song: Pandora - KARA       ---

 

'Give me the answer I've been longing to receive from no other,

Open up your Pandora's Box-like heart, and tell me the words I wanted to hear'

 

---   "Mother, I'm home!" Mrs. Im watched curiously as his son happily hopped into the house. Then she exchanged glances with his son's most inseparable friend, who for some reason, was left out today and had to come to their residence to wait for him, only for him to came back late night after they were already done with dinner for a few hours already. Just where had he been and why could he possibly sounded so merry?   "Siwan, dinner?" She decided to test him to check on her suspicion.   "I'm full. I'm going to sleep first. Goodnight, Mother." He gave a quick bow and almost ran towards his room when an unhappy voice cut his steps.   "Yah! Siwan! How could you just ignore me here?"   "Hu...huh? Oh, hey, Taehun...oh my...Taehun?! I'm so sorry, I forgot we were supposed to..." He felt horrible, for merely that instance, because there was something else weighing heavier on his mind to be troubled about forgetting Taehun, his best buddy since forever.   "Do you...want to hang out now?" He prayed Taehun would say no, since he didn't really meant what he offered at all. Thus, he happily complied when Taehun answered he was too tired of waiting and wanted to go back to sleep at home, before reminding him about the homework he needed to handed in the next day.       ---       "Chulhee-ah, have you taken your medicine?"   She nodded. Heechul noticed that his little sister kept staring at his face tonight. Maybe she missed him because of his jobs and styling schedule with Park Gyuri had been draining too much of his free time lately, even more than before when he had even more jobs. But the pay was worth the sacrifices. Yet he still couldn't help the guilt he felt towards the young one.   "Did anyone came to disturb you today?"   Her gaze averted into blank space, taking in his words, but then she looked up at him and shook her head. That was all he needed to know. That nobody's messing around with his little Chulhee.   "Should we get you to sleep now?" He asked, after seeing her swallowing her own yawn, trying to make the most of their time together. He didn't want to wait for her answer and instead carried her to her hospital bed before tucking her under the warm, thick dark blue blanket.   "There. I'll come again tomorrow okay."   "Oppa." He looked over at his fingers that were being pulled by the small hand and came closer as she signalled to him.   "What?"   "Oppa, are you wearing lipstick? You look weird."   "What the...no! Of course not! You must be that sleepy to be seeing things. Sleep now."   She nodded, and he left the ward.   Once out of the room he wiped his lips with the back of his hand, harshly, as he headed straight to the washroom all the while covering his mouth, and ended up almost entering the ladies room, when an elderly woman came out and glared at him.   'Aish...how embarassing. i'm going crazy.' He stared into the mirror in the men's room after washing his entire face with the tap water.     'Marry me'      The two words that gave him the shock of his life suddenly lingered by his ears and he tried to shake off the voice.   "What the hell..."       "Marry me."   No answer came out other than his suddenly paled out face. Instead, after a few seconds, he backed off a few steps and broke into laughter.   "So...is that a yes?" The stranger asked.   He scoffed, surprised and amused that the man who looked like he could be twelve, would even think his disbelief mixed with cynical laughter as a yes.   "No."   "What? Why not?" The kid was visibly shocked, and that, surprised Heechul even more. Any sane normal people would say no, to a proposal from a stranger they've never met, even if he really was a girl, he would still say no. Wasn't that what any normal girls would do too? No?   "Because I don't feel like it. I don't want to. I don't even know you. Clear?"   It was the shorter man's turn to laugh while shaking his head and seconds later, his laughter only grew harder, making Heechul annoyed.   "Well, I'm glad I amused you that much. Goodbye."   "My mistake." That, caught his attention from trying to leave again. "Actually, I wanted to help your sister's surgery and in return I need your help to pretend be my wife, just for a short while. We do each other a favour. Now will you please say yes? I'm not asking for a real marriage, of course." He smiled.   "Why would you want to help me? And why of all the people you would need my help? There are many...girls out there who can help you. You don't even know me."   "Well, that's one of the reason. We don't know each other, so there won't be any attachment. And besides, you're clearly in need of money, and I'm in need of help. You can help me and I can help you. And I just feel that I could trust you. Do you remember that porridge you cook? First it helped me to feel better at the competition, and then, it saved my life. How did I end up at this club? It's all fated. Can't you see? We were fated and led to each other so we could help each other. Everything happens for a reason. And after thinking about things that happened, I believe God was trying to tell me that this is what I should do. And you don't have anything to lose either."   'Huh, God