“Right now, if I could ride a time machine
and go to meet you
I wouldn’t wish for anything else
before the memories become distant and fleeting...
I need a time machine oh
I need a time machine oh...”- Time Machine, SNSD

Seoul, Korea

Ring...

Ring...

Ring...

“Yeboseyo?”

“Seohyunie.”

“Sooyoung unnie.”, Seohyun said sadly.

The girl on the other line, named Sooyoung, sighed. From the tone of the younger girl, she immediately knows that everything is not okay. It was never okay.

“How is she holding up?” Sooyoung asked.

The maknae sighed. She doesn’t know what to say. She wanted to say that everything is getting worse ever since that incident. She wanted to say that she wished to be stronger but she can’t.

“Where do you want me to start, unnie?” she said as she tried to hold back her tears and took a glance at the closed door in front of her.

Sooyoung wanted to be there for Seohyun. The younger girl is like a little sister for her since Seohyun is her best friend’s younger sister.

“Is she getting any sleep? Does she eat?” Sooyoung kept asking questions, hoping a positive answer from Seohyun.

Seohyun sighed again. “Ne, unnie. She sleeps but in the middle of the night, she woke up screaming from her nightmares. She’ll cry until she falls asleep. Sure, she eats but after a few bites, she’ll push the plate away and locked herself in her room.”

The younger girl couldn’t take it anymore and finally, she cried. She is so helpless for what is happening to her but mostly, she cried for her sister.

“I’m sorry, Seohyunie.” Sooyoung couldn’t help but cry,too. It’s her best friend’s sister. She always sees Seohyun as a very strong and mature person despite of her age. Compare to her and her sister, Seohyun is like the older one than her sister. So, hearing Seohyun cry and so helpless is like the end of everything.

“Don’t worry, we’ll take the first flight as soon as Jessica and Sunny came back. We’ll be home, soon, arasseo?” Sooyoung assured the maknae.

“Thank you, unnie.”

“Just hang in there, Seohyunie.”

“I will.”

Seohyun put down the phone after her conversation with Sooyoung. She stood up from the sofa and walked towards the closed door. She opened it quietly and saw how dark and messy her sister’s room is. The pillows, clothes and old photos scattered on the floor. She picked up a photo and saw a picture of two girls smiling at the camera. Seohyun smiled back as if the girls’ smile in the photo is so infectious.  She put down the photo and saw her sister’s body, lying on the bed. She walked slowly towards the bed and sat on an empty chair beside it.

Seohyun looked at her sister as she brushed the raven hair that blocked her pretty face. She’s always envious of her sister but not to the point of jealousy. She loves her sister more than anything in this world because she’s the only family that she has.

Seohyun and her older sister Yuri is a splitting image of one another even though they are two years apart. Despite their likeness, they are completely opposites. Seohyun is more mature, more feminine, poised and timid unlike her sister who’s childlike, funny and athletic. Seohyun adore her unnie because despite her outgoing and easy-go-lucky personality, she‘s the one who raised Seohyun since their parents’ death.  

So seeing her sister so broken and vulnerable is difficult for Seohyun. The girl she’s looking at right now is very far from the bubbly girl that she knew. She wanted to be mad at someone who did this to her sister but she couldn’t. Her sister taught her not to hold grudge. She just wished that she could take the hurt away from her sister but she couldn’t.

She wiped away the unshed tears from her sister’s sleeping face and stood up. She walked outside of the room and closed the door so she could cry.

*

Tokyo, Japan

Sooyoung paced around the room as she looked her watch. She called Jessica and Sunny 30 minutes ago and they said that they’ll be home any minute. Well, she guessed that Jessica’s time is different from hers.

She sighed and she looked at her phone. She smiled at her wallpaper. It’s a photo of her and her friends in front of their Modelling Agency building. Sooyoung remembered all the hardships they put through to be this successful.

She and Yuri put up the modelling agency right after college since Yuri finished a course in Fashion while she finished business. She first thought that it was just a ridiculous idea to put up an agency but Yuri thought otherwise. Together, they build their baby, “So Nyu Shi Dae Modelling Agency.” Sooyoung blamed it all to Yuri’s determination and optimism that they became a well-known Modelling Agency in Korea. So, along with Jessica, one of the agency’s model and Sunny, agency’s talent scout, they formed the agency. Yuri always said to her that they are not at the top of their game yet, they’re still young but they will make it to the top.

She smiled at the thought of her best friend. Yuri with funny and animated personality is really infectious and one couldn’t help but fall in love with her. Speaking of falling in love, Sooyoung continued to stare at her wallpaper, she stare at the doe-eyed girl beside Yuri whose arms were around her best friend. The same doe-eye girl whom Yuri loves so much, the doe-eyed girl whom hurt Yuri so hard, to the point that it kills her and the doe-eye girl whose name is Yoona.

As much as she wanted to hurt Yoona for doing this to her best friend, she couldn’t. Yuri said they shouldn’t hold a grudge to another person just because they hurt them. Yuri is a very wonderful person despite of people hurting her.

Sooyoung thought that Yuri doesn’t deserve to be hurt like this; she doesn’t deserve the pain she’s going through right now. Yuri is a beautiful person to be treated like this. She and Yoona used to be so perfect for each other but since Yoona left Yuri, Sooyoung never saw the life that Yuri once had.

*

Seoul, Korea

“I’m a Prisoner
and there’s no way out
Cause the future passed
I’m Stuck in here and now...”- Time Machine, Andy Love version

People would say that girls are at their happiest when they are getting married especially if  they are marrying the perfect guy. Well, not for Yoona.

For her, this would be the worst day of her life. This is her death sentence for hurting the girl she truly loves. This is her punishment for not fighting for them, for giving up that easily.

She wished that she could tell Yuri the truth. She wished that she could tell that the reason why she’s doing this is because she wants to help their family business. She will marry the person she doesn’t love to save their only source of income. She has to do this even if her real happiness is at stake.

Instead of telling Yuri the truth, she pushed her away; she made up reasons why they couldn’t be together.

-Flashback-

“I want to break up with you.” Yoona said frankly.

She kept her eyes on the cup of coffee in front of her to avoid looking at Yuri. It will be hard for her to do this if she looked at the tanned girl. One look at Yuri, it will break the wall that she built.

“Hwae?! Yoong, baby, w-what?! Why are you doing this?! Tell me you’re kidding, right?! It was just a joke.” Yuri panicked.

“Aniyo. I want to break up with you.” Yoona kept her head down.

Yuri tried to reach out to her but Yoona hide her hands away. She couldn’t stand seeing Yuri’s tears. It breaks her as much it breaks Yuri.

“Wh-why?! Why are you doing this?” Yuri asked again. “Look me in the eyes and answer me, Yoona.”

Yoona muster up her courage. She needs to do this, even though it hurts, she needs to do this. She looked up at the girl she once promised that she’ll going to marry and she nearly broke down when she saw the pain in her lover’s eyes.

“I-i just don’t feel the same way anymore, Yuri.” She whispered.

Her words left Yuri speechless. Yoona used this moment to stand up and walk away from her, from her true source of happiness.

After that incident, Yuri kept on pursuing Yoona everyday that maybe they could work things out. She always follows Yoona wherever she goes, to her work, to her house, just waiting for her. As much as Yoona wants to break down that everything was just a lie, that she still loves Yuri, always and forever, she couldn’t. It hurts her seeing Yuri suffering like this.

“Yuri, please stop this. For both of our sakes, stop this.” Yoona said sharply at the girl.

“I...i was just wondering if we could work things out. I know that you always see me that i do not take things seriously but i could change that Yoona. I promise you, i will.” Yuri promised as she took a step towards Yoona but she sensed that the doe-eyed girl tensed, so she stopped her tracks.

Yoona wouldn’t want Yuri to change. It was one of the million things she loves about Yuri. So carefree and happy despite how the world is cruel to her. Her parents are dead, she’s struggling to pay the bills, her business is just starting and Seohyun’s school fees but she’s still Yuri, smiling despite of all of this.

“No, i’ve had enough, Yuri. We’re done.” Yoona lied.

Yuri went speechless again. She doesn’t know what to say to Yoona. She feels that Yoona still love her but she couldn’t understand why she is doing this. If Yoona doesn’t want her, then why Yuri is still here, willing to fight?

“Let me ask you this, Yoona. Why am i feeling that you’re still in love with me despite of you saying that you don’t want me anymore?” Yuri whispered.

“You’re wrong.” Yoona lied again. She thought that she’s getting better at lying at herself and at Yuri. “it’s just you and your intuition, Yuri. I don’t feel the same way anymore.” Yoona looked down.

“Then, look me straight in the eyes and tell me that you don’t love me anymore and i don’t deserve you so that i could stop this. I’m getting tired of fighting, especially if it’s only me who’s been fighting for us.” Yuri cried.

Yoona looked straight into Yuri’s eyes and wished that Yuri wouldn’t see the lie behind her eyes. She knows that her words would probably kill them.

“I don’t love you, Yuri. Since the beginning, i thought i could love you like you do, but no. I couldn’t. You deserve someone better.”

Yoona ran away. This is what she’s good at, she thought to herself. She’s good at running away from everything. She never had the guts to fight back but instead she let everything die in front of her.

-End of flashback-

“Yoona, it’s time.” Yoona’s mother said. Yoona sighed and nodded at her.

This is it. This is the day of her death.

In the eyes of the guests, this would be a fairy tale-like dream wedding. Choi’s backyard turned into a very beautiful garden wedding. Yoona saw her  husband-to-be, Siwon at the end of the aisle with a smile on his face. This guy is a very nice person and Yoona thought that he doesn’t deserve a person like her. Maybe this is her mission in life, to hurt the wonderful people in her life.

Once the wedding march started, Yoona thought this is it; Yuri will never be hers again.

With every step towards the aisle kills her. She wished that Yuri is the one at the end of the aisle; she wished that Yuri could save her from this. She’ll promise to herself that once she saw Yuri here, she’ll run away with her. She’ll promise that she’ll fight for them. She’ll promise that she’ll love Yuri right. She laughed at herself for thinking those ridiculous things. Yuri would never be at her wedding. Yuri stopped fighting for them when she requested it. She’ll never forgive herself for saying those things to the girl she loved.

As Yoona walked down the aisle, people were in awe upon seeing her. She’s definitely a goddess in her wedding gown. She heard whispers of what a beautiful couple she and Siwon came to be. Yoona think otherwise.

She took a glance of her friends. Taeyeon, Hyoyeon and Tiffany smiled sadly at her. They decided to be with Yoona on her wedding day despite of an unknown reason why she’s doing this. They knew how Yoona loves Yuri. All of them dreamt a different wedding for Yoona. They dreamt that all of them are here, happy for Yoona and Yuri but instead, they were all divided. One is hurting as she walked down the aisle and one is somewhere, already dying.

Yoona tried to reach out to her other friends but it seems like they wouldn’t want to. It hurts her to think back the words that Sooyoung, Jessica and Sunny said to her on that day. They wouldn’t forgive her for hurting Yuri, so Yoona just walked away again.

She even tried to invite Seohyun because she wanted her best friend to be her maid of honor. Yoona was surprised to see the coldness on Seohyun’s eyes as she said the words, “No. I believe that family is much more important. It would be disrespectful for Yuri unnie if i accept your offer. I don’t want to hurt her than she already is.”

Yoona’s reverie was cut off when her mom gave her hand towards Siwon. She smiled sadly at him and took his hands as the ceremony started.

*

“Alone in the room that is more spacious than usual
It’s over, guess it’s over
the story created by the two of us was also in vain
I can't believe it could crumble so easily”- Time Machine, SNSD

Seohyun was busy fixing lunch for her sister when she heard her scream.

“YYYYYYOOOOOOONNNNNAAAAAAA!!!!”

The younger girl jolted upon hearing her sister’s scream and it made the glass she was holding slipped on her hands. As she was busy fixing the broken glass, she heard the door opened abruptly and saw Yuri running towards the front door.

“Unnie!” she shouted at her sister and ran to follow her. She kept on yelling her sister’s name to get her attention but Yuri is too fast as she ran towards the street.

Seohyun kept on running for her sister even though her legs are hurting. She kept on running but when she heard a faint honk of a car, she stopped her tracks and turned to look at the source of the sound, she saw it swerving towards them.

“Unnie!” Seohyun shouted to get her sister’s attention again but her sister turned to run towards the other side of the street.

Everything went so fast in front of Seohyun’s eyes. She saw how the driver swerves towards Yuri and collides with her before the car smash into the light post. She saw how Yuri flings few meters away from the car like a rag doll.

Seohyun dashed towards the lifeless body of her sister with her blood on the street. She hugged Yuri and screamed for help. She couldn’t loss her sister, Yuri is the only person that she has. Another car accident couldn’t take another family member on Seohyun.

*

“Do you Yoona, take Siwon to be your lawfully wedded husband, promising to love and cherish, through joy and sorrow, sickness and health and whatever challenges you may face, for as long as you both shall live?” the priest asked the doe-eye goddess in front of her. Even the priest could see the sadness in her eyes and he couldn’t be felt more sorry for her.

Before Yoona could mumble her response, a phone ring unexpectedly. The guests especially Yoona and Siwon looked at the phone’s owner. It was Taeyeon. She smiled shyly, completely embarrassed at the interruption and looked at Yoona and mumbled her sorry before taking the call.

It is unusual for Taeyeon to be this careless, Yoona thought. Taeyeon always put her phone in silent mode in this kind of events because she hates ruining the mood, well she make sure to put her phone in emergency mode.

Maybe there is an emergency. Yoona thought.

She looked at Taeyeon who walked towards an empty spot a few meters away from the ceremony. She watched as Taeyeon took the phone call and she saw Taeyeon gasped as if she heard the most shocking news in her life. Yoona wanted to run to her unnie, to ask what’s wrong but she couldn’t. She looked at her two other friends who are looking at Taeyeon, too. All three of them looked at the girl on the phone, as she tried to conceal the tears that are profusely falling. Taeyeon felt someone looking at her, she turned towards Yoona and smiled sadly at her and turned back around to hide her face.

The priest cleared his throat, asking a response from the bride but the bride reluctantly turned back to the priest and smiled at him.

Throughout the ceremony until the reception, Yoona kept an eye towards her friends whose been talking too closely. She couldn’t come near them because she’s still the bride, she needs to look happy and entertain the guest when she really wanted is to come to her friends and ask what’s wrong.

She glanced back again and she saw how Tiffany and Hyoyeon hide their tears as Taeyeon retelling the phone call she had.

Something is not right and i’m going to find out what is it. Yoona thought as she walked towards her friends.

When her friends spot her walking towards them, they hastily wiped their tears and smile at Yoona.

“Congratulations, Yoong.” Tiffany smiled her infamous eye-smile but Yoona could hear her friend’s voice crack from holding back her tears.

“Unnie, what’s wrong?” Yoona asked directly.

The three girls refused to answer the young girl; instead, they looked down the ground as tears couldn’t stop from falling. Yoona started to panicked when the three of them didn’t answer.

“Don’t hide it from me, unnie. I know something’s wrong.” Yoona asked again.

Taeyeon wiped her tears and tried to smile at her. “It’s your wedding. Stop worrying about us. We better go.” All three of them started to pick up their things but Yoona beat them to it.

“No, unnie. I do not care about my wedding. I need to know what’s wrong. I am your friend, too. I deserve to know—“

“It’s Seohyun!” Hyoyeon blurted out.

Yoona turned towards Hyoyeon. She always knew that Hyoyeon rarely cries but seeing her like this means something is not right.

“What is it about Seohyun? Is she okay?!” Yoona panicked for her best friend.

“Seohyun is okay. It’s...” Tiffany trailed off, unsure how to tell it to Yoona. She looked up to Taeyeon and Hyoyeon, asking for help.

Yoona watched her friends glanced each other. From that moment, she knew it’s not about Seohyun.

“Yuri!” Yoona gasped.

She didn’t even wait for the confirmation of her friends, instead she ran. She ran to see the girl she loves. She hopes that it’s not too late.

TBC...

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Please tell me what you think of the story :)