Communication Arts Building

10:30 am

“you were saying?”

“someone’s looking for you.”

Taeyeon jutted her chin towards the door of her classroom to her left and saw a glimpse of the student council president standing just beside the entrance entirely appearing as if he was really waiting for the girl to go out. Taeyeon got hold of herself by placing a hand on top of her heart. it was leeteuk’s first time to do that, maybe a first in the century that he stood waiting outside for someone he only had acquaintance with. and he might have an agenda in mind, knowing who he is, the boy who always appear to be in a hurry. But this time his silence didn’t look to resemble the fast pace he’s always at, and instead just patiently waiting for taeyeon to meet him out.  She smiled, couldn’t fathom her glee as she strutted towards the door, wagging her finger at her classmates craving for a gossip.

Good thing publicity is still at its works. The queen bee of the school always gets the top attention she always wants to receive. 

“you want to kiss again?” she blurted out loud. It was always her intention of doing so, for bringing out the redness of leeteuk’s cheeks was one of the things she want to see. But the president of all presidents didn’t shed a single reaction and was instead edging her to make a distance from the wandering eyes of students trying to eavesdrop at their conversation.

“what do you want to---“ but taeyeon seemed to shut when leeteuk told her that she has to go to the hospital.

“but I’m okay.” She said flatly. Apart from the fatigue she experienced and the nose bleeding incident, she was fine.

“there were two reported cases of flu when we went to the mall the other day.” leeteuk said. Park Gyuri, his female friend, had told him about the incident at the mall and was prodding leeteuk to have him and the others tested particularly taeyeon who manifested symptoms of fatigue the day the case broke out.

“I was okay afterwards, you attest to that right?” taeyeon said a few minutes after she got hold of her bag and was now marching along with leeteuk, her maryjane heels mimicking sounds of hurrying. “I mean, I had a fever and some nose bleeding but you said that its less grade—“

“its  low grade fever miss kim.”

“can you just call me taeyeon?” she said half irritatingly. She sighed, trying to be gentle. “ever since we kissed you’ve been trying to distant yourself away from me. I don’t want to be the culprit here because it was accidental. Though I was trying to really get close to you by that time…”

“can we talk about that later?” leeteuk said. he huffed and pressed the down button of the special elevator, waiting to be out from the prying eyes.

He and taeyeon had the privilege of using the third elevator of the building. Taeyeon being the university owner’s daughter and leeteuk being the council president. Even taeyeon took the advantage of bringing along Jessica and yoona and some of the girl’s generation whenever she’s hurrying to go out.

“can I tell you something?” taeyeon said as leeteuk positioned himself to the other corner, gluing his back on the metal surface. “I’m afraid of hospitals. Because every time I go there during my childhood I get vaccination.”

“you might as well get vaccination.” Leeteuk said, making taeyeon squeak.

“you are evil do you know that?” she said. but leeteuk couldn’t help but to smile the least.

 

They took the first bus, luckily getting the front seats. Taeyeon kept her nervousness at a low key by immersing herself on her game pad, busily poking targets on the screen. Leeteuk on the other hand, amazingly didn’t have any agenda from the student council that time and was just spending a boring time gazing at the front road.  If gyuri was right and if taeyeon did get positive results from the flu test, then she will have to be in a quarantine knowing that it’s the proper way to do it for a contagious disease. Although taeyeon didn’t manifest any signs of weakness that day, she could be the carrier of the virus.

Leeteuk tried to submerge in his mind the characterizations of the flu virus as the sounds coming from taeyeon’s game pad surrounded his disheveled thoughts. The flu outbreak they have right now is under the category of Influenza A, with a known virus that can be pandemic or just simply be an outbreak and disappear with proper control measures. It is by far the most contagious because of its antigenic properties, being capable of antigenic shifting and drifting. Leeteuk crossed his arms, tracing the origin of the flu. He was told that it came from a traveler at the west who came home to korea manifesting symptoms and probably some of the airport personnel got hold of the contact and was able to spread the disease due to low immunity.

He is a nurse and a public health student and epidemics like flu have been a constant topic on his learning but experiencing one can be so nerve wracking. Especially that he or taeyeon can be carriers.

When they reached the hospital, leeteuk escorted taeyeon inside the white building. taeyeon had been inside that hospital before but it never occurred to her to notice single details, best when they were just walking normally. The inside almost resemble a mall but bigger. There was a giant escalator at the middle, beside were numerous desks occupied by people in white uniforms. And people were going to and fro inside other doors leading to various health departments. The paging system dominated the ambiance of the hallway and taeyeon wasn’t so sure if she could tolerate the chilly atmosphere just by relying on her pad and leeteuk’s presence, the licensed nurse who didn’t seem to help alleviate her nervousness.

They stopped on one counter encountered by taeyeon as the medical technicians’ desk and leeteuk had been telling the personnel some details regarding the flu cases on the mall. To taeyeon’s surprise, leeteuk suddenly pulled the sleeve of his uniform to reveal his bare arm.

“what are you doing?”

“blood extraction.”

Taeyeon closed her eyes and diverted her gaze towards two children playing hide and seek a few meters away.

“its now your turn.”

“huh? No.” taeyeon said but leeteuk pulled her arm and insisted to have the procedure done too.

“you know I’m really not a fan of needles it makes me really aaack!” taeyeon shielded  herself from the pain by immersing her body to leeteuk’s, tugging a big space on his back clothing.

“its okay, you’re done miss.” The medical technician said. taeyeon fidgeted in her stance, in her mind, can still remember the time when she had to get a vaccine and her mother was not there. Only her father guided her towards her adulthood with nothing but spoiling her to material things.

What can a guy know in taking care of a female? A mother’s love was really something that she hungered.

“taeyeon.”

“what?”

“you’re hurting me.” leeteuk said. taeyeon noticed that she’s  pressing herself harder to leeteuk that she immediately backed away, focusing herself on the ad regarding cervical vaccines.

Leeteuk could tell that she was really nervous from the blood extraction and  he had no intention of remarking at her closeness or her sudden move of invading his space whenever she was scared. It was weird that taeyeon’s presence really seemed normal for him nowadays. Maybe it was because of being with taeyeon almost 24/7 had seemed like months and her constant bickering would always remind him that she’s everywhere present.  

“if ever you’re cleared we still have to get the new flu vaccine so we can be immune.” Leeteuk said taking a seat opposite the medical techinician’s desk.

“how long do we stay here?”

“1 hour then few more for the vaccine if ever we’re good.”

Taeyeon heave out a breath and took a seat beside leeteuk, opening her pad.

“good thing someone invented the internet.” She said, scrolling down the contents of her previous browser. Taeyeon busily immersed herself on the school news until she passed by a familiar scene on the headline.  Her lips twitching from the vulgar contents.

“huh, school PDA?” she read aloud.

Leeteuk, who was innocent as a child while waiting for the results, turn to his left and saw on the pad, a picture of him and taeyeon posted at the school website. It was their picture at the school grounds where an angle of leeteuk and taeyeon appeared submerged in a deep kiss, with both of their eyes closed and taeyeon patting his shoulder that time added a more serious damage.

It was the moment that leeteuk wanted to just disappear or just be a normal student without any acquaintance from the popular students.

He tried to cover the screen due to the people passing by who happen to take a glimpse but taeyeon raise the pad too high that the screen became too visible, with some of the persons nearby couldn’t help but to giggle at such shot.

“hello hell.” Leeteuk muttered.

“normal in school.” She mused at the passersby. Then she whispered at an embarrassed-yet-too-contained  leeteuk. “I don’t have anything to do with that. I’m just too popular, I’m sorry. Doesn’t even look like its an accident for a first kiss huh?”

Leeteuk had every suicidal intention in mind. “then cover it.” he hissed.

“what, it looks nice, I can use it for my wallpaper.”

Leeteuk stole the pad from a sudden gaping taeyeon. “confiscated.” He said. “I’ll only give this to you when we go out.”

“not fair.” She pouted. Then she stopped, noticing a familiar looking middle aged woman passing by.

 “mom?” taeyeon muttered.  Leeteuk even looked up to see where she was looking but taeyeon’s preference seemed to be out from his view.

Taeyeon stood up and hauled her bag.

“I’ll be back.”

---

 

Student Council Office

1:10 pm

Kyuhyun had bumped into siwon this morning about the continuing project of leeteuk and their community building and the youngest member of the superiors didn’t hesitate but to skip his classes for a keeping up chat.

It never occurred to kyuhyun that he will head a big project of designing homes. Never in his life that at a young age, he was trusted by s to do such heavy work even though it appeared that university should only involve doing minor projects. But kyuhyun knew that his father, a current holder of one of the most prized architecture firms, wouldn’t have been more proud of his achievement. He was even told that he could simply get labor work from their firm, and the business alone would guarantee the salaries and allowances.

“I like your design, very practical.” He remembered his father telling him when he showed the unfinished blue print with a mix of fear and anticipation. Though there were some irregularities considering his amateur skills in architecture, majority were all praise from the famous architect.

Kyuhyun never wanting to exclude s although he can come up with sufficient funds, had chosen to downgrade his capabilities for sharing experience.

“hyung, we need more donors.” He told eunhyuk, who was the head of all school committees. Eunhyuk volunteered well enough to extend his help towards wealthy committees and eager students willing to have their names engraved on a stone near to the finished building if so that the project concluded into a great finish.

Eunhyuk had even asked the help of his good friend, Lee Donghae, the PRO of the council to do more connections.

“suppose park sunbae can help?” donghae kidded. eunhyuk made a gesture which said leeteuk would rather die than ask for his father’s help. It was a matter of a joke in their circle, since leeteuk had dismissed his relationship with his parents to a reason even the members cannot understand.

Kyuhyun took out his graphite pen and started sketching miniature details on his blue print when eunhyuk started to talk about leeteuk again.

“aigoo speaking of the president, look at this.”

He tapped the monitor revealing a picture of leeteuk and taeyeon kissing at the school grounds.

“photoshop??” donghae asked.

“who kissed first?” eunhyuk glued his nose to  the screen. “ah, it must be taeyeon.”

“angle doesn’t look like it.” donghae said. “must be hyung. What do you think kyu?”

Kyuhyun looked like he was shock.

“1000 won, bet for who did first.” Eunhyuk took out ten one hundred won bills from his pocket with donghae imitating his move. Even siwon who was absent during the discussion came hurrying inside the office to check the article with s.

“have you seen the photo?  Gosh, I thought I had it removed!” an enraged sungmin, whose job was to filter school gossips came hurrying towards the computer, shoving away eunhyuk from the seat. He began to type codes on the computer,  something that he could only do. “the one who posted this did a good job, I cannot hack it.”

Donghae shrugged. “must be the geeks who did that.”

“or students from communication arts.” Siwon said. “I heard there are a lot of computer hackers there. Must be because of being too involved with the media.”

The superiors started talking about the consequences of the picture, even to the point of dialing leeteuk’s number to get his response from  the sudden leak of yet another scandalous shot but it seemed that leeteuk automatically knew about the incident and had chosen to turn off his phone, leaving voice message for the members to communicate with.

 Kyuhyun messaged seohyun in secret, trying to act normal in the midst of chaos happening inside the council office.

Have you seen the picture?

Yes.

“seohyun already saw it.” kyuhyun told the boys. Eunhyuk and donghae stopped throwing theories at each other with sungmin taking a break to hack the school web.

“what did the sister say?” siwon asked.

“nothing major.” Kyuhyun said. but deep inside, he knew seohyun is as surprised as he is.

---

 

Seoul Hospital

12:30 pm

Joo Inha bowed as she retrieved the hospital records from the counter and kept the folder closed to her chest as she made way towards the exit.

Back then, it would have been easier to obtain records since she had the connection but it was years ago when she had all people obeying her as if she is a god. now and ever she is just a plain jane living a normal life in the bustling life of the city with an ample amount to sustain her and her family’s needs.

Inha never wished for a better life, she had chosen this path sixteen years ago without any hint of regret. She knew she had followed her heart to be with her first love and choosing to stay with him had been the best moments of her life until he was taken away and left with a big responsibility she thought she couldn’t handle.

Inha had preferred the life trials as a blessing and something difficult like it should be an inspiration to strive more for a better living. She descended her steps to the stairs, with the usual grace of a good postured woman, until her feet had stopped at a certain spot where her eyes can clearly see a very good looking woman in her mid twenties waiting for her at the ground.

Her knees suddenly became weak, her shins appearing as if it couldn’t hold her posture. Her back suddenly became rigid, and her hands couldn’t stop themselves from shaking. Had her heart did the biggest jolt, she never knew, but the feeling was still there.

It was the exact moment that Joo Inha realized that sixteen years of separation had indeed made a big impact on her and this precious girl patiently waiting for her downstairs.

She spread her arms, invitingly as the woman approached him forward with an anticipation she had never expressed in her own life.

“my daughter.” Inha said, her eyes suddenly blurred from welling tears. “my baby, taeyeon.”

---

 

Student Council Office

4:30 pm

“I want to write something about the superiors.”

“superiors?” kyuhyun asked. Seohyun nodded and went to talk about the further details.

“the school paper had published small articles about the council when you won the votes but they haven’t dug into deep details or good trivia.” Seohyun explained as kyuhyun ran a scan on the contents of her questionnaire. Kyuhyun had imagined the questionnaire as a more formal version of a chum book, a popular trend once at middle school with girls.

Seohyun had applied as a contributor for the school paper and she wanted to put out the best article no student could have ever written.

“female crush? You think teukie  hyung could answer this?” kyuhyun said. he couldn’t hide his laugh, considering leeteuk and his interaction to women.

“excuse me, my brother has a female crush.”

 “how about this, are you in a relationship?” he read.  “seo, not all of the guys are in a relationship. Majority of us are single, and if the female species find out—“

Seohyun shrugged.

“and if I said yes, they will itch to know who the lucky gal is.” kyuhyun added.

“but you’re not in relationship.” Seohyun corrected. She stopped, considering her answer in minute details. “I mean, not … yet.”

And kyuhyun was looking at her because she was the culprit for his single blessedness that she chose to be silent for a few seconds.

“aigoo, teukie hyung’s lucky, he can just easily say taeyeon is his girlfriend.” Kyuhyun broke the silent atmosphere. “and speaking of the picture, we cannot trace where it came from. Are you surprised?”

“shouldn’t I be? My brother cannot do such act.” Seohyun said, Though a part of her might consider leeteuk’s ties with taeyeon intriguing. “I don’t know I have to hear it from him but his phone is off.”

“same here.” kyuhyun said.

Seohyun cannot hide her secret anymore.

“I’m liking taeyeon unni nowadays.” She confessed. She had tried thinking about it over and over and she got the same results. Her likeness for the school owner’s daughter wavered without a single notch of dropping down.

“are you serious?”

“she’s actually nice when you get to know her.” seohyun said. “yes she’s arrogant and self centered, snobbish, rude, but once you get to see her deep inside, she’s actually one kind of person who just wants people to understand her.”

“no one can stand her.” kyuhyun said. “and you spent only half a day with her.”

“I did and she’s actually just like a big sister.” Seohyun said. “gyuri unni’s more caring and soft but taeyeon unni’s fine. If leeteuk oppa cannot stand her he should have left her alone without any supervision but he even tolerated her. and they were living together in apartment for more than two weeks and I never heard a rant from him.”

Kyuhyun tried to consider the facts. “whatever you believe then.”

“I saw her how she is whenever she’s with oppa.” Seohyun said. “she whines but when she’s serious she’s a very mature woman.”

“then you’re saying that you approve of their relationship even though its fake.” Kyuhyun said.

“I don’t for the moment.” Seohyun said. “because we know oppa. But we don’t know what will happen, what if they really get along.”

Kyuhyun held seohyun’s hand. “just like this.” He said, staring at her exquisite deep brown eyes. “what if they get along just like us?”

“oppa, people might see.”

“set, deul, hana…” kyuhyun slowly released his intertwined fingers with seohyun and smiled. “sorry, can’t stop thinking about  it.”

---

 

10:45 pm

Leeteuk looked at his watch.

“the next bus is at dawn.”

“at dawn??” taeyeon blurted. She looked around to the point of tiptoeing. sure there were few vehicles passing by their area but there was no bus. And everyone in the city knew that buses have their specific schedules of stopping by to get vehicles.

If only the testing didn’t extend and there wasn’t a long queue of people waiting to get vaccines and if taeyeon didn’t disappear for seven hours with leeteuk almost at the verge of leaving her, they wouldn’t be there at the exact spot waiting for a ride home. the scene was so dark,  and the wind was blowing  too much that standing there for hours wouldn’t grant a benefit.

“how about a cab?” she suggested. But leeteuk had mentioned that waiting for a cab may deem impossible at such hour.

“don’t you have a driver? I’m sure he can fetch us here.”

Taeyeon rubbed her arms from the sudden wisp of cold. “I don’t have his number.” She said. “and he’s not a regular, appa’s planning to change his employees when he  comes back.”

Leeteuk nodded and bit his lip. His head turned to the left and noticed a familiar looking ad pasted on the post.

He looked at taeyeon. “have you been to a sauna?”

 

Taeyeon had been to a spa. Never to a sauna. A rich daughter of seoul had never accustomed herself to public places where people gather to spend the rest of the hours chatting to friends, catching up with families or being just like them waiting for the next bus stop. She was not used to changing her clothes to a communal area, being with other women who were so used walking around the sauna in bare. But the strong willed school  owner’s daughter didn’t want to be left behind and was instead strutting around the area, imitating what people do, in flying colors.

“we can stay here and leave for the next bus stop.” Leeteuk said, handing over a tray of eggs in front of taeyeon, who was seated comfortably on the wooden floor. taeyeon, donned in a familiar sauna attire of pink shirt and shorts looked onto the eggs with curiosity.

“do you put this to the skin?” she inspected, her eyes wandering around the tray until leeteuk found the scene too funny that he couldn’t help but to smile. “what, did I say anything?”

“ you simply eat it, like this.” he said, getting one piece. He cracked the egg on the floor and slowly peeled off the shell, with some pieces gluing on his blue shorts.

“oh.” Taeyeon said. she took an egg too and started cracking  the white object but the shell didn’t even show a single damage.

Leeteuk replaced the egg she was holding with a one without the shell.

“you can take mine.” he said. he watched taeyeon looking at the salt beside the tray. “you dip it there and eat. And you can combine that with a juice.”

 Taeyeon took a sip on her watermelon juice and nodded. “ “you paupers really know how to eat good food.”

“pauper?” leeteuk said.

“yeah, another word for poor.” Taeyeon said as if leeteuk didn’t understand. she ate the yellow globe part of the egg. “I’m always cutting classes and I just don’t go to good places to shop but I frequent markets. There were always delicious street foods. “

“and still you don’t know how to eat a hard boiled egg.” Leeteuk said. taeyeon’s cheeks flushed until she noticed a group of mixed girls and boys staring at their direction.

She tried acting as if she didn’t notice. “school press.” She whispered at leeteuk who took a glance too. “do we vacate?”

“no.”

“are you sure?” taeyeon said. “they can take pictures.”

“we’re not doing anything.” leeteuk said. “I hope you don’t mind. I’ll be scolded tomorrow anyways.”

“sorry.”

Leeteuk swept the crumbs off his shirt. “don’t be, its not your fault.” He said, though a part of him wanted to disappear for another scandal surfacing the net. He noticed taeyeon contemplating on something and he dismissed her thoughts by handing her another egg without the shell.

Taeyeon had distanced herself to leeteuk for the rest of the night by frequenting the hot spots in sauna. She had been thinking about someone greater than leeteuk for the day that she didn’t mind if he suddenly went away to relax on certain places.

When she was done thinking a big deal of what would happen in the future, taeyeon joined leeteuk  on the same spot where they ate.  Apparently, leeteuk didn’t left the space and was just taking naps every now and then, waiting for the hours to pass by.

 

“I happen to see my mother today.” Taeyeon remarked to which leeteuk replied by a surprised look on his face. he sat up as taeyeon rested her back on the wooden pillar reminiscing her meeting. She told him about how she met her mother at the stairs, with both of them looking really in shock and amazement. There was a mix feeling they couldn’t deny but the mother daughter bond was really intact that no time could be a hindrance.

“does your dad know?” leeteuk asked, referring about mister kim being hesitant on taeyeon meeting her mother. Taeyeon shook her head.

“he will definitely beat me.” she said in a casual tone. “I mean, when he finds about that. I don’t know if I should tell him anyways. did you know what I happen to have a sister too?”

Leeteuk shrugged, couldn’t suppress an idea of taeyeon having a sibling.

“I met her once when my parents weren’t separated yet. Used to play with her before when mom would secretly meet his first love. Yeah I know, I should stop talking, part of the rules.”

“go on.”

Taeyeon couldn’t believe that leeteuk was intently listening.

“you and your sister, she’s older right?” he asked. “only few years apart?”

“11 years.” Taeyeon corrected him. “my mother was young when she got pregnant with her. but she didn’t look that old though. She’s the reason why mom was at the hospital, to get her record and some stuff but I didn’t dare to ask.”

Leeteuk nodded, digesting the details. “what’s your sister’s name?”

“I forgot, I was too young.. I think its— oh my gosh shoot.”

Taeyeon was quick enough not to fully bathe in orange juice by a passerby who accidentally tripped nearby.

“aigoo, miss, I’m sorry.” Said the young lady. Taeyeon motioned her away by telling her she’s fine.

“you’re lucky I’m not wearing Gucci.” she kidded. “just go, I’m fine.”

Leeteuk wiped away the spillage from the floor. “you need to change.”

“yeah.” Taeyeon said. she stood and went to the nearest changing area.

---

 

1:00 am

One in the morning, leeteuk reminded himself. He can see most of the people lying down and some of the lights being turned off to accommodate the setting.

 

He lay on the floor, resting his head on towel placed on a rectangular wood and told taeyeon to lie down too so she can sleep. Once again taeyeon didn’t object, the usual cranky she was, and was finding comfortable positions to put herself to sleep. The wood was too hard for her, and the towel didn’t seem to minimize. She tried doing a fetal position, her hands curled to her chest, her knees reaching her stomach. she tried squeezing her eyes shut. But the noise coming from the exhaust seem to bother her and some of the people still talking didn’t help either.

 

She tapped leeteuk who was almost dozing off. “do they have alcohol here?”

“what? No.”

Taeyeon rubbed her nose. “I can’t sleep.” She said. “and I don’t have my pad, I can’t use any stimulation to tire my eyes.”

“just close your eyes and count a herd of sheep.”

Taeyeon sat up and observed people around. “I guess I’ll just snoop.” She said, crossing her arms.

She noticed leeteuk taking her towel on the block of wood and turned to place the material to his left bicep.

“lay your head on my arm.”

“but there are still students awake. They will see us. ”

“so you don’t want to sleep? You will get a headache ” he said. Taeyeon gave a last look on the student press appearing to observe them in every detail until she cannot take it anymore and chose to rest her head on leeteuk’s arm. it wasn’t exactly as comfortable but better than a block of wood in substitute for a pillow.

And taeyeon knew she was facing a sleepy leeteuk, his eyes adamant from the noise around the area. his appearance was so peaceful  that her lids cannot help but to flutter in slow motion, influenced  by the vibes surrounding her.

“no touching.” She can hear leeteuk murmur. Taeyeon smiled and closed her eyes to sleep.

 

Leeteuk woke up from the sound brought upon by a persistent ahjussi talking to him about cleaning floors.

“uh huh.”

“and it was like this….” blah blah blah

Leeteuk, miles from being awake just lazily nodded. He tried looking for the time in his watch but taeyeon’s head was a great weight on his biceps and her face was submerged entirely to his chest that he couldn’t move, afraid her head will hit the floor. her left arm unbeknownst to him was clutching the back of his shirt.

 “uncle, do you know what time is it?” leeteuk asked amidst of the  ahjussi staring at him  and taeyeon’s current position.

“almost four in the morning.”

“almost four--- what—oh no.” leeteuk realized that it will be the time for the next bus stop. “taeyeon, taeyeon wake up.”

Taeyeon, without opening her eyes, quickly rolled over to the left, bumping her head on the wooden pillar situated only a meter.

“ouch. I thought I was in bed.” She sat up, with leeteuk laughing and immediately hurrying over  to check if she’s okay.  

“I forgot to tell you.”

Taeyeon and leeteuk looked above at the ahjussi pointing to the sign embedded on the wooden pillar, a notice they didn’t even took a glance

 

No PDA.