fic: who i was, from the start
Yuri stood outside Seunghyun's open office, wondering whether she should go in. The club wouldn't be opened for another hour so it was empty save for her and a few other employees. She saw Taek from across the room and he joined her by the door.
"Did he call you over too?"
Taek nodded and lifted his hand. "After you."
She rolled her eyes, knowing behind the gentlemanly act, he was probably staring at her ass as she walked in.
They stood awkwardly by Seunghyun's desk as he finished a phone call. He gestured for them to sit.
"As you know, I'm closing Era for a week starting on Monday. Not many go clubbing during winter and after going it over with my accountant, it's actually better for me financially to completely close it down than waste money for a few stragglers. Since I want neither of you jobless for a week, I spoke with a friend of mine and he's agreed to see how you work tonight. If he likes what he sees, he'll take you off my hands while I'm gone."
The phone started ringing and whatever questions Taek and Yuri had were dismissed with a wave of his hand. Taek closed the door, his eyes traveling down Yuri's body.
"Do you think it's another club?"
"Probably," she said, turning around to face him. He averted his gaze elsewhere but she had seen where he was staring.
She gave him a slap on the forehead.
"Stop ogling me!"
"Think of it as a compliment! You seriously have one of the finest, pert as--"
She raised her hand to smack him again but he caught her wrist before she could make the hit. He stepped closer while she was dazed.
"If you want to touch me, then just ask," he breathed and it sent all kinds of wrong shivers through her body.
"Can I touch you with a baseball bat?"
He grinned and released her arm.
Taek always saw their tension as sexual. He didn't want Yuri to like him or love him, he just wanted her to admit how amazing their sex could be if she just gave it a try.
As she left, his smug shout could be heard throughout the club.
"One day you're going to realize we're meant to be, Yuri!"
*
The notes on her page were blending together. Yoona couldn't tell the Romans from the Gauls and all the dates she memorized weren't attached to any events. It wouldn't have been so worrisome if the test only reflected her performance but now that it affected Yuri too, there was an added pressure upon her.
"Is that a textbook? Are those notes? Are you studying?"
Taeyeon gaped at Yoona's huddled body and the frenzied tapping of her pen.
"I'm capable of studying, Taeyeon. Where's Donghae?"
Lately, Taeyeon and Donghae had become a two for one deal--if you wanted to see one of them, you automatically got the other.
"Making up a quiz. Yuri?"
Yoona and Yuri weren't so different.
"She's at Era, working out her schedule for winter break."
Taeyeon took out a salad from her lunch and gave Yoona her baby carrots since it seemed like the girl hadn't eaten anything.
"I can't wait until I'm a senior. The only time I'll come to class is for tests."
"Yuri doesn't skip that much. But today's Friday and her boss called so she took the day off," Yoona explained, biting down on a carrot.
"How do you feel about the test?"
The information in Yoona's head felt like it was bubbling out of her ears. There was only so much she could take in.
"I don't know. I've been going over it in my head so many times it's like verbatim, but I keep second guessing myself."
Taeyeon put down her fork and closed the textbook. She hid the notes as well so Yoona couldn't see the words on the pages.
"That's a sign telling you to stop. You need a break. Besides, all that extra time in the library probably did some good." The look on Yoona's face sparked Taeyeon's interest, for her smile was a bit too wide considering no sane person would view spending a night in a school library as joyful. "You didn't, you know...with Yuri...in the library, did you?"
Yoona caught on what Taeyeon was asking and vigorously shook her head.
"Ew, no. It's a library, Taeyeon. Encyclopedias aren't really much of a turn on."
Taeyeon stabbed some leaves of lettuce with her fork, mumbling loud enough only for Yoona to hear.
"I just thought with you two being girls, you don't have to worry about getting pregnant or--"
Carrot bits flew out of Yoona's mouth when she hissed her question.
"Are you pregnant?"
"No!" Taeyeon looked around to see if anyone was near them. "How did you jump to that conclusion?"
"Because I don't know why we would be talking about pregnancies in the middle of lunch." And Yoona remembered Donghae telling her Taeyeon was sick not too long ago.
"I was just saying. No, I'm not pregnant."
Taeyeon bit her lip, continuing to stab her lettuce. Yoona felt relieved for only a few seconds before Taeyeon mumbled her next words.
"At least I don't think so."
"Oh Lord have mercy," Yoona sobbed, throwing her carrot up in the air.
"We didn't plan it. It just kind of happened!"
"You know, everyone always says that but I still don't understand it. How can it just kind of happen?!" Yoona put her hands over her ears, retracting her question with a shake of her head. "Do not answer that."
She calmed and scratched her forehead in thought.
"Does Donghae know?"
"He does. I'm going to the doctor to find out for sure tomorrow."
Yoona hadn't been much of a friend to Taeyeon, but she didn't want their relationship to be so one-sided anymore.
"Do you want me to go with you?"
Taeyeon showed her appreciation to the offer with a smile.
"Thanks for asking, but Donghae will be there."
The test was shoved down a few notches on Yoona's priorities. Her friend could possibly be pregnant, though Taeyeon sure wasn't reacting in any way Yoona would have.
"How can you be so calm?"
The question didn't faze Taeyeon. The short girl's blank expression was an answer in itself.
"How am I supposed to concentrate on a test when you might be pregnant?"
Taeyeon wasn't as composed about it as Yoona thought but she'd been given a lot more time to process the information than Yoona. The way she saw it was, either she could spend the next twenty-four hours stressing out over something that could be nothing, or continue living her life.
"I know it's strange but I'm not going to worry about it now, especially since it might be false. Whatever we'll find out tomorrow, we'll deal with it. What's done is done and there isn't much I can do."
It seemed like Taeyeon was taking lessons from Yuri's philosophy on life.
The bell rang but Yoona remained in her seat; she would have given anything for a pillow and a nap. A loud laugh caught Yoona's attention and she spotted Hyoyeon and some girls across the cafeteria. They passed Yoona in ignorance and Yoona couldn't bring herself to care.
"I don't get Hyoyeon," Yoona said as Taeyeon collected her belongings. "I mean, she worked so hard to keep me away from Yuri and be her friend, but now she acts like we've never even seen each other before."
"Maybe she feels betrayed."
A staff member began circling them like a vulture so Yoona finally stood and packed her things. The cafeteria's noise left with the flow of the students and Yoona no longer needed to raise her voice to be heard.
"It's not like I ditched her."
"Yoona, that's exactly what you did." They were two of the last students out and strolled down the emptying halls without any hurry. "Look, I'm not calling Hyoyeon a saint by any means, but she became friends with the bitchy version of you. Now that you're not bitchy, you don't have anything in common anymore and she probably feels left out."
The closer they got to their classroom, the more Yoona remembered the test and how much she was dreading it.
"I'm not going to apologize for being who I am. I don't want to be that fake girl."
"So then tell her. Maybe she'll respect you again if you do."
Being on Hyoyeon's bad side wasn't smart. The girl was capable of ruining people and they still had a year left of school together. If she learned one thing from her mistake with Yuri it was sometimes a confrontation led to good things.
Taeyeon looked somewhere behind Yoona and backed towards the classroom.
"I'll see you inside."
"Why? I need to take this test too--"
"Hi."
Yoona understood why Taeyeon left so abruptly once Yuri turned up next to her. As stressed as she was about Taeyeon's hypothetical baby and the test, how important it was, Yuri's presence made it all seem trivial.
"D-time."
Yuri didn't understand. "What's D-time?"
"You know, like D-Day, when the allies had that important win in Normandy during World War II." She paused while Yuri grinned proudly. "I can't believe I can give you an explanation of D-Day."
"I didn't know your test covered World War II."
"It doesn't but this is what happens when you spend hours with a History textbook."
Yoona had knowledge of presidents and wars and cultural movements--basically a bunch of stuff she'd never find use for.
"Here, this is for you."
Yuri pulled out a strip of paper from the front pocket of her jeans.
"A cheat sheet?"
Yoona reached for the paper excitedly, but Yuri withheld it by drawing her arm away.
"No dork, it's just something I got at lunch today but I thought it'd help you more than it'd help me. Don't read it until right before the test."
If it wasn't answers than Yoona doubted it would be of any use but she kept the paper.
When the final bell sounded she unfolded it and read the printed numbers, dubbed as lucky in bold. How the hell were lucky numbers supposed to help her? She flipped the paper, annoyed, like it was some joke she couldn't make sense of, but the text on the other side coincided much better with what Yuri had said.
Trust your intuition. The universe is guiding your life.
"I hope that isn't what I think it is."
Yoona's teacher glared at the paper and Yoona gave him a confident smile.
"Not at all. You can have it."
He took the paper without looking what was inside and she started her test, smiling as she wrote about the fall of the Roman Empire and all the other tragedies and triumphs. All that mattered was she could tell of them and do it astonishingly well.
*
That night, Yoona, Donghae and Taeyeon celebrated the beginning of their winter break by going to Era. Yoona wanted to make most of the night considering the next day Taeyeon's and Donghae's life could be turned upside down. Yuri had learned of the news from Donghae earlier and was greatly responsible for calming him and helping him think rationally.
It was the calm before the storm and they planned on taking advantage of it.
At the end of Yuri's set they gathered in the employee's lounge. Yuri loved the club, but when spending hours in its hectic atmosphere, she would need to get away.
"I've always thought fortune cookies were a scam, but looks like they aren't so useless."
Taeyeon and Donghae were on the couch so Yoona and Yuri stayed at the table. Yoona wished she had her test results but she'd have to wait until after the break.
"I'm glad I could be of use," Yuri said, drawing over the veins on Yoona's hand; at a crossroad, her fingers split and she continued following the separate paths until the soft green color disappeared.
The sudden affection showed how tired Yuri was--the girl became oddly touchy with Yoona whenever she was sleepy. It was a simple reason, but one Yuri was still too shy to admit, touching Yoona kept Yuri's senses awake, even if her body was pleading for sleep.
When Taek showed up, no one paid attention, the room was for employees after all, until he spoke and everyone quieted.
"Seunghyun wants to see us. I think his friend is here."
Yuri excused herself and left with Taek.
Yoona watched them, especially Taek and his face, seeing how his eyes lingered over Yuri's body or the excuses to touch her masked as politeness. He didn't unnerve her like Tiffany did, but to blatantly see someone admire Yuri so outwardly inflamed her jealousy.
Yuri had spun an amazing set and had no worries about landing the job. However, when she and Taek entered the office and Seunghyun looked at them with those caustic eyes, like they could burn right through her, her confidence receded. She almost didn't notice the other man sitting next to him.
"Jiyong, meet Taek--he's the one who worked on the opening--and Yuri, my DJ."
Jiyong examined them and Yuri could feel his judgmental look as if it were physically touching her.
"She's just a kid," Jiyong spoke like Yuri wasn't right there in front of him.
"She's the best I got."
Jiyong wasn't convinced and his frown proved it.
"You said you needed a DJ--a clean, responsible, hardworking DJ," Seunghyun said, turning his head to the side as he lighted a cigarette with a match. The smoke tickled Yuri's nose and she swallowed, trying to get rid of the smell. "Yuri is as clean, responsible and hardworking as they get, kid or not."
The praise was unforeseen. Seunghyun hadn't ever looked anything but simply satisfied with her DJ'ing.
Trapped in deep thought and contemplation, Jiyong looked Yuri up and down once more. He got up and stood in front of Yuri, his eyes not as intimidating as Seunghyun's but just as callous.
"Have you ever been to jail or juvie? Messed around with any substances?"
"No, sir."
Jiyong cracked a smile, a quick upturn of his mouth, like he was amused by the answer.
"I don't know if you're trying to be a smartass or if you're legit."
"She's legit," Seunghyun assured, a trail of smoke following the words.
Appearing satisfied, Jiyong pointed to Taek and turned to Seunghyun.
"What am I supposed to do with him? I already have enough bouncers."
"I'll do whatever you need," Taek spoke up.
Yuri had kept her sights on the wall straight ahead of her but she saw the glint in Jiyong's eyes, part mischief, part danger, as he approached Taek.
"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep."
It was like the entire room was sucked of air with Jiyong's sentence. Yuri felt like they pissed off a mafia boss and were about to pay dearly for it.
"Stop scaring them, Jiyong," Seunghyun told him after the cold, momentary silence.
Jiyong smiled again, much more genuinely this time.
"I'm just messing with you." He slapped Taek's shoulder and Yuri could see the muscles in Taek's arms relax. "Yea, I'll find a place for the both of you. You start tomorrow."
"Where will we be working?" Yuri asked after Jiyong returned to his seat on the leather sofa.
Jiyong shot Seunghyun a look of disappointment.
"You didn't tell them?"
"I'm not going to brag for you," Seunghyun deadpanned, tapping the ashes off his cigarette.
Their exchange was so laidback and brotherly. They must have been very close since Yuri had never seen Seunghyun so playful with another person.
"You'll be working at my newest club," Jiyong informed them, baring his teeth in a wide smile. "The Golden Fox."
*
Yuri kept the job change to herself. Taeyeon and Donghae were more important and she didn't think it was wise to blurt, in the middle of the waiting room, that she was going to work at the Golden Fox for the week.
They sat in uncomfortable chairs at Taeyeon's doctor, the three of them, chins in their hands, waiting for Taeyeon to come back with the results. Although Taeyeon didn't want Yoona there they came. Yoona was there as Taeyeon's support and Yuri was Donghae's. They kept their gaze on the floor, only looking up when someone passed them, thinking it could have been Taeyeon.
"I never even asked her if she wanted to keep it."
Yoona and Yuri turned towards Donghae, his voice so small and fragile like anything above a whisper would shatter him.
"I should propose, right?" He looked at Yuri, pleadingly, like she was God and with all the right answers. "I mean, if she's pregnant and wants to keep it, we should get married. Right?"
Yuri put her arm around him, comforting him in the only way she knew how.
"We'll talk about it later."
Donghae sighed, his shoulders drooping low. He imagined his life, first the most immediate things like getting a job, finding someplace to live and trying to do all this while finishing his final year of high school. Then he thought of his baby, the diapers, the baby food, the clothes. Finally he thought of him and Taeyeon--would this be a miracle in disguise or would they grow up to be bitter, hating the other for the situation they were stuck in.
"Who died?"
All three heads flew up to the voice. Donghae stood, his hand on the armrest, in case his legs failed him.
"Are you--?"
"No. It was negative. I'm not pregnant."
The smile plastered on Taeyeon's face made much more sense now. Yoona and Yuri stood, ready to hug Taeyeon but Donghae got to her first, almost knocking her down.
Yuri gave Yoona a quick nod towards the door to give Donghae and Taeyeon a minute by themselves. As they left, Donghae and Taeyeon were still stuck in a hug, with no intention of letting go anytime soon.
*
Taek and Yuri arrived at the Golden Fox before the club opened. Unlike Era, the place was bustling even when closed. Yuri couldn't take her eyes off the DJ booth above her when they entered the expansive space. The excitement translated onto her face; she simply could not stop smiling.
Jiyong gave them their schedules (Yuri didn't pay attention to the hours, her mind preoccupied with daydreams of DJ'ing above a crowd) and gave them a tour. His rules were straightforward: "Do what I tell you, when I tell you; be punctual, and everyone will be happy."
The tour made Yuri see how much of a perfectionist Jiyong was. He was constantly giving out orders, focusing on the smallest of details and his voice was like a cracking whip--it spurred everyone to work. His presence was commanding and Yuri wondered if Jiyong and Seunghyun were related.
They ended the tour at the bar, where Jiyong wanted to introduce some of the staff.
"I'd start with the bartender, but I don't think she's here yet--Oh, nevermind."
They turned to the club's entrance where a girl began making her way towards them.
"I didn't know we were hiring," the girl said, casting Taek and Yuri a bored look. Taek was practically salivating at her sight.
"It's just for the week. This is our new DJ, Yuri, and Taek. I haven't decided what I'll do with him yet."
The girl smiled, polite but fake, and went behind the bar, putting her hair into a messy bun. Jiyong had waited for her to introduce herself but when she started cleaning glasses, ignoring them completely, he did it for her.
"And this is our bartender, Jessica."
**
AN: LE GASP. There's one person who shouldn't be surprised at all :p I know it seems like I planned this, with Jessica's birthday tomorrow (today for some), but honestly, I didn't. Update on 22nd :]
"Did he call you over too?"
Taek nodded and lifted his hand. "After you."
She rolled her eyes, knowing behind the gentlemanly act, he was probably staring at her ass as she walked in.
They stood awkwardly by Seunghyun's desk as he finished a phone call. He gestured for them to sit.
"As you know, I'm closing Era for a week starting on Monday. Not many go clubbing during winter and after going it over with my accountant, it's actually better for me financially to completely close it down than waste money for a few stragglers. Since I want neither of you jobless for a week, I spoke with a friend of mine and he's agreed to see how you work tonight. If he likes what he sees, he'll take you off my hands while I'm gone."
The phone started ringing and whatever questions Taek and Yuri had were dismissed with a wave of his hand. Taek closed the door, his eyes traveling down Yuri's body.
"Do you think it's another club?"
"Probably," she said, turning around to face him. He averted his gaze elsewhere but she had seen where he was staring.
She gave him a slap on the forehead.
"Stop ogling me!"
"Think of it as a compliment! You seriously have one of the finest, pert as--"
She raised her hand to smack him again but he caught her wrist before she could make the hit. He stepped closer while she was dazed.
"If you want to touch me, then just ask," he breathed and it sent all kinds of wrong shivers through her body.
"Can I touch you with a baseball bat?"
He grinned and released her arm.
Taek always saw their tension as sexual. He didn't want Yuri to like him or love him, he just wanted her to admit how amazing their sex could be if she just gave it a try.
As she left, his smug shout could be heard throughout the club.
"One day you're going to realize we're meant to be, Yuri!"
*
The notes on her page were blending together. Yoona couldn't tell the Romans from the Gauls and all the dates she memorized weren't attached to any events. It wouldn't have been so worrisome if the test only reflected her performance but now that it affected Yuri too, there was an added pressure upon her.
"Is that a textbook? Are those notes? Are you studying?"
Taeyeon gaped at Yoona's huddled body and the frenzied tapping of her pen.
"I'm capable of studying, Taeyeon. Where's Donghae?"
Lately, Taeyeon and Donghae had become a two for one deal--if you wanted to see one of them, you automatically got the other.
"Making up a quiz. Yuri?"
Yoona and Yuri weren't so different.
"She's at Era, working out her schedule for winter break."
Taeyeon took out a salad from her lunch and gave Yoona her baby carrots since it seemed like the girl hadn't eaten anything.
"I can't wait until I'm a senior. The only time I'll come to class is for tests."
"Yuri doesn't skip that much. But today's Friday and her boss called so she took the day off," Yoona explained, biting down on a carrot.
"How do you feel about the test?"
The information in Yoona's head felt like it was bubbling out of her ears. There was only so much she could take in.
"I don't know. I've been going over it in my head so many times it's like verbatim, but I keep second guessing myself."
Taeyeon put down her fork and closed the textbook. She hid the notes as well so Yoona couldn't see the words on the pages.
"That's a sign telling you to stop. You need a break. Besides, all that extra time in the library probably did some good." The look on Yoona's face sparked Taeyeon's interest, for her smile was a bit too wide considering no sane person would view spending a night in a school library as joyful. "You didn't, you know...with Yuri...in the library, did you?"
Yoona caught on what Taeyeon was asking and vigorously shook her head.
"Ew, no. It's a library, Taeyeon. Encyclopedias aren't really much of a turn on."
Taeyeon stabbed some leaves of lettuce with her fork, mumbling loud enough only for Yoona to hear.
"I just thought with you two being girls, you don't have to worry about getting pregnant or--"
Carrot bits flew out of Yoona's mouth when she hissed her question.
"Are you pregnant?"
"No!" Taeyeon looked around to see if anyone was near them. "How did you jump to that conclusion?"
"Because I don't know why we would be talking about pregnancies in the middle of lunch." And Yoona remembered Donghae telling her Taeyeon was sick not too long ago.
"I was just saying. No, I'm not pregnant."
Taeyeon bit her lip, continuing to stab her lettuce. Yoona felt relieved for only a few seconds before Taeyeon mumbled her next words.
"At least I don't think so."
"Oh Lord have mercy," Yoona sobbed, throwing her carrot up in the air.
"We didn't plan it. It just kind of happened!"
"You know, everyone always says that but I still don't understand it. How can it just kind of happen?!" Yoona put her hands over her ears, retracting her question with a shake of her head. "Do not answer that."
She calmed and scratched her forehead in thought.
"Does Donghae know?"
"He does. I'm going to the doctor to find out for sure tomorrow."
Yoona hadn't been much of a friend to Taeyeon, but she didn't want their relationship to be so one-sided anymore.
"Do you want me to go with you?"
Taeyeon showed her appreciation to the offer with a smile.
"Thanks for asking, but Donghae will be there."
The test was shoved down a few notches on Yoona's priorities. Her friend could possibly be pregnant, though Taeyeon sure wasn't reacting in any way Yoona would have.
"How can you be so calm?"
The question didn't faze Taeyeon. The short girl's blank expression was an answer in itself.
"How am I supposed to concentrate on a test when you might be pregnant?"
Taeyeon wasn't as composed about it as Yoona thought but she'd been given a lot more time to process the information than Yoona. The way she saw it was, either she could spend the next twenty-four hours stressing out over something that could be nothing, or continue living her life.
"I know it's strange but I'm not going to worry about it now, especially since it might be false. Whatever we'll find out tomorrow, we'll deal with it. What's done is done and there isn't much I can do."
It seemed like Taeyeon was taking lessons from Yuri's philosophy on life.
The bell rang but Yoona remained in her seat; she would have given anything for a pillow and a nap. A loud laugh caught Yoona's attention and she spotted Hyoyeon and some girls across the cafeteria. They passed Yoona in ignorance and Yoona couldn't bring herself to care.
"I don't get Hyoyeon," Yoona said as Taeyeon collected her belongings. "I mean, she worked so hard to keep me away from Yuri and be her friend, but now she acts like we've never even seen each other before."
"Maybe she feels betrayed."
A staff member began circling them like a vulture so Yoona finally stood and packed her things. The cafeteria's noise left with the flow of the students and Yoona no longer needed to raise her voice to be heard.
"It's not like I ditched her."
"Yoona, that's exactly what you did." They were two of the last students out and strolled down the emptying halls without any hurry. "Look, I'm not calling Hyoyeon a saint by any means, but she became friends with the bitchy version of you. Now that you're not bitchy, you don't have anything in common anymore and she probably feels left out."
The closer they got to their classroom, the more Yoona remembered the test and how much she was dreading it.
"I'm not going to apologize for being who I am. I don't want to be that fake girl."
"So then tell her. Maybe she'll respect you again if you do."
Being on Hyoyeon's bad side wasn't smart. The girl was capable of ruining people and they still had a year left of school together. If she learned one thing from her mistake with Yuri it was sometimes a confrontation led to good things.
Taeyeon looked somewhere behind Yoona and backed towards the classroom.
"I'll see you inside."
"Why? I need to take this test too--"
"Hi."
Yoona understood why Taeyeon left so abruptly once Yuri turned up next to her. As stressed as she was about Taeyeon's hypothetical baby and the test, how important it was, Yuri's presence made it all seem trivial.
"D-time."
Yuri didn't understand. "What's D-time?"
"You know, like D-Day, when the allies had that important win in Normandy during World War II." She paused while Yuri grinned proudly. "I can't believe I can give you an explanation of D-Day."
"I didn't know your test covered World War II."
"It doesn't but this is what happens when you spend hours with a History textbook."
Yoona had knowledge of presidents and wars and cultural movements--basically a bunch of stuff she'd never find use for.
"Here, this is for you."
Yuri pulled out a strip of paper from the front pocket of her jeans.
"A cheat sheet?"
Yoona reached for the paper excitedly, but Yuri withheld it by drawing her arm away.
"No dork, it's just something I got at lunch today but I thought it'd help you more than it'd help me. Don't read it until right before the test."
If it wasn't answers than Yoona doubted it would be of any use but she kept the paper.
When the final bell sounded she unfolded it and read the printed numbers, dubbed as lucky in bold. How the hell were lucky numbers supposed to help her? She flipped the paper, annoyed, like it was some joke she couldn't make sense of, but the text on the other side coincided much better with what Yuri had said.
Trust your intuition. The universe is guiding your life.
"I hope that isn't what I think it is."
Yoona's teacher glared at the paper and Yoona gave him a confident smile.
"Not at all. You can have it."
He took the paper without looking what was inside and she started her test, smiling as she wrote about the fall of the Roman Empire and all the other tragedies and triumphs. All that mattered was she could tell of them and do it astonishingly well.
*
That night, Yoona, Donghae and Taeyeon celebrated the beginning of their winter break by going to Era. Yoona wanted to make most of the night considering the next day Taeyeon's and Donghae's life could be turned upside down. Yuri had learned of the news from Donghae earlier and was greatly responsible for calming him and helping him think rationally.
It was the calm before the storm and they planned on taking advantage of it.
At the end of Yuri's set they gathered in the employee's lounge. Yuri loved the club, but when spending hours in its hectic atmosphere, she would need to get away.
"I've always thought fortune cookies were a scam, but looks like they aren't so useless."
Taeyeon and Donghae were on the couch so Yoona and Yuri stayed at the table. Yoona wished she had her test results but she'd have to wait until after the break.
"I'm glad I could be of use," Yuri said, drawing over the veins on Yoona's hand; at a crossroad, her fingers split and she continued following the separate paths until the soft green color disappeared.
The sudden affection showed how tired Yuri was--the girl became oddly touchy with Yoona whenever she was sleepy. It was a simple reason, but one Yuri was still too shy to admit, touching Yoona kept Yuri's senses awake, even if her body was pleading for sleep.
When Taek showed up, no one paid attention, the room was for employees after all, until he spoke and everyone quieted.
"Seunghyun wants to see us. I think his friend is here."
Yuri excused herself and left with Taek.
Yoona watched them, especially Taek and his face, seeing how his eyes lingered over Yuri's body or the excuses to touch her masked as politeness. He didn't unnerve her like Tiffany did, but to blatantly see someone admire Yuri so outwardly inflamed her jealousy.
Yuri had spun an amazing set and had no worries about landing the job. However, when she and Taek entered the office and Seunghyun looked at them with those caustic eyes, like they could burn right through her, her confidence receded. She almost didn't notice the other man sitting next to him.
"Jiyong, meet Taek--he's the one who worked on the opening--and Yuri, my DJ."
Jiyong examined them and Yuri could feel his judgmental look as if it were physically touching her.
"She's just a kid," Jiyong spoke like Yuri wasn't right there in front of him.
"She's the best I got."
Jiyong wasn't convinced and his frown proved it.
"You said you needed a DJ--a clean, responsible, hardworking DJ," Seunghyun said, turning his head to the side as he lighted a cigarette with a match. The smoke tickled Yuri's nose and she swallowed, trying to get rid of the smell. "Yuri is as clean, responsible and hardworking as they get, kid or not."
The praise was unforeseen. Seunghyun hadn't ever looked anything but simply satisfied with her DJ'ing.
Trapped in deep thought and contemplation, Jiyong looked Yuri up and down once more. He got up and stood in front of Yuri, his eyes not as intimidating as Seunghyun's but just as callous.
"Have you ever been to jail or juvie? Messed around with any substances?"
"No, sir."
Jiyong cracked a smile, a quick upturn of his mouth, like he was amused by the answer.
"I don't know if you're trying to be a smartass or if you're legit."
"She's legit," Seunghyun assured, a trail of smoke following the words.
Appearing satisfied, Jiyong pointed to Taek and turned to Seunghyun.
"What am I supposed to do with him? I already have enough bouncers."
"I'll do whatever you need," Taek spoke up.
Yuri had kept her sights on the wall straight ahead of her but she saw the glint in Jiyong's eyes, part mischief, part danger, as he approached Taek.
"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep."
It was like the entire room was sucked of air with Jiyong's sentence. Yuri felt like they pissed off a mafia boss and were about to pay dearly for it.
"Stop scaring them, Jiyong," Seunghyun told him after the cold, momentary silence.
Jiyong smiled again, much more genuinely this time.
"I'm just messing with you." He slapped Taek's shoulder and Yuri could see the muscles in Taek's arms relax. "Yea, I'll find a place for the both of you. You start tomorrow."
"Where will we be working?" Yuri asked after Jiyong returned to his seat on the leather sofa.
Jiyong shot Seunghyun a look of disappointment.
"You didn't tell them?"
"I'm not going to brag for you," Seunghyun deadpanned, tapping the ashes off his cigarette.
Their exchange was so laidback and brotherly. They must have been very close since Yuri had never seen Seunghyun so playful with another person.
"You'll be working at my newest club," Jiyong informed them, baring his teeth in a wide smile. "The Golden Fox."
*
Yuri kept the job change to herself. Taeyeon and Donghae were more important and she didn't think it was wise to blurt, in the middle of the waiting room, that she was going to work at the Golden Fox for the week.
They sat in uncomfortable chairs at Taeyeon's doctor, the three of them, chins in their hands, waiting for Taeyeon to come back with the results. Although Taeyeon didn't want Yoona there they came. Yoona was there as Taeyeon's support and Yuri was Donghae's. They kept their gaze on the floor, only looking up when someone passed them, thinking it could have been Taeyeon.
"I never even asked her if she wanted to keep it."
Yoona and Yuri turned towards Donghae, his voice so small and fragile like anything above a whisper would shatter him.
"I should propose, right?" He looked at Yuri, pleadingly, like she was God and with all the right answers. "I mean, if she's pregnant and wants to keep it, we should get married. Right?"
Yuri put her arm around him, comforting him in the only way she knew how.
"We'll talk about it later."
Donghae sighed, his shoulders drooping low. He imagined his life, first the most immediate things like getting a job, finding someplace to live and trying to do all this while finishing his final year of high school. Then he thought of his baby, the diapers, the baby food, the clothes. Finally he thought of him and Taeyeon--would this be a miracle in disguise or would they grow up to be bitter, hating the other for the situation they were stuck in.
"Who died?"
All three heads flew up to the voice. Donghae stood, his hand on the armrest, in case his legs failed him.
"Are you--?"
"No. It was negative. I'm not pregnant."
The smile plastered on Taeyeon's face made much more sense now. Yoona and Yuri stood, ready to hug Taeyeon but Donghae got to her first, almost knocking her down.
Yuri gave Yoona a quick nod towards the door to give Donghae and Taeyeon a minute by themselves. As they left, Donghae and Taeyeon were still stuck in a hug, with no intention of letting go anytime soon.
*
Taek and Yuri arrived at the Golden Fox before the club opened. Unlike Era, the place was bustling even when closed. Yuri couldn't take her eyes off the DJ booth above her when they entered the expansive space. The excitement translated onto her face; she simply could not stop smiling.
Jiyong gave them their schedules (Yuri didn't pay attention to the hours, her mind preoccupied with daydreams of DJ'ing above a crowd) and gave them a tour. His rules were straightforward: "Do what I tell you, when I tell you; be punctual, and everyone will be happy."
The tour made Yuri see how much of a perfectionist Jiyong was. He was constantly giving out orders, focusing on the smallest of details and his voice was like a cracking whip--it spurred everyone to work. His presence was commanding and Yuri wondered if Jiyong and Seunghyun were related.
They ended the tour at the bar, where Jiyong wanted to introduce some of the staff.
"I'd start with the bartender, but I don't think she's here yet--Oh, nevermind."
They turned to the club's entrance where a girl began making her way towards them.
"I didn't know we were hiring," the girl said, casting Taek and Yuri a bored look. Taek was practically salivating at her sight.
"It's just for the week. This is our new DJ, Yuri, and Taek. I haven't decided what I'll do with him yet."
The girl smiled, polite but fake, and went behind the bar, putting her hair into a messy bun. Jiyong had waited for her to introduce herself but when she started cleaning glasses, ignoring them completely, he did it for her.
"And this is our bartender, Jessica."
**
AN: LE GASP. There's one person who shouldn't be surprised at all :p I know it seems like I planned this, with Jessica's birthday tomorrow (today for some), but honestly, I didn't. Update on 22nd :]