Chapter 7

Tiffany shouted at Yoona while grabbing her blue & white seer er jacket & beige contrast bucket bag, “Yoon, lock up, will you?! I have a date with Hyukjae Oppa & I have go to go home & get ready!”

Yoona’s head popped out from the office in the back & nodded. She still had to finish her design for a customer before she could go home. She sighed loudly. Lately, she felt so very tired, ‘Maybe I should go somewhere to relax for a bit. I haven’t taken Minseo for a vacation for some time.’ She thought.

An hour later, she finished her design. She packed up her stuff & locked the boutique. On her way home, she picked up some food for dinner & walked home hurriedly; not noticing the appreciative looks the men was giving her. After Sungmin’s death, she had no interests in romance anymore.

Unlocking her apartment door, she shouted for Minseo. She frowned when she didn’t hear any reply.

“Minseo?” She called, as she walked to her daughter’s room. Seeing an empty room, she suddenly realized that Minseo was spending the night with her parents. She ambled back to the living room & plopped herself on the couch. She closed her eyes wearily & a minute later, she fell asleep. She dreamt of the past.

Yoona had gotten married to her high school sweetheart right after high school graduation. They were so very much in love. Their happiness was complete when Yoona had discovered that she was pregnant. Although life was more difficult with a baby coming & she had to take leave from college, they were ecstatic with the new life they created. Every night before they went to sleep, Sungmin would caress her bulging stomach & whispered to their unborn daughter, “Daddy & mommy loves you very much, little Minseo or Namkyu.”

That night, when Yoona was eight months pregnant, she was watching tv alone at home when suddenly she felt terrible cramps in her belly. She looked down & saw a line of blood running on her calf. Fortunately, she could still think quite clearly. She quickly ran outside, got into a taxi & went to the hospital, crying all the way & praying for her baby’s safety. After a thorough examination, the doctor told her that the baby was coming early. She still remembered before she went into the delivery room, she shouted at the nurse repeatedly, “Call my husband!”

Sungmin was working in the library when he got the call. He rushed to the hospital, driving very fast, afraid that Yoona would be scared being alone in the hospital. He prayed fervently, “God, please keep Yoona & little Minseo safe for me. Don’t let anything bad happen to them.”

All of a sudden, a drunk driver from the other direction speed towards him. He stepped on the brake & turned the wheel to the other direction but it was too late. His last thought before darkness engulfed him was of Yoona.

Sungmin could feel drops of water falling onto his cheek. Opening his dark brown, almond-shaped eyes had never felt so hard. A blur image of an angel appeared in his line of vision, “Yoona.” He whispered. Yoona swallowed her tears & caressed his cheeks, “Sungmin Oppa, you will be okay. You will be okay.” She whispered brokenly. Sungmin tried to smile but he knew he only had a moment left, “Yoona, take good care of yourself. Live your life for us & be happy. Tell Minseo I love her. I love you.”

“No! Oppa, you can’t leave me alone! Oppa, you promised me we had always be together! Take me with you!” She screamed, & wept uncontrollably. A loud cry suddenly burst from the little crib in the corner. Yoona turned her head & forced her brittle skinny, long legs to walk over to her daughter. Her tears poured down, looking at the last thing Sungmin had left for her & she cried together with her daughter.

The echoes of crying & screaming woke Yoona up from her sleep. She looked around the living room & suddenly felt very lonely. Remembering the way Jaejoong & Yuri looked at each other, she put her rectangular-shaped face in her hands & wept. For the first time since Sungmin’s death, she thought about the thing she lacked in her life, “Oppa, I miss you.” She whispered.

Hyukjae & Tiffany were walking around after dinner. They were heading for a well-known little cafe for a cup of coffee since the night was quite cold. To protect his girl from the chilly wind, Hyukjae wrapped his arm around Tiffany’s shoulders & shared his ralph lauren double ed trench coat with her.

When they were warming themselves with a cup of steamy coffee, someone suddenly smacked Hyukjae’s back hard. Fortunately, the cup of coffee was on the table. Otherwise, Tiffany’s new square neckline, a-line skirt, js collection short-sleeve striped black dress would be splashed with droplets of hot coffee & all hell would break loose! Hyukjae turned & glared at the person who would be dead in a minute.

Sehun grinned unrepentantly seeing Hyukjae’s expression. He was one of the Hyukjae’s major clients. Although they had profitable, thus civil, business relationship, personally, Hyukjae wished they lived in parallel universe so they would have no knowledge of one another. On his arm was a beautiful young woman with an innocent looking diamond-shaped face & lovely smile. One look at her had Hyukjae turned away in disgusts, “Viper’s coming.” He mumbled, under his breath but all went unnoticed by Sehun. He was staring at the attractive woman beside Hyukjae.

The way she did everything entranced him. The way she stirred her cup of coffee. The way she blew the steam. The way she took a sip. The way she wiped the foam on her heart-shaped pink lips. He was startled when he was jabbed in his ribs by the girl hanging on his arm but he only flicked her hand away & turned to Hyukjae, “Who is this lovely lady? I would like an introduction.”

Tiffany looked up at the splendidly dressed man & smiled, “I’m Tiffany Hwang.” Hyukjae scowled at her but she ignored him. She only frowned when the man took her hand & kiss it. She immediately pulled it back & wiped it on her napkin. Hyukjae’s eyes blazed with fire when he looked at Sehun but the man just smiled & raised his thick eyebrow at Hyukjae. Although he wanted to beat Sehun to a pulp, Hyukjae tried to be civil. He growled low in his throat & said reluctantly, “Fany, this is Oh Sehun & Jessica Jung. Acquaintances of mine. Tiffany here is my girlfriend.”

After the introduction, Sehun & Jessica took the liberty to sit on their table, causing Hyukjae to seethe in anger. Sehun disregarded Hyukjae’s reaction & flirted shamelessly with Tiffany. Meanwhile, Jessica, feeling ignored by Sehun, turned to Hyukjae & tried to entice him to chat with her. Her effort was fruitless for Hyukjae kept observing Sehun & Tiffany until she brought up a particular topic.

“Hyukjae Oppa, how’s Jaejoong Oppa doing? Has he gotten over me yet?”

Hyukjae turned his head so fast, it’s fortunate his neck didn’t get sprained. He stared at the atrocious woman in disbelief, “You have the gut to ask about him after you left him high & dry for Sehun five months ago? For your information, he’s never been better. You didn’t even left a dent on him. Got over you? You have never existed in his heart. What’s to get over?”

Jessica’s face turned red from anger & humiliation. She got up from her seat & walked out of the cafe in rage, ‘Jaejoong Oppa, you are going to pay for saying I have never existed in your heart. You are going to pay an extremely high price, my dear.’ She thought furiously. Sehun turned around, watching his lover’s departure. He shrugged his shoulders & continued flirting with Tiffany who mostly ignored him & had fun with Hyukjae. Yuri snuck a peek at Jaejoong’s gloomy face. She sighed inwardly, knowing she was the cause of his awful mood. Jaejoong had been asking her to become his girlfriend for eight months already. It’s not like she didn’t want to be his girlfriend. God knew she did but his reputation of being a playboy always echoed in her mind when Jaejoong asked her all those times. If only he could change.

Realizing that his rotten mood was spoiling their date, Jaejoong forced himself to smile. Seeing Yuri’s usually cheerful face was glum, all of a sudden, something inside of him snapped. Jaejoong grabbed Yuri’s hands tightly & looked deeply into her eyes. His heart in his eyes, he said, “Yul, I love you. I swear I have never said these words to anybody else & neither will I ever again. Please give me a chance? I know you are afraid of getting hurt but trust me with your heart. I will never ever allow any dent to be put on it. I’m a changed man because of you. You are my salvation. You are the only one for me.”

Yuri was touched by the solemn light in Jaejoong’s eyes but she was still torn between her heart & mind. A very long minute passed in silence. Yuri looked up at Jaejoong & opened but before Yuri had any chance to reply, a very beautiful, extremely magnificent woman walked past their table. She had long endless legs with an incredibly y body & million-dollar face. She flipped her long curly hair, turned her head & smiled invitingly at Jaejoong with her pouty red lips. Yuri, noticing the gaze & the package, sighed & resignedly watched Jaejoong’s reaction. She knew what’s going to happen next, Jaejoong would follow that girl from the corner of his mesmerized eyes & soon, he would make an excuses to go to the restroom & asked for the girl’s name & number. She pulled her hands away from his & got ready to leave but this time, her guess wasn’t even close. His gaze never wavered from her. He didn’t even notice the look sent his way. He hadn’t even noticed the look girls sent his way since they got there. It was as if he was in his own world, nobody else existed except for her. Yuri smiled softly & surrendered. She nodded a little & whispered, “Oppa, I love you, too. I don’t need flattery & I don’t need any presents from you. What you have just said is all I need. What you didn’t notice was what I want.” Then she grinned impishly, “The romantic part was great though. No complaint about that.”

Jaejoong was stunned for a second; he couldn’t believe his ears. When he realized that his mind didn’t play a trick on him, he let out a whoop of joy & shouted, “Yes! Thank you, god! Thank you, Hyukjae! Thanks, Fany & thank you, Yul, my black pearl princess.” He grabbed her & kissed her all over her face while mumbling gibberish only he could understand. Yuri pushed Jaejoong’s face away from hers & grinned. Jaejoong’s ecstatic face was like a child with candies in his hand & all-the-chocolate-you-can-eat coupon. Looking at him, she smiled contentedly; her heart & mind at ease.

“Are you really sure you are not gay? That you won’t turn gay?” Yuri teased Jaejoong, lifting her thick, straight eyebrow at him.

“I will kiss you senseless until you admit that I’m the most straight guy you have ever met.” Jaejoong threatened her, with a wicked gleam in his eyes, “& I would turn gay only if you turned into a guy.” Yuri grinned & put her hands up in surrender.

Seeing her smile, he embraced her tightly, laughing in delight & wonder. He felt as if a hefty burden had been lifted from his heart & he felt carefree all of a sudden. He kissed her softly & reverently while people all around them smiled, stared & pointed fingers at them but they didn’t notice. They were in a world of their own.