Wounded

Hate That I Love You

Kyesin

 

“You looked dazed. Are you okay?” my business partner, Emma, spoke as she drove.

 

“Totally fine,” I replied with a big grin. I stared back out the window. It was nice to finally see Cho Kyuhyun in person again.

 

“Mind if I turn on the radio?” she asked.

 

“No,” I smiled.

 

She pushed the on button on the radio. And It was as if fate was toying with me, because the first thing that I hear on the radio was At Gwanghwamun.

 

I close my eyes and listen carefully to every single note and the tone of his voice. How clean his melodies were. How perfect his pitches were. And how fluid he sang. It was different from his normal singing style: his style of crazy vibratos and riffs and distinct runs and easily switching from mid chest to falsettos and back. He sang clean in this song. And it was simple yet sweet and very pleasing to the ear.

 

“You like that song too?” Emma asked when it ended.

 

I nodded. “I really do. He sings well.”

 

“Ah, yes. Cho Kyuhyun really does,” she smiled. “I like how he sings. It’s as if it’s coming from his heart and the lyrics he sings… He means it.”

 

I nodded. “He does sing from the heart.”

 

“He said in an interview that the lyrics of At Gwanghwamun were the feelings of the writer, not his. But I beg to differ,” she smirked. “I think there’s more to that. How else could he have sang it so well? Anyway, I’m a fan of his, actually. You should listen to his version of ‘7 Years of Love’. It’s very good.”

 

This girl has a good taste of music. I know we’d be good friends.

 

“Ah, I have,” I replied. “It is nice.”

 

“Great! You have amazing taste in music,” she chuckled. “So, how are you finding Korea so far?”

 

“It feels different the last time I was here,” I said. “It still feels surreal right now. Probably maybe because I spent too much time in America.”

 

“Hmm… I know you’ll be able to adjust well,” she grinned. “Anyway, after we attend the meeting at Sae KaEl corporation, what do you say we have dinner together?”

 

“Sure!” I smiled.  It’s nice to make new friends.

 

“Great! There’s this restaurant in Seoul I really want to take you to,” she grinned. “You’re not a picky eater, are you?”

 

“No,” I shook my head. “I don’t really care about price either. As long as it’s good.”

 

“Ah okay,” she nodded.

 

The meeting with the corporation took almost forever to get done. The CEO of the corporation was very precise and quite the perfectionist. It’s absolutely hard to please people like that. But of course, with the right amount of knowledge and a little of my charms, we were able to come in terms with an agreement. As the head of a growing statistical firm, I wouldn’t easily give up on this.

 

It is in my nature to not give up easily anyway.

 

I mean not unless told so…

 

So Emma and I went to dinner back in Seoul. The restaurant was near Han river. It was a Chinese hotpot restaurant. I missed these kind of food. Back in America, it was either fastfood or something that sounds so bourgeois. But this...this makes me feel young again.

 

It wasn’t an expensive restaurant but it wasn’t cheap either. The two of us were seated by a maitre’d. There weren’t many people dining. It was obvious that most of them has money.

 

And then I noticed, two tables next to us were two familiar faces. Faces that I’ve seen before. Faces of people who were dear to me. Sitting at the same row as I am was one of the most handsome faces in Korea. Choi Siwon.

 

And across him was the face that could make my heart go haywire. Cho Kyuhyun.

 

He changed. He was no longer the tall and skinny man with jet black hair I used to know. He was bulky now… gained some weight. But I like it. His shoulders were now broad. His chest was huge. His biceps… He has been working out hasn’t he? But then, his puppy eyes, his sharp nose, his thin lips and that mole right below his eye… my favorite physical things in him. They were still there.

 

They were talking. And very busy eating. They dressed simply, as if they weren’t idols. (Even though whatever Siwon wears, he’d still look like a model.) I decided to keep quiet and not tell Emma. They were people too, after all. I knew they wanted to be normal even just for an hour and have privacy as well.

 

But you know that feeling when someone is looking at you? Yes, I had that feeling. And it came from his direction. Cho Kyuhyun’s.

 

But I didn’t want to be delusional. That maybe, just maybe, there was a part of him that wanted to see me too. His surprised look this afternoon came flashing back in my mind. Does that look like the face of someone who’d want to see me?

 

I shrugged the thought off. It was absurd.

 

“You okay?” Emma asked.

 

“Yeah, just a little tired,” I answered.

 

She nodded. “It has been a long day.” She then leaned in and whispered. “Don’t look now but Choi Siwon and Cho Kyuhyun are sitting at 2 tables next to us.”

 

I looked down and chuckled. “I know. I saw.”

 

“Should we get an autograph or a picture or something? Damn! Choi Siwon really does look handsome in person!” she said.

 

“I don’t think they’d want to give out autographs now. Pictures too,” I said. “But hey, aren’t you supposed to pick up your brother from the airport tonight?”

 

“Crap!” Emma said. “I totally forgot! Damn it! Why does Dean have to follow you around? He’s really crazy about you.”

 

I laughed. She could be a scatterbrain sometimes. “I know. But go ahead. I’ll be fine.”

 

“But the bill…”

 

“Don’t worry. It’s on me tonight,” I grinned at her.

 

“Really? It’s really embarrassing…”

 

“No, no, I swear it’s fine. I’ll just take a cab to go home,” I told her reassuringly.

 

“Really? Oh you’re so great! Thank you! I swear, I’ll make it up to you one day,” she said, hurrying. “Thank you so much! I’ll go now!” she then waved goodbye.

 

And I was left alone at the table. It felt awkward to sit there alone. I immediately asked for the check and paid. Without glancing at their table, I stood up and left the restaurant.

 

I breathed a sigh outside as I waited for the taxi the maitre’d called for me. It’s not that I’m avoiding Cho Kyuhyun. In fact, I’d love to see him everyday. But… there’s just…. there’s something…

 

“Kyesin?” someone called from behind. It was male. And I know exactly whose it was.

 

I bit my lip. I turned around hesitantly. “Yes?” I answered.

 

“It is you!” Choi Siwon smiled at me, beaming his white teeth and dimples. “How have you been?”

 

“Good,” I nodded. “And you?” I meant you as a plural, though.

 

But Kyuhyun was at least three feet behind Siwon, completely ignoring our conversation.

 

“We’re doing well,” he nodded. “How… how long have you been here?”

 

“I came back three months ago,” I replied.

 

Kyuhyun grumbled something inaudible and turned away. Siwon, being the gentleman he always was, looked at me apologetically.

 

“Your taxi, Ma’am,” the maitre’d said, saving me from this.

 

“Thank you,” I whispered to him. I looked back at both of the idols and bowed. “It was nice seeing you again today. I’ll be off now.” Again. I used you as a plural.

 

I climbed on the taxi and gave my address. I fell silent in the car, playing back the reaction Kyuhyun had when he heard I came back a few months ago. But what can I do...

 

I really did hurt him.

 



 

Kyuhyun

 

“Yah! Kyuhyun-ah!” A pillow flew right into my face.

 

“What?!” I said angrily.

 

“What do you mean ‘What?!’” Hyukjae hyung said. “We’ve been calling you for ten times already and you wouldn’t even look at us! What’s wrong? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”

 

“Nothing,” I grumbled.

 

“Ei Kyuhyun-ah~” Siwon hyung said. “Girl problem?”

 

“No! I said it’s nothing!”

 

“Aish! Fine. You deal with him,” Hyuk hyung stormed off.

 

“Kyuhyun ah!” Siwon sat beside me. “Let’s eat dinner.”

 

“No thanks,” I muttered, checking my phone.

 

“Ei~ I’m always in China and I’m rarely free. We haven’t eaten together for quite some time now!” he said. He was always so clingy. I was, after all, his favorite member.

 

“AIsh! Fine fine!” I grumbled. “Let me go get my jacket.”



 

We went to my favorite hotpot restaurant near the dorm. For a man that spends so much time in China, I didn’t expect that he would like to eat at a Chinese hotpot. But whatever. Wherever there’s food, I’m happy.

 

We sat down and ordered. Hyung asked his usual questions. How is everyone doing? How am I doing? Anything new in my life? Any upcoming projects or schedules?

 

He was always like that. He was very protective and caring of me since I joined. It was nice to have a hyung I could depend on. And he knows when there’s something wrong.

 

“What’s up with you, huh? You’ve been acting weird all day,” he said.

 

“Ei~ don’t worry about it, hyung. I just saw someone who looked a lot like someone I knew before.”

 

“AH…” he nodded. “Arasso. I won’t ask about it anymore.”

 

Choi Siwon. He has this mannerism to rest his head on his hand and look around with his eyes. It’s been teased on within our group. Him and his Western mannerisms. But he does really look like a model even if he’s doing nothing.

 

But then his brows furrowed, as if deep in thought. He then looked at me with his large eyes and brows pushed together.

 

“Kyuhyun-ah,” he whispered. “That girl looks familiar… so familiar. I can’t remember where I know her from.”

 

He pointed with his eyes. And I followed.

 

And there she was. Sitting two tables next to us. Eating with a girl. There was Park Kyesin.

 

I immediately looked away. Now I know why we ate here. Fate was toying with me again.

 

“Do you know her?” he asked. Choi Siwon never forgets a face. I looked at him with jaw clenched. “Oh!” he said, sitting up and clapped his hands once. Hyung and his overreactions. “Was she the one you saw a while ago today?”

 

“I don’t want to talk about it, really,” I grumbled.

 

He looked again. Can he be more obvious. “Is it really her? She looks… different.”

 

Yes it was her. I could recognize those hazel eyes even from afar. But she grew her hair long and cut it differently. She lost weight too. Her once chubby cheeks were gone. She looked more mature now. More lady-like. She looks different...but not bad different.

 

The girl opposite her stood up and left. She followed soon after paying the bill.

 

Hyung paid too. Right after she did. I knew what he was trying to do.

 

We went outside. I kept my distance. I didn’t want to talk to her. Not at all.

 

“Come on, Kyu!” Siwon hyung whispered. I rolled my eyes at him. I was the only one in our group who can roll their eyes to someone older. I always got away with it coz, well, they adore me, I guess.

 

And there she was, waiting for a taxi.

 

“Kyesin?” Siwon hyung spoke up.

 

I kept my distance, disinterested from what she has to say.

 

“Yes?” she replied.

 

“It is you! How have you been?”

 

“Good,” she replied. “And you?” Was she trying to talk to me as well?

 

“We’re doing well,” hyung said. “How… how long have you been here?”

 

“I came back three months ago,” she replied.

 

“Three months and you never bothered to give us a call,” I grumbled, only to myself, and walked off.

 

“Your taxi, Ma’am,” the maitre’d said.

 

“It was nice seeing you again today. I’ll be off now.”

 

Siwon looked at me and shook his head disapprovingly. “You shouldn’t be angry at her,” he said.

 

“Why shouldn’t I be?” I muttered angrily and headed for our car.

 

She really did hurt me.

 

----

Hey guys! How is everyone doing?

Please COMMENT below your thoughts and LIKE if you feel like it!

Thank you all for reading :) Do note that I want to keep it mysterious for the first few chapters so stay tuned and keep subscribed to know what really happened between the two ;) hihihi

 

EVERYONE HERE'S A GOOD SONG

The song I'm recommending this week is Kyuhyun's duet with Lee Sunhee of 'Fate' (인연). They sang it together in Fantastic Duo and it was amazing. Kyuhyun sustained a note for more than two measures! The longest he has done ever (I think)! So go check it out :)

Like this story? Give it an Upvote!
Thank you!

Comments

You must be logged in to comment
Chanyesung #1
Chapter 22: ?????? I’m crying. I want more please
yeollercoaster_ #2
Chapter 22: agghh it’s just her guilty complex that’s keeping with dean. she obviously knows she wants kyu

happy to see you updated again hehe
QinMeisi
#3
Chapter 22: Yes!! YOURE BACK!!! Re-read it again!!! Please update again!!!
yeollercoaster_ #4
Chapter 21: yes plsss keep updating if you can!! glad you’re back
yeollercoaster_ #5
Chapter 21: yes plsss keep updating if you can!! glad you’re back
yeollercoaster_ #6
Chapter 9: aahrickskdike OKG YOURE BACK. okok gonna binge read this again brb im so excited
Ayakorea
#7
Chapter 21: Ahhhh come on get back together.
Ayakorea
#8
Aren't you going to update someday? ❤️
yeollercoaster_ #9
Chapter 20: definitely just binged read all of this in one night! pls keep updating! we’ll wait for you!!
kkangtuans #10
I miss kyu and kyesin already :(( huhu still waiting for your updates