What do you think DK's character will be in this series? Lol! I am excited to write his story too!

Anyway, thank you for reading. Pls vote and comment if you liked this chapter. Keep supporting!

P.S: did you see the second episode of Nana tour? Woozi tho 👀

Take care,
Love,
Aara.