When Love and Hate Collide: Chapter 27

Sora and Jungsu enjoyed their all day activity exploring the beauty that is Hawaii. Later that night, they attended the Old Lahaina Luau which was held at the nearby beach from where they are staying at. The rest of the night, Jungsu never left her side although there are still some women who openly flirted with him but they end up scurrying away once he introduced her to them. They mingled with other people and she noticed how Jungsu kept a possessive hold on her back the whole time which she have no doubt silently telling other guys who are trying to get near her that she’s off limits. She found herself not minding though.  She’s not interested in any of them. How can she when she has her gorgeous husband at her side? She paused at the thought, there she goes again putting a claim on him. Oh well, he is her husband so there’s nothing wrong with it is there?

Sora did enjoy the night and having seen Jungsu doing the hula dance was the highlight of her night. They spent their remaining days exploring more of Hawaii.

******

“Are you going to keep staring at me?” Sora asked Jungsu without sparing him a glance. She was standing at the porch overlooking the ocean when she felt someone’s gaze directed to her and without a doubt she knew it was him. They just finished packing their luggage as they are scheduled to go back to Korea the next day.

She heard him let out a small laugh as he approached behind her and instinctively circling his arm around her waist and dropped his chin on her shoulder. Sora wasn’t sure if he noticed it but he seems to have grown a habit of doing it, not that she minded. Having him standing this close, she was once again engulf with the familiar sensation that only he can make her feel. She admitted to have feelings for Sungmin for God knows how many years but now she doubts it. Did she really love him like she claimed to have?

This feeling she has when she’s with Jungsu is so unfamiliar yet so comforting at the same time and it scares her.

“So it’s time to go back now huh” he said, a hint of disappointment apparent in his voice.

Letting out a sigh, she placed a hand over his which still lie on her waist, she answered in the same tone. “Yes”

Peace, Serenity, Contentment. These are the mixture of feelings that overwhelmed Sora as none of them want to break the comfortable silence they are in. They watch the constant ebb of the waves on the shore and the vibrant yet soothing streaks of colours that filled the sky as the sun sets. The setting sun’s radiant glow was mirrored by the shimmering blue waves. It’s an amazing sight that a photographer like her would want to capture but nothing can move her from where she stands.  She leaned back to rest her head on his shoulder, she felt his arms tightened around her pulling her close against him and give her a feather light kiss on her temple. Right at that moment Sora realized there’s nowhere else she’d rather be.

They stayed like that until the sky turned dark signalling the end of their stay in Hawaii. Sora felt Jungsu’s arms loosened around her and she felt a sense of lost but then she let out a yelp as his arm rounded her shoulder and his other arm under her knee and lifted her bridal style.

“What are you doing?” she asked as she looped her arms around his neck, smile plastered across her face.

“Something that I should have done on our first night” he answered and started to walk inside the cottage. She furrowed her brows in confusion. “To carry my wife on the threshold”

“Oh and why do it on our last night?”

He scoffed. “Need I remind you that you were too tired on our arrival and you even slept on me and on our second night–”

“you were too drunk to carry me to the threshold and you even tripped” she interjected, laughing.

“I didn’t trip, my foot got caught on something” he denied.

“yeah yeah..you keep telling yourself that.” She said in between laughs.

As they reached their room, Sora knew she should be panicking now but she felt calm and was a bit disappointed when she felt her feet on the floor as Jungsu carefully put her back down.

“I’ll see you tomorrow” he said and made his way to the door and before Sora’s mind registered what she was doing, she grabbed his hand making him turned back to face her his eyes alight with question.

“I…Can you..just…” Sora found herself unable to form any coherent. What am I doing?! I should have just let him go out that door! She thought reprimanding herself. She took a deep breathes and gathered her strength to voice out her next words. “You can sleep here tonight considering this is our last night staying here”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea” he stated scratching the back of his head. A gesture that shows he’s uncomfortable.

A sudden jolt of shame and disappointment marred Sora’s face. What am I thinking? Is it that awful to stay in the same room as me? It’s not like I’m suggesting that we sleep together, okay maybe sleep together but not in that sense and—

“Sora that’s not why I said that” she heard him say, he gently lifted her chin so she can look at him.

Wait…what? Did I voice that out loud? Looking at him, she realized she just did. Oh great!

“I said that not because I can’t stand to be in the same room as you.” He explained “I wanted to but I don’t think I’ll be able to hold myself and trust me being with you in the same room, sleep will be the last thing on my mind” She felt his thumb brushing her cheek which turned crimson because of the implication of what he just said. “but if you really want to, I can stay but don’t blame me if I make a move on you” he added waggling his eyebrows suggestively and a big grin sported his face.

“pervert!” she said jokingly, hitting his chest.

“hey! you were the one who wanted to sleep with me and I’m the pervert?” he answered back laughing putting an emphasis on ‘sleep’.

“Who said you can sleep with me? My offer only stands once and you declined so you can sleep on the couch” she said smirking as she made her way to the bathroom to change.

“That’s not fair!” she heard him say as she closed the door. After a few minutes, she went out of the bathroom in a clean pair of pajamas and she wasn’t surprised when she saw Jungsu already lying in bed sleeping although she’ll put a bet on it that he’s just pretending to sleep. She settled herself on the bed and closed her eyes. A smile stretched across her face.

In the middle of the night, she tried to turn to her side but finding it difficult to do so. She opened her eyes slowly to know what’s restraining her only to find herself in Jungsu’s embrace, his left arm on her waist and his leg on her upper thigh. She looked at him and indulges herself in staring at him. She had given the urge to touch his face, his nose, and the corner of his lips where his tiny cute dimple lay. Her thumb trailed his lips and remembered all the times they had kissed, his kisses that rendered her senseless.

She stopped when she heard him groan, afraid that she must have awaken him, she closed her eyes. Instead of him pulling away from her like she thought he would, he tightened his hold on her and kissed the top of her head. She smiled and snuggled herself close to him feeling his warmth.

“This is where I should be.” – it was Sora’s last thought as she drifted back to a peaceful slumber.

******

As much as Sora like to just lie down and rest after long hours of flight back to Seoul, she couldn’t. As soon as they arrived, they drove straight back to her parent’s house. It’s a known Korean tradition to visit the bride’s home to show their respect to the bride’s parents and stay for the night. This signifies that the parents commemorate and congratulate their daughter’s return as the wife of a man.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked Jungsu. “You should have just asked someone to drive us to my parents.”

“I’m fine, I slept well during the flight” he answered simply.

It was almost evening when they reached the house and Sora noticed that her brother’s cars are also parked in their garage. As Jungsu was taking care of their luggage, she heard her mother’s squeal of delight, proceeded to hug them both and started bombarding them with questions.

“So how was Hawaii? Did you enjoy it? What did you do while you’re there?”

“Yeobo” Mr. Kang called out his wife’s attention. “They just got back, why don’t we let them go inside first?”

“Oh mianhe” Mrs. Kang apologized “Come on in”

Once they were inside, they were greeted by a series of “hoot” and whistles, courtesy by none other than her two idiots of a brother.

“So did you two have a ‘good’ time?” Heechul asked winking suggestively.

“Of course they had!” Siwon answered for them. “It’s Hawaii, there are a lot of things to do to enjoy”

“Oh I don’t know” Heechul shrugged “how do we know if they actually ventured Hawaii and not just stayed hollered up in their room?”

“Hyung!!” Sora exclaimed scandalized, her face burning red.

“Heechul, Siwon stop that. You’re embarrassing your sister and brother in-law” Mr. Kang said making them stop.

After paying their respects to Mr. and Mrs. Kang, they went up to Sora’s old room to drop their luggage but they didn’t bother to take their clothes out as they will be leaving to Jungsu’s parents the next day. Sora left Jungsu with her brothers and father in the living room as she went to the kitchen to help her mother prepare dinner.

“Soraya I’m almost done here, why don’t you just stay with your husband?” her mother suggested.

“I don’t really want to stay whilst they have their ‘boys talk’” she answered, quoting her fingers as she said ‘boys talk’. She was sure her brothers and father were giving Jungsu their usual ‘you hurt Sora and you’re dead talk’. They always do that with every man who tried to court her although they always ended up rejecting them and she doesn’t really see the point in giving this talk to Jungsu since they are already married. She told her mother just that.

“You know how protective your brothers can be” Mrs. Kang said shaking her head.

Sora let out a sigh and mumbled “Boys”.

As her mother set up their table, she was left in the kitchen preparing the fruits when she felt another presence in the kitchen.

“I seriously hope you’re not cooking,” Jungsu says coming up behind her over her right shoulder, his left hand resting around her back. She tilted her head to the side and glared at him.

“I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear you insult my ‘excellent’ cooking skills and to answer your question, sadly, no.” she answered with a dramatic sigh “I was refrained from touching anything from this kitchen when I almost burned the house down before. I’m even surprised my mother even let me prepare the fruits” she explained making him laugh.

“Oh yeah, when you tried to make a toast” he said teasing her.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “How did you know about that?!”

“A reliable source gave me a warning to put a sign on our kitchen that says ‘Sora Keep Out’ if I don’t want our house burn down to a crisp” he answered laughing.

She should really be mad at that moment but she couldn’t help to notice how he describe his house as ‘our’, not ‘my’, not ‘his’, but ‘theirs’, ‘ours’. She never thought she’ll ever share a life with someone, especially with someone like him. He just came into her world and her life changed faster than a freight train. It’s overwhelming and frightening but she can’t really say she doesn’t like it. If anything, she’s enjoying what they have and looking forward to what lies ahead of them.

Bringing her thoughts back to their present conversation, she elbowed him making Jungsu winced. “Well I’m telling you, whoever told you that are lying. I’ll prove it to you” she said confidently.

“Oh yeah? How?” he asked, hand still on her midsection.

“I’ll cook for you and you’re going to love it”

“Looking forward to it” he stated smiling at her. She proceeds to cutting the strawberries when he asked in amusement “What are you doing?”

“uh..cutting the strawberries?”

“If you keep doing it like that, there’ll be nothing left to eat. Here let me show you.” He gently moved her to the side and took the knife from her. She wanted to help but he stopped her so she just stood there watching him as he expertly cut the strawberries then the apples. She wasn’t aware that she was staring at him intently. He was wearing a tee and everytime he moved to slice a fruit, his muscles flexes and Sora couldn’t help but stare. She watched as his hands moved and thought how those hands made her feel during their ‘drunken’ night.

She blushed at the thought then he caught her staring at him. Her face turned redder if that’s even remotely possible. She cleared her throat and avoided his gaze. She took a slice of strawberries and ate it.

“Feed me one too” he said grinning at her. She sticks out her tongue and grabbed another slice. She stopped when he got hold of her wrist, she couldn’t speak. How could she when she has a strawberry half stuck on her mouth. His eyes never leaving hers but his gaze travelled down her ‘strawberry-filled’ lips. Eyes filled with passion making her knees weak at the intensity of it then his head descended towards her. She gasped when she felt his lips against hers as he took a bite of the strawberry.

“Hmmmm…that was delicious” he said droving her wits back. He went back to slicing the fruits acting like nothing happened. Hoping to get rid of the lump that started forming her throat, she swallowed realizing too late that she still has a fruit on her mouth and she choked. Jungsu was immediately at her side. After a series of coughing fit, she found herself able to breathe again.

“Here, drink up” he offered her a glass of water as he continued to rub her back.  After drinking, he held her face to look at him. “Are you alright?”

“That was your fault” she jibed hitting him on the shoulder.

“What did I do?” he asked innocently, his eyes twinkling mischievously “You didn’t want to feed me so I helped myself with a slice.”

“You almost killed me” she knew she was exaggerating but that’s all she can come up with.

“Don’t be so dramatic and besides I can always give you the ‘kiss of life’ just like Snow White”

“Snow White ate a poisoned apple not strawberry”

They looked at each other now finding humour at what just happened, their laughter filled the kitchen. They stopped when they were called in the dining room and they went to join them. They all sat down to eat which was quickly followed by lively chatter, and for two hours, they sat comfortably around the dining table talking of tales and experience. Conversation ranged from politics, to economics, art and even music. Sora was enjoying herself when her mother suddenly started a conversation that she’d rather not talk about.

“So I take it that you both made the most of your honeymoon? I’m expecting grandchildren in no time”

“Omma!” Sora exclaimed exasperated whilst Jungsu started coughing on his food.

“Wae?”

“Omma you’re making them uncomfortable” Siwon interjected.

“Siwon’s right Omma” Heechul agreed, Sora gave her brothers a grateful smile when Heechul added “besides I don’t really want to hear what they do behind ‘closed’ doors.” He gave a slight shiver for effect.

Mr. Kang cleared his throat making everyone quiet in the table. He turned his gaze to Jungsu. “Before you even decide to make babies-“

“Appa!” Sora interrupted to no avail.

“We have to know if you are as strong like us Kang boys.” Mr. Kang added.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw his brothers doing high five. At that moment, she wished the floor will just swallow her whole. She sighed dejectedly as all men in her ‘twisted’ family gathered at the end of the table forgetting the dinner altogether. Siwon sat down and Jungsu on the other side as they started their arm wrestling. Her father and Heechul cheered for Siwon.

“Soraya stay beside your husband and cheer for him” her father told her.

“Any encouraging word for me?” Jungsu asked clearly enjoying the game. Sora can’t help but smile back, relieved that he’s having fun.

“If you lose, you’re staying on the floor tonight” was all she said making him blush. Her family wished him goodluck as he tried to defeat her father and brothers.

*******

When their little game was through, Sora helped with the dishes despite her mother’s protest as Jungsu and the others conversed a little more about business then started their karaoke session. A few moments later, Jungsu joined her and took over in washing the plates.

He passed the washed plate to Sora while she wiped it dry. “Thank you,” he says to Sora, who looks at him confusingly.

“For what?”

“For tonight, I had a lot of fun,” he tells her sincerely.

“Me too” she said smiling at him in return.

All the restrains that he’s been holding disappeared. He closed the distance between them and kissed her softly and when it was returned, Jungsu cupped her cheek forgetting all about the wet soapy dishes in his hand. They broke apart and he apologized profusely.

“It’s alright” Sora reassured him. He took the dish towel and wiped her cheeks with his right hand as his other arm circled her waist. The touches and close proximity between them were electrifying. As their lips were about to meet once more, Siwon and Heechul burst in.

They both let out a non-existent cough. Sora tried to pull away from Jungsu but he held her in place.

“We are heading out now” Heechul announced and they said their goodbyes.

They spend more time with her parents and it was almost midnight when they all decided that it’s time to rest. Hugging her parent’s goodnight, they went to Sora’s old room. She told him to change using her bathroom as she went to use the other one down the hall.

When she came back, Jungsu was already making himself comfortable in bed reading a book. Sensing her presence, he looked up with a smug smile on his face. He patted the side next to him. “I’m just claiming my prize, you’re free to join me”

“Don’t get too cocky just because you won against my brothers they probably just let you win anyway” she told him as she made her way to other the side of the bed.

“Hey I won fair and square!” he exclaimed. “with these” he flexed his biceps. “I can take down anyone with arm wrestling” he boosted confidently.

She shook her head smiling “whatever you say macho man”. She lied down in bed and turned to her side to look at him. He put the book on the bedside table.

“Since I won against the three of them, don’t I get a special prize?” he asked, his eyes hopeful that she says yes. He was now hovering above her with his head resting on his hand as his elbows rested on the bed. She stared at him knowing full well what was on his mind. She contemplated for a few seconds then she pulled his face down slowly and brushed her lips against his. Such a light simple touch but it feels like a lightning struck through her electrifying her whole system. She pulled back but he was having none of it as his hand made its way to the back of her neck.

“That’s not a kiss” he murmured looking into her eyes as he slowly lowered his head. “This is…” His lips descended on hers in a gentle caress. He licked her bottom lip with the tip of his tongue making Sora gasp parting her lips. Jungsu buried his hand in her hair to deepen the kiss. Without second thought, she slid her hand to the back of his head and tangled them with his hair.

They kissed like there’s no tomorrow and she couldn’t completely ignore the waves of pleasure that his touch is causing her body. This has gotten so far that Sora feared that she’ll lose herself.

She moaned as his hand on her neck forced her to tilt her head sideways to give him better access. Burying his nose behind her ear he inhaled sharply. She let out a strangle gasp as she felt his teeth grazed over the column of her neck.

He went back to kissing her lips as his hand travel from her neck down to her side until it settled on her thigh bringing her leg around his hips while he continued to kiss her. His hand slid under her pajama top. Her skin was warm against his palm as he stroked her stomach, her sides, his thumb tracing dangerously close to her chest.

Her mind was caught in a delicious twirl of conflicting emotions as she tried to push back all the annoying questions that would probably plague her mind the moment this was all over. She didn’t want to think about what this meant or worry about the repercussions of what they were doing. She didn’t want to dissect her feelings or whether she should allow this to happen or not and whether it’s right or wrong. The truth was it felt right and all she wanted was to keep kissing him and never stop; to hold him tight and never let go.

-End of chapter-

Author’s note:

I guess I have to apologize again for updating late. It has been really busy at work then I got sick, I tried to write even when I was having fever and doped with painkillers but that was just impossible to do… *sigh

It’s not that I’m rushing the story to finish but I didn’t really plan on writing much about the Luau, I just didn’t think it’s that important to the plot so I just skipped it. I know where the story is going and I feel like it’s nearing its end but then I find it hard to write a whole chapter without adding scenes here and there making the story longer than intended though next time, I’ll try not to get carried away.

Anyways, I hope my readers haven’t left me yet although I wouldn’t be surprised if you did..^^ I’m not making any more promises as to when I’ll be able to update because really, real life s*cks. 😀

P.S: Pardon me if this chapter is a let down.. 😦 I’ll try and make up for it..hopefully. *fingers crossed.

playerkbd