Chapter 16: “I’m gonna find someone someday who might actually treat me well- Taylor Swift”

-o0o-

Nobody seemed to be moving, both of them stubborn---both of their reason due to unkind surprises. He didn’t expect to be bumping into her, not really unlike other predictions of his, for he suspected she was already on stage. He wanted to move closer to the stage, but without prior notice, Kyuhyun found her to be standing there all by herself.

She lowered her head respectfully, bowing her head and deciding to just perform. Kyuhyun could not stand how hard she tried to ignore him that day, so he grabbed her by her arm, seizing her back.

“Wait,” Seohyun excused herself, grabbing her wrist back as she hurriedly bowed her head again and repeatedly. “I have to go. I’m sorry.” And then she was gone, flashing through the audience like lightening. Yoona worriedly asked why it took her time to come up, but she just shrugged and apologized for the delay. The music played, their hands posed as if they were guns.

So, as the music wowed the crowd, the girls danced with full energy, cheerful and y. Tiffany appeared like she was firing her gun to the crowd, the other girls dancing, Taeyeon beginning the first verse.

Leeteuk watched in amazement, how eye-catching his wife was. It was not hard to spot her from the rest---since she seemed to be the shortest. It wasn’t hard to tell which one she was despite the fact that Sunny was short too. The navy blue costumes, bordered by hot pink zippers and buttons on the center, looked pretty from afar.

“Your arrows mean trouble, trouble, trouble...they’re aimed at me.”

Onew was constructively taking advantage of very gorgeous shots of Sooyoung from below, snapping a shot when she projected in a e manner her parents would never forget. He even laughed when she moved her hips while performing the corset steps. When she wasn’t in the middle, she took a few glances at Onew, whose full attention and passion was producing beautiful photos for her. He really was fond of photography, and the ones he got for Sooyoung were a surefire way of winning her parent’s sympathy.

Jessica, who at the start knew Onew was carrying a camera, planned to always be in his area so that she would be photographed. But as the song progressed, he seemed only to be focus on one person, one girl Jessica tried finding out. The time when Sooyoung giggled in the middle of singing the chorus had her looking that direction, wondering what was funny. Onew flashed the cam warmly on Sooyoung who was giving him eye contact to stop doing that.

“Sooyoung-ah, smile more!” He shouted at her, Jessica just by her right side. Jealous, the blonde moved in front of her, after shooting her arrows, Sooyoung adjusting to the sudden turn of movements that she wasted the timing by going behind Yuri. The other girl was wondering as well, but she ignored this and continued singing. If someone was taking a video of it, anyone would observe Sooyoung’s shocked expression and Jessica’s smug intermission during that time. Sooyoung’s mistake was so obvious that she felt embarrassed, losing a small part of her confidence.

She gazed at Sica, questioning. As if in reply, Jessica, singing I-go-hoot-hoot-hoot to a sustained note (the one before the bridge part), nodded at her, telling her to move over and go find her place. Satisfied that Onew appreciated her presence, she instantly shifted to her original position, again poor Sooyoung smoothly changing this, pretending to smile spiritedly at Onew, who witnessed everything Sica had done to her. He knew she could be quite competitive, but he didn’t think she would do such a thing, just to steal Sooyoung’s position and be in the spotlight.

Kibum was surprised with seeing Yoona dance so fantastically that through the whole performance, he was gawking at them, Yeeun beside him also in awe. Her unnie was very good, indeed. Though voice strains were obvious (since Yoon had exerted all her effort in being mean that week, her voice was quite soft during the performance), Yeeun understood how hard-working Yoona really was.

“Isn’t she awesome?” asked Kibum.

Yeeun had the same opinion. “Indeed, that’s true.”

Kyuhyun carefully watched their performance, his wife’s turn to sing a dashing y part. He laughed at how she timidly loosened her shoulders and acted as though she was calling a random oppa to dance with her like in nightclubs. It was weird, but it felt truly wonderful to see her and bump into her in a way nobody could expect.

“Aigoo, isn’t Seohyun y?” Sungmin noted, nudging Ryeowook and Leeteuk to ride in with his scheme.

Kyuhyun frowned at him, turning his back on the performance. “What?”

“I said Seohyun, for her age, is really gorgeous and y tonight,” repeated the other man, luckily Jinhye had earphones glued to her ears.

“I know, right?” Teukie added the tension. “She’s so damn hot.”

Kyuhyun snorted, nearly laughing. “Look at your own wives, please. Yonghwa won’t like to hear that. It’s gross for an ahjusshi to like her.”

“I would hoot, hoot, hoot!”the last part was a cinch for all of them as they said their thanks.

“Someone’s doing flashbacks,” Sungmin teased Kyuhyun, Teuk and Wookie eyeing him enthusiastically.

Kyuhyun scowled in full honesty, unaware that he was referring to him. “Who’s...doing flashbacks?”

Jinhye leaned against Kyuhyun’s chest, still fiddling with his father’s cell phone as if trying to rediscover a new toy. She missed her violin, and she hated the fact that it was left at home. This was an adults’ party, and she knew that very well. She wanted to go home and play, but the tendency was no one would be willing to take care of her.

“Jinhye-ah, Umma’s done,” Kyuhyun informed her.

Sunny was approaching them, hair sweat stained and eyes dreadfully suffering from tiredness. She kneeled before Kyuhyun, looking at her daughter with gladness in her heart.

“Darling, how did Umma do?” Sunny wondered, putting her hands to Jinhye’s pits, planning to carry the child back to her arms. But Jinhye refused, putting all her weight down so that Sunny would easily give up.

Kyuhyun noticed this at once, his arms feeling weightier. “Jinhye-ah, what’s the matter?”

She cuddled to Kyuhyun’s shirt, staying close to him. “Ahjusshi, I am sleepy.” It appeared as though she wasn’t interested in being with her mother, Sunny disappointed of her daughter’s inconsiderate choices.

“Jinhye, ahjusshi will be tired if you cling to him too much,” warned Sunny, now hastily and forcefully taking Jinhye out of his hands. Kyuhyun cleared his throat; folding his hands around his chest as he saw the stage brighten up, reserved for the next performers.

The other girls proceeded back to their tables, Seohyun again being the in the last one, her head down as she walked nonchalantly. Before she headed towards their table, Seohyun had to pass by his table, where her Sunny-unnie and Taeyeon-unnie were seated, along with another familiar face she had met. It was Ms. Jinsun, the woman she sold her house to not too long ago. Seohyun couldn’t comprehend why exactly was Beige sitting with the rest of them, the boys that knew her so well...all of them were familiar to her face.

She bowed at them when she passed, showing respect to all of the Sunbaenims. All others, even Beige, nodded and acknowledged her presence, except for Kyuhyun who ignored her, as though she was wind passing by. She continued her way that until Sunny cleared .

“Kyuhyun-sshi!” Sunny called him, Kyu turning his head and facing the noona in confusion.

Sungmin was proud of his wife for initiating this. Seohyun’s unnie was smiling, glancing at Kyuhyun who sat across Taeyeon. Since Kyuhyun was the one nearest to the front, he faced the stage, his back on the rest of them as he finished his liquor. Sunny gave a quick look at Taeyeon who also apprehended what she wanted to relay to them. Sungmin winked at Taeyeon and Eeteuk, telling them that he too understood. Ryeowook and Beige also managed to catch on with the plot.

“What?” Kyuhyun snapped, impatient about her. Seohyun suddenly wouldn’t move, she couldn’t dare anymore, that upon hearing his voice and name, she turned around in doubt, trying to locate Kyuhyun-sshi.

Sunny smiled, tilting her head to Seohyun’s direction. Kyuhyun had no escape from this; he took a glance at his ex-wife, and gave her a nod of recognition.

Seohyun smiled. “Good evening.”

“Good evening to you too,” Kyuhyun replied boringly.

Taeyeon bit her lower lip, enchanted by his sweet respond, though it sounded very insincere. Sunny too found this to be one of Kyuhyun’s most epic charms that she placed a fist over to repress the excited giggle. The hyungs also whispered in hush tones, talking about the couple.

Jinhye, already falling asleep as her father cradled her by his arms, was pacified by the bottle of milk, not anymore aware of the world. The seat, the one next to Kyuhyun, was left vacant.

“Oh, why don’t you drink with us, Seohyun-ah?” Taeyeon encouraged, lightly adding more juice to the awkward situation.

“I...I really couldn’t,” she rejected, shaking her head. Seohyun at once noticed the only vacant seat. That would surely keep her and Kyuhyun together. “Yong-oppa is waiting for me at the back. I should just go.”

“It’s...an insult to refuse an offer,” Beige criticized. “And you’re refusing a sunbae!”

“Omo, it’s not that,” Seohyun apologized. “I will inform Yong-oppa first. I should really leave.”

“Please do so. You’re ruining my night,” Kyuhyun said conceitedly, glowering at her as he turned around to the rest. He scowled at Taeyeon, a noona who earlier defended Seohyun and now she was getting her to sit with him. It made him very outraged at the thought---he didn’t like it at all, so he gave each member of the table a sour glare.

Seohyun fell speechless, nodding. “I know. I’m sorry to have done that. It’s best I leave you all.”

“You’ve always been good at leaving, left me hanging like some piece of over some crazy love,” Kyuhyun stated darkly, again facing her squarely. Insulted, Seohyun huffed erringly, at once controlling much patience not to talk back at the lawyer. He stared at her for quite some time, observing how infuriated this made her feel. He smirked knowingly; the others from the background watching him do this.

Kyuhyun sighed very loudly. He stood up, stretching. He gave Seohyun a pat on the back, before looking at her uninterestingly, obvious enough that he was too bored.

“Sorry,” he said, grabbing her arm as he placed her on his previous seat. She noticed it was very warm, Kyuhyun might have sat on it for more than three hours or so. “There. You may sit with your unnies and drink without me causing trouble.”

Seohyun looked at him oddly, as he smirked. Third sorry, and it seemed to be simple to say it now than before. She stood at once, bowing her head multiple times in discomfiture. “Aigoo, no. Please, do sit down. I...I...I didn’t mean to---”

Kyuhyun shook his head. “That’s all right. I heard Heechul-hyung calling me. So, I will go there first. Is it all right, Leeteuk-hyung?”

Leeteuk was gaping, clueless now of what to do. Taeyeon nudged him, his smile appearing. “Ah...okay...okay.”

Once again, Taeyeon glared at him for that decision. Kyuhyun grinned in thanks, knowing that he was free after the words of the eldest. His cell phone rung, the rest seeing his pocket vibrate from it. Curiously, Seohyun couldn’t help herself from knowing who it was this time. Kyuhyun answered it casually.

“Hello? Haelee-ah, what’s up?” he said, turning his back and taking a chair with him to sit with Donghae and the others.

Seohyun anxiously was dumbfounded at this that she was standing idly, staring at his back. Haelee...could it be the same woman who found Kyuhyun’s phone? Could it be the same girl?

“Seohyun-ah?” Sunny was concerned of her silent state.

She signaled Yonghwa, who was watching everything she did in curiosity. She mouthed words to him, words to tell him that she would be sitting with the rest of her unnies. “Thank you for inviting me to drink.”

-o0o-

“Are you nervous?” Jessica, drinking the glass of wine, asked him, staring at his heavy lined eyes. He shrugged it off excitedly, shaking his head.

“As long as you don’t make fun of me, I’ll be better,” Onew muttered, preparing himself for their turn.

Sica wrapped her hands around Onew. “After your performance, shall we go to bed? I really feel sleepy already.”

“What about the awards?” asked Onew in shock. He placed his palm over her forehead, tousling her blonde hair. “Stay awake, sleeping beauty. It’s only 7:45.”

 Jessica jerked away, laughing. “Don’t call me that. I really am tired. The awards are going to be held tomorrow at lunch.”

“Aish,” Onew murmured. “But...there’s dancing tonight. You’re not going to...party-party with us?”

Jessica, her eyelids falling half her eyes, grinned in annoyance. “No. I’ll go ahead of you. After you perform, I’ll head to our room at once.”

Onew scowled. “Is that sort of a motivation? Just to get me go with you?”

She pushed his head away, leaning now on the table. “I’m not flirting with you just yet. I’ll save it for later.”

“You guys are so gross!” protested Yoona, Key also staring at the two of them. Their heads, both supported by their arms, were on the table---eyes of the two on the couple.

“Yoon-ah,” Jessica’s eyes widened in shame, aggravated by their interruption. “You’re acting like a little kid!”

Yoona twisted her lips, though accepting the cuteness of the two, amazed by the public display of affection they were not afraid of showing. “Unnie, I can’t believe you could---”

Jessica bit her lower lip, eyes still huge. “You should keep that mouth of yours shut.”

“Why?” Key fired back a question in behalf of the girl.

Onew snickered. “Aigoo, you two are the same! Can’t you be like Taemin-sshi?”

The boy, who used to have ‘red ramen’ hair, was now blonde, his vibrant gray eyes clearer in the dark, busily fiddling his cell phone that he didn’t even heard them conversing. He was tall, just like before, even taller than Onew who was the hyung-nim. It would seem he was replaying the steps to their dance repeatedly, getting it memorized before heading out.

They were contestant number six, nervously waiting for their turn.