I OPENED MY EYES, my face nuzzling into a strong chest. Like always, Kinn was lying on his side with his arm pillowing my head. I burrowed into his familiar warmth and inhaled his scent. He tightened his embrace, his arms encircling me. I’d gotten used to it—I was too lazy to complain when sleeping like this was actually kinda nice.
Yesterday, I’d told Kinn I was going back to sleep in my room, but in the end he’d come knocking on my door at two in the morning, saying he couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t sleep, either, and I didn’t want him to pitch a fit and wake everyone else in the house, so I obediently followed him back to his room. I’d been too easygoing with him lately—but to be fair, we hadn’t done anything except sleep all night.
I slowly moved to get off the bed, walking to the bathroom to do my business and brush my teeth. Kinn had even procured me my own toothbrush in his bathroom now. I was drowsily brushing my teeth when the bathroom door opened and Kinn rushed inside. I blearily looked at him in the mirror, confused, as he took off his trousers and peed into the toilet.
“The hell are you doing?” I mumbled, toothbrush still in my mouth.
He turned to look at me. “Pissing.” He still looked handsome despite his hair sticking up everywhere, disheveled from sleep.
“Have some manners, you bastard!” I scolded him, rinsing my mouth with water. What kind of person was this shameless? I avoided his gaze and focused on washing my face.
“Why? Are you embarrassed? Isn’t this something you’re already familiar with?” Kinn said without shame.
“Familiar, my ass.”
“Yes, your ass, my house. I can do whatever I want. Look!” I turned away from the sink to see him shaking left and right, still peeing.
“Bastard! So fuckin’ gross. You’re getting it all over the seat, asshole!” I shouted at him. Kinn laughed but grabbed the bidet hose21 to spray the toilet clean. I straightened up and wiped my face with a towel, not wanting to witness Kinn’s terrible personal hygiene any longer. After a while, he walked up behind me and pulled me into a kiss.
“Jerk!” I grumbled, stumbling but quickly righting myself.
“There’s your good morning kiss,” he said before exiting the bathroom. I clicked my tongue, but found myself smiling a little despite myself.
I went downstairs to shower and get dressed. I was starting to get used to the dirty looks everyone sent in my direction. I didn’t pay attention to them, acting like everything was normal.
After getting ready, I went to eat with my friends, who were waiting at the staff cafeteria. I greeted Pete, Arm, Pol, and my little brother. Chay just sat there with a petulant look on his face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as I sat next to him. He turned to glare at me.
“You left me again last night,” he said. The whole table turned to stare at me. I felt so awkward I could barely sit still, looking left and right like I didn’t notice what Chay just said. Fuck! Why did he have to say that in front of everyone?!
“That bastard! I hate Kim, I hate Kim, I hate Kim!” Chay exclaimed, stabbing his spoon into his omelet again and again. He looked super pissed.
“What did he do to you?” I asked, my voice dark. Chay turned to meet my gaze for a moment before sighing.
“I just hate him! No reason.” He got up to put his plate away before stomping out of the mess hall.
“The hell is wrong with Chay?” I asked as my friends and I watched him leave.
“Porsche, go get something to eat. It’s all stuff your stomach can handle,” Pol told me. I turned to look at the food. Pol was right—it looked like I really could eat all of this. Where did all those vegetable dishes go?
“My…it must be nice to be the favorite,” someone remarked. “If you can’t eat our food, everyone in the entire house has to change for you.”
I squinted at the opposite table, suddenly realizing something: I had complained to Kinn that the food at his house was shit. I didn’t like spicy food or vegetables, so I’d only been eating omelets. I’d had so many at this point that it felt like I was turning into one. But these past few days, there were dishes that I could eat more easily, and a greater variety. Don’t tell me Kinn told the cooks!
“Barking so early in the morning, doesn’t your throat hurt?!” Arm shouted.
“Heh, what did you do that has the boss so messed up?!” one of them howled.
“Must have been put in a lot of…positions,” another one offered.
Bang! A hand slammed down onto the table. It didn’t come from me, but from Pete, who stood up to glare at them. Pol and Arm stood up, too. I sighed, sitting there with my arms crossed as I watched the situation unfold. I was fed up with the whole thing.
The opposite table quickly shoveled food into their mouths and went to put their plates away. We stared at them until they walked out of the kitchen and disappeared from sight.
“Bastards! Not so brave now, are they?!” Pol spat, kicking a chair.
“You don’t have to worry about it—they’re all talk. Go get something to eat,” Pete told me.
“I’m not hungry anymore. I’ll go wait for Tem and Jom outside.” I grabbed a bottle of water and some of those stupid chocolates. I headed straight to the garden, lighting a cigarette and biting into a chocolate. By the time I finished smoking, Tem called me to say they were here.
I led Tem and Jom to the garage, then we brought what we needed for our report to the garden. Pete, Arm, and Pol came to greet my friends and sat with us for a while.
“You guys have to be productive, too.” We’d all gotten close because we’d met up together and grabbed drinks pretty often. Since Pete, Arm, and Pol weren’t on duty yet, they’d come over to help. Although they were a little older, I could talk to them comfortably as friends.
The other bodyguards in the house might stare at us disapprovingly because I’d brought my friends over, but what could I do? The boss forbade me from leaving.