Chapter 19

Once their lecture was over, Tiffany recounted what happened to Sunny out in the courtyard. They sat under the bench that they usually sat on under the maple tree. Sunny checked Tiffany’s bandaged knees & cringed at the thought of how much it must have hurt to scrape your knees on the gravel. She looked at Tiffany with a sad look, “I’m so sorry about your knees. That stupid Seohyun!” Tiffany laughed at her overprotectiveness, “Seriously, I’m really okay. You & Jejung Oppa are both worrywarts. I’m not a delicate flower, you know?” “Well, you are to me, my own beautiful rose.” Jejung walked over to her & gave her a kiss on the cheek. Siwon was beside him & pretended to gag, “Dude, when did you get that mushy & stuff?” Jejung gave him a slap on the back, “You will be exactly the same as me when you fall head over heels in love, too.” He looked at Sunny as he said this which made her & Siwon, both blush profusely under his gaze. Tiffany muffled her laughter behind her hand, “Yeah, whatever Jejung.” Siwon said, giving him a push back. Tiffany moved as if to get up but Jejung pushed her lightly back down, “Sit down.” Tiffany looked at him in shock, “I don’t want to see you move around so much when you are hurt. You are to stay on this bench until your next class.” Before she could utter anything, he continued, “When is your next class? Eleven? What was it again? Nutrition?” Tiffany nodded, still staring at him blankly.

Jejung chuckled at her perturbed expression which snapped Tiffany out of it, “Seriously Oppa, I can get up. I’m fine.” She moved to get up again, & winced in pain as she bended her knee. Jejung quickly moved to sit her back down again, “See, what did I tell you.” He bent down to inspect her bandages to see if they fell apart or anything. He was satisfied to see that all was okay. When he got back up to Tiffany’s level again, he put his arm around her & she laid her head on his shoulder, “Just be more careful okay?” Tiffany nodded & smiled in contentment. Sunny & Siwon, both shook their heads at the couple. New love, especially one so intense wasn’t easily simpered. Sunny smiled at them & started to get up but before she could fully stand, she fell back down again. Siwon quickly moved over to her side to see if she was okay, “Are you alright? Where does it hurt? Did Seohyun pick on you too, & made you fall just like Tiffany?” Sunny gasped out loud, “Me, being bullied by that tramp Seohyun?! As if! I will be the one that is the bully!” Hearing her retort, he smiled & was assured that she was okay, “Yeah, you are.” He said, under his breath. Sunny had an intake of breath & kicked him backward, making him fall back. He got up, rubbing his backside & smiled sheepishly back at her.

“My foot just fell asleep, you idiot!” She rubbed her short leg in order to give it a feeling again. Siwon put his hand over hers & helped her up slowly. Sunny didn’t brush him off as she finally was able to stand upright. However, her leg still hadn’t regained all feeling so Siwon still held onto her hand. Her cheeks turned a bit pink at the touch of her hand in his, “See you two lovebirds later.” Siwon walked away with Sunny still in his grip. Once they were finally off the premises, Tiffany & Jejung looked at each other & burst out laughing, “Yeah, I’m all mushy & stuff. He should say that about himself. He’s got it bad. The chemistry is totally there.” Tiffany nodded her head to agree with him, “Sunny hasn’t been like this with any of her other boyfriends. Siwon is definitely the one for her. Your families chose right for who should get with who. I’m just glad that they didn’t place you with anyone & saved you for me.” Jejung looked down at her, “So, am I the one for you?” Tiffany smiled & took out her rose pouch. She then raised Jejung’s shirt to unite his rose pouch from his belt loop. She put both pouches together & together, they looked at them.

“The roses of yesterday symbolize all the good & bad memories that we had together & will have. Each petal is a memory of love. Ever since I first met you all those years ago, I knew that I loved you. The love just turned from friendship to true love.” Jejung’s eyes misted at her words as he bent down to capture her lips with his. They shared a passionate kiss filled with all the emotions that they were feeling. With his mouth on hers, he showed her how much he loved her. When they finally pulled apart, Tiffany’s eyes were pink with the look of one thoroughly kissed.

Tiffany laid her head back on Jejung’s shoulder & he squeezed her tighter. They stayed that way & talked about anything that came up, “I can’t believe you are graduating in a month. You have only been back in school for a week.” Jejung her head & nodded, “After you graduate then I will be so lonely here without you. I won’t get to see you as often as I would like. You will go on your tour again, & you will be unreachable.” As the thought came into her head, tears came pouring down & she couldn’t even bring herself to think more on losing her Jaejoong Oppa again. Jejung laughed at her emotional distress since he knew that she wasn’t thinking coherently.

“I will never be apart from you. Don’t worry.” Tiffany looked at him with wet eyes, “Anyway, I could always fail my business class & take them all over again, so I will still be in school with you.” Tiffany pulled away & gave him a shove, “Don’t you dare. If you fail any of your classes, we are through.” Jejung stared into her soulful eyes to search if she was serious or not & when he found that she was, he smiled & pulled her against him again. He kissed the top of her head, “You are so undecided sometimes. One minute you want me to stay in school with you, the other you want me to keep going as I am.”

“I want you to succeed & I know that you will so don’t think anymore about failing. It’s bad luck.” Jejung buried his face in her hair, smelling its sweet softness, “I love you. Don’t worry, I will pass & graduate with honors with both my degrees. I will really miss seeing you in school too, but I will see you everyday no matter where I am & if I’m not with you.” He took the rose pouches from her hands, “Don’t forget our promise & the meaning of our roses of yesterday.” Tiffany nodded & smiled again, “It still won’t be the same as having you around but just as long as you don’t leave me for someone else on a tour, I will be happy.” Jejung shot her an incredulous look, “You mean I can’t date other people outside of our relationship?” He said in mock seriousness. Tiffany got up quickly & fell down on the ground hard as the pain from her knees caused her to buckle.

Jejung looked at her, surprises & worry etched on his face. He pulled her back up & patted the dirt off of her clothes, “I was just kidding. I’m sorry. That was wrong of me to do.” Tiffany brushed his hand away & flashed her eyes at him which was filled with hurt & a little bit of anger, “How could you even say that? I thought you loved me. Those words really hurt. How would you like it if I go out with other guys when you are on a tour?” She turned her back to him, ‘I mean, there are more guys interested in me now.” Jejung put his arms around her from behind, “Don’t you dare or else I will hunt you down & take you away & then carry you off with me on my tour. I will also make you sing.” Tiffany gasped & turned around to look at him, “How do you know that I can’t sing?” Jejung laughed, “I still remember when you were younger, you were tone-death & couldn’t sing even jingle bells right at Christmas time.” Tiffany blushed as she remembered. Jejung touched her cheeks, ‘You are so beautiful when you blush.”

“Hey, don’t you dare make fun of me. You weren’t exactly the smartest singer back then either. You sang along with me, thinking that it was real. There are also other little embarrassing secrets of yours that I could just tell all your fans about.” Jejung stared at her & started laughing again, “That would be really funny actually. Just as long as the person who exposes my past is you, I won’t mind.” They laughed some more & talked until it was time for them to get to class again. Before Jejung left for his, the gentlemanly boyfriend he was, he escorted Tiffany to her nutrition class. Before they knew it, in a matter of hours, class were over & they all went back to the Kim mansion.