Annyeong readers. Thank you for reading up to this chapter. Just to inform all of you the Italic sentences referred to past's event. Enjoy~~~ ^_^v

Chapter 23


Seungyeon’s POV

The professor in front of the class droned on and on about how the internal management supposed to be viewed and handled. His words didn’t really register to my mind. I was busy thinking about what had happened during lunch in the afternoon. When I think really hard about it, there was just something off since I saw Jinki oppa on the campus’ field. Jinki oppa was acting really weird since I greeted him. He was so different from yesterday where he was so excited to have lunch with me in the campus. Even saying that he would come to the campus to meet me.

But somewhere along the way, he was acting weird. His face was kind of surprised when I met him. Not to mention the sudden kiss on the field. Something must have happened to make him act like that. I have a strong feeling that it has to do with the girl that Jonghyun oppa called out when we had our lunch. Soo Min. Though there were some mistakes made when Jonghyun called her Ee Seul. It seems that all of the guys except Yoseop were quite surprised by the appearance of Ee Seul look alike. I really don’t have any ideas at all about what connection do Ee Seul have with them to have them reacted that way towards Soo Min.

Jinki oppa was silent throughout the time that Soo Min joined us on the table. The same goes to Jonghyun oppa and Taemin, though Taemin looked cold when Soo Min was with us. Jonghyun oppa kept on staring at Soo Min. Cheongmalyo, I sympathize with NaNa at this time. She never told me if there was anything wrong in her relationship with Jonghyun oppa. But as her best friend I can feel her unhappiness. Everytime I tried to broach the subject to her, she will always steered the conversation to another subject. I don’t want to force her into sharing it with me if she feels that it’s not the time to share it with me. I know someday she will open up to me. She always do.

I’m glad that Jinki oppa still tried to lean on me if he had any trouble. The time at lunch was an example. He kept on holding on to my hand the whole time that Soo Min was with us. 

I lifted my head from staring at my book to see the professor scribbled something on the whiteboard. Drawing a diagram of management thing and explaining every level of it. I took some blank paper from my blue clear file and drew the same diagram that the professor drew on the white board. While drawing the diagram my mind drifted off again.

Come to think of it, it seems as if I had seen Soo Min before. But it was quite impossible that I’ve met her before. If I did, we must somehow remember each other of when we met. No, I don’t think I have ever met her before. But her face was so familiar. I twirled my pen between my fingers while trying to think where I ever saw Soo Min’s face before.

Suddenly the memory of Soo Min’s face jumped to my head that made me lose my gripped on my pen. The pen dropped from my hand and clattered to the floor. Some of the students turned to look at the noise. I bowed to them as an apology for disturbing their concentration and picked up my pen from the floor. I took a look at the professor if he noticed the noise. He was still scribbling something on the white board with his back turned towards us. I exhaled a breath of relief. Thank goodness he didn’t notice anything.

Yes, I remembered where I saw her face before. How can I forget it? It’s the same face in the photo album that I saw in Jinki oppa’s old room. His photo album that was full with her face and the other four guys. It couldn’t be Soo Min so that girl in the photo is Ee Seul? The girl that had the five guys has different reactions towards Soo Min.

Truly, what was their relationship before this? Why did none of them say anything? Hmm.. Maybe it’s just me that over thinking these stuff. I mean I can always ask Jinki oppa about this later right. Yep, I’ll just ask him about it later. I better pay attention to Mr. Jung’s lecture. It may come up on our midterm paper.

Just as I was readjusting myself to a more comfortable position on the chair to listen to Mr Jung, he turned towards us from the white board and said, “Okay people, make sure you get all of that. It’ll be on the quiz that I have prepared for you next week. I won’t have it if you didn’t at least get a B. I practically gave you all the information on a platter. Dismissed.”

The rest of the students began to clear up their things and stood up to get out of the lecture hall. Aww, I just missed an entire lecture which will be out for next week’s quiz. Argh. Stupid mind for kept on thinking about lunch time. Now, how do I get the notes form the other student without appearing as if I didn’t pay any attention in class at all? Really. This is embarrassing. I surveyed the people that was still in class and made a move to ask one of the students. I asked one of the quiet students for her notes and thankfully she didn’t give me any weird glances. Sigh. At least I have the notes now. 

I walked out of the class and slowly made my way to the entrance of the lecture building and looked at my wrist watch. It’s already 5 o’clock in the evening. Seriously the two classes after lunch made me feel quite tired. I went to a bench outside the building and took a seat waiting for Jinki oppa to come again. He had said that he’ll pick me up after my class and will go out to have our dinner. I looked around for his figure but he was no where to be seen. Hmm, maybe he was caught up with something. I’ll just wait then.

After an hour of waiting, I began to get worried. Where is he? I took my cell phone and punched the speed dial for Jinki oppa’s number. It kept on ringing but he didn’t pick it up. I wonder where he is at this moment. Maybe he was at home and didn’t realized the time. I dialled Minho’s number. I know he was at home for he said before that he had no more class for that day and would be heading home.

“Hello, Minho ah.” I said.

“Oh, Seungyeon. Wae? Do you need something?” Minho asked.

“Emm, you’re at home right. Is Jinki oppa at home right now?” I asked him back.

“Onew hyung?” Then a pause. Shuffling of feet can be heard through the phone. Seems that Minho was in his room. “He’s not at home Seungyeon. I’ve checked all the rooms already. Isn’t he supposed to be with you now?” He said questioningly.

“Neh. But he is no where to be seen. I’ve waited for him for an hour already.” I said and became more worried when Minho said that he was not at home.

“Cheongmalyo? That doesn’t sound like Onew hyung at all. Maybe he was caught up doing something. Have you called him?”

“Yes. I already called him a few times but he doesn’t pick up his phone. I’m beginning to worry Minho ah. What if something bad happened to him?” I said worriedly.

“I don’t think so Seungyeon. Maybe he was still shocked with what happened this afternoon and went somewhere to think. He usually does that. When he had a lot of things going on before, he will go somewhere to sort his mind out.” Minho explained to me.

“Jinjja? Well, do you by any chance know where he usually goes in times like this?” I asked Minho.

“Emm, come to think of it, I never knew. When we asked where did he go he usually said to a place that is calming for him. That’s all.” He answered me.

“Oh. A calming place?” My mind began to think of all the places that we had been and I was trying to remember if he had said anything to any place that we went.

“Neh Seungyeon. I’m sorry I can’t help you much.” Minho said to me.

“Ani. Gwaenchanayo. You’ve helped me a lot already. Thanks Minho. I’ve got to go now. I think I know where he would be.” I said to him with a smile etched on my face.

“No problem Seungyeon. Annyeong.”

“Annyeong.” I replied and end the line.

I think I know where to find Jinki oppa. He said it before that it’s his favourite place. I hope he is there. I made my way out of the campus and took the bus to the destination that I hope Jinki oppa at.


Onew’s POV

I was sitting on the white sand near the shore. Looking at the small waves that rippled forward then back to the sea. The wind blew gently on my face. The smell of the salty ocean wafted to my nostril. I took a deep breathe to inhale the particular smell. I like it. The smell of the ocean and the breeze has a way to clear up my tangled mind. The sun that nearly set cast off its’ soft orange light across the ocean. Lovely. This is the place that I would go to every time I felt that I need to be alone.

Today was one of the days that I think I need time to think more deeply. The encounter with Soo Min totally blew me out of proportion. I never thought that I will encounter that face again after all these five years. I had begun to forget about her. I mean Ee Seul. I inhaled then exhaled a deep breath.

That’s it. She is not Ee Seul. But I kept on thinking of Ee Seul when I see her. That was why I avoided her gaze in the afternoon. She must have felt it weird that I was the only one that avoided her gaze when everyone was staring at her. Seeing Soo Min made all the old feelings that I felt towards Ee Seul came back. All the memories kept on replaying in my mind as if a tape that was rewinded back.

Until this day I still don’t get it why Ee Seul left me like that. Out of the blue she just walked out of our relationship like it was something easy to get rid off. And not only that, she left all of us to the States. She never mentioned anything to me about going to the States at all. If her reason was to continue her study then why would she end our relationship like that? I’ve tried to contact her cell phone number after she left but it said that the number I had dialled was no longer in service. She really cut off all ties with us. None of us five can reach her at all. Even Jonghyun, her best friend. Even me, her boyfriend. Well, her ex-boyfriend to be exact.

It really crushed me that my first love ended up like that. She left me with nothing except all the memories that we had spent together. I was quite a wrecked at the time after Ee Seul left me. I had locked myself in my room for hours and kept on looking at all the pictures that we had together. Reminiscing the time we spent with each other.

There was the time that we spent with each other during lunch break under the big tree outside the school’s compound. She would be lying on the grass and asked me to feed her. She was such a bubbly and playful girl. Always making me smile with her antics. 

There was also the time where I was singing for a school singing competition and won first place. She was the one who was over excited and ran up to the stage to give me a hug and a surprised kiss that made the whole school cheered and cat calling us. I was super embarrassed at the time. But she didn’t think so at all.

“You deserved to win Onew oppa. You have the loveliest voice, did I tell you that.” Ee Seul said after the kiss.

I just smiled at her. “Yep. For a million times I think.”

She slapped my arms playfully, “Yah, don’t make fun of me.” And we just laughed together like a pair of toddlers.

How can she change from that bubbly person to the person that I met at the airport? Cold and without emotions at all. I can still remember her expression vividly on that fateful day.

“Ee Seul!!” I shouted her name when I saw her handing her boarding ticket to one of the steward. She stopped her action when she heard me shout her name. She slowly walked towards where I stood.

“Ee Seul. Why did you do this? Going to America without even telling me at all. If it’s not because of Jonghyun telling me that you’re here, I could have missed your flight.” I said while taking her hand in mine.

She took her hand back and looked at me with a stone like face, with no emotion at all and said, “I have to go to America. Please don’t ask why. And I have to break up with you oppa. Long distance relationship is not my thing.”

I was crestfallen by her speech. How could she say that to me? I’m her boyfriend for peace’s sake. “But why Ee Seul? Why did you suddenly act like this. Did I do anything wrong? If yes, you can tell me about it and I’ll change.” I pleaded. I really don’t want her to go like this. Without explaining anything to me at all. I thought all the times that we spent together meant something deep to us. I thought that our relationship was deep and we can trust each other with our secrets.

“No. It’s not about you. Please don’t ask me anymore. Just forget about me alright. You focus on your studies now. It will determine which college you can go to. I have to go now.” Ee Seul said then turned her back without even glancing back at us once. She just held her head high and walked straight passed the boarding check in counter. I just look at her retreating back until I can’t her anymore.

I didn’t think that it still has an effect to me after all these years. I thought it was all buried deep inside me. But it seems that just the appearance of someone who looked like Ee Seul and I was thrown back to the past. I can’t let myself drown in these feelings. These feelings of dread, sadness. I took a deep breathe again. The sky was getting darker as the sun almost set at the end of the horizon.

Then I heard footsteps coming towards me. A sweet voice called my name and it immediately has the effect of warming my dreaded heart. I turned around and saw Seungyeon approaching me with a tender smile. It made me smile at her in response. She took a seat beside me and linked her arms with mine.

“I was worried about you oppa.” She said while resting her head on my shoulder.

“Hmm.. Why would you worry about me? And how did you find me here?” I asked her and rested my head on top of hers.

“I have my ways to find you oppa.” She said. I can feel her smile. “But you forgot about me isn’t it? You were supposed to pick me up to have our dinner tonight.” She said quietly.

I raised my head from resting on hers. Ah. Yes. I had promised Seungyeon that we would have dinner together after her classes finished for the day. How could I forget about it? I was too preoccupied with thinking about Ee Seul. I felt guilty about forgetting my date with Seungyeon.

I turned Seungyeon towards me. She lifted her gaze to look at me. “Mian Seungyeon ah. I didn’t mean to forget our date tonight. I’m so sorry. I have no valid excuse for you. I’m sorry.”

She studied my face with the remaining orange light emitted by the sunset. “Was it because of what happened this afternoon that make you forget about our date?” She asked bluntly. I never thought that Seungyeon can be this blunt. She usually will go around things before she get to the point.

My body froze for a moment. Then I relaxed myself. It is time that I tell Seungyeon about Ee Seul. About my past relationship. I never want to tell her in the first place because I thought it was not necessary. But I learned that, the past have a way to greet you when you try to bury it.

“I need to tell you something Seungyeon.” I paused. Trying to gather my wits to deliver it to her. She just waited for me to speak again. “Why I acted weirdly at lunch when Soo Min joined us was because she looks like Ee Seul.”

“Neh oppa. I know that from the conversation between Jonghyun oppa and Soo Min.” She said.

“Yeah. But the thing is I acted like that because Ee Seul was once my other half.” I said heavily.

She looked at me calmly. I tried to read her body language but I get nothing other than a calm composure.

“Well, now it made sense.” She said and turned to look at the ocean. Which was now tinted by the last ray of orange light from the setting sun. “Why there were so many of her pictures in your photo album and why you acted that way. It all made sense now.”

Photo album? So she saw the album before. She never mentioned anything about it. “Neh. We were together for three years in high school before she suddenly left me to go to America. She never explained anything why she left. Never gave any hints that she will leave me. She just suddenly went away.” I said.

She turned back to look at me. Compassion filled her face. How did I ended up with Seungyeon? I don’t think I deserved to be with her. Instead of demanding me how could I forget our date in a rage or throw tantrum to forget about Ee Seul and never to mention about her again, she was showing me compassion. This is why I love her. Yes, this is why I love her. Other than her beauty, I had always felt an attraction much deeper than that. It is her compassion and a feeling of I don’t know, something that kept pulling me towards her.

“I’m sorry to hear that oppa.” She said.

I’m amazed by her. How could she say that she felt sorry for me? “Don’t be Sungyeon ah. I think that’s just the twist of fate for us to meet I guess.” I said to her.

“Cheongmalyo oppa. You’re not saying that just to make me feel better? Truthfully oppa, do you still have feelings for Ee Seul? If Soo Min was Ee Seul what would you do?” She asked with her eyes questioning me.

What’s my feeling and what will I do if Soo Min said she was Ee Seul? At this moment I have no doubt of my answer.


Seungyeon’s POV

“Cheongmalyo oppa. You’re not saying that just to make me feel better? Truthfully oppa, do you still have feelings for Ee Seul? If Soo Min was Ee Seul what would you do?” I asked him.

He looked deeply to my eyes and said with conviction, “I didn’t say that for the sake of you feeling better about this. I really meant it. Do I still have feelings for Ee Seul? Yes.” I felt my heart stopped beating for a second. I begin to feel dread seeping through my very bone.

“But,” Jinki oppa continued, making my heart stopped again from his answer. “Not as you think it is. The feelings that I have for Ee Seul now is not love in the sense of a partner’s love but a feeling of nostalgia. Ee Seul was my past and you are my present and future Seungyeon ah. If Soo Min was to say that she was indeed Ee Seul, that wouldn’t change my love for you. Because you are very precious to me. The relationship that Ee Seul and I had before was in a way a very deep relationship. But the fact that it ended up the way it is killed the essence.”

I gazed and Jinki oppa’s eyes which spoke volume. I can see the love in his eyes for me. I felt my eyes begin to tear up. Jinki oppa’s face became blurry by the tears in my eyes. 

“Even though I have three years of a serious relationship with Ee Seul and we only had been together for a few months, but we have the future in front of us to look forward to. I can’t promise you that Ee Seul will totally be out from my head because I do treasure our times together before. Without that time in my life, I wouldn’t be the me today right.” He smiled softly at me.

I could only nod my head to him. The tears that I tried hard to not fall down finally broke free. I understand Jinki oppa much better now. I know Ee Seul will always have a special place in his heart because she was his first love. I could only imagine how he put all of his being into the relationship but it ended up that way. I’m not saying that I am happy with the way it ended but it did bring oppa to this day. A man who really treasure a relationship that he has. 

Jinki oppa brought me to his arms and embraced me. The arms that I came to know capable of giving me comfort and assurance as much as strength. 

“Saranghae Seungyeon ah.” He whispered gently to my ears. The action itself sent shivers down my spine. Then he withdrew his face from my ears only to land a tender kiss on my lips. This time, the kiss was so tender and full of love that it threatened to break my heart out of happiness. I just felt that my heart expand wider as if bloated with all this bubbly feelings. His lips then travelled to my cheeks and slowly made it’s way to my close eyes. Then it travelled up to my forehead which Jinki oppa planted a soft kiss before he come back to kiss me on the lips again. I kissed him back. Giving him back the feeling that he made me feel. Wanting him to know how much I love him too.

I broke the kiss only to say, “I love you too, Jinki oppa.”


***


To be continued...


A/N: 

A full OnYeon chapter for you guys. Do you like it? Aww.... I get tingly myself from writing such a cheesy chapter. I think this is the cheesiest of my chapters for this fic right. I can’t help it when it comes to this couple. They’re just meant to be cheesy. Lol. Hehe. But I hope you like it because this gives you the insight of both of their thoughts concerning Ee Seul. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter and drop some comment on it. Whether you want to give your opinion on the emotions or the writing style or any typos or grammar mistakes that I made, hehe, yeah, your opinion. Thank you to all who subs this too. ^_^ Look forward to the future chapters.  You think that the drama already ends with this scene? Not so fast. We still have the runner up couple and ... something that can’t be revealed for now. Hehe. Anyway, enough of my rambles. Annyeong.