Chapter 5
2083 Words
Not Him
Hyko immediately goes to me.
“Ugh!” I sigh as I look at my unbruised feet. There is no visible injury as of now, but I am certain this will turn red later.
“D*mn it!” he whispers to himself. Hyko quickly removed his blue apron and made me wear it.
“What the hell?”
My eyes drop at the blue apron hanging in front of me. In front of it is a white print saying, ‘BM Supermarket’. I frowned. I am certain I look ridiculous that I forgot I am still on the cold floor of the mall.
Hyko, on the other hand, kneel one of his legs to level our faces and focus on my probably sprained ankle.
In an attempt to remove the apron from my body, he says, “Remove that and let everybody see your open uniform. Do you want that?”
My grip tightens on the string of the apron. I narrow my eyes at him before harshly letting go of the blue piece of their uniform and irritatingly looking at him. I remember how he scolded me earlier at school and meddled with my supposed peaceful shopping!
“Of course, I don’t! Who would want their body seen by everyone without their consent?!”
I know to myself I am pertaining to my uniform, but it didn’t sound that way. He removes his gaze from me and focuses on my ankle instead. But me being me, of course, I did not stop ranting.
“This is your fault. This is all your fault!” Without thinking clearly, I kick his legs.
A pang of pain made me remember that I am injured and what I did only make my situation worst.
“Let me,” he says, ignoring my sentiments and deathful glares.
Despite my attitude and restless blabbering, he caresses my sprained ankle with pure gentleness—completely opposite to his frowning face.
“Ouch!” I grimace when he moves my foot in a circular motion.
“Serves her right!” one of the girls in the group commented.
I lift my head and glared at them. They made a step backward and were a bit stunned. At first, I thought it is because of me. However, when I turn to face Hyko, he is also looking in the girls’ direction with my ankle still being held by his hands.
I once again look at the girls’ reactions. Their eyes are all directed to the guy in front of me and not to me! Before I can react, Hyko raises his hand to call the staff nearest to us.
“Get me a bag of ice and a first aid kit,” he commands without looking at the salesman who looks nervous when Hyko called his attention.
“Y-Yes, sir!”
“And tell the guards to escort the girls out.”
My eyes widen. He did not have to do that!
I turn my head in the girls' direction who is now awkwardly standing in front of one of the racks, staring at the goods they won’t buy. Since their group are way a little far from us, I am not sure if they heard what Hyko said. Because he did not even try to lower his voice when he commanded the salesman to kick them out.
“S-Sir?” the salesman asked in disbelief.
Hyko only stares at him. Without speaking, the salesman bows his head and rushes to the nearest guard to tell him about their boss’s order.
“Come here… Let me help you stand.”
Stunned by how he handled my situation, I let him wrap his arm around my waist and help me stand. I instinctively put my hands on his chest to support my weight. Behind his clothing, I can feel his broad chest. I bite my lower lip and avoid my gaze at him.
He is tall. My face only levels his neck and I can clearly smell his manly scent.
“I want to remove my apron,” I pout. In front of me is a line of big refrigerators that stores drinks. I saw how I look ridiculous wearing our school uniform with a blue apron on top through the fridge’s glass door.
This doesn’t suit me well!
I refuse to lift my chin and met his gaze when I notice how his brows furrow through the reflection. I withdraw my hands from his chest and let his arm stay on my waist. I do not have a choice but to let him. I will surely stumble on my feet without his support.
Also, his arms seem comforting and his massive frame made my small body feel secure and safe.
“Sir!”
We both turn our heads in the direction of the voice. My jaw drops. The salesman that he ordered earlier came back with a box of first-aid kits in his left while pushing a wheelchair with his right hand. Behind him are the two guards who are now talking to the group of girls. Even with the distance, I can say that the guards are asking the girls to leave since they motioned their hands towards the exit.
But the girls are now not my concern. What I am thinking is the salesman lending the wheelchair to Hyko.
“Sit.”
Horrified, I look at him. “No.”
“Sit,” he repeated.
“No!” I firmly say.
Our eyes met, challenging each other. After a minute of not speaking and weighing each other’s opinions, he arches a brow.
“Sit by yourself or I’ll make you sit.”
Irritated, I gritted my teeth. “I already said no! Why don’t you listen to me?”
The heck, why doesn’t he respect my opinion? Every time we bump into each other and had a situation, his opinion should always be the one to follow, never mine!
He sighs as if I am a total headache to him. “You’re injured—”
“I’ll walk! I will not sit there like a disabled person!”
My chest rises up and down. I can feel my agitated heart wanting to jump out of my ribcage. Only that, I am not sure if it is because of how his arms pull me closer by my waist or because I am annoyed.
There’s nothing wrong with being disabled but I don’t want to be seen in a wheelchair wearing an apron! Hell, no! Over my dead, sexy, hot, and gorgeous body!
“Fine.”
When I thought he was going to consider my opinion, I found myself being lifted from the ground. His arm held the back of my knees.
“What the…? Put me down!”
He carried me in a bridal style. In front of all these people!
Our school uniform is a white long sleeve skirt which has a length above the knee. His arm at the back of my knees enveloped my skirt so it won’t reveal whatever color of the underwear I am wearing.
“Put me down! Put me down! Put me down!”
I kick my legs in the air and tried to hit his face but it is no use. He walks straight to the backdoor where only authorized can enter. Since I know I’m only wasting my energy struggling to free myself, I let him carry me.
Everyone is staring at us. I covered my face with my palms and buried my head in his chest. I don’t care if he thinks I’m a perv*rt. After all, this is all his fault!
“If you did not meddle with my shopping, then this shouldn’t have happened!” I rant right after he put me down on the stainless chair inside the room.
It looks like a storage room, given all the packed food in here. Good thing it is air-conditioned. I couldn’t afford to sit here with him for I know I will be covered with sticky bullets of sweat!
“Here, sir…” The salesman handed him the first-aid kit. I did not notice that he was with us, not until he made his presence known.
“Thanks. Go back to your work,” he answers.
Hyko kneels in front of me. Now that he’s not wearing his apron and only left with a black polo and black jeans, he looks like more of the Hyko I’ve always seen in school.
“Next time, avoid wearing heels higher than two inches.”
My insides are heated and I can feel the irritation crawling up into my system.
“And who are you to dictate me?”
“I am only suggesting,” he shrugs and starts pressing an icebag onto my injured foot.
“Thanks but no thanks.”
I cross my arms over my chest and straighten my back. I can’t see his reaction since he is facing down. All I can watch is his jet-black hair at the back of his head while wrapping my foot with a white thin cloth that I do not know what is called.
Opposite to his overall intimidating and strong façade, his hands move feather-like as he finishes doing a first-aid on my ankle.
“You have to wear flats until your injury heal.”
“Tss!”
I am so annoyed with him right now. I have to wear flats for about what? Two weeks? I don’t wear flat shoes!
I tried to stand on my own. Hyko lends his hand while his free hand places on my right side without touching me.
“Are we done? I have to go home. And do not carry me. I can now stand… see?” I throw a glare at him while showing him that I can stand by myself. However, I can walk on my own but it will certainly hurt with every step.
I do not need him to carry me nor sit on that god*mn wheelchair.
He remained quiet. I thought he was going to argue, but I watch him remove his running shoes and place it in front of me.
“What do you want me to do with that?”
“You think you can walk with your black high-heeled shoes?” he sarcastically replied.
I roll my eyes and him and look at the pair of shoes which are obviously big for me.
“It won’t fit,” I complain.
“But it is more comfortable. You’re injured. Your feet need space to breathe.”
He pisses me off but I cannot deny that he is right.
I did not say anything and let him bend over to wear his shoes to me. Indeed, it is too loose but the lace helped to somehow secure it on my feet.
“I need to go,” I announce after he’s done with my feet. I remove my apron and fix my uniform. Three of my upper buttons are gone. The fourth button is still attached but it will only take a matter of minutes before it completely detaches from my uniform.
I tried to cover my skin tone brassiere by pressing my uniform to each other.
“Why did you remove your apron?”
“It’s yours, not mine,’ I answer without looking at his face. I am still busy trying to fix it. It’s obviously helpless so in the end, I decided to just clutch my open uniform until I reach the parking area. “After all, you already saw my body…” I raise a brow at him.
His thick brows furrow. I want to watch how he will react. “The video… did you watch it?” I ask.
“It was sent in our group chat.”
So, he did watch it. “Is that a translation to, ‘everyone has seen it, so I should too.’”
The disappointment in my voice did not escape my ears. It was very evident. I know I am not the one in the video and in the leaked photos. But I do not know why his perception of me is a big deal.
“It wasn’t you.”
This time, my brows furrow. “Everyone thinks it was me.”
“Not me. I believe in you.”
-----
Forcing The Billionaire
by: Joanne Cristel
©2022
-----
Note: Unedited. English is not the author's first language so expect grammatical errors. Thank you!
- Writer
