/A Perfect Day for A Love Declaration/ Day Thirteen
a perfect day for a love declaration
day thirteen ★ when the past might catch up with us
At same same cafe where Yoona and Yuri met, sometime between the second or third week before the "wedding", earlier in the day...
"--unni?"
Somehow the air in the room was gone and I couldn't breathe. My heart started to clench as I blinked several times to try and focus. But I couldn't - not when the lights in front of me began to blur and Yuri's voice had begun to sound distorted.
Yuri's tone sounded so distraught. "Oh, Yoona - I'm so sorry. You have to believe me. I didn't mean for it to happen. I never thought I would ever- I'm so sorry."
I waved her off with my free hand and closed my eyes, keeping whatever it was that I wanted to say from coming out of my mouth. Words that went along the lines of: It's not your fault; he and I were never together anyway. How could you? I still love him--
No. Those words wouldn't work anyway. Not anymore. I finally regain my composure, and I look at Yuri.
"Yoona..." Her face looked so guilty that I felt for her. I smiled (if it came out forced I wouldn't know) and patted her hand. She turned to me with those apologetic eyes.
"I'm not... angry at you, Yuri."
"But you should! I had initially planned on helping the both of you in fixing your relationship but I ended up--" She stopped, sighing loudly and shaking her head. "I'm so sorry. I'm useless."
I shook my head. "No, you're not. There just wasn't anything you could do to fix it."
"That's not true. I just didn't try hard enough!"
"No, Yuri. I think... I think I gave up a long time ago. He was gone for so long, and I knew how he felt about me. And even when he came back... he never said anything to make me think otherwise..."
"Why?"
"Because I love you..."
"...so you see, there really wasn't anything you could do to change things between Changmin and me." The words he spoke from before echoed in my thoughts and I tried to block them out - but I couldn't. "Our story is finished, Yuri. It's time for me to start a new one without him, and likewise for him, a new one with you."
"Unni..."
A knock from outside the window startled us and I smiled when I saw Donghae on the other side. He waved at me, grinning and I waved back. When I turned back to Yuri, she was watching me, her face still sad. I nudged her, sighing.
"Did you really mean what you said? That you..." I held my breath as I spoke the rest of the way, "... love him?"
A part of me knew she did and was happy. Elated even. But another part, a secret part, felt hollow and empty when she turned to me and nodded earnestly. I let out my breath and nodded back, looking away quickly just as tears came to my eyes. I stopped before they fell and hastily brushed them away.
"Good." I said, standing up. "I have to go now. Donghae's here."
Yuri stood up as well, bowing to me slightly. "I'm sorry again. And -- I hope you really are okay with this. Please?"
I don't say anything, but instead I turn and walk away.
Donghae is waiting for me.
And Changmin... well...
At Changmin's apartment; around the same time...
"Tell me what happened. Everything."
I shook my head. "No."
"Shim Changmin. Don't be an asshole."
Kibum was angry. I knew it from the way he glared and stared me down. I also knew that whatever I say or do wouldn't make him back down from getting what he wanted. And he wanted the truth. I just couldn't risk telling him that. Even if he was my best friend.
"Some things are better left as a secret. Whatever it happened in the past should stay in the past. I don't want to complicate things further for Yoona or you, okay? So just--drop it."
He scoffed, shaking his head angrily. "Are you serious? Have you ever even thought that maybe the reason why things ended up like this is because you kept whatever it is you're hiding from Yoona? Or me? Did it ever occur to you - that we wouldn't have to be in this messed up time if you had only told me what was going on between you and your insane father? Because maybe then - things would have ended differently."
"Like how? Like if I had disobeyed my father and ran away with Yoona, we'd live happily ever after?" I shook my head, rolling my eyes. "Endings like that never happen in real life, Kibum. My father would eventually find us, and he'd do anything to keep me from destroying his company's image."
"That's crap."
I sighed, shrugging. "I'm the only son of the biggest import and export company in the whole of Korea. I have two sisters, both of whom are married to the heirs of the rich and powerful clients my father's company has. My parents may have given me that chance to study and pursue law - but he won't let me marry out of my..." I stop for a moment. "... rank. Or so he says."
Kibum looked wholly shocked. "I knew your family was uptight but... is that really how the Shim family goes through things like marriage?"
"My mother was lucky. My father loves her and vice versa, but then she was chosen for him by his father so." I shrugged.
"But you were going to propose."
I paused. "Yes."
"You have to tell me everything, Changmin. I have so many questions in my head. Things like, why didn't you go for it? Or where's the engagement ring now? Or what did your father mean about Yoona's father's company?" He sighed. "You have to tell me. You owe me that much."
I sighed, my hand reaching up to my neck to hold the necklace I had on. My fingers clasped the ring that dangled from it and I looked at it for a moment. It glittered from the light, and for a second I saw Yoona's smiling face flash through my mind. Kibum sat across from me and looked at the ring as well.
"Changmin?"
"Yeah." I let out a deep breath. "Okay."
And I started...
Yoona's apartment, the same time
"I've been wondering about something..."
I was spacing out - maybe that was why Donghae suddenly spoke. I sat up straighter and promptly cleared my throat and looked up at Donghae, studying his face.
His arm was around my shoulders as we sat comfortably on the couch in my living room. I tilted my head, "What?"
Donghae only smiled down at me and shifted in his seat.
"What is it, oppa?" I asked, blinking up at him and nudged him with an elbow. He shook his head; letting out a breath threw his nose, he spoke again. "It's stupid. I probably shouldn't ask you until we get to 200 days or something."
I laughed slightly, smacking him slightly on his shoulder and gave him a pointed look. He was avoiding my eyes - and he never does that - I started to feel nervous. "Whatever it is, I'll tell you if you really want to know."
"Really?" he asked; his eyes boring into mine. I nodded. "Yes."
"I want you to tell me about the guy who gave you that ring around your neck..."
My body immediately tensed up and my hand went to my neck, feeling nothing around it. Then I remembered I had thrown it that night Changmin showed up... I gulped, lowering my head slightly. He was wondering about that? About... Changmin?
"There used to be a ring around your neck, dangling from a silver link necklace -- I can only assume it came from someone and I was wondering who it was."
Oh. So that was why... "Well, remember when you met Kibum? He told you that story about a friend we both had--"
"You mean, Changmin?" Donghae said his name so bluntly, I would have mistook his tone for jealousy.
I stared at him in surprise. "How did you...?"
"I met him with Kibum to go look for tuxedos for the wedding you invited me for."
"Oh." I shifted nervously, vaguely wondering why he was still asking if he already knew Changmin. I licked my lips and took a deep breath. "What did you want to know?"
"I want to know what happened after that."
I nodded. "Okay."
And I started...
This took too long, eh? Sorry. :|
day thirteen ★ when the past might catch up with us
At same same cafe where Yoona and Yuri met, sometime between the second or third week before the "wedding", earlier in the day...
"--unni?"
Somehow the air in the room was gone and I couldn't breathe. My heart started to clench as I blinked several times to try and focus. But I couldn't - not when the lights in front of me began to blur and Yuri's voice had begun to sound distorted.
Yuri's tone sounded so distraught. "Oh, Yoona - I'm so sorry. You have to believe me. I didn't mean for it to happen. I never thought I would ever- I'm so sorry."
I waved her off with my free hand and closed my eyes, keeping whatever it was that I wanted to say from coming out of my mouth. Words that went along the lines of: It's not your fault; he and I were never together anyway. How could you? I still love him--
No. Those words wouldn't work anyway. Not anymore. I finally regain my composure, and I look at Yuri.
"Yoona..." Her face looked so guilty that I felt for her. I smiled (if it came out forced I wouldn't know) and patted her hand. She turned to me with those apologetic eyes.
"I'm not... angry at you, Yuri."
"But you should! I had initially planned on helping the both of you in fixing your relationship but I ended up--" She stopped, sighing loudly and shaking her head. "I'm so sorry. I'm useless."
I shook my head. "No, you're not. There just wasn't anything you could do to fix it."
"That's not true. I just didn't try hard enough!"
"No, Yuri. I think... I think I gave up a long time ago. He was gone for so long, and I knew how he felt about me. And even when he came back... he never said anything to make me think otherwise..."
"Why?"
"Because I love you..."
"...so you see, there really wasn't anything you could do to change things between Changmin and me." The words he spoke from before echoed in my thoughts and I tried to block them out - but I couldn't. "Our story is finished, Yuri. It's time for me to start a new one without him, and likewise for him, a new one with you."
"Unni..."
A knock from outside the window startled us and I smiled when I saw Donghae on the other side. He waved at me, grinning and I waved back. When I turned back to Yuri, she was watching me, her face still sad. I nudged her, sighing.
"Did you really mean what you said? That you..." I held my breath as I spoke the rest of the way, "... love him?"
A part of me knew she did and was happy. Elated even. But another part, a secret part, felt hollow and empty when she turned to me and nodded earnestly. I let out my breath and nodded back, looking away quickly just as tears came to my eyes. I stopped before they fell and hastily brushed them away.
"Good." I said, standing up. "I have to go now. Donghae's here."
Yuri stood up as well, bowing to me slightly. "I'm sorry again. And -- I hope you really are okay with this. Please?"
I don't say anything, but instead I turn and walk away.
Donghae is waiting for me.
And Changmin... well...
At Changmin's apartment; around the same time...
"Tell me what happened. Everything."
I shook my head. "No."
"Shim Changmin. Don't be an asshole."
Kibum was angry. I knew it from the way he glared and stared me down. I also knew that whatever I say or do wouldn't make him back down from getting what he wanted. And he wanted the truth. I just couldn't risk telling him that. Even if he was my best friend.
"Some things are better left as a secret. Whatever it happened in the past should stay in the past. I don't want to complicate things further for Yoona or you, okay? So just--drop it."
He scoffed, shaking his head angrily. "Are you serious? Have you ever even thought that maybe the reason why things ended up like this is because you kept whatever it is you're hiding from Yoona? Or me? Did it ever occur to you - that we wouldn't have to be in this messed up time if you had only told me what was going on between you and your insane father? Because maybe then - things would have ended differently."
"Like how? Like if I had disobeyed my father and ran away with Yoona, we'd live happily ever after?" I shook my head, rolling my eyes. "Endings like that never happen in real life, Kibum. My father would eventually find us, and he'd do anything to keep me from destroying his company's image."
"That's crap."
I sighed, shrugging. "I'm the only son of the biggest import and export company in the whole of Korea. I have two sisters, both of whom are married to the heirs of the rich and powerful clients my father's company has. My parents may have given me that chance to study and pursue law - but he won't let me marry out of my..." I stop for a moment. "... rank. Or so he says."
Kibum looked wholly shocked. "I knew your family was uptight but... is that really how the Shim family goes through things like marriage?"
"My mother was lucky. My father loves her and vice versa, but then she was chosen for him by his father so." I shrugged.
"But you were going to propose."
I paused. "Yes."
"You have to tell me everything, Changmin. I have so many questions in my head. Things like, why didn't you go for it? Or where's the engagement ring now? Or what did your father mean about Yoona's father's company?" He sighed. "You have to tell me. You owe me that much."
I sighed, my hand reaching up to my neck to hold the necklace I had on. My fingers clasped the ring that dangled from it and I looked at it for a moment. It glittered from the light, and for a second I saw Yoona's smiling face flash through my mind. Kibum sat across from me and looked at the ring as well.
"Changmin?"
"Yeah." I let out a deep breath. "Okay."
And I started...
Yoona's apartment, the same time
"I've been wondering about something..."
I was spacing out - maybe that was why Donghae suddenly spoke. I sat up straighter and promptly cleared my throat and looked up at Donghae, studying his face.
His arm was around my shoulders as we sat comfortably on the couch in my living room. I tilted my head, "What?"
Donghae only smiled down at me and shifted in his seat.
"What is it, oppa?" I asked, blinking up at him and nudged him with an elbow. He shook his head; letting out a breath threw his nose, he spoke again. "It's stupid. I probably shouldn't ask you until we get to 200 days or something."
I laughed slightly, smacking him slightly on his shoulder and gave him a pointed look. He was avoiding my eyes - and he never does that - I started to feel nervous. "Whatever it is, I'll tell you if you really want to know."
"Really?" he asked; his eyes boring into mine. I nodded. "Yes."
"I want you to tell me about the guy who gave you that ring around your neck..."
My body immediately tensed up and my hand went to my neck, feeling nothing around it. Then I remembered I had thrown it that night Changmin showed up... I gulped, lowering my head slightly. He was wondering about that? About... Changmin?
"There used to be a ring around your neck, dangling from a silver link necklace -- I can only assume it came from someone and I was wondering who it was."
Oh. So that was why... "Well, remember when you met Kibum? He told you that story about a friend we both had--"
"You mean, Changmin?" Donghae said his name so bluntly, I would have mistook his tone for jealousy.
I stared at him in surprise. "How did you...?"
"I met him with Kibum to go look for tuxedos for the wedding you invited me for."
"Oh." I shifted nervously, vaguely wondering why he was still asking if he already knew Changmin. I licked my lips and took a deep breath. "What did you want to know?"
"I want to know what happened after that."
I nodded. "Okay."
And I started...
This took too long, eh? Sorry. :|