To Be Just Friends [Part 1] - YoonYul
Title: To Just Be Friends [Part 1]
Pairing: Yuri/Yoona, Donghae/Yoona, Heechul/Jessica, Hyukjae/Hyoyeon, Shindong/Sunny
Genre: AU, angst, romance, friendship
Rating: PG
Summary: Yuri likes her best friend Yoona... more than Yoona will probably ever know, because Yoona has her eyes on someone else. Why does this someone else have to be so perfect for her?
Monday, and the fourth week of her last school year had just begun. Yuri scrawled the date at the top of her page, eyes travelling to the long, slender fingers of her deskmate as she wrote the same thing with almost obsessively neat lettering in her boredom.
Yuri chuckled and the older girl, Jessica, sent her a half-hearted glare. Shut up, the message was silently conveyed and Yuri just smirked as the teacher cleared her throat to wordlessly demand their attention.
She wasn't really paying attention, as usual. Below the date on her page were two and a half notes, with lines and swirls and other doodles her hand had seen fit to ink. Her eyes were fixed instead on her best friend across the room, who was paying the class a similar amount of attention. It didn't matter, they could get the notes off one of their attentive, nerdy friends later.
Yoona was looking out the window, one side of her short orange hair pinned back, allowing Yuri a clear view of her face as she circled her lips with the butt of her pen. After a few rounds the very tip of the pen's end slipped between her pouty lips and her hand flipped over so it was propping her chin on the palm instead of the knuckles. Her twinkling eyes crinkled as they met with Yuri's and she shot a perfect pearly-toothed smile across the room.
~
Saturday, lunchtime, and the fourth week of their last year of school was ending. A girl with short auburn hair sprinted from the campus, tugging a girl with long dark hair by the wrist, both of them beaming as they failed to waste a second of their day-and-a-half break.
Ten minutes later they were sitting across from each other in the booth of an ice cream parlour, eyeing each other from behind diabetes-inducing tall glasses of sugar and dairy. They challenged with their eyes and then they were racing to finish first. Yuri won, bouncing in her chair in victory before collapsing back against it, groaning. Yoona was in a similar position, but grinning at the well-worth-it pain. Inches were added to the would-be exquisite waistlines, but there were no regrets.
"Yuri-ah…" the name was murmured after a moment of recovery. The reply was an affirmative hum and Yoona looked down at her twisting fingers. "I… I have… there's something I have to tell you…"
Yuri's heart just had time to stutter when there was a loud "Hey!" and their friends Sooyoung and Jessica invited themselves into the booth. Yoona shot across an apologetic look and mouthed 'later', turning to the two other girls and greeting them just as enthusiastically.
~
Fortunately Yuri didn't have to wait too long to find out what Yoona wanted to tell her. When she did find out, however, she wondered whether or not it would be better to not have known.
It was on Monday. Sunday had been hell, because Yoona had made other plans. For the entire day. Yuri (and other people who spaced out in class, like Sooyoung, Hyoyeon, Jessica, Henry and that lanky red-headed Chinese kid) tended to congregate at the houses of people who actually took notes (like Seohyun, or Kyuhyun who'd been pushed up a year, or Siwon, providing he wasn't at church) to study.
Seohyun had sighed but allowed the horde in, where they'd found Kyuhyun perched on her bed, glasses suspiciously crooked. Yuri had smirked, biting back a giggle, raised an eyebrow and turned to a nonexistent Yoona - and the day just went downhill from there.
"You know Lee Donghae-oppa?"
Yuri nodded. "Donghae-oppa? Sure I do." Donghae did dance, several types; they were in the same hip-hop class.
"Well… I… he kinda… we're sort of dating," her friend murmured.
Yuri's mouth fell open. Yoona was dating? Yoona was dating Donghae? No, no, wait. Wait. Yoona, her Yoona, was dating Lee Donghae?!
"What?"
Yoona shifted. "Well… during the holidays-"
"During the holidays?!" Week five was beginning, so 'during the holidays' meant at least six weeks ago.
"Yuri-ah, I'm sorry!" Yoona wailed, shielding herself with a textbook. "I should have told you before! We just didn't… you know, want it getting out before we knew it was serious…" She peered over the cover and Yuri sighed, defeated, at her puppy-dog look. They were interrupted by the bell and walked to class in silence.
~
Yuri only glanced at Yoona once during that class, to find her looking somewhere else. Yuri couldn't see who it was, since it was behind her, but it wasn't difficult to guess. Lee Donghae sat behind her. She turned back to the front, trying to get her chaotic thoughts in order.
Donghae approached them at lunchtime, smiling nervously. Yuri hitched a would-be friendly smile onto her face as the greetings were made; Donghae didn't notice anything off because they weren't close enough, and Yoona didn't notice either - she was too busy staring at her boyfriend.
Boyfriend. Ugh.
Her mood was not improved when Choi Siwon decided to follow Donghae over. She swallowed it, though, reminding herself she had nothing against him personally. It was just that she had crushed on him the summer before and well into her last year of junior high (he was charming. Too charming, she thought now), when she was still bisexual, and the sight of him reminded her of all her silly little heterosexual crushes and grade-school 'boyfriends'.
Donghae smiled shyly at Yoona, who blushed as she smiled back, and Yuri felt jealousy bubbling up inside her. That didn't make sense. Yoona was the jealous one. Yoona was the one who couldn't quite smile bright enough when she and Yuri didn't achieve something together. Yoona was the one who pouted (and later, when she thought Yuri wasn't looking, huffed) when Yuri made plans with Jessica or someone else not-Yoona. Yuri wasn't the one who got jealous.
It boiled and seethed and coiled inside her beneath her flushed cheeks, overwhelming whatever it was Siwon was trying to talk to her about.
~
Yoona and Donghae had been right. As soon as it got out that they were official, the school exploded. Two of the best-looking third-years - excepting, of course, Jessica and Siwon - together? The gossip spread like wildfire, up there with the whole Sungmin and Sunkyu confrontation, or when Jessica and Heechul got back together - for the third time.
They began doing everything together, from eating lunch to studying alone after school. Donghae was even the one Yoona began dragging to the ice cream parlour on Saturday afternoons, leaving Yuri and Donghae's friend Hyukjae to trail after them.
Yuri already knew that sugar-high Donghae was even more energetic, childish and insane than regular Donghae, and since Yuri was practically the same, she usually got along pretty well with him like that. But it was different when it was Yoona's hand he was holding, Yoona he was bounding down the street with, picking up, swinging around and carrying on his back. Yuri bounced on the balls of her feet to control her own sugar rush as she pursed her lips and stared after them.
"That used to be me he piggybacked down the street."
Oh, yeah, that Hyukjae was there too. He folded his own arms and pouted.
"I used to be the one she dragged from school," Yuri added. "And bounced down the road with afterward."
They exchanged a look, shrugged, and set off after their hyped-up friends.
~
On Wednesday afternoons Yuri was used to coming out of her final class and finding Yoona waiting for her so they could go to dance together. She was not used to coming out and finding Yoona pressed against the wall with Donghae's hands on her slender waist and his tongue practically down her throat. And his hands were roaming and messing up her short hair and she was tightening her arms around his neck and puling him close so she could press her body against his and it was wrong, wrong, and by the pout on Hyukjae's determinedly averted face Yuri could tell he felt the same.
She cleared her throat as more students started spilling out of the classroom and they broke apart. "Hey," Yoona said breathlessly as Yuri nudged Donghae aside and fixed her friend's hair. "Thanks. We thought we'd go together, since we're all in the same class…" She glanced at Donghae adoringly over Yuri's shoulder and Yuri's hand hesitated as it brushed a lock behind Yoona's ear.
"Um, shall we go?" Donghae looked at his watch after a few moments of silence. "We shouldn't be late."
~
The first routine Shindong had choreographed required them to be in two groups. Donghae and Hyukjae were in the opposite to Yuri and Yoona, but that wasn't a victory to Yuri at all, because Donghae was absolutely dancing at Yoona, and she was totally dancing right back. Her legs stretched right out and her perfect fingers were on her tiny waist and her shoulders moved, up, down, and her hips, around, right, left; step, step, kick; and her chest, pop pop-
"Yuri-ah, what the hell are you even doing?"
Oops.
"Sorry, oppa, kinda… spaced out…" She glanced and glared at Donghae still staring bug-eyed at Yoona, never mind that she'd been doing the exact same thing.
Shindong sighed. Usually Yuri was one of the strongest dancers. "Could you pay a little more attention, please? There's still a lot to go today."
Yuri nodded. "Yes. Sorry."
~
"Are you alright, Yuri?" Yoona asked, while Yuri was drinking. "You were really doing some weird things earlier…"
"Huh?" Oh, I'm fine." Yuri nodded. "I guess I'm just tired today."
Yoona's eyes widened teasingly. "Were you watching Yunho? Did you totally space out 'cause he was so sexy?"
"No," Yuri murmured distractedly. "Wait, what?! No!"
Yoona cackled. "Bet you were! Kidding, kidding," she snickered as Yuri capped and brandished her water bottle. "Seriously, though. What's the matter?"
"Nothing's the matter," Yuri insisted. "I'm just tired. I'll be fine by Friday." Friday was their next dance rehearsal.
Yoona pouted, dissatisfied, but looked at her watch. Break was almost over. "Shindong-oppa's teaching us a new routine next," she said.
"Hmm." Yuri nodded. She would have to pay attention for real this time.
"Could I have your attention, guys?" Hyukjae called from the front, hands on his hips. Everyone fell silent to look at him, even those who were older; he was the dance captain, after all. "Shindongie-hyung's done us a new dance, we haven't got the music yet but we'll go through the steps, okay? Everyone's gonna have to partner up, a guy and a girl-"
"MINE!" Several people interrupted him, leaping on their respective girlfriends and boyfriends. Yuri sighed at Donghae smothering her Yoona, who wasn't minding one bit. Brief chaos ensued, while people started claiming partners, talking animatedly about what they might be doing with their partners, or eyeing out people of the opposite sex to ask.
"SHUT UP!" Hyoyeon yelled when the noise showed no sign of quietening. Everyone obediently shut up as Hyukjae shot her a grateful smile.
"As I was saying," he continued, "Guy-girl pairs, except of course we don't have enough guys - but hyung's got a plan for the girls left over, so don't worry."
The dance team broke out into sniggers or grumbles at Hyukjae's oh-so-tactful choice of words. Girls left over. Jeez.
"Um, so, pairs. You have thirty seconds, go! You can change later if there's a humongous problem," his voice rose at the end as people started moving.
Yuri sighed deeply, looking around for a guy she wouldn't mind pairing with, when there was a voice behind her.
"Partner with me?"
Siwon stood behind her, smiling that gentlemanly smile of his that some swooned for but which made Yuri want to punch him in the face. It really wasn't fair, he'd never done anything to her, but she still didn't like him.
"Um…" she looked around again, but every other single guy had backed off the moment Siwon - the Choi Siwon - approached her. "Sure," she sighed. "Why not," she added under her breath so he didn't hear.
"Okay," Shindong said from the front, and everybody stopped dead, because standing next to him was Lee Sunkyu. Almost everybody's mouths fell open because seriously, why in the name of anything would Lee Sunkyu choose to partner with Shindong?
Shindong ignored the stunned, fish-like expressions and used the silence to continue talking about the dance he had prepared.
~
Yuri finally managed to escape from Siwon after dance and found Yoona with Donghae and Hyukjae. Donghae's arm was looped, as usual, around Yoona's waist and Hyukjae looked the very definition of an awkward third wheel.
"Hey," she said, standing on Yoona's other side. "What's up?"
Yoona looked at her watch. "Actually, Hae-oppa and I were just going to go to a movie, so we should head off." She blinked at Donghae, who gave her a squeeze. "We'll see you guys tomorrow!"
"Oh… okay." Yuri hitched a smile onto her face, again. "Have fun."
"We will! Bye!" Yoona swung Donghae around and they waved as they left. Yuri and Hyukjae were left in an awkward silence.
"You play video games?" Hyukjae asked after a moment.
"Not really…"
"Oh." Hyukjae scratched his nose. "Hae and I would usually head back to my place around now and do that…"
"Sorry, I really have no clue how to do those things."
There was a pause.
"Wanna go do something else?"
"Um…"
"Completely platonically," he added.
"Sure." Yuri shrugged, tearing her gaze away from a bouncing orange head. "Why not."
~
"You are totally jealous of Donghae."
Yuri spluttered, almost walking into a lamppost. How the hell did Hyukjae - Hyukjae - figure that out? Not even Yoona, her best friend since forever, knew she was gay.
Hyukjae glanced at her and chose to ignore her flaming cheeks, stumble and sudden onset of incoherentness. "I understand, you know. Donghae's my best friend, we usually… used to… do everything together."
Yuri nodded slowly. "Well… I can't be your Donghae, oppa." She shrugged. "I don't play video games or soccer; I don't have the same sense of humour as him, I shop…" she gave a small smile. "I can act seriously occasionally… really, the only thing I could do for you instead of him is-" she stopped abruptly.
"Is what?" Hyukjae asked curiously, noting her blush.
Like girls. Watch lesbian porn with you. "Nothing, never mind." And you sure as hell couldn't be my Yoona.
There was a long, awkward silence while they kept walking. "So, Shindong-oppa's new routine is interesting…"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. He's spent ages on it," Hyukjae replied, almost proudly. "He's been trying out bits of it on Hyoyeon-ssi and me since… well, since the holidays." He chuckled. "It'll be easier when we have the music. I think it'll turn out really awesome."
Yuri smiled and nodded at his enthusiasm and let him ramble on. Clearly this project meant a lot to him.
"Hey…" He said hesitantly, stopping abruptly, causing Yuri to almost bump into him.
"What?"
"Do you like Donghae?" he asked quietly.
"…Sure I like Donghae," she replied after a moment, because she did. She just didn't like him liking Yoona. "Why?"
"Um." He scratched his nose. "Because… well, don't take this the wrong way, but I kind of… don't like Yoona-ssi…"
Yuri blinked and stared. He didn't like Yoona? How could he not like Yoona? There was actually a person she knew that didn't like her Yoona?
Hyukjae flapped his hands. "Um, um!" he protested oh-so-eloquently. "I didn't mean-! I just-! I don't dislike her, I just… don't particularly like her… I mean… she's not the right one for Donghae," he finished in a mumble, running a hand through his hair.
Yuri considered his words. She felt the same, but that was because she wanted Yoona for herself. She doubted Hyukjae was motivated by similar reasons. Sure, he and Donghae spent a lot of time together, held hands, kissed each others' cheeks, but Donghae kind of did that with everybody. "Why do you say that?" She asked carefully.
Hyukjae looked at her, reading her face and noticing the agreement beneath her probing.
"Well… Donghae is… I know he and Yoona-ssi are friends, but they don't really know each other, you know? Donghae is more than capable of taking care of a girl, but sometimes he… needs to be taken care of as well, but he won't ask for it. Um, I think my point is, Yoona-ssi seems to be looking for just a high-school boyfriend. Donghae-ah needs more of a relationship than that. I don't want him hurt."
He kept watching her, hoping he hadn't offended her. After all, he had just mildly insulted her best friend.
Yuri sighed. She might not like how Hyukjae saw Yoona, but at least they had the same ultimate goal. And he had a point, Donghae didn't know Yoona well enough to read her. What if he accidentally hurt her? She would keep it inside and he might never even notice until it built up inside her and she broke down and then where would they be? It had happened before, when they were young, and from then on Yuri had learned to tell when Yoona was holding something in and insist that she share it.
"Yoona is a sweet and caring person," Yuri said quietly, continuing to walk. Hyukjae kept beside her. "She is gorgeous, and talented, and she is a romantic, Hyukjae-ssi."
"Ah, I'm sorry I offended you-"
"But you're right. Donghae-oppa doesn't know her very well, and she doesn't know him."
Hyukjae bit his lip. "If he was friends with her for longer before they started dating, I'd probably adore her," he mumbled.
Yuri smiled sadly. "But what can we do about it?"
"Seriously?" Hyukjae said slowly. "What we could do…?"
Yuri's eyes widened as she caught his drift. "You think we should split them up?" she asked.
"No, I said we could," Hyukjae corrected.
Yuri chewed her lip and Hyukjae waited nervously. She thought about it, continuing to walk as she did.
"No," she said finally, sighing and turning to him. To his credit, he didn't avoid her gaze. "It's wrong."
Hyukjae nodded. "Yes, alright."
~
"You know why we haven't got music for the dance yet?" Yoona asked, bouncing slightly as she sat on Yuri's bed.
"Why?" Yuri smiled as she tidied up. Yoona's excitement was always contagious.
"Donghae-oppa told me. You remember, a little while ago, some guys in the music department made a little band? Siwon-oppa and Kyuhyun-ah were in it too."
"The one that did the Chinese songs as well? With that Canadian kid?"
"Henry," Yoona corrected automatically. "And yeah, that one."
"But they split last year when Hankyung-oppa graduated."
"No, no," Yoona grinned. "Donghae-oppa told me. They're still practicing. And they're doing the music for Shindong-oppa, Hyukjae-oppa and Hyoyeon-unnie's dance."
"…Really?" Yuri's eyebrows went up, then the corners of her mouth. "That's actually quite awesome."
"I know!" Yoona clapped her hands. "Oppa's taken me to one of their rehearsals. It's really cool! I can ask him to let you come too, if you want," she beamed.
Yuri's smile slipped slightly and she bent to pick up a piece of trash that had missed the bin to hide it. "That's alright," she said, straightening with her smile right back in place. "He probably only took you because you're special."
Yoona blushed. "Yes… well… maybe… but you're my best friend! And one of the strongest girl-dancers after Hyoyeon-unnie," she tried to argue.
Yuri chuckled. "I don't think so. For starters, Krystal and Minzy-unnie are much better than me. Also, I don't think being The Best Friend gets me special privileges."
Yoona tapped her bottom lip. "Well…" she mused, eyes twinkling. "You could always date Siwon-oppa, and then he would invite you and- aah! I'm just kidding! Put the pillow down!"
~
Yuri pressed her cold water bottle to her forehead, sighing happily at the cold drops dripping down her face. Someone sat down beside her, someone with the man-scent she had been dancing with for the last hour.
"You look hot," he commented.
"Thank you, so do you," she responded sarcastically without opening her eyes.
Siwon chuckled. "So they say," he sighed with equal sincerity, and she blinked one eye to give him and his stupid dimples a good-natured glare. During the few weeks of the couple dance her animosity towards him had diminished somewhat. He flirted with her, sure, but not obnoxiously, just in the way friends flirted. The same way he flirted with, say, Donghae, whom incidentally Yuri was avoiding like the plague. Yoona was now having to spend time with him or her, and it didn't help matters that it was mostly him.
"Donghae seems to be very happy with your friend," he commented with genuine innocence, but Yuri felt her amiability fade.
"Mm," was all she said, watching Yoona and Donghae playfully push and tackle each other, ending with a kiss.
Siwon looked at her in surprise. "I thought you were friends with Donghae."
"I was. Am. Yes," she replied shortly. "I like him."
"Then why?"
"Why what?"
"Why don't you like her being with him?"
Yuri said nothing. She wouldn't confirm it and couldn't deny it, but it really wasn't any of his business. She just sighed and let the water bottle roll down her nose and onto her lap.
It was hot in the dance studio. She looked around at everyone else scattered around the place. There were a few girls practicing their parts by the mirror, and Yuri silently congratulated Shindong's choreography. The 'single-girl' dance had stopped being a badge of shame already. Hyukjae, Hyoyeon and Shindong were sitting in quiet discussion, Hyukjae's leg pressed perhaps too closely along the length of Hyoyeon's. Yuri smirked. Those two should just come out already. They were so obvious. Sunkyu was sitting by Shindong, and it was obvious he was more than a little put off by her presence.
Yuri narrowed her eyes. Sunkyu and Shindong ran in completely different circles. Sunkyu was popular, in the same vein as Jessica, Heechul and Sungmin. Shindong was the chubby guy who could dance, and was great fun if you were his friend, but was for the most part unnoticed and ignored.
But it wasn't her business, if Sunkyu wanted to dance and sit with Shindong then Sunkyu could do that.
"It's different doing the dance with the music," Yuri commented as a change of subject, flushing and chuckling at herself when Siwon paused before nodding. "Well, I guess it's not so different for you. It's a great song, by the way."
"Ryeowookie and Zhou Mi wrote it," Siwon smiled. "I'll tell them you like it."
Yuri smiled. She didn't know the two that Siwon named very well. Ryeowook was in their year but in none of her classes, and so was Zhou Mi, the flailing Chinese transfer student whose name she never remembered unless she'd just heard it. She remembered Jumyuk, but no-one ever called him that.
But they were good singers and she honestly did like their song.
~
"I'm straight!"
Yuri felt sorry for him. The distraught look on his face as he shrieked it down the corridor for everyone to hear flashed behind her eyes.
"Why would you say that? Donghae and I are just friends! I'm straight!"
It was stupid, really. Anyone could see there was something between him and Hyoyeon, but logic rarely mattered when there was some good gossip blossoming.
"What's up?" Yuri asked Yoona when she turned up on the doorstep, smile not quite reaching her eyes.
"I haven't spent time with you in a while," Yoona replied.
Yuri let her in. The statement was true, but it was not the reason Yoona had come. Yuri let the lie slide because it was so blatantly obvious.
"Where's Donghae?" she asked instead.
"With Hyukjae," Yoona replied immediately, plonking down at the kitchen table and sliding her hands between her knees. "He's having trouble."
"With the rumours?" Yuri scoffed and set the kettle. "Please, those are crap. Anyone could see they're not true."
"People aren't seeing, though," Yoona said seriously. "You know he's become official with Hyoyeon-unnie, but… people are calling her his beard and he's really not coping and Donghae's having trouble helping him because people are taking it as proof and-" she took a deep breath to shut herself up. "And I'm not sure what I should do."
"Just relax. Everything will blow over."
"But it's not blowing over."
"Sweetie, it's only been a few days."
"Oh god, has it really?" Yoona groaned, slapping her hands to her forehead and leaning back. "It feels like so much longer…"
Yuri chuckled and gave her her nut tea. "It'll be fine, really. Just give it a little while. He likes Hyoyeon, and Donghae likes you. It's a fact. The idiots who believe otherwise will get over it."
"Heechul-ssi's giving him a hard time," Yoona said quietly. "So is Sungmin-ssi. And Sunkyu-ssi. She keeps hanging around Shindong-oppa while they're trying to work or practice and giving Hyukjae-oppa hell."
"Yeah, why is that? Why is she interested in Shindong-oppa? She's so shallow!" Yuri exclaimed, sitting down opposite her friend.
Yoona shrugged. "I don't know. Honestly, I don't know."
Yuri realized cheering her up or changing the subject wasn't going to help. She reached across the table and took Yoona's hand, smiling gently. "It'll be fine," she repeated, heart aching at her trying to salvage the one relationship she could hardly bear. "Just be there for him when he needs you. This is between him and Hyukjae-oppa. That's all you can do."
~
"It's okay, you don't have to do anything. We're fine."
'We're'. It was that word that set her off. He and Hyukjae were always 'we'. They had a decade-old bond that she couldn't hope to breach. But all she did was blink. "Are you sure? I can talk to him. I can talk to her. I'm friends with Jessica-unnie, perhaps through her, Heechul-oppa-"
"Yoona, you don't have to do anything," Donghae repeated firmly. "I can take care of Hyukkie. Please, don't worry."
"How can I help but worry, though?" she demanded, cheeks flushing as she stared up at him. "Your best friend's upset, you're upset, and I don't know what to do! I'm your girlfriend! Let me help!"
Donghae sighed. "Hyoyeon and I are already trying to help Hyukkie and clear up this mess. It's fine. There's nothing you can do."
"Let me try," she insisted, but her voice was weak.
"No." Donghae shook his head, pecking her cheek. "Go spend some time with Yuri-ah. She misses you. Siwonnie told me."
Yoona blinked. "Siwon? What would Siwon know?"
Donghae stared back. "They're friends now," he said in surprise, backing away to go find Hyukjae and his girlfriend. "Didn't you know? Siwon was really happy."
Yoona's mouth fell open as she watched him walk away, only just beginning to wonder what she had missed.
~
Yoona knocked on the door of her best friend's house, inexplicably nervous. Despite what Yuri thought, the younger had noticed the tightness to her smile, but she put it down to tiredness like Yuri had told her. She was like that; working hard, working fine, then suddenly just collapsing as it all caught up to her. She had been too busy with Donghae, and later with Donghae and Hyukjae, to notice just how long the 'tiredness' lasted.
"Hey," Yuri said, a genuine smile gracing her pretty features as she opened the door to Yoona. "What's up?"
"Can I come in?" Yoona regretted and hated the words as soon as they left her mouth. Once upon a time she had just waltzed in like she owned the place, helping herself to tea instead of Yuri offering it to her.
"Sure," Yuri said smoothly. Easily. But the smile wasn't quite so genuine anymore.
Yoona stepped inside and closed the door behind her, sliding down against it. Yuri immediately fell to her knees in front of her, eyes huge with concern.
"Oh my god! Are you okay? What's wrong?" She cried.
Yoona hugged her knees, head falling forward slightly. "I'm sorry, Yuri," she whispered.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"I screwed up, I hurt you, I'm sorry."
"Yoona?"
Yoona gave a sad smile and kept her eyes trained on her knees. "Don't you remember?Boys are icky, let's never play with them, okay? We have each other, we don't need them. I forgot."
Yuri stared. What did Donghae do. She hauled her friend to her feet and pushed her to the bedroom, sitting beside her on the bed and wrapping her arms around her. "What happened, sweetie?"
Yoona sighed and tilted her head against Yuri's shoulder. "I remembered I have other friends too."
"What do you mean?"
"Donghae is doing everything he can to take care of Hyukjae, while I've been abandoning everyone else…" Yoona murmured. "I knew every little thing about you once, unnie. Now I'm missing important things."
"I-important things?" Yuri asked nervously, thinking of only one important thing Yoona didn't know about.
Yoona slapped her arm. "What's this I'm hearing about you and Siwon!"
"M-m-me and… Siwon?!" Yuri spluttered, jerking away. Was Siwon spreading rumours about them being together? She'd kill him!
Yoona laughed. "I just meant, Donghae told me you two are friends now."
"Oh." Yuri said. "Um… well, I guess we are."
Yoona beamed. "What changed your mind?"
"Being forced to dance for him two hours every three days," Yuri said immediately. "He's not all that bad. Most of it was in my mind."
Yoona squeaked and clapped her hands. "Finally!"
Yuri sighed. "What do you mean?"
"Oh come on. Everyone's been waiting for it to happen. You and Siwon! How exciting!"
"It's not me and Siwon," Yuri growled. "It's just me not hating Siwon."
Yoona flapped a hand dismissively. "Right, right. But just think! If your friendship developed! And you would marry him and I would marry Donghae and we'd have adorable little babies and they'd-!"
Yuri cut her off with her pillow, bashing her up with it and ignoring her cries for her to stop until Yoona managed to grab hold of the other pillow.
"Stop hitting me!" Yoona laughed, emphasizing each word with a whack.
"Okay! I surrender!" Yuri cried, shielding her face with her weapon and holding out her hands. "Stop!"
Yoona confiscated the pillow and sat on them both. Yuri straightened her shirt. "Ugh, seriously, I would never marry Siwon. Trust me on that one. And you wouldn't marry Donghae."
Yoona suddenly went serious again and looked down. "You're right, I wouldn't marry Donghae."
Yuri shifted closer. "What do you mean?"
Yoona sighed. "I really do like him," she murmured. "Honestly, I would like nothing better to continue things with him, but when I… when I think about us in the future, staying together, in college or something… I can't see it. It's like my brain shuts down. It won't let me think that far ahead with him."
Yuri blinked. "Oh."
Yoona raised her head, looking lost. "What should I do? Should I enjoy it while it lasts? Or should I stop it in case he gets too serious?"
Yuri groaned inwardly. "Why are you asking me?" she said, stalling.
"Who else would I ask?"
Yuri hugged her, sighing. "I don't know what to tell you, sweetie."
"Well, that makes two of us, then." Yoona chuckled sadly.