❝Encounters.

_____________________________________

Heeyoung Han.

Taeyeon clicked the search button and a few things popped up on her google search page.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1,920 results (0.47 seconds)

Two best friends involved in a tragic car accident 

https://newskorea.co.kr/tagged/newstoday

Feb, 2013 - As the two were on the way from an old friend's event, Heeyoung Han...

Car crashes into a river, leaving two female dead.

https://kbsnews.co.kr/news/2013-02-.....

Feb, 2013 - Byun Hana and Han Heeyoung found dead at the scene...

Heeyoung Han first female Korean under 18 to win gold medal figure skating at the ICATS.

https://www.icats-kor.co.kr/news/heeyoung-1100922...

Apr, 2002, Heeyoung Han wins yet again after....

Gold medalist Heeyoung Han interview

https://www.naver.co.kr/series/gold-medalist-heeyoung...

Nov, 2010 - Heeyoung Han makes a surprise return with figure...

Heeyoung Han (@HanHeeyoung) | Twitter 

https://www.twitter.com/HanHeeyoung

the latest tweets from Heeyoung Han @HanHeeyoung 

@BaekBoyy on Twitter : "I love you, @HanHeeyoung :)"

https://www.twitter.com/BaekBoyy/status/455500.....

Dec, 2010 - I love you, @HanHeeyoung :) | retweets : 2, favourites : 5

Best Student of Cheongdong High 2001, Heeyoung Han 

https://www.cheongdong-high-blogspot.blogspot.com/hee...

April, 2001 - Congratulations to the batch of 2001 for completing high school!

-----------------------------------------------------

Pictures of her appeared on Taeyeon's screen. There was one picture that stood out to her, a picture of Heeyoung in the arms of Baekhyun. He looked almost happy, Taeyeon then knew how Heeyoung would fall for his smile. His smile was boyish and almost mischevious, when he smiles, it was like he was only smiling for her. Taeyeon wondered if he smiled after her death. Taeyeon wondered if Baekhyun ever longed to smile again.

She clicked on the Baekhyun's twitter page, and she noticed that his last tweet was from a year ago, reminiscing about the old times with his ex-girlfriend. 

"Taeyeon?" 

Taeyeon jumped up and had accidentally clicked follow as she tried to click the 'x' button of her page and turned her chair around, blinking fast at the unidentified person- after a few seconds she realised it was Suho. Her eyes moved towards his chest, it was puffing up and down, as if he had been running all the way to her room.

"What's wrong?"

"Where were you?" he asked.

Taeyeon glanced at the clock. It was already 4 a.m., "The party ended?"

"Where were you? Answer the god damn question, Taeyeon. It's not that hard." He pushed a pot of plant that was sitting on the shelf in anger, which then made Taeyeon jump. She shook in nervousness, holding both her hands tightly together and biting her lips. Suho noticed how she was beginning to cry, and felt apologetic. He started moving closer towards Taeyeon to offer her a hug. "I--i'm sorry, baby, I... was worried."

If that was how Suho showed his worry, she didn't want that anymore. Suho and Taeyeon were together since wayyy back when they were in high school. She was in the same class as he was for four years in primary school, and they were also in the same bus for seven years (including high school) but they had not interacted with each other until the second year of high school. It was weird, they knew all sorts of things about each other like who each other's best friends were, where their houses were, but they had never spoken to each other. Taeyeon had noticed Suho, because of his porcelain white skin and his perfectly-fitted uniform. His choice of comic books were also decent, his socks were always white. But Taeyeon knew somehow that he wasn't interested.

The second year of high school when Suho was about to compete in a high jump for the sports competition, his friend said; "I bet that guy over there will win over you."

Suho smacked his friend lightly on the head. "Thanks for the support bro." he said sarcastically.

"I'm serious."

"And if you're wrong?"

"I'll take Kim Taeyeon out."

"and if you win..?" Suho raised his eyebrow. It was weird that his friend suddenly mentioned her name. He has heard it so many times but had never said her name before. He took a look at Taeyeon who was leaning against a tree, bored to death. He knew sports wasn't her thing. He saw her P.E grade when they were passing some files to each other. C minus. 

"You take her out, bro." his friend grinned and ran away.

Suho lost that day, but he wasn't sure if it was on purpose or not. It's not that he was interested in her, but he was sort of curious as to why she had never attempted to talk to him before. In fact he wasn't sure if there was any guy she had ever talked to before apart from the class monitor. She always had that weird grey sweater hanging on her body, and her hair was always in a ponytail. She had never, ever, ever put her hair down. She had dark hair, but when her hair catches the sunlight, suho sweared it tinted a bit golden. Her nails were never short, but also never the same length. Her skirt was too big for her, too. 

"I'm going to take you out this Saturday night, at--- say, 7.34?" Suho said on the bus as they were heading back home. Taeyeon's nose twitched at the smell of his sweat. 

"Were you talking to me?" she asked, looking around.

"Yes."

"-- why?" 

"Why not?"

"I have something else to do Saturday night at 7.34 p.m."

"Come on." he laughed. "No one has anything at 7.34 pm." he smiled. "Plus, it wasn't a question. I'll see you then."

They went out and Taeyeon ended up liking him for his bravery, and she always thought it was interesting of him to ask her out on a date at 7.34, like he was so sure. He sounded so confident around her, although, she never found out why.

------------------------------------------------------------

"Marry me." Suho voiced after their long silence. Taeyeon blinked a few times. She knew he was going to propose to her someday-- her best friend Jessica had spilled two months ago, but Taeyeon didn't think it would be this soon, and this spontaneous. Suho was always planning things. He was always detailed, he's the type to know what he wants and when he wants it. Taeyeon had always thought that if Suho would ever propose to her, it would be on a romantic night, with her surrounded with her favourite purple hydrangeas and lanterns and soft jazzy music. 

"What?" She stuttered, almost in disbelief. She needed to hear him confirming it before she could even think of replying. It was already 4 a/m, anyway, and so Taeyeon couldn't process the information.

"I said...." Suho paused, exhaling deeply. He held her shoulders to stop her from leaving. To make her stay. "Marry me, Kim Taeyeon."

---------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, 8.14 am

"Earth to Jessica Jung!" Taeyeon whispered in Jessica's ear. She was daydreaming with her face in her palms, unblinking. Jessica finally noticed Taeyeon beside her. "What were you thinking about?" Taeyeon smiled a friendly smile, lightly patting her head.

"Taeyeon... Can I move in with you?"

"... why what's wrong?" Taeyeon pulled Jessica into a tight hug as Jessica cried. 

"I had a fight with my dad. I can't do this anymore." Jessica buried her face on Taeyeon's shoulders, making her favourite shirt damp. Taeyeon didn't mind though, Jessica will always be more important. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Taeyeon asked, holding Jessica tightly. "I can ask Sunny if we're able to make room for one more person." 

Taeyeon was sure her roommate Sunny wouldn't mind. Sunny was a close friend of Taeyeon's. She was very bubbly and bright, almost the opposite of Taeyeon. They decided to rent an apartment together after Taeyeon had turned 18. Taeyeon's parents filed for divorce when she was just four, and her mother remarried another man with a son called Do Kyungsoo. Taeyeon's parents remained best friends though, and Taeyeon too became close with her step brother Kyungsoo. Sunny became Taeyeon's friend when they both worked part time at a kindergarten. (Jessica wouldn't admit that she's secretly jealous of their friendship)

"T-thank you." Jessica pulled away and wiped her tears. She was still sniffling, and she wouldn't look at Taeyeon in the eye. The pain she was feeling was eating her up alive. She couldn't face anyone at that moment. Not her parents, not Taeyeon, not anyone. Taeyeon understood this and kept her silence. She forgot everything that happened with Suho, she forgot to tell her about Baekhyun. Or Heeyoung. All she could think of was to make her friend happy.

------------------------------------------------------------

That morning, all baekhyun could think of was the girl he spent the whole night with. They didn't do anything people would be suspicious of, they just talked and talked, and he walked her home before sunrise, and he must admit, that he really enjoyed his time and conversations he had with her. He couldn't sleep after that. He liked her. He was sure of it. She reminded him of Heeyoung. The way she smiled, and when she laughed her tiny chin dimple showed, just like Heeyoung. 

And he opened up to her about Heeyoung for the first time. He told her everything about Heeyoung, from the first day they met until her death. 

He was so mad at himself for liking her. He wasn't supposed to get over Heeyoung, not just yet. Maybe he was too drunk. Baekhyun didn't remember what she even looked like. He didn't even know her name.

He took his phone and clicked on the tiny blue bird icon on his homepage, -- and after a few hesitations he finally gained courage to type out ; "Where are you, cafe girl?" with hopes that he will see her again one day.

-------------------------------------------------------

Chanyeol banged his head on the table in frustration. What was it about her that he couldn’t get over? He didn’t even truly like her when they were little. Not really, anyway. It was just a small crush. They were neighbours and they would climb his treehouse and stayed there till the sun sets. Krystal didn't talk a lot back then. They would usually just play in silence. He had his toy cars and she had her princess doll that she named "Mary." 

"What's with that dress of hers?" Chanyeol mumbled, throwing an empty cup to his wooden table. "And that hair... she changed it. She totally changed it."

After much thought, Chanyeol stood up from the sofa and approached his locked desk drawer. He tried rummaging through his papers and files to find for the key, and when he finally did find it, he unlocked the drawer to find a box he previously swore to himself he wouldn't open. But that was back in 2010, when he decided that his new years resolution was to lock away the past. 

He's not the 2010 Chanyeol anymore. He needed to find a picture of the twelve year old Krystal. He just needed to. 

There it was. She was wearing a straight-cut jeans with her famous pink sneakers, and her hair braided. She looked silly, but that was the way Chanyeol liked it. 

------------------------------------------------------

"Annyeonhasaeyo, you're back with Krystal. Thank you for tuning in Chung-Ang University Radio, I'll see you tomorrow" Krystal said cheerfully through the microphone and started playing a new song that she recently liked.

"Krystal, someone's outside searching for you." her classmate peeked her head at the door. Krystal took off her headphones.

"I'm kind of busy..." Krystal panicked, muting her microphone and she shook her head and checked her watch. Her boyfriend Sehun couldn't possibly visit her now, he himself has class at that moment.

"You've been here all afternoon. Go get yourself a break. You'll miss lunchtime." her friend insisted. "Don't you have assignments anyway? That song composing thing- right?" 

Her friend had a point. Krystal wasn't all that interested in being a DJ. She just wants to graduate and get a Music degree.

"Doing this extra work for extra points, but alright." Krystal rolled her eyes and smiled. Her tummy started to grumble and she blushed. She was hungry, anyway.As the last song of the day ended, she turned off everything and headed out, taking her jacket with her. It was getting cold.

"Hi." said a deep voice. 

"Oh, Chanyeol."

-----------------------------------------

Taeyeon felt rather lonely. 

She had sent her best friend back to her apartment because she knew Jessica needed all the rest she could get. Mr. Jo walked in the cafe with a judging eye, he sniffed and fixed his glasses, walking awkwardly towards Taeyeon who was cleaning up a few glasses from the previous customer who came.

"Jessica?"

"....Sick, I sent her home. I hope you don't mind... I---I'll clean up everything. I'll do her part." said Taeyeon shakily.

"No, no, it's fine." said Mr. Jo. He wouldn't in a million years, would think of scolding Taeyeon... the owner's girlfriend. Mr. Jo was the manager, but after finding out about their relationship, he felt intimidated and rather scared of the power Taeyeon had over Suho. (therefore over the cafe, and therefore, over himself as well.)

"Where's Suho?" asked Mr. Jo.

"Um--- I don't know." Taeyeon said.

"Oh... well, my niece will start to work here." he paused, and turned his head. "In fact, here she is. Ahhh, Yuri, say hello."

A tall and tanned woman with the most flawless hair bowed her head slightly at Taeyeon, making her feel like a total turd. Yuri was gorgeous. "Hello, I'm Yuri, I'll be the barista here, but hey, please do help me along the way. I'm still new, so..." Yuri laughed nervously.

"Don't worry, you'll fit right in." Taeyeon said, although she felt unsure of how Jessica would react to this.