Say I Love U / Chapter 9
The day of the party had arrived faster than Yoona wanted it to come. Standing in the middle of her spacious living room, she looked around her and at the people scurrying about - putting flowers in vases and arranging the furniture with the utmost care. If she ventured into the kitchen, she knew that she would find the same scene: a group of people preparing food for the festivity to take place in just a few hours, smiling and greeting easily at her while she passed them.
Her house had come to life at the news of her father’s homecoming, and for a moment, Yoona wasn’t too sure if she was feeling happy by this or not. The help clearly was overjoyed by this, as they’d missed their master as much as she, but her worries were more to the fact that she was afraid of what might happen later. Her father’s friends and business associates would be arriving soon, and so would some of hers and…
Changmin’s right. This has disaster written all over it. Yoona thought, taking a deep breath as she closed her bedroom door behind her. Inviting her father’s business associates also meant inviting his board members - which, coincidentally enough, included Donghae as well. And if she’d felt a little worried about having to explain to people why her ‘boyfriend’ didn’t want to talk, Yoona now also had to agonize over facing her ex-boyfriend at the same event. She knew it would have happened sooner or later, but she hoped it would be later than sooner all the same.
“Please… please let this day end well,” she prayed, closing her eyes with worry. Please give me the will to smile and laugh and be happy for my father. Give me the strength to face Donghae while pretending to be someone’s girlfriend. For a moment, Changmin’s face appeared in her mind - wearing that unreadable expression as his lips inched closer to hers. Yoona felt her cheeks burn at the memory and she shook her head, breathing deeply to calm herself.
The memory of that moment still confused her. They didn’t talk about it after they’d left the shop, and when they had to go their separate ways home - Changmin hadn’t done anything to explain himself. Instead, he’d just looked at her the way he’d looked at her in the boutique: focused and admiring… his eyes trained only on her. Yoona bit her lip. She had questions bubbling in her head that night that for some reason she couldn’t ask, and she wondered why. It was clear what their relationship was to the one another - “a business agreement”, to put it callously - and so things shouldn’t have to be so confusing. There shouldn’t have been any problems between them.
But why would he look at me like that? And why didn’t I pull away? Yoona asked herself, sitting on the bed. She bit the inside of her cheek as she rubbed the soft fabric of her comforter. It was quilt - small and new - something she’d gotten as a gift from Changmin’s sisters whilst they were all out shopping one day.
It was one of those random days (before she’s started planning the party) when Yoona had gone to get a coffee for herself and ended up getting dragged out on a play date with the adopted sisters. Yuri and Sooyoung were too energetic and happy to say ‘no’ to, and even she had to admit that spending the day with them had given her a lot to smile about. They’d stopped at quilt store on the way back and the sisters’ piled in with her in tow. They picked out the comforter from the window and then told her that the contrast of dark and bright patches made them think of her brother and her. It seemed to represent them in a way, they told her. Clashing but perfect together or something like that.
She remembered the way Changmin had rolled his eyes at his sisters’ anecdotes and then smiled at her, showing her his board with words that said not to listen to their cheesy thoughts on them. She also remembered the how well her hand fit in his as they walked together, back to her car with his sisters following behind and teasing them. They bickered and laughed and acted so naturally together that day… It was almost as if they were keeping up appearances as a couple even though it wasn’t really necessary.
Yoona pursed her lips and sighed. “This is giving me a headache,” she whispered, standing up to get her clothes ready for later. Laying out the green dress they’d picked out before her, Yoona felt a small twinge in her heart.
Donghae had always liked the color green. And Changmin had told her with his eyes how much he liked this dress on her. Oh dear.
Shaking her head, she let out a loud sigh of frustration and closed her eyes.
“Tonight’s going to be a disaster.”
Changmin stood anxiously on the other side of the street where Yoona’s house stood and let out a sigh. He had known Yoona was well-off, but he hadn’t expected it to be to this extent. A number of cars had already passed him and entered the gates of the Im mansion that it made him a little less comfortable in his skin. He was already uncomfortable in his suit - and now, even more at the sight of the royalty entering his pseudo-girlfriend’s home.
This has disaster written all over it. Changmin thought, bravely taking his steps towards the house. A few feet away, he saw Hyoyeon’s familiar figure standing beside Eunhyuk - grinning at him and waving by the door. He loosened his tie just a bit, taking a deep breath as he walked awkwardly towards them. It’s show time, he told himself. It’s time to play my part.
“Hey, Broody! Looking good!” Hyoyeon greeted, eyeing him from head to foot. She reached over to pat down his anxious shoulders and smirked. “It’s nice to see you out of jeans, I have to say. It’s a nice change.”
“You look almost as good as I do.” Eunhyuk said, giving him a ‘thumbs up’ sign. Then he stepped back and reached behind him (a bag was there, sitting out beside the door), pulling out an iPad and stylus before turning back to hand it to Changmin. “Here. Use this instead of your whiteboard. If you’re going to write your conversations, you might as well do it in style.”
Changmin nodded in gratitude and held up the device to his face for a brief moment. He knew how to use it, but the object felt odd in his hands. He’d been too used to writing on his whiteboard since he was 15 that it was awkward to hold up something from the 21st century. Nevertheless, he didn’t want to embarrass Yoona by showing up at a party with smeared ink stains on his sleeves from his whiteboard conversations. It was better to keep up with the times, at least for tonight.
“Shall we go?” Hyoyeon asked, tilting her head to the side and grinning. With her arm looped around her boyfriend’s, she patted Changmin on the shoulder as they readied themselves and faced the doors of the Im household. “Don’t worry, Broodster. We’ll watch out for ya.”
The doors opened slowly, revealing large marble tiles that tinged a faint sense of familiarity in Changmin’s head. He stepped into the house anxiously, his eyes darting from side to side as he drank in the image of this unfamiliar home. Whatever confusion he might have had over how much exactly Yoona’s quiet wealth was when she offered to help him pay his sister’s hospital bills left him the second he stepped into her home.
She wasn’t kidding when she said she could afford it, he thought, whistling softly to himself and admiring the posh interior of his (pretend) girlfriend’s home.
“Hey! Changmin!”
Hyoyeon and Eunhyuk had already gone ahead of him a few steps while he surveyed his surroundings and were now calling him to follow. Changmin did so cautiously, gulping down the nervousness he felt once he was surrounded by the sophisticated murmurs of important but unfamiliar faces. The couple accompanied him diligently, murmuring information and encouragement while they passed several people. They must have known he was nervous as hell with the way they took him around the room, but he felt grateful nonetheless. It was good to be around people he knew somewhat at least rather than face things alone. He hadn’t even spotted Yoona yet, and so being coached by the HyoHyuk couple (he dubbed them as such in his head, since it was easier to remember) was better than standing like a statue.
“Don’t worry about a thing, bro.” Eunhyuk spoke, patting him on the shoulder and grinning. Changmin cringed to himself, wondering when they’d suddenly become ‘bros’ but listened nonetheless as the lanky man continued, “I don’t know half of the people here either but if they’re invited by the Im family then it just means that they’re good people and that they’re non-threatening.”
Hyoyeon agreed, nodding her head slowly. “Eunhyuk’s right. The people who surround the Im family are probably the nicest folk you’ll ever encounter. You’ve met Mr. Im - he’s so fluffy! Like a bear!”
/Scary as hell too./ Changmin added, feeling strange at the fact that he didn’t get inkblots on his fingertips. He thought about it for a second and added a second line, making the pair laugh and shake their heads at him, /Like a bear./
“You’re unusual, you know that?” Eunhyuk said, chuckling. Crossing his arms across his chest when they stopped by the open bar, he nodded his head approvingly at him. He was beginning to really like the fact that his best friend’s ex-girlfriend was now moving on with an interesting guy like him.
Sorry, Donghae but I’m on Changmin’s team now. He thought, shrugging to himself. Putting an arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders, he grinned and lifted a drink to his lips. “It’s no wonder Yoona likes you. You’re cool, like me.”
Hyoyeon’s smile was identical to her boyfriend’s when she pushed Changmin’s shoulder with her free hand. She pointed past him, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “And speaking of Yoona…”
Changmin turned his head, his eyes widening slowly as Yoona entered the room with her hair flowing down her back and in the dress he’d picked just the other day. She hadn’t spotted them yet from her place at the door, and he was fine with that since it gave him time to peruse and save the angelic image she made at that moment.
He’d seen her often in and out of the hospital looking the same as she did when they’d first met - plain and lovely in her own quiet way - but tonight was beyond different. Tonight was… simply magical. Like a dream.
“Hello.” Yoona greeted, smiling with her hair sweeping down her back and shining. She stopped in front of them with her hands placed demurely in front of her, her skin glowing.
Changmin’s lips widened into a smile and vaguely felt himself open his mouth to-to what? He caught himself just in time as his breath came in a rush and closed his mouth. No sound came out and Yoona didn’t notice but it surprised him.
Did I almost speak just now? Changmin reeled, confused and blinking in disbelief.
Maybe it was the silky shine of her hair, or the way the loose locks fell past her shoulders. Maybe it was the way her skin seemed to glow against the fabric of her dress; shining at each slight movement she made, turning her head to one side and another as she greeted her friends. Or maybe it was the glow in her eyes when she’d finally looked back at him with a raised eyebrow or how time seemed to stop for him at that very second as she asked him what was wrong, her pink lips enticing him to inch closer and capture them in his…
Whatever it was, it didn’t hold much explanation at the surprise he felt in himself. Changmin didn’t even realize the breath he held in until she finally tapped his shoulder and he looked back at her eyes shining concern.
I almost spoke, his mind processed as he put a smile on his face and shook his head to ease her worries. His heart pounded in his chest at the realization as he wrote down a greeting and showed it to her.
/Hello, Yoona./ I almost spoke. /You look beautiful./
Yoona felt slightly uncomfortable in her skin, all dolled up and wearing a beautiful dress and a pair of heels. She wasn’t so used to them, but Hyoyeon had insisted she wear a pair ( “The dress won’t work with flats, Yoong! Come on now and be a girly-girl to the party at least!”) and for once (although she would never admit to her friend) she was happy to have thought to oblige. She couldn’t deny that her outfit did look better with heels on, but it also helped her to see her ‘boyfriend’ at a whole new level.
Changmin was too tall and although she liked his height, it got tiring sometimes to always tiptoe just to gauge his reaction. To be able to see his eyes for once and catch the flurry of expression reflected in them was nice.
Really nice, in fact.
She caught herself staring back and admiring her newfound view. ‘His eyes are actually a really dark brown. Like dark chocolate…’
Shim Changmin had kind eyes. Kind eyes that were staring straight at her and making her blush pink in part-embarrassment and part-appreciation. It felt good to dress up sometimes and even better when someone was around to look at you as if you were the best image around. It made one feel special, wanted.
(If Yoona only thought about it for a second, then perhaps she would have realized that she hadn’t felt wanted in a long while… not even when she was still with Donghae and blissfully in love.)
“You look handsome tonight, Changmin,” she said, quirking her eyebrow upward in amusement as she took in his appearance for the night. The dark grey suit she’d picked out for him looked surprisingly natural on him, as if he was born to wear them on an everyday basis and complementing the tan of his skin. He looked so put together and business-like; it felt sort of surreal looking at him with his hair brushed back just so and neat. He was the picture of the perfect boyfriend.
Well, almost perfect - his tie was a little crooked, but that only made him look endearing instead.
Yoona, unaware of the whispers erupting around her, reached over to fix his tie. “It’s a little weird seeing you so put together,” she said, crinkling her nose at him. “But it looks really good.” She flattened the piece of fabric gently, smiling when he shrugged nonchalantly - as if he knew that she thought he looked better than how she said it.
“He cleans up nice, ne?” Hyoyeon said, wiggling her eyebrows in between them and effectively pulling her best friend and her ‘boyfriend’ out of their moment.
“Yeah, he looks almost as good as me,” Eunhyuk agreed, nodding his head and earning a collective laugh from both Yoona and Changmin. (Except Changmin made no real comprehensible sound but opted for a very amused expression instead; one that was distinctly him: a widening smirk and mismatch eyes to boot.) Hyoyeon rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, clicking her tongue while Changmin wrote something (a sarcastic reply) on the iPad and roused another round of laughter in their little group.
She stood back and watched as Yoona lightly hit her (pretend) boyfriend on the arm, her brow knitting together while she laughed and leaned into him; completely unaware of how Changmin’s hand slipped onto her waist so naturally, Hyoyeon almost missed it. A smile grew wide on her face and she laughed to herself. It amused her to no end knowing the fact that they’d been acting more and more natural each time she saw them together…
Honestly - if she didn’t already know better, Hyoyeon would have thought it was a hundred percent real. They played their parts so well it was hard to distinguish the fact from the fiction they’d created! It seemed to her that Yoona really had moved on and fell in love with a scruffy and brooding guy. Changmin was the opposite of the energetic and business-minded, Lee Donghae, she’d last seen holding her best friend’s heart… and for a reason unbeknownst her, Hyoyeon thought she preferred the latter ‘boyfriend’ than the former.
“Changmin! There you are!” Mr. Im’s voice suddenly boomed, surprising the group from their chatter to turn towards the elderly man. Yoona’s eyes widened slightly at the sudden entrance of her father, beaming and rolling his wheelchair on his own towards them to shake Changmin’s hand in greeting.
/It’s nice to see you again, sir./ Changmin wrote quickly, bowing as he held up the iPad and prepared himself for what was to come.
Mr. Im had been courteous enough with him the first time they’d met, their conversation turning friendly (Their talking about his relationship with Yoona was friendly, wasn’t it?) as time ticked on and until he left the hospital upon Yoona’s rescue. This would be the second time he would meet him personally since then, and he wasn’t particularly excited of what could happen. Especially with the critical eyes trained at him now that Mr. Im had wheeled himself in front of him and how he’d just conversed with him with an iPad of all things.
Changmin smiled as naturally as he could when he straightened, changing the words on the iPad’s screen with lightning reflexes he didn’t know he could possess while holding something he’d only just received that day. /You look very well. I hope my presence isn’t intruding into your welcome back party tonight./
“You’re not intruding at all, Changmin.” Mr. Im replied with a smile, waving his hand in amusement. He shot his daughter with a smile as well and a loving pat on the arm as he continued, “I was hoping you’d come actually. I wanted to talk to you more before Yoona dragged you away from our conversation in the hospital.”
“I was saving him from you, Dad,” Yoona said, rolling her eyes. She felt relieved that her father seemed to like Changmin better than she’d expected. “You always said you wanted to experience interrogating your daughter’s boyfriend FBI-style and it’s just my luck that you had to do it without warning me or him beforehand.”
“It also doesn’t help that Broody here doesn’t speak.” Hyoyeon added suddenly. Yoona shushed at her with a glare, while Changmin choked a cough and her father laughed heartily. “He wouldn’t have been able to call 911. Text them probably but I don’t think they take those.”
“I actually think that’s what makes him interesting.” Mr. Im said, nodding. Changmin felt his anxiety slip away at every word of praise the elder man said. “And he answered very well even without prior notice, Yoona. It was impressive. You got yourself a very quiet but smart and articulate man. I couldn’t be more proud.”
/Hear that? He said I was impressive./ Changmin wrote, smirking at Yoona as she read. She rolled her eyes at him and grinned at his cheekiness.
“I do have good taste, so of course you’re impressive, darling!” The endearment fell flat in her tone and she mentally knocked herself in the head for feeling anxious. Yoona flashed a smile to her friends and father, and continued coolly with a slight shrug of her shoulder, “I wouldn’t settle for anything less, you know.”
The tall man beside her took a step back, putting on a dramatic show of being stabbed by an invisible knife in the heart. /I’m hurt, honey./ He wrote, catching her eye and smiling. Yoona kept from blushing and laughing out loud at the little (awkward) heart he drew after the sentence and read on. /Why do you torture me so?/
The people around them laughed at their antics, missing the mutual relieved gaze the couple exchanged.
“You two are so cute, I can’t even,” Hyoyeon exclaimed, clasping her hands together in glee. She wiggled her eyebrows at them, teasing them with the looks she gave them as Eunhyuk and Yoona’s father agreed with her statement. “I swear, if this works out well - I am so going to plan your wedding, okay?”
“Oh, that’s far down the road, right sweetie?” Mr. Im said, pulling on Yoona’s arm protectively while he grinned. He folded his fingers over hers and kissed it lovingly, gazing up at his daughter. The way he looked at her made Yoona feel as though she was a child; 8 years old and running up to him with a crayon-drawn drawing of horses and rainbows. “You’re still in school and you’re still my little girl. Wait a few years, or a century even.”
Yoona felt a warm hand push her slightly on the back, softly coaxing her to hug her father as beads of tears filled her eyes. She turned her head slightly to see Changmin staring at her tenderly, as if telling her to go on and have a moment with her family.
‘It’s okay. Don’t mind us. Just go hug your father.’ His eyes seemed to say, and she found it strange and sweet at the same time to realize that soft and caring look came from someone who’d introduced himself as an orphan to her that night in the hospital.
“Aww, don’t worry, Dad.” Yoona said finally, lowering herself and hugging his withering body to her. She kissed him softly on the cheek and patted his hands, smiling widely when her father looked at her (and Changmin for a split second) approvingly. “I’ll always be your little girl.”
“That’s good to hear. But if you do marry…” Mr. Im raised an eyebrow, focusing his eyes towards the man behind her and smiling. He waved a hand at him and Changmin blinked in response, turning his head slightly to look at Hyoyeon or Eunhyuk for help (only to get a shrug in response).
“Changmin,” he started, folding his arms across his chest. The way he looked at Changmin made him nervous and a little annoyed for being put in the spotlight again. “You would marry my Yoona, right?”
“Dad!” Yoona’s jaw dropped and she hit her father’s arm lightly. She looked back at the quiet man with an apologetic grimace and pursed her lips, blinking at him as he trained his eyes into hers. A blush crept to her cheeks when she realized the look he gave her was the same as that day in the boutique and they were picking out her dress. She fisted her hands on her dress and smiled (ignoring the amused looks her friends threw her), trying to appear calm and collected even though her heart began to thump irregularly in her chest.
“Changmin, you don’t have to ans-”
/I would marry her in a heartbeat./ The words in the screen glowed once he presented the iPad to Mr. Im, large and white and clear against the black background. There was a hush in their little group as they processed what he wrote (Yoona’s eyes widened and her blush deepened, her mouth dropping in shock once again while the others simply stared).
The HyoHyuk stared at him for a whole minute, confusion, disbelief and amusement etched on their faces as they studied the quiet man in his spot. Changmin merely blinked in response, shrugging his shoulder nonchalantly.
/What?/
Hyoyeon made a grab for Yoona’s arm and pulled her towards her, ‘whispering’ (if you call using a hand over a mouth while talking as ‘whispering’), “Yoong, was that a proposal just now?”
On the other hand, Eunhyuk was focused on him, slapping his shoulder a little harder than Changmin anticipated from the lanky built man beside him. “Are you serious, dude?”
/I’m just answering Mr. Im’s question honestly. What’s wrong with it?/ He replied easily, raising an eyebrow.
“Nothing. Just that that is a very bold statement to write,” Mr. Im remarked, smiling widely as he leaned back and looked at the young man before him. He took note of Changmin’s stance and perused the way he put himself together for that night. It was a good change, admirable even as it was better than when he’d last seen him, wearing a ratty jacket, shirt and jeans. If he had imagined anyone marrying his daughter it would look like someone who was before him right at that moment, standing confidently and looking at him straight in the eyes when they conversed.
Mr. Im didn’t kid himself into thinking that he would get any better than he already was at the moment because his sickness was lethal and he’d already accepted his fate. He had already started making arrangements for his daughters when he first found out, but there was still one issue he wasn’t sure how to fix. One daughter was already happily married, but his youngest was as stubborn and goal-oriented as his wife was, and Mr. Im knew it would be difficult for him to leave her alone in the world.
He didn’t need an heir to his company because he didn’t want one, but he did want someone he could trust with his Yoona. She needed someone who could take care of her, someone who would cherish amongst all others. And from what he’d first assumed of Shim Changmin - he seemed to be someone who could do just that. Someone he could trust with the only reminder of his love in the whole world.
“I can’t condone an elopement though, I’ll have you know.” The old man joked, narrowing his eyes with a smile. Changmin nodded his head in understanding as he continued, “My daughter is my Princess and she should be treated as such.”
/Well, I don’t think an elopement would fit her Highness’s preferences anyway./ He wrote back, shrugging when Yoona scoffed at him in surprise and hit him with a swift slap of her hand. Changmin’s lips widened into a smile as put his hands up in defense as she started pelting him with light slaps.
“I cannot believe you just wrote that, you-” Yoona said in between hits while her father and friends laughed once again. Her cheeks were still red from embarrassment but it wasn’t bad at all even though it was at her expense.
Thank you for trying though, she thought nonetheless, lowering her eyes. Lacing her fingers in between his free hand, she squeezed softly and ignored the slight twitch he made in surprise. She knew he was only doing what she had asked him to do: he was being her boyfriend - playful, sweet, caring and good with her father. Changmin was doing his part and Yoona was - in all accounts - very grateful for it.
She was grateful for him for a lot more than she could even say (or realize).
Her hand felt extraordinarily soft in his, fitting perfectly between his fingers as if they were made to be entwined in between them. The soft squeeze she gave his fingers felt comforting (so comforting), as if she were giving him ‘thanks’ for something he wasn’t sure he’d done right. Nevertheless, his heart surged at the contact; a smile unconsciously edging onto their lips as he squeezed (‘Hey, don’t mention it. You helped me and my sister. It’s the least I can do…’) her fingers right back.
Whatever it was he’d done right, Changmin hoped he could do it again and again and again until-
“Oh, Donghae’s finally here!”
Author's Note: Sorry, it's late.
Her house had come to life at the news of her father’s homecoming, and for a moment, Yoona wasn’t too sure if she was feeling happy by this or not. The help clearly was overjoyed by this, as they’d missed their master as much as she, but her worries were more to the fact that she was afraid of what might happen later. Her father’s friends and business associates would be arriving soon, and so would some of hers and…
Changmin’s right. This has disaster written all over it. Yoona thought, taking a deep breath as she closed her bedroom door behind her. Inviting her father’s business associates also meant inviting his board members - which, coincidentally enough, included Donghae as well. And if she’d felt a little worried about having to explain to people why her ‘boyfriend’ didn’t want to talk, Yoona now also had to agonize over facing her ex-boyfriend at the same event. She knew it would have happened sooner or later, but she hoped it would be later than sooner all the same.
“Please… please let this day end well,” she prayed, closing her eyes with worry. Please give me the will to smile and laugh and be happy for my father. Give me the strength to face Donghae while pretending to be someone’s girlfriend. For a moment, Changmin’s face appeared in her mind - wearing that unreadable expression as his lips inched closer to hers. Yoona felt her cheeks burn at the memory and she shook her head, breathing deeply to calm herself.
The memory of that moment still confused her. They didn’t talk about it after they’d left the shop, and when they had to go their separate ways home - Changmin hadn’t done anything to explain himself. Instead, he’d just looked at her the way he’d looked at her in the boutique: focused and admiring… his eyes trained only on her. Yoona bit her lip. She had questions bubbling in her head that night that for some reason she couldn’t ask, and she wondered why. It was clear what their relationship was to the one another - “a business agreement”, to put it callously - and so things shouldn’t have to be so confusing. There shouldn’t have been any problems between them.
But why would he look at me like that? And why didn’t I pull away? Yoona asked herself, sitting on the bed. She bit the inside of her cheek as she rubbed the soft fabric of her comforter. It was quilt - small and new - something she’d gotten as a gift from Changmin’s sisters whilst they were all out shopping one day.
It was one of those random days (before she’s started planning the party) when Yoona had gone to get a coffee for herself and ended up getting dragged out on a play date with the adopted sisters. Yuri and Sooyoung were too energetic and happy to say ‘no’ to, and even she had to admit that spending the day with them had given her a lot to smile about. They’d stopped at quilt store on the way back and the sisters’ piled in with her in tow. They picked out the comforter from the window and then told her that the contrast of dark and bright patches made them think of her brother and her. It seemed to represent them in a way, they told her. Clashing but perfect together or something like that.
She remembered the way Changmin had rolled his eyes at his sisters’ anecdotes and then smiled at her, showing her his board with words that said not to listen to their cheesy thoughts on them. She also remembered the how well her hand fit in his as they walked together, back to her car with his sisters following behind and teasing them. They bickered and laughed and acted so naturally together that day… It was almost as if they were keeping up appearances as a couple even though it wasn’t really necessary.
Yoona pursed her lips and sighed. “This is giving me a headache,” she whispered, standing up to get her clothes ready for later. Laying out the green dress they’d picked out before her, Yoona felt a small twinge in her heart.
Donghae had always liked the color green. And Changmin had told her with his eyes how much he liked this dress on her. Oh dear.
Shaking her head, she let out a loud sigh of frustration and closed her eyes.
“Tonight’s going to be a disaster.”
Changmin stood anxiously on the other side of the street where Yoona’s house stood and let out a sigh. He had known Yoona was well-off, but he hadn’t expected it to be to this extent. A number of cars had already passed him and entered the gates of the Im mansion that it made him a little less comfortable in his skin. He was already uncomfortable in his suit - and now, even more at the sight of the royalty entering his pseudo-girlfriend’s home.
This has disaster written all over it. Changmin thought, bravely taking his steps towards the house. A few feet away, he saw Hyoyeon’s familiar figure standing beside Eunhyuk - grinning at him and waving by the door. He loosened his tie just a bit, taking a deep breath as he walked awkwardly towards them. It’s show time, he told himself. It’s time to play my part.
“Hey, Broody! Looking good!” Hyoyeon greeted, eyeing him from head to foot. She reached over to pat down his anxious shoulders and smirked. “It’s nice to see you out of jeans, I have to say. It’s a nice change.”
“You look almost as good as I do.” Eunhyuk said, giving him a ‘thumbs up’ sign. Then he stepped back and reached behind him (a bag was there, sitting out beside the door), pulling out an iPad and stylus before turning back to hand it to Changmin. “Here. Use this instead of your whiteboard. If you’re going to write your conversations, you might as well do it in style.”
Changmin nodded in gratitude and held up the device to his face for a brief moment. He knew how to use it, but the object felt odd in his hands. He’d been too used to writing on his whiteboard since he was 15 that it was awkward to hold up something from the 21st century. Nevertheless, he didn’t want to embarrass Yoona by showing up at a party with smeared ink stains on his sleeves from his whiteboard conversations. It was better to keep up with the times, at least for tonight.
“Shall we go?” Hyoyeon asked, tilting her head to the side and grinning. With her arm looped around her boyfriend’s, she patted Changmin on the shoulder as they readied themselves and faced the doors of the Im household. “Don’t worry, Broodster. We’ll watch out for ya.”
The doors opened slowly, revealing large marble tiles that tinged a faint sense of familiarity in Changmin’s head. He stepped into the house anxiously, his eyes darting from side to side as he drank in the image of this unfamiliar home. Whatever confusion he might have had over how much exactly Yoona’s quiet wealth was when she offered to help him pay his sister’s hospital bills left him the second he stepped into her home.
She wasn’t kidding when she said she could afford it, he thought, whistling softly to himself and admiring the posh interior of his (pretend) girlfriend’s home.
“Hey! Changmin!”
Hyoyeon and Eunhyuk had already gone ahead of him a few steps while he surveyed his surroundings and were now calling him to follow. Changmin did so cautiously, gulping down the nervousness he felt once he was surrounded by the sophisticated murmurs of important but unfamiliar faces. The couple accompanied him diligently, murmuring information and encouragement while they passed several people. They must have known he was nervous as hell with the way they took him around the room, but he felt grateful nonetheless. It was good to be around people he knew somewhat at least rather than face things alone. He hadn’t even spotted Yoona yet, and so being coached by the HyoHyuk couple (he dubbed them as such in his head, since it was easier to remember) was better than standing like a statue.
“Don’t worry about a thing, bro.” Eunhyuk spoke, patting him on the shoulder and grinning. Changmin cringed to himself, wondering when they’d suddenly become ‘bros’ but listened nonetheless as the lanky man continued, “I don’t know half of the people here either but if they’re invited by the Im family then it just means that they’re good people and that they’re non-threatening.”
Hyoyeon agreed, nodding her head slowly. “Eunhyuk’s right. The people who surround the Im family are probably the nicest folk you’ll ever encounter. You’ve met Mr. Im - he’s so fluffy! Like a bear!”
/Scary as hell too./ Changmin added, feeling strange at the fact that he didn’t get inkblots on his fingertips. He thought about it for a second and added a second line, making the pair laugh and shake their heads at him, /Like a bear./
“You’re unusual, you know that?” Eunhyuk said, chuckling. Crossing his arms across his chest when they stopped by the open bar, he nodded his head approvingly at him. He was beginning to really like the fact that his best friend’s ex-girlfriend was now moving on with an interesting guy like him.
Sorry, Donghae but I’m on Changmin’s team now. He thought, shrugging to himself. Putting an arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders, he grinned and lifted a drink to his lips. “It’s no wonder Yoona likes you. You’re cool, like me.”
Hyoyeon’s smile was identical to her boyfriend’s when she pushed Changmin’s shoulder with her free hand. She pointed past him, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “And speaking of Yoona…”
Changmin turned his head, his eyes widening slowly as Yoona entered the room with her hair flowing down her back and in the dress he’d picked just the other day. She hadn’t spotted them yet from her place at the door, and he was fine with that since it gave him time to peruse and save the angelic image she made at that moment.
He’d seen her often in and out of the hospital looking the same as she did when they’d first met - plain and lovely in her own quiet way - but tonight was beyond different. Tonight was… simply magical. Like a dream.
“Hello.” Yoona greeted, smiling with her hair sweeping down her back and shining. She stopped in front of them with her hands placed demurely in front of her, her skin glowing.
Changmin’s lips widened into a smile and vaguely felt himself open his mouth to-to what? He caught himself just in time as his breath came in a rush and closed his mouth. No sound came out and Yoona didn’t notice but it surprised him.
Did I almost speak just now? Changmin reeled, confused and blinking in disbelief.
Maybe it was the silky shine of her hair, or the way the loose locks fell past her shoulders. Maybe it was the way her skin seemed to glow against the fabric of her dress; shining at each slight movement she made, turning her head to one side and another as she greeted her friends. Or maybe it was the glow in her eyes when she’d finally looked back at him with a raised eyebrow or how time seemed to stop for him at that very second as she asked him what was wrong, her pink lips enticing him to inch closer and capture them in his…
Whatever it was, it didn’t hold much explanation at the surprise he felt in himself. Changmin didn’t even realize the breath he held in until she finally tapped his shoulder and he looked back at her eyes shining concern.
I almost spoke, his mind processed as he put a smile on his face and shook his head to ease her worries. His heart pounded in his chest at the realization as he wrote down a greeting and showed it to her.
/Hello, Yoona./ I almost spoke. /You look beautiful./
Yoona felt slightly uncomfortable in her skin, all dolled up and wearing a beautiful dress and a pair of heels. She wasn’t so used to them, but Hyoyeon had insisted she wear a pair ( “The dress won’t work with flats, Yoong! Come on now and be a girly-girl to the party at least!”) and for once (although she would never admit to her friend) she was happy to have thought to oblige. She couldn’t deny that her outfit did look better with heels on, but it also helped her to see her ‘boyfriend’ at a whole new level.
Changmin was too tall and although she liked his height, it got tiring sometimes to always tiptoe just to gauge his reaction. To be able to see his eyes for once and catch the flurry of expression reflected in them was nice.
Really nice, in fact.
She caught herself staring back and admiring her newfound view. ‘His eyes are actually a really dark brown. Like dark chocolate…’
Shim Changmin had kind eyes. Kind eyes that were staring straight at her and making her blush pink in part-embarrassment and part-appreciation. It felt good to dress up sometimes and even better when someone was around to look at you as if you were the best image around. It made one feel special, wanted.
(If Yoona only thought about it for a second, then perhaps she would have realized that she hadn’t felt wanted in a long while… not even when she was still with Donghae and blissfully in love.)
“You look handsome tonight, Changmin,” she said, quirking her eyebrow upward in amusement as she took in his appearance for the night. The dark grey suit she’d picked out for him looked surprisingly natural on him, as if he was born to wear them on an everyday basis and complementing the tan of his skin. He looked so put together and business-like; it felt sort of surreal looking at him with his hair brushed back just so and neat. He was the picture of the perfect boyfriend.
Well, almost perfect - his tie was a little crooked, but that only made him look endearing instead.
Yoona, unaware of the whispers erupting around her, reached over to fix his tie. “It’s a little weird seeing you so put together,” she said, crinkling her nose at him. “But it looks really good.” She flattened the piece of fabric gently, smiling when he shrugged nonchalantly - as if he knew that she thought he looked better than how she said it.
“He cleans up nice, ne?” Hyoyeon said, wiggling her eyebrows in between them and effectively pulling her best friend and her ‘boyfriend’ out of their moment.
“Yeah, he looks almost as good as me,” Eunhyuk agreed, nodding his head and earning a collective laugh from both Yoona and Changmin. (Except Changmin made no real comprehensible sound but opted for a very amused expression instead; one that was distinctly him: a widening smirk and mismatch eyes to boot.) Hyoyeon rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, clicking her tongue while Changmin wrote something (a sarcastic reply) on the iPad and roused another round of laughter in their little group.
She stood back and watched as Yoona lightly hit her (pretend) boyfriend on the arm, her brow knitting together while she laughed and leaned into him; completely unaware of how Changmin’s hand slipped onto her waist so naturally, Hyoyeon almost missed it. A smile grew wide on her face and she laughed to herself. It amused her to no end knowing the fact that they’d been acting more and more natural each time she saw them together…
Honestly - if she didn’t already know better, Hyoyeon would have thought it was a hundred percent real. They played their parts so well it was hard to distinguish the fact from the fiction they’d created! It seemed to her that Yoona really had moved on and fell in love with a scruffy and brooding guy. Changmin was the opposite of the energetic and business-minded, Lee Donghae, she’d last seen holding her best friend’s heart… and for a reason unbeknownst her, Hyoyeon thought she preferred the latter ‘boyfriend’ than the former.
“Changmin! There you are!” Mr. Im’s voice suddenly boomed, surprising the group from their chatter to turn towards the elderly man. Yoona’s eyes widened slightly at the sudden entrance of her father, beaming and rolling his wheelchair on his own towards them to shake Changmin’s hand in greeting.
/It’s nice to see you again, sir./ Changmin wrote quickly, bowing as he held up the iPad and prepared himself for what was to come.
Mr. Im had been courteous enough with him the first time they’d met, their conversation turning friendly (Their talking about his relationship with Yoona was friendly, wasn’t it?) as time ticked on and until he left the hospital upon Yoona’s rescue. This would be the second time he would meet him personally since then, and he wasn’t particularly excited of what could happen. Especially with the critical eyes trained at him now that Mr. Im had wheeled himself in front of him and how he’d just conversed with him with an iPad of all things.
Changmin smiled as naturally as he could when he straightened, changing the words on the iPad’s screen with lightning reflexes he didn’t know he could possess while holding something he’d only just received that day. /You look very well. I hope my presence isn’t intruding into your welcome back party tonight./
“You’re not intruding at all, Changmin.” Mr. Im replied with a smile, waving his hand in amusement. He shot his daughter with a smile as well and a loving pat on the arm as he continued, “I was hoping you’d come actually. I wanted to talk to you more before Yoona dragged you away from our conversation in the hospital.”
“I was saving him from you, Dad,” Yoona said, rolling her eyes. She felt relieved that her father seemed to like Changmin better than she’d expected. “You always said you wanted to experience interrogating your daughter’s boyfriend FBI-style and it’s just my luck that you had to do it without warning me or him beforehand.”
“It also doesn’t help that Broody here doesn’t speak.” Hyoyeon added suddenly. Yoona shushed at her with a glare, while Changmin choked a cough and her father laughed heartily. “He wouldn’t have been able to call 911. Text them probably but I don’t think they take those.”
“I actually think that’s what makes him interesting.” Mr. Im said, nodding. Changmin felt his anxiety slip away at every word of praise the elder man said. “And he answered very well even without prior notice, Yoona. It was impressive. You got yourself a very quiet but smart and articulate man. I couldn’t be more proud.”
/Hear that? He said I was impressive./ Changmin wrote, smirking at Yoona as she read. She rolled her eyes at him and grinned at his cheekiness.
“I do have good taste, so of course you’re impressive, darling!” The endearment fell flat in her tone and she mentally knocked herself in the head for feeling anxious. Yoona flashed a smile to her friends and father, and continued coolly with a slight shrug of her shoulder, “I wouldn’t settle for anything less, you know.”
The tall man beside her took a step back, putting on a dramatic show of being stabbed by an invisible knife in the heart. /I’m hurt, honey./ He wrote, catching her eye and smiling. Yoona kept from blushing and laughing out loud at the little (awkward) heart he drew after the sentence and read on. /Why do you torture me so?/
The people around them laughed at their antics, missing the mutual relieved gaze the couple exchanged.
“You two are so cute, I can’t even,” Hyoyeon exclaimed, clasping her hands together in glee. She wiggled her eyebrows at them, teasing them with the looks she gave them as Eunhyuk and Yoona’s father agreed with her statement. “I swear, if this works out well - I am so going to plan your wedding, okay?”
“Oh, that’s far down the road, right sweetie?” Mr. Im said, pulling on Yoona’s arm protectively while he grinned. He folded his fingers over hers and kissed it lovingly, gazing up at his daughter. The way he looked at her made Yoona feel as though she was a child; 8 years old and running up to him with a crayon-drawn drawing of horses and rainbows. “You’re still in school and you’re still my little girl. Wait a few years, or a century even.”
Yoona felt a warm hand push her slightly on the back, softly coaxing her to hug her father as beads of tears filled her eyes. She turned her head slightly to see Changmin staring at her tenderly, as if telling her to go on and have a moment with her family.
‘It’s okay. Don’t mind us. Just go hug your father.’ His eyes seemed to say, and she found it strange and sweet at the same time to realize that soft and caring look came from someone who’d introduced himself as an orphan to her that night in the hospital.
“Aww, don’t worry, Dad.” Yoona said finally, lowering herself and hugging his withering body to her. She kissed him softly on the cheek and patted his hands, smiling widely when her father looked at her (and Changmin for a split second) approvingly. “I’ll always be your little girl.”
“That’s good to hear. But if you do marry…” Mr. Im raised an eyebrow, focusing his eyes towards the man behind her and smiling. He waved a hand at him and Changmin blinked in response, turning his head slightly to look at Hyoyeon or Eunhyuk for help (only to get a shrug in response).
“Changmin,” he started, folding his arms across his chest. The way he looked at Changmin made him nervous and a little annoyed for being put in the spotlight again. “You would marry my Yoona, right?”
“Dad!” Yoona’s jaw dropped and she hit her father’s arm lightly. She looked back at the quiet man with an apologetic grimace and pursed her lips, blinking at him as he trained his eyes into hers. A blush crept to her cheeks when she realized the look he gave her was the same as that day in the boutique and they were picking out her dress. She fisted her hands on her dress and smiled (ignoring the amused looks her friends threw her), trying to appear calm and collected even though her heart began to thump irregularly in her chest.
“Changmin, you don’t have to ans-”
/I would marry her in a heartbeat./ The words in the screen glowed once he presented the iPad to Mr. Im, large and white and clear against the black background. There was a hush in their little group as they processed what he wrote (Yoona’s eyes widened and her blush deepened, her mouth dropping in shock once again while the others simply stared).
The HyoHyuk stared at him for a whole minute, confusion, disbelief and amusement etched on their faces as they studied the quiet man in his spot. Changmin merely blinked in response, shrugging his shoulder nonchalantly.
/What?/
Hyoyeon made a grab for Yoona’s arm and pulled her towards her, ‘whispering’ (if you call using a hand over a mouth while talking as ‘whispering’), “Yoong, was that a proposal just now?”
On the other hand, Eunhyuk was focused on him, slapping his shoulder a little harder than Changmin anticipated from the lanky built man beside him. “Are you serious, dude?”
/I’m just answering Mr. Im’s question honestly. What’s wrong with it?/ He replied easily, raising an eyebrow.
“Nothing. Just that that is a very bold statement to write,” Mr. Im remarked, smiling widely as he leaned back and looked at the young man before him. He took note of Changmin’s stance and perused the way he put himself together for that night. It was a good change, admirable even as it was better than when he’d last seen him, wearing a ratty jacket, shirt and jeans. If he had imagined anyone marrying his daughter it would look like someone who was before him right at that moment, standing confidently and looking at him straight in the eyes when they conversed.
Mr. Im didn’t kid himself into thinking that he would get any better than he already was at the moment because his sickness was lethal and he’d already accepted his fate. He had already started making arrangements for his daughters when he first found out, but there was still one issue he wasn’t sure how to fix. One daughter was already happily married, but his youngest was as stubborn and goal-oriented as his wife was, and Mr. Im knew it would be difficult for him to leave her alone in the world.
He didn’t need an heir to his company because he didn’t want one, but he did want someone he could trust with his Yoona. She needed someone who could take care of her, someone who would cherish amongst all others. And from what he’d first assumed of Shim Changmin - he seemed to be someone who could do just that. Someone he could trust with the only reminder of his love in the whole world.
“I can’t condone an elopement though, I’ll have you know.” The old man joked, narrowing his eyes with a smile. Changmin nodded his head in understanding as he continued, “My daughter is my Princess and she should be treated as such.”
/Well, I don’t think an elopement would fit her Highness’s preferences anyway./ He wrote back, shrugging when Yoona scoffed at him in surprise and hit him with a swift slap of her hand. Changmin’s lips widened into a smile as put his hands up in defense as she started pelting him with light slaps.
“I cannot believe you just wrote that, you-” Yoona said in between hits while her father and friends laughed once again. Her cheeks were still red from embarrassment but it wasn’t bad at all even though it was at her expense.
Thank you for trying though, she thought nonetheless, lowering her eyes. Lacing her fingers in between his free hand, she squeezed softly and ignored the slight twitch he made in surprise. She knew he was only doing what she had asked him to do: he was being her boyfriend - playful, sweet, caring and good with her father. Changmin was doing his part and Yoona was - in all accounts - very grateful for it.
She was grateful for him for a lot more than she could even say (or realize).
Her hand felt extraordinarily soft in his, fitting perfectly between his fingers as if they were made to be entwined in between them. The soft squeeze she gave his fingers felt comforting (so comforting), as if she were giving him ‘thanks’ for something he wasn’t sure he’d done right. Nevertheless, his heart surged at the contact; a smile unconsciously edging onto their lips as he squeezed (‘Hey, don’t mention it. You helped me and my sister. It’s the least I can do…’) her fingers right back.
Whatever it was he’d done right, Changmin hoped he could do it again and again and again until-
“Oh, Donghae’s finally here!”
Author's Note: Sorry, it's late.