Twenty Nine

     Jonghyun closes the door to the storage room where he leads Yuri and him into, "Jessica has a boyfriend!”

     Total lie.

     Yuri's eyes lit up in excitement and curiosity, "Since when?  How do you know?  who is he?  What does he look like?  Does he work here?  Does any-"

     "You can't tell anyone!  Not even Jessica!"  Jonghyun panics.

     Yuri frowns, “Why?  How come she can know that you know, but can’t know that I know?”

     Jonghyun scratches his neck, out of ideas, “Well, it’s because…” he looks around as if it’ll give him an idea, “because she’ll kill me if she knew that I have told someone.”

     Yuri nods, finally understanding. “I see.  Alright, I won’t tell.”  Yuri walks to the door, “but, what is the point of telling me?”

     Jonghyun can’t say that he wants Yuri to back off of Jessica and that he was jealous, so he said, “I- I just felt like it.”  He quickly opens the door, hoping Yuri won’t ask any more questions regarding to Jessica and her ‘boyfriend.’

     Jonghyun and Yuri enter the dance room and see the boys with Taeyeon, Yoona and Taecyeon.

     Jonghyun brightens up, Perfect timing.  “Taeyeon, I’d like a word with you.”

     The room becomes silent as they understand what Jonghyun is going to discuss with Taeyeon. 

     Taeyeon looks at Yuri, who is behind Jonghyun, and then back at Jonghyun, “S-sure.”  Taeyeon follows Jonghyun out the door.  As for Yuri, she walks over to the group and apologizes.

     “Sorry for coming late.”

     Taecyeon gets up from his seat, “Why did you come with Jonghyun?”

     “He was showing me the way to here after having a conversation with someone,” answer Yuri.  Yuri looks at the girl that was sitting next to Taecyeon, “Hi, my name is Yuri.  Sorry that I didn’t actually introduce myself to you that time.”  Yuri is referring to when she had came into the dance room to find Taecyeon.

     Yuri takes off her backpack and rummages through it, “Taecyeon, here is what I have promised you.  Thank you, again, for everything.”  She hands him the washed cloth.

     Taecyeon looks at it and then at Yuri.  With a more enthusiastic voice from before, he says, “You can keep it.  That way, when I’m not there, you can use it.”

     Taemin comes over from the opposite side and squat down beside Onew, “Yuri noona, were you crying that day?  Is that why Taecyeon gave you his cloth?  Usually in dramas, they do that.”

     Yuri and Taecyeon become frantic.  They look at one another and Yuri signals to Taecyeon that she doesn’t want anyone to know about what happened that day.  Yoona sees this and clenches her hands.  Minho scoffs at the sight of this.

     “That only happens in dramas.  Besides, she had it in the first place because she found it for me.” Taecyeon managed a lie.

     The group becomes confused.

     Onew points at the cloth that is still in Yuri’s hands, “I thought it was because she had accidently stepped on it and offered to wash it for you?”  Onew faces the others, “Isn’t that what he had said, or have I heard wrong?”

     Taemin shakes his head, “No, that’s what I heard, too.”

     Yuri and Taecyeon panic.  They really don’t remember the excuse they had used that day, and unfortunately, the group does.

     “That’s right,” Taecyeon laughs, “I was just testing you guys.”  He sits down next to Yoona, “Good memory.”

      “Well, I’ve been resting for too long now.  I’m going to continue rehearsing,” Taemin gets up, only to be asked by Onew to help get up, too.  “Yuri, want to dance with us?”

     “Sorry, but, no thank you.  I’ll just stay here and watch,” Yuri looks over at Minho and sneeringly says, “I wouldn’t want to be in the way since I can’t dance.”

     Taecyeon looks up from his place, “You can’t dance?”

     “No, it’s just that someone mean said that I can’t dance because I am a girl and am younger than he is,” answers Yuri, referring about Minho.

     “So you can dance?”

     “I know I can.”

     “Hm, I wish I’d see you dance one day.”  Yoona and Minho look over at Taecyeon.

     Yuri can’t help but blush, “One day, when I want you to see, I’ll invite you.”

     “Invite?” asks Taecyeon, “So, you won’t just show me?”

     Yuri squats down beside Taecyeon, “Well, since you’ll be seeing me dance for the first time, I’d like to show you a fantastic performance.”

     Taecyeon feels appreciated, “Thanks.  I’d appreciate it.”

     It’s been almost ten minutes since Yuri has been in the dance room with them.  So far, a conversation hasn’t begun with the four people, Yoona, Minho, Taecyeon, and Yuri.  Even Jonghyun and Taeyeon haven’t come back from their discussion.  Everyone is so busy looking at Onew, Key, and Taemin dance. 

     Yuri’s eyes are all over Taemin.  All his moves are slick, soft, and smooth.  He executes them really well.  Listening to the song played and seeing Taemin dance live seem to be a dream come true for Yuri and Yuri feels happy inside and is smiles the whole entire time.

     Minho is annoyed because he believes that Yuri’s presence is in the way.  He’s also annoyed because from the conversation before between Taecyeon and Yuri, he knew Yuri was referring to him, the guy who said that Yuri doesn’t have potential and can’t dance.

     Yoona is thinking about Taecyeon and Yuri’s relationship the whole entire time.  She’s bothered about the fact that Yuri and Taecyeon could’ve had something to do together that is related to the cloth.  She’s also bothered at the fact that Taecyeon seemed to have cared more about Yuri than about her.  The only time Taecyeon would worry about her is when it’s related to her relationship with Minho.

     Taecyeon is bogging his head along with the beat and looks carefree at the moment, but deep inside, he is completely anxious.  He doesn’t want Yoona to misunderstand or think that he likes Yuri.  Even though Yoona may have a boyfriend, Minho, he doesn’t want Yoona to have the thought of him liking someone as a good thing, since Yoona would probably approve and suggest for him to pursue Yuri.

     The door to the dance room opens and finally, Jonghyun pops back in.  He is all in smiles and is cheery.

     Taemin stops the music with the remote, “Why did your answer took so long?  You know, we only have about a week left until we perform on Music Bank.”

     Jonghyun sits next to Yuri, “Because I was also thinking of strategies instead of the same plan.  I told you, she’s different.”

     Everyone looks at Yuri, knowing that Jonghyun meant Yuri.

     “What’s wrong?”  Yuri asks, seeing all eyes on her.

     Taecyeon averts his attention to Jonghyun, “You sure about this?”

     Jonghyun smiles, “Real sure.  Besides, my love’s on the line for this.”  I have to reverse Yuri to liking guys!  Then, when I have accomplish my real goal of making Yuri straight, that’s when I’m free to be with Sica!

     “The time limit’s still the same?”  asks Key, catching his breath.

     “Yep.  Within a month.”  Jonghyun answers.

     Taemin turns the music on again, “Good luck.”

     This is exciting.  If Yuri gets played by Jonghyun, she’d be so heartbroken that she wouldn’t be able to focus on dancing.  Then, she won’t be able to prove to me that she can dance.  She’d fail her own stupid challenge. Minho smiles devilishly at this thought of his.

     Jonghyun scoots into the circle, facing Taecyeon and Yoona.  He looks at Minho, “Hey, you know how you’re going to take Yoona out on a date for that celebration you had planned for last week?  Can Yuri and I tag along?”

     Everyone perks up, especially Yuri.

     “Yah!  What are you saying?”  shouts Yuri to Jonghyun, “Wait, Minho has a girlfriend?”  Yuri looks at Minho, “I’m surprised you can get a girlfriend with that attitude of yours.  I feel so bad for her already.”

     Minho is pissed, “Why you-“

     “Don’t you know Yoona is Minho’s girlfriend?  They’ve been going out for almost two years,” explain Taecyeon.

     Everyone is surprised. 

     Jonghyun thinks about it, “Hyung, they’ve really been going out for almost two years?  I thought it was three.”

     Taecyeon turns to Yoona, “So, it’s not almost two, but almost three?”

     Yoona is happy.  But the happiness lasts only a little.  She is happy because it shows that Taecyeon cares enough to keep track to know how long she and Minho have been dating.  But, when Yoona comes to the reason that maybe he remembers about how long she and Minho have been dating, she becomes hurt.  You’re really okay with me and Minho dating?  “No, you’re right.  Almost two years.”

     Yuri scoots in closer to Taecyeon, making Yoona’s heart tighten, “Sorry.  I didn’t know that his girlfriend would be you.”

     Yoona gives Yuri a faint smile, “It’s okay; in fact, I didn’t formally introduce myself.  I am Minho’s girlfriend Yoona.”  Yoona points to Taecyeon and swallows hard at the next sentence she is going to have to say and live with, “Taecyeon and I are friends since we are in the same agency.”

     Yuri finally understands the relationship now.  “Wait, Jonghyun, why did you asked that question when you haven’t even asked me about it!  Besides, why would you want to barge in on their date?”

     Jonghyun begs Minho and Yoona, “You guys know about it, right, and understand right?  Please, let us go?  I told you guys, my love is on the line of this!”

     “Love?” Yoona whispers as she steals a glance at Taecyeon.  She sees a saddened Taecyeon, Could it be that he’s sad because he likes Yuri and  Jonghyun is going to play around with her?

     Minho turns to look at the rest of his members dance, “No.  Besides, someone doesn’t want to go.”

     Yuri becomes pissed at the tone Minho uses to refer about her, “Yah, I was being thoughtful.  The least you could do is appreciate it.”

     “And what’s the most that I could do?” Minho puts his hand onto the floor and leans on it, leaning towards Yuri’s direction.

     Yuri puts her two hands down on the floor and moves forward to Minho, “The most and best that you can and should ever do is change that attitude of yours!”  She quickly turns to Jonghyun before Minho can dart back at her, “Sorry, Jonghyun, but I don’t want to go.”

     Yuri reverts back into sitting properly, “I’m going to be busy.”  The tone of Yuri’s voice at the moment is dissimilar.  It is sad, and it sounds almost quite like a whisper.

     Taecyeon looks at his new friend with a worried look as Yoona averts her attention from Yuri to Taecyeon and sees this.  Minho can’t help but focus on Yuri.  He hasn’t seen this side from her and is surprised.  Jonghyun feels sad at the fact that he’s out of ideas to take her out to begin his pursuit.

     Right now, I have to brace myself to see them.