"Love is a canvas furnished by Nature and embroidered by imagination."

- Voltaire 

CHAPTER 21

Yoona was sitting on the sand, feeling the sea breeze upon her face. She felt the grains of sand beneath her hands, the waves splashing at her feet. She closed her eyes.

“you’re beautiful, as always.”

Yoona’s eyes snapped open. She felt her heart skipped a beat, that voice...

When she turned her head sideways, she was met with the smiling face of Donghae. He was sitting a few inches away from her, wearing a white suit. She was speechless with disbelief...his facial features did not change, even after two years...those eyes...how she missed to be loved by him...

Two years?

ah...he was already dead...

“How are you Yoona?”

Yoona could not answer. She raised her hand slowly...when she touched his cheek; she felt his warm flesh...he feels so alive...

She could no longer contain herself; she threw herself to him and embraced him... “oppa...”

When she withdrew herself, he tucked the loose strands of her hair.

“oppa, are you real...? or are you just a by product of my longing...?”

He smiled tenderly. “It depends upon what you perceive me to be.”

“you feel so alive...”

He just smiled. After a moment, he spoke, “I’m glad that everything’s fine between you and Siwon hyung. You’re not crying, I guess you acted out the promise between you too”

She breathed out. “yes, I promised him not to cry again...but...how did you know?”

Again, he did not respond, he just smiled.

Yoona looked at the sea and spoke softly. “with him I feel that I can be happy again. I am happy. But you know oppa, the circumstances surrounding the two of us, feels like predestined. It was like the universe had arranged it so that I can meet the person whom you had given those music sheets before.”

Donghae smiled knowingly.

Yoona looked at him doubtfully. “oppa...do you know anything about this?”

Donghae did not answer immediately. He looked at the sea, and then at Yoona. He had this peaceful smile.

“Who do you think arranged it so?”

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Yoona opened her eyes.

She remained lying down, Donghae’s smile echoing in her head. It was the most bizarre dream she ever had. It was bizarre because he felt so damn real, and that because he seemed to know everything. but perhaps the most mysterious thing about it was that, yes, she missed him so, and that it still hurts, seeing his image, yet it wasn’t as painful as it was before.

“Who did you think arranged it so?” she remembered his question.

Was it you oppa? She asked herself.

She sat up on her bed, and leaned her head on the headboard. A sudden idea entered her thoughts. She opened the drawer in her bedside table and retrieved the small box in it. She breathed out and opened the lid.

She saw the last, unopened letter given by Donghae, the one she recovered from that kite. Yoona lifted it from the box and stared at it.

She slowly opened the envelope, only to drop it back to the box intentionally. No, she still couldn’t open it. She still couldn’t.

Her cellphone rang. There was an incoming message from Siwon. Her lips curved into a smile as she read the message.

Good morning! ^_^ I’ll stop by at your house. Whether you like it or not, I’ll come and bring you to school. If you resist, I will drag you. Kekeke. Go get yourself ready.

Yoona laughed. She replied “OK”.

Her eyes returned to the letter again. One day, I will have the courage to open you...one day...and with that, she closed the box and put it back to the drawer.

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Yoona heard the crunching of gravel outside. She had already finished eating her breakfast.

“Who’s that?” her aunt asked.

“Oh aunt, I forgot to tell you, Siwon’s coming to pick me up. I think it’s his car. I need to go now, bye!” she kissed her aunt’s cheek, smiled at her, picked up her bag and literally ran towards the front door.

She opened the door and went outside. Siwon was sitting at the hood of his car. He looked absolutely dashing. When he saw her, he smiled widely.

“did you wait long?” Yoona asked as she reached him.

“nah, I didn’t” he raised his hand and pinched her cheek.

“o-ow...!”

Siwon released her. Yoona stared at him darkly.

“YAH! Why do you always have to do that?” she massaged her aching cheek.

Siwon laughed, raised his hand and pinched her nose. “because you’re too cute that’s why.”

Yoona felt the blood rose towards her cheeks.

Siwon chuckled. “You’re blushing. Was it because of my compliment?” he teased.

Yoona raised her voice. “n-no! of course not!” for some unknown reason, she could not look at him. she instead walked towards the car, opened the door and went inside. Siwon followed suit.

When he started the ignition, he chanted. “My Yoona is a cute blushing little kitten.”

She punched him on the arm “stop it!”

Siwon laughed. “My blushing little darling...” he then manoeuvred his car away from her house.

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The morning passed without much event. It was the usual boring set of lessons and whispering classmates. Yoona did not care about all of it. She was looking at the peaceful sky with a smile on her face. She feels so light. Everything that had happened yesterday was in fact the main reason why she felt like this.

“Y-O-O-N-A-shii”

Yoona looked up. Siwon was looking down at her. Why is he here? She looked around, and found out that she was the only student left. Where are his classmates?

“You’re mind is in space. The bell rang a few minutes ago. It’s lunch time already.”

She looked at her watch. It really was time for lunch. She did not even hear the bell.

Siwon smiled and offered his hand. “Let’s go?”

Yoona stood up and placed her hand in his. “Yeah...let’s go”

And the two of them walked hand in hand towards the door and out to the open field. Siwon did not let go of her hand, and she let him be. His hand covering hers was rather...comforting.

Siwon looked at her. “You’re at it again.”

She looked at him innocently. “What?”

“You’re smiling for some unknown reason. Earlier, in your classroom, you were looking outside and smiling to yourself. Were you talking to your own shadow?” he teased.

She did not answer immediately; an idea came into her mind. She stopped walking. Siwon stooped too. “What?”

Yoona smiled rather sweetly. “do you really want to know why am I behaving like this?”

Siwon raised his left eyebrow. “Hmmm...?”

“Well, because I kept on remembering how dashing you were yesterday. You look so handsome, leading your team mates and shooting that ball without much of a glitch. And the concentration you have shown was quite captivating; I couldn’t take my eyes off you...”

Siwon stared at her, speechless. He opened his mouth, and then closed it again. He looked so uncomfortable. When he couldn’t utter a sound, he turned around, so Yoona was left facing his back. Yoona tried to suppress her laughter as she noticed his reddening ears. She jumped in front of him and looked at his face. She burst out laughing when she saw his tomato-red face.

“aishh! Im Yoona! Stop laughing...!” he looked so embarrassed.

Yoona wiped the tears in her eyes; she tried to zip , but laughed again when she glanced at his face.

Siwon could not take the embarrassment anymore, he stormed away, leaving Yoona’s still laughing figure. Yoona saw him leave, followed him and hooked her arm around his. “Revenge is sweet, isn’t it Siwon?”

“Whatever Yoona...”

She laughed again. After a while she chanted. “o-h m-y g-o-s-h...My Siwon oppa is a cute, blushing little tiger...”

This time, Siwon looked at her. “What did you say?”

“That you are a cute, blushing little tiger?”

“No, before that...”

“Oh...”Yoona gave him a knowing smile. “My Siwon oppa?”

Siwon smiled widely. “That’s rather interesting.”

“What is?”

“You calling me oppa, you always speak to me in banmal, although I’m approximately two years older than you are...”

“What? You don’t want me to call you that? Then should I call you Ajushii?”

Siwon laughed. “I didn’t mean it like that...” he looked at her, his eyes smiling. “oppa...It sounds nice...”

Yoona smirked. “Sounds nice eh? As if all those girls who have a crush on you do not call you that...” she joked.

He smiled, gazed at Yoona in a strange manner. The latter felt disoriented. “Yeah they do...but it is a lot different coming from you...”

Yoona felt her heart thumped.

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The bell rang.

All of Yoona’s classmate rose up immediately, eager to commence whatever plans they have for the night. School for the day had already ended.

She put all of her books back to her bag and stood up. She was a few feet away from the door when a little voice called her.

“Yoona-shii...”

She turned around; the little voice came from a girl standing a distance away from her. She was her classmate, the one sitting just behind her; Yoona does not know who she is. Well, I do not know the names of all of my classmates. She thought.

The girl walked a bit clumsily towards her, when she was a foot away, the girl smiled bashfully at her. She returned the smile.

“Yes? Do you want anything...?” Yoona asked tentatively.

The girl looked down. Yoona could tell that it took all of the girls’ courage to just call out her name. “Ah...well...ah...the thing is...ah...”

“Yes?”

The girl raised the hand that was carrying a medium-sized paper bag and handed it to her. Yoona reluctantly accepted it. “Yoona-shii...can I ask you a favour...? Could you please give this to...give this to him...?”

To whom?

Before Yoona could ask who she was referring to, the girl burst into a continuous speech.  Her eyes sparkling like a lovesick child.

“I watched the game yesterday. He was really cool. The way he shoots, the way he dribbles, he was really perfect. And what about those eyes? Oh he was really focused that I found it rather charming. He was so manly. I’ve had a crush on him ever since I saw him, and this feeling intensified when I saw him play...”

Yoona just stared at her, her continued litany incomprehensible in her ears. She was looking at the girl with amusement. But who was she talking about? Another fan of Siwons’?

“...and those strong, muscular arms. So I thought that I should give him a gift, but I do not have the courage to face him, I get so nervous every time he’s near that I get mega clumsy...So I thickened my face and asked---“

“Ah...excuse me...but to whom should I give this to? Should I give this to Siwon?”

“What? Ah...no...No...Not to Siwon sunbae...I was thinking that maybe...maybe you could give that to...” The girls’ cheeks became ultra red. “...give that to...Leeteuk sunbae...”

“Oh” Yoona felt a sudded relief upon learning that the gift was not intended for Siwon. She shook her head.What the heck did I just feel?

“...Okay...I will give this to Leeteuk sunbae...rest assured.”

“Thank you so much!” and to Yoonas’ surprise, the girl hugged her. When she withdrew, she raised her right hand. “By the way, I’m Kang Sora.”

Yoona accepted her hand. “Nice to meet you...I must go now...I think someone’s waiting for me...”

“Oh...yes...goodbye then...really...thank you Yoona-shii” the girl smiled. Yoona just nodded.

She was amused at the girl’s bubbly attitude. When she reached the corridor, Siwon was leaning at the wall, waiting for her. He smiled when he saw her.

“What took you so long?” His eyes travelled down to the paper bag she was holding. “A gift? Is that for you? From a suitor?” he was frowning.

Yoona laughed at the change of his expression. “No. It’s not for me. A classmate asked me to give this to Leeteuk sunbae.”

Siwon’s face cleared. “Oh...I thought...nevermind...let’s go....” he reached for her hand. It now becomes a habit of Siwon, holding her hand. And she has no intention of stopping him.

The door of Yoonas’ classroom opened. The girl Sora got out. When she saw them, she smiled and waved. “Goodbye Yoona-shii...goodbye Siwon sunbae!” and with a final wave, she went out to the open field.

“Was that her? The one you were talking about? She looks kinda familiar...what’s her name?”

“Kang Sora.” She looked at Siwon. Upon the mention of the name, he smiled.

“Interesting...” he continued to smile sheepishly.

Yoona was curious. “Why? Do you know her?”

“I met her a few months ago, in a party commemorating our company’s anniversary. She’s the only daughter of the owner of Kang pharmaceuticals.”

She nodded.

Siwon continued. “It’s interesting to know that she likes Leeteuk...when I found out earlier, from Leeteuk himself that Kang Soras’ marriage is already arranged...”

“But that’s unfair.”

Siwon laughed. “Let me finish. Her marriage is prearranged...with Leeteuk...”

Yoona’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Affirmative.”

“Wow. Some coincidence. But does Leeteuk sunbae like her?”

“That remains to be seen. He had not seen her in person, only in photos. Leeteuk told me that their parents had arranged a dinner date to let them formally meet. “

They were walking hand in hand towards the school gym. “Arranged marriages, I didn’t know that those kind of arrangements still exists.”

“They still do, in some families. My parents’ marriage was prearranged too.”

This made Yoona look at him. “Really?”

“yes, but it was a fortunate one. My parents are childhood sweethearts, so everything was rather smooth, not like some arranged marriages which ended up in scandals and losing family ties.”  

She nodded. The information made her quite uneasy and she doesn’t know why. “So...did your parents try to set you up with anyone from the corporate world?” her facade did not hide the anxious tone of her voice. It was too late to change her tone.

Siwon looked at her in an amused way.

Yoona tried to defend herself. “I was just curious you know...I’m not insinuating anything...really...”

Siwons’ smile widened. “I’m not saying you know...you sound so defensive...”

“aisshh!” she tried to punch him, but Siwon was quicker, he blocked it.

Siwon laughed. “To answer your question my little kitten...NO. My parents want me to marry the woman of my own choosing. My mother had said before that yes, she was lucky to have my father, but prearranged marriages, for some, gives a person a sense of security, as well as social boredom. She said that it takes out one’s privilege for adventure, the adventure of finding one’s true love.” Siwon laughed. “My mother is a romantic.”

Yoona felt relieved again. “But...if by any chance, your mother wants you to meet this certain girl...and yeah...you know the rest...”she averted her eyes. She was astonished by her own questions.

“My mother would never do that. I assure you. And besides, I ‘m already in the process...”

“In the process of what?”

Siwon smiled, his dimples showing. He looked at her in a way that made her breath stop. “I’m in the process of my own “love” adventure.”

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