[PG-13] Caught in Between (19/25)
Title: Caught in Between
Characters: Kyuhyun/Taeyeon/Eunhyuk, Donghae/Jessica, Sungmin/Sunny, Siwon/Tiffany
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Friendship, Comedy, Drama
Good morning! I hope we can talk in school today.
Taeyeon stared at Kyuhyun’s text message to her that morning. She was on her way to school with Eunhyuk.
“You alright? You’ve been staring at your phone for 10 minutes,” Eunhyuk said, glancing at her as they entered the school parking lot.
“Yeah,” Taeyeon said, putting her phone in her bag. “I was just thinking about something.”
“What?” Eunhyuk wanted to know. When she didn’t answer, he proceeded, “This is about Kyuhyun, isn’t it?”
She sighed. “He keeps on asking me if we could talk,” she shared.
“Then talk to him,” he encouraged.
“You really think I should?” she asked, looking at him. “I don’t know if I’m ready to get back together with him.”
“Talking doesn’t mean you’re getting back together,” he told her. “Sometimes talking is just talking.”
“I really wouldn’t know what to say,” she went on, looking out of the window.
“Just tell him what you feel, Taeyeon,” Eunhyuk said as he parked the car. He turned the engine off and looked at her. “He’s just waiting for you to tell him what you’re feeling.”
~ * ~
“Fany, have you seen Sica?” Hankyung asked Tiffany, who was getting some books from her locker.
Tiffany turned to him and slapped his arm with her huge math textbook.
“What was that for?” Hankyung demanded, rubbing his arm.
“Don’t call me Fany,” Tiffany ordered. “Only my friends call me that and you’re officially off the list.”
“Fine. Tiffany,” Hankyung obliged, “have you seen Sica today?”
“Oh and have I told you that you’re also off Sica’s friendship list? So you can’t call her Sica,” she went on.
“Tiffany,” he pleaded, getting tired. “Will you just tell me where she is?”
“No,” she answered firmly, shaking her head. “You don’t deserve to know where she is, what she’s doing, who she’s with. You don’t deserve to know anything about her.”
“What are you looking at?” Hankyung growled at Siwon, who had just arrived. “Beat it, geek.” This earned him another book slap from Tiffany. He groaned.
“This geek is my boyfriend,” Tiffany declared. “And he’s a better boyfriend than you in every single way.”
Hankyung stared at them in disbelief then walked off, shaking his head.
“Are you alright?” Tiffany asked Siwon.
Siwon smiled at her. “I’m good.” He leaned and gave her a kiss. “That made my day better.”
“Me too,” Tiffany responded, giggling.
~ * ~
“Are you sure you want to hang out with me today?” Donghae asked Jessica again.
“Yes,” Jessica repeated, glaring at him.
“I’m just making sure,” Donghae said. “You do realize that you’re going to hang out with my friends.”
“I do,” Jessica tiredly answered.
“They’re geeks,” he reminded her.
“They’re your friends,” she told him, showing that she was assuming they were going to be as nice as him. Besides, she really did like his friends. Seohyun had been most helpful in making her stop crying, even if it resorted to continuous scolding.
“Okay,” he said. He led her to their table in the quad. “Guys.” He mutely gestured that Jessica was with her.
“Hi Jessica,” Seohyun said, moving so that she could sit beside her.
“Thanks,” Jessica gratefully said.
“What’s wrong with your friends today?” Hyoyeon asked, smiling at smirking at the same time.
“Yoona’s with Kibum, Yuri’s with Yunho, you get the picture,” Jessica shared. “Oh and Siwon’s there, too.”
“He’s gone over to the dark side,” Hyoyeon muttered, shaking her head. When she realized what she said, she looked at Jessica and smiled. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Jessica said. “I know exactly what you mean. By the way, thanks for putting up with me.”
“If Donghae can do it, we can, too,” Hyoyeon stated with a shrug.
“You’re really nice, Jessica,” Seohyun added. “So we don’t mind.”
“You’re doing a good job of blending in as well,” Hyoyeon continued, referring to Jessica’s outfit, consisting of a plain t-shirt, blue jeans and a cap.
“I know I look weird,” Jessica said, smiling a little. She usually wore flashier outfits with accessories and heels. But she wanted to go simple today. She didn’t want to attract any attention to herself.
“You look perfect,” Donghae responded absent-mindedly as he did his homework.
Jessica looked at him, surprised but pleased at his comment. Seohyun and Hyoyeon exchanged a knowing look.
“Alright, see you guys later,” Hyoyeon said, packing up her stuff.
“Where are you going?” Jessica asked.
“Hyoyeon has this ritual of going to the field bleachers during breaks,” Donghae informed her, smiling a little.
“What’s so special about the bleachers?” Jessica wanted to know.
Hyoyeon shrugged. “I get to think. See you guys later,” she said, smiling at them before leaving.
“She always needs time for herself,” Seohyun filled her in. Jessica nodded as if concurring.
“Excuse me.”
Everyone looked up.
“Kyu,” Jessica said. “What are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you,” Kyuhyun pleaded.
“Okay,” Jessica said, standing up. She turned to the others. “Guys, I’ll be right back.”
~ * ~
Taeyeon tried her best to concentrate on her studying. She was with her best friends at the quad. Trying to block out Sunny and Sungmin’s aegyo talk, she reread the first line of the second chapter of the required reading for her English literature class for, what felt like, the hundredth time.
She knew why she couldn’t concentrate. Kyuhyun. She’d just seen him come out of his classroom and walk down the hall. He had looked at her and maybe tried to talk to her, but she avoided his eyes then and just kept on walking. She knew she already wanted to talk to him, but something was stopping her. Maybe she just wasn’t ready.
“Uh, Taeng,” Sunny’s voice suddenly seeped into her thoughts. Jessica had arrived and had whispered to her that Kyuhyun wanted to talk to Taeyeon. “We’ll just grab something from the library. Sungmin and Eunhyuk are coming with me.”
“What?” Eunhyuk asked, annoyance in his voice, very much against the idea. “Why do I have to-Right, I’m going with them.” He gathered his stuff reluctantly after Sunny’s glare.
“Fine,” Taeyeon said, not bothering to look up. She needed the peace and quiet to concentrate. But she still couldn’t understand a word she was reading. She buried her face in her book and sighed in frustration. She had to get him out of her head.
“Everything okay?”
Taeyeon looked up. “Jessica.”
“Hey,” Jessica responded cheerfully.
“You look happy today,” Taeyeon told her curiously. “Are you and Hankyung back together?”
“Of course not,” Jessica said, shaking her head. “But I didn’t come here to talk about that.”
“What then?” Taeyeon asked, feeling like she knew what she was going to answer.
“There’s someone who wants to talk to you,” Jessica knowingly shared, glancing behind her. Kyuhyun was standing a couple of feet away, shifting uncomfortably. “I know this isn’t the best time, but when you think about it, when will the best time be?”
“Jessica,” Taeyeon began to argue.
“Taeyeon, remember what I told you?” Jessica said. “Just give yourselves a chance to talk.” She smiled at her and stood up, walking away.
“Hey,” Kyuhyun said, slowly sitting down across from her. “Don’t get mad at her,” Kyuhyun said at once. “I just really wanted to talk to you. And not on the phone,” he added when she opened her mouth to reply. He had been calling every night ever since the first time she answered his call. But he had always been the one doing all the talking. “I hope this time you’ll talk to me, too.”
“Kyuhyun,” she began hesitantly.
“Just tell me, Taeyeon,” he pressed, “whether you hate me, whether you don’t want to see me again. I just need to hear it from you then I’ll do it.”
“Aha! This is an interesting setup!” Sooyoung came out of nowhere and leaned against the table, smiling at both of them. “What are you guys talking about?”
Taeyeon looked at her, surprise and annoyance etched on her face.
“Oh I’m sorry,” Sooyoung told Taeyeon, standing straight. “We haven’t been formally introduced. I’m Sooyoung.” When Taeyeon didn’t respond, she smiled and went on, “I’m very happy to finally have met Kyuhyun’s plaything.”
“Excuse me?” Taeyeon couldn’t help but retort.
“Sooyoung,” Kyuhyun warned.
“Oh didn’t you tell her?” Sooyoung said, pretending to be surprised and embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I thought you did.”
“Tell me what?” Taeyeon asked, glancing at Kyuhyun.
“Kyuhyun and I are getting back together,” Sooyoung shared happily, sitting beside him. “Isn’t it great?”
Taeyeon’s eyes widened in astonishment at this piece of information. “I don’t believe you,” she quipped, glancing at Kyuhyun’s pleading eyes. He had told her over and over again that he and Sooyoung were over.
“Honey,” Sooyoung said, looking at her pitifully. “Don’t get hurt.”
“Will you stop it already?” Kyuhyun said, reaching his limits. “You know that’s not true. Stop wasting our time.”
“It didn’t seem like I was wasting your time when we were together that night,” Sooyoung went on with a smirk.
Kyuhyun froze. Sooyoung chuckled and looked at Taeyeon.
“What are you talking about?” Taeyeon demanded.
“I told you we’re getting back together,” Sooyoung repeated. “We always spend the night together after fighting.”
“Sooyoung,” Kyuhyun growled. “Stop it.”
“Kyu, why are you being so shy about it?” Sooyoung cooed.
“I’m not,” Kyuhyun angrily said. His expression softened when he looked at Taeyeon. “Taeyeon, nothing happened. I swear.”
Sooyoung chuckled. “You did kiss me, Kyu. Forcefully, I might add.” She then went on and recounted the colorful events of that night.
“Is this true?” Taeyeon said, looking at Kyuhyun this time, her tears threatening to fall. Please say no. Please say no, she couldn’t help but think to herself.
“I…” Kyuhyun began. He couldn’t lie. Everything Sooyoung said, it did happen. Regretfully.
Taeyeon knew at once that it was true. She stood up and gathered her things. She wasn’t going to cry in front of them. They won’t have that satisfaction, especially Sooyoung.
As she was leaving, Kyuhyun went after her and stopped her. “Taeyeon…”
“So I suppose it’s Sooyoung you call when you’re in between girlfriends,” Taeyeon snapped.
Kyuhyun took a deep breath as he watched her walk away from him.
“I warned you,” Sooyoung said, suddenly at his side. “If I can’t have you, I’ll make sure that Taeyeon won’t.” She patted his arm and walked away.
~ * ~
Jessica watched from afar as Kyuhyun tried to talk to Taeyeon.
“So this is why I’m unable to find you in school,” Hankyung said, suddenly appearing beside her. He looked her up and down. “You’re wearing jeans and sneakers.”
Jessica stiffened and turned to leave.
“Oh no, we’re going to talk, Sica,” Hankyung said, grabbing her arm.
“I have nothing to say to you and there isn’t anything you have to say that I’m interested in,” Jessica warned him.
“I’m going to tell you anyway,” he decided. He faced her. “Sica,” he began, gentler, “I made a big mistake. I was stupid and I’m really sorry. Please forgive me and take me back. I love you.”
Her expression softened and her heart ached. But it wasn’t enough. So much had already happened that she just couldn’t bring herself to go back to the way things were.
“Hankyung, I’m sorry,” she responded softly. “You’ve hurt me too much.”
“I’m going to do everything to make it up to you,” he pleaded. “I’ll give up everything for you.”
“Don’t do that,” she told him, shaking her head. “Because nothing you say or do will bring back what we had. Don’t waste your time.”
Jessica untangled her arm from him and returned to her table with Donghae and his friends. He was standing up, waiting anxiously for her.
“Everything alright?” Donghae asked, glancing at Hankyung, who looked upset.
“Yeah,” Jessica assured him. Then she remembered Kyuhyun and Taeyeon. She immediately searched for their table and gasped. “Uh oh.”
“What?” Donghae asked, following her line of sight.
“Sooyoung’s there,” Jessica muttered. “That’s bad news. Sooyoung is always bad news.” She watched as Kyuhyun ran after Taeyeon. “I’ll be right back,” she told Donghae and hurried over to Kyuhyun.
Jessica slowly approached Kyuhyun, who was dejectedly watching Taeyeon walk away from him.
“What happened?” she asked him.
“I think I just lost her forever.”
~ * ~
“You’re here again.”
Eunhyuk looked up and smiled. “Hey,” he said.
Hyoyeon smiled and sat down beside him. They were on top of the bleachers this time. “What’s wrong this time?”
“What do you mean?” Eunhyuk asked, his brow furrowed.
“You only come here when something’s bothering you,” Hyoyeon knowingly said, smiling a little. He sighed and leaned back. “Is it your friend again?”
“Yeah,” he admitted, closing his eyes.
Hyoyeon watched as he breathed deeply as if trying to calm himself down. This friend of his was always the reason why he came to the bleachers. He was so worried about her all the time. She knew that he was in love with her. It seemed like it was eating him up.
“Why are you so worried?” she asked him. “People in love get hurt all the time.”
“I’m not worried about that,” he said, shaking his head. “Not this time, anyway.”
“Then what?” she inquired, looking at him curiously.
He sighed again. “It’s complicated.” He decided to change to subject. “So how are you and Shindong doing?” he asked, smiling teasingly.
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why you keep asking this every time we see each other,” she grumbled. “You know the answer. He’s your friend.”
“But I enjoy that look on your face whenever I ask you,” he persisted, grinning.
“I’m glad my misery gives you joy,” she said sarcastically.
“I’m just kidding,” he said, laughing. “Don’t get mad.”
She looked at him and started laughing as well. “I really hate you.”
Eunhyuk laughed harder at this. Talking to Hyoyeon was a revelation for him. He found that it so easy to open up to her about things, things that he could never talk to Taeyeon about. He liked the feeling that they met without obligations, that they were just talking because they wanted to. He enjoyed that she was fun and carefree, surprisingly. He’d like to assume that she enjoyed his company, too.
“Just forget about Shindong,” he suddenly said. “You deserve better than him.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, looking seriously at him.
“I mean that Shindong’s a player. He’s a messy person. He fails his classes,” he enumerated. “You’re an A student. You’re a cool person. You’re funny. You shouldn’t want to be with someone like him.” Hyoyeon blushed as he specified her attributes. Eunhyuk looked at her. “Is that seriously the type of guy you want to end up with?”
“Well now that you’ve painted him so beautifully, I guess not,” Hyoyeon replied, rolling her eyes.
Eunhyuk smiled. Suddenly, his phone rang. Hyoyeon watched as his expression turned anxious as he answered his phone. He immediately ended the call and stood up.
“I have to go,” he told her.
“Everything okay?” she asked in concern.
“I don’t know,” he said. “See you.”
Eunhyuk immediately hurried over to where Sunny and Sungmin were waiting for him with Taeyeon. When he saw his best friend, he rushed towards her.
“What happened?” Eunhyuk asked Sunny and Sungmin.
“She wouldn’t tell us anything,” Sunny said worriedly.
“Taeyeon?” Eunhyuk asked gently, holding her arms and looking intently at her.
“Eunhyuk,” Taeyeon uttered, looking up at him, tears brimming in her eyes. “Please get me away from here.”
~ * ~
“What happened?” Heechul angrily asked Eunhyuk. Sungmin and Sunny had been home, enduring Heechul’s wrath for more than an hour. “Why are you bringing her home only at this hour? It’s 10 o’clock in the evening for crying out loud!” He glared at the three.
“Oppa,” Sunny began.
“Sunny, go to your room,” Heechul interrupted, pointing upstairs.
Sunny helplessly looked at Eunhyuk and Sungmin. As she walked upstairs, she knew that they were going to get it from Heechul. She’d never seen him this mad at them before.
Heechul turned his attention back to the two boys. “Well? Which one of you would like to explain this?”
“Hyung,” Eunhyuk started, deciding he better take the responsibility, “Taeyeon wanted to leave school early so I took her and we just drove around for a bit. She didn’t really know where she wanted to go. All she kept saying was that she wanted to get away.”
It was true. Taeyeon kept on repeating that she wanted to get away over and over, while she was sobbing really hard. He’d never seen her that way before and it really scared him. He had wished that he brought Sunny along with him so she could help him calm her down. In the end he brought her to a park, where she cried on him, soaking his shirt wet.
“Couldn’t you have called me?” Heechul demanded.
“I was supposed to,” Eunhyuk said at once. “But Taeyeon saw me and she threw my phone in the ditch.”
Heechul was surprised at this and bit back a smile. He turned to Sungmin, who was laughing quietly. “What do you have to you say for yourself, Sungmin? You’re supposed to be watching over both of my sisters and not just Sunny,” he prompted.
“I’m sorry, Heechul hyung,” Sungmin said at once, the laughter gone from his face. “But Taeyeon didn’t want me and Sunny to come.”
Heechul sighed in frustration. “This will never happen again,” he ordered. Both boys nodded seriously. “What happened to Taeyeon, anyway?” His anger and stress in worrying about his sister not yet being home had made him nearly forget about her condition. He’d never seen her cry so hard before.
“We’re not really sure,” Sungmin answered quietly. “But we think it has something to do with Kyuhyun.”
“That boy,” Heechul muttered. “I’m going to crush him. What did he do this time?”
“We haven’t figured that out yet,” Eunhyuk replied.
“Alright,” Heechul said, shooing them away. “You two should go home.”
“May I… say goodbye to Taeyeon?” Eunhyuk bravely asked.
Heechul nodded. He looked at Sungmin. “I suppose you want to say goodbye to Sunny,” he added in sarcasm. Sungmin smiled a little. “Sunny!”
Almost immediately, Sunny came blundering down the stairs into Sungmin’s arms. Heechul shook his head and went to the living room.
Eunhyuk silently entered Taeyeon’s room. Taeyeon was lying on the bed, on her side, facing him. Her eyes were closed, but he knew she was crying. He could hear her sobbing. Slowly, he sat down on the edge of her bed and lightly touched her arm. She opened her eyes and looked at him through puffy eyes.
“Hey,” he greeted softly with a small smile on his face. “How are you feeling?”
“Like a mess,” she mumbled, sitting up and trying to fix her hair. “Was oppa very mad?”
“Quite a bit,” he admitted. “But don’t worry, he didn’t kill us or anything like that.”
“I’m sorry,” she sighed, looking down.
“What happened, Taeyeon?” he inquired, trying to catch her gaze.
When she finally met his gaze, fresh tears were already forming in her eyes. “He hasn’t changed, Eunhyuk,” she said in almost a whisper.
“What do you mean?” he asked, holding her hand.
“He was with Sooyoung when we broke up,” she declared, starting to cry again.
Eunhyuk felt angry at what she said. He moved closer to Taeyeon and brought her into his arms, hugging her tightly. He could only imagine what she must be feeling. Taeyeon was someone who hated romantic movies because she thought that they were too sappy and unrealistic. She didn’t believe that happy endings were real. Judging from how her parents’ marriage ended up, it’s been reinforced in her head that there were no such things as forever in being in love. And here was Kyuhyun, marching into her life, bringing along with him the prospect of a possible happy ending then snatching it away just as soon as it was within her reach. He closed his eyes as she began sobbing afresh. He didn’t know how she was ever going to believe in love again.
Taeyeon pulled away. “I’ve soaked your shirt again,” she apologized worriedly.
“Forget about the shirt,” Eunhyuk teased. “You owe me a phone, though.”
She looked at him and remembered what she did. “I’m sorry,” she stated, biting her lip. “I’ll replace it I promise.” Her face scrunched up as she looked like she was going to cry again.
He chuckled. “I’m just kidding,” he assured her. “I wish you would stop crying. You know how much I hate it,” he went on, gently wiping her tears with his thumbs. He also tucked her hair behind her ears.
Taeyeon looked at him clearly, like for the first time. “Eunhyuk,” she began.
“Yeah,” he responded, looking at her.
“Sometimes I wish that I had fallen in love with you instead,” she revealed. “Just like Sunny and Sungmin.” She paused as if searching his face for something. “Do you ever think about that?”
“We did make a promise that we’d marry each other if no one else came along when we were 6,” he reminded her, trying to turn it into a joke. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to get into now. He knew she wasn’t thinking straight.
“I’m serious,” she insisted. If she was standing, she would’ve probably stomped her foot. “Don’t you think it would be easier? I know you would take care of me. You’re always so sweet and everything. We’ve always been there for each other. We know each other so well. I just…” By this time she had leaned closer to him, her eyes on his lips. “Haven’t you ever thought about it?”
His heart pounding in his chest, he watched as her gaze turned to his lips then back at his eyes. Hasn’t he ever thought about it? Of course he thought about it. When did he ever not? He thought about it everyday since they were 15 when he realized he’d fallen in love with her. He had just bought the set of colored pens she’d always wanted, but was so expensive. She was so happy that she had stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. That’s when he realized that he wanted to give everything to her, everything that would make her happy.
And right now, she was throwing herself at him. This girl who’s been in his life ever since he could remember; who loved strawberry milk and coloring like a little girl, but insisted she was mature enough; who teased him about his milky white skin when she was even fairer than him. This girl who was now looking at him, like she wanted him to kiss her.
He was a man, too, so even if he knew that she wasn’t in her right mind and that they would probably regret this later, he leaned forward, closing the gap between them, and kissed her.
Characters: Kyuhyun/Taeyeon/Eunhyuk, Donghae/Jessica, Sungmin/Sunny, Siwon/Tiffany
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Friendship, Comedy, Drama
Good morning! I hope we can talk in school today.
Taeyeon stared at Kyuhyun’s text message to her that morning. She was on her way to school with Eunhyuk.
“You alright? You’ve been staring at your phone for 10 minutes,” Eunhyuk said, glancing at her as they entered the school parking lot.
“Yeah,” Taeyeon said, putting her phone in her bag. “I was just thinking about something.”
“What?” Eunhyuk wanted to know. When she didn’t answer, he proceeded, “This is about Kyuhyun, isn’t it?”
She sighed. “He keeps on asking me if we could talk,” she shared.
“Then talk to him,” he encouraged.
“You really think I should?” she asked, looking at him. “I don’t know if I’m ready to get back together with him.”
“Talking doesn’t mean you’re getting back together,” he told her. “Sometimes talking is just talking.”
“I really wouldn’t know what to say,” she went on, looking out of the window.
“Just tell him what you feel, Taeyeon,” Eunhyuk said as he parked the car. He turned the engine off and looked at her. “He’s just waiting for you to tell him what you’re feeling.”
~ * ~
“Fany, have you seen Sica?” Hankyung asked Tiffany, who was getting some books from her locker.
Tiffany turned to him and slapped his arm with her huge math textbook.
“What was that for?” Hankyung demanded, rubbing his arm.
“Don’t call me Fany,” Tiffany ordered. “Only my friends call me that and you’re officially off the list.”
“Fine. Tiffany,” Hankyung obliged, “have you seen Sica today?”
“Oh and have I told you that you’re also off Sica’s friendship list? So you can’t call her Sica,” she went on.
“Tiffany,” he pleaded, getting tired. “Will you just tell me where she is?”
“No,” she answered firmly, shaking her head. “You don’t deserve to know where she is, what she’s doing, who she’s with. You don’t deserve to know anything about her.”
“What are you looking at?” Hankyung growled at Siwon, who had just arrived. “Beat it, geek.” This earned him another book slap from Tiffany. He groaned.
“This geek is my boyfriend,” Tiffany declared. “And he’s a better boyfriend than you in every single way.”
Hankyung stared at them in disbelief then walked off, shaking his head.
“Are you alright?” Tiffany asked Siwon.
Siwon smiled at her. “I’m good.” He leaned and gave her a kiss. “That made my day better.”
“Me too,” Tiffany responded, giggling.
~ * ~
“Are you sure you want to hang out with me today?” Donghae asked Jessica again.
“Yes,” Jessica repeated, glaring at him.
“I’m just making sure,” Donghae said. “You do realize that you’re going to hang out with my friends.”
“I do,” Jessica tiredly answered.
“They’re geeks,” he reminded her.
“They’re your friends,” she told him, showing that she was assuming they were going to be as nice as him. Besides, she really did like his friends. Seohyun had been most helpful in making her stop crying, even if it resorted to continuous scolding.
“Okay,” he said. He led her to their table in the quad. “Guys.” He mutely gestured that Jessica was with her.
“Hi Jessica,” Seohyun said, moving so that she could sit beside her.
“Thanks,” Jessica gratefully said.
“What’s wrong with your friends today?” Hyoyeon asked, smiling at smirking at the same time.
“Yoona’s with Kibum, Yuri’s with Yunho, you get the picture,” Jessica shared. “Oh and Siwon’s there, too.”
“He’s gone over to the dark side,” Hyoyeon muttered, shaking her head. When she realized what she said, she looked at Jessica and smiled. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Jessica said. “I know exactly what you mean. By the way, thanks for putting up with me.”
“If Donghae can do it, we can, too,” Hyoyeon stated with a shrug.
“You’re really nice, Jessica,” Seohyun added. “So we don’t mind.”
“You’re doing a good job of blending in as well,” Hyoyeon continued, referring to Jessica’s outfit, consisting of a plain t-shirt, blue jeans and a cap.
“I know I look weird,” Jessica said, smiling a little. She usually wore flashier outfits with accessories and heels. But she wanted to go simple today. She didn’t want to attract any attention to herself.
“You look perfect,” Donghae responded absent-mindedly as he did his homework.
Jessica looked at him, surprised but pleased at his comment. Seohyun and Hyoyeon exchanged a knowing look.
“Alright, see you guys later,” Hyoyeon said, packing up her stuff.
“Where are you going?” Jessica asked.
“Hyoyeon has this ritual of going to the field bleachers during breaks,” Donghae informed her, smiling a little.
“What’s so special about the bleachers?” Jessica wanted to know.
Hyoyeon shrugged. “I get to think. See you guys later,” she said, smiling at them before leaving.
“She always needs time for herself,” Seohyun filled her in. Jessica nodded as if concurring.
“Excuse me.”
Everyone looked up.
“Kyu,” Jessica said. “What are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you,” Kyuhyun pleaded.
“Okay,” Jessica said, standing up. She turned to the others. “Guys, I’ll be right back.”
~ * ~
Taeyeon tried her best to concentrate on her studying. She was with her best friends at the quad. Trying to block out Sunny and Sungmin’s aegyo talk, she reread the first line of the second chapter of the required reading for her English literature class for, what felt like, the hundredth time.
She knew why she couldn’t concentrate. Kyuhyun. She’d just seen him come out of his classroom and walk down the hall. He had looked at her and maybe tried to talk to her, but she avoided his eyes then and just kept on walking. She knew she already wanted to talk to him, but something was stopping her. Maybe she just wasn’t ready.
“Uh, Taeng,” Sunny’s voice suddenly seeped into her thoughts. Jessica had arrived and had whispered to her that Kyuhyun wanted to talk to Taeyeon. “We’ll just grab something from the library. Sungmin and Eunhyuk are coming with me.”
“What?” Eunhyuk asked, annoyance in his voice, very much against the idea. “Why do I have to-Right, I’m going with them.” He gathered his stuff reluctantly after Sunny’s glare.
“Fine,” Taeyeon said, not bothering to look up. She needed the peace and quiet to concentrate. But she still couldn’t understand a word she was reading. She buried her face in her book and sighed in frustration. She had to get him out of her head.
“Everything okay?”
Taeyeon looked up. “Jessica.”
“Hey,” Jessica responded cheerfully.
“You look happy today,” Taeyeon told her curiously. “Are you and Hankyung back together?”
“Of course not,” Jessica said, shaking her head. “But I didn’t come here to talk about that.”
“What then?” Taeyeon asked, feeling like she knew what she was going to answer.
“There’s someone who wants to talk to you,” Jessica knowingly shared, glancing behind her. Kyuhyun was standing a couple of feet away, shifting uncomfortably. “I know this isn’t the best time, but when you think about it, when will the best time be?”
“Jessica,” Taeyeon began to argue.
“Taeyeon, remember what I told you?” Jessica said. “Just give yourselves a chance to talk.” She smiled at her and stood up, walking away.
“Hey,” Kyuhyun said, slowly sitting down across from her. “Don’t get mad at her,” Kyuhyun said at once. “I just really wanted to talk to you. And not on the phone,” he added when she opened her mouth to reply. He had been calling every night ever since the first time she answered his call. But he had always been the one doing all the talking. “I hope this time you’ll talk to me, too.”
“Kyuhyun,” she began hesitantly.
“Just tell me, Taeyeon,” he pressed, “whether you hate me, whether you don’t want to see me again. I just need to hear it from you then I’ll do it.”
“Aha! This is an interesting setup!” Sooyoung came out of nowhere and leaned against the table, smiling at both of them. “What are you guys talking about?”
Taeyeon looked at her, surprise and annoyance etched on her face.
“Oh I’m sorry,” Sooyoung told Taeyeon, standing straight. “We haven’t been formally introduced. I’m Sooyoung.” When Taeyeon didn’t respond, she smiled and went on, “I’m very happy to finally have met Kyuhyun’s plaything.”
“Excuse me?” Taeyeon couldn’t help but retort.
“Sooyoung,” Kyuhyun warned.
“Oh didn’t you tell her?” Sooyoung said, pretending to be surprised and embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I thought you did.”
“Tell me what?” Taeyeon asked, glancing at Kyuhyun.
“Kyuhyun and I are getting back together,” Sooyoung shared happily, sitting beside him. “Isn’t it great?”
Taeyeon’s eyes widened in astonishment at this piece of information. “I don’t believe you,” she quipped, glancing at Kyuhyun’s pleading eyes. He had told her over and over again that he and Sooyoung were over.
“Honey,” Sooyoung said, looking at her pitifully. “Don’t get hurt.”
“Will you stop it already?” Kyuhyun said, reaching his limits. “You know that’s not true. Stop wasting our time.”
“It didn’t seem like I was wasting your time when we were together that night,” Sooyoung went on with a smirk.
Kyuhyun froze. Sooyoung chuckled and looked at Taeyeon.
“What are you talking about?” Taeyeon demanded.
“I told you we’re getting back together,” Sooyoung repeated. “We always spend the night together after fighting.”
“Sooyoung,” Kyuhyun growled. “Stop it.”
“Kyu, why are you being so shy about it?” Sooyoung cooed.
“I’m not,” Kyuhyun angrily said. His expression softened when he looked at Taeyeon. “Taeyeon, nothing happened. I swear.”
Sooyoung chuckled. “You did kiss me, Kyu. Forcefully, I might add.” She then went on and recounted the colorful events of that night.
“Is this true?” Taeyeon said, looking at Kyuhyun this time, her tears threatening to fall. Please say no. Please say no, she couldn’t help but think to herself.
“I…” Kyuhyun began. He couldn’t lie. Everything Sooyoung said, it did happen. Regretfully.
Taeyeon knew at once that it was true. She stood up and gathered her things. She wasn’t going to cry in front of them. They won’t have that satisfaction, especially Sooyoung.
As she was leaving, Kyuhyun went after her and stopped her. “Taeyeon…”
“So I suppose it’s Sooyoung you call when you’re in between girlfriends,” Taeyeon snapped.
Kyuhyun took a deep breath as he watched her walk away from him.
“I warned you,” Sooyoung said, suddenly at his side. “If I can’t have you, I’ll make sure that Taeyeon won’t.” She patted his arm and walked away.
~ * ~
Jessica watched from afar as Kyuhyun tried to talk to Taeyeon.
“So this is why I’m unable to find you in school,” Hankyung said, suddenly appearing beside her. He looked her up and down. “You’re wearing jeans and sneakers.”
Jessica stiffened and turned to leave.
“Oh no, we’re going to talk, Sica,” Hankyung said, grabbing her arm.
“I have nothing to say to you and there isn’t anything you have to say that I’m interested in,” Jessica warned him.
“I’m going to tell you anyway,” he decided. He faced her. “Sica,” he began, gentler, “I made a big mistake. I was stupid and I’m really sorry. Please forgive me and take me back. I love you.”
Her expression softened and her heart ached. But it wasn’t enough. So much had already happened that she just couldn’t bring herself to go back to the way things were.
“Hankyung, I’m sorry,” she responded softly. “You’ve hurt me too much.”
“I’m going to do everything to make it up to you,” he pleaded. “I’ll give up everything for you.”
“Don’t do that,” she told him, shaking her head. “Because nothing you say or do will bring back what we had. Don’t waste your time.”
Jessica untangled her arm from him and returned to her table with Donghae and his friends. He was standing up, waiting anxiously for her.
“Everything alright?” Donghae asked, glancing at Hankyung, who looked upset.
“Yeah,” Jessica assured him. Then she remembered Kyuhyun and Taeyeon. She immediately searched for their table and gasped. “Uh oh.”
“What?” Donghae asked, following her line of sight.
“Sooyoung’s there,” Jessica muttered. “That’s bad news. Sooyoung is always bad news.” She watched as Kyuhyun ran after Taeyeon. “I’ll be right back,” she told Donghae and hurried over to Kyuhyun.
Jessica slowly approached Kyuhyun, who was dejectedly watching Taeyeon walk away from him.
“What happened?” she asked him.
“I think I just lost her forever.”
~ * ~
“You’re here again.”
Eunhyuk looked up and smiled. “Hey,” he said.
Hyoyeon smiled and sat down beside him. They were on top of the bleachers this time. “What’s wrong this time?”
“What do you mean?” Eunhyuk asked, his brow furrowed.
“You only come here when something’s bothering you,” Hyoyeon knowingly said, smiling a little. He sighed and leaned back. “Is it your friend again?”
“Yeah,” he admitted, closing his eyes.
Hyoyeon watched as he breathed deeply as if trying to calm himself down. This friend of his was always the reason why he came to the bleachers. He was so worried about her all the time. She knew that he was in love with her. It seemed like it was eating him up.
“Why are you so worried?” she asked him. “People in love get hurt all the time.”
“I’m not worried about that,” he said, shaking his head. “Not this time, anyway.”
“Then what?” she inquired, looking at him curiously.
He sighed again. “It’s complicated.” He decided to change to subject. “So how are you and Shindong doing?” he asked, smiling teasingly.
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why you keep asking this every time we see each other,” she grumbled. “You know the answer. He’s your friend.”
“But I enjoy that look on your face whenever I ask you,” he persisted, grinning.
“I’m glad my misery gives you joy,” she said sarcastically.
“I’m just kidding,” he said, laughing. “Don’t get mad.”
She looked at him and started laughing as well. “I really hate you.”
Eunhyuk laughed harder at this. Talking to Hyoyeon was a revelation for him. He found that it so easy to open up to her about things, things that he could never talk to Taeyeon about. He liked the feeling that they met without obligations, that they were just talking because they wanted to. He enjoyed that she was fun and carefree, surprisingly. He’d like to assume that she enjoyed his company, too.
“Just forget about Shindong,” he suddenly said. “You deserve better than him.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, looking seriously at him.
“I mean that Shindong’s a player. He’s a messy person. He fails his classes,” he enumerated. “You’re an A student. You’re a cool person. You’re funny. You shouldn’t want to be with someone like him.” Hyoyeon blushed as he specified her attributes. Eunhyuk looked at her. “Is that seriously the type of guy you want to end up with?”
“Well now that you’ve painted him so beautifully, I guess not,” Hyoyeon replied, rolling her eyes.
Eunhyuk smiled. Suddenly, his phone rang. Hyoyeon watched as his expression turned anxious as he answered his phone. He immediately ended the call and stood up.
“I have to go,” he told her.
“Everything okay?” she asked in concern.
“I don’t know,” he said. “See you.”
Eunhyuk immediately hurried over to where Sunny and Sungmin were waiting for him with Taeyeon. When he saw his best friend, he rushed towards her.
“What happened?” Eunhyuk asked Sunny and Sungmin.
“She wouldn’t tell us anything,” Sunny said worriedly.
“Taeyeon?” Eunhyuk asked gently, holding her arms and looking intently at her.
“Eunhyuk,” Taeyeon uttered, looking up at him, tears brimming in her eyes. “Please get me away from here.”
~ * ~
“What happened?” Heechul angrily asked Eunhyuk. Sungmin and Sunny had been home, enduring Heechul’s wrath for more than an hour. “Why are you bringing her home only at this hour? It’s 10 o’clock in the evening for crying out loud!” He glared at the three.
“Oppa,” Sunny began.
“Sunny, go to your room,” Heechul interrupted, pointing upstairs.
Sunny helplessly looked at Eunhyuk and Sungmin. As she walked upstairs, she knew that they were going to get it from Heechul. She’d never seen him this mad at them before.
Heechul turned his attention back to the two boys. “Well? Which one of you would like to explain this?”
“Hyung,” Eunhyuk started, deciding he better take the responsibility, “Taeyeon wanted to leave school early so I took her and we just drove around for a bit. She didn’t really know where she wanted to go. All she kept saying was that she wanted to get away.”
It was true. Taeyeon kept on repeating that she wanted to get away over and over, while she was sobbing really hard. He’d never seen her that way before and it really scared him. He had wished that he brought Sunny along with him so she could help him calm her down. In the end he brought her to a park, where she cried on him, soaking his shirt wet.
“Couldn’t you have called me?” Heechul demanded.
“I was supposed to,” Eunhyuk said at once. “But Taeyeon saw me and she threw my phone in the ditch.”
Heechul was surprised at this and bit back a smile. He turned to Sungmin, who was laughing quietly. “What do you have to you say for yourself, Sungmin? You’re supposed to be watching over both of my sisters and not just Sunny,” he prompted.
“I’m sorry, Heechul hyung,” Sungmin said at once, the laughter gone from his face. “But Taeyeon didn’t want me and Sunny to come.”
Heechul sighed in frustration. “This will never happen again,” he ordered. Both boys nodded seriously. “What happened to Taeyeon, anyway?” His anger and stress in worrying about his sister not yet being home had made him nearly forget about her condition. He’d never seen her cry so hard before.
“We’re not really sure,” Sungmin answered quietly. “But we think it has something to do with Kyuhyun.”
“That boy,” Heechul muttered. “I’m going to crush him. What did he do this time?”
“We haven’t figured that out yet,” Eunhyuk replied.
“Alright,” Heechul said, shooing them away. “You two should go home.”
“May I… say goodbye to Taeyeon?” Eunhyuk bravely asked.
Heechul nodded. He looked at Sungmin. “I suppose you want to say goodbye to Sunny,” he added in sarcasm. Sungmin smiled a little. “Sunny!”
Almost immediately, Sunny came blundering down the stairs into Sungmin’s arms. Heechul shook his head and went to the living room.
Eunhyuk silently entered Taeyeon’s room. Taeyeon was lying on the bed, on her side, facing him. Her eyes were closed, but he knew she was crying. He could hear her sobbing. Slowly, he sat down on the edge of her bed and lightly touched her arm. She opened her eyes and looked at him through puffy eyes.
“Hey,” he greeted softly with a small smile on his face. “How are you feeling?”
“Like a mess,” she mumbled, sitting up and trying to fix her hair. “Was oppa very mad?”
“Quite a bit,” he admitted. “But don’t worry, he didn’t kill us or anything like that.”
“I’m sorry,” she sighed, looking down.
“What happened, Taeyeon?” he inquired, trying to catch her gaze.
When she finally met his gaze, fresh tears were already forming in her eyes. “He hasn’t changed, Eunhyuk,” she said in almost a whisper.
“What do you mean?” he asked, holding her hand.
“He was with Sooyoung when we broke up,” she declared, starting to cry again.
Eunhyuk felt angry at what she said. He moved closer to Taeyeon and brought her into his arms, hugging her tightly. He could only imagine what she must be feeling. Taeyeon was someone who hated romantic movies because she thought that they were too sappy and unrealistic. She didn’t believe that happy endings were real. Judging from how her parents’ marriage ended up, it’s been reinforced in her head that there were no such things as forever in being in love. And here was Kyuhyun, marching into her life, bringing along with him the prospect of a possible happy ending then snatching it away just as soon as it was within her reach. He closed his eyes as she began sobbing afresh. He didn’t know how she was ever going to believe in love again.
Taeyeon pulled away. “I’ve soaked your shirt again,” she apologized worriedly.
“Forget about the shirt,” Eunhyuk teased. “You owe me a phone, though.”
She looked at him and remembered what she did. “I’m sorry,” she stated, biting her lip. “I’ll replace it I promise.” Her face scrunched up as she looked like she was going to cry again.
He chuckled. “I’m just kidding,” he assured her. “I wish you would stop crying. You know how much I hate it,” he went on, gently wiping her tears with his thumbs. He also tucked her hair behind her ears.
Taeyeon looked at him clearly, like for the first time. “Eunhyuk,” she began.
“Yeah,” he responded, looking at her.
“Sometimes I wish that I had fallen in love with you instead,” she revealed. “Just like Sunny and Sungmin.” She paused as if searching his face for something. “Do you ever think about that?”
“We did make a promise that we’d marry each other if no one else came along when we were 6,” he reminded her, trying to turn it into a joke. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to get into now. He knew she wasn’t thinking straight.
“I’m serious,” she insisted. If she was standing, she would’ve probably stomped her foot. “Don’t you think it would be easier? I know you would take care of me. You’re always so sweet and everything. We’ve always been there for each other. We know each other so well. I just…” By this time she had leaned closer to him, her eyes on his lips. “Haven’t you ever thought about it?”
His heart pounding in his chest, he watched as her gaze turned to his lips then back at his eyes. Hasn’t he ever thought about it? Of course he thought about it. When did he ever not? He thought about it everyday since they were 15 when he realized he’d fallen in love with her. He had just bought the set of colored pens she’d always wanted, but was so expensive. She was so happy that she had stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. That’s when he realized that he wanted to give everything to her, everything that would make her happy.
And right now, she was throwing herself at him. This girl who’s been in his life ever since he could remember; who loved strawberry milk and coloring like a little girl, but insisted she was mature enough; who teased him about his milky white skin when she was even fairer than him. This girl who was now looking at him, like she wanted him to kiss her.
He was a man, too, so even if he knew that she wasn’t in her right mind and that they would probably regret this later, he leaned forward, closing the gap between them, and kissed her.