[FANFIC] CONSTANT HAPPINESS - CHAPTER 6
a dedication to kanae_mizuhito
Constant Happiness
Author: leesarang13
Summary: "She is your happiness, not me"
Rating: PG
P R O L O G U E
C H A P T E R O N E
C H A P T E R T W O PART 1
C H A P T E R T W O PART 2
C H A P T E R T H R E E
C H A P T E R F O U R
C H A P T E R F I V E
C H A P T E R S I X
Yoona examines the crowd through the slight opening of the stage curtain while the rest her team members are stretching. She tries to study as far as her eyes can reach, each of the faces in the crowd.
“Ya!’ Someone touches her shoulder with low voice.
Yoona shuddered a little, the greeting was a surprising one. Yoona turn to see Henry giving her his eye smile.
But that did not do for giving her the shock so she hit him hard on his shoulder.
“What are you looking at?” Henry asked as his hand rubs the place where Yoona hit just now. It was kind of painful but he already gets used to it. Teasing her and receiving the punishment has been their way of developing friendship.
“Nothing” she replied short but continue peeking behind the curtain.
Curiosity kills the cat they say so Henry did the same, looking at God-knows-what. It was a distraction to Yoona because Henry opening of the curtain was much bigger that the crowd might spot them.
“Do you have to open the curtain that way?” Yoona asked drawing her hands away from the curtain and allowing Henry to continue looking.
“Just what are you looking at?” Henry replies her. But none of his statement answers her question.
“I see. I guess your eyes are too small for the slight opening that I had so you have to open it bigger so your small eyes can cope with my big eyes”
With that he let go of his grip from the curtain, pouting and walk away.
“Let’s break up” he said while away.
Yoona laugh at his remarks and pretending to play along with his game, chasing after him.
“Oppa, why are you so cruel???” and both them laugh so hard right afterwards.
**
“Are you nervous?” Henry asked as they are stretching out before going to battle.
DeerFlies, their group made it to the final round and they need to win this round to qualify for the continent championship.
“This is the final round, of course I am” Yoona said.
Junho, the guy who doesn’t talk much and far too serious when it comes to dancing tap her head. He always does that to give Yoona the ‘dancing spirit’ as he would like to call it.
“You need to this well. There will be battle with female only and from what I heard they are taking about 20 percent of the total points there.”
“What??? Junho, you are kidding right? How could they change the system like that?” whatever Junho said just now increases the beat of her heart.
“No, I am not. Because both teams has one core female so you need to do your best Yoona”
It’s impossible to do her best when the three hours of the competition involves every hard routine. Yoona look up at the dark sky. How fast the day changes to night without her noticing.
Looking at the sky, she silently prays that she will be able to help her group to win.
“Let’s get ready” The voice of their Chinese leader, Hankyung cuts in her prays.
Her teammates gather around in circle, a tradition for them before the battle.
A little prayer was voiced out by ‘priest’ Henry before the cheers and the high five.
“Yoona, good luck!” Henry said as he placed her cap on her head, neatly and a bit on the left, like she always does.
Henry smiled at her the last time before he disappeared behind the curtain.
Yoona takes one deep breath and following where Henry took his exit.
Yoona stands behind Henry to make the formation of the dance. And at that time, Henry reached out for Yoona’s hand, give it a tight squeeze before letting it go. He always does that when he saw Yoona is too nervous which is rare. But this evening, Yoona is exceptionally nervous and it is written all over her face.
Henry turns to Yoona and she mouthed “Thank you” and the music starts and they started to dance.
The cheers from the crowd was louder when it was Yoona’s turn so she had the power to overcome her nervousness and done her best during her solo part. She even made some routine that she created right on the spot. And she did well.
And so the battle ended.
Yoona and her team managed to let out a sigh of relief after the battle ended. Although it’s hard to come out the verdict as to who will win this as the other team, Art of Movement was no joke, they still smile and congratulate each other. Art of Movement or AOM has more experience as they have been in more competition, not just in Korea but also in America. Their leader, Jay Park, a Korean-American was AOM’s core dancer and he is an expert in B-boy style.
But Yoona still pray for the best team to win.
As the juries gather to decide the winner, AOM and DeerFlies team had a friendly chat. It was a different experience battling with a group with international experience. AOM is a friendly group and they quickly made friends with each other. Yuri, AOM sole female dancer chat up with Yoona and soon after they exchange phone numbers.
While the crowd is being entertained by a famous k-pop group, MBLAQ (which she didn’t know of their existence) on stage while the judges come up with their final decision, the tension behind the stage is something they can’t avoid. Yoona’s hand starts sweating.
She had failed the teams when she left the team but now she wants to make up for that and she wishes hard that this winning will make up for that let down.
Yoona sits down on the floor at the corner of the room, looking at her feet, secluded from everyone else. Everytime she breathe in, her heart beat increases by one more beat.
And by the time she takes her deep breath for the tenth time, she swears her heart was about to explode.
A shadow of man came blocking the light. Yoona expects him to go away so she doesn’t bother to look up. But he is still there, standing like waiting for her to greet him or something.
“Henry, would you ple….” But the guy is not Henry, it is someone she wishes so hard not to appear today.
“Donghae…”
“Hi Sasum Im” he said coolly.
Although the floor might be dirty for his white shirt but right at that point, he seems like he doesn’t really care. He takes his seat next to her.
The weird feeling starts to sneak in on the pit of Yoona’s stomach when she is crush between the wall and Lee Donghae, her ex-bestfriend.
His appearance does not help in decreasing her nervousness.
In fact it increasing and she didn’t like it at all.
“I saw you up there. You did great!”
Yoona look on her side, looking at Donghae in disbelief.
“You weren’t there”
“I was here the whole day, since the first round battle”
“You have no interest in dance” she mutters under her breath, looking away from Donghae.
“I have interest in you”
“THAT!”
Yoona sudden scream makes Donghae jump a little from his seat.
“That,” she continues, in much calmer voice “,whatever you said just now, about interest whatsoever, girl will fall for that. No wonder a lot of girls are falling for you even when they just talk to you two seconds. And now, with you recent break up, I’m sure they will come swarming back at me like they used to. Thinking we are close, using me as a place to investigate about you”
Her nervousness did have some positive impact because whatever she said just now, it was due to her nervousness, both with Donghae sitting close with her and the result add together. But she did mean every word she said.
“Really?” he ask her as if this is something new to his ears
“Yeah”
“They ask you about… me?”
“Yeah sure they do”
“Did they ask you ab…” before Donghae could finish his sentence; Henry came and yelled at Yoona to go out on the stage.
“They are about to announce the winner” he yelled before disappearing behind the curtain.
Yoona stood up on her feet, looking straight at Donghae. Her eyes are full of hope.
“Wish me luck!” she said and she too disappeared behind the curtain that led her to the main stage.
“Oh…” Yoona came back in, poking her head through the curtain “it seems like someone recovering from break up just fine” she smiled at him and disappear again and this time, no returning back.
There are so many things Donghae wishes to ask Yoona but right now this is her moment. So he wants the fortune, everything good to fall on her that night.
“Good luck Yoona” Donghae said even when Yoona is not there.
**
It was a huge surprise for an amateur group like DeerFlies to win against an international group like AOM. But the surprise came as a good one. Donghae heard the MC announce the winner but his eyes were on Yoona the whole time.
It was amazing how she looks the brightest among the people that surrounds her.
It was amazing how her smile make him smile too without him realizing it.
Yoona is an amazing girl. And the way she was jumping up and down made her looks like she was five, the choding Yoong. They high-fived one another, had a group hug.
And then he saw her running towards him, with the brightest smile on her face. It was like a reflect for him to open his arm when she was running to him
“We won!” she finally reached him, to his embrace and Donghae lifted her up a little.
“We won Donghae we won!!!!” she hugged him tighter on his neck.
“Congratulation”
It was not long for them to hug as Henry was fast enough to be there to break them apart.
“Hey Sasum”
Yoona let Donghae go and Donghae swears he saw she was blushing. Yoona turned around and Henry gave her a friendly hug “Congratulation!”
“Let’s go for celebration!!!!” Junho coming to the back stage and everybody followed behind him.
“Yoona,” Yoona looked up at Hangeng, “Ask your boyfriend to come along” Hangeng said while his eyes on Donghae and smiled before went off following the other.
Donghae smirked, feeling victorious, feeling evil.
“I’m now the boyfriend huh?”
“No you are not. You are just her bestfriend, or ex-bestfriend I dare say” Henry said before Yoona managed to open her mouth.
Yoona almost burst out listening to that protective statement. Like since when Henry had started protecting her from Donghae?
“But he still has the right to celebrate it with us right?”
Henry rolled his eyes, walked away, pulled Yoona’s hand with him as he went along.
And Yoona managed to pinch Donghae’s jacket, just to tag him along with them.
Donghae can’t help but smiled.
So he was not the only man in Yoona’s life now.
And it’s just too bad he just realized that.
**
Henry bid Yoona goodbye as he had to take the car his mother sent him so he could go back home safely.
“Be safe with that guy” he whispered to Yoona before get in to the car.
He winded down the window, all eyes on Donghae “You better take care of her well man!”
“Don’t worry Henry-ssi, she is in a safe hands”
“Like I don’t know you” a very sarcastic tones before the driver drove away the car.
Yoona just smiled widely “He is cute when he whines”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t take him personally Donghae. He is such a mama boy” Yoona looked at Donghae with a smile on her face.
“None taken” he smiled back at her.
Yoona and Donghae walked down the road. They had to walk to go to the next bus station. The celebration was great but when the leader gets drunk, nobody could send them home. Hangeng himself needs to lie on his Korean girlfriend help to send him home. Too bad Yeon Hee unnie’s home was too far away from her district. It was a little fortunate though to have Donghae to accompany her that night. If not, maybe she will have the privilege of riding Henry’s car.
“What is your relationship with Henry?” the sudden question from Donghae broke the silence that has been eating away their walk.
“Friend” Yoona answered short.
“Like how we used to be?” He asked again.
Though Yoona never think of the type of relationship she shares with Henry, it was clear to her that having Donghae prying on her life is a bit…. Uncomfortable.
“No” Yoona answered casually but her tone is firm. She forgets how to losen up around him again. And thinking about it, she just hugged him a few hours earlier!
“Better friend than I am?” how she wished he would stop ask that kind of question.
“At least he doesn’t leave me when I needed him the most” her honesty flows like water running through the river.
And cat got his tongue. Utterly speechless by what he just heard maybe, she would like to assume it that way.
So silence fell upon them once again.
“People tend to forget what they say when they are drunk but you, you forget what you say when you are nervous” Donghae tried to break the ice.
“I have yet have any recollection of drinking” Yoona answered him.
Donghae can’t help himself but to smile at that. Maybe he was too blind to see back then but Yoona is a girl full of charm. Maybe if she was not mad at him, she would smile. How Donghae was he was still waiting for her backstage and see her smile when she came to him.
And the suddenly when Henry left, she is all different again.
“I was speaking metaphorically” Yoona looked at him with a wrinkle formed on her nose “Forget it” he said waving his hand carelessly “You did remember what we talk about”
Yoona pouts. Her eyes looking up on dark sky. There were a lot of stars tonight. And then she pursed her lips. She tried hard to recall what was the conversation they had behind the stage. He bet the winning her group received just now had deleted all the history, every event and happening she had before that.
And God knows how cute does she looks when she did that!
“It’s about people using you as their information counter to ask about me” Donghae finally said.
I can’t fall for her!
“Aaah!” she exclaims as her index finger pointing to the sky “that!”
“Yeah Im Yoona, THAT!”
Yoona takes a sip of her soda. Donghae patiently wait so he can get the answer that he needs.
“Forget about it. It was nothing”
Donghe’s heart crushes to pieces when she said that.
“What? No!” Donghae had been eager to make her tell him everything “Tell me, why they are using you to ask about me? I mean, I’m pretty sure I will answer anything nicely. I have no record of being mean to girl”
“Of course you have none, you idiot. But surely they can’t ask you straight away what do you like for you birthday. Or stupid and simple question like what is your favorite color. Or even crazy question like do you pick your nose. How can’t they be brave enough to ask you such thing?”
Donghae raised his eye brows, his forehead made crinkle.
“Sure I pick nose. If they ask me, I can just pick my nose in front of them”
“I am well aware of the fact that you pick nose, fart and go to toilet”
Donghae laughs. So hard. It has been so long someone makes him laugh this way.
Yoona looked at him weirdly.
“Why are you laughing at something simple like that?”
“A guy would want you as their wife Yoona” his said in between his laugh.
“Because I said you fart?” Yoona still in doubt of why Donghae like to laugh at everything she said.
“No,” he answered, still laughing because it was hard to stop “because you are a pearl that has yet to be discovered. You have yet come out of your shell.”
And Donghae see the smile curved up on her lips.
It made him extremely pleased.
However, whatever nonsense Donghae said just now, Yoona did not get it at all.
"Come on, I'll see you to your home" he said stretching his hand for Yoona to reach it.
"I have been doing fine for the past 7 years. I walk alone Donghae"
"Not tonight. You are under my protection as of tonight"
Yoona shakes her head in disbelief but she accept his offer but firmly reject his hand.
Donghae wants to make things okay again between them.
He will.
and he promised himself that.