Taecyeon was waiting for Yoona after her work. It was his first time going to her place. He called Jessica before to ask if Yoona was still at her university, but Jessica was sure by that time, she should have gone to work. Yoona had been avoiding Taecyeon’s calls, which he understood well enough. He remembered how Yoona was always sensitive when it comes to her mother and he guessed he touched the subject a little too deeply with his assoholic ways in breaking up with Eunjung.

“Tch, but she didn’t know Eunjung,” Taecyeon looked down. He had all the pictures of Chaerim inside his bag, all ready to tell about his late daughter. Even though he knows it will be very hard to even start, he’ll try. Yoona was important to him when he was a child, and she is important now.

Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder. His hope for it to be Yoona faltered when he saw Leeteuk.

“What?” his cold composure came in.

“Nothing,” Leeteuk stood beside Taecyeon, looking around the area.

Taecyeon looked at him. “Are you waiting for her too?”

“Who?” he very well know who but he played dumb.

“Yoona.”

Leeteuk hates how Taecyeon can swiftly call Yoona’s name. “Listen punk. I know you’re her childhood friend or whatever, but you have no right to just swing by here and just take her away,” Leeteuk was serious. “I like her, I may be even falling for her. So if you think you can play prince good looking and just steal her away, remember that  I will fight for her.”

Taecyeon sighed and looked at him. “Listen, I don’t like her like that, okay. I’m just her friend. Thats all there is to it.”

Yoona unfortunately heard this, and her heart sank. She had been avoiding Taecyeon not because of the reasons that Taecyeon thought it was, but because of the reasons Lee Teuk cleared for her days before.

Flashback

Yoona heard a knock on her door, and she opened it. “Ah, Lee Teuk-ssi. What are you doing here?”

“Just to see you,” Lee Teuk smiled.

“Okay?” Yoona was confused.

“About Taec,” Lee Teuk started.

“Oh,” Yoona looked down, can’t seem to wonder what this was all about. “What about him?”

Lee Teuk sat down and saw Yoona going to the kitchen and prepared some tea. Yoona can’t help but wonder what Lee Teuk is going to tell her.

She poured tea for Lee Teuk.

“Thank you,” Lee Teuk rubbed his thighs. He suddenly laughs nervously. “I’m sorry, I know its weird the fact that I just rushed here to tell you about the incompetent bartender.”

“What is it really?” Yoona was straight and firm.

Lee Teuk looked down. “I guess you knew about that daughter of his.”

“Chaerim?”

“I looked up on him. He didn’t really have a clean state of record,” Lee Teuk took a file he had in his satchel. “You should know who he is before you went head over heels on him, Yoona.”

Yoona looked at the file in front of her. She remembered how Taecyeon promised to tell her everything. She would trust him, or should she trust him?

“It’s up to you,” Lee Teuk stood up and walked towards the door. “If you decided to read that, maybe you should know, Ok Taecyeon could never love anyone, not even you. Just see that.”

Yoona’s heart sank even more.

“That Taecyeon, he may only see you as friends. But I don’t see how a friend fits this thing between you two.”

End flashback

Now everything that Lee Teuk said was proven with Taecyeon’s own words. He did not see her as a potential lover, he only sees her as a friend, nothing more. She avoided him all this while because she was afraid that what Lee Teuk said is true. Now, she knew. Now she gets her heart broken. Now she suddenly was afraid to open her heart to men again. She shouldn’t have opened for him in the first place.

“Yoona-ssi!” Leeteuk saw her and called her, which made Taecyeon turn around. All she can see was her childhood friend who was sweet and kind, but the blur of the unknown aura about him was still there, and the clear fact that he could only ever be a friend hurts so much.

“Oppa,” Yoona hurried towards Leeteuk and pulled his arm. “Good that you are here, you are taking me out for dinner right?”

“Yes, of course,” Lee Teuk felt his win.

“You said you’ll buy me food at that new place,” Yoona pulled Leeteuk to go. She faced Taecyeon and forced a smile. “Sorry oppa, I promised Leeteuk-ssi first. Lets meet up later okay.”

And with that, she was gone with Leeteuk. Taecyeon sighed but somehow, his heart hurt. But his head tells him that she’s a friend, nothing more.

He pulled his phone and saw Junsu called.

“Yeah?” he called back.

-

Yoona was quiet during dinner. Leeteuk took her to a fancy restaurant that he assumed Yoona mentioned. But Yoona haven’t touched her food, not even the soup that has gone cold.

“Yoona?” he called, but she wasn’t there. He saw how she almost cried when she blew Taecyeon off. He was happy she did, because Taecyeon annoys the heck out of him. But now he didn’t felt like he win, at all. Leeteuk is actually good in reading Yoona as he actually observed her too much. He knew that Yoona was sad because she blew off Taecyeon. “Did you read the documents?”

Yoona looked up. “Not yet.” To be honest, she was still waiting for Taecyeon to do that himself. But she can’t seem to bring herself to meet him, scared of what may happen.

“Did he hurt you?”

“What?” Yoona was surprised to hear this.

“Taec, did he hurt you in any way?” he asked clearly. Of course the jerk did.

Yoona was surprised. She forced yet another smile. “What are you talking about? I mean no, not at all.” But she couldn’t stop the tears that came to her eyes. “Absolutely not.”

Leeteuk hated to see her like this. Yoona is supposed to be cheerful and happy, not crying and sad. “Those tears says other.”

Yoona wiped her tears away while looking down. “No. He didn’t hurt me. I hurt myself. Taecyeon oppa, he had a lost, and he turned to be different than before. It is understandable. The only one to blame was me, for falling for the boy he was and not accepting the man he is now.”

“Yah! Yoona! Don’t be like this. That guy is a total jerk and...”

“Oppa,” Yoona cut him slowly. “Take me home, okay. I don’t feel like eating anymore.”

Leeteuk couldn’t say no. Maybe now, he could only hope that Yoona would come to her senses.  He took Yoona home, and when he called her office the next day, they said Yoona called in sick.

-

Taecyeon poured Vodka for the tired Jay but he missed the glass. Jay saw this and pat his shoulder. “You okay?”

“Yeah, fine,” he simply said.

“Okay then,” Jay didn’t believed him one bit, so he went to Junsu. “What’s with him?”

Junsu looked up from his paper to Taecyeon. “Nothing. Trust me, he wasn’t changing one bit.” Junsu looked back at his paper.

“Huh?” Jay was confused.

Taecyeon looked into the empty space and remembered exactly what Yoona said.

“I don’t want to know such a cruel person.”

He shooked his head. He wasn’t backing down. She’s a precious friend. He won’t lose her.  Yoona hasn’t change one bit since they were kids. Or maybe she has gone from cute to beautiful that is. But her personality, everything remains the same. But he obviously changed so much in her eyes.

“To be honest, I thought I fell for you when I met you again, but I didn’t fell for you. I fell for the young kid named Ok Taecyeon, the oppa who always played with me, the oppa who didn’t have a secret he’s holding deep down.”

“She fell for the old me,” Taecyeon felt bad now that he wasn’t the man Yoona expected. But he isn’t giving up. Yoona is still a friend. At least that is what his head tells him.

“Taecyeon-ssi,” he heard his name being called. He saw Leeteuk standing in front of him. “Can we talk?”

Without hesitance, they were sitting in front of each other a few meters away from Jay, just so Jay could monitor any trouble from Leeteuk.

“If it is about Yoona then I assure you that...” Taecyeon started.

“Yoona likes you a lot,” Leeteuk cuts him. “A lot I mean she even cried for you.”

Taecyeon knew that but the part where she cries for him was shocking. He was hurting her.

“Stop hurting her and stop seeing her. I know you insisted that you have no feelings for her, but think about it, the more you spend time with her, the more false hope you are giving her,” Lee Teuk hated to see Yoona cry. Because that is not her. That is not the girl who always smile and gives rays of sunshine. “Stop seeing her.”

Taecyeon smirked. This guy dared to tell him what to do. “Its not up to you is it?” he gave a small glint of ego that is in him. “Its not up to you to save her. You aren’t her boyfriend, hell you aren’t even a friend. You are just an aquantance who happens to have a crush on her.”

Lee Teuk stayed silent. Taecyeon was always the man wih few words. Now he is crushing Lee Teuk with all the facts that will always remain true even if Lee Teuk begged for it to change.

Taecyeon smiled even more when he sees Lee Teuk struggling for a sentence. “Lee Teuk-ssi. The boy Yoona fell for wasn’t me, it was the boy I was when we were kids. And fortunately for you, he’s not here anymore. Though this guy right here,” Taecyeon pointed to himself. “Will always be her friend no matter what. I’m not on your way. If you want Yoona, you’re at the wrong place man.”

“I’m telling you, whatever it is you’re doing, you are hurting her. You don’t want to hurt another girl in your life do you?”

Junsu saw everything, and he scrutinized every word and every gesture Taecyeon make. He knew that all the things Lee Teuk said actually affect Taecyeon deeply. “Such a con artist.”

-

Yoona looked over at her window and sighed. Now she knew how Jessica felt, to have a one sided crush on someone. She saw Sunny walking happily towards the building, as of there was no problem in any sort of way in her world. That was Sunny, thus her name.

“Yoona! Have you made dinner?” Sunny asked cheerfully.

“Ah, yes. Help yourself,” Yoona answered, can’t help but smile. “I made pasta.”

“Daebak!” Sunny looked at her dinner. Then she saw Yoona’s tiring face. “Yoona-ssi is sad.”

“Eh?”

“Such droopy eyes, with cheeks falling down and shoulders weak,” Sunny pointed out. “Our Yoona is sad.”

“Well, I’ve been better,” Yoona decided she needed to move on. “I promise I’ll be better.” As if on que, Taecyeon called yet again. And this time, Yoona can’t run away, not forever. She needed to move on, she needed to hear those words. He wanted to be friends, and at the very least she’ll have him back in her life, only as a friend.

“Hello?” she answered. “Yes, I’m free.”

-

Taecyeon waited at the park, smoking his cigarrete and puffing away. “I need to stop,” he whispered while inhaling a little bit more.

“You should stop,” Yoona appeared from behind, forcing yet another smile. “Sorry for being super busy.”

“No. I mean sorry for being really annoying and attacking your voice mails,” Taecyeon smiled. He threw away his bud and sat on the swing. “We played a lot on this thing before.”

Yoona smiled, remembering those days. She sat at the next swing “I remembered you were stubborn to stand on i while swinging. Mrs. Han weren’t happy with you.”

“Yeap. I still remembered ‘You rascal!’ from her. Such a vulgar woman,” Taecyeon smiled. “But so kind and gentle. Weird enough.”

“I was very thankful that I met you,” Yoona started and Taecyeon was surprised. “It was already a year since my mom left us, though at the time, I still felt betrayed and the feeling of longing for a mother is still there. Then you suddenly walked through my door with your mum and immediately as you saw me, you pulled me on one of your mischievious adventures.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,”’ Taecyeon laughed apologetically.

“No.” Yoona said. “I haven’t had fun in a long while, I was too busy looking for my mum. You actually pulled me out of that gloom and just be a kid, and have fun. I guess that is when I realie I fell for you.”

Taecyeon was quiet. He didn’t know what to say.

“And then you knew how I was motherless, so you said I could share your mom,” Yoona remembered clearly. “It wasn’t really a dream come true sort of deal, to get a mother like that, but I was happy you even said that.”

“Yoona, I...”

“I’m okay, just being friends,” Yoona concluded. “As long as you stay in my world, I’m fine with it.”

Taecyeon heards this and he chuckled, making Yoona confused.

“Sorry to break it to you. But I don’t want to be friends,” Taecyeon concluded. “I mean I was okay before when I thought you see me as a friend too, trying to fix me up with Jessica and all. But now, how can I be friends with someone who have huge crush on me. Or better yet, the boy who I was.”

Yoona was confused. Why was he being mean?

“Unless you really had threw away all those feelings, I don’t think I want you in my life,” Taecyeon stood up. “I know I promised you to tell about Chaerim, but I only trust those who are in my life.” With that, he left, breaking her heart again.

Yoona was shock and she went back motionless. She stood in front of her apartment and she was numb. Her mother didn’t want her before and now Taecyeon. Maybe this is her fate, to not be wanted by the people she craved love from.

“Yoona-ssi?” she heard someone called her from behind. It was Junsu. “Are you okay?”

Without notice, Yoona out and fainted.

In a blur, Junsu carried Yoona into the house, into her room as Jessica had instructed. Sunny took a basin of water and cloth. Junsu went out when the girls need to undress Yoona from her dirty cloths.

He walked into the living room and sighed. Suddenlt he realized he was sitting on a few papers. He looked through them and was surprised to see all those information on Taecyeon. The pictures of Chaerim Taecyeon definitely kept safe at home, the details of the accident. Junsu looked back at Yoona’s room. How did she get this?

-

“Omma will make a nice soup,” Yoona’s mother came by and patted her daughter’s forehead. “Our Yoona can’t be sick, and our Yoona mustn’t give up to be healthy right?”

“Um!” the young Yoona nodded.

Yoona opened her eyes. Out of all the times, why does her memory of her mother surges again?

“Yoona?” she looked at her side and saw Jessica looking at her worried. “You okay?”

“Eh,” she answered while nodding. “What happened?”

“You suddenly out in front at the door,” Junsu replied and she saw him walking towards her residing beside Jessica.

“Fortunately Junsu-ssi saw you and carried you in,” Jessica held Yoona’s hand.

“Oh,” Yoona tried to get up but she felt weak. “Kamsahamida, Junsu-oppa.”

“Its alright, get some rest,” Junsu smiled. Junsu was about to leave the room when Yoona stopped him.

“Oppa,” Yoona called Junsu. “Did Taecyeon-oppa really killed her daughter.”

“What?” Junsu was confused.

“Those documents, the accident, they say he was driving when Chaerim was in the car,” Yoona said, wasn’t really sure what she wanted to ask.

“No, he didn’t kill anyone,” Junsu said. “I know you read the documents about the possibility of Taecyeon killing Chaerim. They did ask about that in court, but whoever gave you that document, seemed to miss the other 90% of the documents. The other 90% should have seen Taecyeon as clean from any influences and is even 100% competent to drive during the time.”

Yoona looked at him.

“Taecyeon, he was picking up Chaerim from school.  It was just another normal day. But the other driver was sleepy, and lost control,” Junsu said looking down. “Taecyeon almost lost himself when Chaerim died. She means the world to him and losing her made him almost lost his mind. Sometimes, majority of the times even, he blamed himself for her death. Even now.”

Yoona looked at the ceiling and wondered more.

“I saw him today, and I told him, being friends would be fine, even with this one sided feeling, its fine just to be friends. At least he’s in my life again. And I hoped for nothing more,” Yoona let a tear slide.

“I presume you read the documents before you meet him,” Junsu said. “Why did you decide that?”

Yoona was silent before answering. “I know there should be more. Even if he seems like a stranger now, he’s still Taecyeon. He’s still the boy from my childhood. Youu can change but not completely. I want to know more. That is why being friends should be fine.”

Junsu smiled at that.

“But he doesn’t seem to want that now,” Yoona remembered.

“What?” Junsu asked.

“He said he didn’t want me in his life,” Yoona forced a smile. “I guess that’s that, right?”

Junsu was confused. Taecyeon said something different to Lee Teuk earlier. But then again, whatever Lee Teuk said must have impacted heavilly on Taecyeon’s mind. Then he remembered.

“I’m telling you, whatever it is you’re doing, you are hurting her. You don’t want to hurt another girl in your life do you?”

“That son of a ,” Junsu cursed under his breath. Jessica shooshed him for his cursing. “Sorry.” Junsu suddeny realized, Lee Teuk’s speech had made Taecyeon change his mind about being friends thing. Taecyeon didn’t want to hurt Yoona. “But he is hurting himself.” Junsu whispered under his breath.

“Yoona-ssi,” Junsu started. “Do you trust me?”

“Eh?” Yoona was confused.

“I will tell you everything I know about Taecyeon when he lost Chaerim. For a change,” Junsu smiled genuinely. “Don’t give up on him just yet. He’s a hard guy to deal with, so you’re in charge of everything now.”

-

Lee Teuk was waiting for someone in the park, nervous. The lady came by with her car. She scrolled her window down.

“Did you do everything I told you to?” the lady asked.

“Yes. I even went to Taecyeon and told him everything you said,” Lee Teuk was uneasy.

“Good.”

“Those documents you gave me, it wasn’t complete wasn’t it?” Lee Teuk asked.

“Of course not,” the lady answered, revealing herself to be Lee Hyori. “I wouldn’t give that away to someone as desperate as you. If anything, you have just created a happy relationship between Taecyeon and Yoona.”

“What?” Lee Teuk was shocked. “You said that it will break them apart!”

“It would for a time being. Just wait for it Lee Teukie,” Hyori smiled. “I will definitely make Taecyeon feel what I feel. At that time, Yoona will be all yours.”

Lee Teuk wasn’t so sure about it now. There is something utterly dangerous about this woman.

Hyori took her phone and dialed a number. The other line answered. “Eunjung-ssi? Its your time to work.”

Everything seemed so  confusing now.

To Be Continued

Yes, it is all confused. But just read on, I will explain through it later. To Hyori’s fans, sorry!