It took the whole group weeks to finally finish organizing their reunion. The hardest part was deciding on what date they will all be free. Now that it was all settled and the invitations were already distributed, they felt excited as the day approaches. Kangin was more than excited about it since it was planned so he could talk to Raffie. So they can clear things up between them and start afresh.

This time he promised to his self that he won’t let go. He’ll do anything just to bring everything back to what it used to be.

“Have you talked to Tiffany?” Kyuhyun asked Heechul that’s sipping on his wine.

Kangin looked at him with his hopeful eyes. The guy just nodded while looking at Kangin at the corner of his eyes.

“What did she said?” Raffie’s impatient ex-boyfriend asked him.

Heechul crossed his legs and looked at everyone that’s sitting around the table. “Tiffany said…”

“WHAT?” Kangin interrupted.

“Aish! Just let me finish first, okay?”

The guy calmed and nodded. “Okay. SO?”

Heechul smirked and shook his head. “She said they are coming.”

“Really?” Most of their reactions were surprised rather than being excited.

“Why don’t we make a plan?” The group’s brain asked.

“What is it Kyuhyunnie?” Siwon asked as he rubbed his chin.

AT YOUR STYLE BOUTIQUE

Raphael sat across his father then looked at the old lady beside him. If only stares could kill she’ll rot in jail for it. Her blinded father wanted her to give the boutique back to her step-mother. As sure as hell that she was, it was just a part of her evil-step-mother’s plan to take everything that she has.

“Why would let that woman run this business again?” Raffie raised her tone.

“It’s been two years and it‘s not progressing even just a bit!” The old man argued.

She saw the smirk on her step-mother’s lips that made her lose her temper. “That’s it! Exactly! It’s only been TWO YEARS.”

“And what is this I heard that you’re giving out designs to our competitors? Have you lost your mind? HUH?”

Raffie let out a long sigh and looked up at his angry father. “Giving is different than selling, besides it has nothing to do with our company and it has nothing to do with you.” She looked at her step-mother.

“Look how rude your daughter was to me.” The old woman grabbed her father’s arm as if telling him she’s scared.

“Don’t talk to your mother that way!” Her Dad glared at her.

She smirked. “Oh c’mon! She’s not my mother!”

“RAPHAEL!!!” The old man shouted in anger. “I didn’t let you study in America just to be this rude to your own mother!!”

“I’ll never accept that OLD GOLD DIGGER woman as my mother!” She said with a hard jaw.

Mr. Yoon stood up and slapped Raffie hard on the face. “Now I can finally say that being your father is too disgusting!”

The old man marched out her office; followed by her step-mother. She stopped near the door to look at Raffie with her chin up. Raphael was left alone in the room. Her head lowered and sooner she knew that tears would start to fall out from her eyes again. With agape, she suddenly felt arms being wrapped around her.

“Don’t cry.” His calm voice almost whispered into her ears.

She looked up to see Leeteuk. His comforting arms and words made her cry out. She’s used to being scolded by her father but it hurts her every time he does. Every word he says leaves an undying pain inside her heart. It stabs deep and leaves a scar.

“Sshh.” He’s still trying to calm Raffie while patting her back.

Raphael sniffed loudly for a few times before she wiped her tears, she stopped and looked up at Leeteuk when he helped her. Her heartbeat rose as he rubbed his thumb on her cheek. The strange way her heart beat that made her pull away from Leeteuk’s arms in a hurry.

“I’m okay now.” She coldly said to him.

Leeteuk looked at her in confusion. She usually likes being comforted by him. “Are you sure?” He finally asked her.

Raffie composed herself and stood straight to walk to her office table. “What are you doing here by the way?”

He smiled calmly despite her giving him cold shoulders. “I followed you.”

She just sneered and looked back at the designs on her table. Leeteuk just stood there waiting for her to say something but Raffie’s expression changed again. She lowered her head as she think about what just happened.

Why do I feel this way whenever I see you like this? Leeteuk wanted to ask her but words just won’t come out.

“Go home, I don’t need you here.” He finally heard her said.

Leeteuk widened his eyes a bit; trying to make sure if he heard her right.

“I said get out!!” Raphael roared in anger.

Leeteuk walk out without a word but still with a slight smile. It’s not that he’s affected of her acting so cold at him but he wants her to think that he understands how she felt.

He sat at the couch inside the boutique, looked around as the staff’s were walking back and forth. The first is carrying some stocks; the second is following their customer as the old lady scans all the dresses hanged on the display and others were just too busy wasting their time on their own ways.

He walked towards the staffs and heard them talking about Raffie.

“I feel sorry for Miss Raffie.” The shortest girl pouted her lips and hugged the dress near her chest.

The one across her just smirked drastically and shook her head. “She only got what she deserves!”

His eyes blinked. ‘What are you saying?’ He said out loud but nobody seems to hear him.

“Why? I know Miss Raffie is nice!” The girl pouted more.

“You’re just new so you know nothing here!”

‘You don’t live with her so you know nothing about her too!’ He tried to join in.

Then assistant Hwang walked towards them, holding on her waist. “This is not the place and probably not the right time to talk about your own boss.”

‘I agree!’

What they didn’t was Raffie was just standing right behind the walls, listening to all of them talk.

= = = = =

“Don’t ever walk out of this room, okay?” Raphael pointed him with her index fingers that made him look like a kid being scolded.

“Can’t I see your bestfriend?” He asked.

“NO!”

“Why not?” He asked forming a sad face.

“She’ll get scared of course!”

“She won’t know that I was there.”

“She would feel you!”

“Noo.”

“She will.” That was Raffie’s last words to him and locked his door from outside.

“I CAN PASS THROUGH WALLS!” He shouted with a naughty smile.

“DON’T DARE!”

She heard the bell rang. With all excitement filling her up, Raffie hurriedly ran through the door and pulled it open for her bestfriend.

“Raffie!!!!” Tiffany suddenly jumped on her like a Koala.

The girl giggled a bit and spanks her friend’s . “Yah! You’re too heavy!”

“Aren’t you happy to see me?” She asked ignoring her spanking.

“Why should I? You’re here to give me another work.” Raffie said jokingly and grinned.

“Shh so mean!” But then she just laughed on it. The girls went on their way to Raffie’s secret office.

They both graduated on the same institute but with a different course taken. Raphael knew that she has the same size with Tiffany so she already has the records of her. She took out all her designs and placed it on the mid table.

“Just choose what you like there.” Raffie smiled at her.

Tiffany reached out for the designs and crossed her legs; leaning a bit forward to the table as she flipped on the pages. “Monica, Kyra, Hanna?”

Her bestfriend smiled and walked close to her, taking a peek on her own designs. “I started giving my designs a name. Don’t you think it’s unique?”

The girl nodded and read the design names out loud again. “Tiffany!” Her eyes widened. “Oh it’s my name. Dennis.” She read the last one and looked up at Raffie.

“What?” Raffie’s eyes bats.

“Do you still remember him?”

“Remember who?”

“The nerd kid at school?”

 “You know that he’s not just an ordinary nerd kid to us.”

The girl lowered her head still holding firmly on Raffie’s collection. “I know that. Are you still blaming yourself for that?”

Raphael smirked and shook her head. “I wasn’t only blaming it on myself. We’re all a part of it.”

Tiffany’s smile all faded. “Yeah, you, me, Kangin oppa, Kyuhyun oppa…” She paused. “…the whole group.”

“We’re all guilty.” Raffie said nodding.

Her friend’s eyes blinked as she remembered something. “But you know what, Dennis and the guy I wanted to introduce to you somehow looks the same.”

SM HIGH REUNION BATCH 2000-2001

At Hyatt Hotel everything was already prepared and the guests are coming one by one as the night gets darker. It has been more than 10 years since they graduated from middle school so it was kind of fun and exciting to meet each other. Some were handed glasses of Martini and others just took a glass of juice from the waiters that’s roaming around the Hotel’s ballroom. The ladies looked too classy with their gowns and dresses while the guys wore coat and tie that made them look respectable in their professions.

The music from the orchestra band covered the entire room as the guests talked and reminisces about their past years being friends at middle school. Some kisses the ladies on their cheeks as greetings, especially those who went abroad to study while the guys exchange fists and pats on the shoulder.

The party started at 7 PM sharp but it’s already past 9 PM and still; none from the best of friends showing up. The gang started to get worried since the party was made for Raffie and Kangin.

“I thought they’re coming?” Impatient Kangin asked Heechul who was sipping on his drinks.

The guy shuddered. “I don’t know. Relax, okay? They will be here!” He assured his worried friend.

Suddenly the huge doors were pulled open again sign that a new guest arrived at the party. The classy sound coming from the violin can be heard all over the hall. The guests turned their heads to see who it was. Two beautiful ladies entered the hall. You can see the excitement that was drawn on the lady’s lips at the left while the other hides her nervousness and hesitation with a slight smile.

“They’re here! They’re here!” Siwon cheered and hurriedly stood up to approach them.

Heechul, Kyuhyun stood up too, excited as they approach the girls. Yoona and Yuri waved at them happily then stood up. Kangin stayed at his chair as he watches his ex-girlfriend from afar.

You didn’t change a single bit. He said in his head.  Raffie was stunningly beautiful right in front of his eyes with her cream above the knee dress showing off her slender legs and her top made with beads and pearls that showed her cleavage; paired by a cream lacy high heels. She hanged a jacket to cover her shoulder. Her hair was pulled all at one side and curled at its end.

“Come on! What took you guys so long?” Yuri asked the girls as she linked her arms on the both of them.

Tiffany showed them her most-loved eye smile. “We got lost to be honest.”

“Seriously?” Kyuhyun smirked. “You should have called us.”

“Yeah, we’re lost in Tiffany’s room.” Raffie sneered at her best friend. “She took 4 hours to get ready.”

Yoona and Siwon shook their heads, chuckling a bit. “You never changed.” Says Yoona as she pouted her thin lips.

“Let’s go! There’s our table.” The man of gestures and gentleness showed them the way.

Siwon and Kyuhyun pulled the chairs for the two. Kangin and Raffie’s eyes met once again as she sat across him. Her chest started to thump louder. She knew she’d feel this way once they meet.

The gang smirked with what they witnessed between the exchanged of stares from the two ex lovers. Raphael was caught off guard and the first to lower her head. It was just a casual talk at the first hour that Raffie and Tiffany sat on their group’s table. It’s mostly about their professions then Kyuhyun went on stage to sing a song. He’s a good singer but he chose to be a lawyer.

“Woooh!” His friends cheered as he sings to 7 years of love while some ladies closed their eyes as they listen to his soothing voice, swaying their heads a bit to the rhythm of the song with their palms closed to each other.

“Charanda!” Kyuhyun’s girlfriend Yoona cheered this time, clapping her hands gently, her alligator smile was too visible.

More from their batch volunteered to perform too. They all exchange phone numbers as they talked about their past as a high school student; how they escaped from classes, when they stayed overnight to study for their exams and it turned to be just a movie marathon, competing with sports games; doing chemical experiments at their Chemistry lab room and their first loves.

“I remembered Siwon kept bugging me to ask Yuri out on a date.” Donghae started to laugh as he remembers Siwon’s sheepishness.

Kyuhyun patted his chest. “He asked me too and Seohyun misunderstood what happened back then.”

“So she broke up with you.” Kangin said grinning.

Yoona suddenly sneered at her boyfriend. “SO? You’re regretting that she broke up with you?”

Instead of answering his girlfriend, he just laughed heartily that causing everyone to crack up too

“But the best love story was Raffie and Kangin’s, right?” Eunhyuk unconsciously spoke.

The next second were too awkward for all of them most especially to the parties involved. Raffie sip on her Martini while Kangin took a complete shot.

Damn you ugly monkey! That’s what Raphael wanted to tell the guy.

Heechul coughed. “Childhood sweethearts, grew up together, went to the same school ever since and become officially lovers at middle school.” He suddenly shook his head while everyone’s looking at him with a slight smile.

“We can’t almost part you guys before! Just…what happened?” Siwon crossed his arms.

Raffie coughed twice. “I’m here to see you all and not to talk about worthless things.”

Tiffany held her wrist as she shook her head a bit trying to stop her best friend.

“Are you that hard now?” Kangin suddenly asked with a trace of hatred and annoyance.

“Like I’ve always been!” Raphael commented.

“WHOAH! CHILL!” Kyuhyun shouted in the air.

“Good evening again ladies, gentlemen, batch mates!” A voice came that made their heads looked at it.

Their plan was about to start. But all that’s in their group’s mind aside Raffie and Tiffany, WRONG TIMING!

“It’s finally out! The chosen King and Queen of the night are Kim Youngwoon and Lee Cheonsa!”

The girl announced that made Raffie’s heart skip a beat.