II. With a different look, from a different world

  She felt fatigue taking over her body as she fought hard to keep up with the beat of the music that was playing in the background. Tucking those loose strands of hair behind her ears, she closed her eyes and matched the rhythm with her powerful dance moves.

  As the music came to an end, she collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily as she threw her head back, inhaling sharply. She gazed at the mirror in front of her, her eyes fixated on her own reflection. Perspiration beads were rolling down her forehead, drop by drop. Even after a full workout with her white shirt drenched in sweat, she could not clear her mind at all. Considering the countless number of problems she actually had on hand, she found herself in a complete mess. 

   And before long, footsteps were heard and as she turned to see a furious-looking Yoona stomping up to her, she was met with that unfamiliar pair of dark, cold eyes that was piercing through her. She was the very person she had dreaded for a very long time to see and somehow, she knew she couldn't hide from her forever. And she knew, she had reached her limits this time, as she saw her trembling in anger. 

  "How could you?"

  She flinched, rather distinctively.

  "Yoona, I-"

  "All these years, I treated you as my best friend and this is what I get in return?"

  "I-"

  "Why were you the third party? Why!"

  "No, I weren't! You were, and you always were. I loved Minho, right from the very start."

  "What?"

  "You were never aware of my feelings towards him."

  "..."

  "I love him, I ... really do."

  "..."

  Tears streamed down Yuri's face as she choked on those very words. She gripped Yoona tightly, wrapping her arms around her tiny frame as she uttered those words of apology, seeking her forgiveness repeatedly. There was a flashback playing on her mind, as she recalled those subtle hints Yuri had always dropped, and she was the one who had failed to catch them.

"Yoona, isn't that Shinee's Minho? He's always looking at our direction." 

"He's looking at you!"

"Really?"

"Yes, because Yuri is beautiful."

"Yuri, Minho confessed to me!"

"..."

"Should I accept him?"

"You should, if you love him."

"I thought you were interested in him?"

"No, Yoona. If you love him, you should not reject him because of me."

"Yoona, will you be angry if I've taken something important away from you?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

"..."

"And if you took it, it must have meant alot to you as well right?"

"I don't know, it's just an hypothetical question."

"If it's of high importance to me, I'm sure you wouldn't take it away from me anyway. We're Yoonyul!" 

  "I... I'll give you my blessings." 

  It broke her heart to see her best friend acting that way, and she could not keep herself from patting Yuri's back to soothe her. As Yoona shut her eyes, she could feel a single tear slide down her cheeks. She knew she couldn't be selfish.  

  And only then did she realize that, love was selfish.     

  He knew she would be there at that very same spot, and he was right. He saw that beautiful girl sitting near the edge of the Han River. Her slender figure, her angular features, her porcelain-like skin and her dark chestnut-brown hair were still the same, but that night, he noticed something different about her eyes and as always, it never failed to mesmerize him. A small yet interesting smile had formed upon her face, and he knew what that meant. He saw a glimpse of light in her, and he knew what that was. 

  "Jaejoong-shi, you're here again."

  "You like the stars here, don't you?" 

  She chuckled softly. "I don't. Astronomy was never a thing for me."

  He was puzzled, for he knew she was always staring at the stars up in the sky every night. And he thought those dazzling stars she was looking at, were her very source of comfort.  

  "Then why?"

  "A starless night is rare, but if you had never looked up, you'd never find out if there would be a night without stars."

  "Will you be here tomorrow?"

  "Maybe, maybe not." 

  The unspoken words remaned in the air, and at that moment, it was the silence that had connected them both. He saw hope in her, and he knew she had fought and won a battle with herself. It was time for her to move on, and she will move on.

She was beautiful, that was his first impression of her.

  In the showbiz industry, he had seen countless beautiful people and she was just one of them. Before her debut in Girls Generation, she had already been well-known in the entertainment industry as she began to film commercials, casted as the female lead role in many MVs and model for various magazines. Her popularity grew as she debuted as an actress in 2007 and her lead role in 'You're my destiny' was the breakthrough in her career. And he had always thought she was just a beautiful doll living out her perfect beautiful life.

She was different, he changed her mind about her.

  When he found out her true personality, he realized just how superficial his perception of her was, for he had never made the effort to find her out who she truly was. She was a humble person, who would never try to stand out from the rest. She was someone who'd put the blame on herself instead of pushing it on others. She was a very down-to-earth person, who had worked hard to achieve what she had today, and not just someone who only relied on her beautiful face. It was something he had not expected and he acknowledged her.

She was strong, that's what he really thought.

  She was the center of Girls Generation, she carried the image of the group. That was her sealed fate, wheather she had liked it or not. She stood at the frontline, the most vulnerable one to be attacked. She had to be flawless, she had to be perfect, for every single second she stood in front of the camera. Indeed, she had the heaviest burden but she had never complained. For she was brave, she was strong, she was never afraid and she'd face the world with a bright smile on her face.

  She was the ideal of every Oppa, and because of that, she had a long list of haters. She had never resented those hatred she had received, instead she'd thank them genuinely for choosing her as their ideal.

  There was once whereby she was casted in Family Outing 2, and a blood letter threat was sent to her. Anyone would have been scared but she wasn't. She did not back off, instead she stood firm and accepted the job.

  Being abandoned was a painful memory of his, but when he realized she came from a single family, he knew she was strong. She had lived her life without her mother, but she had never spoken much about her family. He knew she had never been an expressive person, but he looked at her singing the song 'Dear Mom', there was not a slightest discomfort he could see in her, for she chose to conceal all those pain within herself.

  Talentless, useless and undeserving were the criticisms often hurled at her. She was strong enough to face them, and she seeked improvement in herself, striving to be the best. And she even admitted that she lacked confidence in singing, that was a brave step she had taken. She'd never give up no matter how many anti-s she had, for she was strong. 

He loves her, that was something he would never admit.

  She came with a different look, from a different world. And he was attracted to her, from the very first moment. 

A/N: Hi, thank you for your support. I hope you're enjoying the story :) 'A different look, from a different world' is one of my favorite lyrics of the song so I've used it for this chapter. I love writing from Jaejoong's POV, so I really hope you aren't getting bored by it. There has been little said about Minho, but I'll include him soon. Do look forward to the next update ^.^ Please comment and subscribe.