REX
Man proposes God disposes. Rex has been familiar with this idiom from a very early age. God, if there is one, never happens to listen to him. So he wasn't very disappointed when the results of the finale was declared.
But hope is a treacherous thing. Hope, that making upto the finale has given him. Hope, that people cheering his name, asking for his autograph or even mere recognition at street encounters has given him.
So if not satisfied, Rex was atleast content. Coming back to the familiar small cafe was not as agonizing as before.
Rex knows, as soon as the familiar figure bumps into him. Fate has always surprised him in the worst possible way, so he's not very fond of surprises. Tonight seems to be an exception.
At present he's taking delight at the slightly flushed face, and dilated pupils that stare at him in disbelief mixed with panic. Rex remembers her, ofcourse he does. Just that he never thought he'd see her again...
"Well then we have to talk, both of you come with me!" Lee hyung's voice makes him look away.
They follow him. A silence, too heavy, sits between them.
Once inside the small attached living room, Hyung gestures them to sit on the sofa, himself occupying the only empty chair. Rex has a bad feeling about this.
"Now explain!" And the next words hyung says just confirms his suspicion.
"Is she your girlfriend?"
"WHAT! NO-" Both of them scream together. Although he's a little bit disappointed at how she seems so determined to deny as if it's a shame to be seen as a couple with him. Or is it? Afterall what does he have to offer anyone?
Dating is not new to him, he's dated girls, who wanted to go out with him. Girls who loved to show off their handsome boyfriend and got bored as soon as they saw how 'pathetic' he was.
"Then how come she has your shirt?" His train of thought is disrupted again as hyung voices out another accusation.
"That's because..." She starts but her voice falters and she gulps.
'Oh are you embarrassed? Does it disgust you to keep a cheap satin shirt in your possession? Is that why you are here , to show me my place?' Maybe it's the long day behind but Rex can't help the bitter thoughts as they seep in.
And her looking at him with those dark chocolate brown eyes doesn't help at all. The pleading look in them makes him feel miserable. He's not even sure why but he wants to feel worthy in front of her. He doesn't want to be pathetic.
" Well I met her in front of the club one day, it was raining, so I gave her my shirt!" So he decides to be the bigger man.
Her sigh of relief just makes him clench jaw and tighten his intercrossed fingers.
"She gave me her number to return it but I never called, so it's my fault!" He explains.
He originally thought it would be petty to ask for the shirt. And he didn't want to look petty in front of her. If he won the finale maybe then he would've called...
He turns to look at her, trying to teleport all the explanations without actually saying it. But she's looking away, her expression unamused, something about her whole persona radiating stress. The only giveaway is the corners of her ears tinged red and not the shy type of red.
Rex has a feeling that he should say more, or apologize. The silence seems unbearable.
"Oh that's it?" Lee hyung breaks the tension, sounding half relieved, half disappointed.
"Well, sorry miss, for keeping you here so long, I thought you're his girlfriend or one night stand something like that...you must know he's getting popular now, this kind of scandals can ruin his carrier, hope you understand." Hyung continues.
'No no no' Rex screams mentally as soon as the words are spoken. He freezes, mistake, a big mistake. But the damage has already been done. He can feel the storm raging and world collapsing as she finally looks up. Her expression utterly cold but there's fire behind those pupils, he's sure of that.
He wants to say something, anything to make up for it, but the right words aren't coming.
"Well in that case, now you have your answer...and sir," she gets up, "it's okay you want to protect your 'star' but that doesn't give you the right to assume anything about anyone, and if you think it's 'scandalous' for him to have any such associations then maybe you should keep your 'celebrity' in check first!" She presses on every word like knife on skin and then storms out without sparing him a glance in the whole process.
Rex follows her, more like his legs follow her because his brain is surely lagging. But he stops once they are outside.
She violently takes out something, which he recognises as 'the shirt', from her purse and shoves it inside the trash bin beside the cafe. Rex just stands and watches from behind as she walks away and if he's not wrong, she wipes her cheeks once or twice in the process.
Rex has felt miserable many a times, but he's never felt so small. He is hurt but more than that he realises he has hurt her. And it settles a very ugly feeling in his chest that he's sure he cannot wipe off in a long time.