fic: who i was, from the start
Title: who i was, from the start
Characters: Yuri, Yoona
Rating: pg13
Disclaimer: still about as real as a straight tower of Pisa.
Yoona wound her hands into fists as she stood in front of the window, watching the pool. The sun had risen but Yoona had woken up earlier than that when she heard odd splashing sounds coming from outside. The splashes were caused by Yuri who apparently had decided to go for a morning swim.
The other day Yuri had asked Yoona if it was alright to use the pool. Yoona all but pushed Yuri into the water and told her it was fine, of course. Yet Yuri’s schedule never gave her more than thirty minutes of free time so Yoona didn’t go around waiting for Yuri.
The distance shrunk Yuri’s body significantly and Yoona traced the girl’s figure on the glass as Yuri stepped out of the pool and dried herself with a towel.
It was absurd how she was lusting after Yuri so much. She had always admired Khun’s body, but that might have been because she was trained by the world to love a body like his.
Yuri constantly made her feel like a runner at a start line waiting for the gun shot. Yoona was ready to expend all her pent up energy and Yuri was just sitting there with her finger on the trigger.
When Yuri disappeared inside the pool house Yoona flung herself onto the bed and screamed into her pillow.
She had always been the impatient type, always hated to wait, always hated when she couldn’t get what she wanted, when she wanted it. Yuri was making her do all three.
*
It wasn’t often that Yuri went to class but when she did, she did her best in staying awake and being attentive. However, doing her best didn’t pan out for her sometimes and she would find the swaying grass outside the classroom’s window more interesting than her teacher.
She was being entertained by two squirrels running around and chasing each other when the intercom came on with a buzzed static.
“Kwon Yuri, please report to the administration office. Your cousin is here to pick you up.”
Yuri stayed still in her seat as the intercom’s buzz died. Her classmates and teacher turned quiet and looked at her. It made no sense, because the only cousin Yuri knew about was Donghae. With a bit of confusion stalling her she packed up her books and bag and exited the classroom as the teacher began lecturing again.
She entered the office and was about to tell the secretary that there must have been a mistake when a hand slid around her waist.
“Hey cous’,” Tiffany purred. “I’m here to take you to that dentist appointment.”
The secretary peered at them from above her glasses at their curious affection.
“Oh, right. Dentist. I forgot,” Yuri said with a slow nod.
Tiffany thanked the secretary and led Yuri outside. The woman kept staring when Tiffany patted Yuri’s butt as they walked down the hall.
“You know I can get into serious trouble if they find out you’re not my cousin. Why’d you take me out of class anyway?”
Yuri removed Tiffany’s hand while the girl responded.
“How can you complain when I just helped you ditch with a good excuse?”
It was pure coincidence Tiffany had bumped into Yoona the other day and to avoid suspicion she thought it’d be best to wait a few days before going back to the school. She had wanted to see Yuri all along but seeing Yoona had been a good opportunity for them to get closer. Closer by Tiffany’s standards, that is.
Tiffany’s car beeped as she unlocked it and slid inside. Yuri stood in front of the passenger’s seat and looked back at the school.
“Get in the car, Yul. Or do I have to kidnap you? I can use that rope that you liked whe-”
“Alright!” Yuri yelled as she opened the door. She rolled down the window in hopes that the wind would cool her face.
After twenty minutes of silence Yuri finally calmed down enough to speak.
“You have to stop saying things like that in public.”
“You didn’t care so much before. I’m sure Yoona wasn’t within earshot.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Fine, I’ll try to keep the dirty talk in bed from now on,” Tiffany said with a grin as she pulled into a parking space.
Yuri saw that they were at the diner they often visited. They picked an empty table outside, one in the back, secluded from everyone else.
“So are you going to tell me why we’re here?” Yuri asked.
Tiffany fixed her bangs using her sunglasses as a mirror before putting them back on and tucking a hand under her chin.
“I was hungry.”
A waiter showed up and took their orders. They had been there often enough for the staff to recognize them but the waiters always asked in case they decided to deviate from their usual.
“I need to be back before school ends,” Yuri said, looking at her ice clink as she twirled her water with a straw.
“I know. Wouldn’t want to keep Yoona waiting. How is that going anyway?”
Yuri left the water alone and sat back in her seat, turning her head toward the parking lot. Tiffany noted all of it mentally. It wasn’t on purpose, she knew that Yuri hated to be analyzed but it was what Tiffany had been trained to do and it had become a habit.
“Good. We’re taking it slow.”
“Slow as in…?”
“Slow as in slow.”
“Oh come on, you’re talking to a friend, not a psychologist. I just want to know if everything’s going well.”
“Why are you so interested?”
The question took Tiffany aback but she dismissed it before she could show a reaction. She smiled suggestively and replied.
“Anything to do with you interests me.”
Yuri shook her head and tried to hide a smile. Sometimes the way Tiffany looked at her made her feel naked.
“We’re just getting to know each other again. We’ve got three years to catch up on.”
“What about Khun? How did he take it?”
Yuri fiddled with a napkin.
“She hasn’t told him yet.”
“Ooh, this sounds like something out of a One Tree Hill episode.”
“What?”
“Nevermind. Is she planning on telling him or is the adultery thing a turn on for you two?”
“Tiffany,” Yuri said in a reprimanding tone. “She’s waiting until she can do it face to face which she’s going to do next week when he comes to see her.”
As the waiter placed their food on the table, Tiffany grinned slyly and commented.
“That poor boy is probably going to be vulnerable and is going to need someone to comfort him.”
Yuri shook her head again and stuck a French fry into Tiffany’s mouth.
“Just eat.”
*
“Thanks for the lunch.”
Tiffany stopped the car in front of the school’s main building. There was no use in parking it since she just wanted drop Yuri off. Tiffany traced her car’s logo on the steering wheel as she mused aloud.
“I wonder how different things would be if we took it slow.”
“I don’t know if you’re capable of taking anything slow.” Yuri meant it as a joke but she didn’t get a laugh or even a smile out of Tiffany. “We probably would-”
Tiffany waved a hand and cut Yuri off.
“Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.” Yuri’s phone beeped somewhere in her backpack and Tiffany composed herself. “Look, if that girl ever bores you, you know where to find me.”
Yuri paused in looking for her phone and focused on Tiffany. There was something odd in Tiffany’s tone before but it was gone now and Yuri didn’t dwell on it. Tiffany always deflected and Yuri had grown accustomed to it.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Yuri opened the door but turned back to Tiffany for another minute. “Maybe we could hang out soon? I’d really want for you to meet her.”
“Maybe.”
Yuri stepped out and gave Tiffany a slight wave goodbye as she drove away. She resumed in searching for her phone and upon finding it, she saw that she got a text message.
The time on her phone told her she should have went to her math class but she made her way to the auditorium instead.
*
Yoona growled as she lost another game of Tetris on her phone. She wanted to throw it to the ground but decided it’d be better for her and the phone if she just quit playing the game. She had only done it to pass the time while she waited for a reply from Yuri but she hadn’t received anything yet. Maybe the girl was actually in class and learning, like Yoona should have been doing.
She stood so she could turn off the auditorium lights and go back to her classroom when she was suddenly blanketed in darkness. Panic kept her stationary and it resonated in her voice.
“Hello? Who’s there?”
It was quiet for a moment before she heard someone speak.
“I think it’s harder for them to catch us this way.” Yoona swiveled towards the voice but could see nothing. “Sorry, did I scare you?”
All of Yoona’s four senses were heightened now that she couldn’t use her vision and those senses could feel Yuri’s presence. She reached out to touch her but touched only air.
“I’m right here.”
Yuri took a step forward and took Yoona’s searching hand.
“You could have texted me that you were coming,” Yoona said in annoyance but that was because Yuri had scared her. That feeling was starting to weaken now that Yuri was with her.
“I’m sorry. I forgot you were afraid of the dark.”
The clanging of a door opening kept Yoona from speaking. The voices that followed were that of adults and Yuri recognized one of them belonged to the principal’s and knew that if they were to be caught, it’d mean punishment.
“Follow me,” Yuri said quietly and took Yoona to a nook that she’d sometimes hide in whenever she thought someone was approaching. However, she had forgotten to take into account the area was extremely small for two people. She squirmed to give Yoona some space but it was ineffective and concluded their best option was to stay still. If either of them tried to get out, they’d give away their hiding spot.
The whir of all the lights being turned on drowned out the voices but it did help Yuri and Yoona see each other. That became more of a curse than a blessing because it showed the precarious position the two were in. Yuri’s leg was stuck between Yoona’s and moving it was a dangerous situation without causing some kind of noise.
“…yes, I think this stage is suitable for the musical. We could probably remove the second set of curtains and it’d give us more room. Is that possible?”
Yuri didn’t bother to listen anymore and relaxed the muscles in her arms. They were beginning to get pins and needles and she saw no other option than to rest her hands above Yoona on the opposite wall.
The teachers and principal continued to talk and each passing minute created a small hell on Earth for them. Yuri thought about holding her breath because every time she did breathe, she only pressed herself further into Yoona and in any moment she was going to go insane.
“Alright, that’s settled then. If rehearsals start next week then we’ll have plenty of time…”
The lights were turned off again while the footsteps and voices faded with the shutting of the door.
“You should probably go first,” Yuri suggested.
Yoona did, cautiously detangling herself. They stood at a distance, thankful for the veil of invisibility the dark provided. Yoona laughed nervously and took a step towards Yuri but her heart sank when she heard the girl take a step back simultaneously.
“That’s not a good idea,” Yuri muttered, shoving her hands into her pockets because she didn’t trust them.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to break our promise.”
In a heated and frustrated moment Yoona opened her mouth to tell Yuri they should screw the promise but before she could, her phone buzzed and she retrieved it, the screen’s soft glow illuminating her face. They should have used their phones for light from the start.
Yoona read the text and angrily whispered.
“Damn it.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Taeyeon just found out from an earlier period that our World History teacher is giving out a pop quiz.” Yoona looked at the time on the phone and quickly calculated in her head. “There’s twenty minutes left of lunch, I’m going to go study with Taeyeon.”
“Of course, go.”
Yoona kept her phone on and made her way to the exit. A burst of light flooded the auditorium when she opened the door but Yuri called her as she stepped out.
“Wait, your World History class is next to the gym, right?”
“Yea. Why?”
“Just curious.”
Yoona suspected it was more than that judging by Yuri’s little grin but she didn’t inquire more and left.
Once the door shut Yuri took out her phone and scrolled through her list of contacts until she found her desired person. Her smile beamed in the dark auditorium as the person picked up.
“Heechul? Hey, I need a favor.”
*
Yoona bit the end of her pen as she reread the question in front of her.
Who was the first emperor of the Roman Empire?
There were so many names floating around in her head, she didn’t know who to choose. She remembered talking to Taeyeon about a Nero but he was the nutty one who played a fiddle while Rome burned, so it couldn’t have been him; he was probably the last emperor.
She was ready to write down her own father as an answer out of frustration when the classroom door creaked open.
“Good afternoon. I apologize for interrupting, but this is from the principal’s office.”
Yoona watched as Yuri crossed the room to give the note to the teacher. The man’s face twisted in terror as he looked at Yuri.
“Stay here and watch over them. They’re taking a quiz so no talking, no notes. I’ll be right back,” he said hurriedly, already walking away. “This must be a mistake…”
Yuri had been his best student and he trusted her. She wasn’t too proud about taking advantage of that trust but she’d give him a free oil change or something as retribution.
“What’d you do?” Yoona asked worriedly. Yuri’s antics had a tendency of getting out of control, Yoona knew from experience.
“Nothing. I just reunited him with a long lost relative,” Yuri said as she strolled over to Yoona’s desk.
Yoona dropped it, she was afraid to know.
A boy in the front waved his pencil in the air to get Yuri’s attention.
“Are you going to tell on us if we look at our notes?”
Yuri knew the boy. He was a gossip monger, worse than the girls at the school. Some of the rumors he spread were about Yoona-disgusting and disparaging things that out of anger, she once snuck into the boy’s locker room during gym and doused his clothes with formaldehyde.
“I don’t know, that depends on how much you annoy me with your questions.”
“Hey, be nice,” Yoona chided, slapping Yuri on the thigh.
Taeyeon suppressed her laughter with a snort. “Says the reigning bitch queen.”
Taeyeon’s hand flew to her mouth when she realized what she said. The class sat in silence, awaiting an explosion of anger from Yoona. Yoona glared at Taeyeon but then broke out in a wide smile.
“Yea, I guess I shouldn’t be the one telling someone to be nice.”
Yuri looked at Yoona with admiration. It must have been difficult for the girl to not exert her superiority over Taeyeon especially when she was being teased in front of her classmates.
“Alright, let’s see,” Yuri said, leaning over Yoona to look at her quiz. “Not bad, but three is wrong.”
“What’s the answer?”
Some distressed wails sounded from the hall and Yuri took it as her cue.
“I’ll give you hint: it’s not A, C or D,” Yuri said behind Yoona’s ear before heading to the front of the classroom.
Yoona smiled and marked her answer. There were only four choices.
“Father, please don’t do this!”
The class turned towards the door as a dark haired boy was dragged down the hall by security. They saw their teacher shout to the boy.
“I don’t have a son! I’m not even married!”
The disheveled teacher came into the classroom and everyone brought their eyes to their quizzes.
“Thank you, Yuri. You may go now.”
Yuri stood by the teacher’s desk, asking loud enough for the whole class to hear.
“Is everything alright?”
“Yes, just a misunderstanding.”
“Or a prank,” Yoona mumbled to herself.
But she wasn’t going to complain. Yuri had guaranteed Yoona a possible perfect score on a quiz in her worst subject.
It brought about an uneasy feeling though as Yuri glanced at her before leaving the classroom. Once more, Yuri had risked possible suspension with that prank to help Yoona. She had proved her friendship to Yoona and but what had Yoona done in return?
Yuri was amazing, in every sense of the word, and all Yoona had done was bring them heartbreak, time and time again.
*
“How pretty.”
Yoona took out her earphones as her father walked to the row of gardenia’s hanging by strings. Yoona was drying them and kept them close to her bed; the smell helped her sleep.
“It’s nice to see that Khun still gives you flowers from time to time. It’s sweet.”
Yoona paused her mp3 player, feeling her father was not leaving her alone anytime soon. She corrected him confidently.
“They’re not from Khun.”
Her father let go of one of the hardened blossoms and hid his look of disappointment. He had loved that boy like a son.
“Oh. Well, at least boys haven’t completely forgotten how to court a girl.”
Yoona couldn’t help but smile as she corrected her father again.
“They’re not from a boy. Yuri gave them to me.”
“That’s…surprising.” He didn’t know how to react but he was not happy with the news. It wasn’t because Yuri was a girl, but he had envisioned a future of walking his daughter down the aisle and at the end was supposed to be Nichkhun. Nichkhun was supposed to be everything Yoona’s father couldn’t be. “I’m not sure I approve.”
Yoona let out a laugh in disbelief.
“Good thing I’m not seeking your approval.”
He tried to reason with her sympathetically.
“Yoona, have you thought this through? You and Khun have been together for so long and you’re just going to let that go? You were so happy with him.”
“When’s the last time you even saw me with him, Dad? You’re never here to know anything about what does or doesn’t make me happy,” Yoona said disdainfully. She was not going to let him dictate her life, in any way. It didn’t matter he only wanted what was best for her-he should have started caring from the beginning of her life.
“I work to provide for you, to make sure you live comfortably. I will not have you speaking to me in that tone.”
“You work so you have an excuse not to come home.”
There was such malice in her words it rendered him speechless. He had tried to speak to her rationally but she was obviously not complying. He needed to show her that he was still her father and as long as she was under his roof, she was going to obey him whether she liked it or not.
“This,” he said, tearing the flowers off the strings, “ends now. If I see anything inappropriate between you and that girl, she will no longer be welcome in my home.”
Yoona stared at the crumbs that littered her floor, a trail of dead and broken petals leading out of her room. It was a devastating sight but Yoona blinked back her tears. She would not cry because of her father. He was sorely mistaken if he thought he had any control over her.
**
AN: Next chapter on the 31st :]
Characters: Yuri, Yoona
Rating: pg13
Disclaimer: still about as real as a straight tower of Pisa.
Yoona wound her hands into fists as she stood in front of the window, watching the pool. The sun had risen but Yoona had woken up earlier than that when she heard odd splashing sounds coming from outside. The splashes were caused by Yuri who apparently had decided to go for a morning swim.
The other day Yuri had asked Yoona if it was alright to use the pool. Yoona all but pushed Yuri into the water and told her it was fine, of course. Yet Yuri’s schedule never gave her more than thirty minutes of free time so Yoona didn’t go around waiting for Yuri.
The distance shrunk Yuri’s body significantly and Yoona traced the girl’s figure on the glass as Yuri stepped out of the pool and dried herself with a towel.
It was absurd how she was lusting after Yuri so much. She had always admired Khun’s body, but that might have been because she was trained by the world to love a body like his.
Yuri constantly made her feel like a runner at a start line waiting for the gun shot. Yoona was ready to expend all her pent up energy and Yuri was just sitting there with her finger on the trigger.
When Yuri disappeared inside the pool house Yoona flung herself onto the bed and screamed into her pillow.
She had always been the impatient type, always hated to wait, always hated when she couldn’t get what she wanted, when she wanted it. Yuri was making her do all three.
*
It wasn’t often that Yuri went to class but when she did, she did her best in staying awake and being attentive. However, doing her best didn’t pan out for her sometimes and she would find the swaying grass outside the classroom’s window more interesting than her teacher.
She was being entertained by two squirrels running around and chasing each other when the intercom came on with a buzzed static.
“Kwon Yuri, please report to the administration office. Your cousin is here to pick you up.”
Yuri stayed still in her seat as the intercom’s buzz died. Her classmates and teacher turned quiet and looked at her. It made no sense, because the only cousin Yuri knew about was Donghae. With a bit of confusion stalling her she packed up her books and bag and exited the classroom as the teacher began lecturing again.
She entered the office and was about to tell the secretary that there must have been a mistake when a hand slid around her waist.
“Hey cous’,” Tiffany purred. “I’m here to take you to that dentist appointment.”
The secretary peered at them from above her glasses at their curious affection.
“Oh, right. Dentist. I forgot,” Yuri said with a slow nod.
Tiffany thanked the secretary and led Yuri outside. The woman kept staring when Tiffany patted Yuri’s butt as they walked down the hall.
“You know I can get into serious trouble if they find out you’re not my cousin. Why’d you take me out of class anyway?”
Yuri removed Tiffany’s hand while the girl responded.
“How can you complain when I just helped you ditch with a good excuse?”
It was pure coincidence Tiffany had bumped into Yoona the other day and to avoid suspicion she thought it’d be best to wait a few days before going back to the school. She had wanted to see Yuri all along but seeing Yoona had been a good opportunity for them to get closer. Closer by Tiffany’s standards, that is.
Tiffany’s car beeped as she unlocked it and slid inside. Yuri stood in front of the passenger’s seat and looked back at the school.
“Get in the car, Yul. Or do I have to kidnap you? I can use that rope that you liked whe-”
“Alright!” Yuri yelled as she opened the door. She rolled down the window in hopes that the wind would cool her face.
After twenty minutes of silence Yuri finally calmed down enough to speak.
“You have to stop saying things like that in public.”
“You didn’t care so much before. I’m sure Yoona wasn’t within earshot.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Fine, I’ll try to keep the dirty talk in bed from now on,” Tiffany said with a grin as she pulled into a parking space.
Yuri saw that they were at the diner they often visited. They picked an empty table outside, one in the back, secluded from everyone else.
“So are you going to tell me why we’re here?” Yuri asked.
Tiffany fixed her bangs using her sunglasses as a mirror before putting them back on and tucking a hand under her chin.
“I was hungry.”
A waiter showed up and took their orders. They had been there often enough for the staff to recognize them but the waiters always asked in case they decided to deviate from their usual.
“I need to be back before school ends,” Yuri said, looking at her ice clink as she twirled her water with a straw.
“I know. Wouldn’t want to keep Yoona waiting. How is that going anyway?”
Yuri left the water alone and sat back in her seat, turning her head toward the parking lot. Tiffany noted all of it mentally. It wasn’t on purpose, she knew that Yuri hated to be analyzed but it was what Tiffany had been trained to do and it had become a habit.
“Good. We’re taking it slow.”
“Slow as in…?”
“Slow as in slow.”
“Oh come on, you’re talking to a friend, not a psychologist. I just want to know if everything’s going well.”
“Why are you so interested?”
The question took Tiffany aback but she dismissed it before she could show a reaction. She smiled suggestively and replied.
“Anything to do with you interests me.”
Yuri shook her head and tried to hide a smile. Sometimes the way Tiffany looked at her made her feel naked.
“We’re just getting to know each other again. We’ve got three years to catch up on.”
“What about Khun? How did he take it?”
Yuri fiddled with a napkin.
“She hasn’t told him yet.”
“Ooh, this sounds like something out of a One Tree Hill episode.”
“What?”
“Nevermind. Is she planning on telling him or is the adultery thing a turn on for you two?”
“Tiffany,” Yuri said in a reprimanding tone. “She’s waiting until she can do it face to face which she’s going to do next week when he comes to see her.”
As the waiter placed their food on the table, Tiffany grinned slyly and commented.
“That poor boy is probably going to be vulnerable and is going to need someone to comfort him.”
Yuri shook her head again and stuck a French fry into Tiffany’s mouth.
“Just eat.”
*
“Thanks for the lunch.”
Tiffany stopped the car in front of the school’s main building. There was no use in parking it since she just wanted drop Yuri off. Tiffany traced her car’s logo on the steering wheel as she mused aloud.
“I wonder how different things would be if we took it slow.”
“I don’t know if you’re capable of taking anything slow.” Yuri meant it as a joke but she didn’t get a laugh or even a smile out of Tiffany. “We probably would-”
Tiffany waved a hand and cut Yuri off.
“Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.” Yuri’s phone beeped somewhere in her backpack and Tiffany composed herself. “Look, if that girl ever bores you, you know where to find me.”
Yuri paused in looking for her phone and focused on Tiffany. There was something odd in Tiffany’s tone before but it was gone now and Yuri didn’t dwell on it. Tiffany always deflected and Yuri had grown accustomed to it.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Yuri opened the door but turned back to Tiffany for another minute. “Maybe we could hang out soon? I’d really want for you to meet her.”
“Maybe.”
Yuri stepped out and gave Tiffany a slight wave goodbye as she drove away. She resumed in searching for her phone and upon finding it, she saw that she got a text message.
The time on her phone told her she should have went to her math class but she made her way to the auditorium instead.
*
Yoona growled as she lost another game of Tetris on her phone. She wanted to throw it to the ground but decided it’d be better for her and the phone if she just quit playing the game. She had only done it to pass the time while she waited for a reply from Yuri but she hadn’t received anything yet. Maybe the girl was actually in class and learning, like Yoona should have been doing.
She stood so she could turn off the auditorium lights and go back to her classroom when she was suddenly blanketed in darkness. Panic kept her stationary and it resonated in her voice.
“Hello? Who’s there?”
It was quiet for a moment before she heard someone speak.
“I think it’s harder for them to catch us this way.” Yoona swiveled towards the voice but could see nothing. “Sorry, did I scare you?”
All of Yoona’s four senses were heightened now that she couldn’t use her vision and those senses could feel Yuri’s presence. She reached out to touch her but touched only air.
“I’m right here.”
Yuri took a step forward and took Yoona’s searching hand.
“You could have texted me that you were coming,” Yoona said in annoyance but that was because Yuri had scared her. That feeling was starting to weaken now that Yuri was with her.
“I’m sorry. I forgot you were afraid of the dark.”
The clanging of a door opening kept Yoona from speaking. The voices that followed were that of adults and Yuri recognized one of them belonged to the principal’s and knew that if they were to be caught, it’d mean punishment.
“Follow me,” Yuri said quietly and took Yoona to a nook that she’d sometimes hide in whenever she thought someone was approaching. However, she had forgotten to take into account the area was extremely small for two people. She squirmed to give Yoona some space but it was ineffective and concluded their best option was to stay still. If either of them tried to get out, they’d give away their hiding spot.
The whir of all the lights being turned on drowned out the voices but it did help Yuri and Yoona see each other. That became more of a curse than a blessing because it showed the precarious position the two were in. Yuri’s leg was stuck between Yoona’s and moving it was a dangerous situation without causing some kind of noise.
“…yes, I think this stage is suitable for the musical. We could probably remove the second set of curtains and it’d give us more room. Is that possible?”
Yuri didn’t bother to listen anymore and relaxed the muscles in her arms. They were beginning to get pins and needles and she saw no other option than to rest her hands above Yoona on the opposite wall.
The teachers and principal continued to talk and each passing minute created a small hell on Earth for them. Yuri thought about holding her breath because every time she did breathe, she only pressed herself further into Yoona and in any moment she was going to go insane.
“Alright, that’s settled then. If rehearsals start next week then we’ll have plenty of time…”
The lights were turned off again while the footsteps and voices faded with the shutting of the door.
“You should probably go first,” Yuri suggested.
Yoona did, cautiously detangling herself. They stood at a distance, thankful for the veil of invisibility the dark provided. Yoona laughed nervously and took a step towards Yuri but her heart sank when she heard the girl take a step back simultaneously.
“That’s not a good idea,” Yuri muttered, shoving her hands into her pockets because she didn’t trust them.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to break our promise.”
In a heated and frustrated moment Yoona opened her mouth to tell Yuri they should screw the promise but before she could, her phone buzzed and she retrieved it, the screen’s soft glow illuminating her face. They should have used their phones for light from the start.
Yoona read the text and angrily whispered.
“Damn it.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Taeyeon just found out from an earlier period that our World History teacher is giving out a pop quiz.” Yoona looked at the time on the phone and quickly calculated in her head. “There’s twenty minutes left of lunch, I’m going to go study with Taeyeon.”
“Of course, go.”
Yoona kept her phone on and made her way to the exit. A burst of light flooded the auditorium when she opened the door but Yuri called her as she stepped out.
“Wait, your World History class is next to the gym, right?”
“Yea. Why?”
“Just curious.”
Yoona suspected it was more than that judging by Yuri’s little grin but she didn’t inquire more and left.
Once the door shut Yuri took out her phone and scrolled through her list of contacts until she found her desired person. Her smile beamed in the dark auditorium as the person picked up.
“Heechul? Hey, I need a favor.”
*
Yoona bit the end of her pen as she reread the question in front of her.
Who was the first emperor of the Roman Empire?
There were so many names floating around in her head, she didn’t know who to choose. She remembered talking to Taeyeon about a Nero but he was the nutty one who played a fiddle while Rome burned, so it couldn’t have been him; he was probably the last emperor.
She was ready to write down her own father as an answer out of frustration when the classroom door creaked open.
“Good afternoon. I apologize for interrupting, but this is from the principal’s office.”
Yoona watched as Yuri crossed the room to give the note to the teacher. The man’s face twisted in terror as he looked at Yuri.
“Stay here and watch over them. They’re taking a quiz so no talking, no notes. I’ll be right back,” he said hurriedly, already walking away. “This must be a mistake…”
Yuri had been his best student and he trusted her. She wasn’t too proud about taking advantage of that trust but she’d give him a free oil change or something as retribution.
“What’d you do?” Yoona asked worriedly. Yuri’s antics had a tendency of getting out of control, Yoona knew from experience.
“Nothing. I just reunited him with a long lost relative,” Yuri said as she strolled over to Yoona’s desk.
Yoona dropped it, she was afraid to know.
A boy in the front waved his pencil in the air to get Yuri’s attention.
“Are you going to tell on us if we look at our notes?”
Yuri knew the boy. He was a gossip monger, worse than the girls at the school. Some of the rumors he spread were about Yoona-disgusting and disparaging things that out of anger, she once snuck into the boy’s locker room during gym and doused his clothes with formaldehyde.
“I don’t know, that depends on how much you annoy me with your questions.”
“Hey, be nice,” Yoona chided, slapping Yuri on the thigh.
Taeyeon suppressed her laughter with a snort. “Says the reigning bitch queen.”
Taeyeon’s hand flew to her mouth when she realized what she said. The class sat in silence, awaiting an explosion of anger from Yoona. Yoona glared at Taeyeon but then broke out in a wide smile.
“Yea, I guess I shouldn’t be the one telling someone to be nice.”
Yuri looked at Yoona with admiration. It must have been difficult for the girl to not exert her superiority over Taeyeon especially when she was being teased in front of her classmates.
“Alright, let’s see,” Yuri said, leaning over Yoona to look at her quiz. “Not bad, but three is wrong.”
“What’s the answer?”
Some distressed wails sounded from the hall and Yuri took it as her cue.
“I’ll give you hint: it’s not A, C or D,” Yuri said behind Yoona’s ear before heading to the front of the classroom.
Yoona smiled and marked her answer. There were only four choices.
“Father, please don’t do this!”
The class turned towards the door as a dark haired boy was dragged down the hall by security. They saw their teacher shout to the boy.
“I don’t have a son! I’m not even married!”
The disheveled teacher came into the classroom and everyone brought their eyes to their quizzes.
“Thank you, Yuri. You may go now.”
Yuri stood by the teacher’s desk, asking loud enough for the whole class to hear.
“Is everything alright?”
“Yes, just a misunderstanding.”
“Or a prank,” Yoona mumbled to herself.
But she wasn’t going to complain. Yuri had guaranteed Yoona a possible perfect score on a quiz in her worst subject.
It brought about an uneasy feeling though as Yuri glanced at her before leaving the classroom. Once more, Yuri had risked possible suspension with that prank to help Yoona. She had proved her friendship to Yoona and but what had Yoona done in return?
Yuri was amazing, in every sense of the word, and all Yoona had done was bring them heartbreak, time and time again.
*
“How pretty.”
Yoona took out her earphones as her father walked to the row of gardenia’s hanging by strings. Yoona was drying them and kept them close to her bed; the smell helped her sleep.
“It’s nice to see that Khun still gives you flowers from time to time. It’s sweet.”
Yoona paused her mp3 player, feeling her father was not leaving her alone anytime soon. She corrected him confidently.
“They’re not from Khun.”
Her father let go of one of the hardened blossoms and hid his look of disappointment. He had loved that boy like a son.
“Oh. Well, at least boys haven’t completely forgotten how to court a girl.”
Yoona couldn’t help but smile as she corrected her father again.
“They’re not from a boy. Yuri gave them to me.”
“That’s…surprising.” He didn’t know how to react but he was not happy with the news. It wasn’t because Yuri was a girl, but he had envisioned a future of walking his daughter down the aisle and at the end was supposed to be Nichkhun. Nichkhun was supposed to be everything Yoona’s father couldn’t be. “I’m not sure I approve.”
Yoona let out a laugh in disbelief.
“Good thing I’m not seeking your approval.”
He tried to reason with her sympathetically.
“Yoona, have you thought this through? You and Khun have been together for so long and you’re just going to let that go? You were so happy with him.”
“When’s the last time you even saw me with him, Dad? You’re never here to know anything about what does or doesn’t make me happy,” Yoona said disdainfully. She was not going to let him dictate her life, in any way. It didn’t matter he only wanted what was best for her-he should have started caring from the beginning of her life.
“I work to provide for you, to make sure you live comfortably. I will not have you speaking to me in that tone.”
“You work so you have an excuse not to come home.”
There was such malice in her words it rendered him speechless. He had tried to speak to her rationally but she was obviously not complying. He needed to show her that he was still her father and as long as she was under his roof, she was going to obey him whether she liked it or not.
“This,” he said, tearing the flowers off the strings, “ends now. If I see anything inappropriate between you and that girl, she will no longer be welcome in my home.”
Yoona stared at the crumbs that littered her floor, a trail of dead and broken petals leading out of her room. It was a devastating sight but Yoona blinked back her tears. She would not cry because of her father. He was sorely mistaken if he thought he had any control over her.
**
AN: Next chapter on the 31st :]