Chereads / Case 143 / Chapter 3 - The Meeting (Pt. 3)

Chapter 3 - The Meeting (Pt. 3)

 The two of them would sneak off to their meetings as soon as they could, finishing their homework and tests. They met each other at lunch and waited for the opportunity to play matchmaker among their friends. The two held hands secretly under the table even though there was no need, allowing them to express themselves without the announcements from those around them freely. The two finished classes early, leaving to go to his house to study. His parents loved her, begging for her to constantly come over. She had only known 4 months into their relationship that he was a chaebol, but that didn't change how she felt about him. He would open the passenger door to his car, help her in, and close the door behind him so that he could move to the driver's seat. 

He had worked hard to get his license so that he could be the only one to give her a ride to and from school. He would hold her hand as they drove down the street, pulling into his house. She would wait as he would always swoop her from her seat, making her laugh as he brought her through the gate. He would set her on the front step, letting her pass through the door, being welcomed by his mom. They would greet her before running up the stairs to begin studying. Like on a schedule, his mom would already have a platter of snacks ready and bring them up before they could unpack anything. As his mom laid down the platter, she smiled and touched each of their shoulders before leaving. He happily closed the door, pulling her close and letting them fall on the bed together.

He pulled her in tighter, their bodies wrapping closely together, and she could hear his heart beating. The warmth that radiated off their bodies when they were together was what he wanted all the time, what he craved most. He took a deep sigh, breathing in the scent of her hair and pressing his lips to her forehead.

"Why can't we just stay like this?" She sighed into his arms some more and buried her face in his chest. 

"Because there will always be time for this." She mumbled, and he chuckled. She was about to push away, but he pulled her closer once more.

"Just, Just 5 minutes." He held her close to his chest, closing his eyes to enjoy the moment, and she looked up to his sleeping face. 

He opened one eye to see her staring at him, and he pulled her up so that their eyes met. The moment they were face to face, he could feel their bodies beginning to mesh together. He kissed her lips, his grip tightening on her back while she grasped his shirt. The kiss lasted a few seconds until he pulled away, letting out a long sigh before his eyes closed once more. She lay there for a bit, listening to his heartbeat. She thought to herself, thinking about how exhausted he might be. He was not much of a studying type of person, but he definitely wanted to try his best for her. She sat silently, waiting for him to awaken. She wondered whether it would be best to skip today, as the sleeping look on Chan had her mesmerized. She was sure that they needed a break, so she allowed her head to rest comfortably against his chest as she found herself closing her eyes. 

He would wake to her heavy breathing, opening his eyes to see her sleeping face. He could not help but admire how natural she looked right now. Although she always smiled around him, he remembered the stone-cold face she would walk around with. She would erase all emotion from her face, and he had found a way to change that. He would smile as he thought about all the times he would come to her, wanting to see her smile but never accomplishing his goal. He thought back to the first smile that he helped put on her face. The class they shared in middle school had just handed out grade cards, and she was upset. He had noticed her face change, peeking over her shoulder. He would ask why, and she would show her grade of 97. She was so upset because her goal was always a 99. He chuckled softly, making her stir. He stopped moving, and she buried her sleepy body into him and continued to rest. 

The phone in his pocket vibrated softly, shaking their bodies, and he moved to pick it up quickly before it was too late. He reached for the phone, pulling it out to see that he was getting a call from Changbin. He muted the phone, enjoying the moment he was in much better. He would close his eyes only to be shaken by the phone he had ignored. This time, it was Minho, his friend since middle school. He knew it had to be important for them both to call, but what could be more important than what he was experiencing right now? He sighed deeply, answering and beginning to whisper not to wake her.

"Hello," He tried to make sure he wasn't loud enough to disturb her as she lay content in his chest.

"Chan, are you finished studying?" He asked, sounding confused.

"No, I'm, uh, busy. What's the matter?" He looked down at her again before looking around the room as he listened. 

"Code Blue," He replied. Chan tried not to jump out of bed, but he knew the meaning of Code Blue. It's what they used when one of the guys was stuck in the hideout. They had built a hideout when they were younger, and whenever they were kicked out of the house or had a hard time, they would go there.

"Who?" He tried to be quick in his response but remained quiet.

"Felix," Now he needed to be concerned, but he didn't want to leave.

"I'm kind of trapped, family thing. What happened? I can spend the night." He rubbed the back of the stirring girl that lay against him and groaned at the sound of his voice.

"He was rejected." He had been the only one in his friend group to be consistently ignored and rejected, but he still got the girl he wanted. He looked down at his own beautiful girlfriend, stroking her hair as he let out a sigh. 

"Okay, I'll sleep over. I'll be there later. Got to go." He hung up, trying to embrace the moment he was happily experiencing right now. He put an alarm on his phone, signaling for it to wake them before his mom brought in the second platter of snacks. He let his phone slide down behind him as he got more comfortable with her in his arms.

The two lay there, sleeping gracefully with one another. Their dreams merged and they searched for comfort in each other's arms as they rested. They were nestled close together, their breathing shared as they lay together. Unbeknownst to them, his mother would often check without their knowledge, wanting them not to study very hard. She went to the door, silently opening it so that there was a gap big enough for her to see inside. She checked through the gap, noticing the two weren't in their usual spots. She opened the door a little further, searching for them before her sights were locked on to them in the bed. She opened the door further to step in, walking towards the bed and standing over the two kids. She picked up a blanket from the corner of the room, placing it over the two of them. She would smile down at them before leaving the room as they rested silently. 

When it was finally time for the two to wake up, Chan reached for his chiming phone and closed the timer. Soyeon groaned, rolling over to look at her surroundings before lifting her head. He would smile at her, both leaning in for a kiss.

"Why can't we just wake up like this every day?" He asked, not wanting to let go of her warm body. She looked at the blanket, smiling at him. There was so much to say, but it wasn't the right time. 

"A blanket?" She yawned, getting pulled back in. He rolled her over onto her back, seeing in her eyes that there was something wrong. As she held in her words, she stared up at him.

"I'm more worried about you." He looked down on her, leaning down to kiss her once more before sitting up. "When are we running away?" He smiled, reaching out a hand to her. She could tell there was already a lot on his mind. 

Every time either of them got stressed, one of them would bring up the thought of leaving to run away. Her soft smile didn't mean much to him, but she could feel her heart sink at his words. She still forced her eyes to smile, too, taking his hand. He guided her out of the bed, spinning her around before she fell back into his arms. He rocked with her so slightly, thinking about her before his mind switched to his friends.

"What's got you distracted?" She turned to look at him, his hands landing on her hips. 

"The boys." He spoke bluntly, sighing. "I'm sleeping at the clubhouse with Felix tonight." He told her, and she smiled a little.

"You're so popular." She teased, checking her watch. "Should we end early tonight?" He looked startled, shaking his head.

"How can I? We didn't even begin studying." He whined, and she pulled away.

"I have some essays to write." She went to pick up her backpack, pushing it onto her shoulder as she turned back around.

"What essays? I'll help you." He quickly took his backpack and pulled hers down, carrying them both before she took it back.

"College essays, and I need no help." She smiled, kissing his cheek before taking her backpack and walking out the door.

"College?" He pulled her arm, and she turned quickly, his reaction surprised and confused at her words. "What college?" She sighed, rolling her eyes at his words.

"Just college. Chan, we have already had this talk." She lowered her voice, afraid that his mother would hear. He pulled her close.

"You'll tell me, though, right? I'll come with you." She continued her silence, trying to think. "You don't want me to go to college?" Nothing. "You don't think I'll make it?" Nothing. "Why aren't you answering?" She looked away.

"I just don't want to rely on you." Her voice cracking. He twirled her around to look at his face, and he could see tears swelling in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" He asked, trying to pull her close, but she pushed away.

"I don't want you or your family's money. I want to be able to be my own person." He stepped forward, making him back away. He continued, walking her into the wall of his bedroom before she was unable to move.

"You will be your own person." He reassured her, taking her hands. "You will be you, and I will be your supportive husband." He smiled down at her, but she was not able to hold back the tears that knew the truth. She just found herself nodding and placing her head down as the tears built up more.

He pulled her into a soft hug, wanting to hold on to the moment, but she resisted. He understood, letting her have the space she needed before gently taking her hand. He guided her down the stairs, walking through the living room. Chan announced to his mother that they would be leaving, both walking out to the car. The ride to Soyeon's house was a quiet one. Neither knew the correct words to speak that would fix the problem. Chan kept a close eye on her, watching her expression continuously falter. As they pulled in front of her home, she took a deep breath, and he looked lovingly at her. She sniffled before wiping her eyes and giving a quick kiss as she left. He stood stunned, thinking about how this was the first time she had not waited for him to open the door. He reached to get out, but she was already in the home. His hand instinctively touched the lump in the jacket pocket.