16. First possible bath plan?

"Let's see how far you're willing to go just to be my friend."

"H-Ha?! Nooo!" You yelped before you rushed to him held firm onto his hands that was already sliding down, you held an urge to burst your face at seeing his undergarment, but you forcefully pulled his wrist up to pull it back up.

A small scoff escaped his lips, concealing a laugh, tempting to release, as he scrunched his brows down at you with incredulity. "Are you seriously pulling up my pants right now?"

"Aren't I?" You challenged, brows furrowed at him with lips pouted up at him, fighting the warmth that exuded your cheeks.

"Pft." He began to pull down once again, but you resisted and pulled it back up.

Your heart began to pound in your chest at your close proximity with him, especially having him shirtless like this made every part of you sweat even further.

"I said I'm taking a bath," he repeated before he leaned forward with a coy smirk. "Unless you want to take a bath with me."

"HUH?! NO WAY!!!"

He laughed out loud, returning back to his amused face once again, the same ones you joked with, many days ago. You were secretly glad to have this side of him back, but the way this went was totally unplanned in your case. In fact, this whole ideal of him being your roommate was not ideal in the first place. Yet, somewhere in your heart had room to possibly like him in his own unique way.

He abruptly shoved his hands down, revealing what you knew was, but you dared not to look down as you forcefully glared at him, fixated your eyes onto those violet ones, filled with clear amusement.

"Then, kindly leave...and let me have a peaceful time to take a bath alone," he spoke with confidence. "But, first let me pull down my pants."

"Tch." You bit your lip so hard it could bleed, you definitely needed to convince him to give you his phone number or else your project will be a big downer. Even if it means to deal with your annoying roommate like this, so be it.

"...Not until you give me your phone number."

"No," he spat, as if he wanted a reaction out of you as he drew closer in mocking amusement.

You groaned out loud, your brow throbbed at the corner in clear irritation as you remove your hands off him and placed it on your hips instead.

"Listen, I hate you, and you hate me, we have that in common, don't we?"

He nearly gagged, raising his purple brows with a tugged smirk. "You got my attention there."

"Okay..." you began softly, finally regaining your composure as you cleared your throat and straightened your back. "At least we have one thing in common to consider being friends."

"Hah, more like enemies," he restated with a scoff. "After all, how can two people who hate each other be friends?"

"Well, friends have things in common," you continued, as a matter-of-factly. "And we already have a huge factor in common..." you drew confidently closer at him. "...So, then we can be friends at least and learn to find other things we have in common, and we do that by exchanging phone numbers first."

"Are you seriously lecturing me about having friends?"

"Yes, because it seems you don't have much."

"Hah, I do—"

"Not," you filled in, before you blankly stared at him with crossed arms. "...Not real, comfortable ones that make you laugh, not that kind."

He scrunched his brows, eyes rolled with slight seriousness before he scoffed. "You don't know me, so stop acting like it."

"I'm not, I never said I did, but just by the looks of it, and the way you act towards people, you always have that sour face, but...you act quite different with me...seeing you smile and laugh, and joke around with me...it seems as though I'm the only one who sees that side of you, so that's why I think we should just start...at least being friends."

He did not bat a single lash, staring deadpanned at you for a while, scrunching his brows slightly in thought before he raised a brow with his cherry lips slightly puckered upwards.

He shrugged. "You're just plainly idiotic, I can't help but laugh, that's all."

"HAH?! You—!!"

You curled your ball to a fist and began to punch his abdomen, but he didn't move an inch while you felt the surging pain throb within your knuckles and veins, as if you hit some huge boulder.

"OW—!! What are you? Some rock?" You grimaced, as you fling your hand up and down to hopefully soothe the pain.

To your surprise, he took ahold of your wrist tightly, brought your pained hand up for him to see. He eyed it carefully, before he leaned close, fluttering his eyes shut before he leaned his lips on your knuckle.

"What are yo—"

"Shh..." he shushed under his breath, while you remained silent, totally caught off guard by his sudden gesture.

You didn't know why, but your heart began to drum loudly in your ears with just the touch of his luscious, soft cherry lips against your exposed skin. Adorned by his skin, white as a swan, along with the beautiful shade of purple of his hovering hair.

Soon enough, he flickered his eyes upwards, fluttering those beautiful long lash up to meet your eyes, removing his lips from your skin.

"Sorry, and...fine, I'll give you my phone number," he murmured, looking almost apologetic before he flickered his orbs down and circled his thumb on your knuckle. "...does it still hurt?"

"...a bit."

"Don't lie."

"I'm not, you can't tell."

"Your face tells me, it looks like you've gotten a nail in here," he mentioned, before he slowly let your hand go and lifted his arm to you. "...give me your phone."

"..." you continued to stare silently, unsure why your were slightly awe-struck for a moment, quite lost in his sudden, rare softness at you, which was so surprising since you expected him to say something mean. But, somehow he suddenly changed, just because you were hurt by your own doing. You definitely liked it. A lot.

He snapped his fingers at you, earning your attention from your dazed expression. "...huh?"

"Your phone, or else I'll change my mind."

"O-Oh, here." You handed your phone over to him, as you watched him gracefully flicker his eyes from you and towards the rectangular, glowing screen. His finger tapped against the screen to fill in his contact information.

Soon, he brought his phone out as well and handed your phone back over once he was done. You silently tapped your phone number, before exchanging it back.

You pressed your lips together, looking back at him with shyness that subtly took over your eyes. "...so, are we friends?"

"Tch, no," he scoffed before placing his phone on the sink counter, leaning against the black marble counter, looking into the mirror to gaze at you. "...you're the last person I'd ever be friends with."

"Awe, come on," you groaned with a light chuckle, as you combed through your hair in frustration.

"I hate you, you hate me, so let's be friends for all eternity," you spoke in a sing-song way—almost sounding like the Barney song.

"How about be my frenemy instead? I like that better."

You rolled your eyes with a groan. "Fine, my new frenemy, lets stay in touch for our project, that's all I'm being friends with you for."

"Oh? Are you sure about that?"

"Yes..." you replied softly, quite hesitant.

"Then, how about the whole speech you made on how I'm the only one who acts this way around you?"

"Well..." you began, averting your eyes away before you bit your lip in sudden nervousness that encapsulated your chest. "...That's also kinda true, though I'm only your friend because now..." you inhaled sharply. "...I hate you a bit less."

"Huh, well I guess I hate you less too, my new friend," he motioned sarcastically before craning his head back to you with a feline smirk. "...Would my new friend care to have a nice bath with me?"

"HAH?! NEVER!!" You yelled, feeling your whole cheeks flood with red hues, before you stomped off the room and shut the door behind you.

You took in a moment to breathe, feeling butterflies rummaging in your stomach with a warm, fuzzy feeling swelling in your chest at his new behaviour towards you.

You jumped into your bed, shoving your head in your pillow like an ostrich in the desert sand, as you tried to remove the beautiful image of his face, and his different expressions that you suddenly, somehow, in the strangest way, grew to like. Especially with that deep voice, and his last teasing words of offer.

You've never felt this way for Touya in the way you did for Shinsou, not the kind where you'd seen every side of Touya—besides his usual confident, flirty, and straightforward attitude. But, with Shinsou, it felt real, authentic, and downright transparent. There was something different about him that you couldn't comprehend—as if you wanted more of it from him, from a different level.

You shook your thoughts, knowing that you already have a boyfriend. Such a thought with Shinsou was simply absurd. Yet, your mind began to play with you and showcased possible images of having a bubble bath with your purple-haired roommate.

You bit your lip, slowing your mind to succumb to such an imagination—thinking to yourself of how comforting it would be to have a warm, bubble bath with red petals by his side.