Misunderstood Feelings (1/1)

Chapter 30: Operation SeoKyu Part 2: Misunderstood Feelings“Do you know what happened to the lovebirds?”  Yuri asked while leaning her head on Yesung’s shoulder. It was breaktime during the dress rehearsal so the newly-formed couple decided to take that time to bond together. They sat on an empty bench just outside the opera hall with their hands interlocked with each other. “Do you have new pets? I did not know you like birds,” Yesung replied and that reply earned a punch from Yuri. “Ow!” Yesung said while rubbing his right arm. “Stupid, I am talking about Seohyun and Kyuhyun,” Yuri said with her eyes turning into slits. “Sorry, I am just kidding,” Yesung replied taking Yuri’s hand back. Yuri went back to her initial position. “Seohyun, she is not her usual cheerful self anymore. She no longer greets me in the morning. Sometimes, I even find her staring blankly in space.” “Kyuhyun is the same also. He has been more lonesome than ever,” Yesung said. “I wonder what happened to them. Do you have any news?” Yuri looked up to him and asked. “Seohyun always preoccupy herself with something. I don’t know… I just get the feeling that she does not want to open up.” Yesung shrugged his shoulder. “I don’t have news too. I’ve been busy here so I haven’t got a chance to talk to Kyuhyun yet. I cannot ask grandma because she is also busy with our business. Victoria also cannot provide information because she is busy preparing for her trip to China. She finally accepted the position offered to her by the magazine company there. “I see… How about…” Yuri’s expression suddenly lit up indicating that she just thought of an “ingenious” idea. “We plan something for them?” Yuri suggested. “Oh no, not again…”  Yesung thought. “Are you sure that this will really help them?” he asked. “Don’t you trust your girlfriend?” Yuri said to the skeptical Yesung. “Of -Of course, I do,” Yesung replied. “Let’s do it then!!!” Yuri said enthusiastically, raising her fist up, Yesung narrowly missing being hit. “I guess, there is no turning back now,” he muttered to himself as they went back inside.------------------------- Walking along the Cheonggyecheon had never been the same way again for Kyuhyun since that incident at the Namsan Park happened. His thoughts of Seohyun kept flowing like a stream in the back of his mind and each brings a bittersweet pain in his heart. He wondered why of all the places in Seoul, Yesung had to specifically meet him here. Why can’t they just go straight to the place where they will supposedly celebrate the opening of his cousin’s new musical? It was the first day of Yesung’s musical. As the beloved cousin of the star, of course Mr. Cho Kyuhyun was invited. However, he chose to decline. His reason? To avoid Seohyun. The news that Yesung and Yuri were dating had already reached him and because of that, he made an assumption that Yuri would invite Seohyun to watch the musical. So as to avoid the awkwardness, he preferred not to go. “Meet me at the Tunnel Fountain.”  Kyuhyun read Yesung’s text message.  “Aish, really. My condominium is just stone’s throw away. Why trouble me to come here?” Kyuhyun grumbled. As he was walking towards their meeting place, he happened to pass by the Wall of Proposals. Instantly, the image of Seohyun emerged in his mind. “This is her favorite place,” he muttered to himself. His memories brought him back to the time when he urged her to tour him at the Cheonggyecheon as part of her “punishment”. Flashback “Hey Seo, it is still early. Why don’t you tour me around Cheonggyecheon?” Kyuhyun asked as they drove back to his condominium. He could see that Seohyun was already so tired and irritated that anytime soon, she would punch his face or kick his ass. However, he knew that Seohyun would never do that and that she could not say no to him. After all, she was his servant for the day.  “As you wish, Master,” Seohyun said. Kyuhyun chuckled as he watched Seohyun stomping her feet as she walked away. So they went on, Kyuhyun followed Seohyun’s lead as she tour him at each landmarks of Cheonggyecheon, patiently discussing its history. Seohyun was so good Kyuhyun even thought that she could be a great professional tourist guide. “…and this is -- OMO! Look!” Kyuhyun almost got off-balance when Seohyun suddenly dragged him near. “There’s a proposal going on there,” Seohyun said dreamily as she looked at the guy kneeling in front of the girl with the ring on his hand. They were in front of the Wall of Proposals, Seohyun’s favorite spot in the park. This wall was decorated with illuminated hearts that could change color which made the scene more romantic.  “I wish someday, I’ll have that kind of proposal too,” she whispered to herself.  “By the way, this is the Wall of Proposal, a famous spot for couples to propose their unchanging love to each other. This is my favorite place here. The place where happily ever after starts…” Seohyun went on to explain enthusiastically. Actually, that was an understatement. She was actually spazzing over it and all the while, Kyuhyun was watching her with a glum look on his face. He recalled the last time he planned to propose to someone he had loved so dearly only to be rejected even before he got to ask for her hand. “Happily ever after?” Kyuhyun snickered. “There is no such thing.”  “Happily ever after? I am about to believe it until…” Kyuhyun sighed as he remembered the Namsan incident again. “Aish, I hate this.” Kyuhyun said as he continued to walk on the way to the Tunnel Fountain.------------------------ Why can’t love be just as easy as the sleeping Snow White waiting for her prince-charming to give her the first love’s kiss or as easy as Cinderella finding her lost shoe. Why can’t love be just like the fairy tales? Does happily ever after really exist? These were Seohyun’s thoughts as she sat under the bridge listening to the sound of the rushing stream which was once so soothing to her. This was her comfort zone, the place where she could confide her innermost feelings, hoping that the stream would wash away her sorrows. “Does happily ever after really exist?”She asked herself. Flashback“Happily ever after?” Kyuhyun snickered. “There is no such thing.” Kyuhyun said as he walked out, leaving Seohyun alone with her musings. “Hey! You know what, you’re really getting on my nerves! How dare you walk out on me!!!” Seohyun called out to him after she realized that she was just alone there speaking to herself.  “Because I don’t want to listen to your spazzing.” Kyuhyun replied plainly. “You’re such a naïve person for believing in fairy tales when in reality, happily ever after is inexistent.” “Why are you so cynical?” Seohyun asked still keeping up with his pace. “Someday you are gonna eat your words.” Kyuhyun stopped on his tracks and turned to look at her. “Really?” he said cocking his head to the side. “We’ll see it then.”End of Flashback “Does happily ever after really exist?”She asked herself. Her optimistic self kept telling her to still believe as she was starting to have doubts. But what could she do when she knew that the ending of their story was already inevitable. She just finished watching the musical with her Yuri-unnie. She went there not only to support her Yesung-oppa but she also thought of apologizing to Kyuhyun. However, he was not there. “Seohyun, let’s go to Cheonggyecheon afterwards. I miss going there,” Yuri asked her after the show ended. “Let’s just meet at the Tunnel Fountain, okay? Yesung and I still have something to talk to,” she said with a wink. “I think I should get going,” Seohyun said as she stood up and walk towards the Tunnel Fountain. The Tunnel Fountain is one of the tourist spots at Cheonggyecheon. Jets of water sprang up into an arch forming a tunnel for the people walking through it. It is even more mesmerizing at night with the red and blue lights surrounding it. As she walked nearer, she noticed a familiar figure. “K-K-Kyuhyun-oppa?” She called him. “Seohyun-shi?” That person turned around. “What are you doing here?” Kyuhyun asked. “I am waiting for Yuri-unnie. How about… you?” Seohyun asked. The awkwardness was building up and they both knew it. “I am meeting Y-“ Kyuhyun stopped, finally realizing what was going on. Of course, this would not be just a coincidence. “Aish, he’s doing it again. He must have planned this,” Kyuhyun thought. “Just never mind, why I am here,” he eventually said. There came the awkward silence with both of them just staring at the jets of water falling down the stream, dancing with the lights. “Seohyun”“Kyuhyun” They both said at the same time. “You first,” Seohyun said. “Okay. Seohyun, your work for me has ended and as stated at the contract, we should not have any form of contact anymore after the mission has been accomplished. So… this will be the last time we will see each other.” Kyuhyun said coldly while his eyes were focused on the stream. “If grandmother will try to reach you, just ignore her. Find an excuse if you must. I think it will be easy for you to make one since there is that one guy who is pursuing you. It will be easy to say that there is a third party.” Seohyun tried to interrupt him but Kyuhyun won’t let her to. “I hope you’re happy now. There will be no one to order you to do this or do that.” Kyuhyun continued. As she was listening to his words, her heart was pleading and praying for him to stop it. He did not know how much she wanted to say that he’s wrong. “I know you are tired of me. You are free now.” Kyuhyun said and then he started to leave. “Kyu-“ Seohyun called him. She did not want him to leave just yet. Not until she had apologized. Not until she had explained everything. Not until she had told him that he was wrong… that it was just a misunderstanding. But she did not know how to say it. “Is there anything that’s not clear from what I said?”He asked while not even bothering to turn towards her. “Oh, and about the final payment, I’ll just send it to Yesung-hyung. About the phone, it’s yours. Your suitor will not be able to contact you if you return it. I’ll just erase your number on my phone,” he said. “Anything more you want to say?” “No-nothing,” that was all Seohyun could say. The end has come and she must accept it. “Goodnight, Seo.” Kyuhyun said. It’s the last goodnight that he would say. The moment they set their backs against each other, their true emotions started to pour out. “I just… want to say… that I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say those things to you.” Seohyun mumbled as she watched him walked farther and farther away. Although Kyuhyun had tried hard to keep a straight face, if Seohyun would look deep into his eyes, she would see that he was actually hurting. He also refused to look at her face, fearing that if he looked at her one more time, it might stop him from leaving and from saying goodbye.-------------------- “What the heck is happening to them?” A frustrated Yuri said. “We set them up so that they can voice out their emotions and not hide them even more! And your cousin, what’s wrong with him?!!! I wanna beat him up till he snaps out of it!!!” Yuri pushed Yesung on the shoulder which caused the other to almost drop his binoculars. They were at the road above observing the two. “He is just afraid to love again. Her mother left him at a young age. His long-time girlfriend, his first love broke up with him just before he was about to propose. Since then, he did not believe in love anymore. He started hating girls, pushing them away in every possible way.” Yuri listened intently to Yesung’s story. She did not expect that Kyuhyun would have such a painful past. “But please do not tell it to Seohyun, he will not like it. He does not want anyone to pity him. Plus, your boyfriend will be dead if he knew you tell her that,” Yesung said. Yuri chuckled at his last sentence. “Is it really a matter of life or death?” She asked. Yesung nodded. “But Seohyun is not like that. Why won’t he give it a shot?” Yuri asked. “Something must have happened and that’s what we need to know.” Yesung said.------------------- Yuri found Seohyun sitting on a bench sobbing silently while holding her phone on her hand, the only remembrance she had of Kyuhyun. “Hyunie, what happened?” Yuri asked as if she did not have an idea of what happened. “Why are you crying?” “Unnie…” Seohyun went into her arms and broke down into tears. “I hurt him, unnie… and I did not have the chance to tell him I’m sorry… that I did not mean to say all those things.” “Wait,” Yuri eased back and faced Seohyun. “I do not completely understand. Tell me the whole story.” Yuri prepared to listen to her dongsaeng. So Seohyun told her what happened at the Namsan Park.“Who is Yonghwa to you?” Yuri asked afterwards. “He is a friend,” Seohyun answered. “Who is Kyuhyun to you?” the older girl asked next. Seohyun looked at Yuri. “You are asking… who is Kyuhyun to me?” Yuri nodded and looked at her, anticipating for her answer. Her memories flashed back to the first time that they met, to the day she got busted, the night he went out to save him, the day he got sick, and the day he first gave her his genuine smile. Despite his somewhat rude and arrogant behavior, she just could not get him off her mind. The answer was finally clear to her. Kyuhyun has always been… …the prince charming she has been waiting for.-------------------- “So that’s what happened,” Yesung said on the other end of the line. Yuri called him when the two of them got home. “How’s Seohyun?” Yesung asked. “She is peacefully sleeping now,” Yuri answered while glancing at Seohyun on the other room. “How about you? Where are you now?” she asked. “Here I am in the condominium being a nanny for a drunk person,” Yesung said staring at Kyuhyun who fell asleep on the couch, with empty bottles of soju scattered on the floor. Yesung just found him in the condominium, drinking soju all by himself. “What happened,” Yuri asked. “Almost the same sentiments as your dongsaeng,” Yesung replied. “I think we need a little bit of help here,” Yesung said, thinking of a certain someone who could put these two together. End of ChapterA/N: Preview: "Excuse me, but that girl is mine."