Seoul Hospital 11:25 pm

“i advise you to take another set of these drugs and we will see the progress.”

Leeteuk tapped his hand on the table and smirked. Another set of drugs. What does the doctor think of him, some sort of guinea pig who can be tested anytime? If medicines are all flavored like fruits, he wouldn’t have trouble drinking or swallowing them all. But to no help, not any drug of him tasted pleasant.

“so you mean that when these drugs fail, I’ll take another one?” leeteuk asked. When the doctor nodded, he rolled his eyes. Darn, he thought. if only his father would realize that not any of the medicines provide any help. More than 20 years of undergoing multiple drug treatments with no possible cure had already saturated his hopes.

“I am sorry but were trying our best to discover medicines that can possibly cure you.” Doctor song blurted out upon seeing leeteuk gritting his teeth. The medical practitioner couldn’t help but to pity the kid. He is only twenty five years old after all, so young and yet full of limitations. If only the heart disease isn’t genetic, Park leeteuk wouldn’t have the possibility of contacting it.

Leeteuk slumped on his seat and stared at a doctor like a predator waiting for his prey.

“I’ll drink this but make sure this will work or I’ll get another doctor.” He dared while messing up his hair.

Doctor song nodded and smiled. He knew that his patient wouldn’t hire someone else because he is definitely the most sought cardiosurgeon in seoul.

“like I said, I’m doing everything I can to at least uplift the pain a little bit.”

“I’d die anyways, why prolong the suffering?” leeteuk asked while staring at the ceiling. His mother contacted the same sickness too and she only lived for a few years after his younger sister was born. The rare disease surely produced a very short life span.

Doctor song sighed.

“your father wants every treatment on you so you’d live.” he explained, disappointed at how his patient looked upon the vitalities of living.

“he’s just wasting a lot of his money.” Leeteuk rolled his eyes as his doctor extracted a blood from his vein.

“have you had a relationship before mister park?” doctor song asked, changing the topic.

“what are you talking about?”

“it seemed that you really don’t value your existence, I presumed that when someone is at least important to your life right now, you would want to live.” doctor song said.

Leeteuk laughed.

“you’re not my psychiatrist, you shouldn’t be asking about my personal life.” he said, covering the injected area with a cotton.

Doctor song shrugged and went to place the extracted blood to a tube.

“I guess I’m not.” He smiled. The boy sure had a lot of negativities.

Leeteuk looked at his watch.

“I gotta go.” He said standing up. He will be seeing his friends today in a local club and he wouldn’t want to miss a birthday party.

“I’m not yet done.” Doctor Song injected a medicine to leeteuk’s anti cubital vein which made him wince in pain.

“ouch, can’t you be more gentle?”

“the medicine is concentrated so even if I have light hands your roots will still experience pain.” Doctor song chuckled. He was definitely amused at his patient’s overwhelming rudeness.

“there, you can now go, I’ll just contact your father.”

“bye then.” Leeteuk bowed and made his exit.

-------------------------

“unni, can I please go?”

Kim tiffany was all in her knees begging her elder sister, Kim Taeyeon to allow her attend a friend’s birthday party.  Her sister on the other hand didn’t like the idea at all. Tiffany had been begging her for a while now, not to include preparing all the food and cleaning the house just as so she would be allowed.

“I told you its dangerous to go outside.” Taeyeon wiped the mess off their mini kitchen sink. Her brother Kangin made a real mess upon making Kimchi paste.

“but unni, Siwon oppa is there!”

“I never even allowed you to have a rich boyfriend!” taeyeon gasped. She didn’t like the idea of tiffany befriending the upper class because of how much they look down on the poor.

“unni, siwon is different!” tiffany rolled her eyes. “please please unni, just this one night?”

“no.” taeyeon ignored her sister and proceeded sweeping the floor.

“unni.”

Taeyeon looked at her sister, noticing how desperate she really wanted to go.

“is it really important to you?”

“of course unni, it’s the friend of my boyfriend’s party.” Tiffany said as she slumped herself at the kitchen sink. She looked at taeyeon taking her time to sweep off the scattered vegetables that Kangin made on the floor.

“aish.”

Taeyeon placed her hands on her hips and stared at the ceiling. Ever since she and her siblings started to live on their own, she had always been the breadwinner. She almost forgot how to enjoy her social life because of getting odd jobs just so she and her siblings could afford to go to school. with the help of her elder brother Kangin of course, somehow they made a way how to survive the mess.

Now tiffany, her baby sister, is asking her to have a social life of her own. Would she allow such stuff to happen?

“I really don’t know what to say.” Taeyeon said as she continued sweeping the floor. She hauled her bangs off her forehead to see a better view of her surroundings.

“unni, I’ll go with Kangin oppa if you want!” tiffany said, pouting.

Kangin in a party? That will be ridiculous, taeyeon thought.

“fine, you can go there without him, besides I need him to clean some stuff around here.” Taeyeon said lazily. She had no options but to give way for her sister.

“yay!” tiffany jumped and gave taeyeon a hug. “I promise I’ll behave.”

“you better will.” Taeyeon smiled. “araso araso, go ahead, you’ll miss the fun.”

Taeyeon watched as tiffany kissed her goodbye and exited their apartment.

“looks like its you and me again.” taeyeon talked to her broom.

-------------------------------

Leeteuk slumped lazily on his chair, looking at how his friends enjoy the birthday celebration at a local night club in seoul. Surroundings were all familiar and distinct to him; bright lights, scattered beers, cigarette holders, girls everywhere. It had been a routine for him to enjoy the moment. It had been routine for him to talk to new girls he took interest, and the night will be full of mysteries for the two, only that leeteuk will left the girl the following morning while the latter will use all her strength just to force him not to leave.

 

He drank his beer and sighed. If not only for Hyoyeon, he wouldn’t attend even his friend’s birthday party. He was found collapsed the previous day because he had two packs of cigarettes smoked, and it was all because of his growing annoyance to his father, who he believed was not doing his role for the family. His father would always be absent when they have occasions and this factor of his life made him feel irritated. Now leeteuk because of his annoyance would attract himself to vices, just as so he would forget. Unfortunately, it caused him more harm.

Hyoyeon, his sister, was busy enjoying herself with Eunhyuk, her boyfriend. Leeteuk still couldn’t believe how eunhyuk had managed to snag away his sister. They all know how leeteuk could be so scary around school. He was not a class bully, but his overflowing sarcasm and intelligence had made him the most avoided person in the area. He really couldn’t believe how eunhyuk bravely courted his sister. Maybe because they were friends since kindergarten.

 

Leeteuk watched as Choi Siwon, his college friend and classmate gently escorted a girl towards their table. Leeteuk looked at the girl. She was really beautiful. Tall, white and creamy skin, with smiling eyes, Siwon definitely made a right choice.

“guys, this is tiffany, my girl.” Siwon beamed as he placed his arms around Tiffany. Tiffany smiled but hurriedly looked down because of shyness.

“cute girl.” Eunhyuk blurted. Leeteuk smirked. Even with Hyoyeon around, Eunhyuk had managed to say a praise. He was definitely brave, Hyoyeon is really a possessive girlfriend.

Siwon assisted tiffany to her seat and went to the counter to order more drinks.

“wow, really a gentleman.” Hyoyeon said when Siwon was out of view. she looked at Tiffany from head to foot and smiled. Nice cheap clothes.

“where’d you buy that?” leeteuk’s sister asked.

Tiffany stared at hyoyeon and noticed that she was referring to her.

“i—my sister bought it for me.” She said, smiling. Taeyeon really made the right choice for the clothing, she has a good taste.

“hmm.” Hyoyeon looked at her again. she looked at her other friends and winked.

“looks cheap.” She whispered.

Tiffany noticed how all the people around Hyoyeon suddenly submerged themselves into a fit of giggles.

“excuse me?” she asked, obvious of how they are treating her differently.

“what?did you hear something?” hyoyeon said innocently.

“I think you mouthed that my sister’s choice was cheap.” Tiffany said.

“I wouldn’t disagree on that.” hyoyeon said in such air that tiffany felt the hairs of her skin rising.

“if I were you I wouldn’t talk about that to my sister.” Tiffany warned her.

Hyoyeon drank some beer and laughed.

“guys, look.” She motioned. Even leeteuk noticed the commotion and went to lend his ears for listening. “this girl over here said that I shouldn’t talk about her sister’s cheap clothing.”

“yah!” tiffany stood up and briskly paced toward’s hyoyeon’s area.

“you’ve messed with the wrong girl.”

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Taeyeon’s POV

Aish, how could tiffany forget her cellphone? I wouldn’t know how to contact her in that case. Should I go to the night club? Maybe she would not agree on me bringing her phone. I was told that it was an elite night club, and having me there would really be a ridiculous idea. Good thing she wore the dress I bought for her. it made her look more elegant. I really took the risk of taking some night shift at the local supermarket just to buy her those clothes for her birthday. She was really dying for that dress.

I hope she doesn’t get herself to trouble. Tiffany really had some good fights at school for protecting her family. She was proud though that she inherited those characteristics from me. at least no people would knock her down.

RRING

“yobuseyo?”

“Kim taeyeon ssi?” an unknown guy spoke at the receiver.

“yes, who’s this?” I bit my lip and stopped cleaning my room for a while.

“unni!” it was tiffany.

“fany? What’s wrong?” oh no, I don’t like this kind of idea. I’ve been in this situation a lot of times because of my sister and kangin.

“unni, I’m here at the police station.” Tiffany sounded scared.

“booya??”

“I got myself into trouble, please help me deal with this unni.” Tiffany said.

“araso, wait for me.”

I quickly hauled my jacket and switched off the lights.

--------------------------

“please join us at the police station to deal some matters about your sister.”

Leeteuk ignored the police officer, dropped the beer he was holding and started lighting a cigarette stick.

“mister park, this is a serious matter.”

“my sister is old enough to handle herself, she doesn’t need a guardian anymore.” Leeteuk inhaled the cigarette and blew off smokes in the air which disgusted the police officer. “can you please back off? I’m enjoying the party.”

“miss park told me that she needed you.” The police officer said, ignoring leeteuk’s stare at the female dj.

Leeteuk sighed and placed the cigarette on the ash tray.

“that’s the problem of someone who started putting make up at the age of five.” He rolled his eyes and stood up.

-----------------------

Taeyeon’s POV

“your sister had a fight with ms.park earlier at the night club and we have to intervene.” Said the police officer after I took a seat next to tiffany. I looked at my sister and gave her a warning look.

“she called you cheap!” tiffany defended, pointing to a blond girl sitting in front of us. the blond girl really looked pissed and bored, only saved by her irritating texts to someone.

“its not my fault that your clothing really looks cheap.” Hyoyeon rolled her eyes.

If we weren’t inside the police station, I would have pulled her hair too.

“you should have kept quiet when she said that.” I told tiffany. I really don’t like her hanging out with the elite because of the social stratification we experience everytime when we’re with them. And she had several fights because of that, not to mention my frequent visits to guidance counselors and police officers.

“I guess my sister wouldn’t have really started a fight if it weren’t for an insult thrown at her.” I defended my sister to the authorities. “I believe that the damage caused by this girl is too much.”

I looked at tiffany and pitied the dress that was all torn to the sides. the blond girl on the other hand has less damage. It really seemed that tiffany was bullied over. Boy, that hyoyeon is strong.

“just wait til you see my brother.” Hyoyeon pointed at us. I rolled my eyes. Even if she has a big brother, I wouldn’t care. Guys start to shut their mouths when I speak.

“his presence wouldn’t do a thing, I’m telling you.” I dared.

A tall guy appeared in front of me looking really bored and disgusted. I halted and blinked for five times. I thought I saw a mannequin. He has brownish auburn hair with bangs swept on the side complimented by his creamy white skin that seemed dainty and flawless. he was wearing a vneck apple green colored shirt that matched the torn faded grey jeans he had.

“oppa!” hyoyeon ushered the guy to take a seat.

“I’m his brother.” Leeteuk said to the police officer, ignoring his sister.

I cannot believe my eyes that they’re related.

“just please take care of this matter, were too old to handle teenagers.” The police officer said.

And he left.

That leaves me with tiffany, hyoyeon and her brother.

------------------------

Leeteuk’s POV

I can’t believe hyoyeon would drag me into this. If I weren’t present at the party then she would be contacting our elder sister instead of me.

I introduced myself to the police officer and slumped myself in a chair next to hyoyeon, crossing  my legs. I looked at my sister and gave her a terrifying look. She would be enjoying a ton of scoldings from me later.

“just please take care of this matter, were too old to handle teenagers.” The police officer said.

The four of us were only left. Hyoyeon, I, tiffany and a troubled looking girl sitting infront of me.

That girl…

She sure doesn’t resemble tiffany in many aspects. Physically---  She has wide eyes, wavy brown hair, her nose looks like a piece of button, she really looks small and fragile. But there’s something in her that tells me that I have to be careful with this girl.

“kim taeyeon imnida.” She introduced herself.

“park jungsu, or leeteuk.” I said, looking at my fingernails.

“lets bring this stuff outside the station.” Taeyeon told me. “I don’t feel comfortable in here.”

Neither do I. I nodded, left hyoyeon and followed her and tiffany outside.

“oppa,wae? Wait for me!” hyoyeon called out.

I shouldn’t have agreed taking matters outside. The early winter rush does not do good to my heart. it only slows down my breathing, making me weak and air hungry.

But these two girls doesn’t know anything about my sickness so no one would really care.

“make it quick we need to go soon.” I told them making an excuse.

Taeyeon looked at me and noticed how rude I was. I smiled sardonically.

“one million won for the damages.” She said, letting out her palm.

My smile immediately faded. I imagined myself infront of her as a walking check book.

“I believe that your sister and my sister only had a teenage-ish fight, I think there shouldn’t be money involved but to make them sorry to each other right?” I said, trying to be calm. I am not good at handling patience. This girl shouldn’t be making me.

“I believe sir that the damages you sister made to my sister’s clothes are way too harassing.” Taeyeon said confidently. I looked at tiffany’s clothes. It was sure ripped all the way.

“just buy another one, its cheap right?” I smiled.

Taeyeon grimaced.

“now look at that.” she said, rolling her eyes. “since you two are filthy rich why don’t you pay for it anyway since you’re telling me how cheap it is?”

“honey, you look at us as if we out cash.” I said.

“well you ask money from your parents anyways so it shouldn’t be a problem!” taeyeon let out her palm. Tiffany was already shushing her to go home but this tiny little brave girl wouldn’t budge.

“number one, I don’t ask money from my parents.” I sighed, taking out my checkbook. I scribbled the amount of money she wanted from me. One million won.

“and number two, I have my own business.” I said handing out the check. “I believe this will shut you up?”

I smiled at her sweetly. I was surprised that she smiled too.

“you won’t be hearing from us anymore so good day.” taeyeon waved the check at me and hauled tiffany with her.

“aish.. that girl.” I hissed. I watched as she disappeared from my view.

It looked like I was robbed and totally defeated. First time.

“oppa.” Hyoyeon came to me and started looking around. “where are they?”

“gone with the wind.” I replied as I take my step away from her.

“yah oppa!”

I stared at hyoyeon and raised my eyebrow.

“you have a boyfriend right? Tell him to fetch you.” I said, referring to eunhyuk.

Hyoyeon scratched her head.

“and, when you get home. see me.” I continued. “I just got robbed of one million, I think you owe me an explanation.”

---------------------------

Taeyeon’s POV

 

One million. Yes! That’s enough money for tiffany to buy her new set of clothes. I can pay our rent, I can pay their tuition fees. And maybe I can go to school already. Hah! That leeteuk guy sure is a no match for me.

“unni, isn’t is too much asking for one million won for the damages?” tiffany asked me. We were both inside the taxi, my first treat for her because we just earned money.

“I won’t be seeing him again anyway.” I said, laughing at the idea.

“I’ll be seeing him again because he’s my oppa’s friend.” Tiffany blinked.

I looked at tiffany and bit my lip in regret.

“oh yeah.” I said scratching my head. “anyways he’s rich, he won’t be complaining to you about money.”

That’s what I don’t like with people who have money. They felt like they can buy anything in this world. Honestly my head is filled with ideas of how to get money too because all my life I’ve been getting sorts of jobs for my siblings.

“siwon oppa says that he’ll pay leeteuk oppa.” Tiffany said while looking at her phone.

“no way.” I said, taking her gadget. “it’s the park’s fault for ruining your dress, let them pay for the damages.”

“aww… I’ll get a bad record for leeteuk oppa.” Tiffany sighed.

I raised my eyebrows.

“yah, what’s the guy to you anyways?” I snapped, pinching her arm. “he’s not like your boyfriend or something.”

“unni, you don’t even know what happened to him.” Tiffany rolled her eyes.

“what?” I turned my head towards her direction.

“nothing.” Tiffany looked down. “its just…. Siwon oppa has all the nice words for him.”

“nice words for the rich and famous.” I blurted, smirking.

“unni, you don’t even know him so stop making judgements.”

“why, are you even 100 percent sure that you know him?” I looked at her. “yah, even if he’s your boyfriend’s bestfriend or whatsoever, I still didn’t have a good first impression of him.”

Tiffany groaned, crossed her arms and focused her eyes on the road outside.

“I’m not talking to you again. remind me.” She said, letting out a sigh.

“make me.”

I leaned on the car seat and remembered leeteuk’s face staring at me awhile ago. Eyes were really cunning, face looks smug, but beneath all that, he seemed like a natural born beauty.

I began to imagine him as a seraphim.