CHAPTER NINE

                The scent of lavenders hung onto the air as she follows the trail of cobble stone that leads to the greenhouse.  The stars are shining shamelessly at her because there was no moon to outshine them all.  Everything just wants to catch her attention, to be at the receiving end of those playful and pure smile.  But her eyes are set only to one person.

                  He sighed.  Her flowing red hair, caught by the night breeze when she looks back at him, and her white dress makes her look like a fairy within the woods.     

“Yunho-oppa!” she called to him, a soft smile adorning her beautiful face.  “Are you sure it is okay if we get inside that greenhouse?”

He nodded.  “I am Jung Yunho, aren’t I?” he said confidently. 

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.  Such confidence, people should seriously stop praising you because it is getting to your head.”

Yunho laughed.  Yoona looks too cute when she pouts.  He caught up with her and put his arm around her.  “I’m afraid you have to put up with this big head then.”  He kissed her cheek.

Yoona was thankful that it was cold that night because he wouldn’t notice her blushing.  When they were near the greenhouse, Yunho covered her eyes with his hands.  “Yah!  What are you doing?  I already know that it’s a greenhouse.”

“Sshh…  This place is special to me.”  It was enough to make her silent for a while.  She felt elated somehow that he wants to share this with her.  Her nostril was filled with scents of jasmine and she sighed.  “You can open your eyes now.”

Yoona slowly opened her eyes.  It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.  Everywhere she looked was jasmine.  Yunho was only watching her open yet nothing comes out of it.  She was in awe.

  “Only few people appreciate jasmines.  For me, they are the most beautiful flowers in the world.  I used to know someone who was just like a jasmine, pure and innocent.  I was the only friend that person had.  When my father told me that I would go to the US for college, I knew I had to put up this greenhouse.  I wanted to protect that jasmine even when I was far away,” Yoona could see the bitterness in his eyes.  She wanted to wipe it all away from his eyes because it was the only flaw she could see from his face.

“Did you…protect her?”  She somehow knew that it was a “her”.

Yunho smiled bitterly.  “No, I didn’t.  That’s why my scheming father struck me with another bargain, because I failed the last time.  I want to do it this time."  He hugged her from the back and buried his head in her hair.       

“It’s gonna be okay.  Sometimes we have to sacrifice to find the happiness that we’ve been looking for.”  She assured him.  She felt weird.  There was someone else.  But there’s no need to worry though, is there?

Yunho sighed.  He wished that he never had to do this.  His heart aches every time he lets himself closer to Yoona.  The more he gets closer, he knew that the more they’d get hurt.  

When Yuri got inside their room, she was greeted by a spacing out Yoona.  She had a bunch of jasmines in her arms.  “The smell worn out already, didn’t it?”

Yoona looked up, startled.  “Huh?  Yuri!  I was waiting for you.  I wanted to tell you what happened.”

Yuri frowned.  Is she going to tell her what happened to her and Yunho’s date?  “Yah.  if you’re gonna tell me how sappy Yunho is, you can just go tell the others.”

Yoona giggled.  “But you’re my best friend.  And it’s not like Siwon is not sappy, you could tell from his face that he is.”

Yuri’s face heated up.  Siwon is sappy.  Her friend just laughed at her reaction. “Okay.  But spare me with all the details or else…”

Yoona told Yuri what happened.  All the while, Yuri wanted to walk out on her friend but she knew that she should not.  “Jasmines?”  Her heart pounded as Yoona told her about the greenhouse full of blooming jasmines.  Some memories came flooding back to her.

“Pure and innocent, just like you…”

Yoona nodded.  “Then he gave me this one, because he said that it is just like me, pure and innocent.”  Yoona blushed and smelled the jasmines again. 

Her heart pounded so hard, she almost couldn’t breathe.  How could he?  How could he say that to Yoona when she was the only one he used to say those words to?  A small tear fell from her eyes but she wasn’t conscious.  “Yuri, are you alright?”

“Huh?”  She then realized that she was already crying in front of Yoona.  She hastily wiped her tears.  “I-I’m sorry.  I got carried away.  Yunho-oppa is so sweet.”

“I know!  I’m finally starting to fall for him.”

                When the door opened, Yuri looked up.  She had been waiting for Siwon to finish.  After what Yoona said last night, she decided that she really should move on and she could only think of Siwon to help her do it.  “Siwon.”

                Siwon was startled.  He didn’t expect Yuri to be here.  He just finished shooting for a promotion and he shouldn’t meet Yuri until the weekend because she is supposed to be busy for their comeback.  Maybe that’s why Jung Yunho has been looking for her.  “Yuri?  What are you doing here?  Jung Yunho called me earlier, asking if I know where you were.”

                “I know.  He’s been pretty persistent,” she held up her vibrating phone.  “I-I need to talk to you.”

                Siwon’s brows shot up.  She seemed nervous and it is unusual.  “About what?”

                “I want you to meet my parents.”  Her voice was shaky. 

                “Yuri… are you sure about this?  You said—“

                “I know I said that I want to take this slow but sometimes you realize that when you finally meet someone who’s willing to accept what you really are, who you really are, you shouldn’t let that someone go. “

                Siwon smiled.  He is glad though he knew that she’s unsure about this, he is willing to understand her and carry whatever burdens her.  He will always be there for her.  “When?”

                Yunho has been gripping his phone too tight.  He was trying to call Yuri and she’s not answering any of his calls.  She didn’t come to their practice and no one saw her since she left their dorm this morning.  Even Choi Siwon and Yoona didn’t know where she might be.  He had been to their dorm, to her university and everywhere he thought Yuri might be. 

He hasn’t eaten yet he doesn’t feel the hunger that he should be feeling right then.  He is worried and frustrated at the same time.  He promised to protect her but she keeps slipping away from his fingers.  When something happens to her, he would never forgive himself.