Donghwa

Can't you be a bit less suprised?

Episode 02
 

All this time I longed for you but you just walked on without recognizing me…
 

SooJin entered a world she never really understood. The world her cousin lived in. The world he lived in. A world she wanted to understand so badly but which was kept away from her comprehension and lingered in the darkness of her mind.

Slowly walking down a red carpet in the long marmoreal hallway with its unique paintings hanging on the claret walls made her again realize how different this place was. She felt small having the huge candelabra hanging above her.

At the end of the corridor was a small counter. Her cousin was standing behind it.

"SooJin-a!"

"Annyeong, Unnie." She bowed.

Lee SangMi was tall, but not too tall, skinny, but not too skinny. Her hair, normally nearly reaching her hip was now orderly pinned up with only two strands swirling around her face.

"What are you doing here?!" She smiled and waved her over to hug her. As tight as the desk in between allowed them to.

"Well..." she suddenly felt flurry taking over her when the picture of her friends rushed her mind again.

//Now or never…//

"Well... does YunHo have a customer at the moment?"

SangMi looked at her in disbelief, but just for the wink of a moment then grinned and had a look in the timetable lying in front of her.

"No. Should I call for him?"

SooJin slightly nodded.

"Please go inside and wait for a moment."

"Thanks."

They bowed again. SooJin turned to face doors similar to the main entrance. She just had to bring herself to push them open. This wasn't as easy as it may sound, because she felt the flurry more and more controlling her.

Why was she doing this again?

"SooJin-a..."

She looked at her relative.

"Good luck!" SangMi smiled, her thumb pointing up to tell her that this will be a success. A fact SooJin doubted more than she doubted herself. Nonetheless she reached out to push open the gate to enter one of her greatest anxieties.
 

~**~
 

JaeJoong worked in this host club for nearly 3 years now. He knew this world, but it still held surprises he couldn't foresee. It was one of this moments when he saw SooJin sitting at the bar where normally customers waited for their hosts to arrive.

She felt lost. In this huge establishment with it's claret walls, classic English furniture and drunken businessmen enjoying young ladies' company. And somehow she felt disgusted seeing them without any constraint laughing and drinking, sitting on leather furniture imitating Whitehall sofas. Older ladies who wanted to catch a bit of youth again were cuddling with young good looking guys who play every role they want them to play and which pleased the customer.

This was not feeling right.

"Waiting for your cousin?"

Being pulled out of her thoughts she glanced in JaeJoong's smiling face.

"No... I'm... waiting for YunHo..." She narrowed her voice but Jae still had understood what she said. His body froze for a second. Looking up he realized the air condition was right over their heads.

"Well... taking the first step, is it?"

She looked at him in surprise.

"Don't look at me like that... we all knew."

He grinned and SooJin asked herself if he smiled a lot as this was an unfamiliar face to her. She wanted to say something, cover her feelings, but she was interrupted by YunHo himself.

"SooJin-a... didn't know you were here!" He smiled and looked around for a moment. "SangMi called me saying I have a customer, but seems she just wanted to tease me or something."

SooJin's heart skipped a beat in pain. What was she expecting? As if he would have the slightest idea.

"You have." JaeJoong's face had this empty look while pointing at the girl next to him. "Have fun."

He left YunHo staring at SooJin in disbelief.

"Oh."

"Can't you be a bit less surprised?" She felt awkward. The thought of her taking the services from a host was so totally not her. On the other hand, looking in these two brown eyes which were placed in a distinctive face she realized that she was attracted to him more than she wanted to admit to herself.

YunHo closed his eyes for a moment to concentrate then took the hand of the other one and smiled.

"So, Miss, what do you want to do?"

She desperately had wanted to see YunHo smile like that, that the incredible pain knowing about his acting was just a side-effect she forced herself to take. She desperately wanted to be liked by him. Wanted him to love her.

She smiled.

And YunHo knew.

"Don't look so sad, Miss. I'm here for you no matter what happens."

No pain could have taken away the happiness she felt at that moment. But pain can be a tough rival. Slowly crawling in the darkness waiting for this one weak moment to arrive.
 

~**~
 

JaeJoong sighed. He leaned against the wall not far away from the scenery watching it with

minor interest. He shrugged and decided to join his girlfriend.

SangMi still was starring at the two names when JaeJoong opened the doors which lead behind the counter.

"Lee SooJin... and Jung YunHo…"

"Does look strange, doesn't it."

She cringed when JaeJoong hugged her from behind.

"You're cold." He said letting go again.

"No, you are." She poked.

"Sorry.." He leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "Have you been thinking about what I told you before?"

She slightly nodded but kept silent for a moment.

"She's my cousin."

"I know."

"And he is a host."

"SangMi…"

"It will hurt her…"

The older one embraced her and planted some kisses in her neck. He felt he had to do it. It was the only thing he could do for his girlfriend. And although she was happy that he was around this uneasy feeling refused to go away.

He gave her another quick kiss before loosing their embrace.

"Would be bad if a customer sees us."

"Yes... would be.."
 

~**~
 

"I have a headache... damn it…"

"Yes, yes and your stomach aches.. I know… " HaNeul tapped SeulGi's shoulder. All the way to university her friend didn't stop complaining once.

"Just thought I need to remind you since you seem quite alright!"

"Yes, 'cause the sun is shining!"

The younger one wanted to face the sky to let the bright morning sun warm her face but her eyes and her head were aching that much she couldn't bear it.

"Unnie… you should help me!"

"How can I possibly help you?"

"Buy her a piece of bread and a huge bottle of still mineral water."

They simultaneously turned around just to face ChangMin standing right behind them. HaNeul's refusing feeling got back. Origin unknown.

"What's with you always sneaking behind one's back?" She couldn't help but sounded unfriendly.

"Unnie! What's wrong with you?" SeulGi slapped her friend's shoulder but she just shrugged.

"Whatever."

For a moment SeulGi thought she had seen a shadow flying over ChangMin's face. For a moment he really looked sad.

"You really don't like me, HaNeul, do you?"

She suddenly turned around and they faced each other for a couple of seconds. His glance changed. Into to something she couldn't define. Couldn't understand. And that made her feel uncomfortable.

"I cannot remember we are that close for you to only say my first name."

"Unnie!?!"

"Shut up, SeulGi and puke damnit. You'll feel better after that."

She felt awful. Absolutely awful. Saying things like that to a boy who was really nice to everybody. Talking back on her friend that way only because she felt insecure about the way this boy looks at her. She slightly nodded.

"Sorry about that.." mumbling this she left the scene.

"What's wrong with her... for god's sake…" SeulGi was confused and angry. "Just ignore her. It's not your fault."

"It's yours, alcoholic."

She pushed Chang to the side and saw JunSu grinning at her.

"You!!"

"Yo." He waved at ChangMin who gave him a short nod.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was following you guys around for a while 'cause I was bored and your whining amused me."

"Amused? You're a sadist or something absorbing the pain of others?"

"If I would be like that I would cause your pain, wouldn't I? It's your own fault, 'cause you don't know when to stop!" He felt superior.

"Well, hearing your singing made me drink more and more so I was able to take it!"

"Pah! You would be absolutely happy if you have the looks and the voice to be like me."

"Who would want to be like you, small man!"

"I'm taller than you!"

"Yes and definitely more stupid!"

"Listen up, you…!"

ChangMin was not able to follow anymore. They were talking and talking. In between he heard JunSu laugh and SeulGi making surprised and angry noises.

// So different from me… they are like a married couple… I'm not even able to counter back at her… //

It was not that he had nothing to talk back to HaNeul.. it was the feeling of losing her when doing so. And now as he was watching a fight like that, he realized that it was this kind of arguing with each other that revealed all the true thoughts that normally wouldn't reach the surface. So he screwed up his courage and ran after her. He wanted her to accept him. Because he loved her, he wanted her to accept him.

"Ne! HaNeul-shi!"

Insecurity was slowly running down her spine. She froze.

"What do you want?" She tried not to sound as harsh as before.

"I just.. whatever it is that makes you dislike me just tell me and don't act rude in front of someone who just wants to be nice!"
 

~**~
 

Facing her room's ceiling she rolled around on her bed a few times unable to rest. ChangMin's words resounded in her head all day and she felt uneasy. Thinking hard what it was that made her feel that way she got a headache and hasn't been able to have some good sleep for two days.

She took a look at the alarm clock next to her. 20 p.m. YooChun should be there soon.

"Damn.. I guess he is right anyway.. " She tousled through her hair.

She jumped up and walked up and down her room when it knocked on the door.

"YooChun?"

"Yeah. Who else?"

He entered the room but HaNeul didn't stop pacing, so he sat down on the huge red chair cushion he always placed himself when he wanted to relax.

"Ne, HanYeol… what would you do if your loved one is in love with someone else?"
 

"YooChun-oppa!"

InYoung waved when she saw the older one coming around the corner. He smiled. They met quite often the last days. She thought it was just coincidence, but he adjusted the times he went out mostly to the times Youngie went to university or returned home.

She then said it was nice that they always meet and he was glad she said so. He felt happy just to be around her. He thought if he would spend more and more time with her she would eventually like him too. And he believed in it so much that no other possibility could have taken that place.

Then he appeared.

"SeungHun.." Youngie starred at a taller good looking guy with dark blond dyed hair, sunglasses, ripped jeans and a black shirt. He waved at her.

"InYoung-a! We haven't meet for a long time! How are you doing?"

The stranger gave YooChun a quick bow and he didn't find the right words he as well bowed to greet the guy who stole all of InYoung's attention.

"Yes! How Have you been these days?"

Her voice sounded different than when talking to YooChun. He could tell immediately.

"Well, lot of work.. just on my way so I should keep on otherwise I will be laid-off."

"Yes.. sorry to have delayed you."

"Nah, no problem."

YooChun just watched and said nothing.

"Well gotta go."

"We.. should meet again…" She stuttered.

"Yes we should." SeungHun waved and left them. One with an euphoric, one with an awful feeling.

"He's nice, isn't he oppa?"

"Un.." He slightly nodded.

//You shouldn't ask me such a question.//

He felt numb. As if he was captured in sand. His heart was too weak to escape this prison so his body drowned in the oceans of pain. The longer Youngie kept talking about the other guy the more he felt his body getting weak.

This was the first time he tasted jealousy himself.
 

"So.. she didn't even introduce you or something?"

HaNeul had seated herself onto her bed again while listening to her best friend's story.

"She really is ignorant.."

YooChun remained silent. It ate him away. This feeling. This situation. His knee nervously

nodded up and down. HaNeul kneeled down in front of him.

"Chun.. you should be very patient now.. and try to make her see you the way you want her to see you."

"Pah.." He smiled a resigned smile. "She mailed me today.. they are going on a date on

Sunday." He wasn't able to look at his friend whose hands where placed on his knee trying to calm him down. "She sounded really happy, Noona.."

HaNeul just reached out to embrace him.
 

~**~
 

SangMi sat down on the huge brown leather chair in the staff's room to take a break when JaeJoong entered the room. She smiled and eyed him up realizing that she really loved his feminine charisma. He had this elegant way to walk.

She remembered the time when she fell in love with him. His huge almond-shaped eyes had always fixed her and captured her heart. He had smiled and taken her hand and that was enough for her to know he will be there. Seeing him now made she remember that time.

"She's here again."

She looked at him in surprise.

"What?"

"She just came back and asked for YunHo."

"Does she have the money to do so?" More a question to herself. JaeJoong said nothing. She stood up, took some step in Jae's direction and took his hand.

"They're cold again."

"They always were."

"Might be.. but they seem to have gotten extremely cold."

"You think so?"

Silence. Narrowing Silence.

"I miss you, Jae." These words, finally spoken, were like needles in JaeJoong's heart. He leaned forward to kiss her.

"I know." Just a whiff of a word. He felt guilty. "Will leave now. Okay?"

It was not.

"Just.. a few minutes?"

"But.. I got work outside.. I thought I'd let you know about SooJin." He looked deep into her eyes, said nothing, and kissed her again. "Later."

As always she was left behind.
 

The feeling of guilt is breathtaking. Filling his lunges with huge breaths Jae wanted to get rid of it. It nearly worked.

He took a look around and saw his next customer sitting at the bar. An older lady with black straight hair and modern clothes smoking a small cigar. He hated this rich people who liked to show off.

His glance wandered for a bit and then they met his eyes. SooJin and YunHo. Talking. Laughing. Spreading a really nice atmosphere. JaeJoong could really have believed his best friend was having fun. Real fun. But he knew better than that. And it made him feel strange. He then decided to return to the staff's room again.

"Jae?"

SangMi was getting herself ready to work again. She really looked great in her dark blue dress, some of her hair tied up some reaching her hip in gently curls.

"SangMi.. " He hesitated. Looking at her he felt nostalgic. Nothing more.

She didn't dare to say something. To ask what was wrong, because his eyes told her. Like they always were telling her. They showed her everything. If she would ask now she felt she would be at fault for losing him.

"SangMi… I… I cannot take the cold anymore… I'm sorry.."

It was like her heart was ripped apart. Bit by bit. 'Cause this was the first time he ever apologized in front of her. And it was definitely the last as well.
 

… to be continued
 

_________
 

explanations:

annyeong - hello

unnie - younger female adressing an older female *lit: older sister*

oppa - younger female adressing an older male *lit: older brother*

noona - younger male adressing older female *lit: older sister*

forgot to upload a picture if a Whitehall sofa and some other classic english furniture.. will do as soon as possible!~
 

Author's notes:

well.. I'm done *_*!

I'm quite satisfied with it. What about you? Do you like it?

Still not that much of Jae and YunHo.. but I'll give my best so all you YunHo and Jae fans: keep up! *haha*

It's really hard to create a world so for so many characters. So you might no see a red line going through this all but it is there .. believe me you'll see it for sure later on XD

When I read this and think about what will happen through this "dorama"… phew.. be prepared! XD
 

Bye~!!