The Quiet Dawn IV

// ------------------------------------ //

patreon.com/nneeil (up to 15 chapters ahead of current release)

https://discord.gg/xZqYt267NH

On with the chapter!

// ------------------------------------ //

Nari grunted as she shoved her friends out of the door. They were frozen like statues, their eyes trained on Leandro. Nari shoved and shoved… and after they realized where he was located, their faces bloomed red as they craned and twisted their necks to get a better look at him.

'Seriously... why did he have to come out now of all times?'

Honestly, that was one of the reasons why she always avoided introducing Leandro to her friends. If he had any less self-control, he could have run through her whole group of friends, and their mothers too.

It was a sobering thought.

Nari sighed, leaning back against the door. A bit exhausted by her flustered friends, she tiredly wiped at her face. That little fiasco, however, hadn't quite depleted her mental faculties, and so she recalled Leandro's erection quite vividly.

"Your friends seem nice."Talk about the devil.

Leandro was staring at her in what she could only interpret as faint amusement.

His toned arms were resting on the headrest of a couch as he leisurely took in the sight of Nari panting like a cat after chasing the canary out of its cage.

"Why was Unnie naked in your bed..."

It didn't escape her perceptive mind that his shorts weren't bulging as much.

Leandro had this weird, insufferable habit of effortlessly adapting to his surroundings, as if nothing ever truly fazed him. His words sometimes cut to the core, lacerating whatever pride you had.

Not many girls could hold up a front against his inhuman looks, but Nari was set on avoiding direct confrontation. She knew a losing battle when she saw one.

"..." When Leandro didn't offer any response to her inquiry, Nari huffed and made her way into the kitchen. The urge for a drink had overwhelmed her.

Naturally, Leandro followed.

She filled a glass halfway, then leaned against the fridge to soothe the uncomfortable sensation at the back of her throat. Leandro observed Nari drink, the slender column of her neck contracting as liquid poured in. He was amused to see that some of the water dribbled down the corners of her mouth.

"So why was she naked?" Nari went straight to the point. Leaving that particular topic unaddressed made her stomach tumble in jealousy. "You weren't doing anything inappropriate, were you?"

"Do you really think I'm the type of guy that'd do that?" He rebutted, one eyebrow arched.

She quirked her lips, staring right into his jade-green eyes. "Yes."

"Harsh." He cracked a half-smile, more amused than offended by her blunt response.

Nari rinsed the glass, then put it back into one of the shelves. As she moved to leave, Leandro spoke up. "She slipped." And, seeing as how she slowed down her walk to a halt, he continued. "Hari Noona slipped, fell, and dragged the bucket of water with her. You happened to come back right when she decided to take her clothes off. Don't worry. Nothing happened." He explained briefly, and so casually as well.

Nari nodded to herself. Hari was a klutz through and through. She should've anticipated such a scenario, but at the same time, there was the elephant in the room.

Leandro was rock-hard moments before Nari intervened. She frowned when her memory served her back images of his aroused state. She rubbed her neck, feeling the warmth that had spread all over her face.

He seemed so composed right now, staring at her with a blasé expression, as if the earlier incident meant nothing to him. She was relieved he didn't blow things out of proportions, yet she couldn't deny the stab of anger at his lack of reaction.

For fuck's sake—the sexual tension when they locked eyes. Didn't he feel anything?

Well, he probably did to a certain extent. His earlier hard-on was pretty telling, after all. Nari involuntarily licked her dry lips, heat flooding her cheeks. Her heartbeat fluttered, spiking, and with every intake of air, she could almost taste his distinct smell in her mouth.

An odd desire flooded her.

... Nari looked away. It wasn't like her to be insecure—but with Leandro she had always been self-conscious.

"Jealous?" The question was borne out of genuine curiosity rather than an attempt to get a rise out of her.

Regardless, Nari stilled, doing an accurate impression of her slack-jawed friends laying eyes on Leandro for the first time.

She sniffed. "W-What? Of course not!" Then paused. Did her reply come out a bit too fast?

If she admitted it to him, would he laugh at her?

Leandro had already turned her down once. Nari didn't know what she'd do if he rejected her once again.

She frowned, fists balling up, knuckles straining white, feeling uneasy all of the sudden. Nari cast Leandro a covert glance from beneath her dark, sooty bangs.

'Is it so wrong to want to monopolize someone that I like?'

"Could have fooled me." Leandro chuckled lightly.

"Well, you are a fool."

"Hm-hm." He uncrossed his arms and walked over to her.

Nari recoiled, her backside hitting the counter in her hasty retreat. "W-What are you doing?"

He frowned. "What do you mean? Just grabbing a drink. All of that unjust accusation got me quite thirsty, you know."

If Nari had a tail, it'd be wrapped around her in anxiety and guilt. She was being overdramatic, wasn't she? 

"Sorry…"

"Forget about it." He grabbed a glass and filled it with water. Nari watched, slightly mesmerized, as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. 'The fact that I find that attractive, of all things, speaks a lot about me.'

She shook her head.

"You know…" Leandro began in a calm, low tone. "You should loosen up more around me. Every time we talk, you're stiff like a coiled spring. Is there anything you want to tell me?"

She eyed Leandro for several moments in silence before looking away, unsure of what to tell him. He really could read people too well.

There was indeed something she wanted to talk about with him…

Nari bit the bottom of her lip, considering her options.

'Not the right time.'

Nari didn't want any misunderstandings between them before confessing, so it'd be best to wait and analyze Leandro's emotional state a bit more.

His answer would make or break her. She needed to be absolutely certain of Leandro's response before saying anything.

"You're imagining things." She said, simply.

However, when she looked up, her breath hitched in her throat.

He was in front of her, head slightly tilted to one side. There was no smile or frown on his face, but the intensity of his eyes made Nari lower her head almost submissively, cheeks reddening.

She didn't move, standing defiant under his scrutiny.

"Perhaps you're right." His lips curved into a faint smile. "It wouldn't be the first time."

"I-Is that so…?"

They stood there, not even half a feet apart from each other. At any moment, Leandro could move an inch closer, close the scant distance between them, and…

Nari flushed and broke into cold sweat at her dangerous train of thoughts.

She subtly inched away when the intense stare became too overwhelming. The corner of Leandro's mouth curved. A small smirk, that could be considered playful in certain occasions, made an appearance on his chiseled features, before promptly vanishing, leaving behind an innocent, quizzical expression.

As if he really were innocent.

Nari scowled. Her mind kept betraying her… replaying images and scenarios. Her lower abdomen ached painfully. Her heartbeats wouldn't calm down—almost as if it wanted to smash through her ribcage and claw its way out of her chest.

He really was insufferable…

How dare he, with those damned eyes and—

His index finger lifted her chin, as if forcing Nari to meet his jade-green eyes upon noticing how evasive she was being. Her lips parted in silent protest and her breath caught up in her lungs at the bold contact. Leandro leaned closer, his half-lidded, beautiful eyes scrutinizing her flushed appearance.

He didn't close the gap. He didn't move his finger. He simply stared at her, as if she was a piece of puzzle that didn't fit. A confusing picture that he couldn't complete, or perhaps he was merely searching within himself for that elusive piece.

As soon as Leandro noticed her reaction, he tilted his head. "Sorry. Am I making you uncomfortable?"

She wanted to chuck something at him. Hah, seriously!

He was not even teasing her. His words were genuine enough, and there was no smile on his features.

"... No." She wanted to laugh out in bitterness at her pitiful response.

He was definitely making her feel uncomfortable—her body had become excruciatingly sensitive, and her heartbeat stuttered and restarted at a fast pace.

Leandro's gaze briefly flickered towards his room before returning to her. "I was just... trying to understand something."

"W-What are you talking about?"

It was only then that he offered a light chuckle. "Nothing. Maybe it's just nothing."

She furrowed her brows. Hell no! After making her flush and sweat like that, there was no way she was going to let him get away with it—

...

"Umh… what's going on, guys?"

Right at that moment, Hari decided to step out, holding the bottom hem of Leandro's oversized shirt. Her face was still a little red.

She moved her eyes from Leandro to Nari and then back to him.

Something tightened in her chest, like a mild burning.

Leandro slowly pulled away. "Just having a heart-to-heart with Nari. She needs to learn to notify me before she brings her friends over. Isn't that right?"

Nari, in most cases, would have offered a rebuttal, but the sudden capacity to breathe properly again made the words die out before they could reach her lips.

"I-I see…" Hari huffed a sigh. The uncomfortable heat in her chest fizzled out the moment Leandro was at an 'appropriate' distance from Nari. She held a clenched fist over her heart. "Are you hungry, Leandro? I can whip up something for you right quick~"

Nari crossed her arms as she stared at her sister. What would have happened if she didn't interrupt them? Leandro didn't seem fazed. Then again, Nari had never seen him particularly worked up over anything. His constant stoicism was as calming as it was frustrating.

"Nah, don't sweat it." Leandro waved his hand, sneaking one last glance at Nari. "Besides, I promised I'd take both of you out. What kind of man would I be if I didn't live up to my promises?"

Hari smiled, eyes lighting up in delight. "That's very sweet of you, Leandro~" She tilted her head, clapping her hands softly. "Are we going now?"

"Yeah, it's a beautiful day." Soon, there'd be none of those. "Might as well make the most of it."

Nari's concern bubbled up. "Can we afford it though?"

Maybe they should consider somewhere less pricey—

"Why?" Leandro turned to her, tilting his head. "Would you not want to go out with me if money was tight?"

"I-I didn't mean that!" Nari protested, feeling a bit flustered. He definitely knew that's not what she wanted to say. 

"It's okay~" Hari stepped in, trying to ease the tension. "I can chip in a bit for a nice—"

"Can you girls give me some credit here?" Leandro rolled his eyes. "Just pick up a place. Any place. And let's go. I'm not that untrustworthy to you, am I, Nari?"

"No…" Nari conceded, eyes softening. Leandro was very careful with his spending.

"Lovely." He smiled. "In that case, go get yourself dressed properly. While I'm sure you could rock any outfit, let's pretend to be wealthy for a day, and mingle with the rich folk in some extravagant restaurant where chefs get paid an ample living wage to sprinkle salt on your food."

Nari crossed her arms with an exaggerated roll of her eyes, though a smile still found its place on her lips. Hari didn't seem to understand the joke and just tilted her head like an adorable, though very confused, pet.

Leandro arched an eyebrow.

Girls these days were way too serious.