३५

"Yah, yah, yah! He threw in grenade, back away-back way!" Youngjae shouted trying to crawl out of the room. "Wonwoo-ya pull back!" He screamed as the grenade went off killing Youngjae who was already knocked out and Wonwoo who failed to pull back. "Yahhhh..." Youngjae whined removing his headphone and turning to look at Wonwoo who let out a groan and threw his phone on the couch in frustration.

"Mian." Wonwoo apologised removing his specs and rubbing his eyes.

"Yah, what's with you today? What happened to your game play suddenly?" Youngjae asked getting up and walking towards kitchen. "Did you drive today?" He asked opening the fridge, Wonwoo nodded his head in answer. Youngjae took out a soda can and beer for himself and walked back to sofa. "Are you tired? Busy schedule?" He asked passing the soda can to Wonwoo.

Wonwoo shook his head and thanked him for soda. "Ani. I don't know what's wrong." He answered opening the can and putting it to his lips. "I think it's been long since I played on phone." He excused staring at his abandoned phone. Youngjae nodded sipping on his own beer. Wonwoo glanced at the square shaped clock hanging against the wall. It was eight-thirty. "Hyung?" Youngjae hummed in answer. "Has Rumi-ssi been working overtime these days? I haven't seen her around." Youngjae almost spit out the liquid at her name. "I hardly see her in company and when I do it's like she's avoiding me." Wonwoo continued looking at Youngjae who was wiping his mouth.

"Avoiding you? I don't think so..." Youngjae awkwardly laughed trailing off. Has he noticed it? Youngjae asked himself. Lately Rumi would text him asking if Wonwoo was at home? If he was she would ask Youngjae to text her when he's gone. Youngjae had thought of questioning her about it and then realised it might be because of that incident. She might be trying to avoid him because of her double identity. But she's avoiding him in company too? "I think it is because she is busy with work." Youngjae reassured patting his arm.

"Do you really think so?" Wonwoo asked looking like an abandoned kitty. "Since we returned from the trip we have not talked once, I don't think I did something. In fact, we had a good chat that night it was almost like a d-" Wonwoo was cut off by the sound of door opening.

"Oppa, I'm back." A very familiar voice greeted making both boys to turn around. Wonwoo's mouth fell open when he saw the familiar figure looking, "Beautiful..." Wonwoo muttered as he watched Rumi smile at Youngjae who had walked up to Rumi to help her remove her heels. Rumi was clad in beautiful golden coloured dress? No, it was called something else... The golden cloth wrapped around her body highlighting the curves that were never seen in her normal t-shirt and jeans. Her hair in a bun leaving her neck back apart from the pearl necklace that rested over collar bones. She looked eternal...Wonwoo eyes trailed her every movement.

"How was the party? Did you click pictures?" Youngjae asked taking the little purse from her hands as Rumi exhaustedly made her way towards the dining table. "Let me do that." Youngjae said taking away the glass from her hand and pouring the water for her.

"Pictures of what?" She questioned gulping down the whole glass in one go.

"Of yours princess." Youngjae cooed making Rumi snort at that nickname. "Mwo? Do you even know how pretty you're looking?" Youngjae said taking away the glass from her hand, Rumi muttered a thank you while rolling her eyes. "You returned early? What about your chingu, why didn't you bring her over?" Rumi snorted again collecting the long trail of cloth that was hanging over her shoulder.

"She won't be coming anywhere near here. Beside she has a plane to catch tonight." Rumi replied.

"She's leaving? And why not?"

"Yes, why do you think I agreed to wear this saree and attend the stupid party?" Rumi said pointing to herself. "Only time she had to spare was at that party. And why not because..." She glanced at Youngjae, staring him up and down. "I won't be able to protect your dignity if she ever comes over. Hmm you are exactly what she would want." Rumi nodded her eyes coming to stop at Youngjae's chest.

Youngjae covered his chest with his arms exclaimed. "Yah! What kind of friends do you even have?!" Rumi laughed walking towards him and slapping his butt. "The one you wouldn't want to meet." She teased about to throw herself at the couch but froze looking at head peeking at her. "Wonwoo-ssi..." She trailed of looking at his face. Is he really here? Or am I day dreaming again?

"Ah, I completely forget. Wonwoo and I were just talking about you being busy with work these days?" Youngjae piped in putting his hand over Rumi's shoulder, who turned to looked at him in daze. "He was wondering if you are overworking?" Youngjae asked raising his eyebrow when Rumi didn't respond to any of his questions. "Rumi-ya?"

"I-I, yes busy with work." Rumi nodded looking away. "Umm...I'll go change and freshen up." Rumi quickly removed Youngjae's hand and hurriedly made her way to her room.

"Wait Rumi-ssi..." Wonwoo stood up his hand out to stop Rumi from leaving but she was long gone. "But do you really have to change..." Wonwoo muttered looking at the closed door. Mwoya? Youngjae blinked his eyes looking from Rumi's door to dejected looking Wonwoo. Did he really wanted to see her in that so much?

"Wonwoo-ya? I have pictures of her, if you want to see?" Youngjae suggested pointing at his phone. Wonwoo's head snapped up in attention at that. Youngjae grinned jumping over the couch and opening his phone gallery to show him the pictures he had clicked last nights. "I clicked lots of them when she was deciding to wear which one? She wanted my opinion on which one to wear so I sneakily got too many shots." He said feeling all proud and excited like a mother showing of her daughter to her neighbour. "She was looking pretty in this green one, look." Youngjae said excitedly.

"De. So pretty..." Wonwoo whispered his eyes unmoving. "Rumi-ssi..." Wonwoo called his finger moving over her pictures.

"Oppa! Can you come in here?" Her voice made Wonwoo snap his head up towards her room. "Eo! Coming!" Youngjae shouted back and nudge Wonwoo. "You go and see." He said nodding towards her room. "De?" Wonwoo looked him baffled. "Eo...I badly want to use washroom." Youngjae stood up holding his stomach. "Ahh. I've been holding it for long." He cried and ran off to bathroom.

"But hyung!" Hyung was long gone leaving Wonwoo staring at Rumi's door. "OPPA!" Rumi called again making Wonwoo flinch. "Ah otokke..." Wonwoo stared at where Youngjae had run off then at Rumi's door. "Uh, let's just go." He decided and walked towards her room and come to stop at the door. Taking a deep breath, he turned the handle and stepped in.

"OPpa-you are here." Rumi was to about shout again when she heard the door open. "Can you help with the blouse string? I pulled it but I think it got stuck." Rumi said arching her back. She was standing against the bed, her back facing the door as she worked on removing her bangles which clinked with little movement. She felt a warm breathe over her shoulder as fingers trailed over her naked back and pulled the stuck string apart. "Help me unclip the necklace will you?" She said shuddering when the cold fingers moved to her neck and unclip her pearl necklace. "Gamavo oppa. But why are your hands so cold..." She trailed off turning around. "Wonwoo-ssi..." She breathed. They were too close. Standing too close.

"Uh, hyung went to use washroom so..." Wonwoo whispered his eyes moving down on stray strand of hair falling out of her bun and tickling her cheek. Wonwoo hand moved on his own accord and tucked strand behind her ear.

"Wonwoo-ssi..." Wonwoo moved his eyes to meet Rumi's chocolates orbs.

"Rumi-ssi. You look beautiful." He whispered before pulling his hand and stepping back. "Uh I mean you look beautiful in this." He stuttered and looking away.

"Eo? Ah ye, ye." Rumi herself looked away she could feel her cheeks heating up and thankfully they could be covered with the pink blush Nandini had applied. "Thank you." Rumi muttered in small voice avoiding to look at him while Wonwoo was finding it hard to keep his eyes away from her. "Umm..." Rumi shifted from one leg to another. "Wonwoo-ssi, I will be changing my clothes." "Ye." Wonwoo nodded his gaze nor his feet moving. "Wonwoo-ssi?" Hearing his name called finally snapped him out of it. "Ah, ye, ye. Excuse me." He blushed and walked out of the room closing the door behind him.

Rumi's legs gave out and she crashed to ground burying her face in her palms. "Ah...what is wrong with me? Why are my legs suddenly so weak?" Rumi cried slapping her heated cheeks. "Wonwoo-ssi called me beautiful..." A daze smile took over her face. "Beautiful, hehe." She giggled again hiding her face and letting out a squeal.

Both Youngjae and Wonwoo who had just walked out of the room flinched at the sound. "Yah, what happened in there?" Youngjae asked glancing at Wonwoo who himself looked surprised. "I don't know, should I see if she's okay?" Wonwoo asked about to turn around. "Ani, ani. Leave her be." Youngjae shook his head. "Something is definitely wrong with her these days. She suddenly screams out of no where and covers her face like this." Youngjae said slapping his face with both palms. "Ah apha..." He rubbed his cheeks which sting. Wonwoo made a face feeling his pain. "She is weird. Anyways, Wonwoo-ya come here and help with these plates." Wonwoo nodded helping him as instructed.

"You were saying that she has been avoiding you since y'all came back from trip?" Youngjae questioned thinking back that she had acting weird since then. "Did something on your trip?" Youngjae asked looking at Wonwoo.

Wonwoo pressed his lips together. From as far as he remembers nothing happened for her to be avoiding him, last thing he remembered was them doing dishes together and suddenly next day she started avoiding him. "From what I remember, nothing much happened." Wonwoo replied nodding his head.

"Really then-yah are you done?" Rumi came out of the room and walked straight to bathroom without responding. "Aish this girl. Yah, don't try to scrub of your face to remove the makeup! Use the makeup remover, it's beside the sink!" Youngjae shouted knowing well of her habits. "Makeup what!?" Rumi shouted back in return making Youngjae sigh in defeat. He looked at the egg he had cracked on the pan and then at Wonwoo. "Wonwoo-ya go help her out, or she'll just scrub out a layer of her skin trying to wash it."

"Na? Hyung but-" Youngjae gave him a pleading look. "Araso. I'll go." Wonwoo muttered and again he hesitantly made his way to Rumi. He once again stood at the door, Rumi's back was facing him as she tried to figure out how to use the bottle she was holding. A smile formed on Wonwoo's face; her lips had formed a little pout while her eyebrows were knitted as she read the instruction on the bottle. This time Wonwoo knocked on the door gaining her attention. Rumi looked up, her eyes meeting Wonwoo's through his reflection from mirror. "Do you need help with that?" He asked nodding towards the bottle.

"Uh this. No, it's fine I can figure it out." Rumi shook her head and looked back to the bottle. It says to dap my face with this. How should I do that? Rumi thought opening the bottle and sniffing. It smell's good. She thought about to pour some in her hand when the bottle was taken from her hands. "What are you-Wonwoo-ssi I can do it." Rumi said stepping away from him. Ah why does he keep nearing me? I can't handle it. Rumi bit her lip putting some distance between them. Wonwoo ignored her and started shuffling through the cupboards looking for something. He pulled out cotton pads from somewhere and pour some of the liquid on it and casually started wiping Rumi's cheek who snapped her eyes at him. "Wonwo-"

"You should use cotton pad to wipe it." Wonwoo said diligently working on removing makeup for Rumi. Ah, this guy...Rumi bit her lip trying to control her every urge. But he is so close, look at those eyes so focused ah gwiyeowo. His nose, I want to pinch it so bad. His lips are like a cupid's bow, pink and glistening under light. I remember them feeling like soft cotton. How would they feel now? Rumi thought unconsciously wetting her own lips. I want to feel- Ah! Rumi snapped out of her thought, in reflex she slapped Wonwoo's hand and turned away cursing.

"Fuck!" She swore. Wonwoo looked shocked, he glanced at his slapped hand and Rumi who refused to look at him she kept muttering something under her breathe. "Wonwoo-ssi, can you please leave." She said without looking at him.

What? Wonwoo looked at her baffled. "Rumi-ssi, what is-"

"Please leave."

Wonwoo didn't know what was colder the cotton pad which he held in hand or those two words. Wonwoo pressed his lips together and nodded his head. He moved to place the cotton pad on sink, Rumi flinched and stepped away from him. Wonwoo clenched his jaw. "De, I'll leave." He muttered and stomped right out of the bathroom directly to couch, collecting his phone and jacket.

"Yah, eodiga?" Youngjae asked watching Wonwoo hurriedly collect his things. "Wonwoo-ya?"

"Hyung, I'm leaving." He curtly answered.

"Leaving? What do you mean? Aren't you going to have dinner with us? Don't you want to talk with Rumi about-"

"Rumi-ssi wants me to leave!" He snapped. "She hates me. It's very clear, hyung. Her avoiding me and then coming home late because I might be here. It all makes sense, now." Wonwoo let out a bitter laugh.

"Yah, what are you even saying? It's not like that. She's probably stressed with work. Did she say something to you or did something?" Wonwoo stayed silent remembering how she flinched away from him. "Wonwoo-ya, she didn't mean it. She tends to take out her stress and anger on other people. I'll talk to her; she probably didn't mean to do it." Youngjae consoled trying to stop Wonwoo from leaving.

"Ani." Wonwoo shook his head. "I'll text you later. Bye." With those words Wonwoo left ignoring Youngjae's call.

"Aish! This girl, what did she do now?!" Youngjae groaned rubbing his forehead. "I really to need talk with her-" He turned around ready to give her a good hearing when the said culprit walked out nonchalantly. "Yah!"

"Mwo?" She asked wiping her face with the towel hanging around her neck. "What happened? Where is..." She trailed off looking for Wonwoo in the room.

"What did you do?" Youngjae interrogated. "What did you say to him that he left like that?!" Youngjae almost screamed in frustration pointing his finger at the open door.

"Mwo? What did I do? I didn't do or say anything!" Rumi argued back her own voice raising.

"He thinks you hate him and he straight up left! What the hell did you say to him?"

"Eh?! Hate? What? When did I ever say something like that? I would never! In fact, it's quite the opposite I li-" Rumi stopped realizing what words she was about to scream out. I like him. I like Wonwoo-ssi. There she finally admitted it. Her heart going crazy at his thought, her mind clouded with his thoughts, her randomly daydreaming about him and earlier her wanting to kiss him; it was all because she has feelings for him, she likes him. Rumi threw her towel at Youngjae and sprinted out of the apartment not even bothering to put on shoes.

"YAH! EODIGA! RUMI!" Youngjae ran behind her to see disappeared around stairs.

Rumi was too impatient to take elevator that she had taken the stairs. She ran with all might pulling the main gate of apartment she looked around from his lone figure but he was nowhere to be seen. "Wonwoo-ssi!" She called when she noticed a taxi pulling out of the driveway. "WONWOO-SSI!" She screamed running behind the taxi. "I don't hate you Wonwoo-ssi!" She cried as the taxi drove off leaving her behind. Rumi let out a groan and crash on ground whining like a child. "Joahaeyo Wonwoo-ssi..." She cried burying her face in her palms. She sat there screaming out her frustration in her palms. "I'm so dumb. Vedi, vedi Rumi." She mumbled and she stood up.

"I'm really dumb." She said to herself as she made her way back to apartment. "Why did I have to react like that?!" She muttered banging her on the elevator wall. "Just because I couldn't control my horny urges. Ah Rumi, kay kelas tu... (Rumi, what have you done?)" Rumi cried walking out the elevator and making her way inside the apartment. "Now, how should I fix this?"

"Yah, you are back? What happened? Did you talk to him?" Youngjae asked as soon as he saw her paddle her way in. "Yah, where are you going? Are you not going to have dinner?!" He screamed when she went inside her room and slammed the door behind. "I've lost my appetite!" She screamed out in answer. "MWO?! Yah! Get out of that room, right now! Rumi! Do you hear me?!" Youngjae stomped towards her room and started banging his fist on her door. "You do not skip on dinner for whatever reasons ever! Rumi-ya eat first you can stress on things later..." Youngjae tried to console his voice softening.

"I don't want to oppa. Please just let me be today." Rumi replied burying her face in the pillow and continued cursing herself.

When Wonwoo reached back to his dorm, the living room of dorm was bustling with chatter and laughs. Wonwoo sighed in annoyance, it's not like it was any different the liveliness but today he wasn't in the mood to handle their loud chatter and laughter. "Eo? Wonwoo-ya, you are back? Where did you go off to today?" Seungcheol questioned noticing Wonwoo entering the living room.

"To his friend's place. Lately he's been going over to play games." Mingyu answered for him while shifting his ass to make some space on couch for Wonwoo to sit. "Did you have fun?" He asked patting the space. Wonwoo let out a sign and made his way to the common kitchen.

"Did you not?" It was Dokyeom who asked. Seungcheol, Joshua, Hoshi and 97' liners were gathered together today.

"He must've lost back-to-back games." Hoshi commented. Wonwoo rolled his eyes while pouring himself some water. That did happen. I was out of it to focus on the game. I kept glancing at the clock all the time. "Wonwoo-ya gwenchana, just accept you have lost your touch." Hoshi teased earning laughter from his other brothers.

"Yah, stop it before he gets angry." Seungcheol warned laughing.

"He is half of the time. He's either annoyed or emotion-less." Hoshi teased again.

"Better than your hyper-active self. Between are you good now? You were very much like him last few days?" Joshua questioned. Hoshi nodded his head humming. "It's all good." Hoshi answered.

"He's back to his self after going out on date with that person. Rumi, was her name?" Minghao joined, since Hoshi had returned he had not stopped talking about it.

"Mwo?" It was Wonwoo had paraded back to living room upon hearing Rumi's name. "Date with who? And when?" He interrogated narrowing his eyes at Hoshi.

"Mwoji? Why are you suddenly? It wasn't a date, but went out to eat yesterday?" Hoshi answered suddenly fearing for his life. "What time?" Wonwoo questioned. "What time? Time...After she got off work? Wae? Why are you acting like this? Did something happen?" Hoshi questioned.

Wonwoo scoffed a bitter smile forming on his face. "Ani, nothing happened. I'm going up." Wonwoo said and stomped upstairs ignoring calls from his members. So, it really is like this. She clearly doesn't like me. She was never busy with her work; I mean she had time to go out with Hoshi. Wonwoo slammed close his door, removed his jacket balled it and threw it across the room. "She hates me." Wonwoo groaned falling face first on his bed, he rolled around turning himself into blanket burrito. "But wae!?" He cried. "I didn't do anything to her hate me like this." Wonwoo whined.

It didn't even cross his mind. Why he was so bothered with this when he never did care for such things before? Why he was feeling so upset? It never occurred to him that he might be feeling something different. His mind was only clouded with thoughts that Rumi didn't want to near him, meanwhile she was going on dates with Hoshi. Her flinching away from him kept repeating in his mind. The question of why he was bothered by it never crossed his mind.

While the other one had finally come to terms with her feelings. Rumi had finally accepted that she likes Wonwoo. All those odd things she had been feeling was because she had feelings for Wonwoo and not because she had heart problems. One had already reached the midway while other was still in search of starting point.

"What did I even do?" Wonwoo muttered to himself. His phone pinged making him groan. "Ahhhh, just go away!" He groaned when the phone pinged again multiple times. Huffing and puffing Wonwoo wriggle up like a worm, pulled out his hand from the burrito and opened his phone; it was Youngjae who had left messages. Squinting his eyes, he read the messages.

Wonwoo-ya, did you reach home?

Wonwoo-ya don't be upset. Rumi behaves like that sometimes.

She is stressed with work that's why she's behaving like that. Don't worry I'll give her a good scold. She'll apologize to you when she's back to herself.

So, don't be upset, okay? Meanwhile look at this. I thought you might like these...

He had sent the pictures of Rumi he had taken of her, the ones they were looking at earlier. And also, some of the ones of today.

I stole these ones from her phone. Hehehe.

Wonwoo laughed, he could hear Youngjae's giggle through the text. "She looked so beautiful today." Wonwoo murmured to himself going through the pictures. "She looks pretty all the time but today she looked prettiest." Wonwoo smiled zooming on her face. A snicker left his mouth at her expression. She had tight-lipped smile on her face and her eyes clearly saying she was bored out of the mind and wanted to leave. "How can she be so cute?" Wonwoo laughed. "Eo? What's this?" He zoomed the picture and narrowed his eyes at the little dip  under her lower lip. "A dimple." His smiled poking it on the screen. He giggled poking it again.

"Mwoyaaa? What am I doing?" He giggled rolling around in his bed.

A/N :

Dumb and dumber falling in love. Let me know what you think? PS. Visualization of Rumi in saree below.

Love,

Alba💜