Yunho paced around the room, thinking of the words Jaejoong told him about Seulgi’s past. What could have been so horrible to keep her from going to that place?

He sent her a text message.

“Let’s talk. Meet me at the park at 3.”

He then placed his phone back in his pocket and looked at the time. 12:30.

…

“AaaaCHOOO!!” Seulgi sneezed. She was sitting on her bed, a three-quarter empty box of tissues in front of her.

“Omo, you’ve been sneezing like crazy,” Hyojoo said.

Seulgi laughed as if it was most ridiculous thing she ever heard. “Dat’s silly! I’b fined!” she said, her voice sounding distorted, because of her flu.

“Okay, a fine person wouldn’t be talking like that!” Boa said, concerned.

Seulgi rolled her eyes and heard her phone ring. She received a text, and it was from Yunho.

“Let’s talk. Meet me at the park at 3.”

Seulgi’s eyes widened and her friends flew to her side immediately. They saw the text message and there was a pleading look on Seulgi’s face.

Boa put on a stern expression. “No. Bae Seulgi, you are not going anywhere today! you’re way too sick!” she said in a firm, motherly voice.

“Aww, c’mon, Boa! I’m fine! I can stand up and stay perfectly straight, see?” she said, standing up to demonstrate.

Boa stood her ground. “No, I’m still not allowing it.”

“But-“ Seulgi began.
“No buts!” Boa cut her off.

Seulgi looked at Hyojoo for help but she just shrugged.

“Since when did you act so motherly?” Seulgi mumbled under her breath, referring to Boa.
“Since you got sick and got me worried! Now, lie back down and get some rest!” Boa answered firmly.

“Look, Boa, I’m fine, and it’s nothing to worry about! It’s just a bit of sneezing, and it’ll be gone before you know it!” she assured her.

Boa huffed. She sighed in defeat. “Fine. But if you feel nauseous, or even dizzy, call me, or Hyojoo, Araso?”

“Neh. Araso, omma,” Seulgi said mockingly. She looked at the time. 1:00.

She still had two more hours, so she jumped back to bed, and made conversation with her roommates to kill some time.

“You guys think it’s gonna rain today?” Hyojoo asked, looking out the window. Sure enough, the afternoon sky was darker than it usually was.

“Nah, I’m sure it’ll pass,” Seulgi said.

…

At 2:55, Seulgi arrived at the park and started to wait for Yunho. Then, a breeze blew, and Seulgi shivered a bit. The sky suddenly grew darker and the breeze became strong winds. Predicting rain, Seulgi ran to the nearest shelter she could find, just in time for the heavy shower to start.

She sighed with relief. Well, at least she didn’t get wet. She sneezed again and felt a little dizzy. She thought of calling Boa, but she figured it was just a little headache, and it would pass.

A figure with an umbrella appeared from a distance, walking towards Seulgi. It was obviously Yunho. As he neared her, her vision got blurry and she felt nauseous.

“Seulgi?” She heard him call. He was definitely nearby. But it was like he was really far away. Her head was throbbing and her legs felt like jelly.

She collapsed.

“SEULGI!” Yunho screamed in alarm, as he saw her fall. He dropped his umbrella and caught her just in time. He put a hand on her forehead. She was burning up.

“We’ve gotta get you to school,” Yunho said to a half-conscious Seulgi.

“Aniyo…” Seulgi whimpered weakly. “I want my omma… take me to my omma…”

Yunho carried her into his car and started to drive to her house. It took him a while to realize that he didn’t know where it was, so he called Boa to find out what it is.
He hung up after Boa told him, ignoring her many worried questions.

When they reached the house, Yunho carried Seulgi to the front door.

It was answered by a boy, a bit younger than he was. He looked about fifteen and had a good looking face.

“What the hell have you done to my noona?!?!” he said accusingly, pointing a finger at him.

“I’ll explain later! Just let me in!” Yunho said hurriedly.

The boy reluctantly did as he was told and went into interrogation mode as soon as he closed the door behind him.

“Who are you? Why are you here? What did you do to Seulgi noona?” he asked all at once.

Yunho looked around the house. It was tiny and it only had two bedrooms, plus a kitchen and bathroom. Yunho’s room was even bigger than the whole house put together.

“Where’s Seulgi’s room?” he asked the boy, who, in turn, pointed to one of the bedroom doors. Yunho entered the room, an unconscious Seulgi in his arms, and laid her down on the bed.

He went back outside and came face to face with the boy.

“You still haven’t answered my questions,” he said, with narrowed eyes.

Yunho sighed. “My name is Jung Yunho. I’m a friend of Seulgi’s and I brought her here because she was sick. Wait a minute, who are you, and where’s Mrs. Bae?”

The boy grinned. “I’m Key. Seulgi noona’s cousin. And my ahjumma is visiting some of our relatives at the province.”

Yunho raised his eyebrows. “Key?”

Key nodded. “Yup. My name’s actually Kibum, but I prefer to be called Key. Sounds cooler that way.”

Yunho nodded in understanding and they chatted for a while.

“You know, hyung, you’re pretty cool,” Key stated after their getting along.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” Yunho said.

“You know, I think you guys better stay here until the rain’s gone. Forecasts say there’s a storm coming,” Key suggested.

Yunho looked at him with a funny look.

“What? Surprised I watch the news?” he said.

Yunho shook his head. “Aniyo… never mind.”

Key just shrugged and went back to topic. “Okay, well, at least stay until she gets better. She likes being at home when she’s sick.”

Yunho thought for a while and nodded in agreement. He then asked Key for a basin of hot water and a towel. After receiving them, he went to Seulgi’s room, sat on a chair beside her small bed, dipped the towel into the hot water, and placed the towel on her forehead.

He stood up to leave the room and walked towards the door. Just as he was about to close it behind him, he heard a whimper, followed by Seulgi’s voice.

“No… appa… don’t leave me, appa,” Seulgi mumbled in her sleep. She was sweating, too. She was having nightmares.

Yunho went back inside the room, closed the door, and listened to her talk.

“No, don’t die, appa…” she was whimpering in her sleep. She was kicking her legs under the blankets. “Appa, don’t go…” she said more loudly and clearly this time.

“APPA!!” she suddenly shrieked, and bolted up the bed, her eyes open. She was breathing heavily, and sobbing heavily.

Yunho, who had witnessed the whole thing, was at her side immediately. “Seulgi! Are you okay?” he said, sitting on her bed with her. She sobbed into his chest.

“I saw my appa,” she said, in between sobs. “I saw my appa.” She was breathing heavily.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay, it’s okay… I’m here,” he comforted her. “You wanna talk about it?”

Seulgi nodded and faced Yunho, who gave her his full, undivided attention.

“Jaejoong and Donghae probably already told you about how I was scared of going in that warehouse,” she said.

Yunho nodded and tilted his head to the side curiously.

“It was because I lost someone very dear to me in that warehouse. I lost him in that very room on the top floor.”

[Flashback}

“Appa! Appa!” six year-old Seulgi happily greeted him as she hopped in the car, after her singing lessons.

Her appa looked at her lovingly. “Hello, dear. How was your lesson?”
Seulgi beamed. “I learned a new song, appa!”
“Really? Will you sing it to me?”
“Okay, but I have to practice, first!”
Mr. Bae chuckled. “Okay.”

They pulled over in front of an old building, that Seulgi didn’t know what was called.

“Appa, what place is this?” she asked her father. It looked scary.
“It’s called a warehouse, Seulgi. Wait for me here, outside, Araso?” you can practice your song, and I’ll listen to it when I come back, okay?”
Seulgi beamed. “Neh! Araso!”

As her father walked up to the front door, little Seulgi started to practice her song. She wanted to impress her appa. He told her to work hard at her singing, because she had a beautiful voice that her appa loved to listen to. She wanted to become a famous singer just for him.

Seulgi finally finished practicing her song and got all the pitches right. She waited for her appa, but he never came.

She got out of the car, and entered the scary-looking warehouse, not caring that she was frightened. The only thing that mattered was her appa, listening to her voice and seeing him smile again.

She looked everywhere for him, and she finally arrived at the top floor, where she heard voices.

“Appa?” Seulgi said. She heard shouts from a nearby door, and peeked in the room, through a crack on the door.

She saw her appa, but he looked sad. He was surrounded by big, mean-looking men.

“Please, just listen to me,” her appa was telling them. “I have a heart condition, and I also have to pay for my daughter’s singing lessons. I just need some more time and I’ll have the money!”

“HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU ASKED FOR MORE TIME, OLD MAN?!?!?!” a big mean guy asked him. “As a loan shark, I give you money, but as a debtor, it’s your job to give it back!”

Seulgi’s appa was on his knees. “Please,” he begged, “I have a wife, and a child at home! Just give me some more time! I’ll ask for an advance in my salary-“

“I think I’ve given you enough time, old man!” the loan shark (even if Seulgi didn’t know what it meant that time) growled. He turned to his men.

“Get him.”

Then, before she knew it, all Seulgi could hear were the tortured screams of her father and his endless pleas.

And all she could do was watch the mean men hurt her father, from the crack on the door. She wanted to look away, but she just couldn’t tear her eyes off the gruesome sight before her. She sobbed lightly, as it continued.

A while later, she heard a loud noise, she didn’t know what it was called back then being the innocent six year-old she was, but it was police siren.

The men had stopped beating up her poor appa and made a run for it. Seulgi hid in a corner, watching them leave. As soon as she was sure the coast was clear, she ran into the room, and fell on her knees, beside her hurting father.

“Appa! Appa!” Seulgi screamed in alarm. He was lying helplessly on the floor, his eyes only fractionally open.

“Seulgi…” her father said weakly.

Seulgi sobbed even harder. “Appa! Don’t leave me, appa! You haven’t even heard my song!” she sobbed hopelessly.

“Take care of your mother…” he continued. “Make sure you work hard on your singing…” his voice trailed off.

“APPA!!! APPA!!! APPA!!!” Seulgi cried even louder.

Her father closed his eyes. Seulgi’s sobs became more ragged. She shook him.

“Appa! Wake up! Appa!” she said, still holding on.

Some friendly-looking men suddenly came in. They carried Mr. Bae to a stretcher that they brought along with them.

“He’s pretty beaten up, and unconscious, but still alive,” she heard one of the men say.

Everything suddenly became blurry. She suddenly found herself in a hospital waiting room, her mother holding her tightly.

A doctor suddenly came out from the door, with a sad look on his face.

“We did everything we could,” he told her omma. “The beating was really bad and there were a lot of bruises. His heart couldn’t take the pain.”

Seulgi had never heard her mother cry before. That was the first time she saw that the smile her mother always had on her face disappeared. And little six-year old Seulgi could do nothing but cry along with her.

[End of Flashback]

Seulgi’s expression was far away, as if she was in another place.

“I didn’t understand anything back then. I didn’t know that he was that sick. If only I didn’t want those singing lessons so badly, he would have paid those loan sharks on time… if only I was…” Seulgi said, but couldn’t continue. Tears fell down her face again.

“It was all my fault,” she said. “I was the one who wanted to sing. I just had to put my interests first before thinking of my appa.”

Yunho was sitting on the bed beside her, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders. Seulgi was sobbing.

“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know. Your appa just wanted you to be happy,” he comforted her.

Seulgi sniffed. “I never went to the funeral. I went to the memorial service, but I didn’t go to the funeral. I was ashamed to face him. After everything he did for me, I just couldn’t face him. I’ve never even had the guts to apologize.”
She sniffed again. “I don’t even know where his grave is.”

“It’s not your fault,” Yunho repeated. “It’s not your fault.”

The tears started to roll down Seulgi’s face again. Yunho thought that she needed some time alone, so he took his arm off her, and just as he was about to get off the bed, she held onto his jacket.

“I don’t wanna be alone tonight,” she said.

Yunho smiled as he wrapped his comforting arms around her again, and she cried herself to sleep in his arms.
…

They went back to school the next day, bidding Key goodbye, and promising that they’d be back soon.

Yunho wasn’t listening to Mr. Kim’s lecture about archeological findings and how fascinating they were (not) and just looked out the window. He was thinking about the words Seulgi told him the night before.

“I don’t even know where his grave is.” he remembered her say.

Yunho thought deeply about the matter and decided to do something about it. As he was planning, he felt a really hard thing hit his head, and he rubbed the hurting spot, looking around for what hit him.

It was a piece of chalk.

He suddenly felt all eyes on him, particularly, Mr. Kim’s.

“Is there something on your mind that you want to share with us, Mr. Jung?” he asked with narrowed eyes.

Yunho smiled. “Nothing, Sir. I just find your class really interesting. I find archeological findings very exciting,” he said enthusiastically. He was always one to charm teachers.

Mr. Kim flushed a bright red and cleared his throat proudly, puffing his chest up and patting it. He continued his lecture with more enthusiasm and Yunho went back to his thoughts.

And an idea suddenly crawled into his mind.

…

A week later, Seulgi sat on her bed, thinking about what she said to Yunho. Was it the right thing to do? Tell him about her past? No one else knew about it.

She felt her phone ring and whipped it out.

“Yeoboseyo?” she said into the receiver.
“Come down here, quick,” was all Yunho said. Then he hung up.

Seulgi looked at her phone, confused. “What does he have in mind now?” she wondered, still staring at the device.

Seulgi went outside to find Yunho waiting by his car. Without a word, he opened the door and beckoned her to hop in. Seulgi did so, confusion wrapping her mind.

Yunho hopped in the car, as well and started it. It was a few minutes later that someone finally spoke up.

“Where are you taking me?” Seulgi asked.
“You’ll see,” was all Yunho replied.

They finally stopped at a cemetery. Seulgi looked at him quizzically and said, “What are we doing here?”

Yunho didn’t say anything. He got out of the car, went to the other side of the car, and opened the door for Seulgi. He took her hand and they walked to the cemetery.

They just continued walking and walking until they stopped in front of one of the tombstones.

Seulgi gasped when she saw the name that was engraved on it.

It was her father’s.

She turned to Yunho, giving him a wide eyed look. Only then did she notice the bags under his eyes and his tired smile.

“You went through all that trouble just to find my father’s grave for me?”

He smiled again. “It’s not your fault,” he said. “I’m sure that your father wanted to get those lessons for you, no matter how much trouble he knew he’d get into. And I think he would like it if you visited his grave more often.”

Seulgi turned back to look at her father’s final resting place. Her vision became blurry and tears fell from her eyes. In no time, they turned into ragged sobs, and her knees gave away, as years of mourning caught up with her.

“Appa…” she said in between ragged sobs and troubled breathing. “Mianhamnida, Appa…” she wailed loudly.

“APPA!!!” she howled, releasing all those emotions she kept locked up inside. “Mianhae!!! Come back!!” she bawled even louder.

She was losing all control. Tears in huge amounts flowed down her face and she was screaming, until her voice sounded raspy. But she didn’t care. Yunho knelt down beside her and put his arms around her fragile body, comforting her.

Seulgi’s sobs subsided a while later, and were reduced to silent tears. Yunho was still holding her.

“Kamsahamnida,” she choked.

Yunho her hair and helped her up, leading her into his car.

…

Yunho closed the door to his room and leaned his back on it, sighing heavily.

“You look like you just had a long day,” stated Jaejoong. Donghae wasn’t there.

Yunho didn’t say anything and just lay down on his bed, face up.

“I love her,” Yunho simply stated. “I love Bae Seulgi.”

Jaejoong scoffed. “Took you long enough to say it,” he said. “So, how about this little bet of ours?” he pressed.

Yunho shook him off. “Screw your stupid bet.”

<3--------------------------------