Chapter Eighteen

Jessica wrung her hands anxiously, and gestured for Hyoyeon to quickly sit beside her. Hyoyeon sat immediately and waited for Jessica to begin speaking. It dawned on her that she had never seen Jessica like this before, nervous and panicky.

“Jessica?” Hyoyeon called.

“Right,” Jessica murmured to herself. “I...was thinking about a lot of things last night.”

“Like what?” Hyoyeon asked gently.

The brunette--formerly blonde--took a big gulp of air. “I think...I think I still...”

Hyoyeon stayed quiet, giving Jessica the opportunity to sort out her thoughts and come out with whatever she was going to say.

“I still love Donghae.”

No words could describe the immense shock and surprise that washed over Hyoyeon when she heard those words escape Jessica’s mouth.

Jessica still loved Donghae.

She was in love with her ex.

It didn’t add up at all.

Wasn’t Jessica the one to break up with Donghae?

Wasn’t Jessica the one who moved on right after the break up?

Wasn’t Jessica the one who always said that Donghae and Tiffany would make a cute couple?

“You...you love...”

Jessica exhaled sharply. “It must be hard to believe, right?”

Hyoyeon just nodded, at a lack for words.

“When we were dating...you don’t know how happy I was.” Jessica smiled, reminiscing.

Hyoyeon chuckled. “Oh, we knew. You were almost a totally different Jessica.”

Jessica simply smiled sadly. “I guess I was. I’ve never told anyone the real reason why I broke up with Donghae.”

Hyoyeon raised an eyebrow curiously. “The real reason? We thought it was just because you two grew apart?”

“No...That’s just what he thinks.” Jessica replied, leaning her head back on the wall for support. “I had a feeling that Tiffany and Yoona both liked him at the time.”

“They did?” Hyoyeon asked, trying to mask the surprise in her voice.

Jessica nodded sullenly. “Besides, I think I wasn’t the only one who could see the way Donghae always looked at Yoona.”

Hyoyeon was silent, but agreed with this statement.

“I broke up with him...because I didn’t wanna ruin a bond between best friends...between sisters.” Jessica finished, her lips curling up into a sad smile.

Hyoyeon wrapped an arm around Jessica’s shoulders and squeezed her tightly. “You’re so stupid, you know? Giving up your love for others?”

“He didn’t love me as much anyway.” Jessica said, shrugging.

“You don’t know that!” Hyoyeon cried. “Sometimes, it’s better to put yourself before others.”

Jessica sighed. “It doesn’t matter. I need to put these feelings aside, it’s done and over with; he’s moved on, so I have to too.”

Hyoyeon nodded, but a small little plan of sorts was beginning to form in the depths of her brain.

---

Late in the afternoon, when practice was long over and a satisfying lunch had been eaten, Taeyeon and Leeteuk were taking a leisurely stroll through one of the more secluded parks.

The sun was still up, but was beginning to set, casting shadows all around. Golden light flooded dark paths, in addition to making it appear as if Leeteuk was a glowing, magical being.

Taeyeon snorted and grinned. “Now you really look like an angel.”

Leeteuk grinned with her. “That’s a compliment, right?”

“Did it sound like an insult to you?”

The older leader rolled his eyes, chuckling. “Guess not.”

Taeyeon skipped ahead, spotting a brown bunny nibbling on some grass. “Cute~”

Leeteuk quietly went next to her, as to not scare away the bunny. “It seems domestic.”

“Maybe it lost its home!” Taeyeon pouted.

“Or it just lives at the park and is very familiar with people.” Leeteuk said, while Taeyeon petted its ears.

“Ah, I wish I could have a bunny.”

Leeteuk smirked. “You have Sunny, don’t you?”

Taeyeon smacked his arm. “Yah, she’s a person!”

“You smack me a lot these days.” Leeteuk muttered to a grinning Taeyeon.

His eyes strayed away from the small animal to the rest of the park. He thought he heard a sound, almost like someone strumming on a guitar.

“Do you hear that?” Leeteuk whispered.

Taeyeon nodded, getting to her feet. “Sounds like music.”

Leeteuk took her hand and led her further into the park, stopping at a rather large tree. A familiar-looking boy was sitting under the tree, strumming his guitar and humming to himself.

“Speaking of stray bunnies...” Taeyeon smiled.

The boy looked up, surprised and stopped playing abruptly, ending on a flat note. “Teukie-hyung, Taeyeon-ah...what are you guys doing here?”

“This is a public park, Sungmin.” Leeteuk said, grinning. “Why are you here all alone?”

Taeyeon plopped down in the prickly grass next to Sungmin and skimmed over the pieces of paper spread out in front of him. “Oh, is this for the concert?”

Sungmin nodded, setting his guitar down. “I was practicing.”

“Without Sunny?” Taeyeon frowned.

Sungmin shrugged nonchalantly, unconsciously plucking some grass out of the ground and letting it fly away in the wind. “I don’t even know what to say to her.”

Leeteuk took a seat on the other side of Sungmin. “Aish, all this drama is so...stupid.”

“She knows I like her!” Sungmin exclaimed wildly, finally coming out and admitting it.

“You both are dense people.” Taeyeon shook her head, smiling. “She likes you!”

“Liar,” Sungmin folded his arms disbelievingly.

“Ask anyone.” Taeyeon said.

Sungmin refused to trust Taeyeon’s judgment. “She doesn’t.” he insisted, sure that he was right.

“I give up.” Taeyeon threw her hands up in the air with a sigh.

“Well, practicing alone isn’t going to get you anywhere. It’s a duet, as in two people.” Leeteuk held up two fingers to further emphasize his statement.

He turned to Taeyeon for backup and noticed that she had her ear glued to her phone. “Taeyeon, what are you--”

“Shh!” Taeyeon held a finger to her lips.

Sungmin gathered up his music into a neat pile and looked at SNSD’s leader strangely. “Who are you calling?”

“Hi, Sunny!” Taeyeon said cheerfully, just as Sungmin finished his question.

“What are you doing?” Sungmin hissed, stuffing his guitar back into its case.

“Can you meet me later tonight at that fancy new restaurant by our dorm? It’s really important.” Taeyeon grinned deviously at Sungmin, who was now realizing what the girl was planning.

“No!” Sungmin lunged for the phone, but Leeteuk held him back and restrained him. not knowing what Taeyeon was up to, but knowing that he should help her.

“Why?” Taeyeon thought on the spot. “Uh...you’ll see. Okay, bye!” the leader slipped her phone back into her pocket.

Leeteuk let go of Sungmin, who immediately grabbed Taeyeon by the shoulders, with a frantic look in his eyes. “What did you tell her?”

Taeyeon remained calm and smiled. “Relax. Now tonight, you and Sunny are gonna fix things. Stop being dense and stop it with the ‘We’re just friends,’ nonsense.”

Sungmin blinked at the younger girl. “So...what are you gonna do?”

Taeyeon shook her head. “It’s not what I’m gonna do--it’s what you’re going to. Just trust me on this, okay?”

Still a bit unsure, Sungmin nodded, picking up his guitar case. “Well, I’ll head back to the dorms then.”

“I’ll send you more details later.” Taeyeon grinned.

Leeteuk clapped Sungmin on the shoulder. “Later.”

Once Sungmin was out of earshot, Leeteuk turned to Taeyeon expectantly. “Well, what’s the plan?”

“First, you have to make sure you listen to everything I say.”

Leeteuk groaned. “This can’t be good.”

Taeyeon pouted. “Yah! Just listen to me, okay?”

“I’m listening, I’m listening...”

---

Yoona silently entered the dorm, checking to make sure none of the other girls were home. She swiveled her head left and right, and called out to someone, anyone.

No response.

She sighed, relieved.

She was alone.

Yoona slipped off her shoes and headed to the kitchen. It was nearly 6:00, and she was starting to get hungry. Too tired and weary to cook, she grabbed a pint of ice cream out of the freezer and grabbed a spoon. She peeled the lid off, depositing it in the trash can, and headed to the living room.

She the TV, just so there would be some other noise. Yoona sank down into her favorite couch and immediately shoveled some ice cream into . The cold sensation did wonders for her and made her feel much more relaxed.

“Unnie?”

Yoona snapped her head up, suddenly alert. She noticed Seohyun unlacing her sneakers by the front door and sighed again in relief. “Oh, Seohyun, it’s just you.”

Seohyun joined Yoona on the couch shortly and frowned. “Why? Who did you expect?”

Yoona shook her head furiously, stuffing ice cream into . “Nobody, I just thought that...that everyone’s schedules would run until later.”

“Oh.” Seohyun was still frowning. “Do you want me to cook something for you? Ice cream isn’t very healthy...”

Yoona smiled gratefully. “Thanks a lot, Seo, that’d be great.”

Seohyun rose from the couch and entered the kitchen cheerily. “What do you want?”

Yoona shrugged and called back, “Anything is fine!”

The sound of the refrigerator and freezer opening and closing came from the kitchen, and the clanging of metal pots and pans were also evident.

Yoona placed her cup of ice cream on the floor and switched to a laying position on the couch.

She felt exhausted, frustrated, confused...and slowly, a bit of anger was bubbling up inside Yoona.

She thought back to earlier today, in the morning. Yoona didn’t speak to Tiffany, nor look at her. She never acknowledged her presence, and therefore, it was extremely awkward. Yoona felt that if she talked to Tiffany, an argument would break out, or worse, there would be no conversation at all.

She felt horrible for ignoring one of her best friends--Tiffany was like her sister, after all. Was it Tiffany’s fault for falling in love?

Yoona felt selfish and greedy for hoping that Tiffany didn’t truly love Siwon, and that she didn’t like Donghae as well.

What was wrong with her?

A twinkling, trilling little melody came from her pocket, and she quickly removed her phone, answering it without looking at the caller.

“Yoboseyo?”

“Yoona-noona? It’s Minho!”

Yoona’s eyes widened in recognition. She found herself smiling. “Ah, Minho! Sorry.”

“Nah, it’s fine. Are you okay?”

Yoona shrugged. “I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“You may be an actress, but you’re terrible at lying.” he chuckled.

“Yah!” Yoona frowned. “What’s with the sudden phone call?”

“Oh, no reason, really. Onew-hyung just wanted to see if Taeyeon-noona was free.”

Yoona’s eyebrows rose in curiosity. “Taeyeon? Mm, she should be. She doesn’t have any schedules for the rest of the night.”

“Tell her to meet Onew-hyung at the park by our dorm.” Minho said.

Yoona nodded once. “Alright, I will. Wait...”

“Yeah?”

“Why did Onew ask you to tell me to tell Taeyeon?” Yoona was grinning.

“Ah, he’s shy. Not good with girls.” Minho laughed.

“CHOI MINHO, YOU COME HERE RIGHT NOW!”

Minho sighed deeply. “I’m coming~”

“You gotta go?” Yoona asked.

“Yeah. Make sure you tell Taeyeon-noona!”

“I will; I’m not stupid!” Yoona rolled her eyes.

“Sure, sure...”

Yoona laughed. “Bye, Minho.”

“See you around, Yoona.”

Click.

“Unnie, come in the kitchen!” Seohyun called.

Yoona left her phone on the couch and jumped up, jogging to the kitchen. “I’m coming!”

She entered the kitchen, crying in delight at the wonderful food Seohyun cooked. “Seo, this looks great!”

In the living room, the TV blazed on, the volume turned down. In the seat Yoona was previously sitting, her phone lay there, vibrating.

Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz. Bzzzz.

ONE MISSED CALL FROM:

Choi Siwon

Ooh, so Hyoyeon's concocting a plan for Jessica and Taeyeon has one for Sungmin.

Where will this go? :D KEEP READING, READERS!

I can't believe it's only been two days since I've updated! Felt like weeks, hehe. :)

Lots more coming up--the next few chapters wrap up the SUNSUN plot, so look forward to it!

I know there hasn't been much SeoKyu and you all desperately want some (lol). I'll try to put some little moments in the next chapter, okay? No guarantees, but I'll try~

Thanks for all the comments, subscribers, and support. I LOVE YOU GUYS! ♥

Btw, I finally reached 100 SUBSCRIBERS! Thanks so much!

COMMENT REPLIES!

@kyufever: Aah, I know. I love HeeSica too. :) Keep reading, because I promise you'll be happy about the ending! I'll take your requests into consideration, but I hope you'll still love the story no matter how it turns out? And yes, I'll try to add more SeoKyu. :)

@murdering_thespian: I can't believe he played by himself! D: Heenim! <3 They're your favorites? Haha, no problem, Shin! :D Thankyou! The YulSung moment is my favorite too, kekeke. Thanks for commenting~

@cutieyzza: Aw, thanks so much! (: Well, you'll find out in this chapter, hehe. Yeah, I like putting a lot of variety because I know that everyone has different tastes. :] Ahh, thank you! You're so sweet! Updated~

@TiHae4ever: Ahaha, it pretty much is! :D It'll all turn out good in the end...especially since you know what pairings I like, unnie! :) Aw, thanks so much! I love Foolish Beat more though. xP

@HaeSica4ever: Might happen...(:

@chococcino30: So much hate...and love. x)

@StrawberryFantasy: I bet they secretly are. They're hiding it from the public...because they'll have no alone time if they make it official. T_T Weird Royalty! :D Woopwoop! Yes, they are...muahaha~ I can't believe Key hasn't been in this yet! D: He WILL make an appearance...you know he is! ;D I know right? I wish I was her! Haha, Super Hyo! Yeah, yeah, you need your HaeFany. xD You'll get it! Yeah, I'm gonna add some SeoKyu soon. :] LOL~ Thanks for your long comment, sis!

@kyutie13: No problem! :) I liked writing that moment, haha. Jonghyun won't be coming back, I just made him have a little guest appearance. :) Yup, you're right! Donghae's the problem, hehehe. More like a love...pentagon. xD

@magic04soong: Hi, there! :) Thanks for reading and commenting^^ Sure, I'll try my best to make some more moments.

@isabelle: Omo, thanks so much! :D HyoHyuk is just too adorable in here. "One of the best"? Pshh, nahh. You're so sweet^^ I'm trying to make a lot of variety with the pairings so there's something everyone likes, hehe.

@mc_cwiss: AAAH, CHRISSY! You did?! :D ILOVEYOU! ♥ Thanks so much, bb~

@sonelf: I love all those too, lol. :) Yup, it's from Super Show 3 in Japan.

@RippledOcean: Ah, thanks Clo! :D Updated, hehe^^

@StarryKelly: Haha, seems like everyone liked that part! I loved writing that YulSung moment. :D <3

@seokyu91: Maybe~ :)

@KathyXVII: You guessed right! Thankyou so much! Updated!

@QueeeenB: Aw, you're torn? D: Hehe, well, thanks so much for loving my story~

@Tikatikolala: Ahaha, yup! Thanks, Tika-unnie! Oh wow, didn't notice that! Triple T ftw! <3

@SuGenLover: Yup, it is! All revealed in this chapter~ Don't worry, HaeFany's coming back! :D

@chinkyasian: Thanks so much! (: Hehe, updated! ♥