Close to You
by abbyeepinkish11 | shabbypinkish13

 

 

 

Chapter Three.

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            I always hated PE class—just the thought of it would bring chills down my spine. I just had to endure those two hours in the week where all we had to do was sweat and tire ourselves out. My surroundings were getting colder, or I was sensing that because my temperature has been rising. Whenever I blink my eyes, I would feel heat coming from my eyelids.

 

                Our standard PE uniform was red with white stripes across our long sleeves and the sides of the jogging pants. It had a hood along, which I put on my head so that no one would notice my face, flushing from the increase of temperature in my body.

 

                Upon assembling in rows, Yuri, who was an arm away from me, noticed the hood covering my head. “Yoona, are you okay?” I heard her voice as I pulled my hood closer, covering my cheeks and every part of my head.

 

                But Yuri was so stubborn... and I hate that about her.

 

                “Yah,” Yuri laid her hand on my shoulder and dragged me closer to her. Of course, I didn't have the power to pull myself away from her strong grip. Even when I was still healthy and vigorous back then, Yuri always had the strength of a hundred tigers that she could even drag Sooyoung and I to a shopping district kilometers away from school... not to mention, at night. If Sooyoung and I didn't stop her from her “journeys”, we could've reached places as far as Busan by then.

 

                I timidly glanced at her before lowering my head. I was having difficulty breathing at that moment.

 

                Yuri had her eyebrows slightly furrowed at me, as if it was very obvious for me to respond to her that way. With her hands on her waist, she rolled her eyes before 'lightly' pushing me by the shoulder. “Yah!” she called in an irritated manner.

 

                The moment when Yuri pushed me felt like I was being dragged by 500 grams of barbel in my left. The dreadful power of Kwon Yuri—she even hits people while laughing and she's not aware that they're already in pain.

 

                “What's wrong with you? You look a bit pale and...” Yuri took off my hood that I was grasping onto tightly. Indeed, she was powerful, but also because I was lacking energy that time. She bore a puzzled look on her face upon seeing me. “You're pale yet as red as a tomato. You're already sweating and we haven't even done our warm ups yet.” Yuri pointed her index finger at my forehead, which, as she said, had sweat beads all over.

 

                “I'm fine!” I exclaimed, glaring at her.

 

                She then laid the back of her palm on my forehead all of the sudden, which made me react and remove her hand from my head. “Hey!”

 

                “Your hand is burning.” she mumbled upon feeling the temperature of my hand when I held her wrist. Facing me, she added. “Your head is very warm. Are you sure you can still bear with PE class?”

 

                I sniffled, still glaring at Yuri. “I still can! You're just being paranoid, that's all.”

 

                “Eh, why are you so annoyed? I was just asking if you could still run laps in your state. Your legs are all wobbly and if Teacher Kang sees you like that, he's gonna make you run more laps.” Concern was present in Yuri's tone. I then felt sorry, thinking that I was clueless and numb towards my best friend's sincerity.

 

                “I'm sorry, Yuri.” I sheepishly said, laying my hand on her shoulder as she looked at me and sighed.

 

                After a few seconds, Yuri was looking at something beyond me... or should I say, someone. She became excited all of the sudden, giggling before she whispered into my ear. “Your Prince Charming Lee Donghae is behind you.”

 

                I didn't have to turn around and see for myself—Yuri held my shoulders and faced me towards Donghae's direction. And there he was, wearing a red shirt and black shorts that reached his knees for soccer practice. He had a soccer ball squeezed between his arm and his waist, and he was in between two other seniors who were also heading to the soccer field, which was beside the area where our PE class is being held. The fence only acted as a barrier—that close.

 

                My eyes followed him going to the left. I didn't have to worry if he saw me staring at him or not since he's far away; to add to it, I wore my hood again to hide the sick look on my face. When he and his crew had finally settled inside the field, I turned at my left to watch him do his warm ups like stretching his arms and reaching for the ground without bending one's knees.

 

                “Staring at him again, Im Yoona?” I immediately faced the owner of the voice, who seems to be coming from my right—Sooyoung. She had her arms crossed with a sly smile that was very evident on her face. She ceased her steps upon reaching my side. “Lee Donghae's one lucky guy. He's got the looks, the talent, and a lot of girls swooning over him. He doesn't even need Jessica to be perfect.”

 

                “He's not perfect.” somehow, those words had managed to escape from my mouth even though I tried not to. I'd still like to believe, however, that he is, but after seeing a certain side to him yesterday, Donghae's not all Prince Charming like how everyone says so. They only judge what he wants them to see, and not what he's trying to hide.

 

                I was able to see Sooyoung blink her eyes in a confused manner through the corner of my eye before she faced me. “Mwo? You sound a bit strange today.” she then shrugged her shoulders, “Oh well. Yuri's right—the fever has gone through your head.”

 

                I then felt a strong force on the right temple of my head that pushed me—it was Sooyoung's finger. I moved a few steps since I got out of balance, thanks to my ever supportive friend. “Yah!” I cried out, wearing the hood once again after it slid off my head.

 

                All of the sudden, I was already listening to Sooyoung, who was whispering through my ear. “You're not telling us something.”

 

                I looked at her through the corner of my eye, as if I lay frozen in my position upon hearing her statement and I couldn't even move my head. “W-what are you talking ab-b-bout?” I stuttered while Sooyoung practically invaded my personal space by increasing the distance between us—she laid her arm across my shoulder, thus, pulling me closer to her. With that, I lowered my head to prevent our heads from colliding.

 

                “The fever might have gone through your head, but I know that Im Yoona is a positive, lively and an optimistic girl, no matter what.” by the way Sooyoung described me, she sounded so sweet, but then, she changed the tone of her voice, making it lower and had a hint of anger along. “And no matter what happens, Im Yoona is sure to smile, even when she has a fever. So spit it out—what's bugging you?”

 

                When I raised my head, I saw Donghae looking at me. I blinked my eyes—is Lee Donghae really looking at me? He's facing towards my direction with his eyes squinted and his hands on his waist, like he was trying to make sure if it was me. I then widened my eyes, being panicky all of the sudden... I even feel like my face had a darker shade of red already.

 

                It was like we had eye contact for a few seconds before I broke it off. Oh, how I wish it lasted, but it would be weird for his part so I immediately turned my head to Sooyoung.

 

                “Why are you being like this!?” I exclaimed, removing her arm around my shoulder and moving a few steps away from her. “I'm not hiding something!”

 

                Sooyoung crossed her arms at me once again. “You're getting shaky,” she smirked, “Must be because of your fever, or the fact that Donghae looked at you just now.”

 

                “Huh!?” I cried out in a puzzled manner before slightly turning my head to the left—did he really look at me? And through the corner of my eye, I saw him, but this time, he was playing soccer with his teammates already.

 

                Once again, Sooyoung closed our distances as she whispered in my ear, “Is it about him?”

 

                “Mwo!?” I widened my eyes at her.

 

                Sooyoung clicked her tongue, smirking at me. “So it is about him.”

 

                I shook my head uncontrollably, tightly gripping my hood as I pulled it closer to my head. “No, no!!”

 

                “Alright,” Sooyoung shifted her gaze to the sky above us before casually laying her arm across my shoulder, pulling me closer to her. “I'll be straightforward then. What's up with you sounding like you know Lee Donghae? Now, tell me what's up or else I'm gonna walk up to Donghae and tell him about your three year old crush.”

 

                “You wouldn't,” I glared at Sooyoung as she faced me with a smile. “Why won't I?” she retorted, sticking her tongue at me in a playful manner. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the mood for games now. My surroundings were becoming more topsy-turvey by the second. All of the sudden, I felt a strong bump on my head, but the feeling wasn't familiar to me. It was more of a fall than just a simple bump on the head. Then, everything turned into black.

 

                “Yoona! Wake up or I'm seriously going to kill you!” Yuri's still as harsh as ever. “Sooyoung! You know that Yoona's sensitive when it comes to that topic yet you told her that!?”

 

                “I didn't expect that she'd fall. I was just kidding with her!” I heard Sooyoung, who sounded a little defensive in her words.

 

                “Oh, sure.” Yuri spoke, sarcasm being evident in her tone. “Tell the guy about Yoona's feelings! I wonder if she's going to faint if she hears this joke!”

 

                “Yah! Kwon Yuri!”

 

                “Is she alright?”

 

                I heard an unfamiliar voice afterward. It seems like Yuri and Sooyoung were silenced when they heard him speak, like they were taken aback all of the sudden.

 

                But did I really faint?

 

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                I was awoken by the sound of glass and metal that fell onto the ground. It appears to be so, since I heard the a woman groan to herself and complain about how the doctor will kill her when she finds out that she broke another thermometer.

 

                Am I in the clinic?

 

                I started to slowly open my eyes, avoiding the glare from the white light. When I was able to fully open my eyes, I laid the back of my palm on my forehead. To my surprise, I didn't have my fever anymore. At that time, it felt like my energy has been restored, and I was able to sit on the bed without having to force my body to move. The first thing that my eyes laid upon when I sat down on the bed was the wall clock in front of me. Another thing that surprised me was that it was already seven o'clock—an hour after dismissal.

 

                “Good thing sleeping beauty has woken up.” I turned my head at the short nurse who said those words. Walking towards me, she then sat on the side of the bed and pulled out an ear thermometer. She checked my temperature and upon checking my temperature, she sighed out of relief. “37.1 degrees Celsius. Your fever might as well go down after sleeping for eight hours.” she joked.

 

                I crinkled my eyebrows as I tilted my head to the side, trying to remember what happened at that moment. Noticing the look on my face, she uttered, “Aigoo, I'll tell you what happened. Students who usually faint couldn't recall what happened before they arrived here. It's normal, if you'd say so.”

 

                I curved my lip at her, hugging my legs and laying my head on top of my knees. “Then, could you tell me what happened?”

 

                The nurse chuckled before she was able to say anything. “A funny, young man carried you here. I found it funny, to be honest, because I thought he was your boyfriend.”

 

                I furrowed my eyebrows. “A boy?”

 

                “Hmm,” the nurse sounded, nodding along. “He said he wasn't your boyfriend, but he looked like he was about to cry. He insisted on staying here for an hour or so, but I told him that you're going to be alright.”

 

                I started to feel my face heating up—the feeling I get whenever I'm blushing. And I can't help but widen my eyes while listening to the nurse's story. “What's the name of the guy?”

 

                The nurse laughed harder. “When he told me his name, I recalled the first words sung in the national anthem. His name is Lee Donghae.”

 

                At that moment, I felt my heart stop. “Lee Donghae!?”

 

                The nurse tried suppressing her laughter as she nodded her head at me. “That's right.”

 

                “Lee Donghae... carried me... on the way here?” I mumbled, unable to believe what the nurse told me just now.

 

                As soon as the nurse was done laughing, she glanced at me and became alarmed all of the sudden. Standing up, she headed to a cabinet. “Aigoo, it looks like your fever's coming back—you're flushing. Strange, since your temperature was normal just now. I should give you another set of pills, just in case.”

 

                After taking the medicine that the nurse gave me, I headed back to my classroom. A few students were still in their seats, flipping the pages of their books with intentness. Some were already sleeping on top of their desks.

 

                Upon getting my backpack and my jacket, I headed downstairs. On my way out, I noticed that the soccer players were dismissed as well when I recognized one of them in the same group, wearing white shirts and shorts after bathing. It made me think that Donghae might have left, or is about to.

 

                I decided to pass by the tree where Donghae would usually go to. I stopped at his favorite tree—it was easy to figure out since at the center of the tree, there was a big DH carved onto it. I looked around to check if he was there, but it seems like he wasn't. Even when I looked beyond the row of trees in front of me, Donghae wasn't present by the lake either.

 

                “So he's not here, huh?” I said to myself as I lowered my head, sighing.

 

                Thinking that he wasn't there anyway, I walked away. However...

 

                “Im Yoona!”

 

                I became alarmed upon hearing my name, so I ceased my steps and turned around. And I was surprised to see who that person was.

 

                “D-D-Donghae?” I uttered his name in a questioning manner while I blinked my eyes.

 

                I watched him as he smiled at me, probably because of how I reacted just now. He was wearing his school uniform, unlike his teammates, and had a haversack hanging on his shoulder. He had his hands inside the pockets of his pants, and his brown hair was styled in a messy yet cool manner.

 

                Walking towards my direction, he asked. “Are you alright?”

 

                Suppressing the excitement that I was feeling at that moment, I gulped before saying anything to him. “Yes.” I replied, holding my hands tightly at my back as I bowed my head. “Thank you for helping me a while ago.”

 

                I heard him chuckle. “No problem.”

 

                Upon lifting my head, I smiled at him. “I don't have an exact idea of what had happened back there, but the nurse told me that you were the one who accompanied me to the clinic.”

 

                Without saying anything, Donghae laid his hand on my forehead. My smile faded and my eyes widened instead. Afterward, he removed his hand. “Your fever's gone. That's good.”

 

                “Hmm,” I sounded, “Thank you. I was just stopping by to check if you're trying to skip stones again.” I lied, trying to make it seem natural though.

 

                He smiled. “Want me to accompany you back home? You might faint again.”

 

                I laughed at his attempt of humor. “Donghae-sshi, it's alright. I don't think I need someone to accompany me. The medicine that the doctor gave me was pretty strong.” I walked away after, hiding my face from him since I couldn't hide what I felt when he offered to accompany me back home.

 

                “But I couldn't care less.” I heard him cry out.

 

                I ceased my steps, turning around to face him. “Thank you, but I think I'll be able to go back home in one piece.”

 

                “If you insist...” was all he could say before I turned my back at him and move away. A few steps after, I hear him shout out once more. “By the way...”

 

                Curious, I turned around once more to face him. “What?”

 

                “Remove the -sshi. Call me 'Oppa'.”

 

                Keeping my cool, I smiled at him. “Okay... oppa.” I answered before running away. I really felt like screaming, somehow unable to stop my heart from beating this fast.

 

                I think I won't be able to sleep tonight.

 

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[A/N] Sorry for the late update guys! :)) I can't say that I've been totally busy throughout the year but let's say that I've had writer's block for some reason. LOL Anyway TO NEW SUBSCRIBERS, I LOVE YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING. :)) caps lock can't express how much I'm thankful.

And to those who commented, your comments keep me motivated to write this story. :) I was reading them just now and I thought of replying. ^^;;

 

@sushisoju: Thank you for the comment! ^^ Who knows? Maybe it has a hidden message in it. I kind of stated that Yoona is a timid girl in the description (I gotta check that again, just to make sure). Sorry for the late update. :/
@pinkdot121424: Thanks for commenting. Yoonhae jjang!
@NikuroAi: Thanks for the comment. :)
@posh88_luvlck: Thank you~ :) More YoonHae to come~
@melodyoona7: lol I agree. But maybe not now. Thanks for the comment! :)
@imchoding7: I'm sorry for the late update, dear. I hope you'd be able to forgive me. ToT I love YoonHae too~ it's my first time writing about them though. I'm pleased to know that you like my writing style. Updated. :))
@kmelendez12: LOL I'm flattered. Thank you~ ^^;;
@wintersoeul19: Oh, I think I remember you from winglin! :) I'm sure I updated it on winglin, but I haven't updated this fic in a while and winglin automatically deletes stories which aren't updated in 30 days so, yeah... Updated, and I'm sorry for the late update. Thank you for commenting, btw. ^^;;
@yoonhaeshipper: Updated, and thanks for commenting! :))

 

In case I may not update soon, here's a spoiler to let you have an idea of what the next chapter may be:

 

"Lee Donghae said that? Yoong~"

"Don't be so sure of Donghae. He's the popular guy, and I'm sorry to say this, but you're just one of those girls. He's kind too, so be careful."

"I'm sorry if you think of me as a drag. I just find it easy to confide in you... and that somehow, I owe you something."

"Donghae-oppa likes to design clothes?"

 

 

Anyway, this is it for now. I'm sorry once again for the late update. :/ Comments are ♥ and I love to hear from you! ^^;; Please, and thank you! :))

 

 

♥Abbyee