Taecyeon sat opposite Yoona on a wooden chair decked with black decorations at the back. In-between them was a table draped with white table cloth. Food had been freshly set on it and two wine glasses had been placed near the opposite ends. The fine window to his left offered a grand view of the busy street outside and yet nobody stopped to glance at who was inside eating away at lunch or maybe brunch.

“Can’t you find another place for her to stay? Honestly, I don’t like her there at your apartment,” Donghae explained bitterly.

“Do you think I have that money?”

“Why not?” Donghae shrugged. “However, if you don’t want to waste your money I can help look for a place for her and pay the bills for her. If that works, lets do that instead.”

The conversation was flowing through his mind like an open water faucet, like the faucet Victoria always left on in the apartment. That dull interested look always appeared on her face whenever she turned it on. Did she have to show such fascination for it?

The restaurant was of fine construction built from the rocks on the ground with stubby edges. And the space inside was as spacious as the view from outside. Glamorous dimly lit lamps hung on opposite ends of the doors at the entrance, and they had been left on even during the daytime. It sort of felt like walking into an old chamber during the renaissance age. The restaurant was luxurious, in other words expensive.

“Do you think I have that money?”

Taecyeon felt like spiting himself. He snorted silently. He did have the money, he just didn’t use it on stuff like finding a home for somebody else. He spent it on meals with another woman, his boss’s woman - to be exact.

“Ahh…the irony of fate.” a voice in his head protruded.

Taecyeon cut his steak into little pieces using a little more strength than needed that it created a high screeching noise that sounded like a high pitch scream of a hurt puppy. Pausing immediately he looked up at Yoona to find that she was gazing out of the window, her food had been untouched.

Then there it was in his mind. There was a reason for her visit. He was that other person, the only one she could go to and talk out her problems without feeling like she was pitying herself, without feeling like she would have to burden him. All because she didn’t know him well enough. Because a personal relationship didn’t exist between them.

“You seem like a nice person.” she began. “I think it kind of feels better talking to a stranger who knows nothing about me.”

Then he wondered if she’d seen it at all, that he did have an interest toward her that her fiancé, now, failed to show. And if she realized, did she pretend not to see? But then after all, he pointed out to himself, Yoona didn’t specialize in reading people that way. She read people through a criminal logic way, the way she’d been taught by the police academy.

Reaching forward he grabbed her plate replacing it with his, the cut up one that had just screamed a few seconds earlier. Yoona turned when she noticed the movement.

“Why? What’s that for?” she asked.

“Eat,” was all he said.

Yoona pressed her lips together forming a small smile. The big words here were small smile.

Tacyeon labeled himself as a fine observer. As a person who had to defend himself during fights in high school he’d taught himself to read the other person’s mind by the way his eyes twitched, scrolled around sideways, and the way he moved. If his feet slowly twisted creating a circle on the ground he was ready to pounce forward with his fists and Taecyeon would have to jump away fast enough, or if not fast enough at least get his nose or his jaw smashed up. Well…he’d been there before and had learned from it.

Now, looking at Yoona eat absentmindedly he figured she had something that was bothering her again. Only two things were on that list: lost friend or Donghae. Taecyeon wanted to bitterly push the Donghae option aside but as for now after she’d blown up in Gapyeong over her lost friend already Taecyeon was prepared to deal with Yoona’s Donghae.

“How’s work?” Taecyeon started off.

On the way to the restaurant Yoona only gave small talk. How their day was going, how they were feeling, hungry or not and that pretty much ended the conversation there at the traffic light.

“No big deal,” Yoona replied. “Everything’s always the same.”

She didn’t ask about him. The conversation was meant to end there but Taecyeon went on. To dig, to find out what was wrong.

“Is something wrong?” he went to the point. “If something’s bothering you, you can tell me without hesitating. I’ll always listen.”

“You don’t like to beat around the bush?” she asked.

“Huh?”

Beat around the bush. Of course, beating around the bush wasn’t his style. He liked to get down to business and get it over with. And right away.

Yoona smiled, “I beat around the bush a lot.”

Taecyeon was silent sensing from her that she was upset with something Donghae had said. Well, who other than that other half can upset you so much? Parents, well…but they were family - not someone who was becoming family.

“Go on.” Taecyeon told. “All eyes and ears are on you.”

Yoona looked at him, some hint of hope glistened in her eyes but died right that instant. As if she wanted to laugh joyfully but some other dark feeling inside her had quickly dominated.

“I don’t know.” Yoona started poking at the meat on her plate slowly tearing it apart to pieces. “We met for the first time ever since I came back. When I look for him, he doesn’t want to see me. When he looks for me, I don’t want to see him. It’s sort of like that.”

“There won’t be a wedding unless you want to be walking down the aisle alone.” Donghae explained. “You may hate me for how I am and you may still be hoping for another chance, but I already made it clear the last time we ate together. I don’t want to sugar coat my words. It’ll all be meaningless lies.”

Yoona ran the evening’s conversation in her mind feeling painful.

“It’s scary and it hurts when you think you know someone, you actually don’t know them.”

Taecyeon never heard that before but it stayed in his mind, settling there in his memory like some kind of residue.

“I knew him as a person who was hurt and was seeking understanding from someone else, but I guess I miscalculated that along the way somewhere and I tripped off the road. Now he says he’s interested. What does it mean when a man wants to go all out for a woman?” Yoona questioned, a painful arch creasing her forehead, her eyes faint of hope.

Observe. Taecyeon observed her for a long second. Be direct, just be direct he decided. Yoona didn’t seem like a woman to take lies. She was a Deputy, after all. He reminded himself again.

“When a man wants to go all out for a woman he’ll do what he can for someone who is honest and on the same level with him.” Taecyeon replied. “It might not be the best answer but it’s how I’d see things if I told someone that.”

Yoona’s face broke but no emotion came. Her expression became point blank. He didn’t know how to make of it. She just sat there, her soul elsewhere. Probably following Donghae around silently in her mind.

Taecyeon heaved a silent sigh.

“He said he wants to go all out for that woman.” Yoona said.

Tacyeon drew his eyes away from her pain. What? What woman?

“Honestly, I don’t like her there at your apartment,” Donghae explained bitterly.

Had he really gone back to the apartment to see Victoria? Then he recalled the text message earlier in the day. Of course, solid evidence. Victoria had been with Donghae. Donghae had been with Victoria. However way he put it, it still sounded the same.

“You aren’t someone who deserves to be two-timed.” Taecyeon comforted.

Yoona looked at him with that small smile of hers. “It doesn’t count as two-timing. He’s not officially seeing her, and he’s not my fiancé anymore either.”

Then why the fuss? Taecyeon wondered. The answer was there, right in front of him. She was still hanging on. She couldn’t let him go.

- - - - -

Victoria was on her knees searching through the cabinet underneath the television. Once again she came across the movie Windstruck, the movie Donghae had said would ruin her mood. Why was that? And why did he not tell her about how the movie ended? He had quickly swapped the subject. She glanced over the cover before the door abruptly swung open and Taecyeon came walking in with a card in his hand.

“Oh? You’re back?” she said placing the movie back and kicked the cabinet closed as she got up. “You’re early. Did you buy food?”

“Do you see me with food?” he bellowed quietly.

“Moody?” she asked.

“What?”

“I’m asking if you’re moody.”

“Why?”

Victoria walked into the kitchen and sat down ready to be served dinner. However, Taecyeon just stood there by the entrance looking like he was trying to do some cool pose by the wall. He leaned against it with one leg overlapping the other, arms crossed. He remained like that for a minute and finally stood up.

“Yah! I have three things to clear out with you. First, what was that this morning?!” he started.

Victoria eyed him curiously.

“You really went out this afternoon to eat? At a luxurious restaurant?” he stated, not angrily, but in a sarcastically angry manner, well that was what it seemed like to her.

“Why?”

“Yah! Don’t even joke with me. I can’t believe you’re playing with me right now.”

“What?” Victoria asked.

“Donghae oppa, were you really seriously out with him this afternoon?” it sounded like a failed interrogation coming from the man.

“Donghae…oppa? Oppa?” Victoria repeated with her eyebrows furrowed together.

What a joke. She’d never called anyone oppa in her whole life, not even before she’d been taken away.

“What oppa?” Victoria asked confused.

Taecyeon bit his bottom lip, fished out his phone, and let her read the text she’d sent this morning.

“Don’t tell me that you didn’t send this.” he muttered.

Victoria glanced it over and let out a laughter full of mock. “Yah! Does that sound like me?”

Taecyeon frowned at her this time around.

“Kekeke!!” she imitated with a smiley face that immediately became dull. “That doesn’t exist in my dictionary, Ok Taecyeon.”

“What are you saying? This is your number right here! Look!” he pointed at the small screen.

Victoria shrugged picking at some blue dust ball on her shirt ignorantly, “Yes, I went out with Donghae but I didn’t send that. I don’t do stuff like oppa or kekeke or that smiling face that looks like it’s making fun of you.”

“Yah…” he started before she clapped her hands together interrupting him.

“Ah! I got it!” she loudly told. “I did try to text you but it was hard so I didn’t even send anything. Donghae did that.”

“What?” Taecyeon felt his head fall forward in surprise.

“Why would I lie?” Victoria raised both her eyebrows.

Taecyeon decided she had a point.

“What’s that?” Victoria pointed to the card switching the subject. “For me?”

“Why would it be for you?” he snapped.

“Why wouldn’t it? The scarf, phone, and now a card?” she questioned.

“You have a point, but those things are necessities for survival.” Taecyeon pointed out sitting down across from her then flipped the card open and turned so she could read it. “Second, there’s a banquet next week. Want to go with me?”

“Banquet?” Victoria recalled having attended one as one of the maids walking around carrying a large circular serving tray with wine cups on top for a particular mission some years back. “Those large gatherings with a lot of food?”

“Bingo.” Taecyeon snapped his fingers together creating a short second noise. “Next Saturday.”

Victoria fell into thought.

“What’s there to wonder about when you’d possibly have nothing to do?! You laze around and don’t even help out.” he pointed out.

“I have plans.” Victoria easily replied.

“What?” he felt his mouth literally drop open.

“I have plans. I’m reserved.”

“What?” he laughed a little in an exasperated way.

Victoria shrugged.

“Yah, you don’t even know anyone. And what do you mean by reserved?” Taecyeon questioned then stopped.

Of course, Victoria knew Donghae. They’d met in the apartment while he’d been out kindly getting first aid supplies for Victoria, while she lay in bed injured after he’d crashed into her. Taecyeon felt like laughing at himself.

“Third thing I wanted to talk about, are you seeing him? You better not. I’m telling you right now that he has a fiancée so don’t you dare think of any relationship.” Taecyeon warned and he meant it, but he was sure he didn’t sound a tad bit serious.

He’d intended to be serious with her when he returned but ever since talking with her after returning to the apartment it’d been all sarcastic talk. What a fail.

“Fiancée?” Victoria repeated letting the word slide off her tongue. “Oh…”

“Oh?” he repeated.

Victoria shrugged, “I never thought of it.”

Taecyeon didn’t understand her. How many things were there in the world had she never thought of?  

“Where’s dinner? Don’t you cook when you get right back?” she wondered.

He rolled his eyes. “Every time I talk to you I get nowhere.”

“Why are you blaming me?” Victoria frowned as he walked away, however, she found that he’d left the card behind.

Grabbing it she read through it. Was it a special event? Oh well, all she really cared about was the food. While on the mission at the gathering she hadn’t been able to eat any of the food but drink the wine, which tasted awfully bitter to her tongue.

***"There won’t be a wedding unless you want to be walking down the aisle alone.”  Now that I imagine someone saying this line, I suddenly realize how mean it sounds. It seemed to suit the way Donghae was feeling at the moment so I just decided to jot it down without much thought.

***And when Taecyeon is recalling all those conversations between him and Donghae you can say he was also observing himself as well as Yoona at the same moment.

***And the question: What does it mean when someone says they want to go all out for another person?  I honestly did google that xDDDD because I really had no idea what it would mean. Thank God for the internet and its users!!

***"When you think you know someone, you actually don’t know them.” -- I took it from one of my friend's FB statuses. I thought it's kind of true in a way, very interesting don't you think?