Game Changer

“Oppa, it hurts…”

“What should I do?”

“Pads. Get me that.” Seohyun tightened her grab on Yonghwa wrist leaving a red mark on his wrist.

 “O-ouch!!”

“My stomach hurts!” She shrieked as her nails dug deep in his flesh.

“O-okay.. Oppa will be right back!” He ran to the door but his eyes are still lingering at his back, reluctant on leaving Seohyun alone.

“I don’t think I should go..”

“Just go oppa! Quick..” Seohyun buried her head on the pillow as the rain kept on pouring heavily without any sign of stopping.

Yonghwa stood rigidly infront of the Pharmacy store, eyeing for the woman section as he tried to hide his second hand embarrassment.

“It’s for Joohyun.” He muttered, dashing in the door with both hands covering his face as he grabbed the overnight pads with wings that Joohyun demanded him to take when it fell down to the floor.. together with his man pride.

“Damn.” He mumbled.

“Is this yours?” A younger girl picked it up for him, chuckling.

“My friend.” He said shyly, he felt freakishly hot as he ran to the counter. Weirdly, he felt every single person in the store was eyeing him.

“Still hurt?” Yonghwa asked the latter who just got out from the toilet.

She weakly nodded, her whole body was shriveling due to the cruel weather. It was raining.. and it’s dark too. Her mom was not there for her first step to woman hood and she felt a sudden sadness rushing through.. unknowingly, a tear rolled down her chubby cheek.

“I’m here aren’t i?”

“What can oppa do.. You’re a guy.” She covered her whole body with the blanket on the bed as she laid down.

“Yes, I’m your guy bestfriend. You can ask me to do anything.” He assured her as he squatted down beside her bed.

“Can you help massage my stomach?” She asked.

“Your tummy?”

“Stomach!” She screamed.

“PMS is doing wonders to your mood. Here…” He removed the blanket, sneaking his hand gently under her t-shirt and started to massage her stomach with the ointment. Her stomach felt like ice and somehow her stomach seemed like it doesn’t even consist of any single fat.. it was really hard like a stone. He tried pressing it harder to sooth it but she whimpered in pain.. and somehow his heart hurts.

‘He really did love his best friend to feel this..’ He thought to himself.

He was 15.. and she was 13.

That’s the first day she got her period and also the first of the many Yonghwa pride crushing adventure that he had done to help her.

***

Nicole darted her eyes towards her sunbae, Yonghwa who was still standing outside the classroom and back to the still studying and unmoving Seohyun before heaving a deep sigh. She walked over towards the stubborn Joohyun who was still busy pressing her calculator.

“Are you seriously going to let him stand there just like that?” Nicole asked the uncaring Seohyun as she dragged her stool to Seohyun’s table.

“You can ask him to go if you want to. It doesn’t involve me.”

“It involves you, you brat. He’s clearly standing there because of you.”

Seohyun lifted her gaze upwards to meet the fuming Nicole. She stared at Nicole and gave her that look saying that she doesn’t want to talk about what happened.

“But Joohyun… both of you are attracting too much attention.”

Seohyun closed all her books and started to clean up her desk before shoving all of it inside of her bag pack. She stood up and her heart jumped a little when she noticed how his face beamed when she does that and how his cheeks popped out with happiness showing his snaggletooth.

She hated this feeling. She must do something.. whatever. Her mind was even planning an escape map on how to avoid Jung Yonghwa when she heard a loud laughter coming from the group of guys that was still hanging out on her classroom.

That’s right.. there’s still him.

“Won Geun.” She approached them awkwardly.

“Ne.” The smiley eyes guy smiled at her gently.

“Can I go home with you?”

“Oh.. sure.” He grinned. “But don’t you always go home with Yonghwa sunbaenim?”

“Not today. I’m thinking of going home alone but that protective oppa won’t let me so you don’t mind right?”

“Of course I don’t. It will be a pleasure of mine to walk you home.” His eyes were tender as he rubbed the back of his neck shyly oblivious to the fact that a certain someone was boiling in anger watching them.

“Can you wait for me at the gate?”

“Sure.” Won Geun flashed her a small smile before running to grab his bag pack, ignoring the fact that Jung Yonghwa was eyeing him throughout the way with his piercing gaze.

Seohyun walked slightly behind him and stopped when she met the grumpy Yonghwa.

“Let’s go home.”

“I’m going home with Won Geun.”

“Why? His house is not even that near to yours compare to I, your next door neighbour.”

“I just wanted to go home with him, you have Ji Eun unnie right? Go home with her.”

“We broke up.”

Seohyun finally looked at him, she narrowed her eyes as if scrutinizing him.

“It’s true.”

“Why don’t you tell me that? Why do you guys break up? Are you okay? You’re fine right? Is it why your result is deteriorating?”

Yonghwa annoyed gaze was soften immediately once he heard Seohyun started to rap with worried asking him about his condition. “You still care about me it seems?”

“Am not.”

“Whatever you say princess. You sure you want to go back with that giant? I can lend you an avatar if you want to?”

“As in that greasy Kwang Soo or Jungshin chingoo?”

“Your chingoo of course.”

“I’m sorry but I promise Won Geun.”

His shoulders droop down dejectedly as he forced a quick smile. “Got it.”

“Walk home safely Joohyun ahh.” He mumbled to himself watching her back fades away from his view.

***

Yonghwa felt his stomach grumbled loudly… he looked at his empty kitchen and he sighed. He wanted to go over to Joohyun’s house to eat but he was afraid of making Seohyun madder than she already was. He decided to cook ramyum instead.

“Ughf.. 5 minutes more.” He groaned, massaging his empty stomach while he slumped down onto the floor deciding to read the annoyingly thick History text book only to end up sleeping soundly despite the uncomfortable sitting position he was in.

His eyelids are fluttering trying to open itself as he groggily rubbed his eyes, his nose was scrunched as he tried to detect the wonderful smell of kimchi chiggae.

“Hmm..” He mumbled incoherently as he reached for the top of the counter to stable himself when he noticed how a blue blanket was wrapped on his body and how his history book was put nicely on top of the counter.

“Mom, are you home?” He asked  when he noticed a familiar back was cooking on his kitchen. It’s not his mom.. it’s Joohyun. Is it a dream then?

“Hmm.. I miss you.” He leaped forward, hugging her back. Sensing her tense body, he tightened his hug. “I miss you even in my dream.. this is sad.” He snuggled at the crook of her neck.

“Oppa. I.. can’t breathe.” She struggled to say, feeling choke with his arm wrapped around her waist.

“You’re a dream.. it doesn’t matter.”

Seohyun elbowed his stomach trying to make him go away. “Now, tell me. Is it still a dream for you?”

“Argh…” He rubbed his stomach trying to ease the pain. “Jasshik. You’re not mad anymore?”

“Not talking to you.” She answered flatly, continued cooking the dishes.

“Awhh.. You come to cook for me. My favourite too.. How sweet..” He squealed before he s his arms around her waist again wanting to pull her for another hug when Seohyun positioned herself like she was in judo ready to kick him away.

“Do you need any help then. Joohyun ah?”

“Help? Heh. I’m the one who’s trying to feel him, his meal. I’m the one who is helping him.” She grudgingly said, releasing her anger on the pot. “You pabo pot..”

Yonghwa chuckled amusingly at the sight. His chuckles are now slowly turning into a tender smile as he gazed lovingly at his bestfriend moving along his kitchen preparing him his dinner.

He had always thought a back of woman cooking as attractive. Seohyun will make a great mother… He stood there in a dazed mood, realising his stupid thoughts as he shook his head trying to erase it.

“I will be reading here, tell me if you need anything.” He bitted his lips hard as he clumsily grabbed his additional mathematics book on the living room table.

After quite a while, Seohyun brought the food to Yonghwa.

“I’m going home.”

“Already?”

“It’s late, oppa.”

“Are you still mad?”

“I’m not.”

“Then can you help me? I can’t quite get it. It’s a proving problem though.”

“Hmm.. well you can change it to…”

“Sit here..” Yonghwa patted the empty spot next to him on the same couch and naturally Seohyun sat there.

“So, there’s your solution. I’m going home now.”

“W-wait! Wait a minute. There’s another one.”

“How many problem you have for me oppa?”

“Around 20?”

“W-what?!”

“I’ve been saving it to ask you.”

“Oppa.” Seohyun whined.

“I will buy you ice cream then? A truckload of it.”

“Pinky promise?” Seohyun offered her pinky and Yonghwa grabbed it, grinning like a fool.

“You know.. Seohyun. I’m so afraid the day you burst out of me. You know how we rarely fight right? So, seeing you losing your composure like that I must have done something really wrong. I don’t want to see you like that anymore. I’m going to treat you a million times better than before. I promise.”

“O-oppa..” She gulped the lump on seeing how his brown orbs are penetrating her soul right there and then.

“For starters, I’m going to walk you home.”

“What? It’s so near.”

“I don’t care. It’s still dangerous. Here.” Yonghwa shoved both of his hands on his pants pockets. He slightly moved his right arm, offering her to link her arm with his.

“Well, you know. We have that dance two weeks later right?”

“Uhuh.”

“Do you want to go with me?” Yonghwa stared awkwardly at the night sky, not wanting to meet her eyes. Her beautiful looking eyes.

“I thought it’s for the graduating batch?”

“It’s fine for dates.. and I want you to be there for my special day. You have always been there for me Seohyun.”

“Well, why not.” Seohyun giggled and Yonghwa can’t help but smile back, enchanted by his bestfriend laugh.

She always has this addictive laughter that made him wanted to laugh along with her. Maybe it’s because her childlike charm. She’s a unique one for sure.

***

It’s been more than two weeks since he asked her to go to the senior year party with him. It’s been a very awkward day for both of them, more on Yonghwa part that is. He stopped talking to her, if he talked.. he gave her a curt reply or a simple question. He obviously tried not to bump into her too. Even with a single touch from her, he will get tense and started to run away from her.. not really run more to speedy walking.

He’s being weird.

‘Is it because of that night?’

‘Is it because of her low cut dress during the party?’

“Wait up, Yonghwa.. she’s still preparing.”

“What? Haha, she does not need to prepare that much. I don’t think it will change any..” Yonghwa turned around and saw Seohyun walking down the stairs looking like a goddess. Is it true? Is it his bestfriend? Is this truly her?

He gapped.

“Beautiful.” He mumbled, staring her every move.

‘Is it because of the dance then?’ She frowned.

“Seohyun want to dance with me?”

“Dude, she’s off limits.” Yonghwa slapped away Jonghyun’s hand.

“You don’t seem like you want to even step on the dance floor.”

“Yeah, oppa is not a good dancer.”

“Wait a minute. I can dance okay? Better than Jonghyun. I just prefer not to show it off.”

“Yeah right.”

“It’s true.”

“Prove it.”

“Fine.. May I have this dance with you?” Yonghwa stood from his seat before kneeling down and held her hand like a gentleman earning the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the envious crowd despite knowing that they came together in a platonic sense much to their dismay. Particularly, Tiffany who is busy planning devious after party plan for those two.

Seohyun placed her hand on his palm, as he grabbed it and kissed the back of her hand. Pulling her like a man before twirling the girl into his arms.

“How about that?”

“Not bad, but not good enough.” She smiled teasingly as she puts her right hand out while the other was holding his shoulder.

“Oppa.. see. This is why your not a good dancer.”

“What?”

Seohyun shook her head and grabbed his hand and put it on her waist.

“Your dress is distracting, that’s why.”

“Am not. This is normal.” She retaliated back.. when she felt he stepped on her feet. “Ouchh.”

“Geez sorry.” Yonghwa awkwardly tried to look at some other side instead of facing her face that was adorned by make-up. That eyeliner.. eye shadow or whatever was distracting.. it highlights her eyes much more than necessary. It looks too sparkly.. he has a love hate relationship with it.

“Look at my eyes, oppa. Or it would be awkward.”

“Fine.” He grabbed her waist closer to him and accidentally brushed their nose tips together, their breath are mingling with each other. He felt as he was drowning onto her twinkling eyes. It was breathtaking.

No.. the dance is weird but the after party is weirder. It’s because of that dare. It must be..

“It must be because of the after party right?”

“Like finally Joohyun ahh!” Tiffany shook her head frustratingly.

All of the people present started shouting “do it! Do it.. Do it!”

“Prove to us.. That everything would be okay after the bet! It’s the least you could do to us after you Yonghwa broke the poor girls hearts.. And you Seohyun ‘eww-ing’ at the guys despite having a guy bestfriend.” Tiffany challenged Seohyun and Yonghwa who were standing beneath the annoying spotlight.

“No..no.. I can’t do this to her.”

“Then, make sure you walk with just the box as your cover at the street later Yonghwa.”

“It’s okay oppa.” Seohyun looked at him concernedly.

“It’s not okay! It’s not okay when it involves you Seohyun. What is Tiffany thinking? Aren’t she your beloved unnie!?”

“It’s better to have my first kiss with a bestfriend that I know how nice he is instead of some jerk later on.”

“Are you Seohyun ah?”

“Oh.. come on now!” Taecyeon shouted.

“Hmm..” She nodded, her eyes were shut tightly as she slightly nodded.

Seo Joohyun, why are you so oblivious? He cursed silently inside because truthfully, he knew.. that it will bring out something inside of him. Something that will ruin their friendship.

He leaned, closing his eyes when he felt that his lips finally touched something moist.

It was her lips…

And like he predicted..

It wasn’t fine. It's especially not fine for him at all.. because right now, he felt like his heart was hammering on his chest like its about to come out from his body.

In front of you, I become ice
I ruin it all with good-for-nothing words
You might have thought
that I was stupid
Why did you make me like this

TTS - Love Sick (Seohyun)

Author's Note

A possible final chapter after this.