***Merry Christmas Everyone! I'm sorry I was only able to update now. The past weeks had been very busy with the Christmas season. :( The next week is also expected to be the same. Hope you enjoy this chapter! :D

Chapter 6

Finally Standing Up

As Im Yoona entered the Party hall, people started to take notice of her. There were some whispers. But others were pleasantly surprised.

“It seems… we’re getting better response than expected.” Said Yoona.

“It’s because I put really good makeup on you.” said Sunny.

Yoona smiled.

“That’s right… and this dress…”

Yoona looked at the white dress Sunny let her use. It was an elegant white dress that reached her ankle.

“Everyone’s eyes are on you.” said Sunny. “And I don’t think it’s because they’re making fun of you. I feel like they’re looking because of admiration now.”

Yoona nodded. It surely felt different. She will stop being in the shadows and allow people to look down on her. Starting today… she will stand up.

“Wow… you did come.”

That voice came from the center. It was Yuri. Her hands were holding the arm of a familiar man.

That man…

“Jang KeunSuk Sunbae…” said Yoona.

“Im… Yoona?” the man asked, his eyes wide in surprise.

Yoona smiled.

That man still looks good after all these years.

“It’s been a long time.”

“Indeed.” Said the KeunSuk.

The man turned to walk towards Yoona but Yuri pulled him back to her.

“She’s a chess club member back in high school. She’s Im Yoona.” said KeunSuk.

“I know who she is.” Said Yuri.

Yuri walked towards Yoona.

“She’s the girl who always clumsily falls in the corridor of the school. She makes a mess everywhere. She fails in almost everything. She’s a loser.” Said Yuri.

“That’s not true Yuri.” Said KeunSuk.

Yoona felt cold water being poured on her.

Everyone started talking among themselves.

Yoona felt like all the admiration gone now… it’s now replaced by the usual judgment and hatred…

How can Yuri easily change everything?

“Now now, KeunSuk… You transferred out eventually so you did not see her but everyone remembers Im Yoona right?” Yuri announced. “Surely you all remember the girl who failed in all her subjects in one exam and made all the professors sanction her. You could remember how she ran around the school all muddy… She’s like a crazy loser in highschool. She locked herself in the bathroom the whole day to avoid counseling. And she did not have one single friend.”

“Yuri, stop that.” Said KeunSuk. KeunSuk’s eyes narrowed. He looked angry.

Sunbae… is still a good person until now. Yoona sighed.

“On top of that… she only became a member of the chess team… the only club that welcomed her… because she liked the president.” Said Yuri. “Who was my boyfriend back then.”

Yoona bit her lip, She couldn’t look at KeunSuk. Yuri’s words are embarrassing to hear. They are lies… but what if Sunbae thinks there’s truth to it? What if everyone believes her?

“You said you are coming here to face them.” Whispered Sunny.

Sunny held Yoona’s hand.

“Remember what gave you courage to come here. Remember where you got the strength. And use it to fight for yourself.” Said Sunny.

Right… her strength… the courage to attend this reunion…

It came from those words…

You’re stronger than you think you are. So don’t make other people make you think you are weak…

That’s right… there are some people who believe in her… like Sunny…

Like Ji ChangWook…

This time… she’s not alone…

She will not allow Yuri to make her look weak anymore.

“I…” Yoona spoke. “Didn’t like chess.”

Yuri laughed.

“See! I told you she only went to the club to get KeunSuk’s attention.”

KeunSuk grabbed Yuri’s arm to stop her.

“Stop it this instant, Yuri.” Said KeunSuk, his voice threatening.

“Because chess… took my brother’s life.”

Everyone went silent.

“My brother… was a chess champion. A few months before I entered highschool, he met an accident… He was on his way to a chess competition.” Said Yoona. “Chess… took him from us… So I hated chess for a while.”

All the people’s attention was on Yoona. No one spoke. They were intently listening.

“But KeunSuk Sunbae learned about my brother. He met my brother in some competition. When he learned I was studying in the same school… he asked me to be a chess club member.” Said Yoona.

There were gasps. Most people were hearing a revelation. Im Yoona… did not enter the club to get KeunSuk’s attention. It was KeunSuk who asked her to be part of the club!

“At first… I hated the idea. I did not want to have anything to do with chess… but Sunbae talked to me every day to convince me. And when I got fed up… I finally decided to try it.” Said Yoona. “That’s why I became a chess club member.”

KeunSuk let Yuri’s arm go.

Yuri’s eyes were confused. She looked at KeunSuk to ask for confirmation.

KeunSuk nodded.

“It turned out that Yoona also has talent in chess…like her brother… it runs in their blood. Their mother was also a player when she was in highschool. In just a few months of training Yoona, she was ready for the competition. But just as she was going to be included in the line-up for competitions…” KeunSuk sighed. “I had to leave Seoul and transferred school. And then I heard Yoona quit the club a few weeks after. It was… such a waste.”

KeunSuk walked towards Yoona.

“Why? Why did you quit chess Yoona?” asked KeunSuk.

Yoona looked at Yuri.

Yuri’s eyes looked overly moist like she could cry. For Yoona… Yuri’s eyes seem to be begging her…. Begging her to not tell KeunSuk everything …

“Because I lacked confidence.” Said Yoona. “I lacked confidence in myself.”

Yuri looked away. She seemed to be hiding her tears.

“That day people said I locked myself in the bathroom to hide from the professors… to hide from counseling… I did not intend to do that. I planned to join counseling. I wanted to improve my grades.” Said Yoona. “But as I was going out… I lost my confidence that I can improve myself. That’s why I just… hid inside.”

Sunny’s eyes widened and questioned her.

“Someone locked up you up in there—“ Sunny started saying but Yoona shook her head.

“It’s ok now.” Yoona held Sunny’s hand. “I’m ok now.”

Sunny held back her tears.

“I hate that good heart of yours.” Sunny whispered.

“Now if you will excuse me.” Said Yoona. “I already caused too much scene for tonight. I don’t want to steal more spotlight. Please continue with the party.”

And then Yoona went away.

Yoona walked out of the party and into the street.

Wow!

She’s feeling great! What did she do there? How was she able to do that?!

“Yoona!”

Yoona turned back and saw KeunSuk running towards her. He stopped in front of her catching his breath.

“Yoona… You… You did great back there.”

Yoona smiled.

“I did, did I?” Yoona started laughing. “I did not expect myself to do that but… it turned out that I was capable to doing that… I was… capable of standing for myself.”

KeunSuk nodded, there was that smile on his face that reminded Yoona of her Sunbae’s younger self.

“Yeah… You’re great… just as you were back in high shool.” Said KeunSuk

“Huh? You didn’t hear Yuri? I was a loser back then, Sunbae.” Said Yoona

KeunSuk shook his head.

“I never saw you as a loser, Yoona.” Said KeunSuk. “When you were learning chess… improving day by day… never crying even when you just lost your brother… always smiling as if nothing wrong was happening… I thought you were… a strong girl.”

“A strong… girl?”

KeunSuk nodded.

“And you still are.” Said KeunSuk.

Yoona doesn’t know what to think.

Wow… another person believed in her!

“I… I’m sorry.” KeunSuk bowed low.

“What are you doing?” asked Yoona.

“I… I think I have caused some problems to you in high school… hearing what Yuri said… I think I might have caused you trouble back then… people thought you liked me and became a club member for me…”

“It’s all right, Sunbae.”

KeunSuk raised his head.

“It’s ok… I’m ok now… things are all right now.” Said Yoona, her smile reached her eyes. “That is why you should not feel sorry anymore.”

“Yuri… she did things to you back then did she?” asked KeunSuk. “She made your life in high school terrible.”

Yoona did not answer.

“But you… protected her in there… in that party… you did not want to humiliate her so you did not clarify the things she said against you.” Said KeunSuk

Yoona took a while to answer.

“I think that Yuri… loves you a lot.” Said Yoona. “That is why… she could not let anyone else have you. And I… threatened her unintentionally by being close to you. I was clueless and insensitive… I didn’t know I was already hurting someone else’ feelings.”

“But still…”

“Things… are ok now…” said Yoona.

Because of Yuri… she felt like a loser and a weakling since high school. But because of that… She was able to talk to Mr. Ji about her weaknesses… because of that… Mr. Ji was also able to open up abou