Chapter XXXVIII – Worth The Wait

“You okay Nabi?” Irene asked as the two walked around the school during break.

She kept her distance recently, so Irene stuck to her trying to make sure she was alright.

“No. . .” she mumbled glancing towards Irene.

She looked confused, distracted, and most of all hurt.

“Does this have anything to do with Tjay?” Irene wrapped her hand around Nabi’s waist while resting her head on her shoulder.

Nabi just let her do what she wanted before the two sat down on a bench outside.

“Yes and no. . .” she sighed.

Irene took a deep breath and turned Nabi around, as she started to braid her hair. She found that it was something Nabi enjoyed having done to her.

“Talk to me. . . You’ve been distant lately.”

“Sorry, it’s just that I’m out of it. I got approached by the guy who left me the letter. His name is Wang Hyun.”

“So what’s he like?”

“Good looking, charming, smart. . .” she kept talking with a low voice. “The list goes on.”

“And, do you like him?”

“I don’t know. . .”

“The comment Tjay made really hurt you, huh?” Irene whispered.

“Yeah. . .” she turned towards Irene. “Why would a guy like that take a liking to me?”

“You need to check yourself in the mirror and list all the things you’ve done up until now, then you’ll know the answer for sure,” Irene said smilingly. “You’re an amazing person and an ambitious one at that. Yet at the same time, you do not forget others’ feelings. That’s rare from what I could tell. . .”

“You’re just saying that. . .” Irene flicked her forehead. “Ouch! What was that for?”

“Why do people keep telling me that?” she sighed annoyed. “I don’t say shit I don’t mean. Stop underestimating yourself and just do what feels right.”

“What about you then?”

“What about me?”

“You and Arthur. . .” she mumbled. “You’re as close as two people could get, Max already blabbed about you two sleeping together. So how come you two haven’t, you know. . . Done anything?”

“He needs to start keeping things for himself. . .” Irene sighed but smiled nonetheless. “Yeah, I like Arthur. I think anyone can tell. But right now we’re just friends. Really close friends.”

“You don’t want to get together with him?”

“Of course I do. . . But it’s not that simple. I can tell that there’s something holding him back, and I don’t want to push him too much. I already came on quite strong when we first met. Besides, I don’t mind how we spend our time together. With time, I’m sure we’ll get together, or we won’t. . . But that’s something only time will tell.”

“How can you be so relaxed knowing it might not work out?”

“I don’t want to force him into a relationship he might not be ready for. Not too long ago, he lost everything. For him to commit to anything while still figuring out the world itself, I think that’d be selfish to ask for. Besides, I strongly believe he likes me too, but I do want him to admit it first.”

“I sort of get it. . . Still, I don’t think I’d be doing it the same way you are.”

“I’m sure many wouldn’t. Some would avoid making the first move, while others might insist on being more assertive. Truth is, we’re both growing on each other and becoming more comfortable. I’m just giving him time to figure out his feelings. He could end up saying that we’re just friends, and that would suck, but in the end, I can only hope that what I want comes true.”

“Are you sure he knows how you truly feel?”

“Considering the things we’ve done, and the fact that I’ve never denied liking him in the first place, I’m sure he is at the very least aware of it. If not, well he will eventually.”

“Well, I’m rooting for you two. . .”

“Thanks,” Irene gave her a soft smile. “So what’ll you do?”

“Before I answer that, mind if I ask you more questions?”

“Ask away.”

“How did you end up taking a liking to Arthur in the first place?”

“Huh, I guess I’ve never told you about it,” she sighed leaning into the bench. “Do you know how we first met?”

“Yeah, he told us about it.”

“Well, I was firstly impressed by the fact that he stood up for me. Then there was the fact that I found him irresistibly attractive, and when I found out that he goes to J High, I figured it was fate.”

“Fate? Maybe that’s going a bit far,” Nabi raised her eyebrow.

“Maybe,” Irene giggled. “I’m obviously joking about that last part, but still it was a coincidence. Anyway, as I was saying, once I’ve arrived at school and saw him again, it felt right. We talked for a bit, and I tried to get to know him better. He was sweet, good-looking, and on top of it super smart. Which I’m sure you’re already aware of.”

“Can’t deny that. . .” she averted her gaze annoyed, finding Arthur often being her competition during class.

“Still, it was enough to get me intrigued. With time, I started liking him more, and here we are now. . .” she sighed closing her eyes for a moment.

“You thinking about him now?”

“Maybe. . .” she chuckled looking back at Nabi. “There’s a lot of things you notice about a person when you truly observe them. Like how he smiles when he goes up an escalator, so I make him go up and down the mall while making stupid excuses. The way he treats others compared to how he treats me. Arthur always tells others to stop talking while they’re chewing, but he hasn’t told me that once. . . Sometimes I even do it on purpose just to see how he’d react, yet he doesn’t even notice it. It’s like it never bothered him in the first place. Of course, I stopped doing it, but when it does happen it makes me smile. He’s able to listen to everything I talk about, even if he doesn’t particularly find it as interesting in the end. Always open to new ideas, and new experiences. He views the world differently than others, and I can truly tell that he is thankful for everything he has. I’d be a fool not to fall for someone like that. . . And if he needs a bit of time to make a decision in which direction our relationship is going, I’m fine with keeping things as they are. I just hope that the day he decides comes before I reach my limit and make a move myself.”

Nabi watched as Irene smiled while continuously talking about Arthur. It was refreshing to see someone be so honest about things and confident at the same time in the choices they were making. The two had a unique dynamic that Nabi truly for the first time felt like nobody should mess with.

“If you keep talking about him like that, I might just end up falling for him as well,” Nabi teased Irene.

“I wouldn’t blame you,” she chuckled in response. “So, what are you going to do about Hyun?”

Nabi sighed. “The only thing I can do. . . I’ll consider it and see where that takes me.”

“We’re still young,” Irene said grabbing Nabi’s hand. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.”

“Thanks. . .”

After school Arthur and Irene made their way to her apartment. The idea was to watch more anime, or more specifically a movie rather than a TV series.

“What did you say the movie was called?” Arthur asked looking at Irene as she dashed towards the living room.

“Sword of a Stranger!” she yelled out as Arthur stayed in the hallway, still taking off his shoes.

“Everything alright?” he said entering the room.

“Huh? Yeah. . . Just needed to check something,” she smiled while hiding something behind her back. “I’ll be right back. Make yourself at home.”

He watched as she skipped towards the bathroom.

The place looked almost the same as it did when he was over the last time. Even the pillow they slept on was still on the couch.

He made his way towards the kitchen, getting himself a glass of water.

“Alright, I’m back. Sorry about that,” she said with her hair tied into a ponytail. “I’ll set up the movie for us.”

“Want me to grab you anything from the kitchen?” Arthur asked.

“No thanks,” she said shuffling through her DVDs.

“So, what’s the movie about?”

“It’s an older one. The story follows a swordsman who travels with a small boy and his dog. I won’t spoil things for you, but it’s one of my favorites. The music in it gives me shivers every time.”

Arthur returned to the couch, sitting down next to Irene.

“Oh, before we begin, I made us something.”

“What is it?”

Irene got up and rushed towards the kitchen. She was quite energetic today.

She returned moments later after having rummaged through the fridge, carrying a plate with a large slice of cheesecake with two spoons on it.

“Iseul taught me how to make it, so this is my first try alone. . . Hopefully, it turned out good.”

“Looks great!” Arthur praised her as he ogled the neatly made cake.

Irene sat down next to him, cut into the cheesecake with the spoon, and offered to feed him the first bite. With a smile on his face, he accepted.

“Damn, that’s good. . .” he savored the sweet and creamy taste.

“I’m glad you like it,” she said taking a bite at it with the same spoon she used to feed him.

She almost moaned to the sweetness of the cake, as the two shared quite the sweet tooth.

Taking a spoon for himself, the two shared the slice while playing the movie.

The action was intense, and the production was unlike anything Arthur saw before. It was done a lot more seriously than Grancrest, the anime which they previously watched.

Irene couldn’t help but occasionally glance towards Arthur, admiring just how cute he looked when focused on something. Her eyes looked into his, then dropped to his lips and neck. She couldn’t help but smile affectionately.

With a sigh, she leaned into him pulling a blanket over herself.

“You getting cold?” he asked glancing towards her.

“A bit. . .” she said knowing that the night was strangely cold, and the heating wasn’t turned on.

Without saying a word, Arthur pulled her in closer and covered both up with the blanket. She quietly dropped her head on his shoulder before closing her eyes for just a moment.

He’s so warm. . .

She felt at ease.

The movie lasted a little over an hour and a half. By the end of it, Arthur should’ve already been considering heading home. It wasn’t the weekend either, so they had school tomorrow.

“Art, wanna stay the night?” she whispered, assuming he’d most likely refuse.

“We got school tomorrow. . .” he whispered back.

“Figured as much,” she sighed.

“So. . . We gotta wake up early tomorrow. You won’t complain about it, will you?” he said smilingly.

“You’re staying?” she asked genuinely surprised.

“If you make sure we don’t miss school, I wouldn’t mind crashing.”

“Yay!” she cheered like a kid before planting a kiss on Arthur’s cheek which took him by surprise.

He couldn’t help but smile as she suddenly got a surge of energy.

“If it makes you that happy, I might just have to move in. . .” he teased her.

“Don’t tempt me,” she said somewhat serious.

“Would be funny, but no. I’m just joking,” he shot down any weird idea that might sprout from the moment.

“I’ll be right back,” she said while heading towards her room.

Taking out his phone, he opened his chat with Sophie.

If Grandpa asks, I’ll be staying over at Irene’s for the night. – Arthur

That also means you’ll be going to school on your own, so make sure to wake up on time. . . – Arthur

Sophie had gotten used to not having to worry about setting the alarm since Arthur would always wake her up.

Within seconds, he got a reply.

Sophie – Way to go Irene

Sophie – Have fun you two ^^

He sighed turning off his phone.

Meanwhile in Irene’s room, as she was getting a change of clothes, she also used the time to clean up a bit.

Dammit, I’ve left such a mess.

It took her a few minutes to finally return to the living room.

“All good?” Arthur turned towards her as she stretched her back.

“Yeah, had to make the bed. . .”

“Decided to not invade the couch?” he chuckled.

“I ain’t letting you get sore on that thing again. We’ll be sleeping in the bed this time. If you remember me complaining about it, I’m happy to announce that a few days ago, my uncle helped me get a new bed. King sized, with the best freaking mattress you’ve ever seen. Trust me, once you have a taste, you’ll be crying to come over every night.”

“So, we hitting the bed right away?” he looked at the time.

While it was still early, considering how much Irene loved to sleep, it was about the time to lay down so she could feel rested.

“Want anything to eat beforehand?”

“I’ll skip, but I don’t mind waiting up,” Arthur said smiling at her.

“Nah, in general, I skip late-night meals. . .” she said climbing up the couch and dropping right behind him.

“What are you-”

“Hush, I still owe you this one,” she interrupted his question as she tapped him on the back while holding a small bottle of massage oil in her hand. “Take off your shirt.”

“Huh?” he asked confused but listened anyway.

Rubbing her hands after pouring a bit of oil, she spread her legs and put them around him while leaning back into the couch as he sat up straight.

“I told you that if you win, I’d give you a massage,” she said placing her warm, soft hands on his back.

Her touch was gentle, as she rubbed her palms in from the bottom of his spine all the way up to his shoulder blades.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she heard him say that, but at no point was he making an effort to stop her.

Once done spreading out the oil, she used her thumbs and gently pressed them into his muscles. She was aiming to relax his shoulders a bit.

She didn’t know how, but Arthur seemed fitter than last time she saw him shirtless which wasn't that long ago. While his muscles hadn’t grown, she can tell that they were stronger and better defined.

“How often do you train?”

“Daily,” he said trying to look back at her but was met with resistance as she pushed his head down to massage his neck. “Why?”

“I can clearly see the progress. . .” she said rubbing her thumbs deeply into his neck, making a circular motion.

“Damn that feels good. . .” he closed his eyes taking a deep breath. “Visual changes will slow down significantly soon, but I do intend to get fitter than this.”

“How come you’re so determined about fitness?”

“Physical fitness is a good reflection of our mental fortitude. Without a body to handle the stress, our mind will be overworked.”

“Damn. . . Well said,” she whispered slowly working down towards his back again.

After twenty minutes or so, Irene finally finished up as she tapped him on the back.

“Thanks for that,” he said leaning forward.

He could feel her hand caressing and scratching his back gently. “No worries. If you ever feel sore or want to get another one, just ask.”

“You’ll spoil me,” he chuckled.

“As I should.”

“Where’d you learn to massage like that anyway?”

“My sister taught me. She took courses on it when she was still in high school. Compared to her I’m just a tiny bit better than a person who never did it before,” she smiled slowly wiggling off the couch. “Alright, I’m getting tired, so let’s wash our teeth and hit the bed.”

After sorting everything out, Arthur finally stood in front of Irene’s bedroom. One shove of the door and all her secrets that she hid would be exposed.

“What are you doing?” she chuckled looking at him from behind.

“I’m not sure if a mortal such as myself has the right to enter.”

“Dork. . .” she shoved opened the door and shoved him inside.

He wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was a surprisingly normal room. The desk had a laptop and a bunch of school books resting on it. A small nightstand on top of which rested a lava lamp right next to the left side of the neatly readied king-sized bed. Her wardrobe was massive in comparison to his, and she had a large mirror standing in the corner. The window overlooked a small park to the west, making her view clear of any other buildings.

Arthur also couldn’t help but notice that there was training equipment lying around, which included a pair of light dumbbells, a yoga mat, resistance bands, and professional-looking rollerblades.

“You ride rollerblades?” he asked as he previously saw ones in Sophie’s room.

“Yeah, it’s either that or a bike. Wanna ride sometimes?”

“I ugh. . . Don’t really know how. . .”

“Are you sure? You seem to pick up on everything as if you’ve been doing it for years,” she teased.

“I’m sure. . .” he sighed.

“Hey. . . How about I teach you? It’ll be fun.”

“I’d like that.”

His words made her feel mellow. He truly never refused any of her requests.

“Then I guess we have something to look forward to during the summer,” Irene said crashing onto the left side of the bed.

“I’m guessing you don’t have a shirt I could borrow,” Arthur just now realized that he was still in his school uniform which he needed for tomorrow so couldn’t let it get too wrinkly.

“Nope, you can sleep shirtless though. I don’t mind,” she said playfully.

“Of course, you don’t. . .” he sighed, taking off his clothes and laying down next to her.

It was a bit cold, and as she said, the bed was comfortable. So much so that he’d begin to wonder if he’ll ever be able to sleep in his bed again.

Turning off the lights, the two once again turned their backs towards each other, knowing well that in the morning the situation might be different yet again.

“Sweet dreams,” Arthur whispered.

“You too.”

After laying around for ten or so minutes in silence, Irene took a deep breath and mumbled to herself. “I like you a lot. . .”

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.