"Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity."

- Henry Van Dyke

CHAPTER 9

 Yoona’s laugh is the sweetest music Siwon had ever heard.

She was laughing real hard, her eyes watery. He stared at her, fascination palpable in his face. His eyes grow softer and softer as he continued to watch Yoona’s mirth. His heart was pounding loud and fast.

It was the first time he saw her happy, saw her laugh. He had sometimes imagined what Yoona would look like when she’s smiling, he thought he would be beautiful, but he never expected that she would be beyond beautiful in his eyes when he witnessed it now. And the effect of such laughter brought him that strange, unidentified feeling again, now intensified by the throbbing of his heart. It’s something he had never felt before.

Yoona’s laughter slowly went down to a single smile, she stared back at Siwon. He looked at her gently.

She was rather conscious at Siwon’s expression. “wha..What?”

He looked down and scooped Mr. Cat in his hands. He smiled at her. “Nothing really”. You’re so beautiful. He added in his mind.

Yoona took Honey in her arms. “Hello Honey, I’m happy for the two of you” she gently caressed the cat’s cheek. She looked at Mr. Cat “congratulations, Mr. Cat, for your new found love.” The cat meowed.

“Aren’t you so cute today?” Siwon said, and he rubbed his cheek to the cat’s cheek.

“pffftt” Yoona laughed. “Siwon, the two of you are identical, perhaps Mr. Cat is your long lost twin.” She playfully added.

“Really? Oh gosh, I think I would tell mother that I had just found my brother.” And he mimicked the cat’s expression.

Yoona laughed again. When it had died down, she glanced at her watch, only to be dumbfounded.

“Siwon, we are an hour late for class.”

Siwon was shocked too. “We’re going to be punished.” The two of them gently put the cats, stood up and waved goodbye.

Siwon offered his hand to Yoona, and without hesitation, she took it. They ran as fast as they could towards the car.

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“I’ve never expected you, Choi Siwon, to behave like this. You are an hour late! An HOUR! What happened to you?” Mr. Kim, the school disciplinary committee head, faced Siwon.

Both Siwon and Yoona were kneeling at the school gate, each pair of hands raised to the sky. It was the punishment for being late.

“And you” he pointed at Yoona. “You’re still a freshman yet you already broke an important rule. Such insolence wouldn’t take you anywhere.”

Both of them did not respond. Unnoticed by Mr.Kim, Siwon bowed his head, his face contracted with suppressed laughter. Seeing his expression, Yoona snorted.

“Is there something funny miss? Detention” Mr. Kim’s face contorted with rage.

Siwon immediately raised his head, and looked at the man seriously. “nothing is funny sir, she was just a bit in pain, as a matter of fact, she almost fell off the stairs weeks ago because she was sick. I think the heat of the sun made her dizzy again. And don’t give her detention sir, because she needed to go home early and rest, she hadn’t recovered fully yet. Health is more important than anything else, am I right sir?”

Mr. Kim did not respond. Meanwhile Yoona was a bit stunned. The ever-so-nice-Siwon actually lied. Sensing her gaze, siwon looked and winked at her.

“Okay.” Both of them returned their attention to the man in front. “Forget detention.” He shook his head. “You will both have to be in that position for an hour and half, don’t cheat, or else a more serious punishment will be issued upon the both of you.” And with that, Mr. Kim left.

Yoona and Siwon looked at each other, then both snorted. “I never would have guesed, you actually knowhow to lie.” Yoona said.

“It’s a secret, I’m not the guy everyone perceived to be, I’m a rascal, to be honest.”

“hahaha.. Whatever.” Siwon laughed as well. “But is it worth it?”

“What is?” Siwon asked.

“You  getting punished because you took the morning off to go see Mr Cat and Honey.”

Siwon did not respond immediately. He just stared at her, his eyes revealing an emotion Yoona couldn’t fathom. He smiled. “Yes, it was so worth it.”

Yoona looked down, she has this feeling that Siwon was talking about something else.

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The events that had happened spread like wildfire in the entire school. It became the most talked about topic. “really? The perfect Choi Siwon got late? That’s new.” One would say. Everyone was speculating why he was late for an hour, then Yoona’s name got involved. Apparently, the scene that had happened in her classroom, where siwon grabbed her and took her away, spread as well. They put two and two together and came up with one explanation. “She was with him.”

The story behind why Siwon took her away, and why they were late, vary from one person to another. At first it was just, “maybe they decided to eat out, I always see them eating together during lunchbreak.” Then it became, “maybe she insisted, and Siwon oppa being a nice person, took her somewhere.” Until it became, “she’s a manipulator, don’t you see? Look at her cold expression, it gave me the goosebumps.”

Yoona became the enemy of the girls.

Wherever she walked, girls would throw mean looks at her. She did not mind. The whole thing is rather stupid.

“YAH!” Yoona stopped walking and turned around. Five promiscuous girls faced her. “Leave Siwon oppa alone. You’re a bad influence.”

Yoona smirked at them. She’s currently in a bad mood, what with all those darn stupid girls in her class whispering behind her. It annoyed her to no end. Why doesn’t anyone just let her be?

“What are you smirking at?” one of the girls chanted.

Yoona gave them the coldest, scariest expression she could muster. All of them cowered.

“everyone says that I manipulate people, those gossips, do you want to find out whether they are true or not?” she slowly walked towards them. All of them five retreated, fear evident in each of their faces. Yoona is rather satisfied.

“Leave me alone. You don’t know me very well” she reached and held a loose strand of a certain girl’s hair. “Do you...want to try me?” she looked so scary the girls immediately flew.

Yoona breathed out. She continued her walk, as if nothing had happened. A shout made her stopped. What now? She turned around, but it was too late before she realized that something is being thrown towards her. Caught off guard, she just stared at the ball of unknown liquid.

Then a sea of blue blocked her vision, making her lose sight of the thing she was staring. Then she heard a loud splash. The sea of blue had blocked that thing.

She realized that the sea of blue is their school uniform. She looked up. She was greeted with eyes full of concern and rage.

“Siwon...” she uttered.

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hello! it's my last update for today. it's already 1am here and i need to wake up early tomorrow, my class starts at 7 in the morning. ^_^

THANK YOU for the kind words you had left. it means so much to me.

good night/day!!