"That she likes you enough to allow you to kiss her, as a guy. She likes you, when you are in your true form, hyung."
"You cleaned the house."
Kai announces when he steps into their dorm, eyebrows cocked up in amazement.
Kyungsoo, who is sprawled on the couch, hums noncommittally.
"You cleaned it yesterday."
The elder hums again.
Kai knows that Kyungsoo usually scrubs down the house when he is feeling vexed. The more bothered he is, the longer he cleans.
From the looks of it, he has been working for hours.
He teleports next to the elder and sinks himself into the couch, the former having to make way for him by shifting his legs.
"The date didn't go too well, eh?"
Kyungsoo draws an arm over his eyes.
There's an extended pause.
"I screwed up."
His voice is strained and low.
"I'm sure it's not as bad you think."
The younger offers.
He sighs, drawn-out and sapped.
"It's the worse."
"Have you told her? Your true identity?"
Kyungsoo withdraws his hand and sits up to face his room mate.
"No. I told her what you told me, that I was... thinking of someone else when I kissed her."
The younger's lips curl into a thoughtful pout.
"And what did she say?"
"She said she's sorry too, that she got confused because I... am in a guy's form. But she didn't know the truth. And I wanted to tell her, but... I didn't."
The younger can see emotions etched into every line of the elder's face.
"And why didn't you?"
"Because..." He swallows. "I think... I'm afraid. I could have told her there and then but... I wasn't sure how she'll take it and what if she rejects me? So I... chickened out. But now I'm regretting it. Why did I even listen to you in the first place? Now I'm pretty sure she's not going to talk to me ever again."
"Aw, come on, you're thinking too much into it. You need to get some food into your system. Have you eaten?" The younger pops into the kitchen in a poof.
"No. Unlike you, I don't use food to drown my sorrows." The elder scoffs.
"At least I don't kill myself sanitizing the whole damn place, besides..." The younger gives a flip of his wavy brown fringe. "No matter how much I eat, I still look good."
Kyungsoo rolls his eyes at that. Life is so unfair sometimes.
No matter how much he exercises, his thighs never seem to lose their plushness. His mother says that's because he needs them for his Super Strength. Though he never quite understands how thick thighs correlate with Super Strength. He uses his inner power to deliver his blows, not his physical power. He doesn't, however, argue with his mother, long knowing that it's of zero worth to contend the ultimate Super Strength forerunner (People always thought he got his Super Strength from his father, Shapeshifting from his mother, when it's really the other way round).
"Why is there kimbap here?"
Kyungsoo's head snaps up at Kai's question.
He almost forgot about it.
"__________ made it for me when she came by just now."
He sighs, walking over to the kitchen.
"So it was sitting in the fridge for the past what, 7 hours? For such exquisite delicacy, that's really such a waste."
The younger reaches in for a roll only to get a sharp slap from the other.
"You heard me just now, she made it for me, not for us."
He snatches the box away and heads toward the living room.
"Come on, there's enough in there to feed two of us, I need my supper to sleep you know."
"Didn't you eat your fill before coming home? That's your own fault." The elder snorts.
"The girlfriend is acting all drama just because I glanced at another woman. It's not like I'm the only one, she gawks at both men and women. I was spending quality time pacifying her... Didn't get much food in my stomach." He groans.
"Still your fault." Kyungsoo states unwaveringly.
The younger blocks his way in a flash, swirls of smoke trailing behind as he grabs one and teleports back to the couch.
Kyungsoo gives an irritated "tsk" and settles on the couch, too tired to remonstrate.
He studies the rolls of colors before him.
Kai is right.
There's at least 5 different types of kimbap in there, all 21 of them neatly rolled into perfection.
He wonders how much time you've spent on them.
Subsequently, the thought of you warms and saddens him at the same time.
"Are you going to eat them or are you just going to stare?" Kai grumbles as he reaches for another one.
Kyungsoo smacks his hand off and takes one into his mouth.
It tastes delicious.
He didn't know he is so hungry until the first morsel of food empties down his throat.
Deftly, he takes another one.
"Anyway, hyung, maybe if you try kissing her again in your true form, she will change her mind?" Kai relentlessly grabs another one. The elder isn't fast enough to stop him.
"I did. Whenever I kissed her, I was in my true form." He mumbles between bites of food.
"Whenever? So the two of you kissed more than once?" The Teleporter lets out a guffaw. "Well, well, I never knew you had this in you, hyung."
Kyungsoo just shoots him a dirty glare. The younger is unfazed, but suddenly sits up straight in the couch.
"Wait a minute. So you mean to say when she is kissing you, you are in your true form?"
"That's what I said." The elder retorts.
"And she doesn't retaliate or beat the crap out of you either?" He pushes on.
"No..." Kyungsoo is starting to wonder where this is going.
"She allowed you, as a guy, to kiss her... but when you told her you are thinking of someone else, she said she got confused... Damn! I can't believe you are so dense, hyung."
"What are you trying to get at?" The elder furrows at the accusation.
"All the while I thought she is kissing you as a girl... But no, she reacts to you in your male form, she even made this for you when... Are you in your girl or true form when you meet her nowadays?"
Kyungsoo briefly explains how he has been acting as your "boyfriend" this past week.
"So she has been 'dating' you, as a guy, all this while? Hyung, can't you see what that means?"
The elder's eyes round in befuddlement.
"That she likes you enough to allow you to kiss her, as a guy. She likes you, when you are in your true form, hyung."
Kyungsoo repeats the sentence in his mind.
She likes me, in my true form?
"I think, I need to call her now." He suddenly darts up from the couch.
"It's after midnight now, hyung. You sure you don't wanna wait until tomorrow?" The younger reminds as his hands head for another rice roll.
The elder sits back down.
"You're right. I'll wait."
He doesn't smack the other when he next raids his food.
>>
Chapter 29