“Oppa!” the 9 years old Im Yoona yelled as she chased around a boy of the same age named Ok Taecyeon. The boy with a big smile could only laugh along his run. In his hands were a drawing belonged to the girl. “Oppa! It is not finished!”

“I like it not finished!” Taecyeon who was running fast. He stopped in front of their tree house and quickly climbed in while shutting the door. “I’ll keep this!” he said, stretching his neck over the window pane.

“Oppa! That was supposed to be your farewell gift! It has to be finished!” the little Yoona almost burst into tears, not because Taecyeon was mean, but because her very best friend was leaving. Taecyeon sees this.

“I said I liked it not finished didn’t I?” Taecyeon smiled cheekily. “So I can come back one day and finally let you finish it.”

Yoona looked up to him, and smiled. Taecyeon was playful, but somehow always matured beyond his years. It was the last time she ever saw him. Ok Taecyeon left for Boston without saying goodbye, because he insisted it wasn’t a farewell. He promised he’ll be back, even left her with his favorite weird cat key chain he called “Ok Cat”. But sometimes, 13 years seemed long enough to change and forget someone.

-

Present Day

22 years old Im Yoona found herself rushing towards one of her classes. She was late, and its already her third warning. She had to work the night before in Club Generation, and working for someone as strict as Lee Soo Man wasn’t easy. Sure the guy owns the most expensive and exclusive clubs in Seoul, but he’s always super annoying when it comes to his workers. At least being one of the accountants wasn’t as bad as being the waitresses.

It pays her bills, so fair enough for her. Yoona sprint towards her class, which she was shocked seeing it being empty. She was sure today was a Tuesday and it isn’t Public Holiday. Her phone went off and she sees that it was her best friend, Kwon Yuri.

“Yoong-ah!” Yuri squeeled. Yoona eye rolled on her nickname. “The professor called off sick today. So no class!”

“When exactly did you know that?” Yoona had a feeling she’s going to get mad at her friend who is also her house mate.

“Yesterday.” With that Yoona hung up. Yuri wasn’t the brightest of the bunch, but really, sometimes she needs to know that she’s not cute being ditzy, nobody is.

Yoona sighed, at least she won’t get another warning on tardy. She sat by the tree she had always leaned on for support, closing her eyes just to let go off the stress for once. She needed a break from everything, work, class, family, and now it seems that God finally gave her that.

“Yoona,” she heard a guy called her. She opened her eyes. And God also gave her a reason to put on a big smile.

“Seunggi Oppa!” the calm and nice Lee Seunggi plopped down beside her and as always, he puts on the most genuine smile. “No class?”

Yoona shook her head. “Nope. Finally, a break.” Yoona has a crush on Seunggi since she entered college. She was a freshman and he was on his third year when he introduced himself. Yoona couldn’t even imagine liking other guys. Lee Seunggi was definitely her type.

“You really need some rest you know. The dark circles is getting bigger,” and this is the other thing that makes him perfect, he cared. For Yoona, not many cared for her. Sure, there are many guys who liked her, but no one really cared.

“I have BB cream so oppa don’t really need to worry!” she winked. Seunggi smiled.

“Just take care of yourself, that’s what I meant,” and she understands clearly what he’s saying. She closed her eyes when she rested herself and the past suddenly came back to her.

When Yoona was 15, her father suddenly went bankrupt and their family were filled with debts and mortgages to be settled. The car and the house had been taken away. Yoona and her older sister were sent to live with her grandparents while her father worked 3 jobs to take care of all the debts. Sure, debts were gone, and they actually eat well now, but education pays high money and Yoona decided that her father needs the break and she’ll take care of everything. She got a scholarship but that only takes care of the tuition fees. There was still all the house bill and her family. Her sister, Im Yoorim told her a few times that she didn’t need to work as hard for the family and take care of herself and just focus on her studies, but Yoona felt like if she didn’t try her best, the stability they have right now will crumble.

Sadly, she didn’t have a mother to soothe her hair when she stressed herself out. Her mother walked away when she was young, she barely remembers her. She always convinced herself that she had the family she needed, but a young boy in her childhood who was clearly a momma’s boy changed her perception a bit. His mom was always so cheerful, a trait the young boy obviously got and he always said, “My mom would love a cuter daughter than my sister, so you are welcome in our house anytime.” And she remembers his mother that took care of her braids for 2 years when she was younger. On that short period, she knew that maybe having a mom wouldn’t be so bad.

Which reminds Yoona of him. The young boy she played with. Ok Taecyeon. She thinks about him everyday until she got her first boyfriend in middle school. After that, Ok Taecyeon became a blur of her childhood days. But somehow, she still has the ‘Ok Cat’ dangling on her bag, sometimes feeling as if that was her lucky charm. She looked closely at the chain, and remembered that the young Taecyeon always liked the weirdest things. His face was a blur nowadays, and she couldn’t really remember what he looked like anymore.

“That is one weird key chain,” Seunggi commented.

Yoona chuckled. “A boy gave this to me before he moved. I guess I got used to it being with me all this time.”

-

Ok Taecyeon sighed as he looked at his bills. He got a two jobs and one was bartending in a discreet club downtown that really relies on tips. Looking at the shallow tips he has, he’ll had to put it on debt this month, again. The other job in a magazine company pays well, but because he somehow manages to get into trouble now and then, his bonus was always ending. He pushed his things around his appartment, not caring how filthy it was. He watched the street from the window, and somehow got lost. Everytime.

His table was filled with his housemate, Kim Junsu’s music sheets. Junsu taught him some music, even urged him to write some, but Taecyeon thought that was more Junsu than him. He looked at his phone and his sister called him.

“Yeap?”

“Come home.”As always, Ok Jihyen says the same thing. “Mom wanted you to.”

“You know I can’t,” he reasoned.

“I know you wont,” Jihyen said sadly. She hung up, and that was their daily routine.

Taecyeon left home when he finished his law degree in Boston University and came back to Seoul all by himself. He met Junsu when he was a DJ in a party and they quickly became friends. Taecyeon worked 2 jobs, at noon he was a staff in the magazine office near home and at night he is bartending. It helps that the women liked his chiseled jaw enough to keep giving him good tips, but lately, women seldom came to the bar. Maybe because the new club around the area owned by Lee Soo Man opened.

Taecyeon rarely speaks about his sudden departure from Boston. He gets a call everyday from Jihyen to come home. Taecyeon brushed it off easily every time. He left Boston for good and his life is in Seoul now.

He opened the fridge and took a beer. It was only 9 am, but it was the only break he had in one day. He saw Junsu’s usual “Gotta go, composer stuff” note on it. He was glad that Junsu was getting more recognition.

Taecyeon heard the door bell, and he lazily walkep up to the door. He peeked into the peep hole and sighed. He opened the door, “What do you want, Eunjung?”

“I brought champagne and some very y berries,” Eunjung smiled, trying to seduce him. “I want two hours of your time.”

Taecyeon looked at her and slowly he pulled Eunjung’s waist towards him and kissed her cheek.

Sometimes at morning, Taecyeon also serves to girls who are not his girlfriend.

-

“I’m worried about you,” Yoorim said when she was having brunch with her younger sister.

“Why?”

“You are 22, very pretty but single,” Yoorim stated. “I’m afraid you have joined cat is my companion club.”

“Firstly, I am very happy to be single and secondly, I just don’t know what you’re talking about,” Yoona stopped having a relationship when she started college. Because her target was to finish school early and work full time, a proper job.

“Yoona, you need to loosen up. What about that Seunggi guy?”

“Seunggi oppa is a very charming and decent man. I like him very much,” Yoona smiled. “But its not the point now.”

“It is the point! Yoona, you are young, you’re supposed to play a bit.”

“I don’t play, unnie,” she ate her lunch.

“Yoona, if you stay like this, I’m afraid you’re going to end up like the granny 2 houses away,” Yoorim pulled Yoona’s hand to have her focused.

“Relationship is not the most important factor for me right now, okay. Plus, worry about your child in there,” Yoona smiled. Her sister is going to have her first child and she knew how her sister loved children. So having her own made her ecstatic. “You know, you’re one to say, unnie. Before you got married, you were even worse than I am. You practically prance for every job they have in the country.”

“Yoona. Dad is fine now so relax a bit.”

“I just felt like I need to give him more,” she reasoned.

“Trust me, he likes giving more than receiving,” Yoorim joked. “But he’s worried for you too.”

“I don’t understand why my zero relationship status is worrying people to be honest,” Yoona looked up.

“Not just that, you are shutting off, and I’m just saying, if you keep doing that, you’ll miss the right person.”

-

Two hours passed and Eunjung slipped her clothes on. A satisfied smile carved on . Taecyeon lighted a cigarette and puffed some smoke away.

“That was fun. I had hoped for more time though,” Eunjung purred onto Taecyeon, smiling devilishly.

“I don’t give discounts,” he simply said.

“But I’m a regular customer.”

“Eunjung,” Taecyeon went cold while somehow pleading her. Or rather he was always cold to her, and many. “You know I just sleep with you like I sleep with other girls don’t you?”

Eunjung kept quiet. She liked him, very much. Even if he is as cold as ice, she still liked him. “You know what, I’ll make you like me.”

“Do that,” Taecyeon slipped into his boxers and went to the kitchen. It will be two hours before his shift begins. He heard the door shut roughly and that was the sign Eunjung had left. He took out a sandwich and head into the dirty living room. The tv is usually useless with the beat up antenna so he just sat on the couch quietly eating his sandwich. Taecyeon flipped his phone and suddenly, his cold demeanor wore off and a genuine smile crept on his face. A drawing of a house was his wallpaper and he couldn’t be happier seeing it again and again. Its the only thing that keeps his sanity.

He stood up and went into the shower, another day coming through.

Taecyeon step into work, late as usual. But his boss, Park Jin Young understands that the young man needs his space. Although he lectured him once or twice for being late, but as usual, Taecyeon gave a cold stare and shrugged it off immediately. He didn’t care if he gets fired, he’ll just have to find another job. This job was given to him becase Jin Young was his father’s good friend. Other staff weren’t that happy with Jin Young’s free pass to Taecyeon, but truthfully, Taecyeon got the free pass because even being late, he did the fastest and most efficient job in the company.

Taecyeon entered his cubicle and began his day by resting his head on the table. His neighbor was Jung Jessica, who secretly had a crush on him. Jessica spent the day admiring Taecyeon, and wondered again and again on his true self. Taecyeon seldom revealed himself to anyone. In fact, he only opens up to Junsu and his best friend, Nichkhun. To others, he was an ice cold man. To Jessica, he was her saviour. A few months ago, he actually saved her from a being the victim of a bad man. She worked as a clerk in a paper company before and her old boss actually tried to harrass her. Taecyeon who was looking for a job at the time beat the crap out of him. She didn’t meet him again until she found out he worked under JYP Entertainment magazine. She asked for a job there, with the hopes that he’ll remember her. He didn’t.

Jessica sighed, if only he sees her as a woman. She was startled by her phone suddenly ringing. She gestured to hit the phone before answering it. “Hello?”

“Sica, lets go for lunch!” her friend Yuri called.

“Its already 2pm,” Jessica looked at her watch. “I’m working.”

“Come on! Yoona and Sunny are here too!” Jessica knew she was lying. Yoona always have class everyday at 2 and Sunny should still be shooting a pictorial she talked about. The four of them lived in the same appartment.

“Thanks for inviting but the three of you go ahead,” Jessica played along. “I have to work.”

She wasn’t exactly telling the truth because majority of the times, instead of working she kept herself staring at the guy in the next cubicle.

-

Yoona sighed in relief as her last class finally ended. She streches her arms a bit and cracked her neck. It will be work time after this and she’s looking forward to the clock strikes midnight when the account will be closed and she’ll get to go home.

“Miss Yoona,” she looked back and saw Park Jung Soo or more known as Leeteuk, handsome as ever smiling at her. He had been chasing her for more than two months and is not taking no for an answer. Yoona sighed.

“Hey,” she replied short.

“Wanna grab dinner together?”

“I have plans,” she said that and stood up, walking away.

“Come on Yoong,” Leeteuk pleaded. “Why won’t you give me a chance? I’m still your sunbae.”

“which is the only title I set for you,” Yoona smiled and rushed outside.

Yoona sat by the same tree again and rest. She looked around and saw some students holding hands, being all lovey dovey with their significant other. She thought maybe she does need to take it easy and play a bit. But she has decided long ago that her main goal was to take care of her family. It helps that club Generation pays a huge sum of money for bonus, but it wasn’t enough to pay back what her father have done to save their family. She felt like she owes her father everything, and since Yoorim is already married, everything is up to her to take care of their father.

“Yoong!” she heard Yuri calling her from behind. She sighed, even if she was supposed to be mad at Yuri, she couldn’t. Yuri’s cheerful and witty side always pulls a smile from everyone. “Hey, lets go and have an ice cream! They have this delicious flavours near Sica’s workplace.”

“I’d love too, but I gotta work after this,” its not until 2 more hours but she thought she’d use the time to actually relax and have a bubble bath or something.

“Come on! Just 10 minutes! Sica is already waiting for us!” and there was no use to go against Yuri’s wishes. Yuri pulled her up and then there they are with Sica, buying 3 flavoured ice cream.

“Delicious!” Jessica smiled. Yoona looked around and saw the JYP building Jessica worked in.

“You were never really eager on those tabloid stories so it is very ironic you’re working in one, Sica,” Yoona commented.

“It’s not really a tabloid, Yoona. Its very informational. Like they have this awesome music sections and old school sections...”

“Who also revealed many of the scandals,” Yuri pointed out. “And you’re not exactly working there for the informational stuff.”

Jessica blushed and Yoona was confused. “What do you mean?”

“You remember that dirty old man who tried to harrass her before? Well there is this white knight who saved her and turns out, he’s working in JYP,” Yuri smirked, and Jessica blushed even more.

“What you’re dating this guy then?” Yoona asked.

“No,” Jessica sighed. “I mean he doesn’t really remember me.”

Yoona was somehow intrigued as Jessica rarely likes a guy. When she does, it means the guy was really something else.

“Is he still in there?” Yuri lazily asked.

“He was when I got out,” Jessica naively answered.

“Lets go in then!” Yuri exclaimed.

“Hey, wait! You can’t just go in!” Jessica pulled Yuri, but she’s already on her lead. Yoona smiled, there was no stopping Yuri.

They were already in the office, and went to Jessica’s cubicle. The white knight wasn’t there, seems that he had left already.

“Aww, he left!” Yuri complained.

“Thankfully. Really what would you say to him if he was here?” Jessica said.

“That my really good friend named Jessica likes him,” and they bantered a lot while Yoona suspiciously scanned his desk.

Yoona saw that he was a messy guy, but his pin ups were full. Dates, timeline, all work related. Unlike her workspace, her pin ups were filled with pictures of her family. She wondered about his, somehow. But then she spotted a drawing, a house. Looks like a child had drew it. Maybe it was his niece, she thought. She looked around again, and saw a tall guy standing on the foyer, smoking. He has his back to her. But as if feeling someone was looking at him, he looked back and his eyes met hers. They kept staring at each other, somehow couldn’t look down. He looks familiar, but she couldn’t get past his cold stare. She looks familiar, but he can’t get past the icy structure he himself has built.

13 years seemed long enough to change and forget someone.

“Yoong! Lets go before Sica tries to kill me!” Yuri laughed while Jessica was still flustered.

They left and Yoona was wondering who the tall guy was.

-

Taecyeon left the foyer after a quick smoke and took his jacket from his cubicle. He realized that the girl that was staring at him before was standing on his work space. He looked at his side, maybe it was Jung’s friends, he thought. But he can’t get pass that innocent stare from that girl. He swore he had saw it somewhere, but he couldn’t place where. He shrugged it off and left.

His bartending shift starts, and seems like less people came in today.

“Lee Soo Man’s new club is really something. I mean I could make this place a strip club and he still steals my customer,” Taeyeon’s boss, Park Jaebum or Jay as everyone called him complained. “I mean out of all locations, why here?”

“The same reason why you opened your bar here,” Taecyeon jumbled some of the glasses.

“Ya, Taeckie!” he heard a male’s voice calling him. He looked back and saw that it was Junsu with 3 other guys he barely recognized.

“At least he brings in customers,” Taecyeon smiled. “Yae, hyung.” He joked since even if they were born in the same year, they have almost a one year gap between them.

“I bring my clients here, if you don’t mind,” Junsu ignored the hyung part. “They are like this big execs in the music industry, and they liked my demo. Maybe I can pitch some deals tonight.”

“Good, and when you do,” Jay said looking at the big guys. “Just keep em coming here. Business is going bad and I really need people to actually come here.”

“You can bet on it,” Junsu smiled and he left for his meeting.

“You know what, its really good that finally, Kim Junsu got what he wanted,” Jay said. He looked at time. “When are you getting what you want, Taec?”

Taecyeon looked at Jay and somehow, his past came to haunt him again. A little girl drawing a house and a young woman smiling back at him. “I got what I wanted Jay. But then somehow, things just don't work out.”

-

Lee Soo Man was a proud man in his latest club opening. Yoona sighed, she thought the opening would be next week, where her classes will be scarced and she’ll have plenty of times to work. This means she’ll have to work until at least 3pm today, and class at 8am tomorrow. She sighed, this is her life now, her choice, she won’t ban it just because she’s lacking sleep.

“Thank you very much, all of you. Enjoy!” Lee Soo Man clapped. Yoona was about to enter the club, but the man stopped her. “You can go home now, Miss Im. Tonight is an open bar, no accounts will be needed.”

Yoona stopped dead in her tracks, not believing what her boss is saying. “Really?” This wasn’t the case last year. Even if the drinks were free, there are still counting all the loss for the free drinks.

“Yes. You look like you need it,” her boss gestured her to go home. Yoona bowed her thanks, 3 times before actually leaving. A young man patted the older man’s shoulder.

“Thanks. Really appreciate it,” Leeteuk smiled.

“I’m surprised it took you this long to chase her.”

“Well, she is something else, really,” Leeteuk straightened his collar.

“And where exactly are you taking her. Club Generation has the best rates for meeting up good couples,” Lee Soo Man gestured at his own club.

“If you haven’t notice, Yoona isn’t a Martini kind of girl,” he laughed. “There is this beat up bar around, and who knows, maybe being a beer chugging kind of guy is attractive to her.” With that, he left, chasing after Yoona.

-

Yoona streched her arms, happy that she’s getting a good sleep tonight. Her hope for a bubble bath is finally coming true.

“Yoong Ah!” or so she thought. She saw Leeteuk running towards her.

“Leeteuk Sunbaenim,” she sighed. She had said no a bunch of times, but he doesn’t seem to get it.

“Come on, oppa would be nice,” he smiled. Yoona smiled, even if Leeteuk can be annoying most of the time, he was still actually a decent nice guy.

“What do you want now?”

“Ouch. Cold. I’m just wondering if you want to go for a drink,” he hoped she’ll say yes, as per usual.

“Boss gave me a break. I am not going back in fear that he’ll change his mind if he saw me,” Yoona wasn’t really joking. It could happen.

“No, not Club Generation!” Leeteuk knew she would say that. “There is this bar around here which actually have some pretty decent food and good beer. What do you say?’

Yoona was silent for a moment. She is hungry. “Not a date.”

“Excuse me?”

“This is not a date or an approval of an attention to you. It is just two friends going for a dinner. Got it?” Yoona set her rules.

Leeteuk wasn’t really approving, but its better than nothing. “Sure.”

They arrived at the said bar, it was called The Room, which was pretty masculine for Yoona. There wasn’t a lot of people, but it does produce some good music. She saw a guy playing at the piano with 3 other suited men crowding him, approving his talent. And then there was this short guy with his left arm filled with tattoo, laughing with some of the customers. She liked this aura, a very friendly and close aura.

“Lets sit here,” Leeteuk pulled a chair for her. Not eating his gesture, Yoona pulled her own seat.

“Hello,” the same short guy came with the menu. Unlike his gangster like tattoos, he was actually really nice. But his smile got lost looking at Leeteuk.

“Jay, come on. It was one bar fight with that horrid man!” Leeteuk pleaded.

“You were the annoying one, Teukie,” Jay snapped. He was about to say more, but Leeteuk pulled him away from the table to have a talk.

“Can we get this off for tonight? I mean I have a date here,” he was whispering but loud enough for Yoona to hear.

“We’re not on a date,” she declared.

Leeteuk pulled Jay further away. “And it was that guy that was really annoying. I mean he practically flirt with all those poor women...”

“That was you. Taec have a natural pull on women and to be fair, having good looks doesn’t make someone horrid,” Jay pointed out.

“Come on Jay. You knew me for almost 10 years and you went to his side, the guy who worked for you for only 2 months.”

“Because I knew you for 10 years I actually know what you really are, ,” Jay knocked him again. Taecyeon sighed looking at Jay arguing with the annoying guy. He remembered that Leeteuk actually pulled a punch first for something he wasn’t so clear about. He thought Jay would fire him, but Jay has a good sense of whats going on, and banned Leeteuk for ever coming to the bar.

Then Taecyeon saw her. The girl who were standing in his work space. The girl with he innocent stare. She was sighing, rubbing her belly noting that she was hungry. Looks like the argument wasn’t going to stop at any time, so he grabbed his towards her.

Yoona’s stomach was grovelling, making sounds. She looked at Leeteuk arguing, and she sighed, wanting to leave. Suddenly, a tall guy stood beside her. “Your order?” he said in his deep voice.

“Uh?” she looked up and saw the same guy who was smoking in the foyer. He was taller now that he’s near.

“You look like you could use some food,” he said naturally. His icy cold stare is still there but Yoona actually smiled because unlike his stare, he has a warm soothing voice.

“I do,” she flipped the menu. “I’ll have the mushroom raviolli and a beer, thanks.”

He took the menu, and smilled. But before he left, he saw the green key chain dangling on her bag. He recognize that immediately, since it was his creation. Suddenly, he remembered the girl, remembered the pendant that was given only to her before. He looked back at her and somehow, his icy stare melted a bit.

“Yoona?”

-

To Be Continued