Chapter 24: Can you be any meaner

"So how should I pay you back"... I asked nibbling on my mug.

"It's simple Bella... I have outlined the amount and what each work required and since the cost of my wear and laptop is worth tons of million do you think it's a small work? He said grabbing his mug.

I watch his dimples appear and disappear as he speaks and I press the mug on my hand tight.

His statement always makes me want to regret ever accepting Jimin's meal the first day we met. I tried as much as possible to shove all those regrets at the back of my mind.

"As long as it covers up the worth I will do it,"  I said feeling a little bit bolder than I thought

"And I hope you know that it will be at my office not here in the school?

I frown at his words, puzzling through the deeper meaning behind them, but before I could digest it, he suddenly leans back smiling. Now he is displaying more and more of his bossy attitude and I detest it more and more'  I muttered shooting him with that angry look.

"And why should I work in your office.? What type of work am I going to do there? Wait!! Don't tell me you want me to be your interpreter. I blurted out grabbing my mug and gulping it down stylishly.

"And what do you know you will be interpreting for me?

His statement came with a swish and I lost it.

Not only is he taunting me with his words, but he is also making me look dumb and dumb. I bite my lips together squinting around trying to get my bearings.

"Is there anything this guy has not done just to humiliate me? I mumbled, and the most confusing thing is that I managed to maintain my calm.

It was as if he got that hypnotizing spirit that makes me swallow anything he said without this urge to rub shoulders with him.

As much as I try to distance myself or show my sassy attitude to him, I still find him worth staying closer to.

I give out a weary  sigh trapping my lips together " I hate you Hoseok."I muttered silently.

"So for the start, you will attend the lesson class I choose for you and after class, you will report to my office; and until the end of the month you will be making my coffee."

All this he said without tearing a gaze from what he was doing.

My eyebrow furrows as a lick of discomfort settles into my belly at the commanding note in his tone.

"For a month? He nodded without even allowing me to finish my statement.

Stretching his hand to take the plain sheet laying in my front, incensed at his disinterest I speak quickly making him pause in whatever he is doing.

"And why should I report in your office? I blurted out.

"SORRY, ...He demand louder this time and my hands clench to the mug I was holding, biting my lips too firmly just to resist the urge to speak to him like a child. He keeps annoying me, making my heart boil more and more angry towards him.

"Why should I report to your office? I repeat and this time, I could hear him exhale slowly.

"The competition is in the next few days and after the competition, my services here end."

I raise my eyebrows as he speaks, he looks as if he's contemplating telling me why and this time his tone and voice were calm as he speaks, running his fingers across his head.

I just barely manage to keep up with his explanation and try as hard as it sounds to interpret it to my understanding.

Just hearing he is not coming back makes me a bit sad and I wonder why I feel like this.

Watching as he stands, his eyes locked on his feet as he moves instead he stops and without looking up

"If it doesn't sit well with you! You can as well forget about it"...he uttered as he walked up towards the stage.

Once Hoseok left, I drew a long lingering breath,  leaning my head back and forward again resting my chin on my fingers.

Hoseok words throw me off balance. I bite my lips squinting around like a person who just visit a magnificent Royal Palace.

Scratching my head, I rise and walked towards the stage trying as hard as possible to remain calm. I know this is a feeling of joy and sadness.

Joyful that I could choose not to pay for the ruins and damages and so won't be working for him but sad cause if I refuse the offer that means I won't be seeing him again and the promise he made to me about my voice and dance training will be nullified due to my cowardice.

I clenched my fist trying to ignore how my heart is frantically pattering in my sternum

The next few hours everything become a blur as they all retired to pack up themselves calling it a day as they all bid each other goodbye with a hug.

I smile, if there is one thing I love about Korean kids is the way they make everything look beautiful and classy. picking up my stuff I bid the two tutors  goodbye, to  Jimin I gave a slight hug, and to Hoseok I ignore him without a care in the world.

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"You can't do that"... Becky snared the moment I told her the result of her advice and how everything was ruined by the master planner.

"Becky relax"..I try to soothe her but she is already losing it and I know her very well.

"How can a guy give you such an option and you accept?..who the hell did he think he is to make you go against your wish of working for him for a month"...she blurted out hands on her hips.

I understand where she is going but this time I want to handle it myself, instead of getting angry again I wanted to play calm and make her understand everything. I never plan to drag her into my mess but it seems we two are already in it.

After much explanation and coaxing from me, Becky seems to calm down a bit, heaving out a sigh she wrapped me up in her arms.

I sniff a sigh now she is making me look more and more like a child.

Her actions make it look like I am already on a death mission.

"Becky...I stuttered freeing myself from her grip... "I can handle myself..not that Hoseok is going to kill me..just allow me to consider it or maybe take it as part of the exploring goals I already have before coming here".

I looked at her with my pleading eyes which were blurry with tears and my heart boiled with anger and concern.

For a while, she said nothing rather she wrapped me up again in her warm shoulders "This is unlike her".I mumbled.

"I should be the one to be sorry.... I ruin your plans and push you hard to agree to my advice... I am sorry it turns out this way".

"No! No!!.. I murmur cupping her hand with mine.." you are not at fault. it's just me and my bossy decision of trying to do anything my way..and if I wasn't clumsy I shouldn't have been in this situation.. but not withstanding this time around I will be very careful".

She nodded pulling me more and more into her hug so that when we parted she furrow her face on me with a finger pointing directly at me.

"Don't tell me you have fallen in love in love with this stranger Bella?".

My emotions swiftly change into irritation at her statement, quickly turned my face away. It took me seconds before I shook my head in disagreement.

"Hoseok is not my type...He is too expensive that I might end up ruining his perfect personality and besides his bossy attitude is a turn-off for me"...

"That is your point of view Bella ... you can't tell what will happen.. what if he has feelings for you," she said fighting hard to control the laugh that is already out from her lips

"No Becky! No! not Hoseok.. that dude might end up humiliating you even before you get to confess your feelings...and he is always brutal with his words..the word LOVE doesn't exist in his dictionary.