“Why do you keep sighing every time you touch your food?” Sunny asked as she took a seat next to Seohyun. The latter was startled as she looked up from her almost untouched salad. She shrugged nonchalantly as she pretended to resume her eating, infirm on whether she actually felt hungry or not. “Seohyun? Don’t ignore your unnie! Have you lost your appetite?”

“Sorry, Sunny-unnie. I’m hungry, it’s just that it doesn’t feel the same coming here and… not seeing Yoona.” Seohyun excused herself. Her words were accompanied by the pink-ish blush that colored her cheeks every time she talked about Yoona. She was telling the truth, though; usually, whenever she had lunch at Baru, Yoona would somehow manage to break from working and sit next to her for at least a few minutes, in which they’d have a nice conversation or joke around.

“Say it like it really is, Joohyun! You just miss Yoona.” The short-haired girl whispered tauntingly, successfully making Seohyun turn redder. The maknae couldn’t deny that Sunny’s sentence was completely right, so she decided to keep quiet. “How cute!” Her unnie squealed, ruffling her hair.

“St-Stop, unnie!” Seohyun stuttered out, trying to conceal her deepening blush, since she knew it tale-told the older girl how right she had been, and it would just mean more teasing for the poor Seohyun.

“Just admit it, Hyunnie. There is nothing wrong with missing Yoona, you know?” Seohyun took a deep intake of breath, trying to get her blush under control. After a few seconds, she finally succeeded. “When is she coming back anyways?”

“Tomorrow morning. Apparently, everything went well.” A gratified smile tugged the corners of Seohyun’s mouth upwards. Seohyun’s visage emanated relief.

“That’s good… She’d better come back as soon as possible, we have more work to do now that she’s not here…” Sunny commented, grimacing. Seohyun noticed the older girl kept looking at her watch every now and then.

“Is there something wrong, unnie?” The younger girl asked, raising an eyebrow. Sunny made a vague gesture as she shook her head.

“I’m just waiting for someone…” She answered dully, giving Seohyun a half-smile. It made Seohyun feel further curious.

“Would you care to elaborate on that?” Sunny sighed as she surrendered to Seohyun’s slight insistence.

“I’ll only tell you because you are… well, you. I’m waiting for a guy that my uncle wants me to meet. You know he doesn’t approve of me and Sooyoung, so… I have no other choice, I’m scared to lose my job and his trust if I don’t agree to at least going on one date with this guy… Sooyoung knows and understands, but I can tell she’s hurt.” Sunny bit her bottom lip to keep it from quivering.

“Have you talked to your uncle about it?” Seohyun asked, heavyhearted about the short-haired girl’s situation.

“I have, but he just won’t listen. I’ve tried—” Sunny was cut short by a hand on her shoulder. The two girls looked up at Kris, who had on his usual arrogant expression. Sunny instinctively shrugged his hand off her shoulder.

“There’s a guy asking for you at the counter. His name is Sungmin, I think.” Kris informed her. Sunny nodded her head at him and then turned towards Seohyun.

“Wish me luck, Hyunnie.” Sunny grimaced as she stood up from her seat. Seohyun gave her an invigorating smile.

“Get it over with, unnie.” She whispered as she watched Sunny leave with a brown haired guy that was just a bit taller than her.

Seohyun then turned to Kris, who seemed to be inspecting on everything the waiters and waitresses were doing. She shyly cleared , getting his attention.

“Excuse me?” He walked towards her table, eagerly waiting to hear a complaint about any of the waiters. That way, he’d have an excuse to give them one of his famous lectures.

“What can I help you with?” He asked, seemingly nice.

“Hmm… Where’s Luhan?” Seohyun asked quietly, shyly. Kris furrowed his brows and pursed his lips in thought.

“He changed shifts. Now he only does nightly shifts.” He then looked at Seohyun, examining her curiously. “Why do you ask?”

“I was just wondering because I haven’t seen him here lately…” The younger girl cleared , trying to appear casual. “Thank you for telling me…”

“You’re welcome.” Kris answered coldly as he left. Once again, Seohyun was left alone with her untouched salad. She sighed deeply, looking out the restaurant’s window. I wonder what Yoona is up to right now…

Meanwhile.

Yoona couldn’t help but smile as she finally made it into the Samjicheon Village, one of the few attractions of the Damyang region. As much as she disliked her hometown, she couldn’t deny that the village was indeed beautiful, and had a relaxing and peaceful vibe to it. She remembered walking along the charming rural village with her father when she was little. Those were pretty good memories that she held onto with all her might. Before she could get too nostalgic, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around, already knowing who it was. In front of her, and dressed much more casually than her, stood Taecyeon.

“I thought you’d get lost, city girl…” He teased, receiving a mock glare from Yoona.

“Sometimes I think you don’t remember that I practically grew up between this stonewalls and bamboo trees.” Yoona remarked. Taecyeon chuckled before nodding towards the Jungnogwon garden’s walking path.

“Let’s go. You must miss being surrounded by nature…” Yoona nodded her head; she indeed missed it dearly. Seeing buildings all around every day got tiring after a while.

They walked in silence for a few minutes; it wasn’t awkward, it was just… there. And neither of the two knew how to break it.

“So, how is your father doing now that he’s been discharged?” Taecyeon asked, daring himself to break the silence.

“He looks and feels better. He’s not coughing as much as he used to, thankfully…” Yoona answered half-heartedly. “I feel sad about leaving him again, though… I plan to take him to the city for a while, so it shouldn’t be too long before we see each other again.” Taecyeon gave her a meaningful stare. “What are you doing here, Taec? There’s no future in this town…” The addressed young man shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s what I’m used to, I guess. It’s not so bad in here… People are nice, welcoming…” He trailed off, only to be cut off by Yoona.

“They’re also gossipy, snotty, proud-hearted…” Taecyeon gave Yoona a half-smile as he noticed the latter was becoming aggravated.

“You can’t have roses without their thorns.” The doe-eyed girl shrugged her shoulders.

“What have you done with your life?” She asked him, giving him an almost inquisitive stare.

“I’m working in my friend’s garage. It’s the best in Damyang.” Taecyeon wiggled his brows, showing Yoona how proud he felt about his small accomplishments. “I earn enough for my own expenses…”

“What about your parents?” A woeful look crossed Taecyeon’s features.

“They both died, almost simultaneously if you ask me. Appa died first and I guess umma couldn’t handle living without him…” Yoona couldn’t help but feel culpable for asking that question, so she gave Taecyeon a half-comforting, half-apologetic smile. “I guess that is all you’ve missed about my life. What about you?”

“Going to Seoul was like a nightmare at first, but there’s someone who managed to turn it into a fairytale…” Yoona trailed off with a warm smile. Taecyeon gave her a disbelieving look.

“Care to explain?”

“At first I was living in the lousiest, oldest dorm you could ever imagine. The money appa was giving me was barely enough for my food and I wasn’t making the best grades. Thankfully I found a really great job in a vegan restaurant called Baru, but then I almost got ran over by a car, and I couldn’t even go to the doctor because I have no insurance… But there was this beautiful girl who had lunch everyday at Baru; one of my co-workers is madly crushing on her, and she had compassion on me and allowed me to stay in her house, because she needed company as well. Soon I found out her health wasn’t at its best, but she was still strong and managed to overcome her health issues, and now she’s more radiant than ever. She also introduced me to her amazing friends, who are also my friends now. I began falling for her, and fortunately she was falling for me too. Since she saw I would never be brave enough to make the first move, she did… And now we’re together…” Yoona gauged at Taecyeon’s reaction, and she almost burst out laughing when she saw his jaw was slacked open and his eyes were widened in surprise.

“… Are you serious? If I move to the city too, all those things will happen to me too?” He asked jokingly after a few seconds of silence. Yoona snickered.

“You should move there. Things haven’t been easy, but every hardship has been worth it. For the first time in my life, I can say I’m happy and mean it…” Taecyeon gave her a half-smile.

“I’m glad…” He trailed off before his features turned completely serious again. “… But Yoona, I think there is something you need to know before you leave to Seoul…” Yoona raised an eyebrow wonderingly.

“What is it?” Taecyeon sighed deeply.

“The other day I was paying your father a visit at his apartment. I was on my way there with some groceries when someone stopped me before I could take the elevator. It was a middle-aged woman… and she looked a lot like you.” Yoona’s eyebrows knitted together in pure confusion. “She asked me if I was on my way to see Mr. Im Cheolyong. I said ‘yes’, and then she asked me if I knew anything about his daughter. I told her she’s studying in Seoul right now, and then I asked her who she was and why she wanted to know all these things. Then… She told me she’s Kim Sora, Im Cheolyong’s ex-wife… It was your mother standing right in front of me, Yoona.” The latter gasped and clenched her fists unknowingly. There were so many questions running through her head that she felt like she was going to explode. So many encountered feelings were trying to surface that she just became numb.

“You’re lying…” Those words were the only thing that came out of the deer’s mouth as she shook her head. Still, she knew Taecyeon was being completely sincere.

“I’m not… Yoona, you can’t leave right now… You should talk to her first… I think she means no wrong, she just wants to be in your life now that she knows your father is sick…” Yoona stopped walking as she continued to shake her head.

“No, Taecyeon, I won’t talk to her… It’s just… Who does she think she is? She already ruined my childhood, now she wants to ruin my youth with her lies? Why did she have to show up now that I’m finally happy?” Taecyeon’s heart broke as he heard Yoona’s voice breaking a little.

“Just consider it, Yoona… It might do you well to finally talk to her after all these years…”

“No! The only thing I could possibly want from her is an explanation, but I already know the reason why she abandoned us. She’s a mean, stone-hearted person who doesn’t deserve any kind of forgiveness.” Yoona cut him off sharply. Taecyeon shook his head as he gave her a solemn expression.

“You don’t need an explanation, Yoona. You need closure, and if you don’t take this chance, you might never get it.”

The next day, Seoul Train Station.

Seohyun smiled widely and bounced on her feet slightly as she caught sight of Yoona getting off the train. The doe-eyed girl was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, but Seohyun could recognize her anywhere. She hurried to her beloved deer and enveloped her into a hug. Yoona couldn’t help but smile as she hugged the maknae back, breathing in her scent.

“Yoongie, you’re finally back!” Seohyun squealed into Yoona’s ear, hugging her tighter.

“I take it you’ve missed me…” Yoona whispered teasingly as she pulled away from the hug, keeping one arm wrapped around Seohyun’s shoulders. Her gaze wandered down to Seohyun’s lips. The familiar urge of kissing her showed up, but she wondered if Seohyun would be comfortable with doing skinship in such a crowded place. Her doubts were soon proved wrong when Seohyun leaned in and gave her a peck. Yoona couldn’t help but blush as her heart swelled with love for the younger girl, who always knew how to vanish her doubts. Seohyun nodded her head as she pulled away from the lingering peck.

“I have missed you. Haven’t you missed me?” The maknae asked, rubbing the tip of her nose against Yoona’s.

“Of course I missed you. Let’s go home.” Yoona wrapped her arm around Seohyun’s shoulders, gently guiding her out of the train station.

Soon they got to Seohyun’s car in the parking lot, and Yoona silently placed her small suitcase in the trunk. Seohyun eyed her suspiciously; she knew the older girl would usually talk nonstop whenever they were together. In fact, that habit of hers had gotten her in trouble before because her incessant talking always made Seohyun’s lose track on her self-improvement readings. She decided to not ask, thinking that Yoona was just tired.

“Wanna drive?” She asked the latter, trying to get a response from her. She had never seen Yoona so inexpressive.

“You drive this time.” With that, Yoona got into the convertible’s passenger seat. Seohyun furrowed her brows as she got into the driver’s seat. Yoona never, ever, lost a chance to drive Seohyun’s convertible. The younger girl started the engine and focused on the road for a few moments, hoping that Yoona would start a conversation at some point. When she was sure this wasn’t going to happen, she decided to break the silence.

“Why are you so quiet, Yoongie? Are you sick?” The addressed girl shook her head. Her hand went to Seohyun’s own that rested on top of the gear lever. A typical Yoona move.

“No, I’m just tired.” Yoona commented, faking a yawn. Of course, Seohyun didn’t buy it. “By the way, appa says he wants to meet you. Is it okay if he spends a few days here in Seoul?”

“Of course it is. I want to meet him as well…” Seohyun trailed off, giving Yoona a reassuring smile. “You seem off, Yoona. Are you sure you’re okay?” The doe-eyed girl nodded her head, finally taking off her sunglasses.

“I am okay… Don’t worry about me, Seobaby.” Seohyun nodded as she desisted and continued her driving. Soon, they reached the Seo’s household.

The maknae had just turned off the car’s engine when she felt Yoona’s hand gripping hers a bit more tightly. Then, Yoona’s hand touched her cheek, turning her head and making their lips meet. Seohyun wrapped her arms around Yoona’s neck, welcoming the full kiss. The doe-eyed girl nibbled on her bottom lip and tugged on it lightly as she pulled away, resting her forehead against Seohyun’s afterwards. The kiss left both of them breathless, but Seohyun could still feel something missing.

“I’m glad I’m finally back. I really missed you, Seobaby…” Yoona muttered before pulling away completely. “Let’s go. I need a good nap…” Yoona got out of the car in a swift movement. Seohyun, on the other hand, stayed seated, touching her own lips and still feeling the taste of Yoona’s kiss in them. ‘You’re back, but you’re not the same…’ Seohyun thought. ‘Are you hiding something from me again, Yoona?’

A/N: So here goes chapter 13 of Just My Luck ^^ I know it’s a bit shorter, and that’s because this is more of a filling. I don’t want the more eventful chapters to come just yet ;) Also, you should look up Samjicheon Village, it’s such a beautiful place *.*

If you haven’t checked out my co-authored story ‘Augmentum Intrepidus’, please do :3 This chapter also goes to my awesome writing partner jzmasterofall for our amazing companionship :D I hope you like this chapter, short and all! xD