[SJFF] Real Face - Chapter 18
Title: Real Face
Characters: Donghae, Heechul, OC
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Drama, Angst
Type: Novel
Summary: She finally managed to escape from the one place that she hates the most in order to begin a new life in Seoul, but is still unable to get over the hatred for the male species. Would her heart be softened eventually?
~ * ~
18
Sanghee looked around hesitantly as she set foot in the unfamiliar space, just plain checking out the monochromatic furniture and general layout of the apartment. As much as she tried, she couldn't really hide her amazement at how well-kept the house was, especially when a guy lived in it alone. She turned around in surprise when a low chuckle came from behind, only to come face to face with the smirking face of her senior.
"Before you even begin to perceive that the brat is a clean freak, don't even let that idea make its way into your mind. Even though he may be living here alone, his servants at home would come all the way just to clean up the house for him under his mother's orders. Today's the scheduled day, if you're wondering. It normally looks like a warzone," Heechul explained as he brought in one of her luggage. The older boy and Donghae had completely banned her from doing anything but following them to the latter's house, even though she tried to reason that she should carry her own belongings. The cited the wound on her hand as a reason for their actions, much to Sanghee's chagrin.
"How did you-" she started, only to be interrupted by her rather pompous senior yet again. Sanghee started to regret that she even bothered asking.
"How did I know what you were thinking about? It's written all over your face, silly," he commented, pulling her into Donghae's house with him after putting her luggage aside. "Seriously, why are you standing at the door like a statue? Make yourself at home."
"Wow, thanks for completely busting my secret, Heechul hyung. And here I was, thinking that I had the chance to impress Sanghee," Donghae commented melodramatically as he kicked his shoes off, trying to maintain his balance while he struggled with the box containing Sanghee's collection of books in his arms. Why is she such a bookworm again? "By the way, this is my house, hyung. Don't go around acting like you're the owner," he snapped at the older boy, frowning in response to the latter's actions. Donghae had a hunch that Heechul was deliberately making his life difficult by leaving the heavier objects to him - definitely an act of jealousy, no doubt.
Sanghee rolled her eyes at Donghae's comment. "I'm impressed enough with the both of you coming to my rescue all the time. I'm actually beginning to suspect that you might be stalking me, even," she pointed out innocently, laughing when both Heechul and Donghae looked offended by her words.
"Such an immense amount of faith you have in us, Sanghee," Heechul frowned, intonation as sarcastic as it could get. "We're doing this voluntarily because we both care a lot about you," he then commented, only realising what had left his mouth when the room was suddenly enveloped in an awkward silence. Heechul cursed himself mentally when he remembered how both he and Donghae had expressed their feelings for the girl in the living room with them, and how she did not respond to their confessions. She evidently didn't want to think about such things at the mean time.
"I know… but still, I don't think it's really necessary for me to have to move in to Donghae's apartment, Heechul. I feel like I'm bothering the both of you with my problems," Sanghee spoke up quietly moments later, gaze trained on the floorboard beneath her feet. She really didn't know how to look at both her senior and her seatmate in the eye, especially after finding out that both of them actually held feelings for her. Sanghee definitely felt flattered by their interest, but she felt that she would never be good enough for either of them no matter how much she tried, considering the fact that she was completely tainted by both her father and her supposed-fiancé. Affluent families would reject someone like her without giving it a second thought, regardless of her social status. That was just how the world goes by, unfortunately.
"Like I said, your brother knows about the location of your apartment, so unless you want to be kidnapped from the comforts of your own home without either of us knowing, then feel free to continue staying there," the oldest of the group commented, sighing forlornly at how Sanghee did not seem to understand the logic behind their actions. Earlier, while at the bleachers, Heechul had decided to ignore the fact that he overheard Donghae's words to Sanghee, and grabbed him aside to discuss about the things that he had thought about while on his way to the infirmary. The both of them arrived at the same conclusion that it wasn't safe for her to return home, because neither of them could predict what her psychotic family would do next. It was just a matter of time that they would attempt to lay their hands on the girl again.
"I could just go ahead and look for another apartment, no big deal," Sanghee protested, crossing her arms in front of her chest in a huff. She knew that it was a lost cause to even attempt to argue with the two stubborn men standing in front of her, but she felt compelled to try.
"And how many days would that take you? A week? A month? Sanghee, of all people, you should know about your family best. Tell us honestly, do you think that they would just leave you alone after we stepped in today morning?" Donghae scowled from his position against the kitchen counter, smiling satisfactorily when the girl sighed and shook her head in despair.
"But why here? I mean, Heechul's house is more spacious, isn't it? At least I wouldn't be too much of a bother there," she asked again in a last ditch attempt. Deep down inside, Sanghee knew that she wasn't all too reluctant to move out of her apartment at such short notice, but above everything, she was actually worried that the atmosphere might turn awkward between her and her classmate. As things were, she couldn't even bring herself to face Donghae properly because his words - "I love you" - kept on circulating in her mind. Not that living with Heechul would be any better, what with the memory of him kissing her implanted in her head, but at least she wasn't alone with the older boy.
"As much as I want you to move in with me, I can't allow you to do so. You heard what your father said. Our parents are business associates, and for the sake of keeping their genial relationship, I'm sure that my father would just disregard my words and surrender you to that beast if he happens to march straight into my house and demand for us to hand you over. In contrast, if you live with Donghae, at least the both of us could have a peace of mind that you'll be safe. Your father didn't seem to have recognised him," Heechul said quietly. He really didn't know whether he should be happy that Sanghee wanted to move in to his bungalow unit, because he could sense the reluctance in her voice. She was just saying things for the sake of saying it. They did not reveal her true state of mind at all.
"…Fine, I don't think anything I say will be able to change your minds any longer, am I right?" Sanghee finally sighed in resignation, shooting a weary look at both Heechul and Donghae. She slumped in defeat when the two boys gave her a definitive nod, knowing that the discussion was over and done with. "So, will you do the honours of showing me to my room, Hae?" she chirruped, mood taking a sudden turnabout; she figured out that if there was no other choice but for her to stay with her classmate, then she should just go ahead with it, considering the fact that the both of them were trying their best to look out for her best interests.
Both Donghae and Heechul seemed surprised at her reactions, but the former recollected himself fast enough and replaced the astonishment with a warm smile. "It's the empty room to your right at the end of the hallway. Don't worry, it's completely furnished so you won't have to sleep on the floor," he attempted to joke around with her, which, much to his relief, brought a grin to her face. Donghae knew that they should try to prevent her from remembering about everything else that had happened to her for the day, because there was no saying when she would break down from the stress. He wanted to avoid it at all costs.
"You should be able to find the room without losing your way, right Sanghee?" Heechul queried jokingly, earning a scowl from said person at his comment. "Because in that case, I'll need to borrow Donghae for a short moment before I take my leave," he then amended before she could take offense. At this point of time, Sanghee's expressions turned hesitant for a short moment, her glances alternating between the two of them. She was actually worried that both of her friends might end up in a fist fight, because she was pretty sure that Heechul was still trying to hold himself back from hurling a knuckle in Donghae's face for the younger one's comments on the previous time. However, the reassuring smile from Heechul which told her that he wasn't going to do anything else but talk to her seatmate caused Sanghee to relax, and she finally nodded slightly and towed her luggage along with her, leaving the two behind.
"So, what did you need me for, hyung?" Donghae spoke up when the girl who was the subject of both of their affections disappeared from sight, shooting a sideward glance at the other person remaining in the room with him.
"Nothing," he shrugged, earning a disbelieving scoff from Donghae.
"Knowing you, it's never 'nothing'," the other commented.
"You know me too well, brat," Heechul replied, walking towards Donghae on his way to the entrance of the apartment. He paused next to the younger male and casted a warning look at him. "Don't you dare do anything out of line towards Sanghee. I know that this is your house, but don't you even think about wandering into her room 'accidentally'. I'm not condoning this arrangement because I have complete trust in you, but because we have no other choice, do you understand me?" he threatened with a low voice, before flashing a dangerous smile at him and called out a resounding "I'm leaving" to Sanghee, who was still in the room rearranging her things.
Donghae rolled his eyes at the older boy's blatant display of jealousy as the door slowly clicked to a close behind Heechul. As if he didn't know that already.
* * * * *
He merely slept on his bed after dinner, plain staring at the whitewashed ceiling above him. When the ceiling light irritated his eyes a little too much for his liking, Donghae raised his arm above him, attempting to block out the worst of the brightness with his open palm. Deciding that it wasn't working out all too well, he turned to lie on his side, trying his best to fall asleep even though the clock on his desk showed that it was only 10pm.
He was pleasantly surprised when he found out that she was preparing dinner for the both of them, though he wondered where on earth she found the ingredients for the dishes. He didn't recall having that much foodstuff stocked at home. Nevertheless, Donghae couldn't deny that Sanghee was a pretty great cook despite coming from a well-to-do family - it sure as hell beats the food he usually orders - but figured out that she probably trained herself when she decided to run away from home.
Over dinner, Donghae tried his best to avoid the topic about her family and the other incidents surrounding it, but figured out that they didn't quite have any common topics to talk about. He sighed at the recollection of the awkward atmosphere during dinner, mainly because Sanghee was staring at her plate so much instead of sustaining a proper conversation with him. To top it off, she immediately excused herself and disappeared into her room after cleaning up the table, and Donghae hadn't heard from her since. He figured that she might have fallen asleep - she did look pretty exhausted after all, and for good reasons too. It had been a rough day for all of them.
Just as he was about to finally drift to sleep, a spine-chilling scream startled him and chased off any trace of drowsiness left in him, causing him to throw himself out of his bedroom without wasting another second. Donghae didn't even need to guess to know that the scream belonged to his seatmate, and he found himself pounding at the girl's door. "Sanghee! Open up! What's happening in there?!" he hollered, twisting the doorknob futilely even though he knew that it was locked from within.
Donghae grimaced and mentally cursed himself when he suddenly remembered that he held the master key to the house, running in search of it then sprinting back to Sanghee's room. When he finally managed to unlock it through multiple failed attempts because his hands were quivering too hard to hold anything still, Donghae found Sanghee curled up in the dark at the furthest corner of the room, sobbing into the material of her comforter. He completely disregarded Heechul's warning earlier to not get close to the girl, and quickly pulled her into his embrace, trying his best to calm her down.
His heart nearly shattered when he could feel Sanghee trembling uncontrollably under his hold, her tears flowing like an open tap. Although he tried to question her about her screaming earlier, Sanghee just continued to sob into the sheets and shook her head profusely, leading him to nowhere. However, he figured out that his seatmate probably had a nightmare, courtesy of her unpleasant memories from the past, and he gradually stopped asking her, merely holding her shivering frame in his arms.
He wondered how many sleepless nights she has had, spent alone with no one to console or calm her down while she was in her previous apartment. It killed him even more.
Characters: Donghae, Heechul, OC
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Drama, Angst
Type: Novel
Summary: She finally managed to escape from the one place that she hates the most in order to begin a new life in Seoul, but is still unable to get over the hatred for the male species. Would her heart be softened eventually?
~ * ~
18
Sanghee looked around hesitantly as she set foot in the unfamiliar space, just plain checking out the monochromatic furniture and general layout of the apartment. As much as she tried, she couldn't really hide her amazement at how well-kept the house was, especially when a guy lived in it alone. She turned around in surprise when a low chuckle came from behind, only to come face to face with the smirking face of her senior.
"Before you even begin to perceive that the brat is a clean freak, don't even let that idea make its way into your mind. Even though he may be living here alone, his servants at home would come all the way just to clean up the house for him under his mother's orders. Today's the scheduled day, if you're wondering. It normally looks like a warzone," Heechul explained as he brought in one of her luggage. The older boy and Donghae had completely banned her from doing anything but following them to the latter's house, even though she tried to reason that she should carry her own belongings. The cited the wound on her hand as a reason for their actions, much to Sanghee's chagrin.
"How did you-" she started, only to be interrupted by her rather pompous senior yet again. Sanghee started to regret that she even bothered asking.
"How did I know what you were thinking about? It's written all over your face, silly," he commented, pulling her into Donghae's house with him after putting her luggage aside. "Seriously, why are you standing at the door like a statue? Make yourself at home."
"Wow, thanks for completely busting my secret, Heechul hyung. And here I was, thinking that I had the chance to impress Sanghee," Donghae commented melodramatically as he kicked his shoes off, trying to maintain his balance while he struggled with the box containing Sanghee's collection of books in his arms. Why is she such a bookworm again? "By the way, this is my house, hyung. Don't go around acting like you're the owner," he snapped at the older boy, frowning in response to the latter's actions. Donghae had a hunch that Heechul was deliberately making his life difficult by leaving the heavier objects to him - definitely an act of jealousy, no doubt.
Sanghee rolled her eyes at Donghae's comment. "I'm impressed enough with the both of you coming to my rescue all the time. I'm actually beginning to suspect that you might be stalking me, even," she pointed out innocently, laughing when both Heechul and Donghae looked offended by her words.
"Such an immense amount of faith you have in us, Sanghee," Heechul frowned, intonation as sarcastic as it could get. "We're doing this voluntarily because we both care a lot about you," he then commented, only realising what had left his mouth when the room was suddenly enveloped in an awkward silence. Heechul cursed himself mentally when he remembered how both he and Donghae had expressed their feelings for the girl in the living room with them, and how she did not respond to their confessions. She evidently didn't want to think about such things at the mean time.
"I know… but still, I don't think it's really necessary for me to have to move in to Donghae's apartment, Heechul. I feel like I'm bothering the both of you with my problems," Sanghee spoke up quietly moments later, gaze trained on the floorboard beneath her feet. She really didn't know how to look at both her senior and her seatmate in the eye, especially after finding out that both of them actually held feelings for her. Sanghee definitely felt flattered by their interest, but she felt that she would never be good enough for either of them no matter how much she tried, considering the fact that she was completely tainted by both her father and her supposed-fiancé. Affluent families would reject someone like her without giving it a second thought, regardless of her social status. That was just how the world goes by, unfortunately.
"Like I said, your brother knows about the location of your apartment, so unless you want to be kidnapped from the comforts of your own home without either of us knowing, then feel free to continue staying there," the oldest of the group commented, sighing forlornly at how Sanghee did not seem to understand the logic behind their actions. Earlier, while at the bleachers, Heechul had decided to ignore the fact that he overheard Donghae's words to Sanghee, and grabbed him aside to discuss about the things that he had thought about while on his way to the infirmary. The both of them arrived at the same conclusion that it wasn't safe for her to return home, because neither of them could predict what her psychotic family would do next. It was just a matter of time that they would attempt to lay their hands on the girl again.
"I could just go ahead and look for another apartment, no big deal," Sanghee protested, crossing her arms in front of her chest in a huff. She knew that it was a lost cause to even attempt to argue with the two stubborn men standing in front of her, but she felt compelled to try.
"And how many days would that take you? A week? A month? Sanghee, of all people, you should know about your family best. Tell us honestly, do you think that they would just leave you alone after we stepped in today morning?" Donghae scowled from his position against the kitchen counter, smiling satisfactorily when the girl sighed and shook her head in despair.
"But why here? I mean, Heechul's house is more spacious, isn't it? At least I wouldn't be too much of a bother there," she asked again in a last ditch attempt. Deep down inside, Sanghee knew that she wasn't all too reluctant to move out of her apartment at such short notice, but above everything, she was actually worried that the atmosphere might turn awkward between her and her classmate. As things were, she couldn't even bring herself to face Donghae properly because his words - "I love you" - kept on circulating in her mind. Not that living with Heechul would be any better, what with the memory of him kissing her implanted in her head, but at least she wasn't alone with the older boy.
"As much as I want you to move in with me, I can't allow you to do so. You heard what your father said. Our parents are business associates, and for the sake of keeping their genial relationship, I'm sure that my father would just disregard my words and surrender you to that beast if he happens to march straight into my house and demand for us to hand you over. In contrast, if you live with Donghae, at least the both of us could have a peace of mind that you'll be safe. Your father didn't seem to have recognised him," Heechul said quietly. He really didn't know whether he should be happy that Sanghee wanted to move in to his bungalow unit, because he could sense the reluctance in her voice. She was just saying things for the sake of saying it. They did not reveal her true state of mind at all.
"…Fine, I don't think anything I say will be able to change your minds any longer, am I right?" Sanghee finally sighed in resignation, shooting a weary look at both Heechul and Donghae. She slumped in defeat when the two boys gave her a definitive nod, knowing that the discussion was over and done with. "So, will you do the honours of showing me to my room, Hae?" she chirruped, mood taking a sudden turnabout; she figured out that if there was no other choice but for her to stay with her classmate, then she should just go ahead with it, considering the fact that the both of them were trying their best to look out for her best interests.
Both Donghae and Heechul seemed surprised at her reactions, but the former recollected himself fast enough and replaced the astonishment with a warm smile. "It's the empty room to your right at the end of the hallway. Don't worry, it's completely furnished so you won't have to sleep on the floor," he attempted to joke around with her, which, much to his relief, brought a grin to her face. Donghae knew that they should try to prevent her from remembering about everything else that had happened to her for the day, because there was no saying when she would break down from the stress. He wanted to avoid it at all costs.
"You should be able to find the room without losing your way, right Sanghee?" Heechul queried jokingly, earning a scowl from said person at his comment. "Because in that case, I'll need to borrow Donghae for a short moment before I take my leave," he then amended before she could take offense. At this point of time, Sanghee's expressions turned hesitant for a short moment, her glances alternating between the two of them. She was actually worried that both of her friends might end up in a fist fight, because she was pretty sure that Heechul was still trying to hold himself back from hurling a knuckle in Donghae's face for the younger one's comments on the previous time. However, the reassuring smile from Heechul which told her that he wasn't going to do anything else but talk to her seatmate caused Sanghee to relax, and she finally nodded slightly and towed her luggage along with her, leaving the two behind.
"So, what did you need me for, hyung?" Donghae spoke up when the girl who was the subject of both of their affections disappeared from sight, shooting a sideward glance at the other person remaining in the room with him.
"Nothing," he shrugged, earning a disbelieving scoff from Donghae.
"Knowing you, it's never 'nothing'," the other commented.
"You know me too well, brat," Heechul replied, walking towards Donghae on his way to the entrance of the apartment. He paused next to the younger male and casted a warning look at him. "Don't you dare do anything out of line towards Sanghee. I know that this is your house, but don't you even think about wandering into her room 'accidentally'. I'm not condoning this arrangement because I have complete trust in you, but because we have no other choice, do you understand me?" he threatened with a low voice, before flashing a dangerous smile at him and called out a resounding "I'm leaving" to Sanghee, who was still in the room rearranging her things.
Donghae rolled his eyes at the older boy's blatant display of jealousy as the door slowly clicked to a close behind Heechul. As if he didn't know that already.
* * * * *
He merely slept on his bed after dinner, plain staring at the whitewashed ceiling above him. When the ceiling light irritated his eyes a little too much for his liking, Donghae raised his arm above him, attempting to block out the worst of the brightness with his open palm. Deciding that it wasn't working out all too well, he turned to lie on his side, trying his best to fall asleep even though the clock on his desk showed that it was only 10pm.
He was pleasantly surprised when he found out that she was preparing dinner for the both of them, though he wondered where on earth she found the ingredients for the dishes. He didn't recall having that much foodstuff stocked at home. Nevertheless, Donghae couldn't deny that Sanghee was a pretty great cook despite coming from a well-to-do family - it sure as hell beats the food he usually orders - but figured out that she probably trained herself when she decided to run away from home.
Over dinner, Donghae tried his best to avoid the topic about her family and the other incidents surrounding it, but figured out that they didn't quite have any common topics to talk about. He sighed at the recollection of the awkward atmosphere during dinner, mainly because Sanghee was staring at her plate so much instead of sustaining a proper conversation with him. To top it off, she immediately excused herself and disappeared into her room after cleaning up the table, and Donghae hadn't heard from her since. He figured that she might have fallen asleep - she did look pretty exhausted after all, and for good reasons too. It had been a rough day for all of them.
Just as he was about to finally drift to sleep, a spine-chilling scream startled him and chased off any trace of drowsiness left in him, causing him to throw himself out of his bedroom without wasting another second. Donghae didn't even need to guess to know that the scream belonged to his seatmate, and he found himself pounding at the girl's door. "Sanghee! Open up! What's happening in there?!" he hollered, twisting the doorknob futilely even though he knew that it was locked from within.
Donghae grimaced and mentally cursed himself when he suddenly remembered that he held the master key to the house, running in search of it then sprinting back to Sanghee's room. When he finally managed to unlock it through multiple failed attempts because his hands were quivering too hard to hold anything still, Donghae found Sanghee curled up in the dark at the furthest corner of the room, sobbing into the material of her comforter. He completely disregarded Heechul's warning earlier to not get close to the girl, and quickly pulled her into his embrace, trying his best to calm her down.
His heart nearly shattered when he could feel Sanghee trembling uncontrollably under his hold, her tears flowing like an open tap. Although he tried to question her about her screaming earlier, Sanghee just continued to sob into the sheets and shook her head profusely, leading him to nowhere. However, he figured out that his seatmate probably had a nightmare, courtesy of her unpleasant memories from the past, and he gradually stopped asking her, merely holding her shivering frame in his arms.
He wondered how many sleepless nights she has had, spent alone with no one to console or calm her down while she was in her previous apartment. It killed him even more.