BGM: A Thousand Years

The next day…

The good thing about Jessica is that after she cries, she smiles like a rainbow that shone after the rain.  She realized that moping and holding grudge won’t help solve her problems.  She owe Donghae on this.  Because he comforted her, she felt stress-free—like her negative feelings have vanished.

She blushed when she remembered how long she stayed in his arms.  Gosh!  It was embarrassing.  She had to do something to distract herself from her flipping stomach.  Her heart was beating fast too.

“Why aren’t you touching your food?” asked Donghae with an unreadable expression.

It was their break and they were ‘hanging out’ in the cafeteria.  Did he become kinder to her or was it just her paranoia?

“This is why you’re skinny.  You should eat more,” he said again while transferring a portion of his food to her plate.

She frowned at his actions and took her chopsticks, and then, put back all that he gave her back to him.

“Yah!” he slapped her hand.  He wasn’t doing it to annoy her.  He was thinking of her health.  He didn’t like the sight of her fainting or throwing up.  Besides, he was merely helping her.  “Eat up.  You’ll need more energy for your football practice later.”  Damn.  He sounded different form the real Lee Donghae the gangster.

“It’s because…there’s cucumber on it,” she pouted unconsciously.

“Aish!  You’re such a kid.”  He had no choice but to segregate the hated vegetables from her salad.  Holy crap!  If Super Junior was here, they’d probably be laughing at him already—because he wasn’t the caring-type of guy and yet he is tending to her needs like her boyfriend.  .  He didn’t just think about that!

Jessica was feeling a lot better during the afternoon practice.  Her friends were happy to see her cheerful self back, except Taeyeon.  She was upset at her.

“Why the long face, Taengoo?” she asked her but Taeyeon only grunted in annoyance and looked away.  “Are you mad at me?  I’m sorry…that I was out of reach these past days—”

“Oh really?  Unreachable for several days but you were with Donghae instead of us.  Since the day he dragged you out of the cafeteria, you stopped talking to me.  It’s like I don’t exist anymore,” Taeyeon huffed—breath became shorter and faster because of frustration.  “You, being with him, caused tongues to wag in the campus, Sica.”

Jessica chuckled at her reaction.  The other girl was obviously jealous so she followed her ran across the field.  “Donghae is a new friend of mine.  But you’ll forever be the bestest one I have, BFF!”  Then, she gave her a bear hug.  “So sulk no more, Taeyeon, your nostrils grew bigger when you’re angry!” she laughed.

“Yah!  Get off me!” she pushed her away playfully and slapped her arm.

“Ouch—that’ll bruise!”

By now, they’ve made up since they’re already teasing each other.

“But seriously, Sica, you don’t know him that much yet.  He possesses the evil spirit of an archetypal gangster.  The likes of him do no good in this world.”  Her face contorted with revulsion.  “Oh my God!  Don’t tell me—is he recruiting you to be a part of their gang.  Eeeew!”

“No!  Kim Taeyeon, you’re being judgmental—”

“Why are you defending him?  By any chance…do you like him?  Is he your crush?”

“Huh? No!”  Her cheeks turned pink instantaneously.  Her heart beat at a double pace.  “W-What are you talking about?”

Grinning widely, Taeyeon and began to tickle her sides.  They didn’t stop playing around until Coach Collins called them.  Fortunately, Jessica will be playing in the semi-finals.  What their coach told her before was just a threat for her to focus on the game.  It will be a big loss of their team if she’ll only sit on the bench and watch the others play.

“Jessica,” reckoned Taeyeon.