The rest of the words fell on deaf ear the moment it was announced that some of them are going to have a special stage of singing a duet.

To be more specific, he’s having a duet.

With her.

His famous couple.

SeoKyu duet.

Sooyoung hated herself at that moment, for being so selfish, so jealous. And all of it was aimed at her own band mate. The one she called a sister.

Get a grip on yourself Choi  SooYoung. What is wrong with you?! All this ugliness over a boy who only treated you as a friend?!

“Sooyoung… you okay?” Sunny came to her, her arms immediately went around the tall girl who seemed so broken and small right now.

“I’m fine. I mean, what can I expect? A KyuYoung duet? Hell would freeze over if that happened. It’s a miracle that KyuYoung ever did be made known by the oppa when they chose to dance Gee for their special stage.” Sooyoung tried to be reasonable.

“You know you don’t have to give that fake ‘I’m-the-cheerful-princess-of-SNSD’ façade around me, right? “ Sunny chided gently.

She was the one that pulled her through her first heartbreak afterall.

“But what can I do? I can’t cry. I can’t throw my temper at Seohyunnie. She doesn’t deserve this any more than I do. It’s not like she planned it out like this. Furthermore, I’ve always knew my love was a one-sided affair.” Sooyoung could only barely force the truth out of .

“You know I’m sorry, right?” Sunny whispered.

Sooyoung tensed, before turning to look at her.

“I won’t accept it since the situation doesn’t warrant one from you. You didn’t set out knowing you’ll end up falling for Sungmin oppa anyway. And it’s a good thing, since he and I knew the difference between sibling love and the actual love.” Sooyoung gave her a small smile to indicate that the past is just that. The past.

“Anyway, let’s go and rejoin the group. They’re starting to give us weird looks. God knows Jessica will try her best to make me spill everything out by tonight.” Sooyoung sighed.

“You’ll be alright?”

Sooyoung knew that Sunny was asking a lot more with just that simple question.

“I’ll try.” Was all she could promise her as they walked back to where their manager is giving out schedules to the individual member.

That night, as the girls were each minding their own business, Sooyoung heard the polite knock on the door.

Without needing to hear the voice, Sooyoung already knew who it was.

“Come in Seo.” She invited.

Closing the door behind her, Seohyun went to where Sooyoung is, lazing on her bed reading a magazine. Sitting on the edge of her bed, Seohyun sighed, wondering how to breach the subject to Sooyoung.

“You wanted to talk about Kyuhyun oppa, don’t you?” Sooyoung’s question had Seohyun jumping a few inches off her bed.

“Unnie! How did you know?!” Seohyun couldn’t look at Sooyoung’s face since it was hidden behind the magazine, but she’d bet Sooyoung was grinning.

“Because I’m your unnie.” Knowing that Seohyun expected her to grin for being able to guess what she wants, Sooyoung plastered a smile on her face before removing the magazine that was previously her shield.

“Come on, hand me you schedule paper and let’s see how I can help.” Sooyoung knew that she wasn’t going to like what she see, yet for her dongsaeng, she’s willing to keep up her act.

Though she’s prepared herself for it, Sooyoung still felt the blow like an actual punch as she scanned the timetable.

“I…I guess they wanted us to get rid of our awkwardness, hence the daily practice for the first week.” Seohyun mistaken Sooyoung’s sudden intake of breath as disbelieve in her stead.

“Don’t worry unnie, I can handle it. Well, with yours and Yoona unnie’s help, that is.” Seohyun ended off with uncertainty.

Sooyoung couldn’t believe how they could just throw so much time for Seohyun and Kyuhyun to practice with.

It’s just a duet for God’s sake. Less than 5 minutes! And they expect them to practice a whole 4 hours together per day?!

Sooyoung wanted to scream her frustration.

“Ah… I guess, it’ll pass as days goes by. It’s not as if you guys don’t know each other. Seo, just remember that you have to make the first move since Kyuhyun oppa tends to be the one that follows your lead. He’s shy, but once he’s comfortable around you, he’ll start to do the talking and stuff. So it’ll be tough for the initial three days. Somewhat like when you first met YongHwa.” Sooyoung’s smile was serene when she recalled the first time she’d met Kyuhyun.

How it’d took both her and Yoona to force him out of his comfort zone to talk in complete sentences with them and exchange their numbers.

“Plus, since he loves composing, you can try to talk to him about that area. That should loosen him up. And you can always move on to talk about the boys. Kyu loves s a lot. Don’t think that he’s all the shy boy that he portrays.” Sooyoung added.

“Unnie, you really know Kyuhyun oppa well.” Seohyun’s admiration was clear.

“Er… Haha. Well, Yoona and I love to play with him so, yeah.” Sooyoung could only finish her sentence lamely.

“Well, thanks unnie! I hope that we can do a great job for the duet. I can come to you if I need help… right?” Seohyun added the last part with hesitance.

“Of course! I’ll always be here for you. You know that.” Sooyoung once again dredge up the courage to smile at her, watching as Seohyun left the room before letting her smile crumble, just like her heart.

==================

As days went, Sooyoung could only stare silently at a corner, watching Seohyun praise Kyuhyun’s voice to no ends and talking about his wits; how he’d open up to her eventually and what a totally different person he was from whom he initially portrayed himself to be.

Sooyoung wanted to scream at her to stop it.

She knew about it. She knew Kyuhyun inside out.

Of course she knew, since she was the first one who’d gotten close to him.

But Sooyoung couldn’t just yell at Seohyun because of that. Seohyun, who by her innocent character, is simply making small talk with the rest of the members with this.

Every night, Sooyoung would silently pray for God to take her ugliness away, to stop the jealousy.

Yet every single day passed with Sooyoung feeling as though she’d turned into a .

Which was why the hideous monster took over that day when SeoHyun asked for all the girls to watch her practice with Kyuhyun on their duet.

“GOD CAN YOU STOP TALKING ABOUT HIM AND YOU. YOU’RE A MARRIED GIRL HOWEVER FAKE IT IS. STAY FAITHFUL TO YONGHWA FOR THE SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO PRETEND AS A MARRIED COUPLE AND STOP FAWNING OVER KYUHYUN OPPA AS THOSE HE’S YOUR BOYFRIEND!” Sooyoung snapped at Seohyun, causing all the girls to look at her with shock in their eyes.

Slapping her hands over , a look of horror on her face, Sooyoung could only stare at Seohyun with an apologetic look.

“I’m so sorry.” Sooyoung mumbled against her hands as she ran off from their practice room, the hurtful look that she’d put on Seohyun’s face a constant reminder in her head.

Not knowing how long she’d ran, or where she was heading, Sooyoung found herself at the rooftop of the building, the beautiful scene of sunset greeting her.

Usually, Sooyoung would have enjoyed being greeted by such a sight, but not today.

Not when her vision was distorted by the tears that leaked past her eyelids, refusing to stem.

Sliding to the floor, Sooyoung could only cover her face in shame, wondering who she’d become.

“Sooyoung…” Sunny’s voice reached her ears and a pair of arms encircled her.

Sooyoung could only cry harder at the acceptance that Sunny always gave her, no matter how ugly things boil down to.

“Sooyoung-ah.” The owner of the voice had Sooyoung lifting her head up from Sunny’s shoulder in surprise.

“S…Sungmin…oppa.” Sooyoung managed past her sobs.

“Sorry, I had to get him. We think better as a pair when it comes to you.” Sunny shrugged.

“What’s wrong this time?” Sungmin’s voice was gentle as he back her hair that has already grew longer.

“I… I don’t know. One moment I was telling myself to be calm, to just let Seohyunnie talk about her practice with Kyuhyun oppa and the next… It’s like someone took over me. I hated that girl! It’s… It’s not who I want to be! Unnie, oppa, help me.” Sooyoung begged, her face wet with tears.

Both Sungmin and Sunny felt her pleas like a physical punch.

Never in their life had they seen Sooyoung so broken and terrified.

Never had they hear her call Sunny ‘Unnie’ in such a pitiful voice.

Never had they seen her crying all over a boy.

Never had they seen her so deeply in love with a boy.

“Oh, Soo.” Sunny’s heart broke along with Sooyoung.

She knew that this time, what Sooyoung felt for Kyuhyun was genuine. Not as what Sooyoung initially felt for Sungmin.

Sunny remembered how Sooyoung reacted in the past, when she took over her for Chunji. How Sooyoung, as she was now, hid her feelings for Sungmin when she knew that he was falling for her; Sunny. How Sooyoung has acted as though nothing was hurting her.

It was only by chance when she overheard Kyuhyun consoling Sooyoung that Sunny knew that Sooyoung liked Sungmin. It took Sunny a few days later to confront Sooyoung about it. But by then, Sooyoung wasn’t as heartbroken as she initially was.

Sunny remembered how brave Sooyoung looked when she told her to have a happy future with Sungmin, to treat each other right and to always love each other. It was then that Sunny promised herself that no matter what, she would see it through that Sooyoung has the same happiness that she’s having with Sungmin.

Over the years after that, Sunny observed how Sooyoung began to spend majority of her free time with Kyuhyun, texting him daily and going to the extent of playing Starcraft. She’d even stay back late in the company to accompany Kyuhyun when he was working on a song.

Sunny knew then, that Sooyoung had fallen in love.

But she never knew that it was this deep and true.

“Sooyoung… it’s okay. Let it out.” Sunny soothed, rubbing her hands along her back.

It was a while later that Sooyoung managed to stop the tears.

“Ah, sorry Sunny. I’ve ruined your shirt.” Sooyoung stared at the big wet patch on Sunny’s blouse.

“You really want me to worry about that now?” Sunny’s tone held disbelief.

“Ah crap. This is the first time I’m like this. Gawd, how am I ever going to face the girls… especially Seohyunnie?” Sooyoung groaned, hiding her face against her upturned knees.

“U….Unnie.” Sooyoung heard Seohyun’s tentative voice appearing out of nowhere.

“Oh no. Tell me it isn’t Seohyun if not, God you can strike me with a lightning now. Better yet, open a hole here and swallow me up. At least I don’t have to look blacker than I am now when I’m dead.” Sooyoung muttered against her knees, ashamed to face Seohyun after her absurd behavior.

“Unnie! Don’t curse yourself! And I forgive you. I should have seen this earlier. And I call myself the most observant one in the group. Unnie, I’m sorry for constantly rubbing it in your face about my time with Kyuhyun oppa. I should have known that you’re in love with him.” Seohyun kneel in front of Sooyoung, gently bringing Sooyoung’s face up.

“Why are you apologizing to me? It’s not as though I flaunt it to the world that I like him.”

“Still unnie, I should have seen the signs. Anyway, you can rest assure that I’m not in love with Kyuhyun oppa since the one I really loved is YongHwa oppa. Yonghwa oppa have opened my eyes to so much wonderful things and… well, he’s just God-sent to me. Kyuhyun oppa and I… well we’re just like sister and brother. Plus, I can see he already has someone else in his heart…” Seohyun’s last sentence had Sooyoung frozen on the spot.

“And I think that girl is you.” Sooyoung could feel her heartbeat accelerate at that statement.

“W…What are you talking about?! Me? Hah! No way. Nah-uh. I don’t think so.” Sooyoung was furiously denying that claim when a new voice joined them.

“Why not?”

Startled, Sooyoung turned her head in the direction of the voice and her eyes collided with his intense brown eyes.

“Sorry Soo, I had to call him here. You were crying so badly that… well, I can’t help it.” Sungmin admitted.

“A good thing too, since I can set the record straight to Miss Dense here.” Kyuhyun pushed himself away from where he leaned, walking towards the group, his eyes never leaving those of Sooyoung.

“Well, I guess we better scram then.” Sunny chuckled, linking hands with Sungmin as they headed to the stairway leading down.

“U…Unnie. Let me go.” Seohyun tried to tug her hands away from Sooyoung’s death grip.

“Stay with me Seo.” Sooyoung pleaded, not liking the look on Kyuhyun’s face.

“Kyuhyun oppa wants to talk to you privately. I’m not invited.” Seohyun explained.

“I’ll invite you then.” Sooyoung didn’t care that her reply made no sense. She just wanted to avoid personal time with Kyuhyun.

Finger by finger, he pried her grip off of Seohyun, freeing her as the younger quickly made her escape.

“Traitor.” Sooyoung murmured.

“Care to tell me why you’re crying all by yourself here and not telling me? Didn’t you promise me to come to me whenever you need a listening ear?” Kyuhyun made sure his voice sounded bored, when in truth he wanted to shake her silly.

“Well, you were busy. So I decided not to bother you.” Sooyoung lied.

“Liar. Even when I’m busy with 4jib, you never were shy in texting me and calling me at night. Try another excuse Soo.”

“Fine. I just don’t feel like telling you. Happy?!” Sooyoung refused to look at him.

“Look at me Soo, and tell me what’s wrong.” Kyuhyun purposely situated himself in front of her, his body in between her legs, giving her no chance to escape him as he clasp her head gently but firmly in both his hands.

“N…Nothing.” Sooyoung’s looked at his throat instead of his face.

“I don’t call crying nothing Soo.” Kyuhyun would not give up till she say the words he wanted to hear.

“I just have too much tears today?”

“Soo…”

“Dust flew into my eyes?”

“Choi…”

“Sungmin oppa and Sunny bullied me?”

“CHOI SOO YOUNG!”

“FINE I WAS JEALOUS OK! NOW LET GO OF MY HEAD SO I CAN GO BACK TO THE PRACTICE ROOM.” Sooyoung yelled into his face.

“Jealous? About me and Seohyun?” Kyuhyun let a corner of his lips tilt up.

Sooyoung simply glare at him.

“You are really one damn blind girl, if I have to say.”

“HEY! What do you mean by that?!”

“It means…” With that, he leaned in close to her face and oh-so-slowly captured her lips with his.

“That you’re so blind to see that I’m in love with you.” He revealed as he pulled back.

Sooyoung was too stunned to force anything pass .

“Honestly speaking, I wanted to have a duet with someone of a higher range voice since my range is of the lower one. But Seohyunnie proved herself to be capable of blending her voice with mine, so I guess that’s ok.” Kyuhyun knew he threw her off with his random statement.

“So anyway, though they didn’t choose you as the partner for me, which I don’t know why since your voice suits mine if you ask me, but we don’t have to be a couple just based on that. I mean, isn’t it enough that I love you?”

“But… You never did show it! You just… treated me like a best friend.” Sooyoung’s forehead was now on his chest.

“Best friend?! YAH! I DID MORE THAN JUST THAT! Why did I even bother telling you ‘I Love You’ on Chunji during your 100 day anniversary? That was the only time that I ever did say that word to a girl! You got to read between the lines Soo! And let’s not forget who was there with you when you supposedly thought you were in love with my hyung? Did you not see how hard it was for me to see you like that?! And! You know how Heechul hyung can be when he’s in charge of things. How did you think I fought to be you for our Gee performance when it’d be obvious and natural for me to take Seohyun’s place?! My God you blind girl!” Kyuhyun’s grips tighten around her, bringing her even closer to him.

“I… I thought the ‘I Love you’ part was… you know, for show. And I though Wook snatch the place to be Seohyunnie since he’s eternal magnae so you chose my character since I’m the third youngest…” Again, the tears came.

This time, it wasn’t tears of sadness, as it initially was. But of happiness.

“I am so silly.” Sooyoung hiccupped against his chest.

“Oh no, you’re not crying again, are you? What did I do now?!” Kyuhyun’s only weakness was Sooyoung and her tears.

Add the two together and Kyuhyun was reduced to a speechless and useless man, so unlike the guy he was on screen.

“Oh, why did I put myself to so much misery?” Sooyoung shook her head lightly.

“Ah, I guess I deserved this. I wanted to see how you’ll react to me being with Seohyun… So I kind of put off telling you about my feelings till perhaps after the concert. You can’t blame me, since you’ve always treated me like a best friend too! I just… wanted to see if you’ll show more signs to feeling more than that… I’m sorry.” Kyuhyun back her hair when Sooyoung looked up at him.

“I hate you.” Sooyoung grumbled.

“You don’t mean that. I love you too.” Kyuhyun could only grinned as he saw the evidence of her love reflected in her eyes, and in the way she leaned onto him, her hands fisted tightly on his shirt.

“Come on, tell me what I want to hear.” He coaxed.

“I… am blind.” Sooyoung blurted, laughing at the look of outrage on Kyuhyun’s face.

“YAH! I told you those 3 words already, didn’t I?!” Kyuhyun complained.

Letting her hands drift from his face, down his neck and finally settling over his heart, Sooyoung sighed.

“I love you.” Sooyoung finally whispered against his neck, knowing that he’d hear it, however subdue her voice might be, when she felt him hug her tighter as he slid something solid and cool onto her ring finger.