"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."

- Ingrid Bergman 

CHAPTER 28

“here we are.” Sungmin announced in his usual bright voice.

They stopped before a large, two-storey house set a few meters away from the seashore. It was painted white, circular in shape. The part in which the house overlooks the sea was lined with glass walls, so that one could see, from the outside, the interior decoration. From where they were standing, they could see the living room, complete with comfortable sofas and couches. The whole sitting looked so modern, and as they turned sideways, they saw another house a few yards away, then another one. There were about fifteen houses, all different in style, but somehow similar in terms of the glass walls.

“ Aside from the cottages and hotels, these were build to those clients who wanted to have a homey experience while enjoying the beach. It feels more like a vacation house rather than a temporary abode.” Sungmin explained to Kyuhyun, who had asked why these houses exist.

Yoona stifled a soft yawn and squinted at the structures before her. They were screaming with luxury and extravagance, affordable only to those who have excessive resources. She yawned again, accompanied by a little stretch.

She had to wake up, well, all of them had to wake up for as early as four in the morning. A large van had transported all eight of them to Gimpo International Airport, took a plane, landed on the runway of Jeju International airport, got inside a black sleek van-- with a name of a resort plastered on the bumper—which brought them to the Lee’s newly opened resort.

When they had arrived, it seemed like her soul had left her. she felt so tired, but the smell af sea breeze and nature had woken her from her drowsiness. From the entrance down to the house in which they are to stay overnight, everything in it, without doubt, can be described as awesome. They had passed swimming pools with slides of different sizes and structures. Hotels, though only four floors maximum, fits perfectly well with the whole setting. There were bars and other spaces which houses various activities. For her, it seemed like she was transported in a beautiful dimension.

“Shall we go inside?” Tiffany asked, eyes a bit puffy from lack of sleep.

“Yeah...” Sungmin nodded. He took the lead and they followed.

Yoona noted five reclining chairs outside, complete with summer umbrellas and tiny tables in between. The house was surrounded by uniformly-cut bushes and plants as high as her. She heard Sora talking about something to Leeteuk, a distraction which made her turn back to Sungmin. They were now standing in front of an oak, brown double door, which Sungmin had opened as naturally as if it was his own room. An attitude which was proper, as his family was the owner of the resort.

They strolled in and Yoona had to keep from hanging open. Everything smells so...expensive and ultra modern. She didn’t notice the large flatscreen TV on the living room outside the house, when she had squinted a little. The kitchen was separated from the living room by a glass panel, before it laid the dining table. At the side opposite to the stairs, French doors were open to reveal a spacious backyard.

“we’re going to have a bonfire in there this evening.” Siwon said.

“really? That’s great!” she responded eagerly.

Siwon laughed. “I can see that you are really excited. I’m glad.” He spoke sincerely, Yoonas’ crying face a few days back looming on his subconscious. Until now he doesn’t know the reason of her breakdown, but he didn’t dare ask. He felt that it was a crisis she alone could solve. If it ever was a crisis. The next day after that, she was back to her cherry demeanor, like it never happened. and what’s more, he sensed from her a little change, something in her, had somewhat loosened up.

Yoona smiled, somewhat aware of what was running on Siwon’s head. “ oppa I---“

“Okay, listen up” Sungmins’ voice boomed behind her, causing her to stop from responding. “there are three rooms upstairs. I had it arranged beforehand. The largest room consists of five beds, obviously for the boys, the other room contains three beds, for the girls, and the last one serves as an extra. You can go wherever you want and do whatever you want to do.”

Kyuhyun suddenly burst out lauging. “hyung, you sound like a tourist guide. The more I listen to you the more I found your intonation funny.”

Eunhyu chimed in. “Yeah Sungmin. It doesn’t suit you.”

Sungmin made a face. “as if I wanted to do this. I actually don’t care where you want to sleep or what you want to do. But my parents made me promised to introduce the place like this. It’s rather annoying.”

Yoona laughed at the boys’ silliness. There antics doesn’t get old, it’s becoming crazier as she spends time hanging out with them. she looked back at Siwon, and found that he was laughing as well.

“really. These people are lunatics.” He stated, and to Yoona he added. “shall we go upstairs and stuff our bags?”

“sure.”

The two of them walked towards the stairs, Siwon carrying his and Yoonas’ bag, all the while laughing at the others’ non-stop bickering. As they approached the second landing, their voices had become incomprehensible mumbles. Two doors were set on the side of a spacious sitting room, and one on the other side. They proceeded to the one beside a large painting and entered. The room contains three beds, and Yoona chose the one near the glass window. Siwon dropped her bag atop it then continued to the opposite door, where five beds could be found. He put his own stuff beside the bed nearest to the door.

Yoona sat on his bed and breathed in. Siwon though, did not just sit beside her, he let his body fall into the bed, spreading his arms wide.

“tired?” Yoona asked.

“Kind of.” He responded. “but you’re more tired than I am. Why don’t you join me?” he asked in a teasing manner, sure that Yoona would punch him for that.

But to his surprise, Yoona lay down next to him, her head resting on his upper arm. She was so close that he could feel her bodyheat, and smell her feminine fragrance. It took so much of his willpower not to wrap his other arm around her and crush her into a tight embrace. He instead heaved a contented sigh.

Yoona was finding it all the more difficult to keep her heart in control. She doesn’t know what got into her, but his invitation was so...appetizing—though it was a mere tease--that she acted before she even thinks. There close proximity made her breathless. She could feel the tension between them, as if they were waiting for the other one to comment or react about what just took place.

Yoona could not take the silence any longer. In her most bright and teasing tone, she spoke. “well...isn’t the bed comfortable oppa?” she looked up, but to her surprise, Siwon was already looking at her. The intensity of his gaze made her heart go extremely wild. She held on, aware at the closeness of their face, and the fact that Siwon was inching closer.

OH MY GOD. Her heart and mind were both screaming. He was too close, his intention so clear. Is he going to kiss me? She thought, and shocked herself by liking the prospect. She closed her eyes, feeling his breath fanning her face. Then—

BAM! The door suddenly burst open.

Like a bolt of lightning, Siwon and Yoona broke away from each other. Siwon automatically stood up, breathing heavily while Yoona sat up, her face becoming redder by the minute.

Based on the voice outside the room, Eunhyuk was the one who opened the door, but he was still talking to Tiffany as he opened it that he didn’t saw what took place inside. When he finally entered the room, and when his eyes surveyed restless Siwon and blushing Yoona, he almost laughed. He didn’t saw anything but he knew that something must have happened between them. Something intimate.

“Downstairs quick.” He said. “breakfast is ready.”

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

Yoona had been staring at her food for quite a while now, occasionally eating the bacon or the hotdog. Siwon was sitting opposite her, and she knew that he was staring down at her. Apart from their noisy friends, who were alternately bickering at each other, he and she were quiet at the end of the table. She feels so conscious and ashamed, that she could not muster the courage to turn her head up. That incident had happened an hour ago, but her heart was still racing, and her body trembling.

Siwon was staring at her, willing her to look up. What happened earlier was still in his head. It felt like her smell had never left him, as well as her warm body pressed so close to his. After that, a mixture of emotions crossed inside him, but two emotions stood out. He was...elevated, as well as afraid. Afraid that she might get really angry at him for almost doing that.

“hey, people from the other side of the universe, why are you so silent?” Kyuhyun asked.

Siwon and Yoona looked up. The whole bunch was looking at them. Siwon took a brief glance at Yoona, whose blush had become so apparent. “are we?” he asked casually.

“Did something happen between you two?” Tiffany asked.

At this, the glass which Yoona was holding slipped from her grasp and went straight to the floor with a defeaning crash, its pieces broken and scattered. “Oh my God. I’m sorry” she immediately headed to the floor and started to pick up the broken pieces.

Siwon went down to the floor too. “Let me. you might hurt yourself.”

She was so nervous at Siwons’ presence that the broken piece she had picked up pierced through her thumb. “Ow.” Her blood was creating tiny droplets on the floor.

Seeing this, Siwon immediately held her wounded hand. She reflexively looked at him, his eyes revealing anxiety. “drop those on the floor. someone will take care of it. Let’s cure that wound.”

“no. its fine.” Yoona reasoned, but she did drop the pieces she accumulated.

He shook his head. “no.” still holding her  wrist, he stood up, the action made her followed suit. “does anybody have first aid here?”

“there’s one in every room upstairs captain.” Sungmin said.

Without a backward glance, Siwon started towards the stairs, dragging Yoona behind. When they reached the girls’ room, he let go of her hand and walked straight to the nearest set of drawers. There he found the first aid kit. Holding it on one hand, he tugged Yoona to sit on the bed.

He opened the zipper and took the applicable remedy for her wound. He then reached for her hand and started to apply it on the cut, his eyebrows furrowed with unsupressed concern. “I told to you to not touch those, but you still did. Look what it got you, a wound in the thumb. You’re a stubborn fellow...”

“It’s just a small cut, nothing to get so fussed about.” She scowled, him scolding her had somehow lessened the tension she had felt.

At her remark, he looked up and grimaced. “even if its just a small cut, it needs to be cured right away. You do not know what will happen if you let it be. It might get infected and may lead to more serious damage...”

He continued to mumble and tell her off, but instead of getting annoyed, she found everything he had been acting, from her concerned brow to his words, really amusing. He was like a daddy who was trying to reprimand his only baby for being clumsy. And despite herself, her heart swelled with love again. She felt so...treasured.

When he finished putting a band-aid around her thumb, he looked up. She was smiling from ear to ear, as if she finds everything funny. “why are you smiling like that?”

Instead of answering right away, she held her hands up and pinched both of his cheeks. She leaned forwards too, making him somewhat aware of her again. She didn’t seem to notice though, as she continued to attac his cheeks painfully. “You worry too much oppa, its just a small wound, but you fussed over it like I should be hospitalized. You mumbling so much were so amusing.” She dropped her hands off and looked at him softly.

His expression softened up. “you say it like I was exaggerating.” He sighed and added with a smile. “well, when it comes to you, it’s easy to over-react.”

Yoona smiled and rolled her eyes. “and here comes the clichés again.”

He laughed aloud then stood up. “shall we go? anytime now, I think someone would come up here and disturb our privacy.”

Sure enough, they could hear footsteps outside the room. She stood up and went beside him. as if by instinct, she reached out for his hand and held it tight. Their fingers intertwined. He looked at her with a soft smile, and squeezed her hand.

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

It was the first time for a long time that Yoona, Siwon and the rest had so much fun.

After breakfast, they went to the middle of the ocean carrying eight pairs of scuba diving equipment. With them on the motor boat were professional divers who taught them the basics of diving. As they went underwater, Yoona was so fascinated at all the fishes and the corals spread like a blanket in front of her. It was her first time, and she had wanted to back out, but Siwon, and the rest urged her and guide her through that it went smooth. Had she not overcome the initial fear, she would regret it for the rest of her life. It was a lot different. Whereas what she sees in magazines were quite beautiful enough, to actually see it with her own eyes made her realize that the magazines did not give the scenario justice. A variety of fishes went past them, assembled in an orderly manner and going with a sense of purpose. Everything under the surface was clad with magnifecense that it almost brought tears in her eyes.

They hit the pool afterwards. Trying every type and every slide there is. The slides were in fact the highlight of the whole thing. They criss-cross here and there, giving them their greatest scream as they went through each of them. The boys shouted like girls when each of them, or sometimes all of them, went to the slides. Yoona, Sora and Tiffany were laughing like mad at the pool. They were the noisiest among the few visitors. When hunger kicked in, they ate at a restaurant which specializes in seafoods, chomping off large cuts while talking animatedly.

After lunch they headed to the beach again and tried various types of activities. They went banana boating, manuevered the jetskis, which Yoona had no problem controlling since she had tried it before. Same goes for Tiffany, who managed to beat Eunhyuk in a foolish race. After that, they rented surfboards to enjoy the incoming waves. Sora had surprised all of them, even Leeteuk as she managed to ride her surfboard expertly. Leeteuk was teased non-stop by Kyu and Sungmin as he himself could not even stand on it without slipping.

They rented four boats big enough to carry two people. They scattered and went in pairs, Siwon with Yoona, Eunhyuk with Tiffany, Leeteuk with Sora and Kyuhyun with Sungmin. The last pair was the funniest one, as they paddled through the water and pretended to be lovers. As a way of revenge, Leeteuk connived with Sora to maneuver the boat near them. When they did, Leeteuk shook it hard, that the boat went upside down, leaving Kyu and Sungmin swimming on the water.

In every activity that they had been through, they took pictures. As the afternoon wears off, the boys jumped on the sea, swimming, fooling around and racing like kids. While the girls sat on the reclining chairs outside the house, laughing at the pictures on the cameras’ screen. The stolen ones were the funniest though.

“That’s really funny.” Yoona stated in between laughs. Pertaining to a photo where Kyu was kicking Eunhyuks’ . Eunhyuks’ expression caught on cam was hilarious.

“I agree.” Tiffany seconded, who wiped the tears that had formed in her eyes from laughing.

“uh-oh. I think someone’s making a move.” Sora suddenly said. Tiffany and Yoona both looked at her, curious. They followed her gaze, and Yoonas’ smile ultimately vanished.

While Kyu, Teuk, Sungmin and Eunhyuk were still on the water, Siwon was standing a distance away from the seashore, wet and shirtless, smiling and talking to a girl who was wearing a very skimpy bikini, clearly smitten and flirting at him. and he seemed to be enjoying it. She thought grimly. A bubbling sense of forboding surge inside her. She doesn’t know why but she detests the sight. It took much of her will to not stand up and drag the girl away. Or drag Siwon away. She shook her head, finding it foolish to feel that way.

“by the looks of it, someone is clearly in trouble.” Tiffany said, a statement which made Yoona look at her.

“yeah.” Sora agreed. “why don’t you rescue him Yoona? it seemed to me that the girl was inviting him over something and he was declining repeatedly. But the girl was insistent.”

Yoona looked outward again, and the sight still made her blood boil for reasons she could not identify. But she also noticed his hand gestures, which obviously states that he was refusing nonstop. Feeling satisfied, she stood up and took her shirt off, revealing her y two-piece which she was too shy to show everyone. Until that time.

She walked towards Siwon and the girl, while untying her hair. It fell on her shoulders, which made her all the more attractive. Some of the vacationers stopped on their tracks and stared at her. When she reached them, she automatically held Siwons’ hand. “Honey. Why are you here?” she asked in a very sweet voice.

Siwon turned and felt his mouth gone dry. He stared at her, shocked at her sudden appearance. She looked so ravishing that he seemed to have swallowed his tongue. “w-what?”

She looked at the girl. “Oh. I didn’t mean to interrupt. Honey, who is she?” she turned to Siwon again. Surprising even herself, at her using the endearment smoothly, like she had been using it for a long time.

He breathed out and cleared his head. He still doesn’t understand why Yoona had been calling him honey, although it sounds so...appealing. Then, it dawned on him, the reason behind Yoonas’ appearance and her being overly sweet. He wanted to laugh but controlled himself, and just decided to ride along. Trying to come up with a straight face, he returned the sweet smile. “Oh, her name’s Lisa. She’s half Korean, half british.”

“I see you made friends easily.” The girls’ face was smug when Yoona offered her hand. “Nice to meet you Lisa, my name is Yoona, Siwon’s girlfriend.” Again, she surprised herself by how smoothly the lie went out. It creeps her a little. She knew that Siwon was staring at her, though she tried her hardest to not get affected.

“Oh.” The girl replied, although her face had become sour by the minute. Yoona could see the contempt in her eyes. “I didn’t know he have a girlfriend. I was inviting him for a party in the hotel, but obviously I do not have the right. I’m sorry.”

Oh yeah, and you flirted and insisted didn’t you?. Yoona thought. The girl may have apologized but she does not feel any sincerity. “yeah. I noticed. That’s why he was declining so fervently. Don’t worry about it. No harm done.”

“I need to go. Nice to meet you Siwon  and you Yoona. Keep an eye on him, someone might take him away from your grasp.” Lisa-the-flirt stated maliciously.

Yoona smiled. “Oh, of course. I wouldn’t let that happen. That’s why I’m here right now you know? To keep him away from the likes of you.”

The girl stared at her, angry.

“Oh. Did I say that out loud? I’m sorry.”Yoona stated, feigning innocence. Siwon was rather enjoying everything Yoona had been saying, or acting.

The girl did not respond. She just eyed Yoona and walked briskly away. When she had vanished from Yoonas’ sight, she broke from her grasp to Siwons’ hand. But before she could walk away, Siwon managed to pull her back. “What was that all about?” he asked.

Yoona did not see any signs of anger in his face, rather, he was amused. She shrugged. “I rescued you. Thats’ all. The girl seemed to be forcing you into something you consistently declined. So, as a friend, I went to your aid.”

He gave her a sceptical look. “is that so?” he became quiet for a while. “there are a lot of ways to help me you know. Why choose being my girlfriend?”

Yoona rolled her eyes. “I should just have left you alone with that girl. Well, you seemed to be enjoying her company. Go and have fun with her, I won’t bother you again. You could kiss her feet for all I care—“ she stopped. He looked so amused that she realized she sounded pathetic.

“you sound like a jealous girlfriend. You’re jealous aren’t you?” he teased.

“As if. Don’t be conceited.” She retorted with fiery intensity.

Siwon laughed out loud then pinched her nose. “I’m not being conceited. I was just observant?”

She opened to argue, but was stopped by a sudden, loud grunt beside her. When she turned, a good-looking guy about her age was standing close to her. He was smiling in a way that reminds her of spoiled schoolboys. “Hello.” He greeted, while staring at her from head to toe.

“hi” she responded reluctantly.

“For the past few hours that I have been here, you are, princess, is the most beautiful one that I ever saw.” He declared without a hint of hesitation.

Yoona stared at him with disbelief. She fought the urge to laugh so as not to be rude. Keeping a straight face she answered. “well...thanks?”

The guy seemed to not have found anything strange. “will you come and have a private dinner with me?”

To Yoonas’ surprise, the guy lifted her hand and leaned down, his lips about to touch her fingers. But before he did so, Siwon grabbed her hand away from the guys’ grip and hugged her from behind. His arms were enclosing her in a very protective manner that she found her heart racing. his face too, were so close to her cheek that she could feel his breathing.

“nope. She respectfully declines.” Siwon said

The guy raised his eyebrows. “It’s rude to interrupt people. What are you to her anyway?”

Siwon smiled. “She’s my girl.”

Yoona felt her cheeks warm up at his response. What he said was a perfect lie, but he spoke it like it was the most common truth. It made her feel both conscious and...pleased. God Yoona. she furiously thought. maybe he was just returning the favour. She turned her head a bit and glanced at him, trying to decipher a ghost of a teasing smile. But she could not find one. He was looking straight to the other guy, smiling, but his eyes were rather...intense.

“Oh.” The guys’ face fell. He was staring at Siwon as if measuring him up. “that’s disappointing.” Without a backward glance, he retreated and went away.

After the guy went far away, Yoona spoke in a clear voice, trying to not sound as nervous as she actually was. “well...that was unexpected.”

“no it isn’t.” He spoke from behind her. “we share the same opinion.” He broke from hugging her.

Yoona had to keep controlling herself from feeling glad. And from blushing like mad. She looked at him in a playful manner, a mask she wore when she feels like this around him. “really?”

But siwon did not smile. Instead, he stared at her seriously. “avoid guys like him.” he stated.

“oh.” She raised her eyebrows and added in a teasing tone. “Who’s jealous now?”

“No I’m not.” He stated strongly. His eyes avoiding hers for the first time. “we don’t know what these people thinks you know...and...uh...”he trailed off, scanning his mind for an acceptable reason, but when none came, he said heatedly, “...Just...just avoid them...” he then stormed towards the house, leaving Yoona.

Siwon’s ears were so red that Yoona laughed. She then followed him and bumped his arm gently. “fine. I’ll avoid them.” she then reached up and pinched his ear. “You look cute even when you’re so red.”

His face became so red now that Yoona guffawed endlessly.

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

The fire blazed on the middle of the circle in which they sat, the light and the heat protecting them from the night’s cold air. They were seated cross-legged on the grass, surrounding the bonfire they created the minute the sun goes down. There were large plates of barbecues and other food fit for such kind of activity placed on the grass, as well as beverages.

They were eating and talking happily, reminiscing some funny moments from the things that they had done earlier. Kyuhyun was the one in-charge for the most frank and insulting remarks, which the group found hilarious instead of hurtful.

“Do you want more of this barbecue?” Yoona asked Siwon, who was sitting next to her.

“Sure.” He answered.

Yoona reached for one and handed it to Siwon. She watched him eating. The fire casted a luminous glow on Siwons’ feature, making his gentle face a lot softer. His long and dark lashes were clearly visible, his nose prominent, his lips a bit red from chomping off the barbecue with ketchup on it. her gaze unconsciously locked on his parted lips, remembering the moment they had shared earlier, how close he was and how they almost kissed...

“What?” he asked, making her jump.

“...huh..?” Startled,  she looked up and met his quizzical eyes.

“Your staring at me like you wanted to eat me.” he said teasingly.

“what? no!” she said defensively. “It’s just...uh...you have smeared your cheek with ketchup.” Finding an acceptable excuse, she reached and wiped the ketchup with her thumb. When she looked up, Siwon was staring at her in a soft manner, almost willing her to not avoid his gaze, and she didn’t. She stared at him too, quite transfixed at the emotion which he showed through his eyes, one that she could not identify. Then she saw how his gaze dropped to her lips, making her breathless.

“Hey Siwon, can you hand me the guitar?” Sungmin spoke from behind him.

Almost immediately, Yoona averted her gaze and took a massive gulp of juice from her glass. That brief moment they shared had made her parched and short of breath.

“Okay.” she heard Siwon replied, but she could still sense his eyes.

“Now, what song?” Sungmin asked. He was holding the guitar and was speaking at them. Yoona somehow realized that the conversation had moved with her unaware of it. She suspected Siwon was caught unaware too.

“Haebaragi.” Siwon suggested. Their friends had agreed as well.

“Okay.” Sungmin answered. He started to play the guitar with a melody Yoona had heard from the radio. In a clear voice, he started to sing. “meori jom sseo chimchakhage dansunhage santteutage Yeah-“

Kyuhyun then sang the next line“du boreneun chokchokhan Lotion gamgakjeogin Fashion japjimodel biseutage geunyeoga saneun gil geonneo golmok mujakjeong chajagagi jeone”

When the chorus came, all of them sang. “hwipharam bulmyeo hana dul set (georeogane) nan oneuldo geunyeol yoksim nae sarojamneun beop ajik moreujiman (Yeah-) nalmada geunyeol hyanghan nae mam jeonhari nan geunyeoui gyeote phin haebaragi khotnorae Hum- “

“Haebaragi...haebaragi...”  Eunhyuk adlibbed.

They sang the whole song until Sungmin plucked the last few chords. When it was finished, Kyuhyun gave Sungmin a high five. They moved on to the next songs, ranging from ballad to disco. Sungmin’s voice and Kyuhyun’s soulfulness matched so perfectly that Yoona found it unbelievable. She doesn’t know that they have that kind of talent. she knew that Siwon plays the piano, but she doesn’t know that his friends were as talented as he was in that field.

The sky becomes much darker as the night passed by. Stars lingered here and there, making everything as beautiful as it already is. Maybe it was the smooth singing of both Sungmin and Kyuhyun, or the cold breeze coming from the sea, but Yoona found herself sleepy. She tried to keep her eyes open, because she so wanted to still talk with her friends, but tough luck. Her eyelids slowly dropped...

A slight bump on the shoulder made Siwon looked around. Yoonas’ head was resting on his shoulder, eyes closed and fast asleep. He stifled a soft laugh; he then covered her with her cardigan that had somehow slid off from her shoulders. He put his one arm around her and inched closer. As always, she looked serene and beautiful even in her sleep.

“She reminds me of you.” A voice made him turn his head.

Eunhyuk was sitting beside him, a can of softdrink on his hand. He chanced a glance at Yoona then gazed at Siwon.

“Yeah?” Siwon looked at him with a quizzical brow. “How come?”

“she reminds me of you the day I first met her. that blank expression of hers before was similar to the one you fashioned years ago, after the incident with your dad and brother.”

Siwon nodded slowly. “yeah...I guess you’re right.”

“That’s why you were so drawn to her, because you understand the story behind that expression, even if it only took you one glance.” Eunhyuk gulped his drink. “and you fell for her.”

Siwon looked at him and smiled. “how did you know?”

His bestfriend rolled his eyes. “I’m not your bestfriend for nothing. I can see it in the way you look at her. It’s a change I recognize from the beginning, when you started to feel it even though you seemed to have no idea. It was so obvious to all of us, except you of course. And when you managed to recognize it, the change had become so apparent.”

“Is that so?” he stated, laughing softly. Yoona stirred from her sleep, silencing both him and Eunhyuk. She snuggled closer in her sleep.

“I think you should bring her in. She needs her bed.” Eunhyuk suggested.

“you’re right.” Siwon carefully placed her arm below her knees and the other arm on her back. he then lifted her up effortlessly. The motion made her stir again, but she somehow managed to went back to sleep.

He walked towards the French doors, then crossed the stairs. The girls’ bedroom was open, so he went straight inside, and then pushed the door close by his foot. He walked towards the bed and carefully placed her on the soft mattress. He drew the blanket up to her chest and sat beside her.

There was a strand of hair on her cheek. Acting on implulse, he carefully tuck it away, his fingers brushing her soft skin. She feels warm under his caress, and it made him smile. A little movement of her head and he moved his hand away, afraid that he had somehow woken her up.

But her sleep was deep, it seemed that his touch might have been translated into air brushing past her, even though the windows were closed. She was breathing rhythmically. He just sat beside her, contentedly gazing at her features, commiting every detail into memory, as if he hadn’t already memorized every aspect for the last few months.

He sighed. He had been with her for the last few months. They’ve been through some difficult times, but they had stayed together, as friends. Or special friends. Needless to say, the bond that grew between them had grown so thick that to sever it would be impossible, unless they themselves would decide to cut it.

In between their laughs and small fights, he had fallen in love with her. She wasn’t perfect, but nobody was. She had her own little flaws, she had to fight her own inner battles, like what he always does with his. But those tiny flaws had made her all the more perfect in his eyes. The warmness of her care and her smile had lingered inside him from the day she showed it until now. His feelings had grown so much he sometimes feels like it had spilled.

Like now.

He felt an over whelming love for the woman sleeping before his eyes. There was an extreme tugging on his chest, both happy and painful. He leaned close, as if he needed it to stay alive. A necessity he wanted and needed, like some unknown force had made him stare at her and slowly close the gap between their faces. All thoughts casted away, even the thought of somehow waking her up, had vanished. His head was just too full of her. He could now almost smell her sweet breathing...

Then he kissed her.

His lips on hers were the most undefinable sensation he felt. No words can describe it. She felt so soft and so sweet, sweeter than the sweetest candy their is. He felt like the only thing that mattered was what was now happening, and everything else was just an unimportant mirage.

He pulled up, and in both soft and raspy voice, he whispered...

“I love you...”

He stayed where he was, unable to utter any sound. He doesn’t care if she wouldn’t hear it, as she was fast asleep. She may never know what he had done, or when she knew, she might curse him forever, but he just needed to say it.

He then sat up, his back facing her immobile figure. Then, a voice broke through the silence of the room, a voice that made his eyes widened in surprise and his figure stoic.

“You do?”

It was Yoona.

Siwon felt like he was molded into the hardest cement, as he could not move. His mouth had gone dry, his chest puming large amount of blood. She did not sound angry, like he expected her to be.

“I’m asking you Choi Siwon.”

Now she sounded a bit angry. He felt her sat up from behind him, and the sense of her staring was almost willing him to look at her. which he did. But he found it hard. The moment he turned his head, he averted his gaze towards the sheets. “I-I didn’t know you’re awake...”

“I am. From the time you tucked the blanket in I was already awake.”

Siwon’s head snapped up. He stared at Yoona’s eyes, trying to decipher a lie. But she wasn’t lying. The truth was written all over her face. he had no choice but to tell her everything.

“Yes. I love...I love you...” he breathed out. “It’s the truth. From I don’t know when. I just woke up one day and realized that you had become a part of my whole being. It’s the cheesiest thing that I have said but it really is the truth. I love you with all that I am and all that I will be...”

He then looked down as silence fell between them. he felt like he was waiting for a proper reprimand of his actions.

But two soft hands on his cheeks made him look up. Yoona was holding his cheeks, and she was crying silently. “Oh no. I didn’t mean to—“

“No. Stop speaking.” She smiled, and without warning, she planted a lingering kiss on his lips. She then slumped on his shoulders, both of her arms hugging him tightly. “Be with me. Here. Now. I forbid you to walk away.”

She pulled him even tighter, and he too, pulled her close and buried his face on her hair. She then spoke quietly.

“Stay with me...”

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

here's the song in english:

Haebaragi (sunflower)

Use your head- take it slow, make it simple and neat
Put on moisturizing lotion on my two cheeks
Have a good sense of fashion- just like a magazine model
Before I go to the street across where she lives

As I whistle one, two, three (I’m walking along)
Today, again, I long for her
I don’t know the way to completely get her yet
But I send my heart to her everyday
I am a sunflower bloomed next to her (sunflower x2)
As I hum along (sunflower x2)

(>>that's just a part of the whole song.)