Say I Love U / Chapter 6
“So... did anything happen while I was gone on business?”
Hyoyeon grinned as Eunhyuk pressed a light kiss on her shoulder.
They liked spending their (very few) free days indoors, just talking and being with one another - it gave them peace and maintained their relationship at its best. Lee Eunhyuk has been her boyfriend for four years and had been away a week recently to go on business. His job as an assistant financial associate for a multi-million company pulled him all over the world but she never complained, because he was wonderful and always came back. But that didn’t mean she didn’t miss him so much.
Because she did, a lot actually... and today, now that he was home-“I missed you, you anchovy.” - “Hey, I resent that.”-well, today was just perfect.
She rolled over to her back and shrugged, drawing the sheets over shoulders. “There have been some interesting developments... but mostly because your best friend’s a bastard.”
“... so something’s happened to Yoona, huh?”
“You are correct, Mr. Lee.”
Eunhyuk sighed, laying back and rubbed his index and thumb over his nose bridge, thinking. He knew about Donghae’s decision to break up with Yoona, of course. He told him a week before he broke her heart, on a Thursday night over piles of paperwork and statistics to review. Donghae told him that he loved Yoona (“-really I do. It’s just that-”) but that there was someone else... someone from way before he came back to Seoul, before working at their company... before falling for Yoona.
Everyone had a past - and Donghae had a right to go back to his. Eunhyuk sat up and sighed loudly, causing Hyoyeon to blink at him curiously. “Donghae never meant to hurt her, Hyo.”
“He cheated on her! He was seeing someone else while dating my best friend! How is that not ‘meaning’ to hurt her?” Hyoyeon exclaimed, sitting up as well and glared at her boyfriend steadily. Eunhyuk held up his hands in defeat, leaning away just in case she decides to hit him with a pillow or something. She relaxed immediately and pouted, “Sorry, hon. What he did just really pissed me off... and Yoona doesn’t even know how he could have done that.”
“I know what you mean... but we have no say on the matter. Donghae’s made his choice - it’s his call if he wants to fix it.”
Hyoyeon nodded, setting her head on her boyfriend’s shoulder and touched the fabric of their blanket. She hated knowing that Eunhyuk was right - that even if they did want to help, they couldn’t go over and fix it for their friends. She’d seen how hard Yoona tried to hide her sadness (she would eat that fish-shaped red bean bread during their morning break everyday because Donghae had brought her one when they first started going out) and she was sure Eunhyuk had seen some reaction from Donghae too.
Donghae was a good person, even Hyoyeon had liked him for her best friend... and he probably did have a good reason...
She sighed, shaking her head. “Have you met her though?”
“Who?”
“The girl he left Yoona for.”
Eunhyuk was silent for a moment, thinking before slowly tilting his head into a slow nod. Hyoyeon figured as much and nodded as well. “What’s she like?”
“Well, she’s definitely not Yoona.”
“But...?”
He shrugged, wrapping an around his girlfriend and pressed a kiss on her forehead. His mind briefly wondered towards the way Donghae’s eyes lit up and the way he held her in the airport days ago and took a deep breath.
“But... Donghae loves her a lot more than I originally thought.”
Yoona felt her heart drop from underneath her and she willed herself not to turn around, slam the door on his face and cry... “Donghae.”
His name came out choked in her throat, and Yoona inwardly scolded herself for sounding so meek. The image of him stared down at her, the smile still on his face. Oh... no. She blinked, trying to pry herself from this hallucination - because Lee Donghae could not possibly be standing outside her door, with his devastatingly handsome smile and easygoing air. He just couldn’t be.
“Yoona... I’m real.” Donghae said smoothly, waving a hand at her face.
Her brow furrowed, feeling a stab of anger hit her heart and she glared at him. His bright expression changed almost immediately and he quickly mouthed a ‘Sorry’ and gestured towards several envelopes tucked under the crook of his arm. Yoona eyed them curiously for a moment before bringing her eyes back to his. She crossed her arms across her chest and met his gaze coolly - ignoring the all-too-familiar thump her heart gave at his presence.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, grabbing the door frame with one hand while the other was secured to the knob. She tried not to show that her hand was shaking and waited for him to reply. Her mind was reeling; Shit. He’s here... oh God, why is he here? He doesn’t know about Changmin... Should I call Changmin? I don’t know what to-
Yoona caught herself for a moment. Why am I thinking of Changmin?
Donghae held out a piece of paper from the envelopes and gave it to her, snapping her out of her runaway thoughts immediately. She inspected it and recognized the block handwriting of her uncle and her father’s business partner. “Mr. Jung asked me to get some files from your father’s desk and leave these envelopes here for when he returns from the hospital. I thought you’d be out today and so I came... I didn’t plan this, I swear.” He said calmly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “I have to go back to office soon, so...”
Yoona tried not to laugh at the urgency his voice wielded upon talking about work and shook her head. Looking at him straight in the eyes now, she knew he hadn’t changed. He was the same Lee Donghae she knew - still sweet despite being a workaholic, her father’s favorite associate... “You’re still the same.”
“Yeah.” He cracked a lopsided grin at her and nodded. “I swear I’ll be in and out of the house before you know it. You just have to show me to your father’s office, okay?”
She pursed her lips and nodded, stepping away from the door slowly. Donghae looked relieved at this movement and his shoulder visibly relaxed. Yoona waved a hand at him, gesturing to the inside of her house and he bowed politely. His hand patted her shoulder for a split second as he went in, the gesture casual and... normal. Except they shouldn’t be casual yet... not yet.
Yoona closed her eyes for a moment as she closed the door and breathed in deeply. She pulled out her phone and stared down at Changmin’s name blinking on her screen; then she looked back at Donghae, standing awkwardly in the living room with his hands and envelopes behind him, staring at the ceiling. Probably zoning out, she thought, her lips lifting without her notice. Like the Donghae I love...
Yoona hit the ‘Back’ button and put the phone back into her pocket.
Shim Changmin burst into Room 5110, panting for air and looked around anxiously. The young doctor, Siwon, sat on a chair next to the bed of a patient in his fifties. The man in the bed smiled at him, waving a hand to beckon him in while Siwon checked the time on his watch, a smile etched on his face as well.
“I told you he’d arrive in record time if it concerns his sisters. I’m confident to repeat my earlier statement, sir, that Mr. Shim will be very good to your daughter.” Siwon chuckled, tapping his watch deliberately. The older man on the bed laughed, nodding his head and regarded Changmin with an amused expression. He waved him over into the room but he stayed rooted to his spot, perplexed.
Oh shit. Don’t tell me that he’s-“I am Im Sunghyun, Yoona’s father.” The man said, extending a hand in greeting. Changmin offered him a (anxious) smile in return, stepping forward slowly to extend his hand as well. They shook hands in greeting; Mr. Im’s grip stronger than what one would expect from a hospital patient. Changmin shot a look at Siwon, who shrugged half-heartedly and he inwardly resigned to defeat.
In that moment he felt the fear of being dismissed by a girlfriend’s father... Changmin gripped his whiteboard under the crook of his arm and moved his bag behind him, refraining himself from bolting out the door.
Mr. Im smiled again, raising an eyebrow at him. He felt himself shrink under his gaze. “Well... you must be my daughter’s very tall and very quiet boyfriend.”
Changmin blinked under his jolly (yet intense) stare and nodded anxiously, reaching into his bag for a pen. He shuffled anxiously for it, trying not to sweat - Oh God, I am not ready for this. I thought I was but I am not. Where the hell are my sisters when I need a distraction?! - before finally getting hold of the cylindrical object and started writing. Mr. Im watched him curiously from his position; wrinkling his brow over at Siwon who only nodded and said, “I’m sure Yoona has told you that Changmin is a very quiet man, right? Well... that’s because he doesn’t speak, Sir. Not to anyone actually, not even his sisters.”
“Why in heavens would he not talk?” He asked, blinking at the young man writing on a whiteboard.
Changmin considered his question for a moment, stopping his pen before rubbing out the words he’d already written. He wrote again and then turned the board around, /It’s just something I decided to since I was young, sir. It’s something I’d rather not write about./
/But my name is Shim Changmin, and I am your daughter’s boyfriend./
Mr. Im’s eyebrows rose at the sight of those last words (the strokes of his letters were bold, certain. He liked that.) and smirked despite himself. There was a slight chuckle in his voice when he spoke, “Yoona’s always been a little secretive about this part of her life, so you’ll have to forgive me if I’m a little...”
/Surprised? Peeved? Blasé?/
“Well, I see you have a colorful vocabulary. That’s very good.” Mr. Im said, slightly impressed, “Anyway Yoona had told me you were quiet but I didn’t think it was to this extent.”
“It is, obviously. But that’s what makes him so unique.” Siwon said, nodding his head in amusement from the exchange before standing up and grabbing his lab coat. He bowed respectfully towards Mr. Im and patted Changmin lightly on the shoulder before turning towards the door. Then he paused halfway and looked back at them with a smile. “I’m late for my rounds, but if you need anything, Mr. Im, please do not hesitate to call on the nursing staff. I’ll come back to check on you again later... in the meantime, I hope you go easy on Changmin here.”
“As for you...” The young doctor inwardly winced at the death glare Changmin sent his way and he cleared his throat, “Good luck, Changmin.”
/Yeah, I need all the luck./ Changmin waved the board as he left before letting out a resigned sigh. He fished out his phone from his pocket, quickly typing a message ([S.O.S. Got tricked by the good doctor. Met your dad a little too soon.]) then clicked Send. He watched as the envelope disappeared, sending his message across radio waves in the air...
Anxiously, Changmin turned back into the room - back to Mr. Im sitting upright on his bed and smirking at him - and ran a hand through his cut hair. He stepped towards him, taking a seat on the chair laid out beside the patient’s bed and in front of his girlfriend’s father.
Mr. Im was smiling now and in that instance, he was reminded of his honey. Changmin cracked a small smile on his face at the thought.
“Let’s begin the interrogation, eh?”
Author's Note: I accidentally deleted my folder for Say I Love U's chapters. ;A; I have to rewrite everything I've written after this chapter all over again. Aigoo. This time it's all my fault.
Hyoyeon grinned as Eunhyuk pressed a light kiss on her shoulder.
They liked spending their (very few) free days indoors, just talking and being with one another - it gave them peace and maintained their relationship at its best. Lee Eunhyuk has been her boyfriend for four years and had been away a week recently to go on business. His job as an assistant financial associate for a multi-million company pulled him all over the world but she never complained, because he was wonderful and always came back. But that didn’t mean she didn’t miss him so much.
Because she did, a lot actually... and today, now that he was home-“I missed you, you anchovy.” - “Hey, I resent that.”-well, today was just perfect.
She rolled over to her back and shrugged, drawing the sheets over shoulders. “There have been some interesting developments... but mostly because your best friend’s a bastard.”
“... so something’s happened to Yoona, huh?”
“You are correct, Mr. Lee.”
Eunhyuk sighed, laying back and rubbed his index and thumb over his nose bridge, thinking. He knew about Donghae’s decision to break up with Yoona, of course. He told him a week before he broke her heart, on a Thursday night over piles of paperwork and statistics to review. Donghae told him that he loved Yoona (“-really I do. It’s just that-”) but that there was someone else... someone from way before he came back to Seoul, before working at their company... before falling for Yoona.
Everyone had a past - and Donghae had a right to go back to his. Eunhyuk sat up and sighed loudly, causing Hyoyeon to blink at him curiously. “Donghae never meant to hurt her, Hyo.”
“He cheated on her! He was seeing someone else while dating my best friend! How is that not ‘meaning’ to hurt her?” Hyoyeon exclaimed, sitting up as well and glared at her boyfriend steadily. Eunhyuk held up his hands in defeat, leaning away just in case she decides to hit him with a pillow or something. She relaxed immediately and pouted, “Sorry, hon. What he did just really pissed me off... and Yoona doesn’t even know how he could have done that.”
“I know what you mean... but we have no say on the matter. Donghae’s made his choice - it’s his call if he wants to fix it.”
Hyoyeon nodded, setting her head on her boyfriend’s shoulder and touched the fabric of their blanket. She hated knowing that Eunhyuk was right - that even if they did want to help, they couldn’t go over and fix it for their friends. She’d seen how hard Yoona tried to hide her sadness (she would eat that fish-shaped red bean bread during their morning break everyday because Donghae had brought her one when they first started going out) and she was sure Eunhyuk had seen some reaction from Donghae too.
Donghae was a good person, even Hyoyeon had liked him for her best friend... and he probably did have a good reason...
She sighed, shaking her head. “Have you met her though?”
“Who?”
“The girl he left Yoona for.”
Eunhyuk was silent for a moment, thinking before slowly tilting his head into a slow nod. Hyoyeon figured as much and nodded as well. “What’s she like?”
“Well, she’s definitely not Yoona.”
“But...?”
He shrugged, wrapping an around his girlfriend and pressed a kiss on her forehead. His mind briefly wondered towards the way Donghae’s eyes lit up and the way he held her in the airport days ago and took a deep breath.
“But... Donghae loves her a lot more than I originally thought.”
Yoona felt her heart drop from underneath her and she willed herself not to turn around, slam the door on his face and cry... “Donghae.”
His name came out choked in her throat, and Yoona inwardly scolded herself for sounding so meek. The image of him stared down at her, the smile still on his face. Oh... no. She blinked, trying to pry herself from this hallucination - because Lee Donghae could not possibly be standing outside her door, with his devastatingly handsome smile and easygoing air. He just couldn’t be.
“Yoona... I’m real.” Donghae said smoothly, waving a hand at her face.
Her brow furrowed, feeling a stab of anger hit her heart and she glared at him. His bright expression changed almost immediately and he quickly mouthed a ‘Sorry’ and gestured towards several envelopes tucked under the crook of his arm. Yoona eyed them curiously for a moment before bringing her eyes back to his. She crossed her arms across her chest and met his gaze coolly - ignoring the all-too-familiar thump her heart gave at his presence.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, grabbing the door frame with one hand while the other was secured to the knob. She tried not to show that her hand was shaking and waited for him to reply. Her mind was reeling; Shit. He’s here... oh God, why is he here? He doesn’t know about Changmin... Should I call Changmin? I don’t know what to-
Yoona caught herself for a moment. Why am I thinking of Changmin?
Donghae held out a piece of paper from the envelopes and gave it to her, snapping her out of her runaway thoughts immediately. She inspected it and recognized the block handwriting of her uncle and her father’s business partner. “Mr. Jung asked me to get some files from your father’s desk and leave these envelopes here for when he returns from the hospital. I thought you’d be out today and so I came... I didn’t plan this, I swear.” He said calmly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “I have to go back to office soon, so...”
Yoona tried not to laugh at the urgency his voice wielded upon talking about work and shook her head. Looking at him straight in the eyes now, she knew he hadn’t changed. He was the same Lee Donghae she knew - still sweet despite being a workaholic, her father’s favorite associate... “You’re still the same.”
“Yeah.” He cracked a lopsided grin at her and nodded. “I swear I’ll be in and out of the house before you know it. You just have to show me to your father’s office, okay?”
She pursed her lips and nodded, stepping away from the door slowly. Donghae looked relieved at this movement and his shoulder visibly relaxed. Yoona waved a hand at him, gesturing to the inside of her house and he bowed politely. His hand patted her shoulder for a split second as he went in, the gesture casual and... normal. Except they shouldn’t be casual yet... not yet.
Yoona closed her eyes for a moment as she closed the door and breathed in deeply. She pulled out her phone and stared down at Changmin’s name blinking on her screen; then she looked back at Donghae, standing awkwardly in the living room with his hands and envelopes behind him, staring at the ceiling. Probably zoning out, she thought, her lips lifting without her notice. Like the Donghae I love...
Yoona hit the ‘Back’ button and put the phone back into her pocket.
Shim Changmin burst into Room 5110, panting for air and looked around anxiously. The young doctor, Siwon, sat on a chair next to the bed of a patient in his fifties. The man in the bed smiled at him, waving a hand to beckon him in while Siwon checked the time on his watch, a smile etched on his face as well.
“I told you he’d arrive in record time if it concerns his sisters. I’m confident to repeat my earlier statement, sir, that Mr. Shim will be very good to your daughter.” Siwon chuckled, tapping his watch deliberately. The older man on the bed laughed, nodding his head and regarded Changmin with an amused expression. He waved him over into the room but he stayed rooted to his spot, perplexed.
Oh shit. Don’t tell me that he’s-“I am Im Sunghyun, Yoona’s father.” The man said, extending a hand in greeting. Changmin offered him a (anxious) smile in return, stepping forward slowly to extend his hand as well. They shook hands in greeting; Mr. Im’s grip stronger than what one would expect from a hospital patient. Changmin shot a look at Siwon, who shrugged half-heartedly and he inwardly resigned to defeat.
In that moment he felt the fear of being dismissed by a girlfriend’s father... Changmin gripped his whiteboard under the crook of his arm and moved his bag behind him, refraining himself from bolting out the door.
Mr. Im smiled again, raising an eyebrow at him. He felt himself shrink under his gaze. “Well... you must be my daughter’s very tall and very quiet boyfriend.”
Changmin blinked under his jolly (yet intense) stare and nodded anxiously, reaching into his bag for a pen. He shuffled anxiously for it, trying not to sweat - Oh God, I am not ready for this. I thought I was but I am not. Where the hell are my sisters when I need a distraction?! - before finally getting hold of the cylindrical object and started writing. Mr. Im watched him curiously from his position; wrinkling his brow over at Siwon who only nodded and said, “I’m sure Yoona has told you that Changmin is a very quiet man, right? Well... that’s because he doesn’t speak, Sir. Not to anyone actually, not even his sisters.”
“Why in heavens would he not talk?” He asked, blinking at the young man writing on a whiteboard.
Changmin considered his question for a moment, stopping his pen before rubbing out the words he’d already written. He wrote again and then turned the board around, /It’s just something I decided to since I was young, sir. It’s something I’d rather not write about./
/But my name is Shim Changmin, and I am your daughter’s boyfriend./
Mr. Im’s eyebrows rose at the sight of those last words (the strokes of his letters were bold, certain. He liked that.) and smirked despite himself. There was a slight chuckle in his voice when he spoke, “Yoona’s always been a little secretive about this part of her life, so you’ll have to forgive me if I’m a little...”
/Surprised? Peeved? Blasé?/
“Well, I see you have a colorful vocabulary. That’s very good.” Mr. Im said, slightly impressed, “Anyway Yoona had told me you were quiet but I didn’t think it was to this extent.”
“It is, obviously. But that’s what makes him so unique.” Siwon said, nodding his head in amusement from the exchange before standing up and grabbing his lab coat. He bowed respectfully towards Mr. Im and patted Changmin lightly on the shoulder before turning towards the door. Then he paused halfway and looked back at them with a smile. “I’m late for my rounds, but if you need anything, Mr. Im, please do not hesitate to call on the nursing staff. I’ll come back to check on you again later... in the meantime, I hope you go easy on Changmin here.”
“As for you...” The young doctor inwardly winced at the death glare Changmin sent his way and he cleared his throat, “Good luck, Changmin.”
/Yeah, I need all the luck./ Changmin waved the board as he left before letting out a resigned sigh. He fished out his phone from his pocket, quickly typing a message ([S.O.S. Got tricked by the good doctor. Met your dad a little too soon.]) then clicked Send. He watched as the envelope disappeared, sending his message across radio waves in the air...
Anxiously, Changmin turned back into the room - back to Mr. Im sitting upright on his bed and smirking at him - and ran a hand through his cut hair. He stepped towards him, taking a seat on the chair laid out beside the patient’s bed and in front of his girlfriend’s father.
Mr. Im was smiling now and in that instance, he was reminded of his honey. Changmin cracked a small smile on his face at the thought.
“Let’s begin the interrogation, eh?”
Author's Note: I accidentally deleted my folder for Say I Love U's chapters. ;A; I have to rewrite everything I've written after this chapter all over again. Aigoo. This time it's all my fault.