#26 Memories
Between Us -forever yours-
~ Kyuri's POV
"K.E.Y. is a really successful collaboration project. The music video is so heartbreaking!" the radio DJ complimented, clapping her hands. "It's such a shame that three of you can't come here together."
I bowed slightly, thanking her for the words, "Thank you very much. I'm sorry that we don't have the same schedule that we can't perform the song together."
Just right after the day I broke up with Eunhyuk, the news spread out like virus on the internet. We had no intention to hide it from our fans but we weren't the ones who released it to the press as well.
Apparently there's a staff in SM building that overheard my conversation with Eunhyuk that night. It was a friendly chat before he left for dance practice session with the others.
He assured me that everything would be alright even after we broke up. He would be there when I needed him the most and he wished for my happiness even if he couldn't be the one to share it with me.
It's just three minutes, not even enough time for me to shed more tears for feeling guilty or sad, but it turned part of our worlds upside down on the next day.
We're summoned by the top management, demanding truth from us. We confessed that both of us didn't think our relationship could continue any longer, receiving lecture about not thinking about our public image and all.
We received final statement, stating that both of us would be prohibited from dating for the next three years. Even though we had went through the rule before, we had no choice due to this issue.
Speculation stirred up and it didn't turn better even after "Forever Yours" music video was published. In fact worse rumor arouse because of Yoseob's role on the video with me.
"Kyuri, it's been quite a hot topic lately," the radio DJ asked me with hesitation in her tone. "Is it true that your last relationship stumbled due to a third person?"
The same question also came from other people around me, including my parents, except that they didn't suspect Yoseob at all since they knew him before Eunhyuk.
This was a fact I couldn't avoid.
"Both of us agreed on the decision to break up," I answered, keeping a smile on face. "There's no such thing as third person or else. We're still friends."
I paused for a second, "If it's about the rumor from music video, it's taken before our break up so, no, it has nothing to do with my past relationship."
That's one statement that held back worse rumor from surfacing.
It saved both Eunhyuk and I from having worse reputation with our personal lives.
And it saved my friendship with Yoseob from falling apart.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Christmas. New year. Yoseob's birthday. Valentine's Day. Friendship anniversary. Eunhyuk's birthday. My birthday.
Day by day passed. News changed and life went on. I made my Japanese debut officially. BEAST released a full album and gained success with "Fiction". Super Junior have their fifth studio album, "Mr Simple".
We're completely busy until we almost had no time to worry about our personal matter. This, of course, included my love life.
The three-years-no-dating prohibition was still applied for me on the day I released my fourth studio album three months ago, a sign that I had returned my focus to Korean music.
"Congratulation for your fourth album," Yoseob said to me over a phone call. "So... It's your turn to promote with Super Junior."
I knew what he was trying to say. It's funny how the fate played along with us ever since I broke up with Eunhyuk.
Never once three of us gathered together for an event. One of us was always unavailable when the other two could attend the event. It happened all the time through month by month.
As if the world knew that three of us were not ready yet to meet up altogether.
"Hmm," I responded, closing the door behind me. I just returned from my schedule and it's almost midnight. "Thank you, for staying up late just to call me, Yoseob."
I stared at a picture of Yoseob and I that I put on the table, right next to a blank picture frame I let to stay at its place. It's supposed to be a picture of me and Eunhyuk standing side by side.
I tried to keep it on place for a while but I just couldn't do it anymore. Whenever I looked at it, my heart just ached.
It's not painful because I couldn't forget. It's painful because I forgot about how happy I was when Eunhyuk and I were still together.
My brain just went to the negative side, thinking about how hurt it was to be scolded by his protective side, how both of us endured so long just to be a perfect couple, how we didn't understand each other even after a year.
Sometimes I just forgot how happy we were before. I wondered if I just needed more time to adjust my own feeling.
"I heard you met Hyukjae Oppa when you returned from Japan," I sat down on my bed. "You two had lunch together, I heard."
"Ah, right," he retorted. "Yeah, we had a quick chat. He's a really good senior. He gave me so many tips and tricks."
I let out a bitter laughter, causing him to ask what's so funny for me to laugh.
"I just think that... You two actually became closer as friends now," I told him my thought. It felt so ironic, knowing that both of them barely talked to each other when I was still in a relationship with Eunhyuk. "It's good."
Yoseob didn't say a word until I assured him that it's alright, "I'm fine, Yoseob. I really am. He is doing perfectly fine. You do great. I don't expect anything else for now."
"Kyuri... It's not like I just met you yesterday," I could imagine Yoseob smiling softly when he said those kind words to me. "We always expect many things. Sometimes we're just not ready to be disappointed."
I held my phone tighter, feeling my heart clenched upon his words.
Why?
"Honestly speaking...," Yoseob paused for a second, "...I still have feelings for you."
I blinked for multiple times, registering his confession in my brain system, "Eh?"
"Please, don't let my honesty to change our friendship," he chuckled. "It's just... How can I say it?"
"If your heart still beats for Eunhyuk, let it be. You can't forget someone who gave you so much, can you? No matter what happen, you can't change the past, so we should live with it. Happy or sad, good or bad," he continued. "Besides, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right?"
I felt a lot better after listening to his words. He's always good in giving me encouragement even when I didn't ask for it.
"Yoseob," I called his name before I hanged on the phone. "Thank you."
"What for?"
"Everything," I answered shortly.
Yoseob responded calmly, "You also apologized for everything before. Now you thanked me for everything? Kyuri, aren't we best friends?"
His question made me felt a pang.
He changed a lot. From the way he confessed to me and assured me that we're still best friends...
"Yoseob, you're stronger now," I mumbled. "I'm a proud best friend of Yang Yoseob."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Thank you, everyone!" I wave to the audience, having a wide smile on face. I step to the front side of stage, bowing to every direction. "Thank you!"
Mnet Asian Music Awards 2011 has officially ended. Every artist walks on the stage to thank the audience for the great night, taking the last bow to show our appreciation.
"Woohoo!" a loud voice echoes from behind. I glance at the guys who just walk onto the stage cheerfully.
My eyes stop on the man in white tuxedo. His hair is blonde, the color I dislike the most on him. To think that he held himself back from coloring it because I disliked it, he should have been restraining himself a lot.
Only metres away from him, the group of six are also busy bowing to the audiences on their way to where I stand.
While fate was messing around with us before, separating three of us, tonight we are standing on the very same stage, so close from each other.
Their eyes spot me and I, feeling the unexplained overwhelming happiness, extend both of my hands to them, "Here!"
As if they know it's an invitation, both Eunhyuk and Yoseob fasten their pace, smiling to each other. Eunhyuk takes my right hand while Yoseob takes my left hand.
And then, for the first time in the past two years, three of us stand together side by side.
A hand squeezes mine tighter, sending me warmth, reminding me of so many memories between us.
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