Chapter 22.
The echoes of Seo-joon and Lee Dae's shocked shouting still vibrated in the hallway as Kim Jo practically shoved them out of the room.
He didn't give them a chance to interrogate him further, swiftly clicking the lock into place. Silence, thick and heavy, reclaimed the room as he turned back to Lucy.
She was still sitting in the middle of the bed, her rich, brown skin glowing under the soft room lights. She looked at him with a mix of bewilderment and wonder, her dark, expressive eyes wide as if he had just performed a magic trick.
Kim Jo walked back to the bedside table, a small, triumphant smirk playing on his lips. He reached for the lids of the dishes, lifting them with a flourish. The steam rose in a fragrant swirl, carrying the savory scent of garlic and toasted sesame.
Lucy's mouth fell open, her full lips parting in surprise at the vibrant colors of the red peppers and orange carrots nestled among the perfectly cooked noodles.
"Wow," she whispered, the word barely a breath. "This... this looks like it's going to be delicious."
She sat up straighter, subconsciously rubbing her palms together in anticipation.
Kim Jo let out a soft, melodic chuckle.
"Patient, U-bi,"
he teased, using the name that always seemed to ground her. He carefully handed her the steaming dish. As their fingers brushed, the contrast of his pale hand against her deep, velvet-brown skin sent a jolt through him.
He settled onto the edge of the bed with his own portion.He was just about to take his first bite when he realized the room had gone quiet. He looked up to find Lucy staring at him with that specific, hesitant expression. Her dark eyes were wide, her lower lip tucked slightly under her teeth—the ultimate puppy-dog gaze that looked absolutely adorable on her.
"What?"
he asked, his heart doing a strange little flip.Lucy gave him a sheepish, hopeful smile.
"Can I... can I get a fork?"
Kim Jo pressed his lips together, fighting back a laugh. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a clean fork he had tucked away earlier.
"Sure," he said, handing it over. "I had a feeling you might need this."
"Thank you!" Lucy exhaled. She wasted no time, twirling a generous portion of noodles onto the fork and taking a large bite.Her eyes shut instantly.
"Whoa! Oh goodness..." she exclaimed, her head swaying as she savored the flavor. "This is incredible."
Kim Jo watched her, his own hunger forgotten. Seeing her enjoy the meal so much sparked his own appetite, and for the next few minutes, the only sounds in the room were the soft clinking of the fork and the quiet hum of the air conditioner.
When the plates were finally polished clean, Lucy leaned back with a contented sigh. She uncapped the bottle of milk, taking a long drink, before switching to the water and gulping it down.Finally, she set the bottles down and looked at Kim Jo, raising a thumb in the air.
"Jimmy, you're the best. Seriously."
Kim Jo laughed.
"I'm glad I passed a test."
He gathered the empty dishes, his fingers lingering against hers for a fleeting second. He stood up and headed down to the kitchen to clean up.
The second his foot hit the kitchen tile, he was ambushed. Seo-joon and Lee Dae were hovering like hungry hawks.
"And where did you learn to plate food like that?"
Lee Dae added.
"Is there something you're not telling us, Jo?"
Kim Jo didn't say a word. He ignored their firing squad of questions, moving to the sink with a calm expression. He began washing the dishes with meticulous care.
Lee Dae, realizing he wasn't going to get a verbal answer, pulledout his phone with a mischievous grin and started snapping photos of Kim Jo elbow-deep in soapy water.
"The world needs to see this after we get home together with Lucy,"
He muttered.
When the kitchen was finally spotless, Kim Jo grabbed a bunch of bananas from the fridge and made his way back upstairs.As he re-entered the room, he saw Lucy illuminated by the glow of her phone. Suddenly, his own phone beeped. A notification from a new group chat: '
'D family of fun Team', created by Lucy.
He chuckled, the small gesture of inclusion making the room feel even more intimate.He closed the door, the click of the latch sounding final, and sat beside her on the bed. The atmosphere had shifted; the air felt thicker, charged with an unspoken tension. He peeled a banana with slow, deliberate movements and held it out to her.
"Dessert?"
Lucy leaned forward to take a bite, but as she did, the fruit slid out of the peel. She let out a surprised giggle, the sound light and airy.
But Kim Jo wasn't laughing. He was looking at her, really looking at her, his eyes tracing the beautiful lines of her face and the warmth of her complexion.Driven by an impulse he couldn't control, Kim Jo leaned over. He bit into the other end of the banana, his lips brushing against hers in a touch so light it was almost a hallucination.
The world seemed to vanish. The walls of the room, the sounds of the house—it all blurred. Lucy's breath hitched, her eyes locked onto his. To her, he was still Jimmy, but in this moment, he felt like someone entirely new.
Kim Jo swallowed slowly, his gaze never wavering. Slowly, he leaned over again, his hand finding the small of her back as he gently pushed her down to lay on the bed. He followed her down, cupping her face, his thumb tracing the curve of her lower lip. The deep brown of her skin looked radiant against the white pillowcases.The air in the room felt heavy.
Lucy's heart was drumming against her ribs, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she watched him hover over her. When he finally leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, the world officially stopped turning.Her toes curled, and her fingers instinctively grabbed the bedsheets. She tried to find purchase on his chest, her hands trembling, but Kim Jo caught her wrists. He pinned them gently but firmly to the bed, deepening the kiss, his passion finally breaking through. Lucy's eyes squeezed shut, her entire being vibrating with the intensity of the contact.When they finally pulled apart, both were gasping for air. Kim Jo withdrew only an inch, staring down at her. Her lips were flushed and swollen from his touch, her dark hair fanned out across the pillow.Lucy lay there, trembling. She was utterly overwhelmed, drowning in emotions she had never felt before. The silence was heavy and expectant as they simply stared at each other, the reality of the kiss settling over them.
The tension in the room was now so thick it felt like they were underwater, every movement slow and heavy with meaning. Kim Jo hovered just inches above her, his messy curly hair falling forward in dark, rebellious waves that shadowed his intense gaze.Lucy looked up, her breath hitching as she traced the sharp line of his jaw and the way his hair grazed his forehead. But it was his mouth that held her captive. He had perfect, heart-shaped pink lips—the kind that looked like they belonged on a statue, yet they were warm and soft against hers only moments ago.As they locked eyes, Kim Jo didn't pull away. Instead, he caught his bottom lip between his teeth, biting it gently as he looked down at her. The simple habit made him look too handsome to resist, a dangerous mix of boyish charm and raw, masculine confidence. The sight of it sent a fresh wave of heat through Lucy, making her pulse hammer against her skin.
"U-bi,"
He whispered, his voice a low, gravelly vibration that made her toes curl all over again. He didn't say anything else, but the way he looked at her—as if she were the only thing in his world worth seeing—said more than a thousand words.Lucy felt the strength leave her limbs. She was a girl who usually had all the answers, but under the weight of his gaze and the messy perfection of his hair, she was completely lost.