Hyoyeon ended up spending the rest of her day at the Lees’. Donghae even helped her make lunch – and by ‘make’ it meant that he sat right next to her on a high stool, passing the vegetables, brushing the hair away from her face and pretty much marvelling at how deftly she worked in the kitchen.

He would have given her a standing ovation if Hyoyeon allowed him to!

If it had been any other person doing that, Hyoyeon would probably have been weirded out.. or maybe flattered if he was handsome like Won Bin – but Donghae: she was used to! She figured he must be really hungry or something.

Mr. Lee came down to the kitchen only when Donghae went to his room to get him and the three ate and chatted just like a family. Afterwards, Hyoyeon cut up some fruits and they played cards out on the deck.

Finally, at around 6 pm, Hyoyeon stood up to go home.

“I’m just going to put away all the leftovers in the fridge first. God knows Donghae will never remember and the food’s going to be as hard as stone in the morning,” she remarked teasingly and headed for the kitchen.

Mr. Lee looked at his son with a smile as well, fully expecting him to follow his crush like a love-sick puppy but instead Donghae moved closer to him and spoke in a serious tone,

“I want to talk to you about something appa.”

=============================================================================

Hyoyeon didn’t see or hear from Donghae until the next weekend when he sent her a cryptic text message about some big announcement that required her to go to the Lees’ for dinner.

“Hyoyeon, did you get Donghae’s message?” Mr. Lee walked out of his office while fixing his coat and she nodded in response.

“Do you know what this is about, sajangnim?” Curiosity always got the better of her but much to her frustration, the older man denied any knowledge – but she could’ve sworn she saw an excited sparkle in his eyes.

“Leave the closing duties to Seohyun and Kyuhyun today. I’ve already spoken to them. Donghae will pick you up at home around 7.”

“Eh?.. Ah, neh..” She was still as confused as ever.

‘What does that little fish have up his sleeve now?’

==============================================================================  

“So what’s the big secret?” Hyoyeon quizzed Donghae as soon as she laid her eyes on him but her best friend simply smiled mysteriously and uttered just one word, “Soon.”

Then as they walked to his car, “You look beautiful, as usual.”

He knew the reaction he would get from her and he wasn’t wrong – she slapped his arm lightly, “Stop practising your lines on me!”

Donghae sighed internally .. Sometimes he wondered, ‘Is she really this dense or does she avoid my advances on purpose?’ Despite their close friendship, he still was unable to answer it one way or the other.. Hyoyeon was kind of an enigma – although he knew pretty much everything about her after they met, her past was still a mystery ..and he thought it was what prevented him from knowing her real thoughts.

‘When will you let me in Hyo?’ He gazed at her out of the corner of his eye, while still keeping his gaze on the road ahead.

She did look amazingly beautiful tonight. Her hair was down and candy floss soft. It ended right at her collarbones, perfectly showcasing them and she even wore a casual summer dress. He smiled at the tennis shoes she wore on her feet though – that was his Hyoyeon. Always a little special.

==========================================================================

All through dinner, Hyoyeon sat on the edge of her seat.

At first she had been curious and excited about Donghae’s announcement but now she felt a weird uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. For starters, their dinner had been catered – the last time she remembered them doing that was when they celebrated Mr. Lee’s first successful international deal.

‘Ok, I guess that was a good announcement so this will be good too. Donghae’s just putting on a show. Maybe he wants to get the same catering company for his next "girl"friend? Or does he have a real girlfriend now or something? Is she the big surprise?’

The boy in question continued to study the girl out of the corner of his eye. She was so damn cute squirming in her seat like a pre-schooler waiting to rush out for recess. He could tell she was biting down on her bottom lip – to stop herself from nagging him to come out with it already – so as not to be rude in front of his dad.

Hyoyeon managed to get through dinner and dessert somehow but when Donghae shifted the topic to coffee, she finally reached her limit and gave him a swift kick under the table.

Donghae yelped in instant pain while Mr. Lee burst out with laughter. The children always entertained him and he believed, kept him young and happy.

“I think that’s enough suspense, son. Put poor Hyoyeon out of her misery.”

“Oh alright alright. I will.” He turned towards Hyoyeon while massaging his painful shin, “I have exciting news…”

Hyoyeon was silent but nodded – urging him to go on. She always included Donghae in her daily prayers and wished for good things to happen to him.

'He says it’s exciting so it has to be something good. Thank God!'

“I…” Donghae glanced at his father and back to her. “I’m going to America.”

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hey look! i kept my promise for  a change :) thank you for your comments. I didn't realise there was so much HyoHae love... i am.. a little confused about the story now.. is that giving away too much? but i dont want to disappoint any shippers. i hate when that personally happens to me so i understand.

what to do...? should i make a poll?