How am I supposed to be hard on you?

When I see you like this hurting

I couldn't help but to jump into your arms

And try to chase those tears away

Taemin couldn’t even sleep even a blink. The images of yesterday still floated on his mind. These crazy things made his body flare up due to anger. He wanted to really erase everything from his memories. He stretched out his hands while lying on his bed, pretending to grasp something that was not there.

Yes, the cultural festival would still continue for about two to three days. They would not know if the café would produce a massive result. But, he did not care about that. He cared about the others’ reactions. Kim Yaera drove him to a wall he could not break still. He was too scared if he meets his parents again. No words could be spoken out in front of them.

He tried to stand up and shove the curtains away. There came the big glass window that revealed the beautiful scenery of Seoul at night. It made him calm his nerves for a while. But, it was only temporary. Only certain things could be change and that included his mood.

He fiddled on his phone as he tried to contact his hyung. He knew that on the next line it was afternoon or even daytime. He just wanted someone to talk with and it seemed that his hyung would be the best person to easy things out.

“Hyung…” Taemin gave a lopsided smile. He tried to hide away the problems.

“Hmn?” Heechul responded with a bit of uneasiness. “How’s it going?”

“Nothing much.” Taemin took a seat on his bedside. He grasped his phone tightly.

“Is there a problem? It was rare of you to call me? It’s nighttime in there, right?”

“Well, this and that happened while the two of you were gone.”

“This and that?” Heechul tried to play with his words. “Have you confessed to Choi Sulli now? Are you two going out? Oh...”

“WHAT?!”His eyes were in awe. “Nothing like that. Perhaps, I really did call the wrong person. Good—“

“Wait…Father called me. He’s going to Seoul to meet you.”

“Why?”

“There seemed to be a problem with this Kim guy?”

“Kim…” Taemin began to remember Mr. Kim from the other day. “So…what’s up?”

“I don’t know much. Just try to get along with Father. Well, you have his surname.”

“Yeah…maybe, because he’s expecting something from me.”

“Yes.” Kim Heechul hanged up.

Taemin let out on his drawer a family picture. He was so-cutesy when he was just a seven year old kid. His brother was attending high school at that time. Their family was reunited still, with heavy smiles plastered on each of their faces. He was able to recollect some things about that past.

He hid the picture away.

He couldn’t help but to shed tears at these times.

He missed his family. He missed his brother and his company. Most of all, he missed his mom. He never got to keep in touch with her for a year already.

With the memories trying to come back, Lee Taemin closed his eyes.

Thank God, he was able to drift off to dreamland again.

Taemin woke up while trying to smooth out his bed hairs from his mushroom-like hair. He tried to reach for a comb and went off to the bathroom to do his usual business. He wore his uniform, trying to welcome another day again. He went to the dining room.

Just like the 21st century of influential families, you could say that it was a dining hall. The table was wide with candlesticks lined with a grandeur tablecloth. Taemin heaved out a sigh. He was used to it already. He tried to take a seat at where the maids were waiting to groom him.

He placed his bag on the other side. It rang suddenly. It was just a text message and he tried to hide it away, promising to look at it when he’s at the limo already.

He had his usual breakfast with Caesar salad and some bacon. He thanked the maids and bade farewell to the butler. He went off to the limousine.

He checked out his bag and searched for his phone. It was a text message from Krystal.

Recipient: Lee Taemin

Sender: Jung Soojung

Subject: OPPA~

Message:

OHMYGOD…THIS CRAZY WAS SPREADING SO MANY RUMORS AT SCHOOL. OH MY GOD. THE CULTURAL FESTIVAL’S STILL GOING YET SHE WAS TRYING SO HARD TO MAKE EVERYONE SEE THAT THE TWO OF YOU ARE LIKE THAT ALREADY. Gfjgkdfjkgdjflg;dkfj. Spazzing already. She posted so many pictures at the bulletin with photoshopped photos of the two of you together.

Come here already, Oppa? Don’t be late and help me with the café.

P.S

Sulli’s acting weird. Wanna check her out?

For starters, he made the driver dash to school. He promised that he would straight things out with them and Yaera. But, how to do it? He did not know how to deal with such a person.

With nothing on his mind, he rushed off to their classroom. Busy students were having a date at their café. They did not mind if their booths were empty or they might lose the title of the ‘BEST BOOTH’ for the 31^st Cultural Festival of their High School. Or, so whatever it is, they just had some lovey-dovey moments with them.

Kai was also there. He helped on being a waiter while the other girls were fanning themselves already with how a cute guy was serving them.

Sulli was on the counter. She tried to calculate the expenses for yesterday. And, anything more? Nothing. As she tried to put some paper bills down, she was just staring blankly in the air. There were eye bags on her face that were evidently covered with some blush on and make-up.

“Choi Sulli…” There came a familiar voice.

Lee Taemin glanced to the front door. There came Kim Yaera with two girls at her back. She was laughing heartily while looking at Sulli’s face. Sulli just gave a cold shoulder as a reply.

“Don’t make any more scene, Kim Yaera.” Sulli clenched her hands tightly. She put to it to not burst into anger any further.

“Oh…Oppa~ You’re here.” Everyone’s eyes darted to Yaera trying to cling herself on Taemin. Taemin tried to put her hands on the side. He stayed away from her as much as he could. “Oppa~” She whined like a cheeky brat.

“CAN’T THE TWO OF YOU DO YOUR LOVEY-DOVEY MOMENTS OUTSIDE? Both of you were disturbing customers.” Sulli said not even averting her eyes on both of them

Choi Sulli, do you hate me now? What have I done to make you…like this to me? These questions ran on Taemin’s mind, occupying them even when he tried to sort things out with Kim Yaera.

Every word Yaera was saying to him, just to make him felt happiness. He could not explain the ambiguity of everything he did.

Yaera was grinning as she tried to make Taemin knew that she was just right there by his side. It was truly forceful, it was truly wrong. But, the thing that Yaera was happy about was that she was with someone she truly likes.

She was always going on blind dates prepared by her father or mother. It was done just for her to find someone suited for her.

But, she was just bored at all of those. She did not even pay attention to any of their cheesy lines and grand gifts which after she had received them, she just went to the trash bin to throw them away.

Yet, Lee Taemin was different. She was admiring his calm and dependable self.  More now, that he was single. She was afraid of Jung Krystal before. She was afraid that she couldn’t stand a chance.

“Oppa…Father’s going to meet your father. The arrangements were already done. They’d be meeting tomorrow night. Both of us would be going, right?” She clanged her wrist onto his.

“Huh?” He tried to remove his earphones. “What are you saying?” He hesitated.

“I said that Father would be going to meet your father. Tonight, 8 PM at the family restaurant our family owns.”

“Thanks for informing that because I’d be saying the truth that you just forced me to do these things. I was truly shocked for a moment. No one believed at me. They were saying how much that two of us looked good at each other.”

“You don’t know what I feel.” Kim Yaera tried to phrase out her words. “Can’t you just go according to plan and pretend that we’re truly dating each other?”

“What do you want me to do? I like someone already Kim Yaera. After putting us into this distress, you would always come up with problems for me. I WOULD SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU I-LIKE-SOME-ONE-ELSE-SO-YOU-BETTER-STOP-ON-BOTHERING-ME.”

Kim Yaera already had teary eyes.

“Do you really like me?” Taemin continued striking her with words. “This is mere obsession and stop clinging onto me. You made me feel…disgusting.”

“Then…who do you like?! THAT CHOI SULLI…I looked up at her background. She’s not worth it. She’s not even an average rich girl.”

“Whatever it is? She’s not like you. She has a pure heart for others. She cries for others. She helps others. She doesn’t abandon people. And… she always smiles even if it hurts her. “ Taemin tried to calm himself. “There many things you don’t understand about her so better stop your plans already. You would just be hurting yourself.”

Lee Taemin left her while they were walking at the booths prepared by the other classes. Yaera was dumbfounded. She was lost and tried to seek support.

Taemin’s phone came ringing again. He tried to answer the call. Surprisingly, it was his father.

“Annyeonghaseyo, Abuji.”

“Don’t disappoint me. Find someone better than Kim Yaera. I’d be cancelling tonight’s dinner. I’d be going to Heechul for some business talk. Take it easy. I don’t think you truly love her.”

“Abuji? Where’s mom?” Taemin was speechless. He subconsciously asked his father.

“Wherever your mom is, I don’t even have a clue.”

“Can’t I just see her at his workplace?”

“Your mother…she’s far richer than me. Her social status and standards surpasses everyone. You couldn’t even meet her if you’d use my name.”

“I just wished that we could be just a normal family somehow?”

“Goodbye.” His father ended the call.

He tried to look at his phone and dripping tears were shown on his face that was forced to smile at this type of incidents.

There came a thudding sound. Sulli dropped a basket of ingredients on the ground. Without further ado, she hugged Lee Taemin tightly.

How am I supposed to hate this guy? How many times should I be doing this just for him to know…that I love him?

The scene shifted to a talking man. It was Mr. Kim, Yaera’s father.

He did not want to slip this chance out of his grasp. He’s going to plan everything out.

He planned to have this silly plan to commence.

“Hello?...Are you Lee Taemin’s Ommonim?”

 But, the machine was the one who responded. ‘SORRY BUT THE NUMBER THAT YOU HAVE DIALED IS BUSY OR OUT OF COVERAGE AREA. PLEASE TRY YOUR CALL LATER.’

The line was dead.

“Hmn? So, this couldn’t enough.”

My...Christmas' just around the corner.

I know you guys wanted mnmm...somewhat a Special Chapter just for Christmas.

But, the setting of this story is far from it.

I'll try to write if I could.

But, that depends if people would read it of course.

Please say your comments if you wanted me to.