“It’s so hot.” complained Yoona, as both of them headed for school. “It’s the beginning of January yet it was so hot.”

Donghae put his fingers on his pockets, sighing to cool himself a little. He was already sweating because of the intolerable sun. “Guess we should hurry and-“

Then something made me stop. That something was…

“Yuri..” he muttered.

Just a few days ago he was busted when he tried to confess. He had no idea how to face her now.

Yoona on the other hand was still on high spirits for someone who is supposed to hating summer. “Good morning Yuri!”

This was a hypocritical statement from Yoona. She doesn’t know how to face Yuri too for she just realized how odd it is for her to greet her. After all, she thinks she’s the reason of Donghae’s rejection.

She may also have a liking on him. She had thought on one evening. And perhaps she was just afraid to hurt me that’s why she rejected him.

But nevertheless, Yuri greeted back, ever oblivious to turmoil of emotions before her. “Hey. Good morning you two.”  She looked at Donghae and for a moment Yoona have sworn she saw sadness in those pair of brown eyes. “Are you doing well?”

“Yes.” Donghae answered, his voice trembling. “How about-“

He was interrupted by a voice calling him. He turned his back, just in time to see Eunhyuk, wearing a smile on his face.

“Hey there everyone!” he greeted, clasping Donghae by the shoulders. “How are you doing? Did you brush your teeth? Did you take a bath?”

This was an odd question and the three doesn’t even understand a thing about it.

But before anyone could asked him why he was hyped up or if there is something that happened during their winter break, Eunhyuk continued.

“The school festival is within this month. I wonder what we’re up this year.” He said hastily.

They are all been thinking of that.

“Yeah.” Said Yuri. “I wonder what our class will do.”

P.E  Time:

 Yuri dribbled the ball as she ran along the court swiftly. She looked out for hindrances on the way and saw two figures looming by the left side, to where she was heading.

She spotted Yoona on the right side of the court, waving hastily. She gripped the ball, sprang her strength on her elbows and passed the ball to her.

Yoona, taking the ball this time, dribbled towards the free throwing area but was stopped by Taeyeon who was extending her hands to block her.

There was no other way. She thought and she passed it to Jessica.

But unfortunately for their team Jessica dodged the ball instead of catching it. Their team earned a fowl and missed a point.

And it’s all because of Jessica.

Yoona gritted her teeth in anger. “Hey stupid! What are you doing you slowpoke?”

Jessica batted her eyes. “I told you I cant touch the ball because my nails are too long. They’ll break if I do.”

“You stupid Ice Princess!”

“What a cute smile.” commented Jay Park who was sitting on the bleachers to his seatmate.

“Yeah.” Wooyoung agreed. “She sure was an angel.”

“But I’m more inclined with Yoona.” Chansung piped in.

Ryeowook grinned. “But Sooyoung sure is awesome.”

“Taeyeon is great too.” Said Leeteuk.

Donghae just sighed. Everyone seemed to have their own preference.  Even Yoona already has an admirer. He almost chuckled.

If only they knew.

He looked at Eunhyuk who was seated beside him with his hands folded on his chest. He was thinking of something but Donghae cant guessed what it is.

Then all of a sudden, a sardonic grin formed slyly on his face.

***

BOYS’ LOCKER ROOM:

“Ladies and zentlemen!” he greeted, not realizing he actually mispronounced “gentlemen”

The other boys stared at him. “What now?”

“There are no ladies in here.”

“And what the hell is “zentle?”

Eunhyuk ignored them. “Do you want to see all the cute non-everyday actions of the girls you secretly like?” he began.

Donghae glared at him. “Are you alright? You weren’t in some sort of demon possession, aren’t you?”

“The school festival is coming soon.” He plowed on. “We have to plan what activity our section will do. “

“So what?”

“So I’m saying.” He said, unaware of sarcasm. “If we decide on cosplay café for the cultural festival, we shall see the girls on maid outfits or possibly more. “

Everybody was listening now.

“If all the guys get together and get it to a vote, we win in numbers and there are no complaints.”

Fair point.

“That sounds pretty good.” Said Chansung, imagining Yoona in maid outfit.

“Yah Taeyeon might look good on a China dress.” Leeteuk said. “And Jessica might looked awesome in a gothic Lolita outfit.”

Everyone chorused a clear agreement.

“A cosplay café eh?” Siwon said. “If we go with that, that will solve our problems eh?”

“That’s it!” chorused the boys. “That will be our activity.”

***

At Lee Donghae’s home:

Donghae sat on the floor, carefully solving the Math problem their teacher had given them for their homework. Yoona, on the other hand was busy reading a Japanese manga as she laid herself on the floor, wiggling her toes with surprising dexterity.

Just then, her phone rang. Donghae glanced at her but she was not making any move to pick it up.

“It’s ringing Yoona.” He told her, in case she hadn’t heard the alert tone.

“It’s okay.” She replied then muttered under her breath. “That freakin’ geezer.”

Donghae don’t have any idea whether the geezer in question was him or the caller. “Freakin geezer? What are you talking about? Whatever. But if something bothers you, you can tell me-“

“Shut up!”

“Eh?”

“I told you to shut up!” she ordered. “He found me an apartment after remarrying and left me because I’m bothering his new family. He abandoned me! He’s a cold hearted man!”

“He’s your father!”

“He’s a freakin geezer!”

“No matter what kind of man he is, he is still your father. Calling him a freakin geezer-“ He took a breath for the next sentence. “No matter how families are apart, they should-“

“I said he’s a freakin geezer!”

***

The next day:

“So we’d like to decide for our activity and the Miss SeonDae highschool contestant.” Eunhyuk said, speaking in front of the whole class.  “I don’t think anyone would have a problem with Jessica being our contestant.”

Jessica raised a hand. “I’m sorry. I would want to but unfortunately I’m already chosen as the host for the Miss Seondae. Thanks for the thought though.” She smiled at everyone. “So even if you choose me, I won’t be able to enter that’s why I’m going to suggest Yoona instead for the pageant.”

Yoona glared at her.

“I mean, Yoona is really cute and pretty.” She explained. “Plus everyone knows who she is. “

“Why do you have to say that moron? Why do I have to do something like that!”

But it was a hollow rebuke as the whole class already agreed with it.

“It might work.”

“Yoona is definitely famous.”

“She might get very far.”

Yoona gritted her teeth in rage.

Jessica grinned at her. “Come on now Yoona. You are a part of the class so you should happily participate in these kind of events.”

Yoona stood from her seat. Angrily. “You stupid refrigerator! If you still don’t get it, I’ll crush that school festival and-“

Siwon clasped her shoulder. “Now calm down Yoong. I know you could do it.”

Yoona did not reply. She couldn’t.

“Alright. Our Miss Seondae would be Yoona.” proclaimed Eunhyuk. “Now let’s decide on our section’s activity.”

Leeteuk raised his hand, acting as if the whole thing is not scripted. “How about a cosplay café?”

The girls shrieked in disgust.

“That reels me!” said Taeyeon.

“Plus, other classes might do the same.” added Sooyoung.

The other girls kept on chattering, vocally objecting with the whole idea.

“Okay whatever!” exclaimed Eunhyuk, losing his patience. “Let’s resort to this now. Let’s submit our ideas.”

Everyone did so, submitting a piece of paper with their ideas in it.

No matter what the girls would write, it’s still a waste of effort. thought Leeteuk. The men were the majority after all.

Once the whole class have already passed their ideas, Eunhyuk came to announce the decided activity.

“Shake and draw!”

Much to Leeteuk’s annoyance, Eunhyuk drew a paper from the pile, instead of counting the idea with the most votes.

He drew an idea and read it aloud. “A play!” and it hit him like a blast of water cannon. “A play? Who wrote this? And they even put ‘BAM’ in a parenthesis. What the hell are you writing?”

DOnghae grinned. “And more importantly, why didn’t you make it in a vote?”

Eunhyuk paused in midrant, realizing what has been said. “Oh… I hadn’t thought of that!”

***

ATM STATION:

“That stupid Ice!” Yoona complained, as she typed on her pin code at the machine’s keyboard. “I will her life hell everytime she reincarnated!”

“Why don’t you just give up and enjoy it?” suggested Donghae, well too aware that he will be punished for giving an opinion.

“You’re the only one acting jolly here.” She paused for a while, her eyes widening in anxiety.

“Something?”

“Weird it won’t let me withdraw money. Zero balance.”

Donghae nodded. “Why is that so?”

“Impossible. “ she retorted. “It must be because I’m ignoring his phone calls.”

He sighed. Yoona had utterly changed. After Christmas, she was back to her old self.

For some reason.

“He would do something like this?” she said. “I can’t believe it.”

“You mean your father?”

“He’s been calling several times a little while back.” She explained. “But I’m ignoring him since it pisses me off. And then he went and emptied my life expenses account.  That geezer. I wanna kill him.”

“You shouldn’t talk like that.”

The phone rang again. Yoona looked at the caller I.D.

Father.

“He’s threatening me isn’t he?”

“Just pick it up for now.” He advised. “Nothing can be done if you won’t talk.”

Yoona gritted her teeth.

***

At a restaurant:

So she picked up. Great! But why am I here? Meeting him? Alone!

Donghae was seated before Yoona’s father, nervously trembling.

“I see.” He began when Donghae reasoned that Yoona can’t go because she was in a sickbed.  “In any case, Yoona can’t come”

“Right. Sorry.”

“I just had to see her.” Her father said. “But I guess she hates me more now.” He drew an envelope from his jacket pocket. “Before I forgot, here’s the money.”

Donghae looked at it, cross-eyed.

Rich bastard.

“I need to see her, really.” He explained. “I have something important to tell her.”

“Something important?”

He looked at him observantly. “Anyway, are you going out with her? Are you two dating?”

“No I’m not!” he said, rather defensively. “We just happened to get along. We’re neighbors after all.”

“I see.  Then she must have told you about her family?”

His father took a bite from a salmon bagel in his plate. It was a rare gesture. “My new wife is too young.” He explained. “So Yoona had a trouble getting along with her. Misunderstanding piled and my wife somehow got to an option of either Yoona or her leaving the house.  So Yoona did.” He looked at DOnghae. “I want to live with her again. Just like before.  That’s what I wanted to tell her. I wanted to start over with her again. I’ll be breaking up with my wife soon so I’ll live with Yoona…” His eyes were tinged with determination. “Because we’re family. Because I love her!”

Donghae gasped. His father is going to take her? He’s going to pick her up?

***

Lee’s residence:

Sounds of running water and scolding were heard from the house. It seems like someone’s washing the dishes in a wrong way.

“What are you doing? Do it properly! You have to put it in the water for more than five seconds-“

“Shut up!” she ordered, scrubbing the sponge to the greasy plate. “I promised to do this in exchange of you meeting him. I’m going to fulfill it.”

“Then wash it properly.”

“Whatever, just go away!”

Donghae felt it was pointless to pursue this so he changed the subjest. He can re-do the dishes anyway. “Your father is kinda different. You know. Not the usual adult.”

“Didn’t I tell you to go away? Go prepare some hot water for a tea or something.”

“Your father is really worried. He said he wants to live with you ag-“

“Are you stupid?”

Donghae scowled. “Hey. I’m being serious here.”

“You don’t need to bother needless things. Keep your nose out from other’s families!”

“Hey you’re the one who made me go there!” he complained. “You’re just going to take the money and-“

“Correct. That’s why I’m washing your dishes.” She reasoned. “This ends here!”

He clasped her elbow but she whisked it away. “Don’t touch me!”

“Your dad is suffering because you’re ignoring him! He seemed so pitiful..”

Yoona can’t stop her voice from shaking. “I’m much more pitiful!”

“Yoo-na”

She walked past him, heading straight towards the exit.

What have I lost?

***

The next day:

“So now everyone got their copy?” asked Eunhyuk, waving what seemed like a stapled sheet of paper. Everyone else was holding that stapled stuff too, nodding all at once.

Donghae handed the sheet to Yoona. “Here.”

She took it, without much enthusiasm.

“Everyone! Please show some interest with it! “ said Eunhyuk, noticing that everyone wasn’t so enthusiastic.

“Woiw this might be interesting.” commented Jessica, making sure that the whole class hears it. “Everyone has roles. Eunhyuk you’re really amazing. And oh look I’m the main character.”

It seemed like her words got magic as everyone seemed to like it then.

“It’s pretty good.”

“This is actually alright.”

“Alright!” said Jessica. “Let’s begin our practice.”

“The setting is in the near future. Everyone in class 2-C is living peacefully with Jessica as their leader. However there are people who wanted to destroy this peace distastefully. The hallmark of evil, Im Yoona and her minion, the delinquent Lee Donghae!”

“W-wait.” complained Donghae. “Why am I her minion and a delinquent?”

“Why am I the hallmark of evil?” countered Yoona.

“Just wait. Just listen.” interrupted Eunhyuk. “Yoona descends to 2-c and the students got mind-controlled one by one. However, Jessica’s hard efforts releases them and everyone  gets together in the end, successfully driving Donghae and Yoona away.”

“We listened to the rest and that’s it?”

“It’s simple yet dramatic.” commented Sooyoung. “This might turn out pretty good.”

“No way!” objected Yoona.  “I’ll never do something like this!”

“Sheesh. You’re so selfish Yoona.” droned Jessica, raising her thin brow.

“Hey first Miss whatever and this? Why do I have to do these weird things?” she stepped towards Jessica, preparing for an all-out brawl.

“If hitting me makes you happy, then hit me all you like.” She said dramatically.

“I will.” And Yoona curled her fingers into a fist.

“But nothing will stop me from saving 2-C”

“Huh?”

And it hit her then. It was the skit’s script.

Jessica was acting her part to annoy her.

“Wow. It seems like Yoona is really on it.”

“They’re really practicing!”

“Wow that was so realistic!”

“Yoona do your mind control line!” said Eunhyuk.

“Line?”

“Yeah!”

Yoona turned to her skit, completely absorbed. “Oh yeah. Yoona screams and…”

Donghae smiled. Yoona was doing great with Jessica.

***

“Hey what should we do about dinner?” asked Donghae as they walked along the streets, heading towards home.

“Yellow-tail fish.” She said sternly.

“What do you want me to do with them?”

“Glaze.”

“Glaze? You want me to glaze them?”

Yoona did not answer. It’s because someone was waiting outside her apartment. A man in a car, who looked similarly like Yoona.

It was of course her father.

“Sorry. I’ve been waiting here.. for a while…”

Yoona ignored him, walking past him. She bumped into him with calculated clumsiness, making him land drift to the cemented sidewalk.

“You damn stalker!”

She climbed the stairs and headed straight towards DOnghae’s house. Her fingers curled into the knob, sparing a glance on her demented father.

Freakin geezer.

Donghae can no longer stand this. He quickly followed Yoona and pinned her in the arms, caring less if it hurts her.

“Yoona! Stop acting so tough already!”

“Let me go!” she protested. “Are you on his side? That’s horrible! I thought you were on my side!”

“I’m saying this because I’m on your side!” he explained, rather violently. “It’s for your sake. Who do you think he is? He’s your father! He just came to beg forgiveness! Can you listen to him?”

“He’s a stalker!”

“Stop it!” he exclaimed, pinning her to the door until ther faces were inches from each other. “Ypu were crying, saying that he abandoned you. Be honest! You want to go with him don’t you?”

“What do you know about me? I don’t need someone like that anymore!” she tried to get off with his grip but failed. “He never abandoned me. I abandoned him! Because he was a useless trash!”

Donghae gritted his teeth. “You… does he-? Does that person really look like a trash for you? My father will never come back no matter how I wish!”

Donghae just then realized what he just said.

It wasn’t for Yoona.

i…

“I’m sorry.” He said, freeing his grip.  “I-“

Yoona silenced him by covering his mouth. “It’s okay. “ Her eyes narrowed, wet from crying. “So don’t make that face anymore. “

“Yoon-“

“It’s a good thing right? I just pretend I can think that even though I don’t know if I can think that.” She paused and started to descend the stairs. “But you said it, I’ll pretend for you.”

Yoona came to her father and embraced him. Her father hugged back and both headed to his car.

This is good.

This is what should happen.

SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE. I ACTUALLY CONTRACTED DENGUE FEVER AND WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR OVER A WEEK. I'M STILL IN THE HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW BUT I'M PRETTY DOING WELL NOW. PLEASE COMMENT. THAT WILL HELP ME TO GET WELL SOON.