I've posted some new posters and other artwork in my forewords!! be sure to check'em out!!!

 And also, Just a reminder!!! I replaced the Author's not with the real Chapter 19, in case you din't notice! so before you read this cahhpie, read the 19th chapter first!!!

Chapter 20:

Hyojoo played with the ring Donghae had given her for Christmas in sophomore year, while Seulgi was lying face up on her bed, looking at the ceiling. Boa was (again) out with Jaejoong.

“Hyojoo…” Seulgi began, still looking up at the ceiling. “When you broke up with Donghae, did you ever think that you were completely over him, but weren’t?”

Hyojoo stopped playing with her ring and turned to Seulgi. “Well, I didn’t exactly think that I was over him. I was more like telling myself that I was over him…y’know? It was like lying to myself.”

Seulgi went back to her thoughts as Hyojoo minded her own business.

Did she really lie to herself all these months? Was she really not over Yunho? Well, she must’ve been completely over him, or she wouldn’t have gotten so attached to JaeBeom…right? Was it possible to love someone, yet like another person at the same time?

JaeBeom was sweet, kind, and loving. He cared for her and he was always there. He never hurt her, and he sure as hell never made bets on her.

But then again… Yunho was also sweet, kind and loving. She hated him at first, but then she got to see this whole other side of him. But it was all an act, right? To win that stupid bet.

“I guess he doesn’t like me anymore,” Seulgi thought to herself. “But then again, he never did. It was all a lie, anyway.”

But was it really possible to still care for someone, even though they hurt you so bad, that you couldn’t take it?

“Oh, by the way,” Hyojoo suddenly said, interrupting her thoughts. She opened one of the bedside drawers and took out some kind of book. She tossed it on the bed and it landed beside Seulgi. “We meant to give you this after you came back, but we just couldn’t find the right moment. It finally got published the day after you left for America”

Seulgi took the book and sat up. She looked at the cover.

It was the yearbook from their sophomore year.

Seulgi flipped through the pages of the book and saw herself smiling at her.

She continued to flip through the pages and saw herself modeling countless outfits

She turned another page and what she saw made her chest feel heavy.

Yunho’s and her own faces were smiling g at her. She was wearing a gorgeous wedding dress and he looked amazing in that tux.

There were pictures of them holding hands, feeding each other cake, drinking wine with their intertwined arms, and there was even a picture of him carrying her, bridal style.

She kept on turning the pages as she saw countless pictures of them. Then, she turned to the very last page and there they were, looking into each other’s eyes, in a dipping position. That moment seemed so long ago. Like an indistinct memory, just submerged in the inner depths of the mind, and locked up in a place where it would never be seen again. [a/n: in case you don’t remember, it’s from chap. 7..xDD].

“We asked everybody to sign it for you,” Hyojoo said.

Seulgi looked at the back of the page and saw various messages, written all for her.

Hyojoo looked at her with uncertainty before she continued. “Yunho signed it too…but he wrote at the back cover,” she said.

Seulgi closed the book and placed it back in her drawer. She didn’t want to see what he wrote.

“Thanks,” she said to Hyojoo, who smiled in return and walked out of the door.

Seulgi lay down her bed again, her eyes suddenly prickling. Tears fell soon after.

…

Yunho was sitting by the desk in his room, doing nothing but stare into space. Without even realizing that he was doing so, he opened his desk drawer and took out his sophomore year book and flipped through the pages.

He then came to the page where he and Seulgi were modeling for Boa and Hyojoo.

Yunho couldn’t help but smile as he thought back on all the memories he shared with Seulgi.

The image of Seulgi and JaeBeom suddenly popped up in his mind. And he knew what he had to do.

…

JaeBeom was sitting in class, not really listening to Mr. Kim’s lecture on World War One.

He was thinking about Seulgi and her current situation with Yunho.

“What is up with the two of them?” he asked himself. Whenever they would look at each other, they both turn stiff and they would have a blushing contest. And when Seulgi was missing in Venice, he was missing, too.

The bell rang and JaeBeom stood up to leave. He was suddenly stopped by one of his classmates.

The girl made him lean in and she whispered something in his ear.

JaeBeom nodded and left.

Remembering what the girl said to him, JaeBeom, made a beeline to the music room and opened the door to see Yunho waiting for him.

“I see you’ve got my message, huh?” Yunho said and JaeBeom walked in.

JaeBeom shrugged. “Well, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t, right?”

Yunho nodded.

They continued to stare at each other in silence for a while.

“What did you wanna talk about?” JaeBeom asked.
“I wanna talk to you about Seulgi,” Yunho replied.
“You like her, don’t you?” asked JaeBeom.
“Well, I think I’m not the only one,” countered Yunho.

JaeBeom stayed silent.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” Yunho guessed.
“So what if you are?” shot back JaeBeom.

Yunho chuckled without humor.

“But I’m not the only one, am I right?” JaeBeom said.

Yunho gave him a look. “Yeah. You’re right.”

JaeBeom sighed. “Look, I don’t know what happened to you and Seulgi in Venice, or what happened with you two in the past, but as far as I can tell, it’s nothing now. So, I think I have a pretty big shot.”

Yunho’s insides boiled.

“You’re probably right. But I don’t care. I still want to win her back.”

JaeBeom chuckled. “S you’re willing to fight for her, huh?”

Yunho nodded. “Are you?”

JaeBeom also nodded his head.

“May the best man win, then.”

And with that, they left without another word.

…

Yunho’s phone rang and as soon as he picked it up, he heard his beloved umma’s voice.

“Hello, son!” she greeted happily.
Yunho smiled cheerily, happy to be listening to his mother’s voice. “Hi, umma. Is something the matter? You and appa don’t usually call.”

Mrs. Jung laughed. “Of course not! I just wanted to tell you that we’re back in Korea! And we want you to meet us at the Seaview Hotel [a/n Seaview Hotel is actually an existing hotel here in Brunei… I just couldn’t think of any other name for a hotel… sorry xDD].

“What time?” Yunho asked.
“Now,” Mrs. Jung said
“Okay, I’ll be on my way then.”

Yunho then hung up and set off for the hotel.

He arrived a few minutes later and walked into the restaurant by the lobby.

He saw his parents sitting by a table.

“Umma! Appa!” he called out.

Mr. and Mrs. Jung turned their heads to see their son walk towards them.

“Ah, Yunho!” Mrs. Jung said fondly. “Have a seat.”

Yunho sat down and ordered some food from the waitress.

“So, how was America?” he asked.
His parents shrugged. “Oh, just same old, same old. But what about you? How’s life in school?”

Yunho shrugged too. “It’s okay, I guess.”

Three people suddenly walked towards them. An old man, a woman, and a girl whom he recognized was from his school.

“Ah, you’re here!” Mrs. Jung said, standing up to kiss the woman on the cheeks.
Mr. Jung stood up and shook the man’s hand.
The girl smiled at Yunho and he smiled back.

When the three newcomers took their seats, Mrs. Jung spoke up.

“Well, I guess it’s time to talk about why we’re here.”

Yunho looked at her curiously and she directed his attention to him.

“Son, these are our long time friends, the Jeon family. You may know their daughter, HyeBin, from your school.”

She gestured toward the girl, who was named HyeBin. Yunho nodded.

“Well…” Mrs. Jung said. “We’ve noticed that someday, you’re going to take over your father’s company, and to do that, you need a support system… like a family. As in, a wife, and some kids.”

Yunho raised his eyebrow. “And what exactly are you suggesting?”

His mother looked at him dearly. “Well, we’ve looked at a lot of girls that would match our criteria for the perfect partner for you, and in the end, HyeBin won, hands down.”

Yunho’s eyes widened. “WHAT?!?!” he half-screamed, standing up.

“Please son, just hear us out,” his mother said. “If you’re against it, I can understand. HyeBin is the perfect girl for you!”

Yunho gave her a look. “Tell me why she’s perfect for me.”

“Well, she’s smart,” Mrs. Jung said.
“Seulgi’s smarter,” Yunho thought.
“She’s from a good family,” Mrs. Jung continued
“Seulgi’s from a better family,” Yunho’s mind shouted.
“And she’s upper class, just like you.”
“I like middle class people, thank you very much.”

Mrs. Jung, seeing the disbelieved expression on her son’s face, gave him a pleading look. “You don’t have to say yes. And you don’t have to answer right now. But just promise me you’ll think about it.”

Yunho couldn’t resist his mother’s begging eyes and her pleading voice. He nodded.

Mrs. Jung relaxed and sat back on her seat.

Yunho, however, didn’t say another word and left the restaurant.

HyeBin’s eyes were stuck to Yunho’s retreating figure.

“Oh, he’ll definitely say yes,” she thought, narrowing her eyes at him.

…

“So what are you gonna do now?” asked Donghae, as soon as Yunho told him his problem.

Yunho sighed and lay down his bed. “I dunno. I’ll just be quiet for a few days, and tell my parents that I’m not going to marry HyeBin.”

“Are you sure you wanna do that?” Donghae asked.

“What else am I supposed to do? I know for sure that I don’t wanna spend the rest of my life with someone I barely know when I already have someone else in my heart. And believe me buddy, she’s worth fighting for.”

Donghae patted him on the shoulder. “I believe you, buddy.”

…

JaeBeom and Yunho sat with Seulgi at homeroom the next day.

“Hey,” they said simultaneously. They glared at each other.

At lunch, the two guys practically had a race to see who’d reach Seulgi first.

“Hey Seulgi, wanna sit with me?” JaeBeom asked.
“Or me?” Yunho added.

Seulgi looked at them weirdly. “Uh… thanks for the invites, guys, but I’m eating with Hyojoo and Boa.”

Yunho’s eyes lightened up. “All six of us can sit together again!” he exclaimed.

Seulgi thought for a while. “That sounds like a good idea. Let’s go!”

And with that, she walked away with Yunho, leaving JaeBeom behind.

Yunho turned back to JaeBeom, with a victorious smile and mouthed, “HA!”

Seulgi then abruptly turned around. “Hey, JaeBeom, you can join us too, if you want.”

As soon as she turned back, JaeBeom stuck his tongue out to Yunho.

Yunho just scowled back.

Seulgi ended up sitting between them.

And all throughout lunch, whenever she was trying to make conversation with others, one of them, or both of them would speak up to answer her.

“What’s their problem?” she asked herself. “They’re acting weird! It’s creeping me out!”

…

[Seulgi’s POV]

The final bell rang for the day and I briskly walked out of the classroom.

“Seulgi,” I heard my name being called out.

I turned around to see JaeBeom walking towards me.

“Hey, can I tell you something?” he asked.

I nodded. “Sure.”

“Let’s take a walk.”

We walked around the huge school grounds in silence for a while.

“So, what did you wanna tell me?” I questioned.

JaeBeom turned red. “Well…I…uh…”
I waited for him to continue. “C’mon, you can tell me anything…”
He nervously pulled the collar of his school jacket. “Uh…Ireallyreallyreallylikeyou!!”

I looked at him, puzzled. “Can you repeat that?”
JaeBeom took a deep breath. “I said… that I…reallyreallyreallylikeyou!!!”
The confused look on my face became even more quizzical. “Huh?”

“AARRGGHH!” JaeBeom threw his hands up in the air. “I really, really, really like you, Seulgi!!!” he half-screamed. “There! I said it!”

I just stood there, dumbfounded.

“Ummm…” now I was at lost for words.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything right now,” he said. “I’ll give you some time to think it through, and you can tell me when you’re ready!”

Then, after slightly hesitating, he gave me a swift kiss on the cheek and left.

Wow.

…

I plopped down my bed, and thought about what JaeBeom had just said.

How was I supposed to answer him?

Just then, the door knocked.

“Come in,” I said.

Yunho entered the door with a serious look on his face.

“Ahem,” he cleared his throat. “Hi.”

I sat up on my bed. “Hi.”

“Ummm… I gotta tell you something,” he said.

I gave him a look that showed I was listening intently. “Shoot,” I told him.

He took three deep breaths. “When I made that bet with Jaejoong and Donghae, I had no feelings towards you. In fact, I hated you. But then, I saw you for who you really were. You weren’t just some kind of peasant who would’ve been a waste of my time. You were so much more than that. I continued to look at you from that perspective up to the point where I fell in love with you. And I still do. I love you, Bae Seulgi.”

And I just sat there like an idiot, forgetting how to speak, not knowing what to think, not even knowing where to start.

“Look, I know I might be too late. Heck, maybe I already am. But all I’m asking for is another chance. Let me prove to you that you can trust me again, and that I can be capable of giving my heart to you.”

And without so much of a noise, he stood up to leave.

Oh, God.

JaeBeom…

Or Yunho???

[End of POV]

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

~~~~****SNEAK PEEK****~~~~

COMING UP NEXT!!!

“I can help you with your girl trouble. Meet me outside the cafeteria at lunch time.”