XXXVIII. Him

I still can't believe she rides bikes, Jesus Christ, and to have her riding my bike with me? Being on road together? It's something out of a dream to me, she's a walking dream to me, she's the best dream I've ever had, one that kept coming back, over and over again. No wonder I felt so magnetically drawn towards her when I was just a fan following her on the internet, now it all makes sense.

Half-way through the way to Lake Forest, I made a sign for us to pause in the gas station, and she followed me. Then while the tanks were being filled in completely, I went into the convenience store and bought two cans of Sprite and two packages of lemon-flavored Oreo, then went back to her, knowing from following her that we share the same liking over lemons.

She stared at my hands dumbfounded as I offered the can and the Oreo to her, as if she had not expected that from me at all, "Ahjussi, I think you're the weirdest person I've ever met," she scoffed, finally taking it, and still without saying anything, I sat down on my bike, opened the Oreo and stuffed two in my mouth. "You didn't get these for me just because they are made of a green fruit, right?" So, she also considers lemon a fruit like me.

After a minute, I turned my eyes to her, "It's my favorite flavor."

Yeji blinked, then again, and a third time, "Lemons?"

A nod, "It's always been my favorite flavor, since I can remember."

"Well that's bittersweet," she mumbled under her breath.

"If you don't like it, I'll have it, and buy a Coke with a traditional Oreo for you," I rolled my shoulders, eyes on my Sprite as I opened it and took a sip of it.

She stayed silent for a second, "Are you bipolar, Seokjin?"

The sound of my name in her tongue spread shivers down my spine, "I wouldn't be surprised if I was, Yeji," I scoffed bitterly.

"You were hot with me, then you got cold and angry, and now, after spending the whole damn way in the worse silence of my fucking life, you bought this for me without me even asking it. And still kept silent. What the hell is wrong with you, Seokjin?" She snapped. "No, really. What the hell is wrong with you?"

I avoided her eyes, "You don't wanna know, Yeji," I whispered, for the first time in years, I found myself being self-deprecating in front of another person, because I trust her, even if she's mad at me.

She froze, then cursed in Korean under her breath, "Why are you so mysterious and… and… and weird? Can you just be straightforward? Can you just be either an asshole all the time, or a cool guy who cares about everyone around him enough to always be there to save them when they are in danger? Do you have an anti-hero complex or something? If you wanna be a jerk, why not be a jerk all the fucking time? Why do you have to be a jerk, then be annoyingly nice, just to be a jerk again, and nice again?"

"Life is not black-and-white, Yeji," I met her eyes again. "Humans are complex creatures. And where's the fun in being an open book? In being straightforward all the time? A little bit of mystery is always good to keep your mind thinking. I have my reasons to be the way I am, but I don't expect you to understand me yet," but she will, she'll be the first.

"So you're confusing me on purpose, Seokjin?"

"I'm not being confusing, Yeji," I said softly, "I'm being human. I'm not the type of guy who allows himself to show what really lies within his core to others, it's not worthy, no one would understand me, not really. They would just focus on what they want, on what they think it's important in the vision of me they have in their head, and ignore everything else. Sure, I may be a jerk, but I would rather be a jerk and show people my rotten side too, than be disgustingly nice, just to gain their trust, and show them how rotten I can be when they are already too far gone."

I could see in her eyes that though she is angry at me, she know I'm not wrong, she feel even if just a bit, relatable to what I just said. Probably because all of her exes did the later, "And here I thought you didn't have trust issues because you said you trusted me that bluntly," she scoffed as she ate one of the Oreos.

"But I trust you, Yeji," I said again, serious, no joke in my eyes.

"We haven't even met each other that deeply, Seokjin, how could you trust me? How could you know I won't play you and stab your back later? How can you be so naïve to trust someone you barely know?" She gasped, confused.

Because she's who she is. "Why don't you tell me?" I purred.

Yeji frowned, "How the fuck would I know that?"

"Tell me when you figure it out!"

She stared at me as if I'm crazy, "When's that?"

"When you're ready to see what's right in front of you," I said.

"And what's right in front of me?" Her frown deepened with her confusion, and by how her jaw clenched, I can tell she's getting annoyed.

"Tell me when you are able to see it," I purred amusedly.

"I don't understand," she hissed.

"But you will!"

"How are you so sure of that?" She said through clenched teeth.

"Because I know things you don't," I grinned.

"Then just tell me, damn it," Yeji snapped.

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Are you a psychopath or something?" Adorable.

"I prefer creative," I winked.

"Stop winking at me," she growled.

"Why? Too effective?" My grin grew wolfishly.

"You know why, Seokjin."

"No, I don't. Why don't you tell me?" I tilted my head.

"You are making me despise you," she hissed.

"We both know that's not what I'm making you feel," I purred.

As her skin reddened more and more, she glared at me, as if she was going her best to pretend she's hating me, when we both know that's not the case at all. Then she quickly finished her Oreo and the Sprite, and turned the bike on again, "Didn't you say you wanted to be in Hogwarts-wannabe quickly, stop wasting our time and let's go."

Unable to hide the amused smirk from my lips, I ate my last Oreo, drank the last drops of my Sprite, threw it in the trash with hers, then got on my bike again, turned it on and before I put my helmet on, I turned to her, who was still watching me, jaw clenched, "Wanna race?"

Her blue eyes glowed with the challenge, "You are in to lose."

"That remains to be seen," I winked and put on the helmet, then, I quickly sprinted to the road, using just a lil bit of my elemental magic to boost my speed, and she quickly came fast on my heels trying to win.

Let's see if she's a good or a sore loser.

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"You cheated!" She yelled at me when we finally parked at the out-door parking lot of Valhalla. "Seokjin, you bastard," taking the helmet off, she shook her head, her long hair cascading over her shoulders as she glared at me, "using your damn magic is cheating."

Taking my helmet off, I passed my hand over my hair, parting it on the middle in a move that got her eyes following the movement, "There was no rule saying I couldn't use my magic, Yeji," I purred, licking my lips, and again, her eyes followed. "There's no playing fair in the real world, that's what we first learn here in Valhalla. As long as you're not killing anyone, you're free to use your magic for everything, especially to make you win," I pointed from my bike that she's using to the one I'm over, winking.

"Ahjussi, you played low," she hissed, getting off of the Road Glide and adjusting her clothes and her hair. "I'll pay you back when I awaken whatever element I happen to have, ten fold," she side-glared me annoyed.

"I'll be counting on it, ajumma," grinning, I got up from my bike, backpack on, and used my main Soul ability to make the bike compartment open up and her bags float to me, then I grabbed them. "I think you're strong enough to carry your backpack, right, ajumma?"

Yeji gasped, "I'm strong enough to carry you in my arms, ahjussi. Those bags are nothing," then she passed her arms under the backpack and didn't move, her eyes widening as she glared up at me. "Stop!"

"What am I doing now?" I played dumb.

"You are making it weight more, you piece of shit," she yelled and I just grinned, saying nothing, using my ability to double the weigh again. "Moon Seok-jin!" Yeji yelled. "Stop it, you bastard!"

"No 'please'?" I blinked dramatically.

She straight up hissed at me, "I would rather die!"

"Don't play with your death, Choi Ye-ji," I snapped, tensed up, then before she could say anything, I walked towards her and grabbed the bag from her back, "arms off of it, if you don't want me to carry you like this."

"You wouldn't dare," she gasped, and when I began to do exactly that, as soon as her feet came off the ground, she cursed. "Fine, fine, fine, ahjussi," she yelled, "put me down and I'll do that, you jerk."

Clicking my tongue, I lowered the backpack enough for her feet to teach the ground and she quickly got off of it, cursing me, "So you are the prideful type," I purred.

That gained me another glare, "Why don't you go to hell?"

"Where do you think I came from, love?" I winked.

"Don't call me that, ahjussi," she hissed.

"Why not, love?" I provoked.

"Stop!"

"I'll stop when you call me oppa," I tilted my head, mischievously.

Her eyes widened, "I'll never call you that, ahjussi."

"Never say never, love."

"Stop, Seokjin, I'm serious," she growled. "If anyone see you call me that, it'll get weird. Let's not make it weird."

I cocked an eyebrow, "Then I'll only call you that when we are all alone, since we will be alone a lot," I licked my lips.

"How are you so infuriating?" Yeji glared at me.

"I was born this charming, love," I purred.

"You were born arrogant too, ahjussi?"

"That is also part of my charm, love."

Scowling mockingly, she rolled her eyes and offered me the key of the Road Glide back, "There, take it!"

"Keep it," I looked at the academy, avoiding her gaze. "Give it back to me after you get your new car and bike. You will need it for when we go back to Chicago later."

"They will talk,"

"Put it on your handbag and don't let them see it, then, love," I said before she could finish it, before she could refuse, and she halted.