Bring It On! - Chapter 95

Chapter 95.

“Both of you need to get along and not fight.”

Suho said firmly, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he spoke. Behind him, his friend’s parents were waiting. Even though Suho had warned me several times, his brow remained furrowed with concern, like a mother worried about leaving her children home alone.

“Okay, okay.”

“Even if Hyung does something mean, never kick him out, alright?”

“Go on now. Your friends are waiting.”

One of the friends, already seated in the car, stuck their head out the window and shouted Suho’s name. It really was time to go. 

Suho glanced back anxiously as he walked, but as soon as he got in the car, the friends started chatting, and he quickly broke into a playful, age-appropriate smile.

Even after the car left, I stood frozen for a moment. I knew all too well what Suho worried about, but the three of us, Suho, Cha Yoon, and I, couldn’t stay together forever. 

I already felt the heavy weight in my chest thinking about how I would explain the inevitable farewell to Suho in the near future.

Winter was approaching quickly. A cold wind cut sharply across the exposed back of my neck. Only when I felt the chill did I step into the house.

The moment I opened the front door, a massive lump caught my leg. Cha Yoon was crouched just inside, wearing a sullen expression like a little troublemaker.

“What are you doing?”

“You told me to shut up and hide.”

Rumors about Cha Yoon had spread like wildfire across Suho’s academy. Tales of a movie-star handsome older brother, or that he was secretly Suho’s stepdad, were circulating. 

Some even said I had Suho while still a student and pretended to be his older sister. Realizing the seriousness of it, I had hidden Cha Yoon’s existence from our daily life. I couldn’t risk another rumor starting.

So I had told him to wait quietly until Suho left, but I hadn’t expected him to be huddled by the doorway like this.

“Why don’t you just go into your room and wait?”

“Do you think someone as embarrassing as me can just sit comfortably in the room?”

He exaggerated his disbelief so theatrically that I pressed my fingers to my temple.

“It’s because of the rumors… Just get up already. We need to get ready and leave.”

“I’ve done everything. You just need to bring yourself.”

“What?”

Cha Yoon grabbed my hand and led me outside. He opened the passenger door of the car parked in front of the house and gestured inside.

“Are we really leaving just like this?”

“What’s the problem? Hurry up. It’s cold.”

Though I got into the car under his repeated urging, I still felt uneasy. I had come out with nothing but my body, just as he said. 

Yet even after forcing me into the car, Cha Yoon didn’t look particularly pleased. If nothing else, he usually carried himself with the irritating confidence he was known for.

As he took the wheel, he seemed stiff, oddly tense despite his attempts at appearing calm. He flinched at every little sound I made, constantly adjusted the heater, rolled the windows up and down, and tugged roughly at the collar of his shirt, apparently uncomfortable.

“Aren’t you cold?” he asked, raising the heater.

“I can handle it if it’s too cold. You focus on driving.”

“What about the music? Is it boring?”

Since I had forbidden him from touching the heater, he now focused on the music. Even though the melody playing softly wasn’t bothersome, I couldn’t concentrate on it. 

Cha Yoon kept listening to just the intro and glanced at me repeatedly, checking my reactions to the tiniest things I did. Eventually, I turned the music off.

With only the soft hum of the engine, the silence felt long and heavy. Cha Yoon gripped the wheel with an unreadable expression, but he still couldn’t stop sneaking glances at my face through the window.

“Did I do something wrong?” 

I asked, unable to hold back.

“No.”

“Then why are you so restless?”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.”

Cha Yoon stayed silent. When I stared at him, he kept his eyes fixed firmly on the road, refusing to meet mine. His unusual behavior made it impossible for me to relax. 

At least when he was reckless and only sought me when he needed something, I knew exactly what he wanted. Now, his motives were unclear.

As my thoughts spun, he pressed the brake gently and said softly.

“Honestly, I’m not really a fan of hotels.”

He suddenly started talking about his preferences, unprompted.

“I feel more comfortable in nature, in the woods, not crowded places. I like places with lots of stars.”

“Then why aren’t we avoiding Seoul? Why not a hotel?”

“Sun Woori, are you even listening to me?”

“……”

I naturally assumed we’d be going to a hotel when he said he just wanted to rest. Even though he was staying at my place because of his insomnia, it was far below the luxurious lifestyle he was used to. 

It was almost miraculous that he hadn’t complained until now. Maybe he hadn’t dared to say anything for fear of being kicked out. Since he said he really wanted to rest, it was only natural that I thought of his house or a hotel.

“I’m going to the villa.”

“Villa?”

“There are lots of trees there, and you can see the stars. If you drive a bit, you can even see the ocean.”

“…….”

“How does that sound?”

“What’s there to say?”

I didn’t understand why Cha Yoon, of all people, was suddenly obsessed with a nature-friendly lifestyle and villas. But it wasn’t completely unreasonable. 

Just like people can’t live on meat alone, everyone wants to retreat somewhere quiet in nature every now and then. Still, asking for my opinion on it was a bit strange.

“You don’t like it?”

“It seems better than a hotel.”

If I had said I didn’t like it, I’m sure he would’ve spun the wheel and driven off immediately. Even after I said it sounded good, his expression was still oddly unreadable.

***

Contrary to our bold start, a string of minor misfortunes followed. Road construction narrowed the lanes, delaying our arrival, and every place we stopped to grab a bite was closed for the holiday. At a café we finally found, we ordered sandwiches and coffee, but as soon as Cha Yoon received his coffee, he bumped into another customer and spilled it all over his clothes.

Standing there, unsure what to do, I saw that Cha Yoon’s expression barely changed. When the man offered to pay for the cleaning, Cha Yoon coldly refused. 

Still, perhaps out of conscience, he eventually ordered a fresh coffee, which I accepted, making sure to keep Cha Yoon moving. If the man had said anything more, I feared Cha Yoon would have unleashed some harsh words.

“You okay?” 

I asked as I handed him the coffee. He nodded as if it were nothing, though just moments ago, his gaze could have killed a person.

Finally, we set off again, but misfortune wasn’t done with us. The sky, clear just that morning, darkened with sudden storm clouds, pouring down a fierce rain. 

The stars Cha Yoon had promised to show were obviously out of the question.

To make matters worse, as we climbed a muddy slope, the car suddenly jolted with a loud bang. Startled, I froze as Cha Yoon stepped out to check the tires. 

One had hit a rock and gone flat. We were forced to stay inside the car until an insurance employee arrived with a replacement. At this point, I wasn’t sure this could even be called a “restful trip.” 

Poor Cha Yoon was soaked in the rain, still holding his coffee.

After changing the tire, we finally arrived at the villa, perched halfway up a sheer mountain. The three-story estate looked quietly majestic, like an old historic house. 

But in the current weather, it appeared eerie, as if something might leap out at any moment. Cha Yoon let out a low sigh, seemingly feeling the same.

“…Want to go somewhere else?”