Leeteuk’s apartment

Seohyun’s POV

 

“oppa…”

“oppa…?”

“oppa, come out now!”

I could almost break the bathroom door for repeatedly harassing it for it to open. And now, miraculously, just by knocking for at least a twenty, the door cracked wide, revealing my brother in his casual top and shorts, staring at me.

“take a seat. Wait, how did you get that door open?” he looked at me with those eyes that reminded me of bug eyed people who just came out from watching a drama movie. It was very swollen and red.

“I asked the landlady, she has the keys.” I said.

I cant contain this.

Yes, I knew what happened. He messaged me, my brother who had a recent fright upon seeing the woman who made a really big change in his life. though I don’t know what happened next, though I wouldn’t want to know… amazingly, my brother leeteuk appeared like he was trying to control the situation by drawing in deep breaths.

Although I could see him continuously rubbing the towel on his hair, as if a hefty amount of mud just landed on it. and it meant that he was on his obsessive compulsive mood again. my poor brother had developed this kind of habit to clean himself thoroughly whenever he’s stressed.

Or this time, whenever he feels unclean.

“aigoo, just how many times did you apply soap? You smell so weird.” I said, trying to take his towel but to no avail. Leeteuk had clung on it as if it was a precious material.

“five times I think. No, I think six.”

He sat on the chair next to the table and contemplated on the floor with his eyebrows forming a frown.

“i---“ he bit his lip and his head took little bobs, swaying up and down. He looked like he could almost bite his fingers, because he was putting them to his lips, somewhat unconsciously.

“oppa!” I said, taking his thoughts away. I hated this. I hate it everytime he would feel so conscious of himself.

Leeteuk looked at me again and I noticed that his eyes appeared more swollen. “seo, baby… that woman. I saw again… it scares me.”

I winced.

“where is she?”

“back to the institution I think. I saw nurses tackling her down before I escaped.”

Leeteuk placed both his elbows on the table and with a slouching position, put both his hands on the sides of his head, his eyes closed.

“she’s not going to come back again.” I patted his back.

“she hunted me down, knew where I study, knew how I graduated… I don’t know if she knows where I live. and if she knows she could come back. She could see me again. she… she could do it again.”

“no she won’t.” I said, assuring him. At the thought of my brother’s words slowly creeping up on me, I could feel the hairs on my neck standing up. Its as if hearing a horror story, about some person allegedly stalking leeteuk.

Its not a new incidence. My brother is a female magnet, and not just ordinary. Girls would die just to be his girlfriend. Some even would leave horrendous materials inside his locker. Letters talking about how perfect he was, candies and chocolates, stuffed animals. There was even an event once that I thought my brother’s phobia would come back again when some senior high school student during his middle school days kidnapped him, and cited when my mom sought the police, said she just wanted to bring him to an ice cream shop. That created a lot of frights on him. But as it was, my brother still retained his utmost respect to women.  although he had something came up with his past, he was still able to tolerate my species, he was still able to contain respect for us.

Girls.

Leeteuk placed the towel on the chair and took in deep breaths again.

“have you taken some medicine?” I asked. He shook his head and stood up, pacing towards the kitchen sink to wash his hands.

“maybe you need to  drink on something?” I asked again. “some sedatives, or hypnotics if you want to sleep.”

“seo, I’m well, I don’t need those drugs.”

But…

“I’m fine.” Leeteuk said, looking like he can read my thoughts. “seo, I’m fine.”

--------------------------

School area

8:45 am

“Hwang Tiffany.”

“present!”

“Choi Sooyoung.”

“in here.”

“okay…” taeyeon checked the present members and continued reciting. “kim hyoyeon, check. Lee Sunkyu and the last one.”

Taeyeon smiled upon seeing a confused looking seohyun on the table. “Park Seohyun.” She said.

“what’s with the roll call?” taeyeon’s classmate and friend Jessica blurted. The girls had been at the school grounds for already thirty minutes, battling with the sun casting a very bright glow to their skin.

“just to make sure that I have seven girls with me.” taeyeon said. she placed her clipboard on the table and started crossing her legs. “I’d like to start the meeting. First I welcome you girls for being a part of my team. This is a one of a kind chance so you are all lucky to be in here.”

“forced to be in here?” yoona kidded. taeyeon rolled her eyes but smiled.

“I am kim taeyeon.” She just said. “don’t worry, the meeting won’t take long. I’m just here to state some rules. Some of the Superiors are having a meeting with the school board today, I guess they will be ranting about our involvement with the sports fest but I already convinced appa that we will be a big help so the board will really consider us big time.”

She pursed her lips and went on. “first rule. There is only one leader and it is I kim taeyeon.”

“okay? Too selfish?” sooyoung mouthed.

“next.” Taeyeon ignored her. “any plans on the activity shall be directly relayed to me. I will give you my number and make sure you don’t give it to someone else. “

“okay, selfish and conceited.” Sooyoung said.

Taeyeon looked at the tall girl playing with her pen unconsciously.

“choi sooyoung, do you still remember that you are in scholarship for being part of the school volleyball team?” she winked at her. sooyoung already knew that she was being taunted for being talkative and chose to stay silent for the rest of the meeting.

“flow of the sportsfest.” Taeyeon continued. “the Superiors already had their plan for this, and according to our Tiffany, her boyfriend Mr. Siwon had already proposed about it. I guess we’ll include a little bit from ours, which is the school pageant.”

“not that I am interfering.” Sunny raised her hand. “but isn’t it that a pageant will look a little bit not related to the sports activity?”

“good question, sunny.” Taeyeon said. “you may think all you can but when it comes to funds, do you think the president will doubt this project?”

Seohyun raised a hand too. “I don’t think my brother will allow that too.” she confessed, almost wishing she’d never opened up when the others were staring at her. only taeyeon was smiling, even proud, as if seeing a baby talk for the first time.

“ah, our maknae wants to say that her brother will doubt the pageant.” Taeyeon continued the topic. she was contemplating on it too, evident by her brows forming a curve. “I think I’d talk to your brother for that if you don’t mind.”

“but my brother---“

“aigoo, maknae, you cannot speak for yourself?” taeyeon asked her. “I’m sure your brother wouldn’t mind talking to me. I wouldn’t take most of his time don’t worry. I just have to make sure that some matters are being taken into consideration.”

“I think miss seohyun just wants to emphasize that the president is keen when it comes to fund raising.” Hyoyeon said. “like there should be some form of transparency when it comes to buying materials, the trophies, awards, classifications.”

Seohyun looked at her as is she meant the exact same thing.

Taeyeon raised a brow. “well.” She said, thinking about it more. “we might as well talk about it with the superiors.”

-------------------------

Communication Arts Building

12:30 pm

“he’s not feeling well.” Was seohyun’s words when kyuhyun had asked him about leeteuk being absent from the meeting with the school board.

Kyuhyun was left with ryeowook to discuss the matters regarding the team of taeyeon helping out to the sportsfest, which appeared unnecessary for them to complain because the board was eager for the Girl’s generation to pursue helping the student council.

“is it about the one he saw?” kyuhyun looked at seohyun in concern, who nodded in reply. That night, when leeteuk was on the way home, he saw the woman he was not expecting to meet.

Out from the asylum, hunting him down.

And because kyuhyun is leeteuk’s childhood friend, he knew all along what happened. The usual cheerful leeteuk, who’s used to going out and play with a lot of people during their young and carefree days turned into some aloof and very careful person. Good thing though, that because of leeteuk’s therapy sessions with a doctor, he was able to regain back a little of his social skills, which involved doing health services for the public.

Leeteuk is well, the only thing that prohibited him from being his usual self was his interaction to women.

“but he’s okay, right?”

“yes, he told me that he’s not going to take his medicines anymore, that he’s fine and he doesn’t need it.” seohyun said.

“leeteuk hyung is okay.” Kyuhyun said. “and he doesn’t need drugs that he had taken a long time ago, that will mean he has to depend on it again.”

Seohyun clung her bag tightly to her chest.

“you think so?” she asked, thinking about her brother leeteuk. “oh my gosh, I’m such a bad sister for suggesting him to take one.”

“it’s not your fault that you’re concern.” kyuhyun assured her. he could really see seohyun’s dark circles under her eyes, a factor which meant that she was out spending some time with her brother in his apartment. Seohyun shrugged and paved way for silence to seep in as she and kyuhyun started walking down the hallway.

To which a number of students in the communication arts commencing to notice too, that the president of the Architecture department and external vice president of the University Wide Student Council was out again with the silent but pretty little lass from journalism.

“so, are you going out with me later?” kyuhyun tried to divert his attention to the passing glances from the people he interacted at the hall. He was not only keen to interacting with seohyun later but also to help her from having too much pressure on her brother’s life.

“I made a promise.” Seohyun said. “will you feel bad if I postpone?”

“of course.”

Seohyun started to laugh at kyuhyun’s unbelievable straightforwardness. “you oppa.” She said, lightly hitting his shoulder. she smiled for the first time, a relief for her ever since she just came out from leeteuk’s apartment. “ne, I will just meet you at the main gate after dismissal.”

“I will wait for you then.” Kyuhyun said.

Seohyun was about to bow in response when kim taeyeon passed by them at the hall wearing a smile on her face. she quickly disappeared but took a glance back as if trying to put something in her mind about what she just saw.

Even kyuhyun was not impressed.

“what I told you, okay?” he said. “be careful.”

“I will.” Seohyun said. now that taeyeon has opened her mind and ears to her and leeteuk, she must take the necessary precautions.

-------------------------

Kangnam District

5:45 pm

Taeyeon’s POV

 

I threw the shirt to the next rack and decided to go out, flustered.

Kangnam used to be one of my favorite districts when it comes to shopping clothes. All of the items I needed as a society girl are almost there—designer bags, clothes, shoes. But somehow, I guess shopping alone would somehow elicit a little bit of boredom in me.

 

I walked and looked out for more shops to go, enjoying my freedom for going out without any companion again. I was really fortunate that the chauffeur in charge of me for this week was too blind to see me hopping inside a cab. After my incident with a bus, not to blame the bus but for my entire waiting but it caused me to almost die when a motorcycle stole my bag, I decided to catch a ride that will quickly get me to the destination as much as possible.

 

I was about to open the door to the jewelry store when I saw a familiar looking person walking lazily on the street.

 

And I didn’t know if I should believe my eyes or not.

 

“park jungsu?” I mouthed, squinting, at the boy who looked like he had just come out of a drinking bar. No it cannot be him. The president doesn’t go out in a street looking like a bit of a wreck. He looked like he came from school because he was wearing his uniform minus the blazer, but he couldn’t appear as dirty as that, with his blonde hair a little bit ruffled and his polo shirt in half tucked in. and I was told that he didn’t attend the board meeting.

So leeteuk didn’t attend classes and went to some bar instead?

“hey!” I called, running after him. It was pretty easy to catch up because he was walking so lazy and looked like he will fall in a matter of seconds.

I blocked him. Just to see, if it really was him. And I didn’t even make a single mistake. The council president was really right in front of me.

Visibly intoxicated.

“you are out drinking?” I asked, astounded. I really cannot help it. it was really my first time to see him so improper. This is not the park jungsu I used to know. “so you didn’t attend the school board just to drink? I don’t believe this.”

Leeteuk’s eyebrows form into a frown but upon seeing that I am a familiar person, or appearing that I was, he just smirked.

“sorry.” he said, and continued walking. He was staggering as he walked, unmindful of the people he almost bumped himself into only that I raised a hand in front of them and guided him.

Boy he was not really into his senses.

“where do you live, i’ll get you a cab.” Was the only option I could think of.

Leeteuk shrugged. “I can go home.” he said. and he walked a few more steps until he almost got hit by a passing motorcycle.

“oh, gosh… hey!” I cursed words at the motorcycle driver and shook my head as I held on to leeteuk’s arm. he was loosening a bit of his balance until I gave some of my strength to stand him up.

“are you okay?” I asked him. Leeteuk only laughed, ran a hand on his blonde hair and continued walking.

“aish…”

I kept on following him until we reached his apartment.

------------------------

Ice skating Rink

Seohyun’s POV

 

I sat on the stairs, panting, as if a heavy energy had just been taken out from me.

“are you okay, seo?” kyuhyun asked me. he had finished encircling the skating rink for the twentieth time, boasting to me his win because he was ahead by five. I quickly backed out from exhaustion, probably because of lack of sleep and my heart just couldn’t take the irregular beats it does every time I interact with him.

He was looking at me seriously that he decided to take a break for a while so he could fetch me some water from the store nearby.

When he returned, he was already carrying two boxes of what looked like a dinner meal.

“a dinner to my goddess for making me happy this day.” kyuhyun said. I snorted and took from him the box he was presenting to me, to my delight, it was a box full of my favorite food.

“thank you also.”

“we shopped for your lipstick, ate at your favorite Italian restaurant, dropped by at your favorite idol group’s agency and I only get a thank you?” kyuhyun kidded. “boy, you sure are definitely making me busy.”

“I wasn’t finished you’re already commenting!” I hit him again.

“hit me again or I will pinch your cheek.” Kyuhyun said. I blushed, and tried to concentrate on my food by placing a little to my mouth.

“aigoo, you are really something, seohyun.” Kyuhyun put in milk powder to my coffee and started stirring. I was looking at how he does tiny stuffs, some of which amazes me, like how he would cutely put in some ingredients to his food with a hum of his favorite song.

It may look like the two of us would never hit it because both of us were just plain silent people. We were too proper to act goofy or standoffish. But I don’t know. Every time I’m with kyuhyun oppa, all the things hidden inside me, all the feelings of me waiting to be exposed, just happens to be there all along. Ever since he laid eyes on me during our childhood, he never misses to look out after me. back at those days he appeared like another version of my brother leeteuk: caring, protective, loving.

But I didn’t know that we would end like this. I didn’t anticipate that the brother sister relationship I usually have with him would change into something that I didn’t expect.

This mutual feeling of being happy with each other, and needing each other when things go rough. Its just like magic.

Kyuhyun waved a hand infront of my face. “are you okay seo?”

“ah? Ne.” I said, my thoughts quickly fading away. I didn’t realize that I was eating continuously that I had some a bit of grease marks to the side of my lips. When I reached a hand to wipe it off, it was kyuhyun oppa’s thumb that landed there.

“you must be thinking deep, care to share what you think?” he asked, wiping the grease marks. I was giving him a look that I can do it but he wouldn’t suffice, and only I can think of was the embarrassment.

And a bit of a giggly feeling too, like having butterflies in the stomach.

“it’s a girl thing.” I just said. I don’t want to tell him what I was just thinking, why should he know anyways when its all about him?

Kyuhyun raised a brow and went on.

“okay then.” He said, sitting up straight. I heave out a sigh of relief and resumed eating.

“thank you, really.” I said. “I really had a tough night yesterday. I don’t blame my brother for that. he needs me. he doesn’t have someone to lean on but me. and I am glad that I am ending this day in a happy note so I would have the strength when I face him again..”

“you will always be happy when you’re with me.” kyuhyun said.

“I am.”

He smiled at me. “glad to hear that.” he said, looking at me with those affectionate eyes. “now drink your coffee, you must be cold.”

-----------------------

Leeteuk’s apartment

Taeyeon scratched her head, walking to and fro the four corners of leeteuk’s tiny home.

Amazingly the area appeared clean. And so white it could almost resemble a big bathroom, only that it has a bed at the center and a huge black carpet surrounding it. everything just resembles a male condominium, only cleaner.

taeyeon didn’t know what to do, the two of them were obviously alone, with leeteuk apparently intoxicated. He was not even a binge drinker, and still he could do things like that, spending time on a bar and not going to an important meeting with the school board. there must be something going on, even someone like her who just knew him as an acquaintance would notice.

“shall I take advantage of you?” taeyeon kidded on a slumped leeteuk who was murmuring some words she couldn’t understand because his head was entirely faced on the bed. Taeyeon laughed at herself for blurting out such.  “nah, I’m not like that. maybe some girls would do. imagine just catching a good fish out of nowhere.”

“and why didn’t you pay your rent though?” she continued, placing her bag on his study table. she didn’t know if it was the right thing to ask, or even if leeteuk could respond to such a question, she knew that he would just blab on to something that will come out of his drunkenness. “I paid your land lady so you kind of owe me something, you know. You’ll pay me back big time.”

She paced in front of his bed and poked him several times that leeteuk quickly turned around. taeyeon expected that he would be irritated, leeteuk’s personality kind of resembled it every time she would interact with him.

But instead, she saw him with a tear emerging from his right eye, and he was so immensely focused to the ceiling that taeyeon didn’t know whether she’s still existing in front of him.

“I tried years to be normal. I resumed doing activities like a normal child. And when she appeared, it looked as if I got in to my old terrified self again, hating the world.” Were the words escaping from his lips. “I couldn’t go to school, I couldn’t interact to others without being too careful. Too careful…”

“what too careful?” taeyeon asked. What was he talking about? And he’s talking about a woman?

“I was really shocked, I didn’t know what to do when I faced her. I don’t want her to hunt me, she should be locked there. She should be locked there.”

Taeyeon was immersing herself to deep thoughts.

“was she your first love?” she asked. She didn’t know. She was absolutely dumbfounded with his tears. It’s a feeling of not wanting to see someone have it, and at the same time, a look that just moves you from within.

But years trying to be normal? The woman leeteuk was talking about must be someone traced from his childhood. It’s a hidden past. His words such as “hunt” and “locked” didn’t seem to connect with his first love.

There’s a deep secret behind leeteuk’s that’s waiting to be uncovered and taeyeon had been an accidental witness from barging into his life the moment he had saved her.

“I want to know something.” She said, deeply thinking about whether she should take advantage of his drunkenness but something inside her was telling her to restrain and refrain from being nosy.

“leeteuk I’m---“ taeyeon’s words were stopped when leeteuk wiped his tears and sat up.

“seo, you just get food from the fridge, I bought bread early.” he said.

Taeyeon shook her head.“ I’m not your sis--- whoa…” she clasped her hands to when leeteuk started taking off his polo and all she could think of was how toned his abdomen were and how low were his pants that she could see his pelvic bone so clearly it looked as if it was sunk back.

“my gosh, president, have you been working out all this time?” she blurted. But leeteuk wasn’t paying attention to her and went to slump back to the bed again, his gracing taeyeon’s eyes.

Then He threw his apartment key at the floor.

 “you can get another food  outside if you prefer.” Leeteuk said. taeyeon didn’t know whether to react more  to him that she was not his sister or just to plunge herself with the silent succumb. He was really thinking that she was seohyun all this time. it must have explained why he let her enter his apartment.

“what the heck alcohol can lead you, huh. Your sister’s even taller than me. ” Taeyeon said. she wrinkled her nose at the sight of him, and with a slight disgust but pity at the same time, placed a blanket up to his waist. “at least you may want to cover something up. I don’t even know why I am doing this. You must be really be something special. ”

Taeyeon picked up the keys, sat at the chair and crossed her legs, observing leeteuk in every angle the way she can until something with leeteuk’s sentence made her heart flutter and the hairs on her skin stand up.

“thanks baby.”

Was she imagining that he was saying these things to her? even if she knew that she appeared like seohyun to him, she couldn’t help but to shiver at the words.

As if it belonged to her.

Taeyeon bit her lip and sighed.

If only the words meant real.

------------------------

USC office

7:12 am

Leeteuk cannot imagine that he had immersed himself to a lot of drinks last night.

No, he will obviously not do it again.

Gracing the corridors as he walked to the school facility, leeteuk carefully avoided the bright area spots so he could at least think clearly without being too light stricken of what to explain to the school board regarding his absence yesterday during the meeting. So much hang over had occurred to him that it was difficult for him, even to greet back the students who would always want to capture his attention by a couple of hi and hellos. Their voices had appeared loud and so clear that it seemed that everyone was using a microphone to speak to him.

Leeteuk snapped his folder to a close and situated himself to observing the hallway locker.

 

RRING

“huh?” early in the morning? leeteuk thought, fumbling for his mobile phone. anyhow, it can be his officers, it can be heechul, his adviser and the spokesperson of the school board. Speaking of heechul, he will have to explain to the latter about his sudden disappearance. Heechul would of course be devastated knowing that he had immersed himself to the bad side again, thinking he could alleviate his own pain.

 

But leeteuk’s face immediately turned blank upon seeing on his screen, a sent picture of a sleeping half- man only covered by a blanket.

 

It was him.

 

Shoot. Leeteuk ran towards the council office and groaned upon seeing a sitting taeyeon on the table, raising a phone in her hand as if it was a trophy.

“you.” Leeteuk said. though he cannot remember what had happened last night, it seemed that the university owner’s daughter had something to do with the picture. “did you…”

“that’s my mobile number, please save it.” taeyeon said, closing her phone on  a snap.

“how did you…”

Taeyeon smiled and crossed her arms. “that one, is my current wallpaper by the way. you didn’t remember?” she asked. “I was with you yesterday. “

Leeteuk tried to submerge himself to what happened the night before. He can remember drinking at the bar, some parts on the way home.

Then he remembered an encounter with taeyeon and she volunteering him to home.

He tried to look in for more details but the memories seem vague and all he could think about was waking up with a big hang over masking his entire body.

Did something happen?

“what happened?” leeteuk asked. He didn’t want to know. Who would want to know the details when it was already clear that they were together? But leeteuk would want to make sure if he did something improper last night.

Taeyeon shrugged and went on.

“what do you think? You can look at the picture, it has a thousand words.” She said innocently. She rubbed her shoulder and yawned. “what a great night last night, teukie! You are one heck of a man!”
leeteuk’s eyes looked like they were about to pop in no time.

“if you plan to erase the picture, don’t worry, I still have other copies.” Taeyeon said. “and… if you think that I will post it on the web, don’t worry too because I won’t.”

“but I will keep this, and if there comes a time that you play tricks on me, or do something that will make me sad, I might take the opportunity to show the world the hidden leeteuk behind that picture.” She continued. “all exposed.”

Leeteuk’s hand curled beside his thigh.

“I mean nothing harm, love.” Taeyeon said, raising her hands. “don’t be like that, you’ll taint your angelic features.”

“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me.”

“well, just take that as a compliment, usually a good looking guy is only an eye candy for a month.” Taeyeon said matter-o-factly. “but I really don’t think that the theory applies to you by the way. You seem so mysterious that it irks me to know everything about you.”

She smiled again and took out a thing that made leeteuk remind himself that taeyeon wasn’t kidding that they had spent a time together last night.

“your keys, you gave it to me.” she said, serious this time. though taeyeon knew that leeteuk had mistaken him for his sister seohyun, still she wanted to think of it as something that he did himself.

Leeteuk appeared so good to her that she wanted everything. And at the same time, knowing  a part of him last night made leeteuk appear so sensitive that taeyeon’s heart looked as if she empathizes with him.

A gesture that she wouldn’t usually have nor possess ever since her mother left their home.

Leeteuk took the key and slumped on the couch beside the table, looking more haggard than ever.

He looked at taeyeon who looked back at him at the same time with her still pure looking smile. It’s a smile that resembled no hidden agenda.

What does she want from him?