TWENTY TWO

“The dress really looks good on you.”

“Thank you,” Seohyun smiled as he led her to her seat. Suddenly, it dawned on her when she remembered what Jessica said about being a messenger, “Oh, is this from…?”

“I think we should eat first, I’m hungry.” He just smirked as he took his own seat.

Seohyun raised a brow, “You are being sneaky, Oppa…”

“I am?” Yonghwa grinned like a kid hiding something up.

“Yes, you are. But if these are all really from you… thank you. I really like the surprise…” She smiled as the waiter finally appeared out of nowhere and started serving the food. Her eyes widened by everything that was brought in front of them. Not only that, she was already mesmerized by the set up. “This is really amazing, Oppa. Did you prepare all of these?”

“Taeyeon and your friends, actually… they prepared this for us.”

“Oh…”

“Let’s talk later, shall we?”

She nodded as they started eating. Seohyun couldn’t help but smile with everything that happened that day. Although Yonghwa’s presence was making her feel giddy and nervous all at the same time, she didn’t want to get too excited because she felt that something else was about to happen that night. Seohyun had been avoiding that because she couldn’t decide yet and saying ‘no’ to him would be the hardest thing for her. The dinner was almost uneventful. They talked for a bit but it was nothing more than each others’ schedules, and the food. She could feel that he was also holding back weighing her reactions but most of all, he looked too hopeful and it pained her.

“Oh, I’m so full!” he stretched animatedly when he finished his plate. Yonghwa raised his eyebrows at her playfully as he patted his stomach. Seohyun laughed.

“Me too…”

Then, he eyed her at her seriously. Sometimes, Seohyun is too hard to read. She looked mellowed and composed so he doesn’t really know how the night would turn out. “Let’s go for a walk…” He sighed in relief when Seohyun nodded as she took his hand with a gentle smile.

They treaded the beach in silence taking in the beauty of the night. Far ahead, they could hear a soft music and faint voices coming from the open clubhouse close to the swimming pool where her unnies were obviously hanging out. The surroundings was fairly lit but they both took comfort of the fact that they were the only ones lazying on the beach.

“Are you cold?” Yonghwa started nudging her gently.

Seohyun looked up at him and with a smile, she shook her head then giggled when she noticed his edginess, “Are you cold, Oppa?”

“Are you teasing me now?” He eyed her then sighed, “Ahhh this is really nice… it seemed like so long ago that we did this, walking in the beach.”

“It’s been a while, really.”

“You know, this is one of my top lists to do with my girlfriend…”

It was starting. “Walking on the beach like this?”

“Yeah… and everything, really… the event, the dinner…”

“Hmmm… she’d be happy for sure.”

Yonghwa smiled taking the lead and stopping them from walking. He looked at her seriously, “I will make her the happiest.”

“Hmmm,” she mumbled almost to herself, “But wouldn’t it be hard? You being a— being famous and all? It’s like you’re not allowed to have a relationship.”

“Not really like that…”

“Then what?”

“Having a relationship is personal. It’s something I share with someone and it has nothing to do with my work.” Yonghwa reached out and touched her chin to direct her sight back into his eyes. He could feel that Seohyun was dodging him. “My job and my personal relationship are two different things.”

The air was staring to get cooler and her heart raced not only because of the physical reasons of her goosebumps but because of where their conversation was leading to. She was still feeling unprepared. “Hmmm… d-do you think it’s possible?”

“It’s possible, Hyun… I’ll make it possible,” Yonghwa smiled when she looked down totally avoiding his gaze, “If she trusts me enough and gives me a chance, I will make it possible…”

She nodded but shot a glance to a distance where the music was coming, “I think they’re partying right now.”

Yonghwa heaved a sigh of resignation when Seohyun started to walk again. Perhaps, she doesn’t want to talk about it and he was not going to push it yet. “Seems like it. The boys are probably having the time of their lives.”

“Oh, they’re here too?”

“Yeah… maybe we can drop by and say hello later.”

“Yes, let’s do that,” She smiled. Finally, she realized why her unnies were making too much fuss days ago. There was even a time when she couldn’t contact any of them properly. They were probably planning for this event. “I can’t believe Taeyeon Unnie would do this… I didn’t have any clue this was happening.”

“I didn’t either until yesterday when I was auctioned off to your sister.”

“Unnie bid for you?” Seohyun turned to him questioningly.

“To have this date with you…” he replied matter-of-factly, “At first, I thought they were doing this for Yoona but in the end, they were also doing it for you…”

“B-but why would they do it for me?”

“Because they know what you are trying to hide deep inside…” Yonghwa looked confident for a moment as he answered her query, but then again, he stopped and gazed at Seohyun carefully. It just occurred to him why she seemed very evasive. The thought brought a surprising swirl of pain in his chest. “Or… they were mistaken…” he smiled sadly upon realizing, “Or I was mistaken…”

His fading voice registered in her especially the way his face seemed to have turned so sullen, “Oh… uhm…”

“I’m sorry… Hyun, I-we assumed… sorry if this is making you uncomfortable.”

“I-I don’t understand what you mean, Oppa…”

“Oh… I mean, I told you, the last time we met… I will respect your choice.” It just dawned on him and he had always been true to his words. If Seohyun has decided and he was not her choice then so be it. Maybe he had really lost his chance because of his stupidity. “It seems that you have chosen. I saw you and… him.”

At last, it was clear to Seohyun where his dull expression was coming from and she found it irresistibly cute. It just made her want to drag the thought but how could she when he was looking helplessly like that? “Oppa, I broke up with him,” she retorted casually.

“Y-You did?”

A smile blossomed on her lips when he’s eyes widened as she said yes to his question. He seriously did not expect that.

“Yes, it was getting harder for me going out with him and…” she sighed. “I no longer felt happy being with him and…”

“And?” he looked at her expectantly.

“And… I don’t know… Oppa—“

He found himself taking her hands, “Hyun, is it because of me?”

All Seohyun could do was to close her eyes and feel the warmth that his hands provided on hers. She shook her head denying him her thoughts especially her feelings. “Oppa, honestly, I haven’t decided. I broke up with him because I-I’m not happy with him anymore and it was getting complicated… and I don’t want complications. Complications, Oppa… I’m scared of complications. And… so… Oppa… I don’t know if I want a relationship with you…”

Yonghwa just gave her a small smile because he understood clearly. Taking a step closer, he let go of her hands but cupped her cheeks, “Hyun, there’s only one thing I know right now. I love you.”

Seohyun closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. It seemed like he didn’t understand or he didn’t even hear what she said. She was about to protest but it was too late for his lips came pressing down on hers. Gently, Yonghwa kissed her as he wrapped his arms around her. It was one of the things she was afraid of—his kiss. His kiss could melt her like a helpless slice of butter sizzling on a hot pan. Her mind was telling her to push him away but her body wouldn’t budge at all because her whole being had been imprisoned by him. Not only her body but her heart was telling her mind to just throw its cautions to the wind because there was nothing more that existed but his lips on hers. In the end, the brain that was protesting gave up and just let the delicious moment be processed on its system. Her hands finally slid up to his chest and rested on his shoulders to do her share of the union.

Yonghwa smiled at his own volition when she finally gave in and kissed him back. It was a hungry kiss for a few minutes as if their longings for each other spoke and dictated the movements of their lips. The pace lightened and their mellowed pacifying the fire and appeasing themselves that it won’t be the last time they would be sharing. Slowly, he pulled away but rested his forehead on hers, catching his breath and feeling her own while her eyes remained closed.

“Seohyun… Seohyunie…” he called out gently and took a step back to let her compose herself. Seohyun stared at him, lips bitten, cheeks flushed, eyes almost hooded and her breathing was as uneven as his own. He gulped unconsciously and tucked some strands of hair behind her ear. Taking her hands again, he started, “I loved you… and then I fell in love with you… do you understand? I was in love with you when you weren’t in my life and I love you again and fell in love with you again now that you’re here. Is it confusing? I am in love with you, as simple as that and… as complicated as that. And, I want to know if I have a chance… if I’m still the one that you love. If I am, please give us a chance, give our love a chance… I will make it work, I will make everything work.”

“Oppa, this is just too soon for me…” she shook her head like denying her tears to fall but she couldn’t as the words just came pouring out, “A-and I am scared.”

He cupped her cheeks, “Don’t be scared. I can’t promise you that it will be easy for us but I am here, we can bear the hardships together…”

“I lost you before… and I’m scared those hardships you’re saying could drive us away from each other. I’m scared of losing you again…”

“No, don’t be…”

“You just don’t know how much it hurt losing you but the hardest part is that I love you despite knowing that we are not together. So, I have been hurting.”

Her words sneaked into his heart, sending little electric shocks and it made him smile, “You what?”

“I am hurting!” She grumbled impatiently when she noticed his smile. How could he smile like that when she couldn’t even stop herself from crying.

“No, no… not that, the hardest part. What is the hardest part?”

She shut her eyes tight, “I love you.”

“Aigoo… my girl,” Yonghwa’s smile widened. He ran his index fingers on her cheeks brushing the tears away, “You love me? Say it again.”

“You’re not being serious!”

“I am being serious here!”

“Then why do you want me to—“

“Do you know that it’s the very first time you told me you love me?”

“Ohhh…”

“So, say it again…” he asked gently catching the smile that was finally forming on her lips, “Do tell again. I want to hear it.”

Seohyun playfully rolled her eyes thumbing her own tears but smiled when he frowned at her, “I love you…” She chuckled when Yonghwa drew out a big sigh and dropped a kiss on her cheek.

“One more…”

“Oppa!”

“Seohyuna!”

“You’re getting greedy!”

“You’re fault… you let it drag for too long...” he playfully crossed his arms on his chest.

Watching him in all his childish glory, she couldn’t help but tiptoed to drop a kiss on his lips, “I love you, okay?!”

Yonghwa caught her waist before she could pull away and embraced her tight, “One more time, please…”

“I love you…”

“More… more…”

“I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, and I love you!”

Satisfied, he kissed her again and whispered near her lips, “I love you, Seohyunie…”

“I love you, Yong Oppa…”

>-the end-<

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(not...................yet)

Seven months and two weeks later…

“There was a buzz before that you were dating, is there any truth to it?”

“I guess most idols get that… the buzz of dating…”

“But this one, the rumors spread rather steadily and they said that she is not from the industry. Do you prefer dating a celebrity or someone outside the industry?”

“I don’t have preference as long as I love her…” He shifted on his seat. Talking about it was still awkward for him, especially talking about it with a reporter.

“Then, are the rumors true?”

Yonghwa found himself sneering as he shot a quick glance at his manager.

“One article said that she is a socialite.”

He fell quiet.

“And that you two were spotted in some private parties over the course of summer.”

The firing of question stopped but he was still trying to compose his thoughts. “Hmm, as you all know, my cousins are familiar figure in the circle and they host parties and they have close friends, maybe they just saw me hanging out with them.”

“So you’re saying that this girl is probably one of your cousin’s closest friends?”

At long last, his manager stood and graciously motioned for Yonghwa to do the same. “I’m afraid that’s all the time we have,” he addressed the reporter with an authoritative smile and guided his artist out of the room.

“Hyung, I thought you screened the questions?” the annoyed Yonghwa asked when they were a few meters away from the nosy celebrity reporter. Despite the fact that the reporter didn’t have any clue who it was, Yonghwa was still royally pissed. He never wanted to drag Seohyun into this mess, not during their time together, most especially now that they broke up.

“I did and those didn’t appear to what I was given, anyway this won’t happen again.”

He could tell the sympathy on his hyung’s voice and he just shook the annoyance he was feeling, “Okay, where to next?”

“I thought you’re attending the opening of Heechul’s bar. Jonghyun is there right now.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot.”

“Let me drive you there. I can’t stay though, family thing… just call me when you’re all ready to go back to the dorm.”

“Okay, hyung, thanks…”