A:N: this is pure taeteuk btw from leeteuk's POV. but we'll have seokyu on next chapter :) 

Leeteuk’s POV

I was huffing, dead tired from what seemed like endless meetings I just had with more than ten different departments of the university, that started since last week due to the change of school calendar of activities, leaving me to overhaul and compromise big changes from scheduling dates  to doing over major examinations. Punching the “go” button on the coffee machine, I indulge on my fourth caffeine dose by lunch time. my reflex quickly got hold of the very hot latte, and I winced, rubbing my tongue on the roof of my palate as I made my way towards the meeting room of the council office on my right.

Opening a door always leads you to a lot of possibilities, and it was always entertaining whenever I open the door to the meeting room, greeted by a bunch of boys who looked like they would want to be somewhere else more productive, judging from how they behave and the ambiance of the atmosphere, telling you to shut the hell up when necessary. they had no choice but to oblige due to their high testosterone levels, a male machismo of wanting to serve others in need.  I ignored the jungle ambiance due to headache, and was quickly interrupted by Kim Heechul, my co-adviser and confidante, who stole my coffee as if it belonged to him on the first place. I sighed and took my seat to his left, crouching over a bunch of papers waiting to be signed.

“okay start the meeting, I want to have my lunch.” The co-adviser tapped the table, signaling the five boys who were huddled at the corner, their eyes almost burning a hole on sungmin’s game pad. Meetings were always unfortunately like this: first your head will be blasted off by eunhyuk’s music of all sorts and then you will tell him to lower down the volume or shut it all up. Then sungmin will be performing his mastery on ranting, talking about how kyuhyun would steal his gamepad and play unnecessary games with donghae who appeared most of the time oblivious with the tension. Picturing the chaos of the room that appeared like a jungle when they start teasing each other,  Ryeowook will interrupt in between because its his duty in internal affairs, and will shower me with different suggestions of what to do’s and what not to do’s in front of the boys’ fight. only siwon would stay put, the most gentleman of the group, and would watch me with puppy eyes as if I was the most adorable thing on the planet.

I would always spot heechul at his usual seat on the middle, browsing through catalogues of men in their latest fashion wear, ignoring the boys as much as he can. The part of discipline belongs entirely to me, and whenever I open my mouth to speak, it’s a signal I want to be serious.

“boys, meeting.” I said. instantly the area became quiet except for the movement of seats. Sungmin seated nearby to take the minutes, complaining at the other members’ lack of cooperation when it comes to handling papers.

“who’s this fluffypinkangel anyway, getting the  highscore in battle of the Vikings.” He mumbled and my head made a perfect 90, seeing if I heard what he said correctly. Then I saw the scores on the screen and shook my head, suppressing a smile.

“the last minutes talked about the change of the school calendar and since mr. kim junsu is not here to elaborate the details, leeteuk will instead tell us of the meetings he just had with the other departments.”

I shuffled to my next paper, highlighting the dates with a pencil.  “so far I have five departments willing to cooperate with the schedule, but I have to double check the others since they were complaining on the little time given.”

“that’s bull, you cannot just rearrange an entire year of activities in five days. What the heck is junsu thinking? That you’re a superman? ” Heechul said.

“shall we tackle him outside?” donghae spat but I raise my hand for him to shut his mouth. True, I would have done that myself, but only in mind. I am more of someone with a scrupulous conscience and staining my uniform will be the last of my priorities.

I scanned for other details on the papers and my blurry eyes landed on an emphasized word in bold dainty letters. I took the coffee on heechul’s hand and indulged myself a drink. “pageant?”

Ryeowook, seated at my front, instantly looked up .“ah, ne, all the departments wanted to have the pageant on foundation week. something that centers on recycling kpop style meets the 90s.” He nudged eunhyuk on the ribs, who kept pestering him by playing on his reddish hair that spiked on the ends. “ and I heard miss taeyeon wants to be a part of the pageant.”

The coffee burned on my throat and I tried not to cough out the contents. “excuse me?”

I know this amuses heechul than anyone else and judging by the smirk on his face, he knows I am in complete responsibility of the situation.  

“she will manage and the same time she will join?” eunhyuk asked, confused.

I tried pursing my lips but I couldn’t handle it anymore, I snorted and some of the coffee contents gagged my throat.  the members stared at me as if I had gone completely cracked.

Taeyeon amuses me so much in ways she couldn’t even imagine.  So adorable.

“you should tell your girlfriend to back off, unless she doesn’t want to manhandle the event.” Heechul said. I nodded, coughing out the irritant I just consumed.

Mental note, tell taeyeon to choose. If she cannot choose… I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it.

The meeting went by without our co-adviser junsu sunbae, the person responsible for the sudden change of the school calendar due to some important events needing his attention. There were agreements on the school activities, mentioning the pageant and there were major disagreements on the shuffling of exam dates which is a month away from now. Literally, the boys ran for their exit when it was over, signaling lunch time. heechul was the last to leave the facility and purposedly slowed down so he could invite me to have lunch with his wife Jessica but I gently decline, telling him that I need to take a nap. Even with the coffee dampening my throat, staying up was useless.  My eyes were bloodshot and looked like it will about to retire from duty soon.  

But seeing that I may squeeze a quick meeting with kyuhyun’s department, I locked the student council office and headed towards the elevator, slowing down when I noticed someone was following me.

I turned around, met by flying handkerchief instantly targeting me on the face, and the next thing I knew, everything went black.

Expecting to see a familiar setting of white curtains, white bed, and an ethanol scented clinic, my eyes concentrated on an office that doubles the size of my own in the school, embellished with a head of a deer on the middle alone in a sea of blue and black wallpaper. An old fashioned table was situated a feet away from me with what looked like untouched papers. A white gown draped from the hanger and I instantly knew where I was, even for the signage labeling “medical director” in Korean and Japanese calligraphy claiming it.

I sat up on the couch. And the middle aged man, turned around and greeted me with a nod, his raven black hair shiny from applying too much gel. His eyes were twinkling with amusement, and squinting back, noticed they were a shade of midnight blue. Contact lens.

“you don’t need to kidnap me.” I rubbed my nose, clearing away the chloroform stench but to no avail. The man chuckled, a more familiar version of what seohyun does, and his pale arms crossed over his torso. How his booming voice radiates on the room I don’t know.

“have you read the contract?”

I glanced at the door, hoping for an interruption. “yes, and you were informed that I am not yet willing to sign unless you answer my questions.”

“I have no time, jungsu. I have rounds in the pediatric section.”

I stood up and edged towards his table, my knees wobbling from the effect of chloroform that lessened my senses. the contract was there at his desk, computerized, font 12, waiting to be signed. Beside it were two stamps of red and blue color and I immediately noticed the previous. The seal was mine.  “how did you get this?” I asked, referring to my seal. I shouldn’t have asked, I know what he will tell me.

This man liked deceiving me when I am not aware. During my childhood, he indulged me in different forms of self defense, enrolled me to driving when I was fifteen, taught me how to use and differentiate  colts to pistols, all for the explanation of protecting myself. but he had plans underneath, preparing me for a bigger thing. Unfortunately, I am his only hope.

“it doesn’t have to end this way you know.” My father told me. “you really don’t have to run away from home and starve yourself in what? four years? its lonely with only the three of us. your mother always insists to take down the security system in case you would return.”

“I don’t like someone who cheats.”

I was conscious that his eyebrows curled in a pang of rage but he relaxed immediately thereafter, settling on a long sigh. “your mother needs you. you are her only way of winning the elections five months from now. All you have to do is to talk to people. to generate a foundation, something that you and your mother could benefit.”

“I don’t think a benefit should be the right term.” I grit my teeth. “the world will know that I was a victim of an abuse after I hid myself from that revelation seventeen years ago. you will expose not just me but seohyun to the public. How will my conscience get stable if a foundation evolves with a hidden agenda?”

“its time that you get over your past jungsu.”

“revealing myself in public is not justice if the money will be used in something else.”

He paced a step, but halted, staying calm.

I pointed towards the door. “can you just release me from now? Because its clear that I am not in the mindset to decide.”

“help yourself.” My father sighed. But before I could touch the knob, he cleared his throat. “got in touch with kim daesung yesterday, has he told his daughter that they’re losing major stocks on the university?”

I slammed the door and let his security stalk after me.

My father didn’t follow and eventually released me. I was brought back at the school from what seemed like an eternity and hasten my way back to the student council office, at the back of my mind, knew he will continue on communicating with me until I have my own decision. Apparently, it’s a sole decision that sides on his benefit.  It appeared like I disappeared for an hour and a half, and I am running late for my next class in physics for more than five minutes. Junsu sunbae’s door was left ajar. From the way he miscalled me for five times, I knew he was telling me that I am wasting his time.

“where were you?” was the first thing he asked me and I told him I did something important. Family matters were always a secret with me and something that I don’t want to talk about at all times, seohyun on the exception. “do you have the revised school calendar?”

I wasn’t even given a chance to sit. Wasn’t my deadline in two days?

“I don’t have the draft, its still incomplete, the other departments are still---“

“what kind of president are you so relaxed of everything? You are not supposed to just stand there and do nothing.”

I stood more straightly, but my knees buckled and I leaned my hands on the chair for support. Junsu didn’t even notice and kept on ranting as words entered and exited my ears. I had my effort, tried listening, but the blood flow inside my head throbbed continuously and I was running out of breath.

His slanted eyes narrowed all the more, thinking that he might have noticed.  “are you listening?”
“yes.” I said, already heard half of it. the summary: pass the student calendar in two days. “sorry, I am late for my class and I really have to go. I can just squeeze in another meeting with the architecture department la-”

“do the draft now.”

“what?”

Junsu pushed the laptop on his table. “type the draft, infront of me.”

I did what I was told, forcing my hands and eyes to remain from shutting down. I didn’t get to my physics class as a result. Fortunately, after an honest explanation of the revision of school calendar, I was excused from the subject and was given an assignment instead,  to make up for my absence. Better do a worksheet right now than have another meeting. I grab a quick lunch from the cafeteria and darted outside the main building to the library situated near. It’s a haven to clear thoughts and avoid visitors. Most of the times I frequented the area for sleeping, just so I wouldn’t be disturbed.  

I huffed and rested my head on my grey blazer, hogging the entire table. Apparently, sleeping in archives section benefits me from the prying public, knowing that they won’t be interested going here. closing my eyes, I let the swirl of emotions to rest.

 “eomma this is jungsu, the one I’m talking to you about.”

Taeyeon gripped the side of my waist comfortably, ushering me towards the woman who stood on the kitchen sink, chopping vegetables with her knife. She was wearing her hair in a tight bun, had on a yellow apron on top of a black long sleeved dress.

I blinked when she didn’t turn around and focused on the surroundings itself to lessen the awkwardness. I realized we were on taeyeon’s condominium because of the modern ambiance and the large double door refrigerator which I adored when I had my first visit.

Taeyeon cleared .

“she said she wants to talk to you so I’ll leave you two here okay?”

I didn’t know why I didn’t argue or why I had my lips sealed when my girlfriend drifted away from me to go inside her room. my eyes focused back on her mother who stopped chopping her vegetables.

I clutched on the familiar granite of taeyeon’s kitchen nook, thinking of a proper way to start a conversation.

“um, mrs..” or ms.?

“jungsu right?” her back was still turned away from me and I had the urge to come forward to see her face. will she be like taeyeon? Or will she look like the other sister my girlfriend is talking about?

But I forwarded, my eyes glued on the floor. “I am park jungsu from taeyeon’s school. I am her boyfriend.”

“its been a long time, jungsu.you know I will always find you.”

I looked up and froze. The mother’s familiarity was nowhere to be seen and instead replaced by a shoulder length black hair that was curled on the tips. Still with a knife, the woman turned around and greeted me a smile that has haunted me for years.

I quickly sat up and eased my head from the ache I am currently experiencing, checking for marks I made from squeezing my cheeks. I did sleep for a while, but the energy I was expecting to gain from it didn’t even suffice.

“bad dream?”

A very blonde petite female with long wavy locks started drilling her fingers expertly on her game pad as she sat next to me, her eyes focusing on the screen.

I looked at my watch. She’s cutting classes again. “fluffypinkangel?”

Taeyeon was amused. “hey that’s me, battle of the Vikings! how did you know?”

“intelligent guess, I think.” I kidded. Pink because its one of her favorite colors and angel because it was her description of me when we had our first encounter. and fluffy, because, well, I don’t know about it, I just assumed that girls like fluffy things.

Surprisingly she closed her pad and rotated her chair so her body was facing me. she peered outside even if we were perfectly hidden by stands of books smelling entirely of rotten paper.

She placed a hand on top of my knee, warm and electrifying at the same time. “I heard about—“

“no you don’t have to.” As much as I don’t want to put taeyeon into my problems, putting her to my situation and junsu is worse. She sighed and nodded, clearly getting my message.

“I heard you want to do the pageant.”

“I know right? I’m all ears for the crown.” The statement was so innocent I had a great deal of a problem surfacing my serious face. it’s a wonder, how taeyeon could just easily divert my attention to the carefree side of things.

“aegi, you can’t just handle the event and join.” I said gently. “either you manage the event or, I’m emphasizing or, you join the event and let Jessica handle.”

She pursed her lips. no, she’s not getting it, and had the next sentence leaving me speechless.

“but Jessica wants to join too!”

I raise a brow.  Heechul doesn’t know about this. Oh that airhead. “that’s an issue, maybe we’ll not let girls generation be the committee in charge then.” I said consolingly, took out my mobile phone and began typing heechul a message: your wife’s joining the pageant too. Dying to see your panicking face right now.

When I press the send button and looked up, I can see that taeyeon’s contemplating about what I said, her large brown eyes focusing on my vest pocket.

“oh sh*t.”

“taeyeon.”

She cupped her chin. “sorry. But its so hard, I can’t choose which! I want both sides! but I know you won’t let me because it’s part of the rules, I have to follow what you said.” I was softened by the last words, the statement taking a toll on me in spite of its ridiculous bearing.  Like when the heart suddenly weighs twenty pounds and you can’t do anything but to give in for your betterment.

“you don’t have to choose now, you can choose tomorrow.” I said. taeyeon smiled a very bright smile,  as if I just solved a major problem of hers.

I will do anything just to see that smile.

 “I know you’ve been busy and you have things to do for that calendar thingy.” She snuggled my leg between hers. “but you know drinking can’t do harm if you want to, just take your thoughts out for a while.”

“then let’s do it.”

Her eyes went wide, like a little doll with its fluttering eyelashes. “I was just suggesting.”

“I think that’s what I need too. Where do you want to drink?”

Taeyeon bit her lip. I knew she was just testing me if I would loosen up but got suddenly fond of the idea too.  “there’s a nice home two blocks from here that has street food and soju.”

“great, I’ll see you after class, we should get going because you’re cutting classes.” I stood up but she pulled me down. I peered out for any students around the area. none. “oh no little girl, you’re not cutting anymore.”

“that’s not it.” She pulled in a breath.  I sat down and looked at her suddenly worried face, the beat of my heart quickening its pace. “I felt a lump somewhere on my right .its like circular or something. During morning when I was having shower. Its kind of bugging me out.”

 “you want me to get you a doctor?” I opened my mobile phone to check my contacts.

Knowing that she will cause a ruckus out of this little space we have right now, I parted my lips to warn her about something she was about to do at this moment, but I accidentally bit my cheek when I looked up again.

Because I just failed to warn and my eyes landed on a very visible creamy white chest protected by a blue lacy undergarment inches away from me.

my head turned a complete 45 degree on my right and left and my primal instinct got ahead of me.  “what the heck tae…”

Taeyeon stuck her tongue between her pressed lips and touched the right upper quadrant of her contemplatively. something I should not be seeing right now.

 “see, I can feel it, can you check too?”

I scowl but slid my hand inside her polo, tentatively at first, then all the way until the pad of my fingers  touched and pressed on the skin on the upper part of her , towards the armpit. Clearly this girl didn’t mind being palpated in public. beneath the softness was a nodule near the axilla. I inched  more and pressed the mass. It appeared movable yet fixed. Circular yet with a capsule.

taeyeon was right.

“we should get you an appointment, that can be serious.” I told her. “but its more likely benign considering your age and your habits.”

“okay.appointment. whoopee. ”

“gosh, you’re such an exhibitionist. Library of all places.” I tensed, buttoning up her polo.  She beamed and kissed the tip of my nose.

taeyeon was already waiting for me at the gate when my classes ended and I held her hand all the way to the place she was mentioning me about. Two blocks from south was a house made of bricks, country style with a fuming chimney. Outside were decorated with tables and chairs guarded by big umbrellas.  There were two cats chasing each other near the entrance.

“you know the owner?” I asked and she just smiled. in a blink of an eye, she was telling the ahjumma our orders.

“safe to drink here, place is kind of homey.” She said when a teenager boy dropped two bottles of soju on our table. I placed a lot of pork meat on her plate and began filling her metal glass with water. “aren’t you sweet?”

“is that a thank you?” I asked, teasing her manners.

“games on, the first to get drunk pays.”

“I am already claiming my defeat.” I said. “I’ll pay for this.”

She swallowed her meat with overwhelming gusto. “are you sure?”

My father’s words about Kim Daesung-nim rang in my thoughts but I quickly ignored it away. “yes, you know I’m earning from the clinic.”

She didn’t say any more after than that. The most interesting thing about taeyeon is watching her lack of sense of the outside world when eating. And the most surprising thing that guys seem not to notice is that she can strike a good deal of conversation in between. This girl likes slacking because she wants to. but her thoughts on all stuff brought away that hidden intelligence. I keep supplying her plate with meat, until she complained that I was making her fat.

The community pool was housed in a building that was closed an hour ago. but I found myself inside the dark premises with taeyeon who was running towards the edge, removing her shoes and throwing her leather shoulder bag on the tiled floor. i was stuffed from the amount of meat I just consumed and completely buzzed from the effects of soju warming up my body and heightening my senses.

Taeyeon must have felt the heat too because she removed her gray blazer and threw herself immediately on the pool.

I scrambled, looking for her.

“taeyeon!”

She was entirely submerged on a seven feet pool, unmoving. I removed my shoes, blazer and dove.

The cold water sipped on my warm buzzed body, enveloping a cooling sensation from the head to the tips of my toes. I swam to taeyeon, my heart beating rapidly in panic. But when I reached her, she suddenly opened her eyes and threw her arms around my neck.

Her tongue tickled the roof of my palate when she explored my mouth and pushed herself on me. I balanced her weight by steadying her waist, kissing her deeply.

When I’m certain that we were both exchanging carbon dioxide and not oxygen, I pulled her to the surface.

“what are you doing, are you okay?” I asked, panting. I was palpitating, all from the effects of alcohol, heat, the cold pool and taeyeon.  I smoothen her hair to her back, laughing the instant I saw her smiling.

“let’s play!” she laughed. Taeyeon threw a hefty amount of water on my face and I did the same. We were playing all of a sudden, even if our clothes weighed a ton from absorbing the water.  Normally I wouldn’t do this, going to restricted places and waste myself. but I can tell that it is fun and had me completely distracted from my school chores.

Something that I can remember, and this girl is one held responsible for making it happen.

“I’m buzzed.”

“I can tell.” I said. she was happy and contented. Taeyeon wrapped her legs on my thighs and removed scattered bangs away from my forehead, her warm breath tickling my nose.

“I think my heart stopped beating.”

I tensed, steadying her. “huh?”

“making out with an angel is the best.” she said in awe.

“is that what you really think of me?”

“ will I pursue you if I don’t?”

“even with my past?”

She shook her head, tracing her finger on the back of my neck in lazy circles. “I’m ten times worse.”

“don’t say that to yourself, you’re hurting me.” I whispered. She smiled and opened but I silenced her lips by kissing her.

It was helpful that we heard footsteps and saw a flash of light from the entrance door or I will find a hard time separating myself from taeyeon’s arms. It would have been assumed that we will be caught but we were quick to sneak our bags and shoes out.  We got out from the building, laughing. I paid attention to taeyeon and placed my coat on top of her dry ones, the only thing warming her.

“Won’t you be cold?” she battered her eyelashes.

“nope.” I said. “but I think I’m going to pass out soon. Maybe there’s a place around here where we can sleep?”

“there’s a motel in four blocks west.” She said as I offered carrying her bag. I stared at her, trying not to smile so wide. “what?”

“how come you know these places while I don’t?”

“oh, well, because you spend a lot of time perfecting your duties and grades.” She practically dragged herself and I followed, clutching on her waist.

She was right, there was a motel four blocks west and it was fairly decent, with heater and twenty rooms in parallel of each other.

“here.” I handed the payment towards the scrawny motel operator who offered me a key card with contraceptives on top. Embarrassed by taeyeon’s laugh, I took the key instead and helped ourselves get inside the room.  I had the last laugh when taeyeon went screaming at the sight of two cockroaches battling to get out.

I waited for her bathroom break by locking the doors and ensuring her safety.  she came out wearing a fluffy cotton robe and complained that she look like a white witch. I had my own bathroom break, washed my face, brushed my teeth. I stripped off my clothes and hung them near the shower with taeyeon’s clothes, dripping with chlorine. The coldness I was experiencing lessened when I wore the bathrobe and I went out, seeing taeyeon looking on the windows.

She was peaceful and beautiful, in a state like that.

“let me dry your hair.” I said.

Taeyeon sat on the carpeted floor, in between my legs as I patted her long blond hair dry. then she did mine with a massage on the temples, putting pressure on the sides. we spent half an hour drying ourselves, the sleepiness starting to wear on.

“do you have homework?”

“seriously, you’re still going to ask that?” we were on the bed. I was lying, flat, staring at the ceiling, while she propped herself on her elbow staring at me.

“I was planning to tell you that you can do it tomorrow.”

She sniff-kissed my cheek and I had to laugh again. “you’re wasted. Freaking wasted with normal consciousness.”

I turned off the lights and the lamp attached to the ceiling. I enveloped taeyeon in my arms and her head rested on my chest. I pulled the blanket up so it would rest comfortably on her shoulders.

Taeyeon snuck her hand inside my robe, my navel. “five am?”

“yes.” I said, telling her of the time were supposed to leave so we could catch up classes in the morning. we would probably go back to my place so I could get the car and drive her to school. that will be in five hours.

I knew she was sleeping the moment that she stopped talking and when I asked if she’s still up there was no response. I cuddled her more next to me and within a couple of minutes, I drifted off to sleep.