.jpg)
His face was slightly flushed, his upper body glistened with sweat, and a few wet strands of hair clung to his forehead.
As Hunter breathed heavily, his shoulders heaving, the hot wave of energy radiating from him pulled up her body temperature, which had been sinking coldly into despair. Her heart began to race uncontrollably once again.
[I... I came because there's something I want to ask.]
[What is it? Tell me quickly.]
Hunter brushed back the hair sticking to his forehead and looked down at her.
He had been doing deadlifts when he felt a strange presence. Looking up, he saw Jiyu sitting on the stairs with her long hair flowing down, wearing a white slip shirt. He had been so startled that if it weren't for his core strength, he might have collapsed onto the floor along with the heavy weights.
'I thought she was some kind of ghost.'
He had been recalling the conversation he had with Lauren after dinner.
Given Jiyu's personality, he didn't need to ask to know how uncomfortable she must feel staying in someone else's home. During dinner, seeing her head bowed with a heavy expression, forcing herself to eat, had made his stomach churn as if a fire had been lit inside.
Lately, whenever he saw Jiyu, a throbbing pain in his chest made him irritable.
Couldn't they just give her an apartment?
The Hamilton Group was one of the top three real estate development companies in North America, and the family had inherited properties scattered all over the East Coast. Surely there had to be one empty house.
It seemed like a good idea to give her one of the decent units in the building he would inherit through his trust fund next year.
[Instead of this house, can't we just give her—no, give Mrs. Parker—a two-bedroom apartment or something? How about my building on 72nd Street, Lexington Avenue? She'll be busy studying once she hits 11th grade; why make her work as a babysitter? Let's just lend her an apartment.]
[Hunter Hamilton! Stop being so arrogant. You are still seventeen. You have one year left until you're an adult, and until then, there is no such thing as "your building." Until you reach adulthood, your trust fund is merely a future asset managed by your father. Do you understand? Misusing assets in that way helps neither you nor the person receiving an undeserved favor.]
Lauren had scolded him with a stern face.
It felt unfair, but she wasn't wrong. The trust fund wasn't his property yet. It felt suffocatingly frustrating that there was nothing he could do right now.
And yet...
Hunter looked into the clear face of the girl standing barefoot and looking up at him. Come to think of it, it wasn't so bad that Jewel Parker was in this house.
'Hmm... the house is big. Yeah, since the house is big, it should be fine.'
'She can be distracting sometimes, but her voice is like a mosquito's, so she's not noisy.'
'Daisy likes her. That's enough.'
'Ah, now I don't have to beg her to come out for tournaments or go through the trouble of taking her to the treehouse.'
Satisfied with his conclusion, Hunter pressed her for an answer.
[I have to finish my workout. Tomorrow is the Mayor of New York Cup tournament.]
Jiyu opened her mouth, then closed it again.
Why was she hesitating like that again?
He took a bold step forward. In response, she stepped back and moved up one stair.
Even after moving up the stairs, she was still smaller than him.
This summer, he had hit 6 feet 4 inches. He was quite tall for a tennis player. He hoped he wouldn't grow any further, as any more height might interfere with his speed.
'What was Jewel Parker doing while I was growing? Why is she so skinny, yet only there is...?'
Hunter lowered his gaze slightly and swallowed hard. He knew he should look away, but he couldn't.
'I think they got bigger.'
His hands itched with the desire to touch. He wondered what it would feel like.
[Do you... still... want to...?]
He snapped his head up in confusion.
What? Want to do what?
Did I say that out loud? I don't think so.
His mouth had definitely been closed.
[...I didn't hear you. Say it again.]
His voice was slightly cracked.
Jiyu's face flushed bright red.
Her eyes flickered up and down, and she licked and bit her lips; she was a complete mess.
'What's wrong with her? Did she notice what I was thinking? Dammit... what do I do?'
He was at an age where the slightest stimulation made his blood boil. Because he spent so much time having erotic fantasies about Jiyu, reality and imagination occasionally blurred together.
It was all because of those... those protruding...
Hunter silently blamed her while his gaze was stolen by her chest once more.
[I asked if you still want to date me.]
[......]
He heard her clearly this time.
Speechless, Hunter stared at her without even blinking. Then, Jiyu, whose redness had spread all the way to her neck, avoided his gaze and muttered.
[If not, whatever. I was just wondering.]
She turned around quickly as if to flee. Hunter swiftly grabbed her wrist. Then, he interrogated her sharply.
[What do you mean by that?]
[...Exactly what I said. If you don't want to date—]
[I do!]
At his rapid answer, the carotid pulse at the pulse point of her wrist, where his fingertips touched, skipped a beat and then fluttered like a frightened bird.
She swallowed hard and opened her mouth.
[Th-then let's date. But keep it a secret from your family and friends. I'll do the same. That's my condition.]
If it's a secret, what's the point of dating?
[Why do we have to?]
Jiyu pried Hunter's hand off her wrist and looked up at him.
It was a face he could draw even with his eyes closed, but her gaze felt unfamiliar.
A deep, complex light had cast over the large eyes that had once been merely gentle and clear. The eyelashes that descended mournfully, shielding those eyes, weighed on his mind.
[I don't want to be bullied by Sienna again because people found out. I want to go to school quietly without causing any more trouble until I graduate. It's the same for your parents. If they find out we're dating, they'll be concerned in many ways. They might even oppose it. Then I wouldn't be able to stay here.]
Jiyu muttered, dropping her head.
[So... keeping it a secret is the condition. If that's impossible, I can't date you.]
Hunter, who had opened his mouth to argue point by point, closed it.
She wasn't wrong. He couldn't stay at Aster School permanently just to protect her from Sienna. And even if his parents weren't closed-minded people, they might interfere annoyingly if they found out he was dating Jiyu.
There was exactly one year left until he became an adult and inherited the trust fund. He could live however he wanted then, but while living in his parents' house, it didn't hurt to be cautious.
And since she said she wouldn't date him otherwise, he had no choice.
[Fine. Let's do that for now.]
Jiyu snapped her head up. Her brown eyes sparkled transparently.
Are her eyes slightly different colors? One side is a bit lighter. Her eyes are actually quite pretty.
[Really?]
Hunter, who was observing Jiyu's irises as if looking through a microscope, gave a half-hearted nod.
At that moment, Jiyu slightly lifted her heels. The moment he felt their eye levels align, her face came right in front of his.
Her soft lips pressed lightly against his, then pulled away with a small chu sound.
Stiffened, Hunter blinked repeatedly, his eyes following her. Her small face was dyed bright red.
[Good luck at the tournament.]
Whispering while covering her lips with the back of her hand, she turned and ran up the stairs. Hunter swayed slightly and grabbed the guardrail.
His chest felt tight, and his ears throbbed with heat.
'That was a close call.'
It was a relief that Lauren had opposed it. He almost sent Jiyu somewhere else.
Now that he thought about it, since they were dating anyway, it was far more rational for her to be within arm's reach. Therefore, letting her stay in this house was a hundred percent the right decision.
Hunter looked at the stairs where she had disappeared, feeling a sense of proud satisfaction filling him.
Jewel Parker, who had been slipping through his fingers like flowing water, was finally within his grasp. Now, all he had to do was hold on tight.
He was greedy. He knew that about himself. Now that he had her, he had no intention of letting go until he grew bored.
Smiling with satisfaction, he whistled as he headed toward his gear.
The winner's trophy of the Mayor of New York Cup tournament belonged to Hunter Hamilton.
Thanks to the kiss from his Jinx, Jewel Parker—no, Jiyu.
.jpg)