Park and Violet (19 page)

      But what she hadn’t counted on was Park making a move this fast, this sudden.

      “Gomen.”
It meant ‘sorry’ in Japanese, but his normally beautiful accent was all screwed up, sounding like a mixture of German and Korean this time.

      “I’m going to take her away now.” Park said the words as if it were a statement and a threat both, his large hard body vibrating with suppressed rage and tension. He looked like he was just waiting for Lee to give him a reason to snap.

      Lee didn’t appear bothered at all. He glanced down at Violet. “What do you want Violet?”

      “I don’t want—”

      Park’s fist connected with Lee’s face in a solid blow, causing the other man to fall to the ground.

      Violet screamed.

      This was not part of the plan at all. She had only been about to say that she didn’t want trouble, but Park must have misconstrued it.

      “Park, no!” Violet rushed to hold him back when he started for Lee again, who had just picked himself off the ground. “Don’t hurt him!”

      The words had the opposite effect on Park, who threw a look of absolute contempt at Lee before he started prying her hands away from his arm.

      Violet panicked. “Stop, please! Leave Lee alone and I’ll go with you. We’ll talk!”

      Park slowly looked at her. Rage still burned in his eyes, the jealousy and possessiveness mingled with it making Violet hope for things she dared not. Did he understand now? Did he fucking understand now how much she meant to him?

      “We’ll talk now,” Park said in a steely voice, his gaze challenging hers to refuse.

      She could afford to be meek now that she had what she wanted. “Yes,” she said shakily. She turned to Lee. “I’m sorry—”

      It was all Violet was able to say before Park had dragged her away. He only came to a stop when they had reached a nearby park and he pulled her down to sit on an empty bench next to him. This part of the park was quiet and without the usual noisy crowds. Only the chirps of birds and the occasional rustle of leaves on the ground punctured the silence between them.

      “I’m sorry.” Park’s voice was hollow when he spoke. “I didn’t mean anything I said back then. I only said because I wanted to make things feel less…” He expelled a frustrated breath. “Saying them made me feel like I was in control and that what we had would be less important than what it really meant to me.”

      She held her breath. “Why? Why would you want to undermine what we have?”

      Park straightened and looked at her with eyes filled with anger and frustration. “Because it was safer!”

      Her heart soared, but she still tried to keep her voice steady as she asked, “If you didn’t mean what you said, what did you really want to say back then? What was the truth that was so difficult for you to accept?”

      Park shook his head furiously. “Can’t it be enough that you have on my knees? I’ll shout I’m sorry to the entire uni if that’s what it takes—”

      “I want to know the truth!”

      “I was jealous!” Park exploded, the words hissing out from his mouth. “Are you satisfied? I’ve been feeling jealous for such a long time and when you kept talking in Spanish, it made me stupidly think that you might be telling me you like someone else and I just wanted to hit back.”

      Violet was reeling at what Park had just revealed. “Why were you jealous? Because you think I’m yours?”

      “That and something more–something I can’t explain! God knows I’m not in love with you, and when I do fall in love, I know it’s not with a girl like you—”

      “Is this supposed to make me feel good?” Violet drawled.

      But Park ignored her, continuing, “But I don’t know why, I’m actually jealous. You don’t flirt. But I still get jealous even if you glance at another guy. I feel humbled that I’m the only guy who knows your body in and out but I can’t understand why you let me be your first.”

      He suddenly cupped her face. “And worst of all, I’m fucking terrified that somehow, all of this–all that’s happened between us is just a game to you and that all along you’ve been playing with me.”

      She didn’t say a thing, just continued gazing at him with teary eyes.

      Park felt his world closing around him, and the only way to save himself was to have Violet help him out. He had said it. He had finally admitted his worst fears to Violet, and now Park had to know if those fears were justified or not.

      “Are you, Violet?” he asked flatly.

      She was still too dazed at the amount of information he had given her to answer, leaving her unable to make immediate sense of what he was asking. “What?” she whispered.

      He forced the words out. “Are you fooling around with me?”

      Violet knew, oh, she knew, she knew how hard it was for Park to ask that. “I am.”

      Park’s heart splintered.

      She was about to take it back, unable to bear the pallor in Park’s face, when he suddenly said tonelessly, “It’s okay. I can play the game as well if it’s what you want. Will you come back to me now, Violet?”

      And that was when she realized the truth.

      Park really was in love with her, too. He was just too stupid and blind to realize it yet.

      Violet’s eyes filled with tears.
Take it slow and easy
, she told herself.
If you let him know that you think he’s in love with you, he’s going to deny it to death and we’ll be back to square one.

      Swallowing her own words of love back, she slowly raised her hands and made a peace symbol with her fingers. “I didn’t mean it. I’m not playing with you and I’m just joking? I… oooooooouuuuuuuuuch!” Violet hurriedly pulled away, ears ringing in pain. “That hurt!”

      “You were joking?” he roared.

      Violet took that as her cue to run away from Park before he could make her pay. “I’m sorry!” she shrieked over her shoulder even as she ran as fast as her shaking legs could carry her.

      “Joking! You were fucking joking?” Violet was a fast runner, but she was no match for Park’s strong long-legged strides and he caught her up in his arms just before she reached their workplace.

      When she saw the scowl on Park’s face, the terrifying sight had Violet babbling. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, so please don’t be mad anymore?” Violet held her breath.

      And then he did another unexpected thing. Park, Mr. Cool, Mr. Indifferent–Mr. I’m-Better-Off-Without-Girls—kissed her in front of everyone, one hand gripping her hair to turn her face up as his lips slammed down on hers. She let out a gasp of shock against his lips, but still he didn’t let go.

      I love this guy, Violet thought just before giving herself completely up to his kiss.

Chapter Fifteen

“I’m so excited,” Violet confided to Gladys and Midori. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and they were all heading to the university to celebrate Culture Day. Park and the boys were walking right behind them, laughing over something Crayon was talking about. Just thinking about him made Violet steal a look at Park behind her, like an addiction she couldn’t help succumbing to every few seconds.

Their eyes met, and a tiny smirk appeared on Park’s lips.

She whipped her head back, flushing at getting caught staring at him.

“Is this your first time to experience the Culture Festival, too?” Midori was asking.

“Umm…yes.” She struggled to sound normal even though she could feel Park’s gaze on her. Shit! Surely it wasn’t her imagination that he was---

Violet glanced back.

Park was talking, but his intense gaze was focused entirely on her, eyes smoldering as he caressed her body from afar.

“Violet?”

She quickly turned away. “Err, yes?” The girls laughed, making her blink in confusion. “What did I miss?”

“It’s more of a ‘
who’
question,
actually,” Gladys answered slyly. “Who are you missing right now?” She inclined her head to the back meaningfully, and the other girls laughed again.

“I so don’t know what you’re talking about,” Violet said haughtily and quickly changed the subject. “Wearing a
kimono
feels
so
amazing.” She let her fingers drift over the silky texture of the traditional Japanese robe dress she was wearing, still more than a little awed at the fact that she had on something so beautiful.

“I can’t believe you got the guys to wear them, too,” Midori confessed.

“Well, of course they have to wear a
kimono,
too,” Violet exclaimed. “It’s a freaking culture festival – how can you
not
wear one for this kind of occasion?”

All of the boys had been quick to cave in to her smiles, actually, and it was only Park whom she had the most trouble with. As a last resort, Violet had threatened to kiss him all the time and drown him with embarrassing PDAs just to get him to agree.

She made a face at the memories. It was not nice at all to know that Park was
that
uncomfortable with having her kiss him in public. Jerk! She should have known that the sweet and tender Park who had asked for her forgiveness a week ago was just a phase!

“And you got him to dye his hair, too!” Gladys was saying, sounded incredibly impressed as she said the words.

She wasn’t the only one. Violet had said it as a joke when they had “gotten back” together, like a punishment of sorts for what he had done. But she hadn’t really thought he’d go through it until she saw a dark-haired Park showing up outside her door the next morning.

“That bad, huh?” Park had finally broken the silence between them when all she could do that time was gaze open-mouthed at his dark locks.

She had shaken her head. “It’s…it’s…” It was the first time Violet had been at a loss for words. But all the time, her mind kept replaying just one line –
How could Park not realize only a guy in love would do something this drastic?

A little sigh escaped Violet as she pulled herself out of her memories. She really had her work cut out for her with Park.

“We’re here!” Crayon suddenly cheered from behind and ran past them.

Violet glanced up, startled at Crayon’s words. Her eyes widened in excitement when she realized they had indeed reached the university, its grounds already overwhelmed with people. The sun shone brightly in the sky, but the air was perfectly cool – the best kind of weather to spend time outdoors. Dozens of colorfully decorated booths lined up every lane, and everywhere the sound of laughter mingled with the clopping sounds of people’s wooden sandals. The silks of their kimonos rustled against the ground, and the soft but quick Japanese chatter of locals was soothing to Violet’s ears. It was like living straight out of any one of those
manga
she loved reading. It was, in a word,
amazing.

Park was suddenly standing next to her.

She squeezed his arm, the only way she could show just how excited she was.

He looked down at Violet, the brightness in her eyes almost tempting him to smile. “Lost for words, banshee?” he teased gruffly.

“Shut up.” She said it without heat, still too busy greedily taking everything in.

Midori appeared in front them. “Violet, what’s your booth?”

The uni had required all its students to work at least one shift in any of its booths. Violet had signed up for more than one, though, since it meant extra credits. “The flower shop,” she answered. “We’re just going to sell flowers, nothing really extraordinary.”

“What’s Park’s booth?” Gladys asked.

Violet made a face. “He has one shift in the kissing booth and then another in the café.”

Gladys and Midori burst into laughter.

She glanced up at Park, whose face was expressionless as always. But Violet wasn’t fooled. He liked seeing her bothered by the idea about his shift at the kissing booth and the café – both of which were popular girl magnets on occasions like this.

“Worried?” Midori asked slyly.

“Of course not. Park’s a certified ogre,” she said airily. “He’s not going to change just because he needs his booth to be #1 today.” Violet beamed at Park. “Right?”

Wrong.

She saw that for herself when she snuck to where Park was all dressed up in a fancy tux as one of the waiters at the
manga
café his sports club was heading. Hiding her face behind the large menu, she peeked over it once in a while, gritting her teeth as a nonstop flow of girls flirted with Park. All the other student waiters stood by idly, with nothing to do since all the girls wanted Park to take their orders.

Since Park was taller than most others in the cafe, it was easy to see the expression on his face as girls vied for his attention. His gorgeous face was still as unreadable as ever – until his eyes suddenly found hers.

Eek
!

Violet hurriedly shrunk down in her seat.