AN: This is quite a long update. I'm trying to make up for all the days I've been absent. :) Listen to Kevin Woo's My Girl before reading!  x

CHAPTER 9

[Kim Tae Yeon’s POV]

“Would you look at that, SNSD’s Kim Taeyeon looking so wretched and defeated,” Yeri spoke in both wonder and mockery as she stepped inside the female’s comfort room.

 I turned off the faucet rather forcefully and shot her a dirty look.

“If you know what’s good for yourself then you better keep your mouth shut,” I warned through gritted teeth. I heaved a deep breath and stared at my reflection on the mirror. Yeri was right. I look terrible – my brows furrowed into a frown, my eyes hard, and my lips pressed into a thin line. I tried to calm myself as I plucked off some tissues from the dispenser to dry my hands but only ended up flinging all of it towards the mirror.

Yeri stood in stunned silence.

“Curse her,” I muttered, my voice shaking and my breathing ragged. I balled my hands into fists and slammed it hard against the marble sink counter. Yeri flinched right behind me. “I want to hurt her. I want to hurt her so bad. I want to make her life in this company so miserable she would have no choice but to crawl back to that filthy place she came from.”

“T-Taeyeon,” Yeri stuttered, clearly surprised by my sudden outburst. “I’m really enjoying hearing you say those things to that girl but… I just don’t understand… why are you so mad at her?”

“Baekhyun…” I murmured but Yeri only shook her head, still unable to get the picture.

“I know. I saw that, okay? She and your Baekhyun onstage. Hell, they got a lot of chemistry I must admit but I don’t understand how you could be that mad towards her. I mean… they just sang together. Not much of a big deal,” she explained as she stared at my swollen fists to prove her point.

“It’s a big deal for me,” I answered back, my voice sounding almost like a growl.

“Why?”

I stared at her hard through the mirror’s reflection.

Slowly, I said, “Because they used to be together.”

The expression on Yeri’s face was priceless. It might have made me burst out laughing if I wasn’t just too mad and pissed at the moment. She stood gaping at me for a few moments before finally being able to regain her composure.

“Together?” she repeated incredulously. “You mean together as in… dating… boyfriend and girlfriend thing?”

I nodded my head grimly and she gasped out loud.

“H-How is that possible?” she blurted, eyes wide in astonishment. “I-I thought… You and Baekhyun…”

Yeri broke off and shook her head as if what I just said is giving her a headache.

“You mean there was a third party going on all this time? Baekhyun cheated on you? Like that?” she continued to ask.

I shook my head, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. This is the topic I’ve always dreaded to touch. It filled me with extreme embarrassment and guilt that I’ve always avoided to talk about it, much less think about it. It was hardly the reason why I kept myself from telling it to Yeri. Because I’m embarrassed. Because I hate admitting my defeat.

I lowered my head and spoke almost inaudibly, “We were never in a relationship.”

Yeri’s mouth dropped even lower I swear it almost made me fear she might get her jaw locked.

“What the hell are you talking about?” she demanded, her voice rising. “You two were dating! I saw it in the news! The CEO confirmed it! Everyone knows about it!”

“It was a lie,” I explained, still unable to meet her eyes. “It was a lie staged by me and the CEO to cover up for Kris’ departure controversy.”

Yeri looked like her soul had just literally fled from her body.

I took my time to explain to her detail by detail the truth about what actually happened. I narrated to her how I made the CEO believe Baekhyun is in love with me and it would do no harm if we would publicize our relationship. I told her about how we conspired with Dispatch to catch me and Baekhyun on our ‘date’ which I had thoroughly planned and sorted out. I revealed to her the whole story without leaving anything behind and by the time I was finished, Yeri only gazed at me with a look of both amazement and horror.

“Just when I thought I am already the meanest person here in SM…” she muttered, shaking her head in awe. “You have my respect, Kim Taeyeon.”

I don’t know whether to be flattered or offended by what she said but I forced myself to give her a smile.

“You mean Baekhyun and Hanna has always been in a secret relationship? How long?” she asked and I could almost imagine her mind working – trying to find answers to her endless questions.

“I have no idea how long they’ve been hiding behind my back but what’s important right now is that they’re already over,” I said, able to raise my chin in confidence again.

“They broke up? When? How?” Yeri inquired as if the topic piqued the whole of her interest.

“The night of Luhan’s departure,” I answered quickly and then added with an absolute smugness, “Hanna caught Baekhyun and I kissing.”

“KISSING?!” she erupted and dashed to stand beside me. Her eyes are getting bigger and bigger as time passes by, the fire behind them burning brighter. Yeri’s having the time of her life.

I nodded proudly.

“And take note…” I spoke, leaning closer to her hear to whisper. “Baekhyun kissed me first.”

Yeri looked like I had just given her the greatest gift in her whole existence which, I might as well say, amounts to an expensive designer bag.

“HE DID?!” she gasped in bewilderment. “So what do you think? What does that mean?”

I shrugged and stared back at my reflection. I look better now – my brows not anymore furrowed, my eyes already bright, and my lips already twisted into a sly smile. I looked calmer and once more ready for battle.

“I don’t know,” I said, hope evident in my tone. “But no matter what his reason is for kissing me, all I know is that night, I managed to tear him and Hanna apart.”

“You’re not going to back down now, are you?” Yeri asked though I know she already knows the answer.

The corner of my lips pulled up into an impish grin.

“Of course not. The game has finally started. And I’m just planning to make it even more fun.”

Yeri and I’s eyes met at the mirror to share an unspoken secret. Her lips slowly twisted into a devilish smirk as she understood the plans I have in mind.

***

[Sol Han Na’s POV]

I’ve left the dorm and am on my way to the concert venue. With the ticket held in hand, I kept thinking back and forth whether it’s a good idea to show up. The part of me, the one that still clings onto the idea that Baekhyun still cares for me, keeps on insisting attending the concert would only make Baekhyun mad – jealous. But I know I was only fooling myself. Of course, he won’t feel that way. Not anymore. Not ever again.

From: Kim Myungsoo

You coming?

A text message I received a while ago said. I had to postpone my reply since I’m still undecided whether to push through with this or not. But then again, my conscience began to bug me. He took care of you that night. This is the least thing you could do for him.

Giving up, I typed in an answer and hit send.

To: Kim Myungsoo

On my way. :)

“Hanna?” Ms. Kim called out from the passenger seat.

I turned my attention from the view outside the window towards her.

“Yes, Miss?”

Ms. Kim seemed to search for something inside her shoulder bag before shifting on her seat to face me. She held out a thick rectangular golden box which I cautiously took.

“A gift,” she said, answering my unspoken question. “I figured you can use it for the concert.”

I already have an idea on what’s inside but still opened it for the sake of not spoiling Ms. Kim’s happiness. It contained a lightstick in pearl metal gold – Infinite’s fandom color. Carefully taking it out of the box, I turned the light on and the infinite logo burst into life.

“T-Thanks, Miss,” I muttered in awe.

She giggled and replied, “Enjoy the concert.”

***

I was thinking about a whole lot of things during the whole drive that I didn’t even notice the time passing by. I kept reliving the moment I had yesterday onstage when I sang in front of Taeyeon. I got so consumed by the song that I only realized what I did right after the rehearsals when everyone began approaching me saying how badass I looked while performing.

But other than that incident, my performance with Baekhyun was what I had been pondering about the most. The members kept on praising us for our chemistry and overflowing emotions onstage. They say it’s due to the fact that the two of us had been living together for a long time that made it easy for us to jive with each other well. I wonder how they’ll react if they learned the true reason. 

“We’re here,” Mr. Kang announced as he pulled up right in front of the stadium. I can see the thousands of fans waiting outside in lines, excited to see their beloved Idols. Their cheers and laughter can be heard even inside the van that I found myself holding the ticket and lightstick tightly. It’s difficult not to get infected by their excitement.

“Take us to the back entrance. We can’t risk the fans seeing Hanna. It’d be chaotic,” Ms. Kim ordered and Mr. Kang immediately obliged.

We parked in a place I assume only staffs and some chosen people are allowed to enter. I stepped out of the van and was immediately flanked by Ms. Kim on my side. She led the way inside the stadium and I found myself getting welcomed by some of We Got Married’s staffs.

I stared at them in confusion.

“I-I don’t remember having a scheduled filming today, Miss,” I whispered amidst the buzzing coming off from the staffs.

Ms. Kim seemed uncomfortable for a moment but she easily fixed her expression right before I got the chance to catch on. She replied, “I don’t know. Maybe they figured this is a fine moment to broadcast on television. This is you attending L’s concert anyway.”

“But how did they even know I’d be here?” I demanded but Ms. Kim was saved from answering when Infinite’s manager suddenly popped out of thin air.

“Miss Kim, Hanna,” the man greeted the two of us politely. “People are already filing in inside the stadium. Do you have your ticket with you, Hanna?”

I nodded and held the white and gold paper up in the air.

Infinite’s manager smiled and said, “Very well. You can enter once everyone’s already seated. It’s still quite disorganized inside. Just show this ticket to the staff and he or she will you to your seat.”

The man leaned close to my ear.

“Everyone here knows you’re one of our VIPs,” he added with a wink before speeding off.

Ms. Kim stood beaming beside me.

“They don’t have to give me any special treatments,” I complained. “I can wait in line just like all other fans out there.”

Ms. Kim chuckled and patted my shoulder.

“How can they not? You’re Kim Myungsoo’s wife. You’re nothing but special.”

***

[Byun Baek Hyun’s POV]

“How’s the practice going?” Manager Song asked as she stepped inside the practice room. The boys and I are scattered everywhere: seated on the floor, lying on the floor, sprawled on the couch – each trying to get some rest in their own weird way.

I chose to sit at the corner, the one which used to be Hanna’s spot back in the days she’d join us every practice.

“We’re almost done, Manager,” Kai spoke. Being the main dancer, he has full responsibility in reporting the status of our dance and choreography. “We’re almost finished patching up Luhan hyung’s parts. All we need is a bit more polishing then everything will be ready for tomorrow’s concert.”

Manager Song nodded, her eyes hard and unreadable. It hasn’t been so long since Luhan departed from our group so it’s no wonder how everyone still gets quite sensitive and worked up when being reminded about the issue.

“There’s something I want you to hear,” Manager Song said as she crossed the room and sat on the floor. Everyone left their places to surround her.

She took her phone out and pressed something.

A soft melody filled the room followed by a beautiful but painfully familiar voice.

Hanna, I thought only after hearing the first word drop from the song. I looked around to see if the boys had already figured out the same thing but it took them a few more moments before someone spoke.

“It’s Hanna, right?” Kyungsoo said. All others nodded in affirmation. I almost chuckled proudly. What took them so long to recognize it’s her voice? All I need is a single word to know. But of course I’d know her voice anywhere in this world. I’d know the sound of her footsteps, the sound of her breathing – these are parts of the most beautiful sounds God has ever created.

My favorite sounds.

We all listened in silence as the song progresses and reached the end. It was slow and sad and emotional. I can feel my chest slowly twisting in pain as I listened to it and I think the members felt the same way too.

Suho drew in a deep breath.

“What was that about, Manager?” he asked. “Did Hanna write it?”

Manager Song shook her head and replied, “It was Jonghyun’s. She gave Hanna the song after hearing her sings it.”

The boys began talking to one another at the same time but Manager Song held her hand out to order silence.

“There’s another one,” she announced and I caught her throw a quick glance at me before pressing her phone again.

This time, the song began with a slow plucking of acoustic guitar strings. I recognized Hanna’s voice again right from the very first word.

Just like the first song, it was slow and sad. But I can easily tell the emotions are stronger in this one. My chest began to twist more painfully.

I listened to every word of the song – trying to understand and absorb their meaning. I can feel it touching my heart in ways the first song wasn’t able to do and for a brief moment it crossed my mind whether it’s possible that Hanna wrote this song.

We’ve reached the chorus and a line from it made me flinch instinctively.

My heart hurts when I see you. It’s okay, it’s love.

I could feel my hands tremble but I sat in silence and fought to contain my emotions. Every line of the song felt like a huge blow on me, especially that one in the chorus. The song ended and it was only the time I managed to breathe again.

“H-Hanna wrote that… didn’t she?” I muttered under my breath. My eyes met Manager Song’s and hers were filled with sadness and pity. Only she among all these