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As violent as change
 

They say that a person’s conscience is much like an ocean. The waves at first are beautiful and gentle but when a storm hits they change and turn into a violent force. What was beautiful at first glance and gentle at first touch have turned into something ugly and aggressive. And everything realistic has some sort of ugliness in it. Even a flower is ugly when it wilts, a bird when it seeks its prey and the ocean when it’s violent.  

~unforgettable
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Chapter2

Change

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Taecyeon’s POV
 

The sudden news about my father’s condition had hit like me a bullet. He was ill, my father, the man who constantly regarded himself as the happiest and healthiest person alive. That night when I had reached his ward I stopped abruptly at the unconscious state of him lying on the bed with an oxygen mask taped on his mouth. The tears that came out of me were hot and filled with uncontrollable anger. Ever since my mother had passed away it was our father that had taken care of us. He promised us that he would never leave us. But he was breaking his promise because now he was leaving us as well.
 

The doctors said that he was in a stable condition but I wouldn’t believe it. I knew that there would come a day very soon that our father would leave us forever. And I wasn’t prepared for that because it would mean that I would be taking over his company with the responsibility of over 5000 employees. I didn’t have that in me, heck I didn’t even know what the word responsibility even meant. That night I wished I was born after my brother so that he could be the heir and not me.
 

Because somehow he was born the sensible son, he preferred to study and help his father while I was out at night partying and screwing girls. But my father still loved me and that was the problem because it made me feel guilty. There’s nothing like a dose of guilt. I felt like there was a tap stuck in my heart dripping guilt every second. And with this guilt I started to change myself for the better.
 

This meant that I had to attend school all over again.
 

Mind you it took a long time for my father’s secretary to convince me to start from scratch. At first I thought that I was just going to sign some papers and the company would be under my name but it didn’t work that way. They told me that I was going to have to go to school to take up studies on financing and enterprise so that I would have the suitable experience to take responsibility over my father’s company.
 

So here I was at the Academy of Financing and Enterprise.
 

I walked through the corridors with a map in my hand as I searched for the lecture room I was supposed to be in. Everybody stared after me as I walked passed them like I was some lost school boy.
 

school, I thought to myself as I scrunched up the map in my hand. It was a stupid idea of them telling me to go to school, I wouldn’t learn anything and I would probably be sleeping anyway.
 

I threw my question at the next person who walked past me. “Hey! Where’s room 43?”
 

“Umm… it’s… it’s down the hallway to your r-right!” He squeaked back.
 

“Thanks…” I muttered walking off to the direction of the hallway.
 

* * *
 

I stood there staring at the silver writing (Room 43) etched on the door in front of me. I wanted to leave; I didn’t belong here, not with all these smart arse students surrounding me. School at that very moment meant nothing, just a piece of rubbish to keep or to throw away. But I couldn’t turn my back on this no matter how hard I tried; there was some kind of invisible force that kept pushing me closer towards the door. I realised that the invisible force was none other than my guilt.  
 

I was surprised to see that the room was almost empty when I walked in, only a handful of students were present but when I checked the time I realised that I was just early. More students were shuffling inside and some glanced at me curiously as the new boy in class. I ignored their stares and decided to choose a table to sit, preferably at the very back so that I could sleep without anybody noticing.
 

That’s when I noticed her.
 

She was sitting there reading over her books and minding her own business not knowing full well that I was staring at her. I never even stared at a girl before but she was so… interesting. Everybody stared at me wondering who the new guy was but she was just reading not giving the slightest interest over what was happening. 
 

It was then that I realised that I had to know her.
 

“Excuse me,” I said gently shocking myself as I realised that I was already standing in front of her.
 

She looked up; her long locks of hair sweeping away from her face like a gust of wind had entered the room. There was something about her that I couldn’t see with any of the other girls that I knew. It was her eyes, those innocent deer-like eyes that pulled me in and trapped me there. Her skin was radiating this enchanting glow that made me blink a few times involuntarily.
 

“Yes?” She said simply.
 

I pointed towards the empty chair next to her. “Is anybody sitting here?”
 

I watched as she secretly glanced across the room to all the vacant spots. She must’ve been wondering why I wanted to choose the seat next to her when there were so many seats available. Believe me; I wondered the same question to myself.
 

“Umm… No?”
 

At least she didn’t tell me to piss off.
 

My lips couldn’t stop from forming a smile. “Then may I sit here?”
 

Yoona’s POV
 

Was he serious? Nobody ever wanted to sit next to me before but seriously out of nowhere some guy comes in and asks to sit next to me? Was this some form of pick up line in America that I didn’t know about? And I couldn’t say no to him either… he looked scary.
 

“Err… yes… sure,” I said moving away my bag to give him room.
 

He sat down and turned towards me. “Thanks, I’m new here.”
 

“I’ve noticed.”
 

Awkward silence hanged above us like cold air waiting to be lifted.
 

“Sorry about the intrusion.”
 

At that moment I looked at him, I mean I really looked at him. At first glance he looked scary, lethal in a way but his face was soft and gentle, he didn’t look scary at all. Why was I being so negative now judging a person by their looks? I knew I didn’t like it here in America but that didn’t mean I had to keep my distance away from the people here as well.
 

“It should really be me apologizing. I’m sorry about treating you so coldly just then.”
 

He smiled warmly at my statement. “Don’t worry about it, I’m glad that I’m seeing the real you.”  
 

I smiled in response even blushing just a bit at his remark. All my initial impressions on this person had faded, he was really just a sweet and charming guy. But it scared me just a little that I was starting to feel so comfortable sitting next to a total stranger. Or maybe it was because I haven’t made much friends here in America.
 

“Taecyeon,” He introduced himself.
 

“Yoona,” I replied as the lecturer had walked into the classroom to begin the lesson.
 

* * *
 

Our lecture lesson had just ended and we had an hour break before our next class began. Taecyeon and I walked towards the park where we sat under the tree. The afternoon was starting to set in and everything turned warm and golden. We sat there in silence watching students walk by and professors heading to their next lecture.
 

“So how was your first lesson?” I asked.
 

“It was okay,” He replied.
 

I smiled amusingly. “Last time I checked I think you were sleeping.”
 

We both gazed at each other knowingly before bursting out laughing.
 

“Okay… so maybe the lesson was a little bit boring,” Taecyeon chuckled.
 

I frowned when a group of students had walked past us their stares fixated on Taecyeon. Funnily enough for the past day I couldn’t help noticing that everybody seemed to stare at Taecyeon. Maybe he was some celebrity or something. I watched as they walked away, a trail of whispers following them.
 

“So… are you famous?” I couldn’t help asking.
 

“Why do you think that?”
 

“You must be blind if you haven’t noticed that the whole school is staring at you,” I said softly.
 

“That might be because my dad is the owner of Red Lion Corporation.”
 

His father was the owner of Red Lion Corporation?! But that was one of the biggest companies in America! They were on the news last week… something about the chairperson being admitted to hospital. I heard the company was going through a bit of a chaos because they had to pass on the leadership to the company’s heir… and apparently he was a very notorious playboy.
 

“They all see me as a failure,” Taecyeon continued dully.
 

“That’s not true,” I tried to say.
 

“No, it is. I’ve done drugs before… I go to clubs from morning till night. I’ve even been to jail. Now that my father’s in hospital no matter how hard I try to correct myself… the media and everybody will still look at me like I’m some criminal. They say that I’m just a party boy with no ability to run my father’s company. And they’re right… I don’t… all I know is how to have a good time… and party and drink alcohol. Because that’s how I’ve lived my whole life.”
 

“So what if you have done drugs or went to nightclubs? Those were all in the past… this is the present and you said that you would change yourself. Who cares how everybody looks at you? The most important thing is how you look at yourself and how your father will look at you when he wakes up in hospital,” I said fiercely.
 

“Yoona… you don’t understand-”
 

I interrupted him. “Taecyeon, I understand. My situation is just like yours. We’re both forced to take on something that we’re not prepared to take. My father sent me here to America to study so that later on I will be able to take over his company. But do you think that’s what I really want? Do you really think I have a passion for business? But I love my father and if he tells me to do it then I would. Isn’t that the same reason why you’re here? Because you love your father?”
 

Taecyeon stared at me seriously. “Thank you.”
 

I shook my head. “You don’t have to thank me… I know how it feels and I’m just glad that I got the message through to you. I feel like you’re looking at life too realistically. If you feel that you’re doing the right thing, then just keep doing it. But if you feel that it’s going to make yourself worse, then stop. It’s as simple as that.”
 

“I mean really… thank you… seriously. You’re the first person I’ve met who hasn’t judged me by my past. I feel… comfortable being with you… talking to you. So thank you.”
 

“I feel comfortable talking to you as well… maybe it’s because we share the same experiences. You’re like… a friend that I’ve always wanted, ” I smiled admitting some of the thoughts that were in my head at that moment.
 

“I guess it’s fate then,” Taecyeon joked.
 

We both laughed lightly but stopped when a ringtone had erupted suddenly.
 

“That might be my phone, excuse me for a minute,” Taecyeon said taking out his mobile.
 

“It’s okay, must be your girlfriend checking up on you,” I joked.
 

“Don’t think so, I don’t have a girlfriend,” He admitted as he placed the mobile on his ear.
 

Taecyeon’s POV
 

“Hello?” I said.
 

“Is this Taecyeon?” A man asked in a frantic manner.
 

“Ah… is this a commercial because I’m not interested.” I said wanting to end the call to continue my conversation with Yoona.
 

“No! I’m calling from North Central Hospital. Is this Taecyeon?”
 

North Central Hospital? And then I realised why it sounded so familiar… it was the hospital where my father was residing in.
 

“Yes! Yes it is! Is this concerning my father? Has he woken up?” I asked hurriedly.
 

“I’m sorry but you will have to come immediately! Your father’s condition is getting very unstable and the doctors are trying their best to recover him. He may not make it! We have already notified your younger brother. You will have to come immediately! Please prepare yourself if anything happens!”
 

The call disconnected.  
 

“Taecyeon? Is something wrong?” Yoona whispered softly but I couldn’t hear her. My heart was pounding against my throat, I was sweating and my breathing was getting more and more unstable.
 

I turned my head slowly to Yoona.
 

“My… my father… the hospital… they called me… they said… he… he might not make it.” 
 

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So this chapter may have been a bit boring but I knew I had to write a chapter about Taecyeon's past so you guys could understand his background and life. I would've done that in the next chapter but it would've been better getting it out of the way. I had a major writer's block while writing this chapter... so maybe the flow in this chapter may not be to your liking. Sorry. 

Now that Taecyeon has established his role in the story with the other main characters (Yoona & Donghae), it's time to introduce Yuri in the next chapter. Hope you guys look forward to that. And rofl, sorry about the cliffhanger. In truth, I was going to put that ending scene in the next chapter but I thought it would've been better putting it in here. This is one of the key points where Taecyeon starts to change. But I will be explaining that in the next chapter. 

unforgettable