ELEVEN

“Hyun, I’m almost there. Where can we meet?”

“At the park, Oppa. Do you remember?”

“Yes, of course! I’ll meet you there in thirty? Would that be okay?”

“Yes, thank you…”

“No, thank you, Hyunie… see you…”

“Hmmm…” She dropped the call with a smile playing on her lips when she noted how excited he sounded. Although she convinced herself that she was meeting him for old time’s sake, she couldn’t help but feel nervous all over again.

With her sneakers on her hand, she ran downstairs only to find her sister in the dark living room curled on the chaise watching Revenge re-run.

“Uh, Unnie? You’re still up?” she said as she sat on the sofa to put on her shoes.

“Obviously,” Taeyeon chuckled watching her sister’s movement on the corners of her eyes. “Where are you going this late?”

“Uhm… I’ll be one of the late joggers tonight,” she mumbled. Thankfully, she was wearing the part as she sported her old pair of hot pink VS sweats and a gray hoodie. “I can’t sleep.”

“Do you want company?”

“No, unnie,” Seohyun stood and praying that her sister won’t insist. “I’m good… hmmm I need my alone time.”

“’Kay, sure you’re okay?”

“Yep,” she nodded when Taeyeon settled deeper on her seat and headed towards the door.

“Well then, call me if you want me to pick you up somewhere.”

“Unnie, I’m fine, go to sleep.”

“Naaahhh, I’ll finish a few episodes first. Be safe.”

“Will do, love you…”

“Me too, old sport…”

~~~

To say that he was excited was an understatement. Yonghwa was ecstatic by the thought that Seohyun was meeting him again. To him, it was the same as saying that she was giving her a second shot to be in her life. However, he had been thinking about it especially when Jonghyun told him not to be impulsive in his decisions about and with Seohyun. It does make sense, he couldn’t just barge in her life again like nothing happened and no four years to fill up between them.

So, that was the plan. Take things slow and be her friend again— the one person she would normally run to when she thinks that her eight bestfriends could not be there for her, for certain reasons.

Yonghwa would be that person for Seohyun… again.

After a few minutes, their manager dropped him off in front of the Jung mansion because that was his excuse. He told his hyung that he was going to spend the night at his relatives’ house but, in truth, he was meeting Seohyun at their usual rendezvous when they were younger.

Yonghwa jogged to the park and found her sitting on the silently screeching swing. She looked up and smiled when he approached.

“Mind if I join you?”

Seohyun shook her head so he took the other swing. “Where were you?”

“We were in Suwon for an ad.”

“Oh… you must be tired, Oppa.”

“Tired yes, but won’t miss this chance.” He smiled when she just nodded as if mulling over his meaning so he continued, “How about you? It’s almost your bedtime. I remember how serious you were about making sure you sleep on time so your cells would regenerate.”

“Hmmm…  I still try to do that as much as I can but with stuff to do in school and my unnies’ constant need to have nightlife… I got used to skipping that habit.”

“Does that mean Seohyunie changed?”

“Probably but not completely. You may have changed, as well.”

“I think? I do…” Yonghwa smiled then stood, “Hyun, last time at the hotel… I may have been hasty with stuff—“

Seohyun felt the increasing palpitations of her heart. All she could think of was him apologizing for the kisses. She stood too but walked slowly away as if hiding her nervousness.

“I’m sorry if I imposed things on you.”

“No, you didn’t, Oppa.” Seohyun found the familiar bench so she sat there and Yonghwa followed suit.

“I may have and you cannot deny that. But let’s be clear on one thing, I like you. I like you beyond the definition of like but I cannot say ‘that’ word exactly because it might drive you away…. considering your… uhm… current status… with someone.”

She nodded; good thing they were treading on that direction and it seemed that he really did think things through before talking to her. She couldn’t ask for anything more than that, “Thanks, Oppa… for considering this…”

“We were so good then, right?”

“Yes, yes we were…”

“You may have liked me a lot during those times but managed to stay as one of my trusted friends. And, I want you to feel the same way for me again?”

Seohyun stifled a laugh not only for how he was wording his thoughts but the way he sounded nervous. She found it seriously cute. “You want me to like you a lot again but we’ll stay as friends?”

Yonghwa finally chuckled when he realized what he said, “It must have been exactly how I feel, so yes. Okay, I want you to like me again but we will be awfully good friends. What do you say?”

“As long as we take things slow… not…”

“Not jump into each other the way we did at the hotel.” Yonghwa smiled when she blushed, “You meant the kiss right? But I will try to deflect that idea because I might end up doing the same… like I said, I don’t regret and I am not sorry for kissing you.”

Seohyun sighed and shook her head, “I know that… and I, honestly, don’t regret kissing you back. Although— aigoooo, I’m just trying shake off that thought because…”

“I understand. Let’s see where this ‘friendship’ leads to then,” he chuckled and she answered with a little laugh.

“I don’t even know how this ‘friendship’ can keep up with your busy sched.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I shall devote my free time to you and, if you’d let me, I would be hijacking you in the wee hours of the night, just like right now, or any given time of the day.”

“Wish me luck on that.” She rolled her eyes, “I even bumped on Unnie on my way here.”

“She’s still as scary as ever?”

“You bet…”

“I can’t blame her. If you’re the person to be protected, I would do the same,” Yonghwa winked playfully at her. “So, this could also mean that boyfriend won’t know my existence?”

“For the time being, I guess it’s better that way.” That reminded her of something, “But, Oppa… we are… not and won’t be dating, right? This isn’t dating.”

“For the time being,” he replied playfully that earned him a roll-eyes from his so-called friend. “I meant, yes… we are just another typical friends hanging out in the middle of the night and secretly meeting and texting and calling each other because… well, that’s just how our reactivated friendship works.”

Seohyun laughed and laughed some more when he extended his hand on her.

“So, friends again, friend?” Yonghwa smiled as she took his hand and they shook hands sealing the deal but before she could even detach her hand from his grip, he pulled her gently in a tight embrace. “But, I hope you won’t mind if once in awhile I forget that we are only friends…”

Seohyun found herself nodding silently as her body relaxed on his embrace.

“I miss you, my friend.”Yonghwa whispered on her hair, lingering on her scent.

She smiled, “I miss you too…”

~~~

If she didn’t know those two, she would only guess another lovers taking advantage of the empty and dim playground. They were smiling and laughing at first but it all ended with a hug—tight hug.

She shut her eyes; she couldn’t believe her sister would lie to her.

After all that he did, after all that happened, Seohyun still managed to be with this man she should be despising.

Taeyeon exhaled heavily before walking away. She needed to think first before doing anything.

~~~

“Unnnnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

Jessica rolled her eyes when her younger sister squeaked but she almost choked on her hot drink when she found out the reason Krystal was squealing that early.

“Look who I found in his old room!” Krystal giggled as she ushered her older cousin to his place on the breakfast table. “Appa woke me up this morning and told me to check Yonghwa Oppa’s room for something.”

“Good morning, Jessica.”

“Good morning, Yonghwa. This is a surprise,” she uttered nonchalantly trying to sound… well, surprised— but failed miserably.

“Where’s Fany Unnie?” Krystal asked when she noticed the other girl’s absence from her usual spot.

“Taeyeon called her last night. I think she slept over.”

“I see… oh, oh! Wait here, Oppa. I’ll ask Chef Giovanni to prepare your favorite bruschetta!”

Sica rolled her eyes as her sister waltzed out of the breakfast nook of the sunroom like a foolish excited gazelle— if one existed. She kept her gaze on the assortment of fruits on her plate but she could feel her cousin’s cold gaze judging her, but she couldn’t care less.

“I think I need to thank you for something.”

“Thank me for what?” That made her look back at him.

“For setting up that—“

“There’s nothing to thank for, it was a debt… wouldn’t you say?” Jessica wiped the sides of her lips elegantly, “I owed you.”

Yonghwa chuckled. Jessica in her regal mood is such a sight. Her every movement refined, her words chosen in sophistication and the way she would deliver them is an art. “But still…”

“I could only hope it wasn’t a wasted effort on my part.”

“It wasn’t— that I can assure you.”

“Good, good,” she nodded approvingly before letting her lips take a little sip of her café au lait. “Anyway, I was hoping to hear about it from…” she looked around, “…her, in the coming days.”

He was seriously trying to hold in his laughter that was dying to come out. Yonghwa shook his head to prevent himself from laughing, “Yeah, but it seems Taeyeon won’t really be happy with what you did.”

“What WE did…” she waved a hand with a tiny smile, “As long as nobody talks then we’re all good. But, whatever… I will do as I please.”

“You will do as you please? What does it mean, Sica-yah…”

“Since I found pleasure in doing it, might as well take it to the next level.”

“Okay, I think you lost me there.”

Jessica let out a soft laugh, “You silly, Yonghwa. I’m going to help you both… whatever kind of help I can think of giving.”

“I think I got this, Sica, no need.”

“Oh, don’t give me that.” She fixed a serious face and continued, “Take it, while I’m still at it. You need me, just tell me. I’ll find a way.”

Yonghwa just nodded because who knows he would really need her help one day. “Any time?”

“Any time… and whatever…”

“Oppa! Your breakfast’s ready!” Krystal appeared again with Yonghwa’s breakfast wheeled in by the butler. “What were you talking about?”

“Just catching up with my most favorite cousin,” Yonghwa winked at his younger cousin then smiled at Jessica who rolled her eyes.

“Awww! I thought I’m your favorite!” Krystal pouted.

Yonghwa laughed, “Krystal Jung, you are always and always my favorite baby Jung.”

Jessica, who almost puked with all the sentimentality, grumbled, “Way to make me lose my appetite…”

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thanks for liking Yong's 'songs' ㅋㅋㅋㅋ (when i grow up, i wanna be a lyricist, if that makes sense)

uhm i said on the intro that this is a short fic but it seemed that i lied? 

LOL

its around 20 chaps oredy...헐~!

thanks for the comments and votes and for subscribing~ 감사합니다! *bows* chuuu~