Chapter 18: “They never believed we’d really fall in love- Taylor Swift”

-o0o-

He caught him going inside Sooyoung’s room; a serious indigested look fell on his handsome face. But, because Onew was already told that it was not anymore his business to meddle in someone else’s affairs, he consequently headed for their own quarters, thinking that Sica would be very much angry.

He lied to her about getting back to her after his performance with Luna. He broke the promise he left Sica, his insides revolting to the self-hatred he kept. How could he do such a thing? It made him wonder if Jessica was still waiting on him now...

Onew, practically drunk, focused on his watch, observing the small hand was on three. All the others were just getting to their beds, planning to call it a night, and best be sleeping for the next day. He managed to get into their cottage, immediately remembering the poor blonde girl he left in front of someone else’s doorstep. Onew entered their cabin, seeing double as he passed the wide receiving area towards the two doors on the left, three on the right. Bound to be, Seohyun and Yonghwa were already tucked in. So were the other girls that stayed in their cabin.

As he was about to open the door and be greeted of Sica’s angry face, his senses tingled upon hearing her voice, shrillness of fright and panic. He stopped, turned around, again surprised to how prolonged it was. Onew quickly rushed to where the horror was, hastening to open Sooyoung’s door. She did not share the room with any of the girls, and now, he just noticed Siwon sneaking in. Onew understood that it might be because Sooyoung summoned for the other man, but...why was screaming involved?

He opened the door only to find, Sooyoung and Siwon on the floor, playing rock-paper-scissors. Beside them were Yuri and Yoona, the latter controlling her yawning. Minho was there too, observant of the game. Obviously Sooyoung won against him, but the moment the door swung open with Onew behind it, her beam turned into a hateful glower.

“What are you doing here?” she asked angrily.

“I thought something bad happened to you,” he answered, embarrassed.

The two other girls laughed hysterically, seeing Onew’s ever-concerned face.  Minho also stifled his chuckle by looking out the window.

“Hyung, we’re just playing,” Siwon responded.

Onew nodded, bowing his head several times. “I...I’m sorry. I was just scared hearing that there scream her heart out. I thought...yes, I thought wrong.”

Sooyoung waved her hand away. “Go on. It looks like your Jessica was woken up by it, too.” She peeked past him, staring at the girl holding herself together, witnessing Onew’s worrisome attitude towards them. Jessica approached him, holding his shoulder.

“Oppa, let’s get to bed now.”

“Get a move on, Chief! Mosquitoes are entering my room,” Sooyoung complained, still pushing him away with her words. Onew closed the door behind him, regretting that he had drunk too much for one night. The alcohol caused all this trouble. He placed an arm over Jessica, as the two walked across the hall to their own room.

“What took you so long?” yawned Sica, fixing her hair as she bounced back on the bed.

Onew took off his shoes, tossing the comforter to her side of the bed, and laying his head down on the pillow. Fatigue overpowered him now, after that unexpected rescue of his. Weird enough, his side of the bed was warm, his pillow having existent depths when he lay upon it. Jessica must have been tossing herself here and there.

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” he mumbled, eyes already closed. Jessica faced the other direction, her right arm extended upward, giving Onew the courage to get closer and apologize more sincerely. He didn’t, simply because he was too tired. Immediately he had fallen asleep. Her back was him, but she was already wide-awake, couldn’t keep the scene out of her mind. She thought clearly of Onew’s eyes, how they frightfully searched for the answer over the commotion. He really cared dearly of Sooyoung---breeding not only envy in the other girl, but also outrage.

Beginning with a heavy heart, Jessica let it slip, letting her eyelids close in. The only objects that came into view were the two phones near her bedside, the other one vibrating in despair, wanting to be answered.

-o0o-

Bitter despair it was, Sunye knew. Why would he not answer? She thought, all this time she thought, Donghae stayed in their quarters to get a good night sleep---but when she came back, the room was empty; none of their things was moved from their places. The bed was still neatly pressed, not a single line that proved somebody had been sleeping in them.

3:30 pm. And Sunye had been calling for him for the whole night after she went back. Returning at midnight, Sunye headed for their room, only to find Donghae wasn’t here. Where in the world could he be?

A knock was heard from the door, the man she had been searching for finally peeking inside to see her anxious face. She ran towards him, hugging him in concern.

“Where the hell have you been?” Sunye whined, jumping up and down in worry. She dug her face on his shoulder, smelling a different scent---floral it was. She gazed at him, observing his weary state. He didn’t smell like alcohol, but...something else. There were no kiss marks, anywhere that is, and he seemed so tired to talk about it. Then, there was that single blonde hair upon inspection that terrified Sunye.

Donghae lazily went to the bed, rubbing his eyes in drowsiness. “I’m sorry for being late, Sunye-ah. Had a talk with some boys.”

Sunye sighed, tears suddenly forming, and quietly saying, “Please...I’ve had enough lies.”

Donghae groaned. “What are you talking about? They said we should go to the fortuneteller tomorrow; ask what our future would be like. You’ll never know how many kids will have.”

“You’ve been with Jessica, right? I know you have!” shouted Sunye hysterically, closing her eyes and throwing a pillow at him in loathing. How dare him...how dare him cheat on her. “I want you to stop working at that hospital! Move somewhere else. Let’s move out together. I...Aigoo! Donghae-sshi...why don’t you just tell me the truth!”

Donghae got up, annoyed, shaking Sunye by her shoulders. “You’re being crazy again. Would you stop it? I wasn’t with Jessica. Why do you always blame her every time I go missing? She has nothing to do with this. I had a walk in the beach, got tired.”

Sunye again threw another pillow at him. “I hate you for that. See! You’re defending her. You’re defending her! If you damn love her, what’s the point of having me in the picture? I am ing tired of this game. I’m confused. Stop making me feel confused.”

“I’m not, Sunye!” Donghae retorted back, nearing her when she was closing her ears from everything. “Please...please believe me. I love you, darling. I really love you with all my heart. Everything, I love you. I’m marrying you in the fall. Forget Jessica. Please, she had nothing to do with this. What’s important is now. The past is the past. Listen to me.”

Sunye cried on him, despite the unrewarding scent of another woman on him, the fragrant of the blonde girl irritated her. How could she believe what he was saying? They were untrue, she knew, but she just couldn’t let the love story end.

“Why...why weren’t you answering?”

Donghae knew of course why. Lying had never been the solution to escaping Sunye’s questions, nor was it the answer to his own queries. He had fallen asleep, just by watching Jessica in the bed.

He didn’t know why he could lie next to her on such an hour, on the brim of deeming something else from their relationship. They did not do it that night; he didn’t touch her, cleanly because Jessica was in no condition to play with Donghae. They had never stayed so close, as that night, hours before Donghae received his consequences for being late. Sica, being drained, did not notice this, soundly sleeping in his arms for more than five hours. He too had slept fairly, until he heard screaming from across them, Jessica also stirring up. She popped her eyes open, mortified upon observing that the two of them were together. Hurriedly, Donghae took his shoes and ran off, sneaking away to see that Onew was on the other side. Jessica covered his narrow escape, going over to Onew, coating herself with her arms in hope that nothing happened between the two of them.

“I lost my phone in the sand,” he confessed, looking away. Donghae, doubtlessly unfeeling and tired from running all the way back to his cabin, lacked enthusiasm over this, that Sunye gave up, closing towards him with another kiss before forgiving him.

“I’m sorry for being suspicious.”

He placed an arm over her, eyes closed. “I’m sorry too for being late.”

He didn’t expect her to be as gullible and surrendering to his excuses; Donghae was thankful for it.

-o0o-

Early morning came in quickly, some of the protagonists in the story excitedly lining up in front of the lax built tent, another fun game for the visitors. Because it was only a matter of hours before the management announce who the winners from last night were, most of them rushed to the fortune teller for a little while, despite that a few barely believed in this.

Ryeowook and Beige entered the tent together, seeing nothing but the masked ahjumma, a veil upon her face. The walls were draped in colorful satin cloth; various bells hang on wires and Arabian carpets decorated in the background. The woman requested them to sit on the two chairs in front of her table, cards on their backs already placed in front of them.

Her wrinkles were bare, forehead creased.  Her deep gray eyes defined unlimited thoughts, only her voice would be audible from where they stayed.

“Please pick one card,” asked the lady.

Wookie worriedly took one, the farthest one on his right. Her palm was bare, opening for him to hand it over. He did immediately, scared of the prediction.

The psychic showed them card, a banquet of meals before them. “This will resemble your work. It would seem that you would be very successful in terms of business. Consider yourself lucky, you will not go hungry this year. Many blessings will shower you.”

He grinned, thanking her. The woman still wore a blank face, uncaring of her customer’s fate. Carefully, she reached for his hands, facing his palm and recovering the lines and reading them thoroughly.

“In love, I believe there are a lot of surprises in store for you,” she smiled, looking at Beige peacefully. “You will soon get married with someone you have known for quite some time now.”

Beige carefully looked away, unmindful of Ryeowook’s snort-slash-snicker of this. “That’s good to hear. I’m growing old.”

“Ah, your health is also better,” stated the woman, surprised. “You’re very lucky this year.”

Ryeowook bowe