Donghae's Point of View

     I didn’t know what I was doing. All I see is that Jessica pulled me towards her and locked our lips in a long, lingering kiss. I didn’t know how to react; I didn’t know what to do. And before I could come up with something, it was already over. “Let’s give it up for Lee Donghae everybody!” Jessica said, smiling, “Okay, so I hope you guys enjoy the rest of the party, and don’t forget to keep supporting the Tigers in their future games! Have a good evening! Tigers fighting!”

     The rest of the evening was pretty normal in some ways; although it is hard to use the word “normal” after what just happened. Jessica, I sighed.  Sure, she and I had gone out on a couple of dates, usually after basketball practice, but it was just that: a date. I’m not even sure if it would be proper to call it a date, I mean, “hanging out” would me a more appropriate term. But after all those times, she never had the guts to be this intimate; and it scared me. I didn’t know what to expect from her now on. Putting the incident behind, the team and I were huddled in a long couch, devouring the remnants of the last American-style roast beef serving in the house.   his chops in obvious satisfaction, my teammate, Kim Youngwoon, commented, “So far, best party ever.” The others murmured in agreement, slapping my back in a playful manner and constantly blurting out messages of thanks while I kept on saying, “I couldn’t have done it without you guys.” Scripted as it was, it’s the best thing I could say to keep the others from thinking that I’m a one-man show. I was receiving enough publicity as it is.

Jessica, along with her cheerleader friend, Tiffany Hwang, approached us carrying trays with glasses filled with red liquid. “Care for some punch?” Tiffany asked, lowering the tray onto the carved mahogany table. Most of the team helped themselves, washing themselves down with the sweet mild beverage. Beside me, Jessica positioned herself between me and my fellow teammate. “Are you okay, Hae?” she asked, her dark eyes focused on me. I let out a weak smile, “Yeah,” I said, scratching my head, “just tired, that’s all.”

“Awww, my poor baby. Do you need a nap? You can take my bedroom, you can call me when you’re feeling better.” She suggested, concern lighting up her face.

“Nah,” I said, “it’ll do. I’ve endured times worse than this.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

“Donghae, your eyes look like they’re about to drop, I don’t think you’re THAT okay.” she persisted.

“Look Sica,” I said, holding her shoulders and looked at her in the eyes, “I. Am. Fine.” Then I smiled, trying to mask up the annoyance I felt.

Sica shifted uneasily beside me, as if trying to conceal something.

“What?” I asked.

“So how was it?” she asked, unsure of herself.

“How was what?”

“Uh, you know…” she said, trailing off.

“No, I don’t. What are you talking about?” I replied, confusion creasing the outlines of my face.

“You know, the…” then she looked around uneasily then whispered in my ear, “kiss.” Then she regained her position immediately, her cheeks flushing even under all that make-up.

“Oh…” I said, unsure what else to say. “Well you see…”

I was about to say something else before I was cut off by the sound of somebody looking for Yoona. It was Kyuhyun. “Yoona! Where are you?” Seeing me, Kyu approached me, his face filled with worry. “Oh, hey, Donghae. I know this is a bit direct, but have you seen Yoona?”

“Not since the end of the game. Why? Didn’t you come here with here with her?”

“Yeah, I did,” he said uneasily, “I told her to wait for a few minutes ‘cause I needed to go somewhere. But when I was back, she was gone. I’ve searched the entire house, but none.”

“Calm down, she’s probably out there enjoying herself. Where was the last time you saw her?”

“Near the buffet table. She was about to help herself with some food.” He paused and looked at me. “Look, Yoona’s a beginner when it comes to these types of things. Her mom just called me and made me promise to look after her and make sure nothing happens to her. And now, here I am, fearing that I broke a promise I didn’t even have the chance to fulfill!”

Whoa, this guy was serious. I thought. “Don’t worry,” I began, “I’ll help you find her.” I needed something to excuse myself from the awkward conversation Jessica and I were having anyway. This seemed like the perfect excuse. “Would that be okay, Jessica?” I asked. Something told me she wanted to say no, but she ended up saying “go ahead” instead. Kyuhyun nodded and pulled my hand into the dancing crowd. Behind me, I heard Jessica call, “Hurry back!”

     We searched every nook in the Jung residence, every possible room but with no avail. Asking questions did not help either. The people were too caught up celebrating they can barely answer whether they have seen Yoona here or not. As the number of people saying “No, I didn’t see her” increased, I can see Kyu’s face become more worried. I patted Kyu and the back. “It’s okay, we’ll find her.” We descended the wooden stairwell after checking the upper floors. Kyu was getting more distressed by the minute. “Let’s go outside,” I said, opening a glass door by my right. “You definitely need a break.”

The moon was in a beautiful tint of silver tonight. Full and hiding partially behind the clouds, it made the night more peaceful than it seemed in the booming house. Sighing quietly, Kyu didn’t utter a word since we went outside. However, a sound both caught our attention. A sound so delicate it can only be female. It was the sound of someone sobbing.