“He said he took off points because you didn’t use your own picture! He didn’t say that the article itself was bad!” You were dragging a grouchy Jaejoong to Yooeun’s restaurant. He was always like this on Fridays, when the professor would return the article from the week before, ask you to turn in that week’s article, and give you instructions for the next week’s article. Jaejoong had killed his camera while taking a picture of steaming noodles. Since then, he had been forced to take pictures from the internet. You had offered him your camera, but he said he needed to accept his grades for his carelessness.

When you reached Yooeun’s restaurant door you almost opened it. But the door was locked. Jaejoong was looking at a sign on a window. “‘Closed between the hours of eight and nine.’ Why would Yooeun close now? Is she planning on opening it again after that? It doesn’t make sense.” You didn’t care. Jaejoong’s obsession with Yooeun had caused your spirit to break. When you looked back on your life, you had a very narrow way of thinking. Was it good for Jaejoong or was it not. You cursed yourself for wasting the last 17 years of your life to him.

You always questioned yourself. What made him so special? He could cook, yeah, but so could Yooeun, and you weren’t falling head over heels for her with your lesbian love. He was adorable when pouting, but it was obnoxious when you were serious. He was such a stubborn fool, he stupid seven year crush proved it. Jaejoong was a terrible person to be around when sad; he just made everything feel like a black hole had eaten all the happiness in the air. You had enough of comforting him. His sleeping face… showed that he was lazy? You always ran out of things to hate him for. And your few reasons were really just you ranting about being jealous over his love for Yooeun.

You wanted to just break it to him harshly, Yooeun had a thing for Yunho and she wasn’t going to give up. Yunho was smart and funny. He was average and depressing. He had no chance. You looked over at Jaejoong with a look of pity on your face. He had cupped his hand trying to block out the street lights and was trying to peer in through the windows. He pulled his upper lip up and squeezed his eyes together. You stifled a laugh.

“Yah! What is so funny? This is a serious matter!” Of course it was a serious matter. He was going to complain to Yooeun for the millionth time while he kept begging her middle aged assistant for a beer, Yooeun of course forbad him from giving it to Jae. You hated to watch him like this and you eventually just gave up on going in at all. You would drop him off and take a train home.

“It’s not my problem. Anyway, your mom wanted m to baby-sit Junsu while she and Yoochun went out. I need to be get there in half an hour. Just wait out here and maybe she’ll open the door for you.” You turned to leave, letting your bag swing by your side. Jae pouted. You left him alone, to fight against the night heat of May.

Push

“Noona! I’m not sleepy!” Junsu. He was adorable. You saw him and couldn’t help but remember how cute Jaejoong had been as a child. Junsu was just as cute. Several times you had dressed him up in your old dresses. When your Professor wanted everyone to write articles on crimes you immediately took a snap of Junsu crying in a dress. The rest of the article you just made up, changing the Junsu’s name to someone else’s and using his statement on how he felt as he was shoved into the dress in your paper. You had done a totally half-assed job, but you had fun with it. Your professor made you do it again, but he didn’t take any points off of the second article. He said he had a good laugh.

You poked his nose. “Is my little dolphin-duck talking back?” The motherly feelings you had lost to Jae as he grew up and learned to take care of himself were transferred to Junsu. He was young and needed all the attention he could have. When you were taking care of Junsu, Jaejoong was at the back of your mind.

Push

“Yooeun, I am really sorry that no one is visiting right now. I hope people come tomorrow.” Yunho was sitting at the bar with Yooeun behind it, working on his dinner. She wasn’t going to tell him she had closed the place just for him. This was her moment to be with him and keep his mind focused on her. Yunho had happily come to Yooeun’s restaurant on a regular basis. He decided it was a great place for everyone to meet up and chat. He often gave Yooeun business tips, he was majoring in it.

“I’m sure everything will be fine. Yunho, do you want something to drink? Some wine, maybe a nice cocktail?” Yooeun had been doing this ever since Yunho had been of drinking age. It had been her desire to see the serious Yunho let loose. She knew what he was like as a teenager, but as a wild adult ~ mmm, she really wanted to see that. Yunho had sadly, declined as politely as he could.

Yooeun gave him his food and watched him eat. It was in those moments that Yooeun felt she was at the gate of Yunho’s heart. With just a little more, she hoped to complete her key and step inside. She was sure a place in Yunho’s heart felt better than a place in heaven. The two continued to talk well after ten.

Push

“Thank you ------, you always make it easy for me. Junsu always says he wants to be with ‘------- Noona’” She tried mimicking Junsu’s squeaky six year old voice. “‘------- Noona always tells the best stories about Princesses and Knights!’ If only he knew those were just games Yunho, Jaejoong, and you played. He would be so disappointed to find out!” You too, had forgiven Kim Soonyi. You had always understood her need for people, the need of being loved, but you never understood why she didn’t think of Jaejoong. You didn’t believe that loneliness was more powerful than her love for her son.

“I was no trouble at all, but I’m worried that Jaejoong isn’t home yet.” It was just after midnight, and you didn’t really like the thought of him waiting outside of an empty store all night. You were going to go back for him, but his mother caught your arm on your way out of the house.

“Jaejoong is a man now ------. You can’t always treat him like you did when you were two.” You wanted to feel that way, but after taking care of Junsu for the past two hours you were still on high mother alert mode.

Push

Yunho pushed the door open. Yooeun thanked her lucky stars that the door was able to open from the inside even if it was locked. She was going to wave him off and clean up, but Yunho had stopped walking. He was watching Jaejoong scurry off. He sighed.

“Aish, why was Jaejoong staying out so late?” Yunho looked at Yooeun. She was very similar to Jaejoong in her KY manner. He knew everything that was gong on. You were still in love with him, no matter how much you lied to yourself, Jaejoong was obsessing over Yooeun, and that caused you to give up. Yooeun was puppy loving over himself, and he was stuck in the middle of it.

“You know Jaejoong likes you right?” She nodded. “And I know you like me.” Her face flushed up like a cartoon. “But did you know that my little sister has loved Jaejoong for the longest time and is letting him crush on you?” She shook her head shocked. She was really like Jaejoong. “If you want to stop this from going on, please tell him that you are uninterested.”

Yooeun pouted. “I don’t like to do things that hurt others. Won’t he be really sad to hear my rejection?”

Yunho sighed. “It is hurting him more when you give him false hope. If he thinks that he has a chance, he will try and pursue it.” He sighed again. “This is why I think of all of you as such children.” Yooeun couldn’t believe it. She had her own freaking business! How could he still treat her like a child!

Push

“Here you go ------. 2000 won.” You looked at the money Yoochun was trying to give to you and smiled. Taking the money from him you ran down the sidewalk and yelled back to him.

“I haven’t been paid before, but thanks anyway!” Yoochun looked back at his hand and realized what he had done. You never did let up your pranks of silent revenge towards him.