Irene:

          Maybe she really was bad. She was just trying to paint herself as a nice person. She probably was bad considering she was waiting inside the home of the man she loathed. Their home was too big for her liking. It was as if he was showing off his wealth. That came from dirty money. Sighing, she sat back because she was not any better. She knew what she was born into. It was only because of her illness that her parents allowed her to live a simpler life. A life she never knew she had been taking for granted.

Yet, there she was crawling back to the lion’s den the moment she knew they were watching and following her. Bae Joohyun may have been sick and fooled by love, but she was no fool when it came to those following her and wanting information from her. Although, the said person had not been around for a few days.

Dohwan, he was an idiot. She knew that from the moment his family entered into a deal with Sehun’s father. She was sick already and, in the hospital, but she knew about him. How he had found the infamous Park Sooyoung, but let his little head do the thinking. Had he succeeded, Sehun would have had him killed. Only he could deflower his princess.

Irene shuddered at the way Sehun spoke about the girl. So, why was she there? She could go back. She could take everything back and leave before he came—she didn’t.

She thought back to a few days ago. After having missed school due to her parent’s paranoia when it came to her small bout of bronchitis—and seeing more of Jin than she expected to—it came at a good time though. She had suffered humiliation in front of two girls in school that gossiped like no other. Taehyung did not like her how she would have hoped and thought; she decided to speak with him again. It took her some time to move past her dream boy not becoming her reality. Nevertheless, she would be a fool if she let him go even as a friend.

The last she had checked before going to see him, he and Joy were together but that was about it. The whole school knew. Some even screaming out in joy for having won a bet placed a long time ago—that the two high school friends would date. They were, in everyone’s perspective, the perfect couple. To say she didn’t hate that, would be a lie. She had not expected to find him. He never went home.

It was by some miracle of chance that she saw him on her third attempt of going to see him. He was waiting by the bus and she followed a fair distance behind him. She stared at her phone screen and wondered if she should text or call. There had been too many times she typed out a message, to then deleted it again just to try to send another but disliking it. What if he didn’t want anything to do with her, at all? What if she had ruined their friendship? Due to her persistence for something that would never be? Irene couldn’t help to think that maybe she should have treated Joy better and befriended her. Have actually done the old time saying of keeping your friends close but your enemies closer. In her case, her rival closer.

After never sending the text, she watched him stand up and she stood up as well, behind him far enough for him to not even know. He seemed preoccupied, listening to something and smiling at his phone as he texted. At the bus stop, there was a familiar figure. It was Joy. Joy was there, waiting for him. She could only hear him, telling her not to wait for him out in the open like some paranoid father. In his case, a paranoid boyfriend. They were sweet, too sweet. She was just left confused as to why they were there. She found out when Joy spoke.

“I didn’t know what to make for food or buy. So, I decided to wait because I want to make something you love. Also, our fridge is still pretty empty.”

Something cracked in her. She knew they were dating. She knew they were close friends before. She knew all of that but the knowledge that they were living together—in a new place—made her seethe. Did Jin know? How could have Jin given up so easily? Didn’t he also love Joy? How was he handling the news of the girl he loved living with one of his friends? Knowing fully well, what was probably going on behind closed doors? She cracked but worried all in one.

Irene did the only thing she could think of and it was to contact Oh Sehun. The moment she decided to use her information. To let him know Joy was Park Sooyoung. The Park Sooyoung he had been trying to find. The Park Sooyoung that he needed so he could conquer the land that would barely be large enough to fit his ego.

That was the only reason she was in his home, and to tell Sehun to stop having men tail her. She wasn’t someone to keep track of when all she wanted was to take pictures and woo the boy who made the dream come alive from within her. Whoever was tracking her now was doing a better job than Dohwan ever did. She knew she was being followed, yet she didn’t know by who or why. She was there partly to rely her information, and partly to tell him to stop.

“Master Oh has arrived.”

She knew it was more of a rule than courtesy for anyone to stand up when any of the Oh’s were announced. She still didn’t move from her spot and only stared at the door before it was opened by maids. Sehun, the ever serious and brooding man in front of her was quite a looker. There was a reason she had fallen for him when younger. He had a glint in his eyes when he saw her, and she knew he only started holding a soft spot for her the moment his father’s lungs were transplanted into her body. He could care less about her wellbeing before then.

“Bae Joohyun, to what do I own this great honor of being in your presence.” Sehun mocked a curtsy and sat across from her, looking business like as always.

“I have a request.”

“You know requests can only be granted if you have something to give.”

Irene let out a laugh, a boisterous and not comical laugh. One that was filled with disgust and hatred. “I thought by now I wouldn’t have to be as low as one of your men.”

“Joohyun, you’re beautiful and you’ve gotten stronger but only my wife would ever be above everyone else.”

“Speaking of wife; how’s the search?” she grabbed the cup of wine the maids had offered her earlier and took a sip.

Sehun glowered at her, not amused. He stood from his spot and made his way to the bar to pour himself some brandy.

“It’s not going as well as I would have hoped. The one Park Sooyoung, who didn’t show, is nowhere in sight and damn near impossible to locate. But I did meet a beautiful woman I would like to have for a while, at the wedding. If it wasn’t for that damn photographer ruining my chances of getting her name. I only know a name I am positive is just a nickname—I’ve tried contacting her but alas, all futile attempts.”

She noted how he gripped the glass tightly. “I find it ironic how you still sleep around and yet if you were to find out your ‘princess’ has a ual past you would murder them all. I mean—for years, you slept with Sejeong. How is she, by the way?”

Sehun seemed to flinch at the mention of Sejeong. Something had happened that she clearly had missed. It made him freeze from taking a sip of his drink and scowl before he turned it into a smirk. “Isn’t it more acceptable with men, anyway?”

“You disgust me.” she stood, making her way to him so she could say what she wanted to say. “Stop having Dohwan follow me around. I don’t need to be watched and I don’t owe you nothing. I think my family has done enough and last I checked your father put my name as the one to donate his organs. Second, I can help you with your whole Park Sooyoung situation, if you back down and let me live like a normal person. Meaning, you do not look into the person I like.”

By the way Sehun’s eyes widened she knew she got him right on the mark. He was trying to gain information about her so he could threaten her to manipulate her into doing his will. He looked intrigued by her outburst and she stepped back once his eyes looked her up and down.

“You’ve gotten a backbone. Dare I say it makes you suddenly y?” he probably laughed at her face before he drank out of his glass. “I’m also sorry to inform you that Dohwan has gone missing for the last couple of days. There is no way to find him and we are sure the Lee’s are somehow behind it. Yet, they have no one captive. As far as I know. Whomever you think is following you—it isn’t me, sweetheart. What information do you have on Sooyoung? I’ll leave you alone in the future if your information is worth it.”

“I know a Park Sooyoung at my university. She goes by Joy.”

Irene didn’t know why he froze but he did. Mid taking a sip, he froze and smiled one of the most spine tingling smiles she had ever seen on his face. He had a sparkle to his eyes, and he seemed to have a new perspective. She was scared and almost regretted having given her information to him. Almost, not enough to have the guilt eat her alive or even feel any sort of guilt. She wanted Joy out of the way. She needed her out of the way and when she was gone, Taehyung would turn to her for comfort. Or so she told herself. She didn’t mind being the rebound, she just wanted to be something more to him.

“This just got fun. Loey should have told me earlier but I can see why he built the suspense. Well Irene, it looks like you have a deal. I won’t mess with this person of your affection because you just narrowed my search to one y woman. What’s the man I should stay away from?”

She stopped to think and decided on not to give his full name. “He goes by V.”

“Small world, I know who he is and lucky for him I won’t touch him for having talked and flirted with my woman. If we’re done, you can leave. I have a meeting to go to.”

Sehun downed the rest of his drink and left the room. She stood swiveling her wine before finishing it and then taking her leave once she took her bag. She shouldn’t feel bad but if Joy was the Park Sooyoung he was looking for; she had willingly served her competition to the wolves. She had traded a life for another life. She was no better than everyone in this world was.

The whole drive to her home, the regret started to sink in. She should have just told him there was a Park Sooyoung at her school and nothing more. She protected Taehyung’s identity, but she felt no want to protect Joy’s. Deep inside she knew how this wouldn’t turn out how she wanted. However, she was petty and jealous. The more she thought about what could have happened behind that closed door of their apartment, the more she seethed in envy. She had been watching and wanting him for so long. Joy didn’t deserve him.

Irene was making her way up to the elevator, having used her car and getting out of the Oh mansion as fast as she could. She made it home rather quickly and was surprised to see Jin in her lobby. She stepped back; how did he know where she lived?

“Irene, we need to talk.”

The tone of his voice made her feel like a small child. She nodded to his request and followed him out. He wasn’t angry, he was still gentle with her and when he led them to a bench not far from the entrance, she could feel her heart beating as if caught in what she did.

“Jin, how did you know where I live?”

“I asked your mother and she gave it to me. She’s worried you haven’t been to school. Even when you were released a good day ago. Why?”

She couldn’t look at him. His stare was digging right into her soul. “I wasn’t feeling motivated to go. Kind of sick to the stomach, nothing major for me to spend time in the hospital again.”

“But you were well enough to be following Taehyung?”

She was caught. She snapped her head in his direction and her reaction was enough of a confirmation for him to know she wasn’t going to lie. She looked back down to her hands.

“I wanted to talk to him again and try to salvage something in the relationship we developed. I thought he liked me. I mean, he genuinely was nice to me and I know he is attracted to me.”

“He rejected you, didn’t he? More than once?” Jin leaned back on the bench, his elbows propped up and she nodded.

“Yes, he did. I know you know that, Jin. I eluded to it when I was in the hospital. At first, he was kind about it and in all honestly, I only have myself to blame for how he let me know he didn’t feel the same, the second time. I just can’t help but feel like he belongs to me.”

“You know, you’re wrong.”

“What?” Jin never contradicted her. He always supported her and now he was saying she was wrong? Not even at the hospital—granted she didn’t go into how she felt internally at the time other than wishing she had never found a donor.

“He doesn’t belong to you. He never belonged to you. You may not like hearing this but if anything, he’s always belonged to Joy. I’m not a fan of it either because I also was rejected but that’s how it is. That’s how life played out. It took them long enough to realize how important they are to each other. You can’t claim someone just because you saw them with a smile and fell in love.”

“He gave me a reason to keep living! Shouldn’t I have some right to that?” she was angry but Jin didn’t look phased as if expecting it.

“How did he give you a reason?”

“His smile. His joy at capturing the little things and seeing life in a different way. I fell in love with that smile. I should have a chance at always seeing that smile.”

Jin chuckled beside her. It sounded bittersweet to her. He stopped looking forward and faced her; she couldn’t look away from his intense stare. “I spent years trying to give you a reason to live. I didn’t know it could have been so simple. But I have a question, why do you think he was smiling so brightly?”

She paused to think—his words hitting her and making her feel horrible for never taking all his efforts as her doctor into account of it being a factor as well. She wasn’t sure about his question, though. She just knew he was there and then never again. She assumed later on that, maybe he had come to visit Jin at the hospital; once she found out they were friends.

“Because he loves photography? I don’t know Jin. I never got a chance to talk to him.”

“Joy.”

“Huh?”

Jin smiled a gentle smile that she could tell didn’t reach his eyes. It almost broke her to see how the brightness she would always see wasn’t there. He had given her up, willingly. Jin had given up on Joy because he knew he could not make her happy.

“He was smiling that brightly because of Joy. The pictures he was taking were all for her. He had her on his mind. The sole purpose of those pictures had been to cheer her up. She was there too. That was the reason he was even in the hospital that day. For her and those pictures and smile were all for her and because of her. He didn’t know back then, but it’s always been Joy and you have no right getting in between them. If you want to be friends, that’s fine. But Irene, you may have been one of my first patients and I care for you, but I would still never forgive you if you cause pain to either of them. I love Joy. I am in love with her but my love for Taehyung’s happiness and wellbeing exceed everything else. He’s like my brother and if I can step aside and hurt on my own, you should too. Fate didn’t work in our favor. I never meet Joy that day and you saw Taehyung. Not realizing that since then and before—they were meant for each other.”

Silence engulfed them after he spoke. The guilt she didn’t feel came ten times as strong. What had she done? Why was she so set on getting someone she knew would never look at her like how he looks at Joy? The pictures were telltale enough and yet she still tricked herself into thinking one day she could make him see her instead of Joy. She traded Joy’s safety for his in a selfish act.

She didn’t know how to respond or even how to act. She merely stood up and starting walking away from Jin. She was no better than Oh Sehun, to do anything for what she considered hers. She belonged in the world she was born. The world that manipulated and threatened to get what they wanted. She truly was one of them and it took meeting Kim Taehyung to realize just how much she was like them all. She was a monster in disguise, worse than the worst.

Irene felt a yank of her elbow, and in one fluid motion, lips were on her own. Her eyes were wide. She was frozen as she started at the man who was kissing her, his eyes closed. It was Jin. Jin was kissing her and it was rough. Almost like, he needed this as much as she did. She gave in to the feeling and kissed him back. His lips were searing her own. It was desperate and needy not just from him but from her. She felt her breath be taken from her, but she didn’t pull back. She couldn’t because he held her face in place. The moment his rough and frustrated kiss became gentle, her knees became weak. He cared for her, maybe not in that sense but enough for her to feel it. Even after everything—which she was sure he knew—he cared for her as a decent human being. It was more than she could ever ask for.

He pulled back not that long after. Her lips still tingled from where his had been. Slowly she opened her eyes to face him. Her face heated from what occurred. He had stepped back.

“Why?”

“You don’t get enough love Irene. Even if you parents cared for you and your health, they never showed you enough love. You’ve been alone most of your life and it was time someone showed you what love could be. Real love, where you do anything to keep those around you safe and get happiness from others happiness. You were given another chance at life, don’t screw it up.”

She watched Jin walking away. Her heartbeat racing. This was a new side of him, she never saw. His stance and the way he carried himself, she had noticed how steadily he was changing. It wasn’t that she suddenly had become self-aware of his good looks but more like recently, they affected her more. When nurses spoke about how the handsome doctor always seemed to drop anything if her name was mentioned, putting her in high priority. He cared for her. Always had. They were friends. He was different, something was different, and she didn’t know what. It was like—he held a secret. But why did she suddenly feel he held so much power? For one, she wouldn’t be able to forget that kiss anytime soon.

⇤〜⑉⑅﹎⑅⑉〜⇥

Yerim:

“Why are you pouting?”

She wasn’t sure either. Maybe it was because she felt the title of them being cute was taken from them way too fast. When everyone in school found out she and Jungkook were dating, she heard the words cute, precious, adorable, sweet, etc. Those words would describe their relationship from those that saw them. Then Joy and Taehyung just had to go and steal the thunder by publicly announcing their relationship with a kiss. The words perfect, followed them around. She pouted. She thought she and Jungkook were perfect.

Jungkook nudged her, making her look at him before she smiled at him. She had gotten mad at him. The day after they met Mark, more like hours after he met Mark in a rather short and too brief manner, he became jealous. It did not matter that she told him Mark was only joking—Jungkook did not believe it. Jungkook was actually threatened by Mark. She found it funny and made the wrong decision to laugh at how he felt. It made making kimchi awkward. They were all having fun but then Jungkook left in a huff, leaving her behind as she began to cry. How was she supposed to feel?

Earlier in the day, he had used Lisa against her to make her jealous and she had made no big deal out of it. Mark didn’t even touch her, but Jungkook was jealous. She got a ride home from Jimin and Seulgi. Seeing them just made her cry even more. Jimin held Seulgi’s hand the entire time and when he thought she wasn’t looking, he would lovingly glance in her direction. She cried. Her relationship was far too young to have them be like that, with their stupid petty fights. Her text to him let him know how mad she was and that she didn’t want to speak to him.

Yet, when she arrived at school, on her usual desk in her first class was a single daisy. She had partially already known whom it could be from. The only boy ever to remember what her favorite flower was. Jungkook. She didn’t see him. Apparently, her text was enough of a warning for him not to approach her. It went on like that, even at lunch when Jimin sheepishly handed her a daisy and then told her that when she was done, she could find Jungkook in the library, on the second floor by the window. Only, if she wanted to. She did. She wanted to apologize because Jungkook had made one little mistake and got jealous, but she told him to stay away like the petty nineteen-year-old she was.

She found him, looking gloomy and penitent, sitting alone. Every so often he would send a glare to the girls who tried to sit by him. Yerim sighed, approaching him with her now full hands of daisies and sat across from him, placing the flowers down first so he wouldn’t think it was some random girl. The m