Chapter 523 - Caught A Cold

"Hand...some!"

"Handsome," Cora repeated the word he was teaching him since he started teaching her the 'basics'.

Since Cora didn't try to learn about such words and mostly focused on the other basics and memorized the insults she wanted to spout at him, she was unfamiliar with the word. Thus, since she wasn't really hungry and didn't want to dwell on a lot of things, she let him teach her some words.

Also, at the very least, she could spend some time with him to figure out her real emotions, aka the feelings that had been confusing her ever since meeting him under unconventional circumstances.

"Good. From now on, you call me Mr. Handsome." Ivan grinned proudly as he rubbed his chin as if he had achieved victory.

Cora tilted her head to the side as she was confused why he was suddenly radiating with pride. She blinked her eyes, studying him in silence.

"Okay? Handsome, my name." Ivan turned to Cora and pointed his chest by his thumb. "Nickname. Handsome."

Cora nodded as she got what he meant. "Handsome. Nickname." 

"Correct!"

"Not blockhead." Cora muttered as that was what she first learned; the nickname she would call him. 

What a dedicated heart!

Ivan nearly choked on his own saliva upon hearing her faint murmuring. He cast an eye full of dismay on her as his entire face distorted.

"Did you just --" Ivan could not finish his sentence as he gasped. He could not believe how dedicated her heart was to learn different insults!

[twenty minutes ago]

"So, what words have you learned so far?" Ivan asked with his right brow still arched. "Words. You. learned." 

Ivan repeated slowly. He then gestured each word so she could understand him better. Cora stared at him and nodded.

"Ugly."

"Ah?"

"Useless, obnoxious, aggravating…" Cora went on and on as she listed down the easiest words to the hardest words she memorized that filled her vocabulary. 

Although she learned more words than those, Cora thought it was easy to tell him those first. After all, she could barely construct an English sentence which she knew would be laughable if she tried to speak with him in a conversation.

"..." Ivan was rendered speechless hearing more and more insults coming out from her mouth. If he didn't know better, he would think a rogue taught her all these slangs! 

She sounded like someone who was raised by a gangster! How scary!

[end of the quick flashback]

Cora pursed her lips in a thin line as her hands that were on her lap tightened into a fist. "Sorry."

She whispered as she hung her head low. She wasn't an idiot to not understand that she was letting him know how annoyed she was at him to learn different insults in his language.

That was her initial plan as Ivan often got on her nerves. However, something changed and she didn't dislike him anymore. It was the complete opposite. Not to mention, Ivan wasn't as bad as he thought he was.

Ivan raised his right brow upon hearing Cora's meek apology. He remained silent and studied her fragile figure.

"Oy, don't you dare start crying. My sis will think I'm bullying you." He warned in a cold tone as he assumed Cora would start bawling her eyes again.

If she came back to Zoey's office with swollen eyes, Zoey would surely beat the crap out of him! She would surely send him to the hospital because she's that biased!

"I know not like handsome for not reason bad." Cora shook her head and slowly raised it bearing a subtle smile on her lips. "Handsome is not bad."

However, no matter how good her intentions were, Ivan could not help but laugh out loud. Even though she got her point across, she was just funny like a silly child.

"Huh?" Cora furrowed her brows as she watched him laugh until tears formed on the side of his eyes. Still, despite knowing that he was laughing at her broken language, she smiled.

"Hahaha!" Ivan held his stomach as he nearly fell to the ground from where he was sitting on. "Handsome, that's my nickname!" 

Ivan laughter's grew louder as he slapped his hands on the concrete ground. He wasn't laughing at her broken language, but the fact that he tricked her into boosting his ego by making her call him handsome.

"Ha ha," Cora laughed as his laughter was contagious.

Soon, the two of them filled the air with their laughter. For some reason, both liked the atmosphere building up between them but neither of them brought it up. They just felt it.

"Anyway," After laughing to his heart's content, Ivan wiped the tears on the corner of his eyes. "Don't tell my sis about it, okay? Zoey, witch, no, don't, shhh!" 

Ivan warned as he gestured to her to keep this nickname a secret from Zoey. Cora bit her lower lip but could not help but let out a brief chuckle as she covered her lips by the back of her hand.

"Okay," She responded, still bearing the smile on her lips. "Shh!"

Cora mimicked him by placing her finger in front of her lips and leaning forward a little. Little did she know, by mimicking him, she placed her head just inches away from his. When she realized it, she was already staring at him with his face a palm's length away from her.

Momentarily, Cora froze as she couldn't move a muscle. Being this close to him, staring at his blue eyes that were as clear as the sky enthralled her.

"Uh," Just like her, Ivan was momentarily stunned as he noticed that staring at her this close… she didn't really look bad. If he was going to be honest, Cora was quite cute.

Ivan snapped as he immediately drew away. He scratched the back of his head and looked away. 

"Anyway, the lesson for today ends now. I need to do something! See you around!" He remarked as he sprung up and scooted away as if he was running for dear life.

'Damn that lady! Is she trying to seduce me?!' Ivan screamed internally as he ran away. 

He could feel his heart suddenly throbbing faster and louder that was causing his face to heat up. Yet, he didn't know what kind of sickness he had suddenly contracted out of nowhere.

'I knew staying on the rooftop is a bad idea! I think I caught a cold! Damn it!!'