In a world of fear and lies, there is no one left to trust, not even yourself. To even build trust within a group of comrades, it’s difficult. But then, everyone lies to each other to maintain a neutral relationship with each other, because they all know sooner or later betrayal will happen. To tell little white lies, that’s okay right?

 

Except for Jongsuk, there are two voices in his head. One that everyone can hear and one that only he can hear himself.

 

To Jongsuk, every second passes very slowly. He hears everything, things he wants to hear, things he doesn’t want to hear. He hates having this “power” but he has no choice either. After the freak accident where he fell off the rollercoaster and yet miraculously survived, he has been hearing voices.

 

It was only till high school, when he found someone just like him.

Sigh, another noisy day. Time for my headphones. Jongsuk took out his headphones and tried to focus on his own thoughts and his notes, rather than hearing what the others have to say about his weird habit. Unfortunately, peace was short. The teacher came in and brought a girl along.  Jongsuk kept his headphones.

Damn, she’s hot. I wonder if I could get her.

Tsk, who is this, trying to invade my popularity?

Jongsuk heard all those, but all he thought was “She’s cute. But she won’t like me. I’m a freak.”

 

“Hello everyone. My name is Yuri. I am from Busan. Please take care of me.” The girl bows.

I will take care of you, you fine little thing.
Take care of you? I’ll make your life a living hell.

Jongsuk sighed. All these nasty thoughts about a new girl, less than 30 seconds into the class and she was getting all these negative energy.

 

“You may sit next to… Jongsuk over there.” Yuri bowed and walked towards Jongsuk. Jongsuk chose to look out of the window as she sat down next to him.

Yuri smiled and held her hand out, “Nice to meet you, I’m Yuri.” Jongsuk ignored her. What is up with this guy? Jongsuk heard her and turned around.

 

“Sorry, nice to meet you. I’m Jongsuk as you already know.” Ah , I mistook her voice as a thought. Yuri gasped. Thoughts? He heard my thoughts? Then Jongsuk looked at her, realizing that they were reading each other’s mind instead of talking. They could read each other’s minds, perhaps even more.

 

Yuri blushed because what she heard next was a compliment from Jongsuk. She’s pretty… The two continued to look in front facing the teacher but inside their heads, a conversation was forming.

 

So… you can do this thing too, reading people’s mind?
Yeah, and you too?
Uhhuh, since young… you?
Freak accident, then somehow I got this “power”.
Why the negative tone on power? You don’t like this skill?
Well, sometimes my head gets really noisy and I’m just like shut up but no one gets me. Guess someone finally understands me huh?
Me? I like those voices, I get to play tricks on the people when I hear their voices and I use earphones whenever I go out so it’s not noisy.

Hearing that, Jongsuk smiled. Yuri was also using the same method as he was.

 

//

 

Class for Yuri was difficult as she could not understand many things. Despite being able to hear what the teacher is thinking, it seems hard to comprehend for Yuri. On the contrary, Jongsuk understands everything and has an IQ of 130. Since both were sitting next to each other, it wasn’t hard to cheat with their power. Jongsuk would think about the entire process of the solution so Yuri could hear it and copy down the solution. Just like that, Yuri managed to pass the first quiz, the second and so on. The two became an inseparable pair and they went everywhere together. Soon, they came to school and left school together as well.  Rather than a couple, they were more like siblings. Perhaps they had feelings for each other, but both hid their feelings from their thoughts just in case the other heard.

 

//

 

Finally, the Korean SATS were here and Yuri was troubled over the exams. Because of their surnames, the two of them were in different rooms and with the walls as barricades, Yuri would not be able to hear Jongsuk’s voice clearly, how would she pass her exams? Her parents would be mad at her…

Do you want to come over to my house for a study date?

S-study date?
Yeah, if we end up in the different classes you have to at least answer some questions properly right?

That’s true. Okay…

 

//

 

On the way back to Jongsuk’s house, they were chatting about Jongsuk’s accident on the rollercoaster. This time, instead of thinking, they actually talked, an actual conversation.

“So, where did you fall? Which rollercoaster?”
“Uh, the one at Everland. They just built it not long ago and my dad brought me there. But because I was slightly small, I slipped out of my seatbelt and flew out. “
“Oh, wait… Everland? When was the accident?”
“I can’t really remember but about 10 years ago?”
“10?! I think I was involved in the accident too…”
“So, you survived the crash like me? How?”
“I was strapped so tight onto my seatbelt and my dad sacrificed by blocking his entire body when the rollercoaster flipped. I suffered slight trauma and concussion, that’s when the ability began.”
 

Jonguk paused and marveled at the fact that there was someone like him, right in front of him. Someone who didn’t die in the same freak accident, someone who finally understands his pain, his torture and him as a whole.

 

“Well, that makes two of us now. How come I never knew about this other survivor?”
“I was sent to the orphanage since my dad died and I don’t have a mother to start with, so…”
“Oh, sorry about that.”
“It’s okay. I don’t hate her or anything like those poor female leads in those melodramatic dramas.”
 

Jongsuk chuckled at her joke and it was time to get off.

 

//

 

At home, there was no one around, since Jongsuk’s parents were also long gone, it was just the two of them. Yuri took out her homework and started trying out some questions. Jongsuk sat down at the sofa and read a book on Korean Historical Literature while waiting for Yuri to ask him questions she did not know how to do.

 

x= ax? x=b? ah…

Yuri looked over to Jongsuk who seemed engrossed in his literature book that he failed to hear Yuri’s thoughts. Yuri sighed and continued to try.

 

X is ax square + bx + c. It’s a simple formula, most of the questions are done with this, so remember it. Yuri smiled; he had heard her after all.

 

Just like that, Yuri completed the revision exercise with minimal help from Jongsuk and Jongsuk managed to revise his own Korean Historical Literature while helping her. But time passed very quickly, it was time for dinner.

 

Ah, damn you stomach, stop growling.
 I’ll go cook dinner, so continue your work. I’ll call you when the food is ready.

Jongsuk left the sofa and headed towards the kitchen.

 

//

 

40 minutes later, Yuri could smell the fragrant aroma of chicken chop rice.  Yuri could not resist the smell and stopped her work, running towards the kitchen table, only to see 12 side dishes and the best decorated chicken chop rice with a smiley face drawn by tomato sauce on the table, all ready for her to ravish upon.

 

“YOU MADE ALL THIS?!” Is this going to taste good? He’s a guy…
“Hey, don’t stereotype me. I live alone, I cook often, so I know how to cook. I hope you like it. Don’t diss me before trying my dishes okay.” Jongsuk rebutted upon hearing the thought.

 

Yuri sat down and ate. It. Was. Divine.

Goodness gracious, how did he learn how to cook like that? This chicken is amazing. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.

“I had to cook for myself since the freak accident remember?” Yuri looked up then realized that he heard her thoughts again and sighed.
I have to stop talking in my thoughts.

Yeah, you should stop.

Jongsuk stared at her and laughed. Yuri’s cheek were as red as the tomato sauce.

 

//

 

“I should be going now. Tomorrow’s the test and I need to sleep enough!”
“Oh, yeah. Good luck for the test! I’ll try to think about the process if I can.”

Both of them looked at each other for a while, before Yuri turned and walked towards the main road.

 

 

//

 

 

Thankfully, the teachers did not bother about surnames and exams were taken in the way they originally sat, according to their classes.

 

So I can think about the questions I don’t know and you can help me with it okay?
If I’m too fast on my thoughts tell me okay?
This doesn’t constitute as cheating is it?
I hope not.

 

Jongsuk and Yuri both smiled at each other.

 

//

 

After an entire week of SATS, it was finally over. Jongsuk and Yuri both managed to answer all the questions well. Now all that’s left was to wait for the results. Since the exams were over, the teachers had nothing much to teach so they asked the students about their future careers and their career options according to their expected grades. Since Yuri was usually last in class before she transferred, the teacher did not talk to her much about her career options as they knew little about her. She did not really bother about her studies anyway. She wanted to become an actress or a model. Her figure was more than enough to get into the model industry. However, Jongsuk was the hard one. All the teachers were trying hard to persuade and convince him to take the law course or the doctor course because he was smart and he had the ability to even score full marks for the SATS. Of course getting full marks was possible, but in this high school where most of the students were dropouts or students that teachers have given up on, he was the miracle. Yet, Jongsuk wanted to be a soccer player, or maybe a sports model. He could not care less about studying more to become a lawyer or doctor, such jobs were never in his mind. The teachers were all worried. A top student like him was refusing scholarship offers by the best universities in Korea and all he wanted to become was a sports model?! It was unbelievable but the teachers could not control his thoughts, let alone his choice.

 

//

 

Test results were out finally after a month, and as expected Jongsuk was top of the level, being one of the top scorers nationwide, since he scored full marks. Yuri, however, scored 50 points away from the full score and shocked the entire school. No one would have expected someone who was just transferred and was doing so badly in her previous school to score that high. The teachers were wondering if the papers were swapped and so they double-checked with the ministry. Yuri did score well, thanks to Jongsuk of course.

 

Thank you, for helping me score well.

Well, it was just part of the thinking process. Jongsuk smirked at Yuri, who smiled back sweetly.  It was then Jongsuk finally made up his mind, that he did after all like Yuri.

 

Yul, how about going to Yonsei together? We both can take the arts course since we both want to become models.

Uhm, I kind of decided that I want to be an actress so we would be in different courses but the same faculty? I don't know Jongsuk, my mind’s a little messed up right now. Yonsei did offer me a spot in the drama course so I don’t mind going to Yonsei.

Oh… okay. Jongsuk had failed at his very first step at trying to hint Yuri that he wanted them to stick together. But thankfully, Yuri was still going to Yonsei.

 

//

 

Back at home, Yuri was thinking about her future, Jongsuk and her choices. She could not make up her mind. She had talent for acting; she really wanted to take up acting. But modeling was so easy for her too, she learnt how to catwalk when she was 13.  She didn’t know it was so hard for her to pick what she wanted, especially when there’s Jongsuk in her life. Someone whom she cannot refer to as boyfriend, or just a friend. Perhaps he was a best friend, but she always felt that he was more than that.

 

Jongsuk was troubled too. He wanted to confess this afternoon, but plans failed immediately after he chickened out at the first step. He really wanted to go Yonsei with Yuri and do 4 years of modeling courses and finally when they graduate, they would officially start dating and then get married… Jongsuk had it all planned out, until Yuri said she was considering acting. Jongsuk now thought back about his other dream, his soccer-playing dream. Without Yuri, can he fulfill that dream?

 

Hey, can I call you now?

Sure.

 

“Hey…”
“What’s up?”
“Nothing much, so are you going to Yonsei?” Jongsuk asked out of the blue, hoping Yuri would answer casually.
“More or less yeah, why?”
“Oh, nothing actually. Just wondering, which course are you going to take?”
“Uh… I considered for quite a while and I think I’m going to stick with the modeling course. The acting coursework is kinda y.”
Jongsuk mouthed a yes as he continued speaking with Yuri.
“Oh! Then we’re in the same course then!”
“Yeah, I’ll be seeing you for another 4 years… Wow.”
“So uh, see you first day at school best friend?” Jongsuk tried to pull his relationship closer to Yuri, but little did he knew that Yuri thought that it was a rejection.
“Yeah see you first day at school.”

Both of them hung up.

 

Best friend… So I’m just a best friend…
Great, now I'm one step closer to her. This could actually work.

 

//

 

First day at university, Jongsuk and Yuri met up in class. They were wearing their best outfits like what the orientation message said. Yuri was all decked out with her accessories, but she looked chic and hip even though it was only a crop top and skater skirt. Jongsuk on the other hand wore a checkered button up shirt with a bowtie and bermudas. Both of them had the same chic and hip look coincidentally.

 

“Good morning class, I bet all of you have received the orientation email, since all of you are all decked out in your best outfits. Now, today is simple. I will partner you according to your looks and outfit styles and you will do a simply catwalk with the partner I picked okay?” The lecturer started off the class with a huge surprise catwalk quiz.

 

As obvious as it can get, Jongsuk and Yuri end up partnering each other because they wore outfits of similar style. Jongsuk had no clue on catwalking, so Yuri took some time to teach him before they both went up, but Yuri was not keen on teaching him as Jongsuk could tell. Yuri did not look at him once, Jongsuk could not read her thoughts at all. Both of them got up onto the stage and strutted down the runway as if they were professional models. The lecturer seemed happy about their walk, but he felt that something was amiss.

 

“Okay, I personally felt that this pair did pretty well. But it was as though they are a couple and they just fought so they are walking on their own. In partner cat walking, you have to match the pace of your partner and have matching poses. The poses need not be exactly the same, but each pose must match well with the other. This pair seemed to lack on this, but other than that, great job!”

 

Yuri felt anger. She knew she had to control because Jongsuk could hear her thoughts. But deep down inside, she was still disappointed that Jongsuk called her a best friend. She wanted to be more than just a best friend, she gave up her acting scholarship just to be closer to him and all he said was that she was his best friend?

 

Jongsuk was definitely clueless, being the first time doing a cat walk, he was relieved that it was over and he failed to recognize that Yuri was upset and angry over something. Jongsuk went over to Yuri and asked if she wanted lunch. Yuri simply gave him a look and walked away.

 

What did I do wrong?? Jongsuk was baffled at her actions.

 

//

 

Yuri went up to the highest seat at the grand hall of the university.

No one can see me here. It’s like I’m invisible, just like how I’m invisible to Jongsuk. Huh…

 

She didn’t see that Jongsuk had followed her and hid in a place where he could see her eyes and hear her thoughts. Jongsuk then realised what he was doing wrong. He ran up to the highest seat at the grand hall and found Yuri sobbing.

 

“Yul, I never meant to be best friends. The reason why I called you my best friend was that I thought this was the way to slowly get closer to you and finally one day I can call you mine. It wasn’t meant to friend zone you in any way.” Jongsuk mumbled a little, but Yuri could hear everything since he was thinking about his speech while saying it. Yuri looked up at him, stood up and gave Jongsuk a big hug.

I love you, do you know that?

I love you too. It’s so hard to find someone who can understand me even in my thoughts, I’m so glad I found you.
I’m glad I found you too.

 

 

//

 

Jongsuk and Yuri started dating and while they studied, they worked part time to earn enough money so they could get married once they graduate.

 

On graduation day, they ran to the registration office to get engaged in their graduation gowns. Jongsuk also received a permanent job offer upon graduation to become a professional model. It was perfect, well... almost.

 

//

 

“YAAAAA!!!! I TOLD YOU TO WEAR YOUR AND YOU REFUSED TO BELIEVE ME!!!!!!!!!”

That graduation night, Yuri and Jongsuk drunk to their hearts’ content and passion ignited within the two, resulting in the creation of a new life. Yuri was pregnant with a kid three months later.

 

“It’s okay. We’re married and I have a job so we’re good. You can give birth to the baby. What’s the problem?”
“I’m going to get fat and not get a job.” Plus, I will look ugly once I get a baby bump…

“It’s going to be okay. I’ll exercise with you every day to slim down again. Just keep the baby please.”
Jongsuk pleaded with his puppy-like eyes and Yuri could not resist and nodded her head.

 

//

 

“Jungri ah, look at your father… He’s happy that you’re here, say hi to Daddy.”

“Jungri ah, Daddy is here!”
 

Jungri was born 6 months later, giving Yuri and Jongsuk the happiest moment of their life when they welcomed her into the world.

 

//

 

Appa, pass me the sugar please.
“Lee Jungri, how many times must I say not to use your powers when you’re at home and talking to us?”
“Sorry appa, can I have some sugar please?” Jongsuk passed the sugar bottle to Jungri. Yuri simply laughed.

 

This kid sure knows how to use her powers…
I can hear you Appa…
Well, of course, you are Mommy’s and my voice merged into one.
Appa… that’s weird.
You’re weird.
But I’m two voices merged into one! If I’m weird, Appa you and Omma are both weird!
Well, I guess we are… right Jongsuk ah?
Uh, yeah I guess…
HA! APPA I WIN!
Okay sweetie, eat your breakfast now.

 

[Author’s note: YAYYYY I’m sorry for such a lousy ending but here's my oneshot (very long oneshot like seriously 3400 words long) of Jongsuk and Yuri! Thank you for the comments even before I posted this up! Do keep the comments coming so I know how can I improve my writing!]