“Do you really mean this?”

Youngsaeng whispered to her as they walked to the center of the hall where her and his parents had been waiting for them. The guests moved aside made a room for them when they walked in, arms linked with each others.

“Yes.” She whispered back.

He was the one who came up with the idea to his mother out of her knowledge, but he was willing to stop if she didn’t really want it to be happened. He still had the heart and the so called rational thoughts that just knocked him at the last minute. As far as he knew, she loved Kyujong nevertheless. He could help her with that; he even thought that he could get them back together again if she wanted him to do it. He realized just now, because he loved her so much that he might as well hurt his self and bear with the pain of not having her by his side.

“Are you sure?” He asked again.

She clutched her other hand to his arm that linked with hers. “I all am.” She nodded firmly, keeping her tone so no one could hear what they were saying. “If there’s one of us, who is not really sure about this, it must be you, I guess. I was the one who agreed on it first and dragged you here.” She added furthermore, looking up to him. He looked back.

“This is your last chance to escape. So, do you want to stop?”

She was feeling a little bit upset inside as she uttered it in a still undertone to him, but she maintained her voice and face all smiling. She was well prepared for all the possibility, including him leaving her there. However she trusted him so much to be overly worried.

This is your last chance too, Seungyeon-ah. If we keep going, it will be a lot harder for me to let you go after this.

He shook his head at her question, though his head screamed the words of prevention, telling him to think about it again, to stop pretending and pulling her into a complicated flow he would regret someday.

“No.”

And he couldn’t notice the stir of people whispering on how lovely they looked together the next second as she shot him her grateful-bright smile. He always lost in his own world when it came about her, all his worries be damned. The guests―who were mostly old experienced married couples― recognized it in his eyes.

They reached the place and the engagement party started with both fathers giving speeches about how they never expected it to come before, about their children being tied to each other. They were happy for them, giving them blessings and wishing them all the happiness. At that time, both mothers were already standing side by side, squeezing each other hands with wet eyes. The guests laughed when Seungyeon’s mother exclaimed that she could die in peace since both her daughters already had someone who would protect and love them for the rest of their live, but at least had to stay until the wedding days. Youngsaeng’s mother slapped her hand, while Seungyeon and Gyuri shouted ‘Omma!’ with annoyance.

The moment to put the engagement rings came. Gyuri walked to them with a box of rings placed in a kind of tray. “You have to be thankful that a Goddess doing this on your engagement. I don’t do this just for anyone, you know.” She managed to whisper to Seungyeon and Youngsaeng after giving the white satin box to her father and ran away back to Hyunjoong who was standing mingle the crowds of guests. Seungyeon rolled her eyes, while Youngsaeng chuckled. For a while he could forget the nervousness he had.

But then, there was a loud stir coming from the entrance door direction. Someone shouting words they couldn’t hear clearly because the guests had started to whisper between themselves too, covering it with hushing voices. There were footsteps and a familiar unwanted face showed up with securities following behind him.

Youngsaeng almost shouted and curse furiously at the uninvited guest when he felt Seungyeon gripped his arm hard. He turned to look at her and found she was staring at him with horror in her eyes, silently questioning him how the hell Kim Kyujong came to their engagement party. ‘I don’t know.’ He mouthed it to her.

For the sake of Seungyeon’s state, he came to his sense. He needed to do something before Kyujong caused more commotion and before people could suspect anything, especially both families. He thought and thought, and just like God acknowledge his prayer, Jiyoung came to the scene and saved them all from any possible bruises.

“Kyujong Oppa, why are you so late? You almost miss the main event tonight. Aigoo, and what’s happening here? Why are these security Ahjussideul following you? Don’t tell that you forget to take the invitation card with you.” Jiyoung blabbered on, approaching Kyujong who looked angry, then became confused but decided to play along to Jiyoung’s innocent thought.

He nodded. “Yes, I’m so reckless today. I didn’t remember bringing it with me since I was in a rush.”

Gyuri, who was watching the scene intensely in her silence all this time, finally stepped in too. To say that she was on Youngsaeng’s side was too much, since she was against this engagement. She just couldn’t stand the image of Kyujong making more troubles. So, she talked to him in a fake sweetness and smile, after telling the securities to go back to their respective places and chill down because Kyujong was their guest.

“Kyujong-ssi, thanks for coming. I’m sorry for earlier, we are a little bit strict with the possibility of unwanted guest.” She said, making sure that she put enough pressure at the last words and continued. “Jiyoung-ah, can you please accompany Kyujong Oppa here? I see, he comes just by himself and your oppa will be busy with the party later. You don’t want him to get lonely, do you?”

Jiyoung, the goddess in trainee, nodded her head immediately and gave Gyuri an ‘okay’ sign with her thumb and index finger also a big smile on her lips. She hooked arms with Kyujong and dragged the poor guy moving aside. “Come on Oppa, they just about to put the ring!” She chirped animatedly.

Gyuri huffed in relief, looking at Seungyeon and Youngsaeng direction she gave them a calming blink as if telling them that everything was alright. She motioned a little bow at the guest that made them stood back at their proper place right away and stopped whispering between each other. Some of them had been thinking that it was all about a triangle love since they could obviously hear how the new comer had called Seungyeon’s name and said something about not continuing the engagement. Luckily, it didn’t reach the ears of both parents even though Seungyeon’s father, who acted like he knew nothing, had smelled something up in the air.

The agenda continued with Mr. Han telling some jokes on how energetic young man these days to cover the incident, and it finally really came, the moment to put the rings on. Starting with Youngsaeng, his trembled hand reached for the ring in the white box that Seungyeon’s father held. It was a simple white gold ring with a small diamond in the middle of it. They chose it after the mothers insisted and showered them with more and more catalogues when they had said from the start that they didn’t need an engagement ring.

He took her hand slowly and put it on her ring finger while looking into her eyes that looked as equally nervous as his. They were like asking each other through it, whether they did the right thing, whether they really needed to do it. Without their knowledge, it was her chance already to do the same thing. She could feel her heartbeat went faster as she put the ring on his finger, she remembered how cold he was when they first met each other. How she never expected that they would be, what they called them, engaged.

The guests clapped their hands when she was done, then whoever started it first, the nightmare had come to them. Someone had shouted ‘kiss’ and the other followed it. Soon, the hall was filled with people shouting “kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” and the mothers had joined the crowd too.

Youngsaeng stood there frozen awakwardly, didn’t know what to do. Seungyeon looked at Gyuri helplessly; the later could only shrug her shoulder.

Youngsaeng stared at the carpet that covered the floor.

What’s wrong with these people?

Seungyeon asked for help from Nicole with her gaze, but the so called best friend shot her a teasing look instead.

What to do?

He then turned his head and met Mr. Han’s eyes. He remembered, the father knew the truth! So he gave him a questioning look, but the old man avoided his eyes then, turning his head to the other direction. Youngsaeng lifted his head to the ceiling.

Should I just…do it?

He nudged Seungyeon. People were still shouting the same thing and even louder. They could now hear the mothers shouted on the top of their lungs. He was bothered by the thought on why people were so annoying asking them to kiss. ‘What to do?’ He mouthed it to her. ‘I don’t know’ was the only thing she could mouth back. It was getting more and more awkward for her, and in addition to her suffer, her stupid heart went so wild inside.

She looked around, thinking, searching for help. Youngsaeng was too thinking, maybe he should just kiss her in the cheek so these shouting people would stop. So, after taking a breath, he went closer bringing his lips to the direction of her right cheek. But by the time he was really close to it, Seungyeon’s eyes met Kyujong who was looking at them with hatred; Jiyoung was beside him staring at her and Youngsaeng excitedly. She didn’t know the meaning of Jiyoung’s expression but obviously she couldn’t stand the look Kyujong had on his face. She turned around, just to find Youngsaeng’s lips on hers.

She was shocked, and dumbfounded. Her mind went blank with the moves of her eyes went bigger. People started to cheer really loud around them but she couldn’t hear a thing, even their mothers’, Jiyoung’s and Nicole’s earsplitting squeals. It was the longest seconds in her life, she didn’t know how long it had been when she finally gained her conscious and tried to pull over from the accidental kiss. But to her surprised, Youngsaeng grabbed her hand with one hand while the other one encircled her waist bringing her closer before turning their bodies, making her covered by his presence from the eyes of the people around them.

Her cheeks were burned, red as tomato. She felt like fainting, right there.

************

After that, everything went back to normal and people acted like nothing happened, going back to chat to each other, tasting the food and everything. Even their parents too, had gone to join their business colleagues. The rest of the family members were nowhere to be found around them, same went to Nicole and Jiyoung.

It was damn awkward for both of them when they stood still at one spot near the buffet. Youngsaeng felt like he had to explain his action but confused on where to start. Seungyeon wanted to ask the reason why, but too shy to do so, thinking that it would be really embarrassing. Her heart was still racing from the effect earlier, butterflies. So, she excused herself to him to go looking for Gyuri.

When she walked away, that was when he noticed Kyujong in the end of the room fixing his gaze intensely at the walking away Seungyeon. He unconsciously clenched his fist. He made sure Seungyeon had lost from the sight before moving away to Kyujong. In moment, he was already behind him who was still staring at same spot where Seungyeon disappeared. He calmly cleared his throat.

“That is mine you are staring at.”

Kyujong flinched, surprised to find Youngsaeng behind him. Analyzing what he had just said, Kyujong immediately smirked.

“Yours?” He said, clearly not in a questioning way. “So, she’s yours now? But pardon me, I don’t care. How does she become yours? Since when does she become yours? I know her, she’s not the type who will get along with someone she just knew well, more to say fall in love with that person and everything. The Seungyeon that I know is that kind of person. If you haven’t realized it yet, I’ll tell you, she clearly has no feelings for you and I’m going to take her back!” He mocked him.

Youngsaeng felt like he was going to explode out of anger, moreover because he knew that what Kyujong said was true, she had no feelings for him. But he was determined, they had to end it tonight. He had to make it clear for Kyujong so he would stop appearing here and there just to ruin things. If he was going to blame and tell him the truth, wasn’t he, Kim Kyujong, the one who made him trapped in that kind situation with Seungyeon? If just he didn’t childishly dump her back then, all those things would never happen. Though Youngsaeng was thankful he did it, in some kind of way.

“Let’s find a place to talk.”

Youngsaeng led the way, and they ended up being near around the restroom area since he couldn’t think of any other place anymore.

“End it Kim Kyujong.” He said. “Just stop and call of whatever plans you have on your mind. You’re only making things more complicated whenever you show up.”

“I don’t want to! I’ve told you to back out of this problem of mine and hers.”

“You’re hurting her!”

Youngsaeng’s last line silenced Kyujong and made him thought, he knew it, he clearly knew that he was hurting Seungyeon. He was really stupid back then for not being brave enough to face his own feelings and confess to her. It was probably was too late to apologize and make things work between them because she was already with Youngsaeng, but he just couldn’t let her go like that. He couldn’t accept the thought of his self, Kim Kyujong, the one who had spent more than half of his life span with her, was losing to someone she just knew for months.

He got confused, all things rushed into his head. The guilt, the pain he made her, the pain he also felt, how he was going to lose her to Youngsaeng. He should’ve never introduced them to each other, he thought. Just like a jealous elementary school kid, he got angrier instead of admitting that he was wrong. In a blink of eye, he had started hitting and punching Youngsaeng’s face as the result.

The corner of Youngsaeng’s lips had started bleeding as they were already on the floor, Kyujong above punching him to his heart content. He wasn’t weak, he definitely was going to punch that guy back when someone found them and pushed Kyujong aside.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

****************

Seungyeon walked out of the room annoyed. Her intention for going there at the first place was to find comfort from Gyuri and Nicole but the reactions she got were completely different from the ones she expected. Gyuri scolded her on why she recklessly kissed him while Nicole and kept saying that they should celebrate for her first ever kiss in lifetime.

She tightened the hold to her purse, wreaking her anger there while she kept walking ahead avoiding all the guests in the way. She needed to calm herself, thinking that some fresh water in the face would do her good. So she walked and walked through the corridors until she reached it, the restroom area.

At first, she thought she was hallucinating when she heard some weird noises. She got a little bit scared as she walked more and the noises got louder. She should’ve run away but something kept her going on though she didn’t have good feelings about it. The next moment, she already found herself pushing Kyujong away from Youngsaeng.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

Seungyeon screamed, glaring despise at Kyujong. Her body trembled out of her anger. She felt like throwing things at Kyujong, she really couldn’t understand that guy anymore.

“Why do keep doing things like this? What do you want actually? I really can’t figure the reasons out, you’re being so unreasonable! You want me to be out of your life, I’ve done it! What more do you want me to do? And why do you keep appearing before my eyes?! Tell me what did I do wrong that you keep doing bad things to me, ruining my life!”

She was desperate. She was angry. She was confused. She was worried about Youngsaeng. No matter how many times she thought about it, she still couldn’t understand Kyujong’s behavior. But she didn’t care about him anymore; Youngsaeng was the one she needed to worry about this time.

“You! Stand still there, don’t you even dare to lay a hand on him. You will never know what I’m capable of if you do silly things again!” She exclaimed to Kyujong before running to inside the toilet. She took some tissues and wet it with some water. She had seen the little blood on Youngsaeng’s lips.

When she was back, Kyujong was still there, blankly looking dumbfounded. Youngsaeng was in the process of standing up. She reached him, took a look at his face and carefully wiped the blood with the tissues she brought. There were no any wounds left on his face, except for that one side of the lips. She knew it was a little bit sore because he cringed a little bit when she put the wet tissues there. Also, there was small but obvious bruise there and one side of his cheek.

It wouldn’t be good, she thought, people would notice it.

“Do you have the car’s key with you?” She asked him, completely ignoring Kyujong who was staring at them with an unreadable expression. He seemed to be jealous, but Seungyeon didn’t care to notice it.

“Why?” Youngsaeng asked. He d at the side pocket of his pants and took the key in question out.

“We need to leave. Your face…” She left it hanging there.

“What about-”

She cut him before he could say anything further. “I’ll tell Gyuri unnie, she will handle it.”

They left the venue through the back door because she was afraid if the guests would notic the bruises he got on his face if they left through the main entrance. There was chance to be caught by the parents too. She coldly ignored Kyujong completely, exhausted, she didn’t care anymore even if he was exist or not and left with Youngsaeng without a single word or glancing back at Kyujong.

She texted Gyuri when they reached the car, telling her that something came up so they had to go back home and asking her to please help them dealing with the parents. Youngsaeng drove the car into the direction of her house, planning to just bring her back home and deal with his face later on his own. But she clearly had different plan.

She asked him to stop at a small park, told him to wait for her there while she rushed out of the car and ran somewhere only God knew. She got back a few minutes later, panting as the result of her running, with some ice creams and band aid. Putting the ice creams over the bruise on his cheek and the side of his lips, she started questioning him about what happened earlier.

“So, tell me the details. Why the heck did you guys get into a fight?” She demanded.

He had expected it though she remained silence before while throwing worried glances at him along the way. So he gave her the answer he had prepared.

“Nothing in particular. We just talked, and you know, we, guys always have this kind of short-tempered complex.”

Seungyeon pressed the ice cream tube harder to his bruise as the response of his answer, making him hissed in pain.

“But you’re not that kind of man, and I want the details here, Heo-Young-Saeng-ssi!”

Every word was uttered along with the raising intensity of pressure she put on his bruise. She was getting impatient, this guy always hid things from her. By that time, they were already getting really close to each other inside that car.

“Heo-Young-Saeng-ssi?” He imitated the way she said his name just now, having the intention to avoid talking about his fight with Kyujong. What should he tell her anyway? That they were fighting because they both loved her and no one was willing to back out and let her go?

“Didn’t I tell you to think about my pet name? You called me Otter-nim and now Heo Youngsaeng-ssi? Are you putting distance again between us? Really, you disappoint me Han Seungyeon-ssi.”

Seungyeon took a deep breath. She was in the middle of putting the band aid on his cheek when he decided to act childish. So her thumb did the work, pressing the bruise so hard he screamed in the end.

“That’s what you get for hiding things and playing around with me.” She said in a victorious way.

“I just don’t want to talk about it. It’s just a waste of time, what’s done is done.” He reasoned out.

“Let’s just talk about something else.” He added later, after a moment of silence. Seungyeon was feeling betrayed somehow she kept herself quiet. It was like he didn’t trust her as much as she did. Come to think about it, she was always the one that was so dependant of him yet he never showed any sign of needing her. She felt bad and upset all of the sudden.

Seeing her keeping herself idle like that bugged him. He didn’t notice her disappointment for him, he just supposed that she probably was over thinking it again. An idea his mind, something that would definitely made her response in situation like this.

Speaking of which,” he started, “why did you kiss me in the lips in front of those people?”

Her eyes grew wider upon hearing it. She remembered the incident earlier again and suddenly felt embarrassed.

“Do you know how shock I was?”

Youngsaeng was still going on with whatever teases he had on his mind and she had started to fan her turning-red face.

“And it was my first kiss! You stole it! I’ve never expected that it would happen in this kind-”

“Ya!” She finally exploded. “It was an accident! And just so you know, it was also my first ever kiss that you took, you, thief otter! I was shocked by myself too that I thought I would die right there! Especially by your action when I was about to pull…”

Lowering her tone down, she was forced to stop awkwardly by her own self as the image came again into her head. She was death curious on why did he prevent her from pulling away from the kiss. Was it probably that he…?

She shut her eyes closed and shook her head hard, mentally slapped herself inside.

No way!

On the other side, he had been laughing since then right after she got silenced but she realized it just now because she was too busy occupied by her own thoughts.

“W-what are you laughing at?”

“You’re just too funny, you know.” He held his stomach as he leaned into the seat. Turning to her, he gave her an ‘I can read your mind’ kind of face, making her cautiously declining to the door.

“I did it because it would be suspicious if you just pulled away with that shock expression you had on your face.”

He looked at her in the eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

He was all serious and sincere; she knew it as well as she could sense there was something different though she wasn’t sure what. He was looking at her with some kind of intensity she thought could dig a hole in her face. In usual state, she would’ve turned away but she was captured by his eyes before she could do anything, those eyes that made her feel like being drowned there.

He had leaned closer, yet she still hadn’t realized it. Their faces were just inches away. Youngsaeng seemed to lose his sanity―he would certainly think hundred times before initiating something like that in his right state of mind―while Seungyeon was spellbound.

Both could hear their own loud heartbeats in the ears as he put one palm over her cheek and whispered, “If you’re that reluctant, I can give it back to you again.”

And he kissed her there, for the second time that night, for the second time of theirs. He kissed her there inside his car in a random park they found on the way back home with her eyes wide opened. He kissed her softly, deeply, with all the feelings he had for her, trying to show her every words of love he couldn’t say for he was afraid she would hate and leave him.

It was the longest yet the shortest moment in his life. It surprised him because he thought she would slap him in the face and left. But she was there when he pulled away, breaking their kiss, with her eyes closed. It somehow gave him a tinge of hope though his ego told him not too over expected it. He leaned in again, putting his forehead on hers and said in a low tone words he hadn’t expected himself to say.

“Seungyeon-ah, what if I fall for you?”

*********************************************************************************************************

Author's note:

finally! huff, I finally can finish this chapter. KYAAAA I wrote a kiss scene lol

only a few chapters left to the end of this story. I'm so eager to end it faster, so I can write down a new story since an idea has been jumping around messing my mind lol

I hope this chapter is enjoyable (: happy reading (:

ps: random spazz.

Hyunjoong, Youngsaeng, and Kyujong came to watch the girls' concert! I was spazzing my heart content. OMG!

this week had been a really joyful one for me, the girls' performance on the concert was really really good, they improved again especially baby Hara Goo. I'm soooooooo proud (':

and, get well soon to Gyul and Cole >.<