"Rhea, can you go and bring Mr. Ryan? We need a retake!"
"Retake?" Rhea almost shouted. Then calmly said "Ok"
On the way to his room, Rhea was almost crying. "Why do you guys always need a retake?" She blamed the crew in her mind. Because of all this ruckus, she forgot to knock. She directly went into Ryan's cabin. That time, a big sound came from the bathroom.
Rhea walked towards the bathroom. The door was left open. Rhea hesitated for a moment. The sound that came from the bathroom was not normal. It was more a smash. Some heavy object must have crashed on the ground.
Rhea knocked three times, then called "Mr. Ryan!"
".....", silence!
"I'm coming in!"
"....."
Rhea was left with no options, so she went into the bathroom. To Rhea's surprise, it was not a bathroom anymore! Everything which was placed in proper places had been thrown onto the ground. Makeup goods, shampoos, body wash, towels... Some of the fixtures were broken! They were all over the floor. It was really a mess. In the middle of all the disarray, Ryan was standing. He was standing in front of the mirror, showing her his side profile. If Rhea was a little late, there is a high possibility for that mirror to be craked!
"Mr. Ryan did you…." Rhea who started to inquire him froze in the middle!
He had already turned towards her. His eyes were furious. He looked extremely angry. The corners of his eyes were red, his face, so stern, his hands were fisted so tightly and the knuckles were clearly white.
Rhea had never seen him like that, even in the movies!
But to her confusion, his lips were red too. It was as if he had rubbed them with so much force. His lip color was gone. Also, the lips were wet as if he had washed them.
Rhea couldn't comprehend the situation.
What went wrong?
She finally collected her courage and asked him, "What's wrong?".
"...Why are you here?"
"I was searching for you", she suddenly remembered why she was there. "They need a retake. So I came to fetch you there and heard something crash in this direction, so…" Her explanation stopped in the middle. With every word, Ryan seemed to get more and more furious.
"Why are you looking at me like that? What did I do?"
Rhea had always been a little scared around Ryan from the beginning. But whenever a situation like this happens, she never hesitated to talk back. If she was not in the wrong, she will talk back clearly with courage. Later, she usually regretted most of them as well. But this time, Rhea had emphatically spoken the words without thinking. These words were originally meant to be her thoughts, but accidentally, she had already said them out loud!
"Where were you all this time?"
"I... I was" she couldn't think of anything immediately.
He stepped towards her, hauled his coat which was still in her hands, and started to walk out of the bathroom passing her.
Rhea knew he was angry. He looked as if he was going to raise hell. It's surely not going to end in a good way if he goes to the set like that. He may lash out at anyone anytime. So she tried to catch up with him. But he had already reached the door.
"Mr. Ryan, stop.... please.... calm down.", she almost pleaded. She didn't really expect that she could stop him with a plea, but he stopped by the door. Since he had already opened the door, he closed it with a loud "thud" then turned towards her.
He didn't speak.
"....", he unwaveringly glared at her, as if everything he is going through is her fault!
'Go, look at you Ying Yue like that', Rhea rebuked him but didn't speak this out this time.
"....I'll first make something for you to drink!" she halted "plus your makeup is ruined. I can do a touch-up now"
"......"
Rhea started to walk towards the coffee machine in that room, disregarding his vehement look.
It was his new cabin. The coffee machine was placed in that room itself. She calmly started to make coffee. She wanted to tell him to wait and take a seat, but he was still glaring so she didn't dare to. It felt as if Rhea was standing in a narrow ice bridge and if she made the wrong move, it would break any time. Rhea kept quiet after that, only focusing on the coffee. She wasn't aware of the fact, that her every peaceful move, was tearing down his momentary tranquility. Once she finished making the coffee, she turned towards him. He still stood by the door. He hadn't moved an inch from there. His left hand was holding the door handle with so much force. His right hand was clasping the coat. He was still glowering!
Rhea really felt bad for that coat of his. That day she had been treating that 'coat' with so much love and gentleness since it was his! But he himself was grabbing it as if he was trying to take its soul out of it.
"What's wrong Mr. Ryan?", this time she helplessly asked him, since she seriously couldn't figure out what exactly made him angry.
"I should be the one to ask you this", he replied in his deep steady voice. It carried traces of his anger!
"What did I do?"
"Why did you go out in the middle?"
She understood what he was talking about.
"There was no need for me to stay there"
"Didn't I tell you to stay? Besides, aren't you the one who suggested it?"
".....", Rhea was left speechless.
'Is he angry because I left? Is he angry because I suggested the scene? But why?'
Seeing her confusion, he started to walk towards her. He still looked intimidating thus she hurriedly took a few steps back. She was stopped by a wall from behind. But there was nothing to stop him. He continued to move and came closer and closer. Finally, he was really close to her. She could feel his anger-induced hot fast breaths brushing over her head. She couldn't see anything in the room as he was covering up all the space in front of her. Also, that faint fragrance once again started to devour her.
"Mr. Ryan.… you…." she didn't know what to say and how to say, so she stammered.
"Mr. Ryan, you are too close!"
He didn't speak straight away!
"....Close? So what? Didn't you kiss me that day? Wasn't I this close then?"
Rhea widened her eyes in disbelief. She was so shocked when he brought this out of nowhere. She truly felt a little ashamed.
"I...I thought we have already sorted out the issue"
"Nothing can be solved with words. 'An eye for an eye.' Have you heard of this idiom?"
His words really gave her a panic attack. She widened her eyes even more and looked at him with her confused eyes.
"Wh...What?"
She had already told him that it was her revenge. She kissed him because he kissed her. But with him standing right before, Rhea had already forgotten everything else including that. She couldn't think straight. Her body and her mind had been trapped in a corner by him and she felt that there is no way to break free. She could barely breathe in that situation.
"I'll give you another option, just as you did" he paused. "Give me the truth!" he stared at her intensely this time.
"Tr...Truth?"
"Why are you going this far every time? Is my love life interesting enough to bet in exchange for your kiss?", he paused, then looked deeper into her eyes and clearly asked, "Why did you kiss me that day?"
"I thought you won't let me kiss you and will tell the truth."
"Why my truth matters to you? Matters enough to go this far?", his voice was so resolute, yet there was a trace of expectation.
"Don't you know?", she asked. He didn't move and was waiting for her next words. "I'm your fan! Also... Also, I have an obsession. And... And I care about you a lot", she jabbered in anxiety. She searched her brain for every single thing she could reply with and submitted them to him. Of course, there were so many answers, yet none of them made sense!
"That's it?", he frowned. This time his voice was not calm anymore. He was clearly a lot angrier!
Rhea's heart was beating frantically. She couldn't use her brain properly. At that time she really wanted to tell him that she loves him which may make him hate her more.
Rhea couldn't continue to stand in front of him like that. She was really afraid that she may spill the beans! She finally made a decision.
It was the last weapon she could use! The last shield!
"Mr. Ryan, an eye for an eye right? Kiss me and let it slide! It will make us even!", she turned her head and looked away!
Rhea showed him her cheek. An eye for an eye, so the kiss on his cheek can be neutralized by another kiss on hers. Rhea originally thought that he will not kiss her and let her go after this! Because, there is possibly no way that he would want to kiss her once again, right?
"....." he was left speechless for a minute or two! But suddenly she heard him speak. This time, his words were bone-chilling!
"Do you know what a 29-year-old man understands by 'kiss'?"
He placed his hand angrily next to her on the wall, leaning forward. Still, she couldn't believe that Ryan will kiss her.
"You still think I won't do it?"
'What the hell? Can he read minds?' Rhea was startled. When she comprehended what he is asking she became a bundle of nerves.
She tried to slip away, but he locked her back in the previous place!
"I..." as she was going to say something he grabbed her chin with the other hand. Leaned towards her and covered her lip, forcefully. Everything happened in a fraction of a second. Rhea couldn't react! Since it was her very first kiss she was so shocked and couldn't move. She froze there with her eyes wide open.
She could see his face very closely. His eyes were closed. He was only pressing his lips on her at first. But within a few seconds, he started to rub her lips with his, many times then halted a few seconds. His breaths were so hot and so fast. Then he pried opened her soft lips. His tongue slid into her mouth which made her shiver. She there like a molded wax statue. Now he retracted his hand which was holding her face and put it around her waist then pulled her closer, then pressed her head on his hand on the wall using his head itself. Rhea who didn't understand what was going on for some time gradually started to feel fear, shame, and finally his warmth. She began to sink in his kiss. She couldn't help but close her eyes. Her hands naturally raised, paused, then raised again, finally, grabbed his shirt near his waist.
She didn't know how long he kissed her. All she could feel was his warmth. She felt her legs going weak and it was him who was holding her firmly from falling.
After a long time, when he felt like she needed some breath, he released her and lowered and rested his head on her shoulder. She still stood there without any words, dazed. She had already got cold shivers all over her body. She was still gasping for air at first. Her lips were sore. She was still struggling to stand. It was as if he had already sucked out all her energy. Her hands were still grasping his shirt as if it was the last hope of her life.
She could hear his soft pants, which made her tremble. Maybe he felt her tremble, he suddenly straightened himself and lifted her in his arms, off the ground, sat her down on the table. She was sitting next to the coffee machine. As she was sitting at the table, their heights were almost balanced and she could clearly see his face in front of her. Her head was now in the level of his chin.
He kept looking at her!
Rhea looked at him with a bewildered face and grasped the table end with all her might, trying to calm herself down. She could see him lowering his head. The next moment, he cupped her face with both hands as if he is going to kiss her once again! Rhea who was holding her breath all this time tightly closed her eyes. But this time he didn't give her any kisses.
He softly pressed his forehead on her forehead. His soft, warm breaths brushed over her face. He pressed his head a little stronger, then sighed as if he was really exhausted, but still and didn't let go.
He stood there like that for some time.
At first, Rhea still couldn't get a hold of what's going on and sitting there without any movement, but when she heard his sigh in the midst of his heavy breathing, she suddenly wanted to hold the hands which were holding her face. But she was too insecure to do so. Nobody can predict Ryan Jin. No one can say why he is doing this.
That time although Ryan seemed calmer, Rhea was still not in the right state of mind. Her heart frantically beating throughout the time due to her wavering. She hesitantly lifted one of her hands to touch his hand. But before she could do so, Ryan had already taken his hands off her.
Rhea felt as if all the warmth in the world had suddenly left. She opened her eyes and looked at him. He was looking at her. He averted his gaze from her eyes to the coffee machine while taking a step back. He was going to say something then paused. Suddenly he turned, with fast-paced steps, he walked to the cabin door and left, without a word!
Rhea too didn't want to hear anything from him at the moment. She felt that this ambiguity is fine for now.
She was still sitting at the table. She could see his wrinkled black coat laying on the ground, by that table. It reminded her where they were before it happened.
How it turned out into this?
Rhea couldn't stop the heat rising in her cheeks. She placed her hand on her chest. She could feel her heart still frantically running inside and it seemed that it will not calm down any time soon.