Taecyeon calls her secretly and hangs up even before the first ring ended and s start wondering where he is. He stares down at his phone, at the number already dialed in and waiting to be called and briefly hits himself over the head at his own cowardice. It’s not like he’s never called Yoona before but even then, every call was a challenge and right now he was just simply going through his ‘call-Yoona’ routine.

He jogged in place for a moment, stretching his legs and arms before mentally psyching himself with confidence to dial the number and not hang up.

She turned a year older today and even though they’re friendship had become too awkward for them to talk like before – he still considered her to be one of his close friends (no, never mind that he had secretly wanted more and had asked Tiffany to bring Yoona when they met up for coffee or dinner so that he could be around her more. That was in the past and although he still thought of her from time to time, he had settled on giving his heart to another and he was happy there). He wanted to wish her good health and luck on her activities. There’s no harm in that.

Taecyeon punched the ‘Call’ button and waited anxiously as the phone rang once, twice and then—“Oh. Taecyeon-ah… hello!”

It was amazing how the sound of her voice could erase his worries away and cause him to grin like the idiot s often complained about. He cleared his throat and replied as coolly as he could without sounding to eager or nervous or both. It was enough to be happy that he had managed to call… she didn’t have to know the routine he had to go through just to do it.

“Yoona... it’s been awhile. I heard you’re a year older today… Happy Birthday!” Taecyeon congratulated himself for sounding calm and friendly when deep inside his stomach was twisting in complicated knots. He could just imagine her sitting quietly, listening to her mp3 while waiting for practice or an interview or whatnot and thanked Heavens that she had decided to pick up regardless of her packed schedule. Being a part of So Nyeo Shi Dae was hard, even harder was being its’ face.

“You heard right, oppa. I’m 22 today finally, but somehow I expected it to feel different.” She replies good-naturedly. Her voice is a lot smoother now on the phone than the last time he had spoken to her and he figures it’s because of all the extra-training she’s been putting herself through to improve her singing. Though personally, he thinks she doesn’t need to improve any more. She was already perfect as she was – she was Im Yoona, after all; South Korea’s maiden love.

“Different? How so?”

“I’m not sure. I guess I was hoping I’d have more wisdom by now, but instead I feel the same… still a choding.” She laughs softly, the sound ringing through smoothly like crème mixing in black coffee. “I’m not worried though. There’s hope for me yet – I can still be someone’s beautiful daughter-in-law, right?”

Taecyeon’s lips lift upwards absentmindedly as he shook his head and stared up at the ceiling. He stood there, rubbing his shoes together and wondered how someone so perfect could think she wasn’t already so and slowly laughed when he realized that – This is who Yoona is. A girl always striving to be better than herself and hoping for more in life; someone who would work endlessly with a permanent smile on her beautiful face, no matter how many times she stumbles and falls.

He had wanted to wish her luck, but instead – he thinks – he’ll wish for her hope (to be the lady she will be (but already is) and to be better than the version of herself now) to never run out.

“You’ll be someone’s beautiful daughter-in-law, Yoong.” He replies when she said his name and wondered if he was still there and smiles to himself. Whoever marries her is extremely lucky, he thinks (and pushes the thought of wanting to be that man away – that time for him was over now, over) and should be told so the moment he catches word from Tiffany again (because he knows he doesn’t deserve someone as pure and beautiful like her, no matter how much he’d liked to think that he was perfect the way he is – just not for her).

“You think so?”

He nods in his space on the wall and grins at the softness of her tone. “Hey. There’s no doubt about that.”

A/N: Dedicated especially for Kat (katdiva).