The Act (1/1)

“Could you repeat what you just said!?” Yuri said grabbing Yesung’s collar again. “Yuri, would you please calm d-“Yuri let go of him and started walking towards the gate. “Yah! Where are you going?” Yesung overtook her and blocked the gate. “Step aside, Yesung!”  Yuri glared at him. He did not budge. He remained standing with his arms outstretched. Yuri tried to push him away. “I need to know what your damn cousin is doing to my Seohyun!”“She’ll be fine!” Yesung put his hands over her shoulders. “My Kyuhyun will not do anything to your Seohyun.”“Are you mocking me?” Yuri asked with one of her eyebrows raised as she shook his hands off her. She elbowed him out of the way but she still failed to get past him for he had put his arms around her making it difficult for her to move.“Let go of me!!!” She yelled angrily. She looked down at her high-heeled shoes. An idea struck her. Using the girls’ She stepped hard on Yesung’s feet.  Yuri was laughing inside when she saw the other whimpering in pain while jumping up and down on his one foot.  “That’s what you get when you mess up with Yul.”  Yuri thought.Yesung watched Yuri walking towards the gate. “I must stop her.” He ignored the pain he’s feeling and strode after her. He grabbed Yuri’s waist just before she could reach the top of the inclined path leading to the gate and carried her on top of his shoulder.“Put me down!!!” Yuri protested while hitting Yesung’s back. Yesung was quite staggering due to Yuri’s weight and his still painful foot as he walked towards the car. He ignored Yuri’s screams and concentrated on maintaining his balance. He was relieved when he reached his car. He opened the door and put Yuri down at the passenger’s seat. “Where are you taking me?”  Yuri asked as Yesung fastened the seatbelt for her.  He looked at her and said in a serious manner, “We’re going to talk.”---------------------Meanwhile, Seohyun and Kyuhyun were getting ready for their act clueless of the chaos made by the other two outside. Flashback:They both rush inside the car and drove away from the university. They did not speak to each other for a while perhaps because both of them were too tired to utter a word. They had exhausted their energy from all the running and hiding.  It was when they reached the stoplight that Kyuhyun first spoke.“Have you read the list I’ve given you?” he asked.“Yes,” Seohyun nodded. Kyuhyun glanced at her. Their eyes met and she knew right then what it meant.“Oh! I mean, yes… Master,” she reluctantly said with an annoyed smile. Kyuhyun directed his sight back to the road, a contented smile forming in his lips. Seohyun looked away with a scowl in her face. “You must apply them later.” She heard Kyuhyun say. Kyuhyun focused on his driving while Seohyun was staring outside the window making a mental note of what she read in the list. Kyuhyun’s grandmother does not like girls who are materialistic and who are clingy to their partner. Seohyun could say that she is very conservative and prefers girls who are ladylike and well-mannered. Seohyun had all of these memorized. She even mastered the list better than the music sheet of the song assigned to their group. But mastering the list wasn’t enough. Mastering it would be of no use if she could not completely “internalize” the character.End of flashback Kyuhyun and Seohyun entered the mansion with Seohyun’s arm linked to Kyuhyun’s and her head leaning to Kyuhyun’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Kyuhyun’s grandmother thought it was sweet and instead of getting angry, her face was full of bliss. She was so happy to see the pairing that she matched up got along together. They both looked at each other. That was a failure.“Your act isn’t convincing enough,” Kyuhyun whispered to her ear. They were sitting beside each other on the couch while waiting for Kyuhyun’s grandmother who excused herself for a while to supervise the preparation in the kitchen.  “If you continue acting like this, you’ll just extend your suffering,” he added.  “Do something more.” Seohyun glowered at him. How she wished Kyuhyun was in her place so that he would realize how difficult it was. How could he be so insensitive!  She felt Kyuhyun nudged her. “Grandma’s coming,” he said. Seohyun took a deep breath as she reminded herself. Seohyun, this is just an act. No need to be awkward. Just imagine that you are acting in a play. You have to shed the real you. If he wants more, I’ll give him more. She saw Kyuhyun’s grandmother entering the living room hall. Scene 1 starts now.“Oppa…” Seohyun said in flirtatious tone.  She put her hands around Kyuhyun’s neck and ran her fingers through his hair, twirling its soft curls with her finger. “Are we gonna go shopping later? You promised me to buy that beautiful bag from yesterday.” Kyuhyun’s grandmother does not like materialistic girls, right? She’s sure she will never like the ‘buy-me- this-buy-me-that’ attitude that she’s showing right now. She looked at Kyuhyun. She almost wanted to laugh when she saw him staring at her with his mouth half-opened. He was at lost for words.  Out of the corner of her eye, she also saw his grandmother with almost the same expression.It is working. She better keeps it up.  She started caressing his face and down to his jawline. Kyuhyun gulped down. He was shocked by Seohyun’s sudden change. Is she still the Seohyun he knows? He tried to pull away from her but she pulled him closer. She leaned to him and snapped her finger near to his ear. “Earth calling Master Cho Kyuhyun… What’s up with you? Please do your part in our act.”Oh, right. This is just acting. Kyuhyun wanted to hit himself for almost falling for that. He tucked Seohyun’s hair behind her ear. He leaned forward and whisper to her. “Of course…” Kyuhyun said in a husky voice that would send chills down on any girls’ spine.  Meanwhile, Kyuhyun’s grandmother had witnessed their “intimate whispers” to each other. “The youngsters these days…” She shook her head in disapproval.“Really! Saranghae oppa!” Seohyun wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her head to his chest. Kyuhyun hugged her back and stroked her hair. “Oppa, how about the shoes-““EHEM!!!” They heard someone cleared her throat. “Sorry to disturb you but it’s time to eat.” Kyuhyun’s grandmother said with a smile that Kyuhyun easily recognized to be fake.They both stood up, Seohyun’s hands still around Kyuhyun’s waist. On the other hand, Kyuhyun had his arm around her shoulder. Seohyun continued sticking to Kyuhyun like an annoying bubblegum on one’s shoe. Instead of taking a seat opposite to Kyuhyun, she chose to sit beside him. She pushed her chair close to Kyuhyun and linked her arms with his. “Oppa, here.” She said in an annoying cutesy voice as she put food to his mouth.“Seohyun-shi, don’t you want to eat too? Kyuhyun can manage himself.” His grandma said. Seohyun and Kyuhyun both knew that his grandmother was starting to get irritated but she tried to hide it. They started eating. While they were eating, Kyuhyun’s grandmother could not help but get distracted by Kyuhyun and Seohyun’s exchange of “love” glances that she can’t even start to eat.“Oppa, you have something in your face.” Seohyun said and she leaned forward to wipe the food from his face. Kyuhyun stared back at her as her face got closer. Kyuhyun could not help admiring her pretty face but he quickly shook those thoughts away. Seohyun tugged his arm. “Oppa, why don’t you feed me too?” She asked with a pout.Can’t she just feed herself? That’s what her grandmother thought. She finally reached her limit. She started to feel out of place there so she stood up and excused herself. “I’ll leave you here. I just remember that I have something important to do.” Seohyun and Kyuhyun’s eyes followed her as she went upstairs. When she was already out of sight, Seohyun immediately let go of Kyuhyun’s arm and distanced herself from him.“I think you went quite over the top back there.” Kyuhyun commented. Seohyun narrowed her eyes and looked at him. “At first, you said that my act wasn’t convincing. Now you’re telling me that I exaggerated it. You’re so confusing... I really think there’s no need for my Master to complain because it looks like it worked anyway.” She looked away from him. There was a momentary pause and then Seohyun chuckled. “Don’t tell me you fell for my act.”“Excuse me.” Kyuhyun turned at her. She faced him as well. He looked at her from head to toe. “I don’t like you… mascot girl.” He stood up and nodded to the door. “Now, let’s go.”-----------------------It was already nighttime when Seohyun returned home. She first attended a group work in the university. Upon arrival at the apartment, Seohyun was instantly greeted by Yuri’s hug. “Mianhe, Seohyunnie. Yesung already told me everything. I know it’s my fault you end up in this situation. I should not have sent you there. It’s so selfish of me.” Yuri said apologetically.“It’s okay unnie. Besides, I’m doing well. Don’t worry unnie, I can manage this.” Seohyun replied as she returned the hug.  Yuri pulled away and put her hands on Seohyun’s shoulders. “Just tell me if Kyuhyun is giving you a hard time, okay? Birds of the same feather flock together. He maybe is just as stupid as Yesung.”   Yuri-unnie really has a grudge on Yesung-oppa. But he’s nicer compared to his dongsaeng. Seohyun went inside her room and lay straight to her bed. She was almost dozing off to dreamland when her phone suddenly rang. She sat up and got her phone from her bag.From: KyuhyunHas mascot girl reached home? Are there no crazy strangers along the way? REPLY A.S.A.PSeohyun did not know if he was concerned or he just want to mock her previous incident. But she replied to it anyway. She immediately typed the words “I’m home. Now, I will be really thankful if you let me rest, Master” and sent it to Kyuhyun. She went back to her bed and tried to go back to sleep.  She pulled her blanket over her head. Then, Kyuhyun’s words echoed in her mind. “I don’t like you… mascot girl.” She opened her eyes and took the blanket off her. She stared at the ceiling. Why do I remember those words? It’s not like I care about it… or do I? Seohyun gently slapped her face several times. Stop thinking about him. He’s not your crush anymore. She buried her face to her pillow and shook her head. You shouldn’t like a person like him. He is not the prince charming you’re waiting for.  ----------------------Kyuhyun was sitting in front of his canvas not knowing what to draw.  Scraps of paper and several paints are scattered on the floor. He just finished reading Seohyun’s reply on his phone. As he put his phone down, he spotted a sheet of paper sticking out of his sketch pad. He pulled it out. It was a sketch of a mascot girl dancing in front of a young girl. Memories started flashing back.“Thank you for today.” Kyuhyun said as he bowed to the mascot girl that helped him cheer the young girl. He turned and walked away from her. He thought that she’s really funny and cute. For a moment, all of his burdens seem to lighten. He looked back but she was not there anymore. Secretly deep inside, he wished to see her again.“Seohyun…” he muttered. He folded the paper and slipped it inside his sketch pad. “I need to focus.” He stretched his arms and started painting.