Chapter 8

 

A few days later, at a highly posh restaurant.

 

"This is Shim Changmin, a son of your dad's business associate." Mrs. Kwon introduced. Yuri smiled at Changmin and greeted him and his mom politely, "He is now learning the ropes of the family business and graduated from the same high school just like you three years ago."

 

"This is Yuri?!" Mrs. Shim exclaimed, amazed "She grew up so much. I almost can't recognize her, Aecha. I still remember when I met her, she was just so small. How old was she at that time? Eight?"

 

"Yeah. Girls grow up and change a lot." Mrs. Kwon said, smiling.

 

"True. She grew up so beautiful now. Changmin, do you remember her? When you were younger, sometimes we paid them a visit and you used to play with her when you were young."

 

"No, mom."

 

As time flew by, the two mother's chatted happily.

 

Glancing at Yuri secretly, Changmin knew from her face expression that she came here unwillingly, just like him. Throughout the whole dinner, Yuri only smiled and spoke a few words when being asked. Mrs. Kwon noticed her daughter's behaviour and could only sighed.

 

Ever since that dinner meeting, Mrs. Kwon began to worry about Yuri. She discussed it with her husband and decided that letting her meet more guys might be able to change her mind. Until now, she hadn't known what gave Yuri that idea and why she was so against marriage. She was sure that it wasn't due to their family situation and could only point it at environmental and some other external factors.

 

"So, how's last night dinner?" Tiffany asked, when she came over for a visit, excited to know the details of what happened last night. When she first heard Yuri informing her about it, she almost fell off the chair and wondered if it was a dream or her imagination, "Is the guy cute? What's his name? Where is he from?"

 

"His face?" Yuri asked, knitting her brows, trying to recollect whatever image she could remember. All she got was a blur one, "I can't remember. I didn't pay much attention."

 

"His name?" Yuri said, pondering for a few seconds before answering, "Hmmm. Changmin. Shim Changmin. He's one of my dad's business partner's son's."

 

"I can't believe you actually agreed to it."

 

"Neither can I. Who ask me to be soft-hearted?" Yuri said, sighing sadly, "I love my parents too much to disappoint them."

 

"Oh please, spare me. You? Soft-hearted? Then you should see the way you rejected and broke up with those ex-boyfriends of yours. A totally clean breakup. No roundabout way, direct and straight to the point." Tiffany snorted.

 

"Really?"

 

"100%." Tiffany said, nodding her head vigorously.

 

"Maybe I hate things to be unclear and why does things have to be delayed when it has to be done sooner or later? No feelings so breakup."

 

"But you quit already."

 

"Yeah, I feel so free. I prefer remaining single, not marrying at all. Boyfriends are such a bother, so troublesome." "I thought that should be what a guy normally says?" Tiffany remarked dryly.

 

"That's why your parents arrange for you a matchmaking dinner." Tiffany mocked.

 

"Shut up and eat!" Yuri said, grabbing for a piece of cookie and stuffing it into Tiffany's mouth.

 

"Yul, tell me, you really believe those rumors about Jaejoong Oppa?"

 

"Fany, it's already an ancient thing."

 

"Yeah, but do you believe it?"

 

"In the beginning, yes." Yuri replied nonchalantly.

 

"Beginning?" Tiffany asked.

 

"Yes."

 

"So, does that mean something else must have happened." Tiffany said, eyes glittering interestedly.

 

The scene that she caught at the rooftop flashed through her mind. The scene of Jaejoong and Sooyoung. Weird, how could she still remember it so clearly and for some reason, she minded it a hell lot which made her feel very uncomfortable. Shaking her head, Yuri try to scatter the image and the weird feelings away. Impossible. It must be just a fragment of her imagination.

 

"I saw him and Sooyoung together at the rooftop after exams when you told me to wait for you outside the restroom."

 

Wrinkling her thick eyebrows, Tiffany try to remember hard of what happened, "Is that why you seem so troubled at that time?" Tiffany asked, her eyes widening, totally stupefied. Is it happening sooner than she expected? Seems like Yuri wasn't that hopeless.

 

"Troubled? That time? Me?" Yuri asked, pointing to herself stupidly, "Did I?"

 

Shaking her head, Tiffany said, "Never mind. So, what do you think it really is?"

 

"I don't know."

 

"Yul, where is your mind right now?"

 

"In the sky, wandering freely." Yuri said, pointing up.

 

"Sometimes you have to observe the things around you and you will discover something very interesting, something that you have overlooked." Tiffany said, hinting mysteriously.

 

"Whatever. I don't know what you are talking about." Yuri said, waving it off uninterestedly.

 

"The sight from here is still the best." Yuri mumbled to herself, grinning broadly as she was at the roof of her house, leaning with her hand folded behind as a support for her head, staring up at the sky.

 

When she was younger, she used to climb up here and just sit down, doing nothing all day long except staring at the sky, clouds and enjoying the wind breeze. Whenever she got caught by her parents, she would get scold. That time, she was still too young and so, she didn't understand her parents worries. All she knew was she loved to stay at the roof. As she grew up, the time spent up here lessened because she was maturing and she became more understanding and considerate, knowing how to think from her parents point of view and also, partly due to the busy schedule. Only times like this, when both of her parents were away, she would stay up here.

 

She watched as the sky turned from blue to reddish-orange as the sun began to set and now, turned darker as nightfall was arriving soon. She looked down at her gold movado 'bold' crystal accent bangle watch and realized it was already evening.

 

"Yuri?"

 

Hearing someone calling her name, Yuri sat up and looked down, "Jaejoong Oppa?"

 

"Why are you up there?!" He shouted out to her, "Come down!"

 

She didn't know why but she listened and came down, "Yes?"

 

"Next time, don't you ever go up there again! It's dangerous!" Jaejoong scold her, before he could stop himself. When he first spotted her up at the roof, his heart almost stopped beating. It took him all his control trying to sound normal.

 

"Eh?" Yuri said, looking at him, puzzled. Why was he scolding her and since when were they so close?

 

"Promise me!" Jaejoong demanded.

 

Though confused, Yuri promised, "Okay."

 

"Why are you here anyway? Didn't you attend Mr. Chae's daughter's 21st birthday celebration?" Yuri asked, knowing that that was the reason why her parents and Mr. and Mrs. Kim wasn't home. That afternoon, her mom was grumbling about her not attending the party, whereas Jaejoong was such a nice son, accompanying his parents.

 

"I told them I was tired and wanted to return home first. Have you had your dinner?" Jaejoong asked.

 

"Oh no. I forgot." Yuri said, slapping her forehead.

 

"Forgot? Could someone ever forget to eat?"

 

"Yeah, I forgot. I was a little too immersed in my daydreaming that I forgot about hunger." Yuri said, blushing embarrassedly, giving him a sheepish smile.

 

"If you don't mind, you can join me. I haven't eaten much at the party." Jaejoong suggested kindly.

 

"Its alright. I can ask Sora to cook." Yuri said, taken aback by his suggestion.

 

"It's lonely to eat alone. Isn't it better to have some company?"

 

"Uh." Yuri said, hesitating.

 

"If you don't want to, its fine." Jaejoong said, forcing on a smile, masking his disappointment, not wanting to make things difficult for her.

 

"Okay." Yuri said, agreeing when she saw him leaving. It took some time before her brain processed what she just did. Could someone just kill her right now? Why did she have the feeling she was becoming more and more soft-hearted? Somehow, she hated to see him disappointed, like how she hated to see her parents disappointed, too. What the heck?

 

Why should she feel this way? She was seriously getting weirder day by day. It wasn't like that in the past. It must have started after the day he caught her and saved her from falling down. It was the result of that incident. See, here she goes again. What the hell was she thinking?

 

"Yuri?" Jaejoong called out cautiously.

 

"Huh?" Jolted awake from her thoughts, Yuri realized she got distracted and that was rude of her when a person was there. Her mom taught her so, "Oops, I'm sorry. Sure, let's go." Yuri said, smiling awkwardly, not noticing she was behaving weirdly as she took big strides, heading towards the Kim mansion while Jaejoong walked behind her, studying her.

 

That very same day, she made a new discovery, something that she had never expected at all. Jaejoong actually knew how to cook. Very impressive indeed.

 

"Seriously Oppa, this is the last thing I will ever think that you know how to do." Yuri said, still quite unable to come to terms that Jaejoong actually knew how to cook. What was more unbelievable was that it tasted good. Yuri quite liked it actually. Okay, maybe she loved it.

 

"You think all guys don't know how to cook? Then why are the chefs in the restaurants mostly guys?" Jaejoong questioned.

 

"Exactly. I also want to know why when people say that females should know how to cook and cook better."

 

"It means that when guys want to do something, they will do only their best." Jaejoong said, smirking "And be the best."

 

Yuri snorted at what Jaejoong said. Throughout the whole dinner, Jaejoong and Yuri talked about any topics under the sun which surprised Yuri. She never knew she and Jaejoong could talk so much. The amount they talked today was maybe five times more than they had had in the past years.

 

"You seem to be in a very good mood today." Jeongsu said, scrutinizing Jaejoong suspiciously. Then he nudged Jaejoong, "Come on, tell me. Tell me. We are best buddies."

 

"Whatever." Jaejoong said, as he continued playing his game, "Maybe Yuri and I have some hope."

 

"Wow!" Jeongsu gasped, "What gives you that sudden idea? There must be something happening between the two of you."

 

Reminiscing about yesterday's dinner, Jaejoong couldn't stopped smiling. Spotting the smile on his oval-shaped face, Jeongsu curiosity intensified, "Jae, tell me. Don't make me die out of curiosity." Jeongsu said, nudging Jaejoong harder.

 

"Then don't think about it." Jaejoong answered indifferently.

 

"Hey."

 

At Seoul's mega shopping mall, Tiffany was busy trying out a new pair of white madden girl stackful wedge sandal shoes and noticed that Yuri seemed to be deep in her thoughts. Not the usual days where she was flying off somewhere, in her own little world but she was actually thinking about something. Tiffany could differentiate without knowing why. Maybe because of the years of friendship they had shared together.

 

After telling the saleslady that she wanted the pair of shoes she had just tried on, Tiffany returned her attention to Yuri, "Yul, what are you thinking about?"

 

"Fany, did I really treat Jaejoong Oppa that bad?"

 

"What do you mean bad?" Tiffany asked, confused.

 

"As in didn't talk with him that much? I remember once you said, we have been neighbours for years and yet, were so polite and courteous." Yesterday's dinner made her realized how little she and Jaejoong had communicated, how little she knew him and he her. Even she couldn't believe they have been neighbors for so many years. They definitely didn't look like one at all.

 

Immediately, Tiffany felt for Yuri's forehead, studying her like she had just seen her for the first time, "Why are you staring at me like that?" Yuri admonished, feeling uncomfortable.

 

"Thinking what has happened that causes such a change in you."

 

"Me? I'm still the same old me." Yuri said, baffled.

 

"I thought you will never care about it at all."

 

"Really?"

 

"Yes. I also don't know why you treated Jaejoong Oppa and Jeongsu Oppa a little differently." Tiffany said, finally speaking out her observation which she had wanted to do for years. Towards everyone, Yuri was very friendly and jovial, participating in their conversation willingly and sometimes, would even take the initiative. As long as anyone talked to her, she would answered back and greeted any people she knew when she met one. However, towards Jaejoong and Jeongsu, she was more guarded, more polite and more formal. Just a smile and sometimes, one or two sentences spoken between them which were some basic pleasantries such as hi, how are you. Maybe she was a little prejudiced against them but where did it come from? Tiffany never knew. It was quite unlike Yuri because she was very open to everyone and she never judged people. To Yuri, everyone was equal and through time, she would then decide what kind of people they were, whether they were trustworthy or not. If Yuri didn't acknowledge it or realized it, it would be useless to point it out.

 

One thing for sure was that its not only to prevent trouble. Not as simple as Yuri put it.

 

"Wow, I didn't know that. Why does it seem you know me better than I know myself?" Yuri said, stunned by this news.

 

"That's because you are in your own little fantasy to notice your surroundings so I have to be more observant for your share, too." Tiffany said, sighing.

 

"Then why do I treat Jaejoong Oppa and Jeongsu Oppa differently?" Yuri asked, like a little kid waiting to be enlightened, to be taught something new.

 

"Yul, I also want to know that answer. There is a limit to observation, I can only point it out but the answer still lies in you." She should know better than to think that Yuri would open up at last. However, at least she made a little progress which was good enough.

 

"So, tell me what happened between you and him?" Tiffany probed interestedly, giving her that sly smile. Raising her eyebrow, Yuri found her sudden radiance an eyesore.

 

"Miss Hwang, your shoes." The saleslady said, passing her the bag courteously.

 

"Thanks." Tiffany said, smiling back politely at her and went to the cashier to pay up, handing out the supplementary card her dad had applied for her. Like Yuri, her family was quite well-off and being the youngest in the family, with one older brother and sister, it was natural she was spoilt. Its a surprised that Tiffany turned out to be lady-like.

 

"Let's go to starbucks. My treat, as long as you tell me what happened between the both of you. In details." Tiffany said, grinning widely, her eyes glittering brightly.

 

Maybe a little too bright.

 

Another lazy day, Yuri was in her same old routine, lying down on the sofa relaxingly and watching a documentary on nature when the doorbell interrupted her.

 

Since her mom was out for grocery shopping and the maids were busy, Yuri reluctantly got up from her comfy position to answered the door.

 

Just when one problem was solved, another came.

 

Yuri opened the door and froze the instant she saw who it was.

 

The person she thought she would never see again.

 

Shim Changmin.

 

A/N: i have been thinking of coming up with a fanfic for tiffany and yunho but i haven't figure it out yet but when i do, i will let you guys know :)