Don't know why I did that,

but now I know I was doing the right thing with it.

CHAPTER 15

TAEYEON POINT OF VIEW

       Light flashing accompanied by rumble of thunderbolt sounds tugged me away from my daydream. It absolutely wasn’t one of my favorite nights after all. I found myself mused with many complicated thoughts and feelings, tangling together.

       I found myself kept thinking about her. She kept popping up in my mind; no matter how hard I tried to get rid it off, her face would always emerge over and over again. I could see clearly how her expression when she finally discovered my scratches and I could have a good vision as well how hurt she was when she found I didn’t even spill out any single words to explain it to her at all.

       All I hope for now was a she might get the knowledge that I’d done those things all just to protect her. I would never forgive myself if something bad happened to her. Ever.

       Regardless of it, now I was engulfed by unbearable miserable feeling of missing her that probably only God and me who know how it felt. I was so ravenous of her. I thought I would die of curiosity about her. I wondered what she was doing now. Did she eat properly? Did she take care of herself well? Did she cry? And if she did so, would she stop? I wondered if she felt the same way as I did. I wondered if at least she was thinking about me too. I wondered many things about her.

       Arguing with my own mind for some moment, I d around beneath my comforter in order to find my cell-phone. I paused for a moment again; thinking about what I was going to type. I wasn’t awkward but rather to consider whether I supposed to do it or not.

Good night, Tiffany.

       I reread my own text and quickly deleted it. It wasn’t right, I thought. The message wouldn’t change anything and it was totally unnecessary. I missed her and deep inside my heart I really wanted to make it up. I wanted to flood her with my cheesiness and sweet romantic words in my conviction that she’d suddenly smiled and wiped away all of the pain and tears. But I knew I wasn’t able or shouldn’t do that it right now since I was afraid at the next time we would get another sequence of row, still with the same background.

       In my frustration I flipped around my cell and slid down the cover; revealing the battery. I took it off and I headed to the window. I looked at the heavy rain outside; poured diagonally from above, for a moment. I opened my window and felt little bit drizzle spurt at me. I briskly threw away the battery somewhere at the lawn and quickly closed it again.

       It was probably the silliest and dramatic thing I ever did in my life. My father probably would give me another strike when he discovered it, but I really had no idea what was happening to me. All the things I knew were I was struggling hard to eradicate her out of my mind, no matter the way. Though I wasn’t sure it worked.

       If there was a thing I thought I couldn’t cope with it well in this day, it was about how I supposed to act when meeting her. It was inevitable since we’re occupying the same class. I still could ask Yuri to sit beside me, instead, but I couldn’t keep pretending there’s nothing happened. I knew during the class she put her eyes on me and frankly, I never let my eyes out off her as well. All the things I could see into her eyes were only pain and pang. I wondered if she could see it into my eyes too.

       At that time I really want to stand up and approach her, and tell her that what was happening yesterday was only a bad dream. I wanted to convince her that I loved her more than everything. We bumped each other this morning, and instead of greeting, we just glimpse for a moment, then together shifting our eyes and just walked passing by, as though we’re two stranger and didn’t even interested to get to know each other.

       Strangely, I catch Jessica didn’t glare at me. She seemed understand with my condition. Probably Yuri had made her understand or else. I didn’t pay attention too much about it. After all, I heard Yuri and Jessica had their conversation. Yuri tried to sound casual. He said something that I couldn’t really remember, but I caught Jessica smiled at him. I was terribly guilty for them as well. I made them trapped into awkward atmosphere between me and Tiffany.

       The bell rung and for the first time I felt so thankful and I just wanted to back home as soon as possible. I hastily tidied up my desk, put my stuff into my bag and slang it over my shoulder.

TIFFANY POINT OF VIEW

       I hung my head low and didn’t pay attention of anything around me as my thought seemed didn’t want to think about anything else but him. I hurt seeing he hurt, I hurt when I discovered he was suffering from terrible wound, and what made me getting hurt more was when I witnessed another girl took care of his wound and moreover… seeing the girl hugged her as though I wasn’t able to do that.

       As I lowered my gaze, I accidentally nudged someone in front of my. I quickly lifted my head and apologized.

       “I’m sor…,” my words were cut off directly when I saw her.

       “YOU?” The girl shouted back at me.

       It was Gyuri.

       “What so coincidence,” she smirked and glared at me.

       I was on a mood for arguing or even making a scene at school but seemed she wouldn’t let me go that easy.

       “I’m sorry. I got to go,” I said hastily, about to leave the place but I felt her hand clamped mine.

       “Do you think where you’re going to go?” she asked.

       “I’d apologized,” I stated.

       “It’s not about me. You caused him in pain!” she shouted at me and I startled.

       “What are you talking about?” I raised my voice.

       “If it wasn’t because of you, he would get the scratches and wounds all here and there!” she yelled back. I felt so tense and put myself together to absorb her words.

       “I waited so long to give you some lessons, son of !” she screamed and lifted her hand, about to slap me. I jerked again, felt numb for a moment but the sting I’d expected never come to me as by the next second I saw him stood in front of me, holding Gyuri’s hand. Taeyeon glared at her.

       “Don’t you dare to even touch her,” he said in even tone, but I could feel threatening tone inside his voice.

       “B-but she deserves it!” Gyuri pleaded stutteringly. “You’re suffered because of her!”

       Taeyeon yanked away her hand and still glared at her. I found Gyuri scared of him.

       “It’s none of your business,” Taeyeon said coldly. “I never felt hurt. One thing that was able to make me hurt was only her – if I lose her,” Taeyeon stated firmly. I was taken aback again. Somehow, mixed feeling crept over my heart. Is it real? He said the only thing that was able to make him hurt was only losing me???

       “Are you losing your mind???” Gyuri yelled in frustration.

       “Your father whipped you because of her and you’re still into her???” she asked in dismay with surprising tone.

       Taeyeon smirked impassively.

       “Listen to me carefully,” he said instead of answering her question. “If I ever find you make a mess with her again, or anyone else, I’ll make sure you’ll regret it during the rest of your life.”

       Gyuri seemed dumbfounded for a moment. After gulping her own saliva she stepped backward slowly and turned away, leaving Taeyeon and me. I was sure it was a great shock therapy for her.

       Taeyeon glanced at me but he said nothing. When he was about to leave me again, I summoned my courage to call and ask him.

       “I-is it true?” I stammered. “What she said… that your father did it to you because of me?”

       There was a long pause before I could hear his answer. His back was still facing me.

       “You’ve already heard everything,” he said briefly.

       “Not everything! I was still unable to make any sense of it!” I yelled.

       “I couldn’t receive it… You’re getting hurt because of me!” I said.

       “That’s the point I would never like you to mention,” he said.

       “Don’t blame yourself at all. I love you and all I want to do is only protecting you.”

       “I didn’t get it,” I said in hope he would explain me more.

       “Just… take a good care of yourself, Fani~a,” he said while slightly tilted at me.

       “I can’t give you anything more this time, but you have my words, I will never let anybody hurt you. Not when I’m still alive.”

       “I’m sorry I probably couldn’t be a guy you as you wanted me the way,” he said.

       “I’m really sorry…”

        And my tears began to stream down again as he left me like that again.

       It wasn’t the point, Taeng… You have no idea how much I love you too… I never expected you to be someone the way I wanted… I just wanted you to give me a chance to share your pain, share your sorrow, share your whole life with me… Did I ask too much?

TAEYEON POINT OF VIEW

       “Taeng, I think I need to tell you something,” Yuri stared at me with serious look.

       “What’s about?” I asked him curiously.

       “It’s about incident at the beach,” he said.

       “Something wrong?”

       “I’m not so sure,” he mumbled and paused for a moment.

       “I have no idea whether it was a coincidence or not.”

       “Go tell me.”

       “After you left, I built some conversation with the beach guard,” he said. “He said we weren’t supposed to play around that area since there’s a restriction board there.”

       I widened my eyes in surprise.

       “Actually it wasn’t safe area either for swimming or surfing,” Yuri continued.

       “Did we see any restriction sign?” I asked dubiously.

       “That’s the matter. I was sure we didn’t,” he replied.

       “Yuri… what exactly you’re going to say?”

       “I didn’t like to say this but… I think you will never let your guard down.”

       He heaved a huge sigh.

       “I wasn’t trying to say someone remove the sign and try to hurt or even kill her… Nobody could predict this accident or even persuade her to go the beach and play with the wave, but… since then I felt some strange feeling about it.”

       “You know exactly what I mean,” Yuri said.

        I nodded my head and my heart began to pump faster.

       It was probably too much to consider it as a killing attempt but Yuri’s right when he said I was supposed to not let my guard down, even for a second. I had to keep my eyes on her and protect her with all of might.

       At the next second, Yuri’s cell was buzzing. He checked the display and mouthed at me that it was Jessica.

       “Yes, Sica?” he greeted. I looked at him.

       “Umm, yeah, Tae’s cell was… broken,” he said dubiously while glancing at me. I nodded my head.

       “What’s going on?”

       I began to catch Yuri’s expression turned into a worry one.

       “W-what happens?” I asked impatiently.

       Yuri beckoned me to hush and let him finish his conversation first. He hung up his cell and shifted his gaze at me.

       “Jessica said Tiffany just received a call and abruptly left.”

       “W-what call and where she’s going?” I asked.

       “Sica had no idea. Tiffany didn’t tell her anything and she seemed so hurry.”

       “She just said she needed to meet the person. The person would like to tell her something about you. Tiffany seemed didn’t know the caller as well.”

       “This is crazy!!! She just decided to meet a stranger without considering anything?”

       “Taeng,” Yuri tapped my shoulder. “I thought she just find it as the only way to understand and know more you.”

       “Oh Chris Almighty!” I screamed. “I could never forgive myself if something happens to her!”

       “It could be someone else that we never expected,” I gasped. “Could be my father’s abettors, or Gyuri’s father abettors, or anybody else who probably had bad intention toward her…”

       “But for now we all even have no idea where she is,” Yuri said.

       I hastily my computer and impatiently knocked my desk with my knuckles.

       “What are you doing?” Yuri asked curiously.

       “Tracking her of course.”

       “What?”

       “I’d put a tracker secretly at her cell and her watch,” I told him.

       “Don’t know why I did it at that time but now I know I was doing the right thing,” I said impassively.

to be continued…

More tense, huh? Whaddaya think?

Who do you expect to meet Tiffany?

Would hurt-hearted Tiffany forgive Taeng after all this time?

Would Taeyeon be able to find and save her in time?