Love is only a word until you come around and give it a meaning

***

Donghae's residence

A loud sigh escaped from Donghae’s lips when he found the conversation he tried to keep going was in unbalance, and he was sure someone else inside his car must be heard it. The engine of his luxury car then stopped and for the last time; before he got out from there, he repeated his question again. “Yoong, is something wrong?”

 “Anyioo” the girl beside him responded. She sighed “I’m all right Oppa”

There was a long pause between them after Yoona’s flat answer, and Donghae was tired already with the same answer he got from her which he didn’t believe at all. Her lack of responds really brought a very disappointment on him. He had tried to talk to her along way, ask her something too but she responded him only with short reply, expressionless, sometimes with a faint smile joined. She tightly sealed up , not even bothering to answer some of his questions and just let the silence took over the role most until they arrived in his home. Definitely something was wrong with her. He knew she had problem.

“Are you sure?” he inquired. The worry expression was plastered clearly on his face.

“Look Oppa” she looked at him in the eye “I am fine” then she flashed a weak smile, trying to mask up the annoyance feeling she felt.

Yet as hard as Yoona tried to hide her real expression, he could still notice it.  “Honestly you don’t look fine, Yoong. Just tell me what’s wrong, please…” he begged her ever so softly as he took her hand in his.

The pair of her doe eyes then locked on him. She could notice that the concern was reflected from it. His charming eyes tried to talk through her heart. His thumb that kept brushing her front hand somehow sent a multiple sensations on her body. He took everything on her. He trapped her innocent mind and she lost in thought. Her thin mouth was slightly opened, ready to talk. If she could be honest, yes she wanted to tell it. She wanted him to clarify things also. Lots of question already hung up in Yoona’s throat. But then, it stuck instead for some reason.

After what Sunye had said to her, full of doubt was his strong love towards her for sure. Yoona found out that it wasn’t a certain thing anymore as it somehow became the main problem for her. A nervous feeling for meeting with his parents first time wasn’t even a big deal when there was something that more complicated than it. Anything related with him suddenly became so vague and the urge to clarify it was at the edge of already. Big part of her heart wanted things to be cleared. It was natural for her wanted to know the truth. It wasn’t wrong if later she begged for the right one, she convinced herself. But if she couldn’t make sure her feelings yet then she would be wrong enough to think like that.

Somehow the rest of her rational mind forced her to think that it wasn’t important to be clarified. Something woke her up that it shouldn’t have been an important thing at the first place if she rejected all the possibilities to love him back. It wouldn’t be matter if she didn’t feel love towards him, true indeed. Unless… she wanted his love. But that thought brought her back to her defend area of love. Eventually she resisted her desire to understand things. The unsettled problem was hidden back again. She convinced herself that she didn’t need to reveal anything happened today. It was better to overcome it alone as she covered everything with smile on her face. Because sometimes smiling was easier than explaining, she thought.

“There is nothing wrong, Oppa” she replied, still trying to assure him.

perhaps could tell him so, but he could still find that her doe-eyes told the otherwise. The grip on her hand tightened. Concern lighting up his face. “You know? You make me very worry Yoona, so much”

 “Oppa, I’m really okay” yet she still persisted, which disappointed him “You really don’t have to worry about me. Let’s just meet your parents now. We’re just wasting time here” then she released his hold silently and got out from his car.

“But at least tell me first why you behave like that if everything’s okay?” he said after getting out from the car too. He then approached her.

Hearing his question Yoona halted her steps, almost groaning of his stubbornness at that extent even. She did feel thankful to his super concern, but sometimes she wanted him to make a limit of it. Yoona had hinted him to give her some privacy, space and time just for a while. And how much she wished he caught it now.

Masking her annoyance felling with an innocent face, she turned around to face him “Huh? Like what, Oppa?”

“Like something’s wrong. You had a problem in the school before, right? Is it about my fans?”

Yoona flinched at his correct guess yet she wouldn’t admit though, even for any good reason she could think of. “A-Anyio, Oppa. I told you I’m all right” soon, the smile helped her to cover anything again.

But Donghae knew that lie was still taking over her words until then, and the aftermath of knowing it made his heart ache.  That smile was even a fake, he noticed that. Any single problem she had today seemed hard to be shared which he couldn’t figure it out why, until he finally chose to give up for begging an explanation again.

“Fine” a sigh full of exhaustion escaped from his lips as he pretended to trust her eventually. “But if there is someone who bothers you in the school, you have to tell me, okay?” he her hair, his charming smile made its way on his handsome face.

And there was when everything Yoona felt prior turned so different. His super sweet concern enthralled her as the cheeks almost burned in red. How she always loved when someone softly her hair like that. A boy who just annoying her with his stubbornness wasn’t even an exception. The beating of her heart was indeed so fast because of that. His smile was soothing her. His words made part of her somehow feel secure when it reached her ears. One simple sweet thing he did to her lightened up all the bad feeling on her and she found she already nodded for promising his words. 

And that little sweet moment could probably hold a little longer if there wasn’t someone who shouted loud from the door. “Hyung!”   

The new guy who apparently just out from Donghae’s house, wore his trademark smile before he carried his steps towards the lovely couple that caught his attention. The couple shifted their concern to him as the eye contact was specially made between the new guy and Yoona at that time.

“Kibum,” Donghae addressed that person immediately without even had to think hard just to recognize the figure of his cousin “What are you doing here?” asked him.

But the beautiful girl standing beside Donghae grabbed his attention more, unfortunately.

“Oh-” was the surprised word that escaped from his lips first when Yoona’s doll-like face finally registered on his brain. Donghae’s question before was simply ignored. His attention was all on her. Soon, he presented a greeting bow and his friendly smile “Anyeong Haseo”

Even when Yoona felt confused of that stranger’s sudden greeting, being a polite girl, Yoona gave a faint bow back. She could only guess that he was related with Donghae for sure, but the eyebrows was then knitted on her face when she suddenly got the weird feeling of his smile; like it wasn’t the first time she saw that friendly smile on his baby face, like she had ever seen it somewhere else, from a long time ago.

Kibum then looked at Yoona long enough to recognize something “You must be…” he paused for trying to refresh his memories before guessing “Im… Yoona, Donghae Hyung’s girlfriend”

And that made the girl he guessed can’t hold to immediately shot him a question “H-how could you know that?”

He chuckled humorously “Well, I can say that your relationship with Donghae Hyung is like the headline news of school”  

His answer almost earning roll eyes from her but her confused-look dominated her expression more. His explanation didn’t clear other things left. Yet some another problem on her mind made anything related with school didn’t worth her intention to ask any further about it. Fortunately, Kibum was fast enough to catch that untold question in her confused look. He immediately added “I’m school in SM too anyway and your incident in the canteen, I was there too”

“Oh…” came her short reply, mentioning that incident was so uninterested for her.

But her confused mind was already replaced by some an understanding thing. So that familiar smile of him, must be had ever seen it in school, she thought carelessly.

Kibum cleared his throat “It’s nice to see you again, Yoona-ssi. And you look absolutely more beautiful in close” then red color momentarily appeared on his cheeks without he intended to show it. “Anyway my name is Kibum” with the remarkable friendly smile of him, he happily extended his hand.

Yoona swore she could sense there was like a bound strong came from the smile he showed. Somehow it pulled her to know him more. The information about him was still lack even. Indeed, Yoona still had the feeling that she had ever known him for so long. And she was pretty interested to dig deeper about it. But before Yoona could even shake his hand to start everything, someone seemed just catch the sheepish thing Kibum had on her. Donghae’s jealous-glare from beside dismissed that moment as he snapped Kibum’s hand away.

“Ya! What are you doing here Kibum?” his unanswered question was repeated with firm. His cousin’s chance to have a touch with his precious girl was gladly cancelled.

Kibum’s attention shifted immediately to the questioner. Guilty was on him, when he knew he casually ignored one important presence there before. “Ah mianhae Hyung” he threw him an apologetic smile “I just returned your books and had a little chat with your mother in there before” Kibum finally answered.

But unfortunately, Donghae couldn’t have his attention any longer. However, it quickly shifted to someone else again once he’s done responded him. Kibum’s orbs landed back to the person where he felt somehow comfort with it. His eyes fell for the doe-eyes of her. Yoona’s graceful beauty was so attracted for him. Her presence distracted him more than Donghae’s there. And he wasn’t aware he already stared at her a little bit too long until someone made his move to block his view.

“Well then if you’ve done with your business here, I think you can go now Kibum” Donghae demanded. Holding his resentful breath behind his firm words, he hoped Kibum got some hints.

Without taking time any longer, his snap successfully brought Kibum to the fact that the girl he secretly admired had already taken by his own cousin. She belonged with someone else who he knew all too well, and he had to respect it.

“Wow, I think I smell jealousy here” Kibum smiled teasingly but Donghae had no respond for it. Catching the unfriendly look Donghae shot at him, he knew Donghae didn’t want his presence there any longer right now. So then Kibum stated “And I think... I should go now, see you later Hyung and… ” his eyes g