At around 12 noon, Helen had already been discharged from the hospital, provided that she’d take her meds regularly.  When she and Ceci arrived home, she still had her canula on. Her doctor advised her to have it to keep her breathing steady.  As soon as they both got home, Ceci rushed to the shower to take a bath. She knew she had to get changed immediately, since she had just been to the hospital. In a few minutes she came out in her shorts and simple loose shirt. She helped Helen at taking off the canula and other stuff she had connected on to keep her breathing steady. After having been helped by Ceci, Helen went straight to the shower. As Helen was getting ready, Ceci was on the phone talking to the designers. In a few minutes, Takahisa arrived with the dresses that the two will need for the event.The two girls did not need stylists since Takahisa is already and all-around personal assistant.

Yunho and Changmin arrived in a few minutes after Takahisa did, both wearing the suits that Helen sent. Ceci smiled as Yunho handed her a bouquet of Carnations. She also took notice of Yunho’s tie. It had green details that matched Ceci’s dress for the event. Ceci figured, Helen arranged it so that she and Yunho would have that matchy-couple thing in the event. It made her feel giddy in a way…

“Carnations… My favorite…” She sighed, taking in the scent of the flowers as Yunho handed the bouquet to her with a smirk. “How did you know?” She asked in curiosity.

“I have my ways…” Yunho said in a smug smile as he looked at Helen who gave him a “thumbs up.” Apparently, the female maknae gave the male leader a few tips about Ceci.

Ceci placed the bouquet in a vase she and Helen kept at their dorm. She gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek, before leaving him at the living room to make coffee at the kitchen. Yunho was caught off guard at his girlfriend’s act. He unconsciously smiled as he sat beside Changmin who chuckled upon seeing how love-struck he is. Helen smiled at the couple. She noticed how madly in love Yunho is with her unnie. She had that gut-feeling that Ceci would be in good hands and that had her relieved.  She couldn’t help but still, be a bit jealous though.  She unconsciously gazed at Changmin who turned to look at her as well. The two met each other’s eyes awkwardly then smiled. Helen had to admit, Changmin looked handsome in his tux. She was happy she made the right choice.

Ceci came back shortly, to serve the two and Takahisa  cups of creamy coffee. Minutes later, she went upstairs with Helen and Takahisa to get changed right away.

Helen had a bit of a hard time with her dress. With her current condition, it was pretty hard to move, especially when she still had the canula on, which she’d be taking off later in a while. Takahisa and Ceci helped her, so things were made easier for her later on. Helen was all about prints and details. She loved vibrant colors. So she had an Alexander Mcqueen SS01 printed gown on. It was  Chinese-collared long gown with short sleeves. It had gold, red and black detail on it, printy, just how Helen loves it. The gown was really long it touched the floor and the bottom black feather details made the dress even more beautiful.  The dress truly was Helen’s style, extravagant, vibrant, detailed and colorful.

(A.N. Here's a picture to give you a better view of Helen's Dress)

Ceci’s on the otherhand, liked things simple. She had a mint green, a-line chiffon gown that had straps at the neckline. Her gown had ruched embellishments and was floor-length just like Helen’s.

(A.N. Here are pictures of Ceci's dress to give you a better view. Don't mind Maria Menounos in the picture... Keke)

Her gown was secured by a zipper at the back, which she had a hard time pulling up. By the time, Helen was finished, she went to her room with Takahisa to get her hair and make up done. Ceci was left alone in her room, trying to figure out how to get the dress secured. She slightly opened the door to call for Takahisa, but she was busy with Helen. Ceci didn’t want to be rude and interrupt them. Ceci was left with no choice, but to call Yunho for help. She was hesitant at first, but she had to get the dress on.

“Yunho-oppa, can you come in here, please?” She called out, biting her lips afterwards as her face heat up in embarrassment. Yunho came rushing to her room, at her call and had the shock of his life. Ceci had her back to him and was facing the mirror. Yunho’s jaw dropped in shock at the sight of Ceci’s bare, flawless and y back in front of him. He gulped his saliva down as he stared in awe and unconsciously loosened his tie, as he was having a hard time to breathe. He also figured  that Ceci wasn’t wearing a bra, since the dress didn’t need any because the straps will only show since the dress was backless, also the dress already had a built in bra so there was certainly no need for one. Yunho, still couldn’t help but feel hot inside at the thought. Ceci noticed how silent Yunho was. She felt her cheeks heat up as she saw his expression on the mirror.

“Yunho… Help please?” Ceci squeaked out in her usual, adorable sweet tone, that made Yunho snap from his thoughts. Yunho nodded as he slowly approached her to help her with her dress. Ceci  flushed a deeper shade of crimson and had Goosebumps on her skin, as she felt Yunho unconsciously touch her , upon closing her dress. His touch sent shivers through her spine. When he was done, his eyes met hers through the mirror in front of them. He smiled at her and she smiled back at him.

She turned to face him. She looked into his almond-shaped eyes. Ceci figured that she always got lost in his. He had such gorgeous eyes.

“Thank you…” She said in a shy manner, before she fixed his tie, securing it in place and tightening it a little, so it looked neat. Yunho stared at his girlfriend in awe. He couldn’t help but smile at her sweet yet simple actions. He couldn’t help but notice, how wife-material his girl friend is.

“There… All better…” Ceci said, contented with how she fixed Yunho’s tie. Ceci couldn’t help but admire how handsome he looked in his tuxedo. She couldn’t help but feel giddy about how his necktie and her dress are of the same color. She liked the matchy-couple thing that Helen arranged for them.

Yunho smiled as he tucked Ceci’s hair behind her ear. Ceci still hasn’t gotten her hair and makeup done but she already looked stunning in her dress.

“You’re beautiful…” Yunho complimented. Ceci hit him lightly on the shoulder. Yunho let out a chuckle before he gave her a kiss on the forehead. Ceci felt her face heat up at the sudden skin ship. For the past few days that they had been together, Yunho had been a really sweet and caring boyfriend to her. Each moment she spent with him, made her love him even more.

“I have something for you…” Ceci brought up as she turned to get something from her drawer, which she handed to Yunho with a smile and with much excitement in her heart. Yunho stared at a neatly wrapped box for a moment as he looked at her for any sign of approval for him to open it. Ceci gave him a nod and an encouraging smile. He carefully opened the parcel to reveal her little present for him. He smiled at the sight of a pair of silver star-shaped cufflinks. He took a closer look and saw that there were words engraved on each cufflink. One had Jung Yunho, engraved in hangul and the other, had Kim Sunjung… Ceci had the cufflinks custom-made…

“Komawo yo…” Yunho said as he took off the cufflinks he already had on to replace them with the cufflinks that Ceci gave. Ceci was glad that Yunho seemed to like what she had given him. Yunho scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he let out an awkward chuckle.

“Well… I’ll go downstairs to check up on Changmin… Just call me if you need to err… If you need some help with anything…” Yunho mumbled, before leaving Ceci in her room to get ready.Just after Takahisa fixed Helen’s make up and styled her hair in low side ponytail which she had curled at the ends, she went into Ceci’s room to work on her next.
 

Yunho went down the staircase.  He saw Helen running around with her dress on, cannula removed.  Changmin was staring at Helen, who seems to be looking for something.

"What are you looking for Helen?" Yunho said.

"When you arrived here, did you see a black box? Not that small." Helen said.

"What is in there?" The male leader asked.

"A pair of earrings Cameron gave me a few years ago. It’s very expensive." Helen was running around bare-footed.  Just then, Ceci came down from the stairs. She had her make up on. Her long hair was fixed in a waterfall braid then curled at the ends. She wore her green dress along with silver accessories and silver strappy heels. For Yunho, time was slowing, and he can't help but feel mesmerized by the charm emitted by his girlfriend. He also noticed that she was wearing the charm bracelet that he gave her. He couldn’t help but smile. Changmin looked up too, and Helen smirked.

"The heck, Ceci. You stole my moment." She said, as she puts on the earrrings, found under a couch.

"You'll have your moment, trust me." Ceci patted the maknae's head.

"Don't touch my hair."  Heln jerked off Ceci.  Takahisa got a shoe box, and brought out a pair of black Prada pumps.  Helen slipped on the shoes without any piece of struggle.  Takahisa gave her a clutch bag, and Helen dabbed on a red lipstick.  Changmin dropped the bag of chips he was holding onto.  Helen looked a villainess in a drama, and she was ready to tackle on the female protagonist.

He smiled as soon as he noticed something shiny around Helen’s wrist. It was the “Ten” charm bracelet that he gave her. He was pleased to see her wearing it.

Yunho smiled as he held Ceci’s hand he reached for a small box in his pocket and showed it to her. Ceci looked at it curiously and he opened it to show her a small silver “K&M” charm which he later attached to the charm bracelet he gave Ceci.

“Like I said… Each charm, a memory…” He said with a smile as he looked into his girlfriend’s eyes. Ceci smiled back at him and looked away to hide her flushed cheeks.

"The vans are waiting outside." Takahisa blurted out.  The four of them went down to the elevator, to the lobby.  

KASAI and TVXQ went into two different vans.  Being the IT girl group, cameras were all over, and Helen was waving to the press, signaling that she was okay, and ready to roll. Helen had the aircon full-on, because she didn’t want to destroy her make-up.  Ceci was texting Yunho,

Reporters and paparazzi will be there... Aren't you nervous? About the fans? About us?-Ceci
 

 Yunho had a weird feeling in his chest. He knew that he too was worried about what Ceci has been worried about.  Fans especially sasaengs don’t take dating scandals lightly. Yunho was worried about Ceci. He knew that hard core Cassies and BigEasts may go far to hurt her. Moreover, he and Ceci are both well known artists from rival companies. Though they are also label mates, since in Japan they’re artists from Avex Entertainment, it wouldn’t change the fact that he’s from SM and she’s from YG. Revealing their relationship to the public would be such big news in the entertainment industry.

I love you. You love me. That’s all that matters…- Yunnie

 
He sent, smiling to himself as he vowed to protect her no matter what happens…

Cameras flashed here and there as artists flooded through the venue of the event and walked on the red carpet, flaunting their expensive and fabulous outfits.  Reporters and photographers went crazy as soon as TVXQ went with Kasai, Helen with Changmin and Yunho with Ceci. The reporters thought that, there must’vebeen  a juicy story behind the arrangement. With the rumors around the net, spreading about Yunho and Ceci and with the recent news about Changmin and Helen, they figured that something should be written about it, it got them absolutely intrigued especially when both duos were in their best outfits.

At the event the couples unexpectedly ran into people they didn’t expect to see. Since it was a “star-studded” event, it was highly probable to run into anyone even people they have been avoiding. 

Ceci unconsciously halted as soon as she met eyes with Jay Park who had stopped as well as soon as they ran into each other. Ceci felt as though her feet were stuck to the ground as she saw him. It took her a while to notice that her Iris-unnie was with him and had her arms wrapped around his. Ceci’s grip on Yunho’s hand got tighter as though she had been looking for something or rather someone to hold on to. It wasn’t because she still had feelings for her ex-boyfriend, Jay, but it was because she was feeling nostalgic as all the hurtful memories replayed in her head. It had already been two years..

Yunho, who’s pretty sensitive about Ceci’s feelings, seemed to notice Ceci’s actions and immediately let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulder protectively. He met eyes with Jay and immediately flashed him the “she’s mine…” look. Jay, having noticed this, immediately looked away to avoid any trouble.

Ceci then turned her gaze at Iris. She was wearing a sweet-heart, floor-length red and white dress.

(A.N. Iris' Dress, don't mind Mila Kunis in the picture... Haha!)

She gave Ceci a guilty look as soon as she gazed at her. Ceci didn’t know what to say. She felt betrayed, in a way. She felt hurt. She heard about the news about them, but she didn’t really expect it to be true. They when she saw them together, it just hit her.

She looked away to avoid her unnie’s gaze. She just couldn’t look at Iris anymore. She didn’t know how to feel.  It was all too much to process…

Helen on the other hand, froze on her tracks as soon as she saw them. It was a different kind of feeling that she had compared to Ceci’s. Hers was somehow close to fear unlike Ceci’s which was more comparable to hurt. Her cold shaking hands immediately found Changmin’s as her eyes focused on Jay. Changmin noticed right away and it got him really curious as to why Helen was that way. He had always viewed her as someone fearless and brave. It was the first time he saw her scared and it bothered him.

“Ceci! Helen! OM-to the Gee! You girls are so badass in your dresses!” CL who suddenly approached them squealed, averting their gaze to her. CL upon noticing, sunbaes Yunho and Changmin greeted them with a smile and a bow, before hugging the two members of Kasai.

The two boys decided to let their dates mingle with their friends for a while. Yunho approached Kwon Sangwoo whom he worked with in the drama, “Yawang.” He greeted him with much respect as he bowed and later on shook his hand. He and Kwon Sangwoo became really close on set. Yunho had always viewed him as someone to look up to especially in acting. Yunho was really grateful to him since he gave him some tips and helped him a lot in acting.

Changmin on the other hand, just stood awkwardly beside Yunho. He was usually silent, unlike Yunho who’s very talkative and outgoing. It was one of the things he admired about his hyung. It was very easy for Yunho to mingle with people. He shook hands with Kwon Sangwoo, after Yunho introduced him, but after that he just stood silent and gazed at the people around him. Everyone was looking their best that evening, but what really caught his attention was a girl in a brown, flowing, beaded Ellie Saab dress that had a long slit that exposed her flawless legs.

(A.N. Her dress... haha )

The girl caught Changmin staring at her and she smirked, liking the attention that he had unwittingly given her. Changmin  smiled and shook his head as he chuckled to himself.

‘She looks stunning…Maxine Hirakawa… Same as always…’ He thought, before coming back to his senses. Helen is his date tonight, though he couldn’t help but notice that somehow, they have this sort of similarity, but he decided to shrug the thoughts away.  Maxine is his past. He shouldn’t confuse her with Helen; otherwise Helen would just be a tool for rebound. He didn’t want that to happen. Helen was more than just that…

“You look gorgeous!” Ceci said, complimenting her label mate and friend.

“Not as blooming as you, though… So  are the rumors true? You and Yunho-shii  have something going on, huh?” CL said as she gave Ceci that ‘knowing’ smirk, causing the latter to blush a deep shade of red. CL, having noticed her reaction immediately squealed in delight. “Oh my gosh! You go girl!”

“Shhh! Keep it low… I don’t want to attract reporters… Besides, we are trying to be careful here… I mean, you know how the fans are…” Ceci said cautiously.

“Oh… Right… But anyways, I’m really happy for you! You guys look so cute together!” CL said, before turning to Helen who just smiled.

“How about you and Changmin-shii? I saw the vid on the news the other day, when he carried you… Gosh, cassies are driven crazy…” She added and Helen laughed nervously.

“We’re just friends…” Helen simply replied, though wondering if what she really said is true. For a moment, it “just friends” felt like a lie to her… She gazed at the bracelet he gave her and thought…. Is she ready to give him a ‘Ten”?

“Whatever you say…” CL chuckled.

“Excuse me for a moment…” Ceci said, before leaving the two girls to go to the restroom. As she was passing through the crowd, she felt someone hold her wrist. She turned around, expecting to see Yunho, but much to her surprise it was Jay. Before she could even say anything, he pulled her and dragged her towards a spacious secluded hallway.

“Yah! Let go!” Ceci hissed as she struggled to get away from his grip.

“Ceci, can we talk?” He asked helplessly as he looked into her eyes.

“What is there to talk about, Jay? We’re done, two years long enough…” She answered in a cold manner as she managed to shrug his hand off.

“Yunho… Who’s he to you?” He asked all of a sudden.

“My life is none of your business... Keep him out of this…” Ceci replied.

“How’s Helen?” He asked giving her a guilty look. Ceci felt uneasy and awfully angry at his question.

“Her life is none of your concern. After what you’ve done, you still have the guts to ask about her? I don’t want you near her do you understand? You’ve done too much to destroy her! Don’t you know how much she had been through, after you…” She trembled in fear as she finished her sentence half way, remembering everything that happened in the past.

“I’m sorry, okay…  Look… I’m engaged to Iris, now. I won’t bother you guys anymore…” He said, making Ceci’s blood boil inside her.

“The nerve of you to even touch Unnie too. What’d you do to her, huh?!” Ceci questioned, feeling very much heated up in anger and frustration.

“Look, we’re doing fine now… I’m not doing anything wrong to her… I’m just saying that… I want to take this opportunity to ask you to keep her out of our fight…” He said, sending Ceci off the edge.

“Bwoh?! You thick-faced, lying jerk! You’re asking this from me like I’m the one who did you wrong!? How dare you! The nerve of you to do such!” She burst in anger as she hit his chest with all her force.

Ceci stopped her actions as soon as she felt someone hold her wrist from behind. She took a deep breath before turning to face Yunho, her handsome knight in shining armor, to save her that evening.

He gave her a worried expression, before pulling her closer to him protectively. Ceci was astounded by his actions, but felt safe. There’s this comforting and relieving feeling that she always feels whenever he’s beside her. He’s her safe place…

Yunho then, turned his attention on his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend. He felt his blood boil in jealousy and anger. He didn’t know what Jay did in the past, but he knew that he had gone far to hurt Ceci and even Helen based on Ceci’s words and actions.

“I don’t want any trouble, Jaebum-shii…” Yunho said as he held Ceci’s hand. “So  please, stay away from her. Don’t bother her anymore…”

“Who are you to ask me of that anyway?” Jay asked, mockingly, feeling as though his pride had been stepped on and he didn’t like that.

“Just someone who loves the woman you chose to let go. So if I were you, I’d just walk away, because if you bother her again, I wouldn’t be able to control myself anymore…” He replied, making Ceci speechless behind him. Jay rolled his eyes and walked away, leaving the couple alone.

As soon as Jay left, Yunho turned to Ceci. He held her shoulders and looked into her eyes.

“Did he do anything to you? Do you want me to kick his or what?” Yunho asked worriedly, making Ceci smile.

“He’s not worth our time…” She said as she hugged him. Yunho smiled and breathed heavily getting accustomed to his girlfriend’s warmth. He her hair lovingly as he held her close to him and inhaled her familiar scent of fresh strawberries.

“You smell like strawberries… Do you know how much I love strawberries, hmm?” He whispered seductively in her ear, his deep, gentle, baritone voice sending shivers through her spine.

“Aish… You…” Ceci let out a sheepish laugh. Yunho pulled away from the embrace, seconds later to adore Ceci’s beauty before him. They stayed silent for a while when all of a sudden he just felt the need to ask, “What did he do to you to make you leave him?”

Ceci looked at the ground and avoided his gaze, feeling her eyes get slightly watery after the events recently and having the old, hurtful past come back to her. It was clear that she wasn’t ready to talk about it yet…

“It’s not important… Why do you ask?” She questioned. Yunho simply sighed and placed his hands in his pockets.

“I guess, I just wanted to know what I should avoid doing so that I wouldn’t lose you…” Yunho said giving her a sheepish grin. Ceci in return gave him a half-hearted smile.

“It’s a thing in the past… But when I’m ready to tell you… I will…” She said. Yunho smiled, respecting her decision as he took her hand in his and led her back to the ball room.

I wonder what happened between Jay and Ceci in the past... What's Ceci so worried about anyway??? haha XD

Anyway, Sorry for keeping you guys waiting... Eia already started her classes on June and just this July, I’ve started as well. Anyway… We’re going to be really busy. Eia is in her 4^th year in highschool and I’m in my 2^nd year in college…  So yeah…. Please wait patiently for our updates!

Kamsahamnida~

With love,

~Kei-chan