Say I Love U / Chapter 2
"Changmin... Promise me you won't tell your sisters."
BOOM.
Changmin opened his eyes with a start, pushing himself up from his bed to look around him. The neighbor's old rickety station wagon fired again, causing him to wince at the loud boom and then sigh as he sunk back into his sheets. He rubbed his temple slowly, trying to block out the voice from his dream the night before and opened his eyes slowly as its words replayed over and over again. Promise me you won't tell your sisters.
There's not much to tell, Dad, he thought as he slid off of his bed and bounded towards the bathroom. Changmin rubbed water over his face and looked at his reflection in the mirror. There was no change from what he looked like from that night and today - he still had his clear dark eyes and straight lipped mouth; he still didn't say much (or at all, if he really thought about it) and he was still living with his sisters in their home. Sure he had gotten a little older (six years older to be exact, he mused-noting the light stubble on his chin) but he was still the same quiet boy that came into the Choi family's lives.
"Gosh damn it!" Changmin rolled his eyes as Kwon Yuri's loud exclamation fleeted from downstairs and into the third floor where his room was. Deftly, he pulled on a shirt hanging from his door and padded downstairs, taking two steps at a time with his long legs. He found her mouthing profanities at an open stove and some strips of bacon while her boyfriend toppled over in silent laughter by the couch. Yuri looked up from her cursing and grinned sheepishly at her older brother.
"Good morning, oppa! You didn't hear me curse too loudly, did you?" she asked, fluttering her lashes sweetly as he moved towards her with a slight yawn. He shot her a look and snatched the spatula from her hands. "O~kay, so you did hear me. Hehe, sorry!" She said, putting a hand to her face and bowing before slapping her boyfriend's shoulder, "but in my defense, it was Minho's fault. He didn't tell me that bacon sizzles and pops when there's too much oil."
"It's supposed to sizzle and pop occasionally when it cooks, Yul." Minho called from his seat, shaking his head at her. She made a face at him and laughed when he pulled her into a small kiss. Changmin only rolled his eyes at their display of affection. He easily removed the bacon from the pan and set it on a plate before gesturing for Yuri to get them and some bread. She followed, skipping as she carried the plate off and popped a piece into her mouth.
"Oppa, we were thinking of visiting mom and dad's grave later before going over to Sooyoung-unni in the hospital... want to come with us?" Yuri asked, taking a big gulp from her juice. Minho shook his head at her, squeezing her hand. "Don't," he warned, frowning at her but she ignored him. She stared at her brother's back intently as Changmin moved around the kitchen and waited for him to react. When he didn't turn to face her, she let out a loud sigh and leaned back by balancing the chair by two of its legs. "We haven't gone in awhile... well, at least you haven't."
"Oppa?"
Yuri turned to look back and found the kitchen empty. She clicked her tongue, shaking her head while her boyfriend sighed into his juice. "I told you not to push it," He said, holding out a fork with a piece of bacon from its end. "You know he doesn't want to." She opened her mouth and took the meat between her teeth and shrugged.
"Well... at least I tried."
"When will I meet this mystery man, eh?" Mr. Im said, settling himself comfortably on his bed and looked up from his book just as Yoona arranged new flowers on his table. She shrugged, dusting the flower petals lightly with her finger and smelled them. "At least describe him to me!"
"He's tall and very quiet. Quite literally, actually."
"That's not much of a description, my dear. I need more than that. Information like, is he handsome? Or is he smarter than a fifth grader? Or does he have some sort of foot fungus?"
Yoona shook her head, wrinkling her nose at him and his lame attempts in humor. "Ha ha, very funny. You sounded just like sis, Dad. And believe me, it won't be any fun if you know all the facts before you even meet him." Heck, I don't even know any yet... except for the name. She sat down softly on the bed and grinned at him. "Give it some time. You'll meet him soon."
Mr. Im huffed and clicked his tongue, waving a finger at her face. "Later, I hope? You can't keep me in the dark forever, you know. I haven't got much time left."
"Don't say that." She argued, her smile dropping into a frown at his smiling face. She took a deep breath, held his hand in hers and squeezed. "Just because you've refused treatment in a hospital doesn't mean you won't get it at home."
He nodded, patting her hand with his free one. "Of course, Yoona. I was only kidding." They smiled at each other. "But I still have to meet the man who makes my youngest happy in this lifetime."
Yoona laughed softly (feeling slightly guilty for the non-truth of it all), brushing his face with a hand and kissed his cheek. "You will, I promise."
"So Siwon-oppa said that you agreed on letting me stay here for a little longer for tests-my question here is: how the heck are we going to pay for it?" Sooyoung exclaimed, stabbing her red jello into her mouth in between words. Changmin shook his head at her before deftly taking the cup from her hands and setting it down on the table.
/ Don't worry about it. It'll be fine. / He wrote, patting his sister's head comfortingly. I made a pretty good deal considering I don't know much about the girl who offered aside from the name. She rolled her eyes at him and shook his hand off.
"I'm not twelve anymore, Changmin and that measly construction job of yours and our music store barely covers our daily expenses! We can't afford any more days here! What are we going to do? Are you going to go to the red-light district and sell your body? Oh my God, please no!" Sooyoung exclaimed, covering her eyes at the very thought and thus earning a hard smack on the forehead.
She looked up to see him glaring at her and nervously let out a laugh. "I was kidding, oppa. Hehe, I'll stay for as long as I need to. As long as you say-I mean, write that you can pay for it, okay?"
/ Good girl. /
Sooyoung sighed, leaning back against her pillows and reached for the jello once again. She grinned, taking a small bite. "The bright side is that I get to see Siwon-oppa a little longer, right?"
Yoona took a deep breath as she opened the car door and stepped into the light. "Thanks, Sunghyun-shii. I'll call if I need a ride back." She said, bowing slightly at the driver in front. The driver nodded, tipping his little hat slightly before edging away from its stop on the street and onto the main road. Yoona brushed her hair back with a hand as she entered the park - where they had agreed to meet to... iron out some details.
"I wonder if he's here already..." she mused, tugging her blouse neatly on her shoulder. Yoona thought of the night before and smiled, remembering his nonchalant expression when he held up his name on a whiteboard in front of her eyes. It was almost cute how he seemed so incapable to say no to a crying girl when he looked and acted so tough and aloof. She grinned, walking through the green grass and soft afternoon breeze. "Still, he's a guy after all."
Suddenly, a hand grabbed hold of her wrist and she gave a shout in shock. Changmin winced at the sound and rolled his eyes at her - holding up the whiteboard, / You're late. / Yoona gave him a hard slap on the shoulder, folding her hands across her chest and frowning.
"You scared the heck out of me!" she complained, bringing a hand on her chest. He only shrugged in response and wrote again, / Are you just going to stand there? / He gestured on a tuff of grass next to him and raised an eyebrow. She scoffed, muttering under her breath before carefully folding her long skirt under her legs and sat down.
They fell silent for a moment, watching people jog and walk past them. Yoona pursed her lips, considering her words before letting out a long sigh. "So... we agreed to meet today to iron out some details, right?" She started, fingering the edge of her light blue skirt. She stole a quick look at his stoic face and whiteboard. "We should probably get to know each other first before I introduce you to my dad. I can't not know my own 'boyfriend' after all. Uh..."
Just as she opened her mouth to speak again, the whiteboard was pushed towards her. She blinked at him for a moment before reading the words on its surface. / Quick question: How are you going to pay for a quarter of a million? /
Yoona bit her lip and pushed the board back to him. She waved a hand in front of his face and laughed nervously. "Oh. My mom left me a large sum of... just... don't worry about it. It's fine. Just think of it as charity - you know, Daddy's little rich girl having money to spare and giving it to people who need it." She pressed her lips together. "That sort of thing."
Changmin watched her face give way to a dark cloud and instantly felt bad for asking. Oh sure, alienate the person who wants to help with your sister's hospital bills. Nice job, Shim. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, quickly scribbling a note: / Sorry. I was just curious. /
She shook her head, relaxing at his hastily written words and smiled at him. "No, it's ok. Maybe I'll tell you everything when I know you better," she said, shrugging her shoulder. "But for now, we should just talk and write good things about ourselves ... like friends. We'll get to the serious stuff eventually."
Changmin nodded, / Alright. / Then as he spread his long legs in front of him, he looked at her straight in the eyes expectantly. Yoona blinked, surprised at the intensity of his stare and raised her index finger to point to herself. "Oh, you mean I have to start?" she asked, her eyes wide. He blinked back, waiting for her to answer and with another sigh, she obliged. "Ok, so... you already know my name but- My name is Im Yoona. I'm turning twenty-three by the end of May and I'm about to graduate from a Medicine program at Seoul University."
"I have an older sister who's married and has a baby in the U.S. and my dad's in the hospital because of his weak heart valves..." Yoona bit her lip, looking up to him to see if he was still listening. He stared back at her. "My mom died when I was eight years old... and I've only had one boyfriend in my life, so I'm... not really good at this. Please jump in and interrupt me anytime."
/ No, go ahead. / He wrote, tapping the pen on the whiteboard. She laughed softly, shaking her head at how odd it is to communicate through a board. "I think I've said enough for an introduction. Why don't you go s-I mean, write something? How old are you?"
/ I'm twenty five. / He wrote, / And I've never had a boyfriend. /
Yoona laughed, slapping him playfully on the arm. "You're a jerk." She said, sticking her tongue out at him "Be serious."
He shrugged, smirking at her and wrote again. / I didn't attend University. I work at a construction site and manage a music store and take care of my two sisters. They're names are Choi Sooyoung and Kwon Yuri. /
"Why do your sisters have different last names?" she asked, pointing down at the board before looking up at him curiously. Changmin raised an eyebrow and added another line beneath the names. / Yuri and I adopted... obviously. / He smirked when she rolled her eyes at him in response.
"What are they like?" Yoona asked, ignoring the arrogant (though attractive) smirk on his lips. She smiled sweetly at him, edging her face closer to his. "Are they the complete opposite of you? Because I do hope they are."
It was his turn to roll his eyes. "What? You'll have to get used to it because I am your 'girlfriend', aren't I?" she said, cheekily. She fluttered her eyes playfully and grinned wider when he rolled his eyes again. / Both of them are energetic. Yuri kind of talks a lot but she's entertaining and people love her. Meanwhile, Sooyoung eats a lot. /
He heaved a sigh and shook his head, erasing the board quickly to write more. / That's the main reason why she's in the hospital. Her doctor says she must have eaten something bad while on her shift in the restaurant near our house. /
/ She's always had an iron stomach, but still - she could have at least been a bit more careful. /
Yoona let out a chuckle, surprising him out of his thoughts. She tilted her head to the side and gave him a bright smile, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You're actually a protective oppa. I never would have guessed with this whole dark aura you have surrounding you. You're not a bad guy at all... you're actually sweet." She said, smiling at him.
Changmin wrinkled his brow and shook his head, pulling his board and his body away from her. She laughed at him as he shrugged off her hand on his shoulder in mock annoyance. But you're definitely still a macho guy, Yoona mused, drawing her legs closer to her. "My sister says I have an iron stomach too, because I can eat anything and not feel bad afterwards. She said it was strange for a woman of my size to eat that much - my dad always said it was what makes me adorable in his eyes. But then again, he's my dad so he's biased."
/ You and Sooyoung should have an eating contest then. /
"Who would be the referee? Wouldn't you be a bit biased too?" she replied, raising an eyebrow. Changmin shook his head, letting a small smile creep into his lips.
/ I'll try not to be, since I'm your 'boyfriend'. / He wrote-winking (awkwardly) and earning a slight blush on Yoona's cheeks. He stared down at her, inching his face even closer to hers. She looked away, hitting him softly over the shoulder. / You'll have to get used to it. / he wrote, mimicking her earlier words and earning another slap and blush on her cheeks.
He grinned and pulled back, fanning the board to her pink face. "You are a jerk. Really." Yoona breathed, glaring at him. Resting her chin on her knees, she hummed thoughtfully and nudged him. "What about your adoptive parents? What were they like?"
His smile fell and he stiffened unconsciously. She blinked, raising her head to look at him closely. Changmin stayed still for a moment before turning to lie on his back. [ "Changmin... Promise me you won't tell your sisters." ] He sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. I won't tell them. He opened his eyes and glanced at Yoona's beautiful face.
Yoona watched his change of mood in surprise, casting a shadow over his eyes so quickly as the twinkle she thought she saw for a second disappeared. He drew his attention back to his board and she blinked. She waited for him to finish writing and sat still observing. The sun was bearing down on them and even though they were in a shady part of the square, the morning light drew planes on his attractive face as he concentrated on writing on his board.
The minutes ticked on for what felt like an eternity. "Changmi-"
Changmin shoved the board under her nose before she could finish saying his name. / Why don't we go somewhere else? It's too hot here. / Quickly, he stood up and started walking away leaving a confused Yoona at his wake. She blinked; staring after him surprised before turning her attention back to the board in her hands and looked at it again.
"Oh."
She sighed, pulling her hand back and let it fall on her side.
"Don't walk so fast!" she called, dusting off the seat of her skirt and ran towards him. He waited for her to be beside him before taking the board from her hands and pulling it under his arm. Yoona stared after it, wondering how this deal was ever going to work... when her partner-in-crime continued to surprise her every second they spent together.
At the right hand corner, in small wispy writing, it said: / They're dead. /
"Okay... what about you favorite color?"
The pair had spent the rest of the afternoon together, walking aimlessly around Seoul's busy streets while getting to know each other. They were a block and a half from the hospital now (though they hardly noticed their surroundings), walking very slowly and sipping their juice drinks through a straw.
Changmin cocked his head towards a white Lexus parked near the curb, and then turned back to look at her. Yoona nodded, biting her straw absentmindedly and admiring the car before answering, "I like yellow... like sunflowers."
/ Song? / He wrote in scraggly writing before gesturing towards his ear. Yoona stifled a laugh, shaking her head at him for trying so hard to convey his message and looking ridiculous. "You could just talk you know..." she said, smirking at him. She gave him a bemused grin and he rolled his eyes. / Just answer the question. /
"Sheesh, temper much?" Yoona tapped on the plastic cup's body and thought hard. "Hmm, I don't really have a favorite song. But I've been humming a song by Girls' Generation a lot, so maybe it's that right now?"
Changmin made a face, wrinkling his nose and shook his head all at the same time. / You need to update your music. / He wrote, nudging her with an elbow. / But since you're a Med student, you probably don't have time. /
"I'm amazed at how easily you can write without looking at your board and walking at the same time." Yoona smiled, peering over the board as he erased the words. "And you're right... I don't really know much about the trends these days. I've been holed up for the past year."
/ Didn't you have a boyfriend? I thought girls kept up with trends when they date. /
"I'm not really the type. And yes, I know it's lame." She waved, making a face. Changmin smirked, shaking his head at her. "We've got the basics down. Let's move on to another topic, please..."
/ I'll make you a mix sometime. / He wrote, balancing the board on one hand and taking her empty juice drink and throwing it into a nearby trash can with the other. He walked a couple of paces ahead before noticing that his companion had stopped and stared at him with a surprised (but pleased) expression on her face. He raised an eyebrow at her, tilting his head slightly. What is it now?
"That was a very 'boyfriend' type thing to offer." She said, laughing at his curious expression. It was really sweet too, unexpected but sweet. "I didn't think you'd be this easy to befriend!"
He scoffed, shaking his head and turned back to walk away. Yoona let out a laugh again and walked quickly to catch up to him - grabbing his arm in the process. He stiffened from the contact and stopped walking to look at her in shock. She stared back at him, blinking. "What?"
Changmin looked down at her, his eyes fleeting from her arm linked to his then back to her face. She rolled her eyes, slapping his arm softly. "Oh come on! You can't expect me to introduce you to my father with you standing three feet away from me, do you?" she exclaimed, smiling at his distressed face. She ignored his warmth radiating towards hers through their close contact and elbowed him slightly. "We should at least show some... contact, since we're a 'couple' and all."
He heaved a sigh, considering her words. She has a point. What's the point of pretending to be a couple when we don't act like one? Changmin thought, slapping his board lightly on his face. He looked over at her humming to herself and waiting for him to answer and felt a warmth come towards his cheeks. Get it together, Shim! You've dated before and you're only pretending this time.
He let out a deep breath and began to write, bringing his linked arm over to cover the board. Yoona craned her neck to see what he was writing but couldn't as it was turned away from her. Then, he lowered the board and she took it in her free hand - her eyes widening slightly as she read.
/ Holding hands seems more intimate, don't you think? /
"Uh... right," She said, her arm loosening its grip on his and slid down. They stared at each other for a moment, weighing the moment before slowly, Changmin held out his hand towards her. Yoona blinked at him in surprise. "You're serious? I-I've never held another guy's hand except for Dong-"
He grabbed her hand before she could finish her sentence and held in tightly in his. She gasped at the contact, a blush rushing to her cheeks as he began to walk again and pulled her to follow. He sighed, scratching the back of his head in exasperation as he took heavy steps on the busy street. Both of them were silent as they walked on, looking anywhere but at each other. Yoona coughed slightly - stealing a look at him, her fingers lacing between his.
"Your hand is warm..." she whispered, more to herself than to him. He cleared his throat upon hearing her and their fingers stayed laced together comfortably, as they took their steps in time.
"Wow. Who's the chick, oppa?" A loud voice said, surprising both of them out of their reverie and making Yoona jump into Changmin's arms in alarm. Yuri stood before them, surprised before doubling over and laughing as they jumped apart seconds later once realizing the position they were in. "That was so precious! Is she your girlfriend, oppa?"
The lively girl skipped towards them, grabbing Yoona's hand into a handshake. "I'm Kwon Yuri - Changmin-oppa's young and feisty adoptive sister. And you are?"
[ You little witch! Why am I the last person to know? ]
[ Hyoyeon... now is not a good time. ]
[ Excuse me but it is! Why did that bastard Donghae break up with you? ]
[ I don't know, okay... he just ended things. Look, can I call you back? ]
[ Why in God's name can't you talk now? This is major! ]
[ ... I'm kinda meeting my boyfriend's sisters... it's a long story. ]
[ BOYFRIEND?! ]
BOOM.
Changmin opened his eyes with a start, pushing himself up from his bed to look around him. The neighbor's old rickety station wagon fired again, causing him to wince at the loud boom and then sigh as he sunk back into his sheets. He rubbed his temple slowly, trying to block out the voice from his dream the night before and opened his eyes slowly as its words replayed over and over again. Promise me you won't tell your sisters.
There's not much to tell, Dad, he thought as he slid off of his bed and bounded towards the bathroom. Changmin rubbed water over his face and looked at his reflection in the mirror. There was no change from what he looked like from that night and today - he still had his clear dark eyes and straight lipped mouth; he still didn't say much (or at all, if he really thought about it) and he was still living with his sisters in their home. Sure he had gotten a little older (six years older to be exact, he mused-noting the light stubble on his chin) but he was still the same quiet boy that came into the Choi family's lives.
"Gosh damn it!" Changmin rolled his eyes as Kwon Yuri's loud exclamation fleeted from downstairs and into the third floor where his room was. Deftly, he pulled on a shirt hanging from his door and padded downstairs, taking two steps at a time with his long legs. He found her mouthing profanities at an open stove and some strips of bacon while her boyfriend toppled over in silent laughter by the couch. Yuri looked up from her cursing and grinned sheepishly at her older brother.
"Good morning, oppa! You didn't hear me curse too loudly, did you?" she asked, fluttering her lashes sweetly as he moved towards her with a slight yawn. He shot her a look and snatched the spatula from her hands. "O~kay, so you did hear me. Hehe, sorry!" She said, putting a hand to her face and bowing before slapping her boyfriend's shoulder, "but in my defense, it was Minho's fault. He didn't tell me that bacon sizzles and pops when there's too much oil."
"It's supposed to sizzle and pop occasionally when it cooks, Yul." Minho called from his seat, shaking his head at her. She made a face at him and laughed when he pulled her into a small kiss. Changmin only rolled his eyes at their display of affection. He easily removed the bacon from the pan and set it on a plate before gesturing for Yuri to get them and some bread. She followed, skipping as she carried the plate off and popped a piece into her mouth.
"Oppa, we were thinking of visiting mom and dad's grave later before going over to Sooyoung-unni in the hospital... want to come with us?" Yuri asked, taking a big gulp from her juice. Minho shook his head at her, squeezing her hand. "Don't," he warned, frowning at her but she ignored him. She stared at her brother's back intently as Changmin moved around the kitchen and waited for him to react. When he didn't turn to face her, she let out a loud sigh and leaned back by balancing the chair by two of its legs. "We haven't gone in awhile... well, at least you haven't."
"Oppa?"
Yuri turned to look back and found the kitchen empty. She clicked her tongue, shaking her head while her boyfriend sighed into his juice. "I told you not to push it," He said, holding out a fork with a piece of bacon from its end. "You know he doesn't want to." She opened her mouth and took the meat between her teeth and shrugged.
"Well... at least I tried."
"When will I meet this mystery man, eh?" Mr. Im said, settling himself comfortably on his bed and looked up from his book just as Yoona arranged new flowers on his table. She shrugged, dusting the flower petals lightly with her finger and smelled them. "At least describe him to me!"
"He's tall and very quiet. Quite literally, actually."
"That's not much of a description, my dear. I need more than that. Information like, is he handsome? Or is he smarter than a fifth grader? Or does he have some sort of foot fungus?"
Yoona shook her head, wrinkling her nose at him and his lame attempts in humor. "Ha ha, very funny. You sounded just like sis, Dad. And believe me, it won't be any fun if you know all the facts before you even meet him." Heck, I don't even know any yet... except for the name. She sat down softly on the bed and grinned at him. "Give it some time. You'll meet him soon."
Mr. Im huffed and clicked his tongue, waving a finger at her face. "Later, I hope? You can't keep me in the dark forever, you know. I haven't got much time left."
"Don't say that." She argued, her smile dropping into a frown at his smiling face. She took a deep breath, held his hand in hers and squeezed. "Just because you've refused treatment in a hospital doesn't mean you won't get it at home."
He nodded, patting her hand with his free one. "Of course, Yoona. I was only kidding." They smiled at each other. "But I still have to meet the man who makes my youngest happy in this lifetime."
Yoona laughed softly (feeling slightly guilty for the non-truth of it all), brushing his face with a hand and kissed his cheek. "You will, I promise."
"So Siwon-oppa said that you agreed on letting me stay here for a little longer for tests-my question here is: how the heck are we going to pay for it?" Sooyoung exclaimed, stabbing her red jello into her mouth in between words. Changmin shook his head at her before deftly taking the cup from her hands and setting it down on the table.
/ Don't worry about it. It'll be fine. / He wrote, patting his sister's head comfortingly. I made a pretty good deal considering I don't know much about the girl who offered aside from the name. She rolled her eyes at him and shook his hand off.
"I'm not twelve anymore, Changmin and that measly construction job of yours and our music store barely covers our daily expenses! We can't afford any more days here! What are we going to do? Are you going to go to the red-light district and sell your body? Oh my God, please no!" Sooyoung exclaimed, covering her eyes at the very thought and thus earning a hard smack on the forehead.
She looked up to see him glaring at her and nervously let out a laugh. "I was kidding, oppa. Hehe, I'll stay for as long as I need to. As long as you say-I mean, write that you can pay for it, okay?"
/ Good girl. /
Sooyoung sighed, leaning back against her pillows and reached for the jello once again. She grinned, taking a small bite. "The bright side is that I get to see Siwon-oppa a little longer, right?"
Yoona took a deep breath as she opened the car door and stepped into the light. "Thanks, Sunghyun-shii. I'll call if I need a ride back." She said, bowing slightly at the driver in front. The driver nodded, tipping his little hat slightly before edging away from its stop on the street and onto the main road. Yoona brushed her hair back with a hand as she entered the park - where they had agreed to meet to... iron out some details.
"I wonder if he's here already..." she mused, tugging her blouse neatly on her shoulder. Yoona thought of the night before and smiled, remembering his nonchalant expression when he held up his name on a whiteboard in front of her eyes. It was almost cute how he seemed so incapable to say no to a crying girl when he looked and acted so tough and aloof. She grinned, walking through the green grass and soft afternoon breeze. "Still, he's a guy after all."
Suddenly, a hand grabbed hold of her wrist and she gave a shout in shock. Changmin winced at the sound and rolled his eyes at her - holding up the whiteboard, / You're late. / Yoona gave him a hard slap on the shoulder, folding her hands across her chest and frowning.
"You scared the heck out of me!" she complained, bringing a hand on her chest. He only shrugged in response and wrote again, / Are you just going to stand there? / He gestured on a tuff of grass next to him and raised an eyebrow. She scoffed, muttering under her breath before carefully folding her long skirt under her legs and sat down.
They fell silent for a moment, watching people jog and walk past them. Yoona pursed her lips, considering her words before letting out a long sigh. "So... we agreed to meet today to iron out some details, right?" She started, fingering the edge of her light blue skirt. She stole a quick look at his stoic face and whiteboard. "We should probably get to know each other first before I introduce you to my dad. I can't not know my own 'boyfriend' after all. Uh..."
Just as she opened her mouth to speak again, the whiteboard was pushed towards her. She blinked at him for a moment before reading the words on its surface. / Quick question: How are you going to pay for a quarter of a million? /
Yoona bit her lip and pushed the board back to him. She waved a hand in front of his face and laughed nervously. "Oh. My mom left me a large sum of... just... don't worry about it. It's fine. Just think of it as charity - you know, Daddy's little rich girl having money to spare and giving it to people who need it." She pressed her lips together. "That sort of thing."
Changmin watched her face give way to a dark cloud and instantly felt bad for asking. Oh sure, alienate the person who wants to help with your sister's hospital bills. Nice job, Shim. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, quickly scribbling a note: / Sorry. I was just curious. /
She shook her head, relaxing at his hastily written words and smiled at him. "No, it's ok. Maybe I'll tell you everything when I know you better," she said, shrugging her shoulder. "But for now, we should just talk and write good things about ourselves ... like friends. We'll get to the serious stuff eventually."
Changmin nodded, / Alright. / Then as he spread his long legs in front of him, he looked at her straight in the eyes expectantly. Yoona blinked, surprised at the intensity of his stare and raised her index finger to point to herself. "Oh, you mean I have to start?" she asked, her eyes wide. He blinked back, waiting for her to answer and with another sigh, she obliged. "Ok, so... you already know my name but- My name is Im Yoona. I'm turning twenty-three by the end of May and I'm about to graduate from a Medicine program at Seoul University."
"I have an older sister who's married and has a baby in the U.S. and my dad's in the hospital because of his weak heart valves..." Yoona bit her lip, looking up to him to see if he was still listening. He stared back at her. "My mom died when I was eight years old... and I've only had one boyfriend in my life, so I'm... not really good at this. Please jump in and interrupt me anytime."
/ No, go ahead. / He wrote, tapping the pen on the whiteboard. She laughed softly, shaking her head at how odd it is to communicate through a board. "I think I've said enough for an introduction. Why don't you go s-I mean, write something? How old are you?"
/ I'm twenty five. / He wrote, / And I've never had a boyfriend. /
Yoona laughed, slapping him playfully on the arm. "You're a jerk." She said, sticking her tongue out at him "Be serious."
He shrugged, smirking at her and wrote again. / I didn't attend University. I work at a construction site and manage a music store and take care of my two sisters. They're names are Choi Sooyoung and Kwon Yuri. /
"Why do your sisters have different last names?" she asked, pointing down at the board before looking up at him curiously. Changmin raised an eyebrow and added another line beneath the names. / Yuri and I adopted... obviously. / He smirked when she rolled her eyes at him in response.
"What are they like?" Yoona asked, ignoring the arrogant (though attractive) smirk on his lips. She smiled sweetly at him, edging her face closer to his. "Are they the complete opposite of you? Because I do hope they are."
It was his turn to roll his eyes. "What? You'll have to get used to it because I am your 'girlfriend', aren't I?" she said, cheekily. She fluttered her eyes playfully and grinned wider when he rolled his eyes again. / Both of them are energetic. Yuri kind of talks a lot but she's entertaining and people love her. Meanwhile, Sooyoung eats a lot. /
He heaved a sigh and shook his head, erasing the board quickly to write more. / That's the main reason why she's in the hospital. Her doctor says she must have eaten something bad while on her shift in the restaurant near our house. /
/ She's always had an iron stomach, but still - she could have at least been a bit more careful. /
Yoona let out a chuckle, surprising him out of his thoughts. She tilted her head to the side and gave him a bright smile, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You're actually a protective oppa. I never would have guessed with this whole dark aura you have surrounding you. You're not a bad guy at all... you're actually sweet." She said, smiling at him.
Changmin wrinkled his brow and shook his head, pulling his board and his body away from her. She laughed at him as he shrugged off her hand on his shoulder in mock annoyance. But you're definitely still a macho guy, Yoona mused, drawing her legs closer to her. "My sister says I have an iron stomach too, because I can eat anything and not feel bad afterwards. She said it was strange for a woman of my size to eat that much - my dad always said it was what makes me adorable in his eyes. But then again, he's my dad so he's biased."
/ You and Sooyoung should have an eating contest then. /
"Who would be the referee? Wouldn't you be a bit biased too?" she replied, raising an eyebrow. Changmin shook his head, letting a small smile creep into his lips.
/ I'll try not to be, since I'm your 'boyfriend'. / He wrote-winking (awkwardly) and earning a slight blush on Yoona's cheeks. He stared down at her, inching his face even closer to hers. She looked away, hitting him softly over the shoulder. / You'll have to get used to it. / he wrote, mimicking her earlier words and earning another slap and blush on her cheeks.
He grinned and pulled back, fanning the board to her pink face. "You are a jerk. Really." Yoona breathed, glaring at him. Resting her chin on her knees, she hummed thoughtfully and nudged him. "What about your adoptive parents? What were they like?"
His smile fell and he stiffened unconsciously. She blinked, raising her head to look at him closely. Changmin stayed still for a moment before turning to lie on his back. [ "Changmin... Promise me you won't tell your sisters." ] He sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. I won't tell them. He opened his eyes and glanced at Yoona's beautiful face.
Yoona watched his change of mood in surprise, casting a shadow over his eyes so quickly as the twinkle she thought she saw for a second disappeared. He drew his attention back to his board and she blinked. She waited for him to finish writing and sat still observing. The sun was bearing down on them and even though they were in a shady part of the square, the morning light drew planes on his attractive face as he concentrated on writing on his board.
The minutes ticked on for what felt like an eternity. "Changmi-"
Changmin shoved the board under her nose before she could finish saying his name. / Why don't we go somewhere else? It's too hot here. / Quickly, he stood up and started walking away leaving a confused Yoona at his wake. She blinked; staring after him surprised before turning her attention back to the board in her hands and looked at it again.
"Oh."
She sighed, pulling her hand back and let it fall on her side.
"Don't walk so fast!" she called, dusting off the seat of her skirt and ran towards him. He waited for her to be beside him before taking the board from her hands and pulling it under his arm. Yoona stared after it, wondering how this deal was ever going to work... when her partner-in-crime continued to surprise her every second they spent together.
At the right hand corner, in small wispy writing, it said: / They're dead. /
"Okay... what about you favorite color?"
The pair had spent the rest of the afternoon together, walking aimlessly around Seoul's busy streets while getting to know each other. They were a block and a half from the hospital now (though they hardly noticed their surroundings), walking very slowly and sipping their juice drinks through a straw.
Changmin cocked his head towards a white Lexus parked near the curb, and then turned back to look at her. Yoona nodded, biting her straw absentmindedly and admiring the car before answering, "I like yellow... like sunflowers."
/ Song? / He wrote in scraggly writing before gesturing towards his ear. Yoona stifled a laugh, shaking her head at him for trying so hard to convey his message and looking ridiculous. "You could just talk you know..." she said, smirking at him. She gave him a bemused grin and he rolled his eyes. / Just answer the question. /
"Sheesh, temper much?" Yoona tapped on the plastic cup's body and thought hard. "Hmm, I don't really have a favorite song. But I've been humming a song by Girls' Generation a lot, so maybe it's that right now?"
Changmin made a face, wrinkling his nose and shook his head all at the same time. / You need to update your music. / He wrote, nudging her with an elbow. / But since you're a Med student, you probably don't have time. /
"I'm amazed at how easily you can write without looking at your board and walking at the same time." Yoona smiled, peering over the board as he erased the words. "And you're right... I don't really know much about the trends these days. I've been holed up for the past year."
/ Didn't you have a boyfriend? I thought girls kept up with trends when they date. /
"I'm not really the type. And yes, I know it's lame." She waved, making a face. Changmin smirked, shaking his head at her. "We've got the basics down. Let's move on to another topic, please..."
/ I'll make you a mix sometime. / He wrote, balancing the board on one hand and taking her empty juice drink and throwing it into a nearby trash can with the other. He walked a couple of paces ahead before noticing that his companion had stopped and stared at him with a surprised (but pleased) expression on her face. He raised an eyebrow at her, tilting his head slightly. What is it now?
"That was a very 'boyfriend' type thing to offer." She said, laughing at his curious expression. It was really sweet too, unexpected but sweet. "I didn't think you'd be this easy to befriend!"
He scoffed, shaking his head and turned back to walk away. Yoona let out a laugh again and walked quickly to catch up to him - grabbing his arm in the process. He stiffened from the contact and stopped walking to look at her in shock. She stared back at him, blinking. "What?"
Changmin looked down at her, his eyes fleeting from her arm linked to his then back to her face. She rolled her eyes, slapping his arm softly. "Oh come on! You can't expect me to introduce you to my father with you standing three feet away from me, do you?" she exclaimed, smiling at his distressed face. She ignored his warmth radiating towards hers through their close contact and elbowed him slightly. "We should at least show some... contact, since we're a 'couple' and all."
He heaved a sigh, considering her words. She has a point. What's the point of pretending to be a couple when we don't act like one? Changmin thought, slapping his board lightly on his face. He looked over at her humming to herself and waiting for him to answer and felt a warmth come towards his cheeks. Get it together, Shim! You've dated before and you're only pretending this time.
He let out a deep breath and began to write, bringing his linked arm over to cover the board. Yoona craned her neck to see what he was writing but couldn't as it was turned away from her. Then, he lowered the board and she took it in her free hand - her eyes widening slightly as she read.
/ Holding hands seems more intimate, don't you think? /
"Uh... right," She said, her arm loosening its grip on his and slid down. They stared at each other for a moment, weighing the moment before slowly, Changmin held out his hand towards her. Yoona blinked at him in surprise. "You're serious? I-I've never held another guy's hand except for Dong-"
He grabbed her hand before she could finish her sentence and held in tightly in his. She gasped at the contact, a blush rushing to her cheeks as he began to walk again and pulled her to follow. He sighed, scratching the back of his head in exasperation as he took heavy steps on the busy street. Both of them were silent as they walked on, looking anywhere but at each other. Yoona coughed slightly - stealing a look at him, her fingers lacing between his.
"Your hand is warm..." she whispered, more to herself than to him. He cleared his throat upon hearing her and their fingers stayed laced together comfortably, as they took their steps in time.
"Wow. Who's the chick, oppa?" A loud voice said, surprising both of them out of their reverie and making Yoona jump into Changmin's arms in alarm. Yuri stood before them, surprised before doubling over and laughing as they jumped apart seconds later once realizing the position they were in. "That was so precious! Is she your girlfriend, oppa?"
The lively girl skipped towards them, grabbing Yoona's hand into a handshake. "I'm Kwon Yuri - Changmin-oppa's young and feisty adoptive sister. And you are?"
[ You little witch! Why am I the last person to know? ]
[ Hyoyeon... now is not a good time. ]
[ Excuse me but it is! Why did that bastard Donghae break up with you? ]
[ I don't know, okay... he just ended things. Look, can I call you back? ]
[ Why in God's name can't you talk now? This is major! ]
[ ... I'm kinda meeting my boyfriend's sisters... it's a long story. ]
[ BOYFRIEND?! ]