***
Lonnie keep crimping his hand under the table as Lani’s uncle stare angrily at him. His name is Tan and he lives in Busan with his family, he visits Lani when he is less free from work, cuz his late sister was Lani’s mom.
“I have seen your face somewhere, but I can’t remember when I have seen your face. Have we met before?” Tan asked. Just like Eloise he is not really a fan of the K-pop music, cuz he is always busy with work, trying so hard to provide for his family who lives in Busan.
“I don’t think we have met before” Lonnie answered in a low pitch voice. The bruise on Tan’s face was so visible and he has been cursing himself for taking action without thinking.
“I’m sure I have. Even your name sounds familiar” Tan said.
“He used to be a K-pop singer, you might have seen him on TV” Lani said.
“Oh I see, but what is he doing here?”
“Well, he is no longer an idol and he is my boyfriend” Lani answered his question.
“Your boyfriend?”
Lonnie quickly buried his head on the wooden floor while Lani nodded her head.
“Hey, you”
“Uh” Lonnie muttered raising his head to look at Tan.
“You’re my sweetheart’s boyfriend?” He asked and Lonnie nodded his head.
“Sweetheart, I think you should break up with this jerk. He is a violet person, take a look at my handsome face, it’s all bruised up”
“I’m sorry about that. He is a jealous boyfriend and he h@ťěs it when I am with someone else. Lonnie is a good guy” Lani said defending Lonnie.
“You call a guy who punch his girlfriend’s uncle a good guy? If not that I am way older than him, I’d have beaten him up for touching my handsome face” Tan said. No doubts he is a very handsome man. He is in his late 30’s, but he looks like he is in late 20’s.
“I’m so sorry, uncle….”
“I rebuke you! Who are you calling uncle? Don’t you know your uncle when you see him?”
Lonnie takes in his lips, shorts of words.
“C’mom my love, he is already apologizing. Shouldn’t you be happy I have a boyfriend like Lonnie, he is not just handsome but he is protective of me too, that’s what you have always wanted, right?” Lani asked, blinking her eyes, acting cute.
“Don’t try to act cure, cuz I won’t fall for it. He is already in my black book and that’s final” Tan said and glared at Lonnie.
Eloise entered the house and she screamed when she saw Tan. Tan is her son and the only child she has left after Lani’s mom died in an accident. Lani’s mom was the first child followed by Tan.
“nae adeul!”
“eomma!!”
Both squealed and hugged each other in excitement.
“When did you arrive?” Eloise asked, caressing his hair.
“An hour ago”
“How’s your wife and my little A-ri?” Eloise asked.
“They are fine”
“It’s been a while you visited and you’re not looking bad…. What happened to your face? Who is that bastard that punch you!” Eloise said in annoyance.
Tan looked at Lonnie, and he quickly hide his face hoping Tan won’t tell on him. Seeing how Eloise cares for her son, Lonnie knew he’d get it hot from her.
Lani’s heart was also beating in fear, cuz she knows how Eloise treasures Tan.
“What happened to your face, son?”
“It’s nothing mom, I bumped into someone and his head hit my face” Tan said and Lonnie let out a sigh of relief.
“That bastard is so lucky, if it was someone I know I’d have sent him to hell”
“I’m fine mom, you still haven’t changed” Tan teased and she smiled.
“Come with me, I will apply ice on your face” Eloise said holding Tan’s hand and they went inside the room.
“I no longer exist when her son is here” Lani scoffed with a smile and her heart skipped in fear when she saw the way Lonnie was glaring at her.
“Why are you glaring at me like that?” She asked.
Lonnie took her hand and went outside.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had an uncle? I thought grandma was your only family”
“I am sorry, it’s slipped my mind. Uncle Tan lives in Busan and visits once in every blue moon and that’s why I forgot”
Lonnie took in his lips and said; “Why is he calling you sweetheart, you even called him my love, and that’s why I got jealous. He h@ťěs me now”
“That’s what we call each other. He is my late mom’s younger brother and he was part of those who took care of me after I lost my parents when I was just five years old. We’re pretty close to each other” Lani explained.
“You should have told me, I look bad in his eyes. I don’t want any of your family member to h@ťě me” Lonnie said like a baby and Lani smiled.
She raised the tip of her toes and pecked his cheeks. “Don’t worry, my uncle doesn’t h@ťě you. He even covered up for you, it means he likes you”
“You think so”
“I know my uncle more than anyone else, so I know what runs inside that mind of his”
Lonnie smiled and wrapped his hands around her waist and Lani smiled at him.
“But I’m jealous”
“About what?”
“You have a name you call your uncle, but you always call me by my name”
“Should I call you my loml or my hubby or my nuggets or my ride or die, or my heartbeat?” Lani said and at the same kissing several parts of his face, and Lonnie was busy laughing.
“Really?” Tan said, and they both separated from each other, with Lonnie’s head on the floor.
“Sweetheart, my mom’s needs you inside” Tan said.
“Alright” Lani said and went inside the house.
Tan glared at Lonnie for thirty seconds before answering the house.
“Eish, that annoying bastard” Lonnie said raising his hand like he wants to punch someone.
“I hope he goes back to whenever he came from, he is just gonna be an hindrance between Lani and I”
“Are you still here?” Tan asked coming out from the house.
“No, I about to leave” Lonnie faked a smile and quickly entered his house.
******
•POSY’S HOUSE, NIGHT•
Posy is being beaten up hellishly by her sister, Verity. She came back home and tried to steal the money Posy worked so hard for in order to pay the money she (Verity) stole before.
“I’m not going to allow you take the money. I work so hard for it, so give it back to me!” Posy shouted. Her mom was just sitting in the corner crying, cuz she has birthed a devil. It’s all her fault while Verity turned into what she is now, cuz she always accepts her wrong doings, without scolding Verity.
Verity slapped Posy so hard, but Posy was unwilling to let go of Verity’s jacket.
“I don’t care the amount of beating you give it to me, all I know is that you are not leaving this house with the money!” Posy cried.
Verity pushed Posy and she fell hitting her head on the wooden chair, and not minding that she was bleeding, Verity pointed a gun at her.
“What! Are you still going to demand for the money? Try to stop me from leaving and I won’t hesitate to blow off your skull!!” Verity shouted and Posy melted like an ice.
“Don’t try to fight me when you know I’m going to win at the end” She smirked and leaves the house with the money.
“Posy” Her mom called her name, crying.
“I just want to be alone” She said with balls of tears falling down from her eyes.
She stood up from the ground and left the house walking like a zombie.
“Posy, please come back, you’re bleeding” Her mom cried, but Posy paid a deaf ear to her pleading.
***
Posy was still walking one step after the other in the street of the night, and the only thing that was speaking for her was her tears.
Verity has been her constant nightmares and these nightmares will keep on coming as long as Verity is still in existence.
The main reason why she chose not to go to college was because of Verity, cuz Verity will always steal the money she always saves up.
“Good night Ma’am” Posy could hear Rory’s voice from a distance.
She looked at where his voice was coming from and she sees him smiling at a lady who was leaving after he fixed her car. Rory does different kinds of jobs to survive and that’s why he hardly had the time to study.
Posy ran to where Rory was and hugged him tightly.
“What’s wrong, Posy?” He asked.
“I just need a shoulder to cry on” She said with a crying voice.
***
“Ouch!” Posy winced as Rory treated her injured forehead. She sustained an injury when Verity pushed her.
“Sorry” He said blowing air to her wound and Posy smiled.
When he was done treating her forehead, they sat together watching the crescent moon.
“What are you going to do about your sister? She won’t stop as long as she is walking freely on the street”
“It’s all my mom’s fault why she turn into a monster. She always welcome her wrong doings and never scold her for it. She is ripping from the seed she planted on her, and unluckily for me, I am suffering from it too”
Rory held her hand, Posy looked at him.
“I am always here for you, Posy. I can’t go up against your sister, but I will always be a shoulder for you to cry on” Rory said with a smile.
Posy looked at Rory for a while and she snuggled closer to where he was sitting, and he kissed his lips.
Rory’s eyes widened cuz he didn’t expect a kiss from Posy, but when he regained his thinking he pushed her away slightly.
“Rory….
He didn’t give her a chance to talk before walking away.
“When is he going to notice that I love him more than a friend?” Posy muttered.
She touched her lips and smiled, it’s actually her first kiss.
******
•LANI’S HOUSE, THREE DAYS LATER, NIGHT•
“You will be leaving tomorrow? But you just got here” Eloise said looking disappointed, but Lonnie was dancing inside of him, cuz ever since Tan came he hasn’t talked to Lani properly. Eloise ask him to join them for dinner, so he is eating with them.
“I have work to do in Busan, I just came to Hadong to see how you and Lani are fairing, but I’m sure someone’s happy I am leaving” Tan said and looked at Lonnie, while Lonnie looked elsewhere.
“When will you be coming back?” Lani asked and Lonnie frowned secretly, to him he doesn’t want Tan to come back.
“I am not sure yet, but I will keep in touch. Or do you want me to take you to Busan with me?”
“No!!!!” Lonnie said in a loud voice, answering the question on behalf of Lani.
“Don’t worry, I won’t take your girlfriend from you” Tan said, and everyone including Eloise laughed.
***
“Do you know how to drink?” Tan asked Lonnie some minutes later after Lani and Eloise had gone to bed.
“No I don’t drink”
“You don’t have to lie to be on my good side”
“I’m telling you the truth, I used to be a K-pop idol so we’re not allowed to take alcohol, so it became a part of me”
“Fine I will just drink alone” He said and Lonnie watched him as he pouted liquor in a glass.
“Do you really love Lani?” Tan asked and Lonnie smiled.
“I’m sure my mom must have told you the condition Lani has, right?”
“Yes”
“Don’t ever be the reason for her tears, else I’d haunt you forever”
“I won’t do that to Lani. She completes me so I won’t ever hurt her. Please allow me to be with her”
“I never said I was against your relationship with her” Tan said and Lonnie smiled.
******
•STEWART HIGH SCHOOL•
Rory came out from the restroom and headed back to class, but on his way, he saw Posy, he tries avoiding her, but Posy was quick to see him.
“Rory”
Rory took in his lips and turned to look at her “Posy”
“Are you avoiding me?”
“No I’m not”
“Yes you are. For three days now you have been avoiding me. Did I do something wrong?”
“You already know the question to that answer Posy”
“Is it because I kissed you?”
“You shouldn’t have kissed me”
“I did that because I….”
“We are friends Posy and we shouldn’t cross the limits of our friendship”
“Is that why you’re so kind to me, because you only see me as a friend?”
“Yes. You see me as a friend too, right? No strings attached, right?”
Posy nod her head, trying not to cry.
“Then let’s forget about the kiss and continue as friends okay” He smiled at her and walked away. He sees Dami and he rushed to where she was, swingling her around.
Posy shot a deadly glare at Dami and walked away.
******
Lani had her head on Lonnie’s chest as they watch a movie together. They were in his house, enjoying the joy of being a couple.
The movie was going well, not until the FL in the movie prepared a nice meal for the ML, and he complemented her for her cooking.
Lani raised her head from Lonnie’s chest and looked at him.
“I’m jealous”
“Jealous of what?”
“Her?” Lani said, pointing at the FL on tv.
“You’re more beautiful than her, I am not admiring her, God can be my witness” Lonnie said and Lani smiled and kissed him.
“I know you’re not admiring her, I want you to compliment me too when I cook for you”
“You don’t know how to cook, and I’m not bugging you to learn how to cook”
“How about I give it a try? Your favorite meal is mushroom hot soup, right?”
“Don’t bother cooking Lani, you suck at it” He said and Lani began to cry.
“You’re a bad boyfriend, you don’t want me to cook for you” She cried harder
Lonnie sighed and place his hand on the back of his neck.
“Fine…. You can …. cook for me” He stuttered and Lani laughed cutely.
***
Few minutes later, Lani was done cooking and Lonnie kept staring at the food anticipating if he should it or not. The aroma was nice and it wasn’t looking bad, but knowing his girlfriend has never entered the kitchen, made him delay in eating the mushroom hot soup.
“You don’t want to eat?” She asked, making a sad face.
Lonnie faked a smile at her and slowly picked up the spoon. He took a sip from the mushroom hot soup and he saw hell on earth immediately.
Smokes started coming out from his ears and his white skin turned to red color immediately. It was too spicy.
Lonnie screamed thunderously.
“Water!!!” He cried like a baby.
……
TBC