AT YOONA’S HOUSE

“Yoona! It’s been 2 weeks, don’t you think it’s time to do something?!” a frustrated voice shouted.  

Yoona pulled the blanket over her head and ignored her childhood friend, Yuri.  She didn’t feel like doing anything today. To be honest she hasn’t felt like doing anything for the last 2 weeks. Not since… Tears once again pulled in her dull brown eyes.  Eyes that used to be full of laughter – now the doe eyes have lost their spark.  She barely ate anymore, and it felt as if a crack appeared in her heart for every beat since that day.  With no energy left in her body, the tears weren’t even proper sobs anymore.  They just flowed out and painted tracks of despair on her beautiful face.

Yuri huffed and stared at her friend.  She could see she was hurt, and she did her best to be understanding, but enough was enough.  She marched into the bedroom and yanked open the curtains.  Light flooded into the room, disturbing the younger girl. Yuri strode over to the girl, grabbed the blanket and roughly pulled it back.  Yoona curled into a tighter ball, as if that would somehow help put her back together.

“Come on, Yoong, you can’t just stay in your room forever!” 

Yoona looked up pitifully. Her eyes were red rimmed.  There were tear tracks, both fresh and old, on her face. Her once sleek and shiny hair was nothing but a bird’s nest on her head.  In truth, Yuri’s heart broke at the sight of her friend that was once so full of life.

“I-it hurts, unnie,” it was a broken whisper.  Yoona’s voice was a shaky, croaky shadow of itself from lack of use and continuous crying.  

Yuri sat on the edge of the bed and tenderly her dongsaeng’s hair. A quiet sigh escaped her lips, “I know, Yoong, but you can’t just ruin yourself like this. Even Seohyun-ah is hurting you know.”

At that name new sobs wrack her thin body.  Almost like the name brought pain that physically tore her apart.  

Seohyun.  

It’s been 2 weeks since she saw her.  Her beloved Seororo.  Cries escaped her lips.  Yuri wrapped her arms around the broken girl and rocked her gently in an effort to calm her.

“Shhh… It’s okay, Yoong.  It’s going to be okay,” she murmured into her hair.

“H-how u-unnie? Our parents both said that we’re banned from seeing each other again,” Yoona wailed, “That we’re too young to understand relationships like that.  I-it would j-just interfere with our s-studies.”

“What do you think?”

Yoona jerked up in surprise.  She looked up at the tanned girl who has been like her older sister for as long as she could remember, “What?”

“Your parents think you don’t understand, but do you?” Yuri gave her a knowing look.

What could only be called a determined gleam shone in Yoona’s eyes.  It was the first emotion Yuri had seen in Yoona, other than devastation, since she was forced away from her girlfriend of 2 years.

“Yes.  I love her, unnie.  She’s the one I’m meant to be with,” Yoona stated firmly.

“Then get ready, you have something to do,” Yuri lightly pushed her out of bed and towards her bathroom.

“What’s that?” Yoona asked confused, her feet automatically brought her to her bathroom, but still she faced the older girl who was now rifling through her closet for clothes.

Yuri glanced up from the jeans she was looking at, “You’re going to get your girl back.”

---

AT SCHOOL

“You need to eat something, Seobaby,” Taeyeon said softly.

Seohyun smiled sadly, her lips barely lifted in an effort to put her unnie at ease.  She quietly shook her head and absentmindedly looked around her. The cafeteria was the same as always. It was full of students eating and talking.  Some would sit down with friends at the round tables, others would stay in just long enough to buy food, before rushing out to class.  The smell of food lingered in the air, the chatter was the same background hum it always has been.  Everything looked unchanged.

Except for one thing.

Her Yoona.  

The one who was always excited to drag her here to try a new dish, the one who would always have a snack she would only share with her and no one else. The girl she couldn’t live without.

Her girlfriend.

She knew from Yuri and Jessica that Yoona hasn’t been well.  Seohyun hasn’t seen her since two weeks ago when both their parents told them they were banned from seeing one another.  It broke her heart to be forced away from Yoona, but it hurt more to know that she was no longer taking care of herself.  

Seohyun was torn between following her parents orders.  They were the people who raised her and loved her. She loved and respected them beyond words. But… Yoona was her heart.  Right now she barely functioned without the older girl.  Going to classes, eating the bare minimum at dinner, then locking herself in her room to cry silently.  Each morning was like a reset button and she would repeat the process again – class, dinner, cry, sleep.

“We know you miss her, maknae. But she wouldn’t want you to stop eating like this,” Tiffany’s husky voice was laced with concern for the younger girl.  

“Sorry, unnie, but I’m just not hungry,” Seohyun placed her elbow on the table and rested her head on her hand.  Her eyes stared blankly out of the window.  She relived the memories of her  and Yoona in her mind, over and over again.

Tiffany glanced worriedly at her girlfriend, but Taeyeon could only respond with a look just as helpless.  Her two maknaes were breaking in front of her eyes, but she could do nothing to stop it.  Tiffany sighed heavily and gently rubbed Seohyun’s back to try to soothe her fragile heart, at least a little bit.  Her only response was another small quirk of the lips that did nothing to assuage her worries.

*beep**beep*

Tiffany’s phone sounded with a new message.  A glance at her pink device showed that she had a text from Jessica.

“Are you guys in the cafeteria with Seohyun?” It read.  Taeyeon looked over her girlfriend’s shoulder and shot her a quizzical look. Tiffany just shrugged and typed a reply.

“Yeah, we are. Where are you and Yuri? You guys disappeared after class.”

The reply was instantaneous, “You’ll see. You guys are at the usual table near the stage?”

"Yeah we are.”

This time there was no response from her blond haired friend.  Tiffany and Taeyeon were left more confused than before.  They glanced up at the stage area in the cafeteria for casual performances that students sometimes do.

Seohyun didn’t even look at them during this whole exchange.  She was still stuck in her thoughts of the beautiful doe eyed girl she loves.

Unbeknownst to her the cafeteria door opened with the subject of her thoughts walking in between Yuri and Jessica.

TaeNy looked at the trio in shock.  No one’s seen or heard from Yoona for the last two weeks except for Yuri and Jessica.  More Yuri, but Jessica was occasionally dragged along to visit her favourite dongsaeng.

Yoona walked in wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt that was obviously picked by Yuri, but paired with grey jeans that Jessica had chosen to match.

Yoona’s eyes immediately zoned in on Seohyun.  Her breath hitched.  She was still beautiful.  Looking out a window, sunlight streaming across her face and a distant look in her eyes.  She was more than breathtaking and every fibre of her being wanted to run to her side. Instead she and her two unnies made a beeline for the stage just to the left of their table.  It was just those three there today, Sunny, Sooyoung and Hyoyeon were all in class still.

An idea had been building in her head all day since Yuri kicked her out of bed.  Hopefully it was enough to get her girl back.  Seohyun’s too skinny frame showed that she hadn’t been eating well either.  

Yoona stepped up onto the small wooden stage.  It had sound equipment, stereos and a microphone.  She made her way over to the microphone while Yuri and Jessica went to sit at the table.  They sat across from the other three, facing Yoona.  Taeyeon and Tiffany shot them quizzical looks, but they waved it off.  Seohyun gave them a small bow of the head in acknowledgement, then went straight back to her musings. Never knowing that the subject of her musing was just behind her.

Yoona flipped the switch on the stereo and plugged her phone in.  Then she switched on the microphone.  The sound of her preparation drew the eyes of many students.  Some curious about a sudden performance, others happy to see some sort of lunchtime entertainment. Especially musical.  Amongst them was Tiffany and Taeyeon.  The two girls twisted in their seats to look at their dongsaeng.

Her forefinger tapped the mic twice to check that sound was on.  Satisfied with the volume she heard from speakers, she closed her eyes and took a breath.

“Seohyun-ah.”

Seohyun snapped back to reality at that voice.  She held her breath, hardly daring to believe it. She spun around so quickly that she almost knocked into Tiffany, but she barely even noticed.  Her eyes were locked onto the figure on stage.  A figure that looked too skinny, with shoulders that looked as if they carried the wait of the world. But still, the figure was beautiful.  Tears pooled in her eyes as she begged in her mind again and again that this not be a dream.

“Seohyun-ah, I miss you,” Yoona smiled sadly at her girl.

Her voice, was still a little shaky, but better now than earlier. Seohyun for her part, stared dazedly at Yoona.  Yoona took a deep breath to gather her thoughts.  The crowd turned to watch even more closely. This wasn’t just a regular performance.

“Everyone knows about us, Seo. Even our parents, but who cares?” Yoona gripped the microphone tightly to stop them from shaking, “Everybody knows TaeNy is real. YulSic is a fact that everyone accepted. Hell, even KryBer is a thing and they’re younger than both of us, but no one stops them from being together!”

Taeyeon reached over to intertwine her hand with Tiffany, eliciting the eye-smile she loved so much. Yuri proudly wrapped an arm around Jessica’s shoulder and she leaned into her girlfriend’s touch.  Krystal’s face was blank as she watched on from another table in the room. Amber hugged her around the waist and kissed her cheek.  The blank expression fell away to a sweet smile that only Amber could seem to pull out of her.

Seohyun was gripping the edge of her seat, listening to the words she both wanted to hear and yet dreaded.

“Why are they allowed to be happy, Seo? What did we do wrong?” Yoona pleaded almost desperately, but she answered her own questions, “I’ll tell you. Nothing. We didn’t do anything but love each other, Seororo. And I don’t care what others say.”

Seohyun gave her a watery smile.  This was for her.  Yoona was up there giving a speech to save her, and it meant the world.

“So please, Seo. Just listen to me,” Yoona’s voice dropped to a whisper, as if they were the only two in existence, “It’s been a long time, but please… Listen.”

[play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l9edawmo_I]

Yoona walked to the speaker and pressed play on her phone.  Music played as she walked back to the mic.  With eyes only for Seohyun, her lips parted and the lyrics flowed out.

People say we shouldn’t be together

We're too young to know about forever
But I say they don’t know what they're talk-talk-talkin’ about (talk-talk-talkin’ about)

'Cause this love is only getting stronger
So I don’t wanna wait any longer
I just wanna tell the world that you're mine, girl
Oh

Yoona cracked a small smile.  The crowd watched the scene, some in tears, some in admiration, but no one could take their eyes away.  Seohyun could barely let herself blink, she was loathe to miss a single moment of this.

They don’t know about the things we do
They don’t know about the "I love you"’s
But I bet you if they only knew (they don't know)
They would just be jealous of us,

They don’t know about the up all nights
They don’t know I've waited all my life
Just to find a love that feels this right
Baby they don’t know about, they don’t know about us

Yoona’s grew stronger with every line of the chorus.  She meant every word she said.

One touch and I was a believer
Every kiss it gets a little sweeter
It’s getting better
Keeps getting better all the time, girl

She let go of the mic to make hand gestures as she sang. A different heart for every word of ‘I love you’.

They don’t know about the things we do

They don’t know about the "I love you's"

But I bet you if they only knew (they don't know)
They would just be jealous of us,

They don’t know about the up all nights
They don’t know I've waited all my life
Just to find a love that feels this right
Baby they don’t know about, they don’t know about us

Seohyun covered shyly as a smile broke out.  A grin so wide that her face lit up with joy and love for the first time in two weeks.

Yoona took the mic off the stand and hopped down.  She walked to Seohyun as she sang.  People stood up craning their necks to not lose sight of the performance.

They don’t know how special you are
They don’t know what you’ve done to my heart

She lifted Seohyun’s left hand with her right and held against her chest.  Just above her heart, it beat for the girl in front of her.

They can say anything they want
'Cause they don’t know us

Yoona raised the hand on her chest to her lips and kissed. Her eyes never once left Seohyun’s.  The two of them were drowning in the song and in each other.

They don’t know what we do best
It's between me and you, our little secret

Yoona whispered the line conspiratorially.  She winked at the blushing maknae, and pulled her up to her feet. She sang loudly and clearly.  Trying to tell the whole world her message.

But I wanna tell 'em
I wanna tell the world that you're mine, girl

Seohyun intertwined their fingers.  Each digit slotting into place as they always have.  A perfect fit, just like the two of them.

They don’t know about the things we do
They don’t know about the "I love you"’s (I love you)
But I bet you if they only knew (if they only knew)
They would just be jealous of us (they would just be jealous of us),

They don’t know about the up all nights
They don’t know I've waited all my life
Just to find a love that feels this right (feels so right)
Baby they don’t know about, they don’t know about us

Tears streamed down her face as Yoona stared at her with eyes full of love and promise.  Nothing was going to tear them apart. Not this time.

They don’t know about the things we do
They don’t know about the “I love you”’s
But I bet you if they only knew

They would just be jealous of us,
They don’t know about the up all nights
They don’t know I’ve waited all my life
Just to find a love that feels this right
Baby they don’t know about, they don’t know about us

Yoona’s voice dropped to a whisper again. The song coming to an end.

They don’t know about us
They don’t know about us

“I love you, Seohyun-ah. And I never want to leave you again.” Her earnest words echoed through the mic to replace the sudden quiet that filled the room at the end of the song.

Seohyun lunged at the older girl and wrapped her arms around her waist. She hugged the girl as if she never planned on letting go.  She buried her face in Yoona’s neck as tears fell from her eyes.

“I love you. I love you. I love you,” she murmured over and over again.  

Yoona hugged her just as tightly and whispered the same words back.  Applause thundered all around them as people clapped for the reunited couple.  Taeyeon discretely took the mic from Yoona’s hand before it dropped and turned it off with a flick of the switch.

Tiffany smiled at her sweet girlfriend and placed a chaste kiss on her lip before turning back to the two younger girls before her.

Almost every girl in the room had a tear in their eye because of the sweet moment.  Those with loved ones leaned into their boyfriend or girlfriend’s embrace.  They watched with soft smiles as the couple finally pulled back to look each other in the eye.

Yoona softly caressed Seohyun’s cheek and promised her, “I’m yours until you ask me to leave, Seororo.”

Seohyun leaned into the touch she’s missed so much, “Never. I’m never asking you to leave me, Yoongie.”

Yoona’s lips crashed into Seohyun’s.  They kissed with all the force of two butterflies colliding.  Nothing but soft love in every movement.

Who cares if people talk or disapprove? They don’t know about us.