twentythree.
“Eunhye, what did you do?” Jungsoo looked frustrated as he paced back and forth in front of the said girl, who appeared shocked at his reaction.

“I thought this was what you wanted,” Eunhye shot back with pride. “You were working too slow. I merely speeded things up.” She crossed her arms on her chest, creasing her beige designer top in the process.

Their first meeting was one of chance. Eunhye was attending one of her parents’ parties when Jungsoo crashed into her, sending bits of appetizer on her dress. After the initial irritation with each other, they’d gotten around to talking. For some reason, their conversation covered people in school, including Jooyeon.

A mixture of annoyance and anxiety tore up his handsome face. “You took matters into your own hands again!” he nearly yelled at her, clenching his fists, reminding her of when she slapped Jooyeon. “We’re supposed to be working together. I don’t understand how sending that package would make Hyukjae come running back to you.”

“Well he’s not going to come running back to me either way so I just sent it,” she knowingly retorted, feeling upset. She watched as he stopped moving and glared her. “I don’t know why you’re so angry. Wasn’t this your plan? Weren’t you going to divulge things eventually? I did it for you. You didn’t even have to lift a finger.”

“No,” came Jungsoo’s aggrieved reply.

Eunhye gaped at him as he sat down on one of the seats and buried his face in his hands. Slowly, she began to realize what this was all about.

“You were never going to tell anyone.”

The revelation hung in the air.

It stunned her, but what astonished her even more was when he didn’t refute what she said next.

“You’re still in love with her.”

~ * ~

Jooyeon loved Fridays. It was her favorite day of the week because it meant two days of no school and no homework. Sadly, it also meant that she didn’t have to keep watching her back every two seconds, wondering if Hyukjae or Donghae were walking towards her or if Jungsoo was following her.

But not today. Not this Friday.

It was the day of Heechul’s party, the one that she’d reluctantly promised she’d go to. With Jungsoo.

Sighing, she closed her locker shut and started to walk down the crowded hallway towards the building entrance, fixing the straps of her bag on her shoulder. As she went down the steps, she saw Heechul with Hankyung at the corner of her eye. Squeezing her fist, she wished they didn’t see her.

“Jooyeon-ah!” Heechul’s voice rang clearly above the crowd’s. Stopping in her tracks, she took a deep breath and turned to face him as he approached with Hankyung.

“You’re going to the party later, right?” Hankyung wanted to know. He, along with Shindong, didn’t really understand what was going on. All he knew was that he liked Jooyeon and that it was weird that they never saw much of her anymore.

“Yes.” She nodded in agreement.

“Great,” Hankyung replied with a grin. He then patted Heechul on the back. “See you later, Chullie.” He turned and walked away.

“I’m glad you’re going to the party,” Heechul started, looking at her.

She gave him a small smile. “Of course, oppa. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” And she realized that it was true. Even if she didn’t want to go, she would still go if that made any sense. She missed them terribly and this was the only way she would be able to see them.

“Come here,” he gently directed her, opening his arms.

Once Heechul enveloped his arms around her, Jooyeon sighed in contentment. She knew how frustrated he must be with her. After Hyukjae, Donghae and Kyuhyun, he was the one she felt like was such an older brother to her.

“We miss you, Jooyeon,” he whispered through her hair. He pulled away and looked at her. There were tears in her eyes.

“I miss you, too, oppa,” she confessed.

Heechul smiled tenderly at her. Despite what Eunhye might have said, it barely made a dent on how he perceived Jooyeon and his affections for her. He prided himself on being a good judge of character. He was sure he wasn’t wrong about Jooyeon. But he also sure that there was something amiss and that’s what he wanted to find out.

His phone rang. Checking the caller ID, he was surprised to find Kyuhyun calling him. Being with each other practically everyday, they rarely conversed on the phone. “Yeah?” Heechul answered, excusing himself from Jooyeon.

“Hyung… a package arrived here in Hyuk’s.” Kyuhyun paused. Heechul sensed that he was choosing what words to say and how to say them. “They know.”

“What are you talking about?” Heechul questioned, feeling a bit confused. He wracked his brain for what Kyuhyun could possibly talking about.

“Oppa, is everything okay?” Jooyeon asked curiously, peering at him.

It felt like cold water had been splashed on Heechul when he’d realized what Kyuhyun was referring to. Although he wasn’t sure how he knew, he felt that they were on the same wavelength.

“I’ll be right there,” Heechul addressed urgently and ended the call. He turned to Jooyeon with a warm smile. “I have to go. See you later, okay?”

Jooyeon nodded, still looking a bit worried. Heechul, not helping himself, stepped towards her and kissed her forehead before leaving.

~ * ~

Hyukjae glanced away from his game when Donghae, Kyuhyun, Hankyung and Shindong walked into his room, all still in their school uniforms. Donghae sat down on the floor beside Hyukjae and picked up the other controller, while Kyuhyun plopped down on the couch and Shindong and Hankyung raided the mini fridge. They’d all decided to hang out for a bit before preparing for Heechul’s party.

“Where are Siwon, Kangin hyung and Heechul hyung?” Hyukjae asked, not taking his eyes off the screen.

“Siwon’s with Taeng, Kangin’s with Fany,” Shindong explained. “Heechul’s still in school.” He shrugged as he opened a glass of Gatorade.

“This came for you, by the way,” Hankyung added, throwing a packed brown envelope that the maid handed to them when they arrived in front of Hyukjae.

“What’s this?” Hyukjae inquired, pausing the game and looking at the package.

“Let’s find out,” Donghae stated, taking it upon himself to open the heavily sealed brown envelope. “Maybe it’s one of those love letters,” he joked. Once in a while, they received love letters from girls in school. Kyuhyun leaned from his seat to get a closer look, while Hankyung stood nearby, watching as well.

“That’s a lot of love right there,” Shindong teased.

Donghae brought out what seemed like a bulk of photos wrapped in a thin sheet of paper. Slowly opening it, his brow furrowed when the first photo was revealed.

“Is that Jooyeon?” Hankyung voiced out, looking shocked.

No one spoke as Donghae flipped through the photos, his expression becoming harder and harder. Hyukjae grabbed a couple of the pictures and began looking through them in some sort of panic.

“This isn’t her,” Hyukjae denied in almost a whisper.

“It sure looks like her,” Shindong prompted.

The Jooyeon in all of the snapshots was a Jooyeon they hadn’t seen before. It was a Jooyeon they didn’t know. She was simple and sweet, like a breath of fresh air. She loved staying at home and going to the library to study. She loved gaming and playing sports.

The one in the pictures was nothing like her. This Jooyeon was a party girl, a dancer, a drinker. She looked like a social butterfly, one who had a lot of guy friends. She seemed very carefree, very open, and very friendly. Too friendly.

“What the hell is this?!” Donghae yelled. He stood up and stared as Hankyung, Shindong and Hyukjae continued to look through the pictures. He couldn’t help but think if this was all some sort of joke. How could they be the same person when it looked like personalities from the opposite ends of the spectrum? It made him confused, hurt and angry. Was this what she was hiding from them, the thing she couldn’t share?

“Hey, where’s Kyu?” Shindong asked, looking around. He wasn’t in the room. No one had noticed him leave.

Kyuhyun had, in fact, quietly slipped and walked out of the house to call Heechul and wait for him. As soon as he saw the package being unfolded, he had the prickling feeling that was what they were going to see. He closed his eyes for a second as he shook his head. He had a pretty good idea who was behind the whole thing and he couldn’t help but think about how stupid that person was.

When Heechul arrived, he hurriedly got out of his car and jogged over to Kyuhyun. He looked worried and upset at the same time.

“They’re upstairs,” Kyuhyun informed him. “They’re going through the pictures.”

“How do you know about this?” Heechul demanded.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Kyuhyun interjected. “At least I knew about it from a very reliable source.” He quirked an eyebrow at him. “As far as I know, Eunhye isn’t trustworthy.”

“You’ve seen the pictures, haven’t you?” Heechul shot back impatiently.

Kyuhyun glared at his hyung. “Don’t tell me you believe it.” It seemed like he was threatening him, instead of asking a question.

Heechul glowered. “I think I know Jooyeon well enough to know that that isn’t the same girl,” he quietly but menacingly imparted. “At least not anymore. I don’t trust Eunhye no matter what you may think.”

“Good,” Kyuhyun replied after a second, relaxing. “Because she’s been misinformed.”

~ * ~

Taeyeon put the phone to her ear and listened at the rings. She very nearly stomped her foot when no one picked up. Breathing impatiently, she ended the call and sent out a message instead. She was already at Heechul’s with Siwon.

“No answer?” Siwon asked, returning to her side with drinks. Taeyeon shook her head anxiously. She should’ve waited until Jungsoo picked Jooyeon up. But Jooyeon insisted that they should go ahead. “I’m sure they’re on their way,” he assured her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Standing behind her, he leaned into her ear. “You look y when you’re upset.”

Taeyeon turned around, a smile forming on her face. “Siwon,” she jokingly chided.

“I’m just saying that you look beautiful,” he insisted, moving towards her for a quick kiss. Taeyeon looked gorgeous in a body-hugging black dress. Her hair was swept up in a stylish bun, wisps falling to the sides of her face.

“Mmmm,” she murmured as she pleaded for another kiss. Siwon willingly obliged.

They were so caught up with each other, his arms now around her waist, and her arms around his neck that they didn’t notice the boys arrive.

“Excuse me, public displays of affection are not allowed in this party.” Shindong and Hankyung chuckled. Hyukjae smiled, while Donghae just stared.

Taeyeon and Siwon untangled themselves from each other. Siwon chuckled. “Hyung, fun party,” he told Heechul.

“Of course it’s fun,” Heechul confirmed knowingly. He looked around for a bit. “Has Jooyeon arrived?” There was an edge in his voice.

This reminded Taeyeon that she had been trying to call her. “I haven’t seen her and she’s not answering her phone,” she answered as she dialed again.

“Joo!” Shindong suddenly called. The boys craned their necks and saw her walk in with Jungsoo, his arm around her. They looked quite the pair. Jooyeon was wearing a dark green tube dress, her hair falling to her shoulders in waves. Jungsoo looked handsome, except that he looked…

“Drunk,” Taeyeon muttered.

“What?” Siwon asked.

“He’s drunk,” Taeyeon repeated, looking panicked. She handed her phone to Siwon and hurried over to her best friend.

“Taeyeon-ah!” Jungsoo slurred, the smell of alcohol all over him. “You look goood.”

Taeyeon glanced at Jooyeon, who gave her an uncertain smile. Taeyeon looked back at Siwon and called him over. But it was Heechul who responded.

“What is it?” Heechul demanded.

“Oppa, can you help him freshen up for a bit?” Taeyeon politely but pleadingly requested. “I need to talk to Jooyeon.” Heechul nodded and pulled Jungsoo away from them, heading to the rest room.

“Taeng, he’s drunk,” Jooyeon told her in a whisper.

“Why?” Taeyeon asked. They headed over to where the boys were.

“He arrived like that,” Jooyeon explained. “You’ll stay with me the whole night, right?”

“Hey Jooyeon,” Siwon greeted when they reached them.

“Hi oppa,” Jooyeon greeted with a grin. She looked at the others and smiled at them. Hankyung and Shindong grinned back.

“Are you going to hang out with us today?” Donghae demanded, a hard look in his eyes. “Is this an exception to your rule?”

The smile was wiped off Jooyeon’s face. Donghae looked at her in a way he never looked at her before, not even when she told them to stay away. It was different and she didn’t like it. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, feeling embarrassed. But she couldn’t blame him. It was what she wanted after all. She gave Taeyeon a look then bowed and walked away.

Taeyeon glared at Donghae as soon as Jooyeon had left. She knew how Donghae and Jooyeon felt about each other even if not one of them had said anything to anyone.

“That wasn’t necessary,” Taeyeon said bitingly.

“It was her idea to not hang out with us anymore, wasn’t it?” Donghae snapped.

“Still, Hae,” Hyukjae quietly opposed. Even if he felt hurt about Jooyeon shunning them out of her life, he couldn’t stay mad at her for long. And he could never talk to her the way his best friend just did.

Donghae didn’t say anything in reply. Instead, he walked away. He couldn’t help but feel angry. He was angry that Jooyeon was with Jungsoo. He was angry at those pictures. He was angry that he didn’t know about them. He was angry that she didn’t tell him. He was angry that she didn’t want him.

“He’s just not in the best of moods,” Hyukjae apologized to Taeyeon for Donghae. “He didn’t mean it.”

“I’m sure he didn’t,” Taeyeon responded with sarcasm, rolling her eyes. She looked around and felt a bit of panic. She couldn’t find Jooyeon all of a sudden.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Siwon asked, concerned. He noticed the heightened uneasiness of his girlfriend. He touched her arm, gently squeezing it. She hesitated. “Taeng, you better tell me what’s going on,” he insisted.

~ * ~

Jooyeon moved through the dancing crowd, craning her neck, looking for Jungsoo. She—or rather, Jungsoo—carried out the plan successfully. Donghae was mad at her. Hyukjae couldn’t even look at her. She blinked, holding back tears, and swallowing back her bitterness. Without thinking, she grabbed a shot glass from the tray of one of the waiters passing by and guzzled the drink down. She stopped walking and coughed.

The shot glass left her hand. She looked up and saw Jungsoo giving her a curious look. He handed the empty shot glass to a passing waiter.

“Are you drinking?” Jungsoo asked.

“What do you care?” Jooyeon snapped, grabbing another shot glass and drinking its contents in one gulp.

“But you never drink anymore,” he reminded her, getting the shot glass from her again.

“Who says I can’t start again?” she hiccupped. She closed her eyes and lightly shook her head. She wished that her tolerance for alcohol hadn’t gotten so low in the past two years.

Jungsoo stood there for a moment and watched Jooyeon take deep breathes to fight off the drunkenness. He had known how she turned her life around when he left her to pick up the pieces of his mess. She completely stayed away from alcohol, never setting foot in any sort of gathering with drinking involved. She even stayed away from their friends. He supposed it did her some good. Her grades went up. She managed to fix her life.

But how he had loved the Jooyeon from the past. He loved her carefree spirit, her sensuality, and her spontaneity. And now he was seeing that girl again. He was meeting the girl he loved all those years for the first time since he saw her in Seoul.

Without warning, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the dance floor. He put his arms around her waist as they started dancing. She giggled, buzzed, and put her arms around his neck.