Chapter 23
"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.
" U-bi, can we date?"
Kim Jo asked,his eyes never leaving her beautiful face.
Lucy stared at Kim Jo,her lips slowly stretching from side to side,her eyes glowing. She slowly reached for him and wrapped her arms around his lower body and pressed his body to hers. Then whispered into his right ear
" Yes".
Kim Jo hearing that,his face litted up. He wrapped his arms and with speed,he flipped Lucy from the bed to his chest and kissed her left ear. Lucy let out a moan and Kim Jo Chuckled.
" Thank you U-bi. Thank you so much"
Kim Jo said, gasping for air.
Just then,Lee Dae and Seo Joon who had been eavesdropping from the door opened the door and walked in. Seo Joon rushed over to the bed and pulled Lucy from Kim Jo grip and hugged her.
" Thank you so much Lucy! Thank you for falling in love with this cold monster!"
He said and Lucy laughed and hugged him back.
A soft growl from Kim Jo made Seo Joon pause for a moment before fleding from the bedroom, pulling Lucy along.
" Where are you taking my girlfriend?!" Kim Jo Yelled, trying to stand from the bed and chase after them but Lee Dae pulled him back and sat him down on the bed.
" We have to talk"
Lee Dae said to Kim Jo and judging from the tone he used, Kim Jo understood and sat down obediently.
Lee Dae sighed slowly before staring at him seriously but what happened next was unexpected.
" I love you man. You did great "
Lee Dae said and hugged Kim Jo.
Kim Jo who was all focused on what Lee Dae had to say tilted his head to left, trying to understand and digest what Lee Dae just said blinked.
" You did well"
"Oh seriously,June"
" What were you expecting? Another magical ways to find true love?"
" Oh please.Not again"
Kim Jo whimpers and Lee Dae laughed.
Lee Dae pulled back and pat Kim Jo shoulder.
" Time to dress up"
" Dress up for what?"
Lee Dae stared at him for some seconds before grabbing a pillow and hit him with it.
" Your date, you bastard!"
"Oh"
" Stupid question from a stupid person "
" I'm not stupid "
" Then what are you? Smart?"
" Very"
" In your dreams. I will still remind you of our childhood when you put your underwear in a pot for it to cook"
" That was 18 years ago you mood spoiler!"
" Just a reminder that you are not smart,kid"
" Fuck you!"
" You're welcome"
But it didn't end there.
The battle continues as they walked to the waredrope.
"I'm warning you, Lee Dae," Kim Jo growled, violently yanking a silk button-up off its hanger. "If you bring up the underwear incident in front of Lucy, I will personally ensure your favorite sports car finds a new home at the bottom of the Han River."
Lee Dae didn't even look up from the jewelry drawer, casually tossing a silver chain from hand to hand. "Oh, please. Like she wouldn't find it endearing. *'Look at my boyfriend, the elite visual idol, who once thought cotton boxers made a good broth.'* It's called character depth, Jo."
"It's called sabotage!" Kim Jo threw the shirt onto the bed and turned on him, his messy curls bouncing with his irritation. "This is my first official date with my girlfriend. *My girlfriend*. Do you know how heavy that word feels? I need to look perfect. I need to look like the man who can protect her, not the kid who couldn't use a stove 18 years ago."
Lee Dae finally stopped poking through the accessories and looked at his friend. The teasing smirk softened, just a fraction. He grabbed a tailored, dark charcoal jacket from the back of the closet—the kind that made Kim Jo look less like a playful roommate and more like the untouchable heir he actually was.
"Then wear this," Dae said, tossing the jacket onto Kim Jo's chest. "It strikes the balance. High-end, but not so stiff that 'Jimmy' completely disappears. You want to ease her into the luxury, remember?"
Kim Jo caught the jacket, his eyes tracking the expensive fabric. A heavy silence settled over him as the reality of the situation crept back in. The contrast of his life versus the simple girl waiting downstairs.
"Dae," Kim Jo said softly, his voice dropping back into that gravelly register. "She looked at me like I was the only thing in her world. What happens when she finds out the world I live in is full of monsters like Cha-woo?"
Lee Dae walked over, his expression completely serious now, and clamped a heavy hand on Kim Jo's shoulder.
"Then you make sure your world bends to fit her, not the other way around," Dae said firmly. "Now stop overthinking before your heart-shaped lips get stuck in a pout. Put the jacket on. Your girl is waiting."
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**Meanwhile, Downstairs..*
While Kim Jo was fighting for his life in the closet, Seo-joon was currently treating Lucy like a precious glass doll on the living room sofa.
"Drink this," Seo-joon ordered, handing her a cup of sweet juice as if she had just run a marathon. "You need your sugar up. Dealing with Jimmy's possessive gaze takes a lot of calories, Lucy. I'm saving your life right now."
Lucy couldn't help the bright, bubbling laugh that escaped her lips, her hands wrapping around the cold glass. The lingering heat from Jimmy's s kiss was still flushing her cheek. but the sheer absurdity of the going out for a date again made it impossible to stay nervous..
"I think I can handle him, Sunny," she teased, taking a sip.
"You say that now," Seo-joon warned, leaning in dramatically. "But the moment he looks at you with those 'you are my universe' eyes, your knees fail. It's a medical fact. June and I have had to carry him off. You just turned the monster into a puppy with one 'Yes.'"
The heavy thud of footsteps on the stairs cut him off.
Lucy looked up, her breath instantly catching in her throat. Descending the stairs was Kim Jo. The messy perfection of his dark hair was slightly tamed, and the charcoal jacket hugged his broad shoulders flawlessly. He looked devastatingly handsome—a perfect mix of raw masculine confidence and the boyish charm that had stolen her heart.
He didn't look at Seo-joon. His intense gaze locked right onto Lucy's face, his bottom lip caught gently between his teeth for a split second as he took her in.
"Let's go, U-bi," he whispered, extending a pale, elegant hand toward her. "Your date is waiting."
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