[SJFF] Real Face - Chapter 21
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?
~ * ~
21
When he reached his residence, he pressed a finger against his lips to silence the staff of his household before they could greet him in a loud voice. He was thankful that they took the hint well enough by nodding slightly, and he quickly headed to the main entrance of the mansion before his father could catch sight of him from the window of their study. Heechul's eyes narrowed when he noticed a familiar black sedan parked outside, annoyed at the fact that the person he least wanted to see was still hanging around in his house.
"Master Heechul, may I know what exactly are you doing?" a curious voice came from his left when Heechul was creeping around the corners to get to his room, causing the boy to gasp in surprise. He swerved around sharply, only to come face to face with none other than his trusted butler.
"Kangjung-sshi, you nearly scared me to death," Heechul hissed in a low voice, though his eyes were still scanning his surroundings cautiously. "I need a favour from you. Can you please not announce my return to Father until his guest leaves the house? I'm not in the mood to be socialising with anyone right now," he then said, deciding to lie his way out of the situation. He just hoped that his butler, whom had been looking after him since he was young, wouldn't catch up to his intentions.
"I'm sorry, young master; I'm afraid that it's not very possible for me to do so," came the surprising reply, and Heechul could only manage a confused "wha-" when the hair behind his neck stood up abruptly. He didn't even have to turn around to know that his father was standing in the hallway behind him, sending a displeased glare at his back along with Sanghee's father in tow.
* * * * *
"So you were trying to weasel your way back into the room without me noticing, weren't you? Do you really think that it is a good idea?" Heechul's father boomed when he marched into the study, not caring whether the door was shut. Some maids who were passing by went scurrying at the sight of their furious master, and Heechul could only sigh in response. Gossips would definitely surface within the household in no time, and the annoying voices would be following him wherever he goes. He swallowed hard to calm his temper down.
"Father, with all due respect, I'm really exhausted today, so I was just thinking about heading off to bed first before we engage in this discussion," Heechul replied curtly, standing at the side with his hands behind his back. His father commanded such properness whenever there were guests around, especially if they were his business partners, though Heechul was just itching to hurl a string of insults in that particular guest's face at the moment. He bit his tongue and held himself back, knowing full well that his father would not condone his actions, and would not hesitate to skin him alive if he exhibited even the slightest hint of rudeness.
"There is a reason why I ordered you to come home immediately from wherever you were," his father barked. "Mr. Yoon here said that you've been preventing him from meeting his daughter. Why exactly are you doing that? Haven't I told you not to be a disgrace to the family name?"
"I don't know of any girl in Neulparan by the surname Yoon, Father. You should know that, considering that I'm the Vice President of the Student Council who can access all the students' records," he commented coldly, clenching his fist tightly at the last phrase his father had thrown in. "I am in no way ruining the family's name."
"But I'm pretty sure that you know of someone by the name of Kwon Sanghee?" their guest, whom had been keeping mum and observing the exchange between the father and son, finally spoke up. A smirk was evident on the middle-aged man's face when the boy visibly stiffened at the mention of the name.
Heechul realised that Sanghee's father was trying to drive him into a corner, doing his best to force the truth out of him. The old man was definitely hell-bent on getting his daughter back, for whatever reasons only known to him. Then Heechul remembered how Sanghee had introduced herself to his parents using her fake name when she stayed over at his place, causing him to grimace in response.
"Yes, I've definitely seen her around under this roof," Heechul's father commented, a contemplative look taking over his expressions. "So what do you say about this, Heechul?"
"I would only see her in school and occasionally outside the school compound, Father. I have absolutely no idea where she's staying at, if that's what you're wondering about. You can choose whether you want to believe it or not," he lied, putting on the most assertive and confident look he could muster. "Mr. Yoon, may I also offer you a kind piece of advice? Karma's a bitch; it'll bite back pretty nastily," Heechul then turned towards said person's direction, flashing the most innocent yet deceptive smile at the man before excusing himself, ignoring his father's angry voice demanding him to apologise for his insolence.
Sanghee's father narrowed his eyes at the boy's retreating back, suspecting that he somehow knew about what had happened in Suncheon. He knew he had to do something about it.
* * * * *
She was lounging around the house, doing various activities but could never seem to be able to focus on the tasks at hand. From the moment her senior had left Donghae's apartment, Sanghee felt very uneasy, worrying about what would happen to her and her friends. After having the conversation with Donghae and Heechul earlier, she was suddenly doubtful whether any of their safeties could be guaranteed.
Heaving yet another sigh, Sanghee reluctantly closed the textbook she was trying to go through for her upcoming exams, deciding to just take a short nap in order to keep her mind off of things. No sooner than she had closed her eyelids, she cracked an eye open again when an extra weight was placed on the sofa she was sleeping in, only to realise that Donghae's face was dangerously close to hers. She instinctively backed away a little, quirking an eyebrow at her seatmate.
"Hae, what exactly are you trying to do?" she breathed, unable to stop her eyes from alternating between his lips and his ever-so-mesmerising eyes. Throughout the past month since she had started to stay in his apartment, they had been frequently cuddling in such a position to the extent that she was already used to the proximity, but that was only when she suffered from the nightmares that plagued her sleep. This time, she wasn't even asleep.
"You look extremely stressed out today," he smiled thinly, brushing some of her hair out of her face as he gazed at her. "That's not a very good indicator if you're planning to go to sleep, so I'm just positioning myself just in case. Go to sleep if you want to."
She shook her head lightly. "I'm just worried about Heechul. About you," she sighed, moving to wrap her arms around his waist and snuggled up against his chest. "I really don't want to see anything happening to the both of you. I wouldn't be able to live it down for the rest of my life if it happens," she then lamented, earning a soft chuckle from him.
"We're old enough to take care of ourselves, Sanghee. You don't have to worry too much about us. We voluntarily got ourselves into this, so you don't have to blame yourself," Donghae commented, hugging her in his arms. The girl looked up at him and flashed a wry smile in his direction.
"I really have no idea how to thank you. It's just that the both of you have been helping me so much, even though I tried to push you away in the past. I'm just… completely awed by your selflessness," she mumbled, recounting the shoddy start they had when they first met.
She wasn't the most sociable person around to begin with, that much she knew and accepted. But with Heechul, Donghae and Hyesu all trying to get into the world she tried so hard to seal behind, and how they did not remotely judge her and even tried to keep her secret safe with them, Sanghee couldn't help but soften up and open her heart up to them. At least these friends that she made in Neulparan were completely different from those so-called friends she had in her previous school. The latter ostracised and shunned her, even calling her disgusting names when they had stumbled upon her dark world. Not even her supposed best friend gave her an ounce of pity. Needless to say, Sanghee absolutely loathed their guts.
"Like I've said before, I promised my mother to take good care of you on behalf of your Aunt Myoungsun. I'm not a person who would go back on my words, Sanghee," he laughed, holding her gaze tenderly once again.
Sanghee bit her lip at his words, suddenly remembering about that whispered confession on the day where he had discovered her past, but still remained by her side regardless. Neither of them brought up the subject since that particular day, pretending as though nothing had happened, although so many things had changed since then. She didn't really know how to deal with his feelings for her - or Heechul's, for that matter - for she didn't think that she was worth their time and attention. Why would anyone fall for the tainted, ruined girl anyway? That was the lingering question on her mind.
Before she could even stop herself, the question was already making its way out of her mouth. "Hae, why do you like me? I mean, you have the obligation to watch over me, but with all the crap I gave you, why did you still end up… liking me?"
Donghae pursed his lip in thought, pondering over her question seriously, though he couldn't hide the fact that he was surprised. After confessing to her for such a long period of time, his seatmate - now housemate - never showed any signs of her having heard the three words he said to her. She still acted the same around him and Heechul, although perhaps a little less uptight around them. She also welcomed the little hugs and gentle squeezes of her hand, a large contrast from the person she used to be; one who would shrug off any hand of the opposite gender at the slightest touch or contact. It was more than enough proof that Sanghee trusted herself around Heechul and Donghae, and could let her guard down whenever she was with them.
"Honestly, I can't tell you for sure myself, but I suppose your stubbornness lured me in. I like challenging girls, and I wanted to work hard to be able to make you smile. I suppose no one has ever told you how you look prettier when you smile," Donghae breathed, and Sanghee blushed when she could feel his breath ghosting over her lips.
"Actually, no, you're the first person to ever tell me that…" she confirmed with a whisper, suddenly feeling her face inching closer towards his; she couldn't even hold herself back anymore, what with the probably-hidden feelings she had for Donghae suddenly clawing its way to the surface. He had been helping her out way too much, saving her from too many sticky situations for her to not like him. Even though she also liked Heechul as well, Sanghee realised that her feelings for him were nothing more than gratefulness, and that of a younger sister for her older brother.
However, just as their lips managed to brush against each other's ever so slightly, the doorbell suddenly rang, causing the both of them to gasp in astonishment and they shot away from the other person without further delay. Sanghee thought that she heard Donghae curse under his breath at the disrupted moment as the boy stumbled off the sofa in order to answer the door, straightening his clothes at the same time.
From her position, Sanghee heard the door open with a soft click, followed by an outraged cry from the owner of the house and the panicked, urgent voice of none other than her senior's streaming in from the doorway. Within several seconds' time, she found herself being dragged out of the house by both of her friends, whom had grim expressions on their faces.
Things were definitely not going right.
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?
~ * ~
21
When he reached his residence, he pressed a finger against his lips to silence the staff of his household before they could greet him in a loud voice. He was thankful that they took the hint well enough by nodding slightly, and he quickly headed to the main entrance of the mansion before his father could catch sight of him from the window of their study. Heechul's eyes narrowed when he noticed a familiar black sedan parked outside, annoyed at the fact that the person he least wanted to see was still hanging around in his house.
"Master Heechul, may I know what exactly are you doing?" a curious voice came from his left when Heechul was creeping around the corners to get to his room, causing the boy to gasp in surprise. He swerved around sharply, only to come face to face with none other than his trusted butler.
"Kangjung-sshi, you nearly scared me to death," Heechul hissed in a low voice, though his eyes were still scanning his surroundings cautiously. "I need a favour from you. Can you please not announce my return to Father until his guest leaves the house? I'm not in the mood to be socialising with anyone right now," he then said, deciding to lie his way out of the situation. He just hoped that his butler, whom had been looking after him since he was young, wouldn't catch up to his intentions.
"I'm sorry, young master; I'm afraid that it's not very possible for me to do so," came the surprising reply, and Heechul could only manage a confused "wha-" when the hair behind his neck stood up abruptly. He didn't even have to turn around to know that his father was standing in the hallway behind him, sending a displeased glare at his back along with Sanghee's father in tow.
* * * * *
"So you were trying to weasel your way back into the room without me noticing, weren't you? Do you really think that it is a good idea?" Heechul's father boomed when he marched into the study, not caring whether the door was shut. Some maids who were passing by went scurrying at the sight of their furious master, and Heechul could only sigh in response. Gossips would definitely surface within the household in no time, and the annoying voices would be following him wherever he goes. He swallowed hard to calm his temper down.
"Father, with all due respect, I'm really exhausted today, so I was just thinking about heading off to bed first before we engage in this discussion," Heechul replied curtly, standing at the side with his hands behind his back. His father commanded such properness whenever there were guests around, especially if they were his business partners, though Heechul was just itching to hurl a string of insults in that particular guest's face at the moment. He bit his tongue and held himself back, knowing full well that his father would not condone his actions, and would not hesitate to skin him alive if he exhibited even the slightest hint of rudeness.
"There is a reason why I ordered you to come home immediately from wherever you were," his father barked. "Mr. Yoon here said that you've been preventing him from meeting his daughter. Why exactly are you doing that? Haven't I told you not to be a disgrace to the family name?"
"I don't know of any girl in Neulparan by the surname Yoon, Father. You should know that, considering that I'm the Vice President of the Student Council who can access all the students' records," he commented coldly, clenching his fist tightly at the last phrase his father had thrown in. "I am in no way ruining the family's name."
"But I'm pretty sure that you know of someone by the name of Kwon Sanghee?" their guest, whom had been keeping mum and observing the exchange between the father and son, finally spoke up. A smirk was evident on the middle-aged man's face when the boy visibly stiffened at the mention of the name.
Heechul realised that Sanghee's father was trying to drive him into a corner, doing his best to force the truth out of him. The old man was definitely hell-bent on getting his daughter back, for whatever reasons only known to him. Then Heechul remembered how Sanghee had introduced herself to his parents using her fake name when she stayed over at his place, causing him to grimace in response.
"Yes, I've definitely seen her around under this roof," Heechul's father commented, a contemplative look taking over his expressions. "So what do you say about this, Heechul?"
"I would only see her in school and occasionally outside the school compound, Father. I have absolutely no idea where she's staying at, if that's what you're wondering about. You can choose whether you want to believe it or not," he lied, putting on the most assertive and confident look he could muster. "Mr. Yoon, may I also offer you a kind piece of advice? Karma's a bitch; it'll bite back pretty nastily," Heechul then turned towards said person's direction, flashing the most innocent yet deceptive smile at the man before excusing himself, ignoring his father's angry voice demanding him to apologise for his insolence.
Sanghee's father narrowed his eyes at the boy's retreating back, suspecting that he somehow knew about what had happened in Suncheon. He knew he had to do something about it.
* * * * *
She was lounging around the house, doing various activities but could never seem to be able to focus on the tasks at hand. From the moment her senior had left Donghae's apartment, Sanghee felt very uneasy, worrying about what would happen to her and her friends. After having the conversation with Donghae and Heechul earlier, she was suddenly doubtful whether any of their safeties could be guaranteed.
Heaving yet another sigh, Sanghee reluctantly closed the textbook she was trying to go through for her upcoming exams, deciding to just take a short nap in order to keep her mind off of things. No sooner than she had closed her eyelids, she cracked an eye open again when an extra weight was placed on the sofa she was sleeping in, only to realise that Donghae's face was dangerously close to hers. She instinctively backed away a little, quirking an eyebrow at her seatmate.
"Hae, what exactly are you trying to do?" she breathed, unable to stop her eyes from alternating between his lips and his ever-so-mesmerising eyes. Throughout the past month since she had started to stay in his apartment, they had been frequently cuddling in such a position to the extent that she was already used to the proximity, but that was only when she suffered from the nightmares that plagued her sleep. This time, she wasn't even asleep.
"You look extremely stressed out today," he smiled thinly, brushing some of her hair out of her face as he gazed at her. "That's not a very good indicator if you're planning to go to sleep, so I'm just positioning myself just in case. Go to sleep if you want to."
She shook her head lightly. "I'm just worried about Heechul. About you," she sighed, moving to wrap her arms around his waist and snuggled up against his chest. "I really don't want to see anything happening to the both of you. I wouldn't be able to live it down for the rest of my life if it happens," she then lamented, earning a soft chuckle from him.
"We're old enough to take care of ourselves, Sanghee. You don't have to worry too much about us. We voluntarily got ourselves into this, so you don't have to blame yourself," Donghae commented, hugging her in his arms. The girl looked up at him and flashed a wry smile in his direction.
"I really have no idea how to thank you. It's just that the both of you have been helping me so much, even though I tried to push you away in the past. I'm just… completely awed by your selflessness," she mumbled, recounting the shoddy start they had when they first met.
She wasn't the most sociable person around to begin with, that much she knew and accepted. But with Heechul, Donghae and Hyesu all trying to get into the world she tried so hard to seal behind, and how they did not remotely judge her and even tried to keep her secret safe with them, Sanghee couldn't help but soften up and open her heart up to them. At least these friends that she made in Neulparan were completely different from those so-called friends she had in her previous school. The latter ostracised and shunned her, even calling her disgusting names when they had stumbled upon her dark world. Not even her supposed best friend gave her an ounce of pity. Needless to say, Sanghee absolutely loathed their guts.
"Like I've said before, I promised my mother to take good care of you on behalf of your Aunt Myoungsun. I'm not a person who would go back on my words, Sanghee," he laughed, holding her gaze tenderly once again.
Sanghee bit her lip at his words, suddenly remembering about that whispered confession on the day where he had discovered her past, but still remained by her side regardless. Neither of them brought up the subject since that particular day, pretending as though nothing had happened, although so many things had changed since then. She didn't really know how to deal with his feelings for her - or Heechul's, for that matter - for she didn't think that she was worth their time and attention. Why would anyone fall for the tainted, ruined girl anyway? That was the lingering question on her mind.
Before she could even stop herself, the question was already making its way out of her mouth. "Hae, why do you like me? I mean, you have the obligation to watch over me, but with all the crap I gave you, why did you still end up… liking me?"
Donghae pursed his lip in thought, pondering over her question seriously, though he couldn't hide the fact that he was surprised. After confessing to her for such a long period of time, his seatmate - now housemate - never showed any signs of her having heard the three words he said to her. She still acted the same around him and Heechul, although perhaps a little less uptight around them. She also welcomed the little hugs and gentle squeezes of her hand, a large contrast from the person she used to be; one who would shrug off any hand of the opposite gender at the slightest touch or contact. It was more than enough proof that Sanghee trusted herself around Heechul and Donghae, and could let her guard down whenever she was with them.
"Honestly, I can't tell you for sure myself, but I suppose your stubbornness lured me in. I like challenging girls, and I wanted to work hard to be able to make you smile. I suppose no one has ever told you how you look prettier when you smile," Donghae breathed, and Sanghee blushed when she could feel his breath ghosting over her lips.
"Actually, no, you're the first person to ever tell me that…" she confirmed with a whisper, suddenly feeling her face inching closer towards his; she couldn't even hold herself back anymore, what with the probably-hidden feelings she had for Donghae suddenly clawing its way to the surface. He had been helping her out way too much, saving her from too many sticky situations for her to not like him. Even though she also liked Heechul as well, Sanghee realised that her feelings for him were nothing more than gratefulness, and that of a younger sister for her older brother.
However, just as their lips managed to brush against each other's ever so slightly, the doorbell suddenly rang, causing the both of them to gasp in astonishment and they shot away from the other person without further delay. Sanghee thought that she heard Donghae curse under his breath at the disrupted moment as the boy stumbled off the sofa in order to answer the door, straightening his clothes at the same time.
From her position, Sanghee heard the door open with a soft click, followed by an outraged cry from the owner of the house and the panicked, urgent voice of none other than her senior's streaming in from the doorway. Within several seconds' time, she found herself being dragged out of the house by both of her friends, whom had grim expressions on their faces.
Things were definitely not going right.