Chapter 17: “I look through your eyes, thought I knew you for a minute- Taylor Swift”

-o0o-

“Kyuhyun-sshi! It’s our turn!” whispered Donghae, stopping him from daydreaming more.

“This must be the biggest group ever, composed of 13 members,” the crowd already run wild, aware of whom these boys were. “Park Jungsu, leader and eldest in all of them, graduated in Film, he is also known as Leeteuk. Heechul is a major in English, Creative Writing. Hangeng is a Linguistics student who studied in SMEU. Jongwoon or Yesung is the Music Major, under voice. He has been envied by most students before. Kangin was a major in Economics. Shindong graduated in Film and helped with this performance tonight. Sungmin is now a lawyer, studying his pre-law years in the University under Political Science.  Hyukjae is also the fruit of studying choreography. Then comes a doctor, who majored in Biology. That’s Donghae-sshi. Another is Choi Siwon...I bet you know who he is. Ryeowook won awards after he graduated from SMEU. His architectural designs are known all over the country. Kim Kibum, another actor, learned the basics in Theatre here too. Cho Kyuhyun took accountancy as his pre-law course. Now it’s official, here are the boys to bring you the best!”

“Wookie-sshi, you can do it!” Beige encouraged him. He nodded, but his eyes falsely didn’t believe in this.

He waved good-bye, going on ahead with the other boys. Donghae helped the bored Kyuhyun up, before Heenim searched for Sohee. He found her, smiling at Taemin and congratulating him for the amazing performance. Heechul wanted to go there, tell her something very close to his heart. The moment Sohee stared back at him, Heechul grinned, waving his hands.

“Sohee-ah!”

But she ignored him. Completely.

“Jessica, it’s Donghae-sshi’s turn,” Onew informed her, the other girl smiling as she stood on top of her chair just to see the men from the stage, because of the entire crowd that immensely covered the area all at once. She seemed far too excited, clapping her hands in joy. The sleepiness was still obvious in her, but she tried her hardest not to let it show as she cheered for Donghae. Her voice was the loudest, the fan girl’s rival Sunye staring at her in horror.

“Hey, Sica!” Onew warned, pulling her hand down. Jessica just looked at him, pulling him up as well so that he could watch the rest of the boys.

Onew stood on his seat, seeing them.

Donghae, who was observing the crowd, managed to spot the blonde girl, he waving cheerfully. He was suddenly inspired to perform better, wanting to win them. Sunye noticed at once how he winked at Jessica, pointing at her and giving her a flying kiss.

“What was that?” Onew asked Jessica, who too was wonderstruck at the sign.

Jessica shrugged casually. “A flying kiss?” she was suddenly running out of excuses. “To all the ladies?”

“What a playboy,” whined Onew, crossing his hands. “I mean...isn’t he engaged with that girl Sunye?”

“Yes,” Jessica nodded, yawning. “Let’s go after this performance, okay? I’m really tired.”

-o0o-

The boys were assigned to their places, ready and nervous.

“This is for our ladies,” Yesung stated, being in the middle. The audience were yelling and shouting in awe. “These...these are the reasons why we like you. Please listen.”

Kyuhyun rolled his eyes in annoyance, irritated that Heechul was once again teasing him about his ‘sarang spellings’. Seohyun eyed him, waiting to be entertained. His eyes were only focused on her, how she laughed timidly as if she had totally reserved her modesty this way. It irritated him more and more each time she appeared like she was enjoying herself, without him there to be the laughing stock of the town.

The music began, their microphones at one hand, Yesung’s vocalizations timed the music. Sungmin took his place, staring still at Sunny and Jinhye.

“As I turn on the TV, I hear the news of the world that can make my shoulders drop and dull...” the boys danced effectively, impressing the watchers.

Donghae, nervous still, moved up front, singing, “But this morning I heard your clear voice too, ‘I do’ ‘I do’ ‘I do’ yeah...” Sunye was warmed by the way he expressed the lyrics to her, only to her and she believed that they were for her.

Ryeowook’s high note depicted the essence of the song. “What makes me perfect, makes me live, makes me laugh...that one reason...”

“Is having you...yeah...”Kyuhyun’s bass complimented the continuous melody. His eyes were still watching Seohyun. How ironic it was, he didn’t have her now.

Siwon was in the middle, dancing and snapping his fingers as everyone chorused: “You, you, to me, ‘I love you, love you, I love you’...when you say that, you make me believe.”

It made him feel so depressed now as he continued singing his line. He just imagined Seohyun and Yonghwa together, playing video games like they used to, eating in her favorite restaurant like they used to, making music together like they used to. Why were his emotions for her awakened now? Why did they come back almost so suddenly? Kyuhyun took it as another phase of entering middle-age life. Perhaps it was usual for wifeless men like him to fall in love with a person the second time around...or perhaps his love never faded; perhaps it had been there with him for the past two years just never woken up because she disappeared. Perhaps tomorrow, what he felt would ebb and disappear forever. Perhaps it was just now.

“Your gentle smile, your y eyes, your odd words that are sometimes as unpredictable as the weather...”

Kyuhyun found her still looking at him, her smile glistening in the night. It made his heart flutter so wildly. The song ended, the boys formed a line as all together they bowed before the roaring spectators. Because the song barely consumed much of their allocated time, the boys prepared special speeches.

“Taeyeon-ah, I love you!” shouted Eeteuk to the crowd. They all fell in love with his sweet dimples, eyeing Taeyeon in apology and warmth that had her waving at him in tears and bliss. “That song was for you!” That was the best thing about Leeteuk: He was never ashamed of how he felt---just like how he proposed to her eleven years ago, in front a crowd of fourth years. She too loved him dearly.

“The song was also dedicated to my wife. Sohee, Heechul’s sorry,” he called out, Sohee looking at Taemin. Taemin nudged her, telling her to stand on her seat so that Heenim could see her, but she became totally stubborn, instead blushing behind the colossal crowd. Heechul tried locating her, even Taemin, but they were nowhere in his sight. He sighed heavily, waiting for Hangeng to say his words.

“Sa-rang-hae!” Hangeng yelled at them, smiling for he didn’t want to reveal his secret crush. Yuri looked up, familiarized by the dancing oppa, almost instantly adoring his accented Korean tone. It made her giggle, Minho wondering what had gotten into her suddenly.

“Yah! Choonhee-ah! I love Ddangkoma!” Yesung teased, Choonhee sticking her tongue out cheerfully as well. “But...I love you more! I love you so much, sweetie!” Personally, Choonhee was already aware of how playful he was starting to be. This night would surely be one of those very long nights both of them had to spend.

“Kangin-sshi is in love with his wife,” Kangin informed them all. Confession time always made him nostalgic of his days in Seoul. It was those days that he liked hitting on his noonas and amazing women.

Sungmin beamed first before he held his microphone close, a little nervous of declaring his love. The crowd was silent for every speaker was given time to express how he felt. Sungmin couldn’t help but sigh every time he tried to speak, Kyuhyun already annoying him to spit it out.

“Sunny-ah! It’s been four years,” Sungmin admitted. “You still make me feel young. Thank you, darling.”

“He’s saying Sunny makes him ,” Heechul whispered to Hangeng, immediately bursting into laughter. Sungmin glared at them until someone in the crowd caught his attention.

“Hey, Appa!” cried Jinhye, jealous of the attention. Everyone turned around and saw the cute little creature, Sungmin grinning as tears polluted his eyes.

“Yes, Appa loves Jinhye too!” Sunny waved in acknowledgement, knowing that he meant what he just said that time. Everyone was captivated by the smile of the father, the love he shown towards his child---a true dad he was indeed.

Eunhyuk faced the crowd with another geeky smile, unable to focus on which person he wished to send his love. Boa was at the front seat, gazing at Hyuk in glibness. He was quite familiar to her, fairly reminding her of her past boyfriends. The list was endless, but surely, that smile of Hyukjae’s caught her interest.

“Aigoo,” Eunhyuk said aloud. “I don’t know who should get this, because I’m currently single...but I know there would be that one girl out there who deserves my “I love you”. She could be any girl, doesn’t have to pretty. Maybe a bit shorter than I am. Straight or curly, whatever. She could even be single-eyelid. She could be of any race: Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Indonesian, Malaysian.”

“In short, Hyukjae-sshi’s looking for an available girl,” Donghae added, everyone laughing at the joke. “If you’re that girl, please contact him as soon as you can.”

Everyone expressed their amusement to tapping tables and kicking chairs in hysteric. It truly appeared as though he really was advertising his manliness. Bachelor or not, Hyukjae still managed to admit it in front of the crowd, making Hyoyeon feel that his ‘I love you’ was meant for her, and her alone. She conversed this to Sooyoung, who didn’t believe her musings.

Donghae looked at Jessica first, enchanted and waiting, although he wasn’t sure if she was expecting his message to be hers. Sunye waved back, beaming brightly that made all the stars in the night seem dark. He grinned, shooting a fake arrow towards the woman.

“I love you!”

He winked at her, but the women in crowd howled in jealousy over Sunye, who received much attention from the previous varsity hot stuff. The reaction even surprised him, but he just waved back. Jessica looked at him, and lightheartedly knowing, she was only another friend he worked with.  Onew then glanced at her, then at Donghae, forcefully the man trying to uncover what was going on between these doctors.

Siwon sighed before speaking. Sooyoung was holding her breath, wanting to hear him speak those words to her and in front of the crowd. But...to her surprise, it was something else.

“My girlfriend isn’t around,” Siwon offhandedly confessed, Sooyoung’s smile weakened. “But...I want her to know I love her. My God bless her stay in America.”

Onew gazed at Sooyoung, who half-heartedly clapped her hands for the message Siwon left them.  She sighed deeply, looking away to play with her food, the other women standing on their seats to watch Siwon’s majestic smile glimmer under the limelight. Despite that Sica was still enthusiastic about their speeches, Onew got down, wishing he could go and comfort Sooyoung. She had undergone so many experiences other people didn’t know of---like now for example, was another heartbreak.

“I also want to express my love for a dear friend,” Siwon continued, grinning. “Sooyoung-ah, the song was for you. It came from my heart. I...like you, kid. You’ve been a great friend.”

Onew smirked coldly, glaring. “How can you like someone when you’re in love with somebody else? Can’t he think straight anymore?”

“What was it Onew-oppa?” Jessica looked down, wondering what he said.

He smiled, shaking his head. “Nothing. Do you want to go to bed?”

Sooyoung turned around, facing him with a gawking mouth, eyebrows rising, more or less startled because of that event. She met his eyes amidst the audience, and he implied great yearning simply by the way he stared at her. Sooyoung nodded, chuckling to herself.

Ryeowook’s turn to talk, his hands were trembling as he got the microphone close. Luna, recognizing him, waved back, standing up so she could be noticed as well. Wookie found her, grinning and nodding his head in respect. Her hair was brownish now, dark, glossy, and mid-length. With eyes sparkling, Luna bit her lips excitedly for his message.

“I want to say...” Wookie spoke quietly, painfully understanding what Luna’s eyes meant.