airplanewishes (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
airplanewishes) wrote2010-09-10 11:06 am
airplanewishes) wrote2010-09-10 11:06 am
[PG-13] Wishing on Airplanes (2/?)
Title: Wishing on Airplanes
Characters: Donghae, Kyuhyun, Hyukjae, OC, Super Junior
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Friendship, Comedy, Drama
It was hard for her. Being the new girl in school, one who arrived in the middle of the school year, was no walk in the park. Jooyeon felt like a freak, exhibit A to be exact. Everywhere she went, people ogled at her. She really didn’t know what was so interesting. She was just a girl. She didn’t look any different.
Jooyeon had long, stylishly wavy, dark brown hair that fell below her shoulders, had hazel eyes and was very petite – Taeyeon called her shorty, but she preferred petite. She was fair enough. She was the type of girl who hated frowns and sadness so she smiled a lot, which was refreshing for anyone who meets her. Her smile made her prettier in everyone’s opinion. She wasn’t drop-dead actress-model pretty, but she was pretty. Especially when you get to know her better.
So yeah she was exhibit A in her first day of school. As she was walking down the hall, she realized that people were looking at her, not only because she was new, but because of who she was with.
It was then that she realized what was so different about ahjumma Taeyeon. She was miss popular in this school. A queenka. Taeyeon had always been popular. She’s always been so friendly and everything, but she never thought it could reach this status. It was like everyone wanted to be like her or be associated with her. Wherever they went, everyone said hi. It wasn’t just the students. Even professors, janitors, the lunch ladies… they all wanted to be in her good graces. It was amazing. It was like the Pope himself was walking around, greeting them.
“You alright?” Taeyeon asked me as they walked to homeroom.
“Queenka, huh?” Jooyeon simply said, biting back a laugh.
Taeyeon’s cheeks turned pink. “Stop it,” she said. “It’s not like I planned this.”
“Of course not,” Jooyeon agreed, chuckling. “Knowing you, it’s just fate.” It was true. She wasn’t jealous of her best friend, but Taeyeon always seemed to have fate on her side. Everything just went well for her. Good looks – check. Brains – check. Good family background – check. Incredibly nice and friendly – check. She really had everything.
Taeyeon rolled her eyes at Jooyeon, stopping outside a classroom. “Here’s your schedule,” she told her, handing me a sheet of paper. “This is your homeroom.” She gestured towards the classroom.
“What, you mean we’re not in the same homeroom?” Jooyeon panicked.
Taeyeon smiled at her and shook her head. “You’ll be fine.”
“Are we together in any other class?” Jooyeon demanded, staring at the schedule intensely. It gave her comfort that her best friend was going to be by her side, helping her through her classes every step of the way. That hope was fading.
“We have English and History together,” Taeyeon answered. “4th and 5th period.” She chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ll see you at lunch.”
“When’s that?” Jooyeon asked, looking at the schedule again. She had to go through two hours of classes without her. She was doomed, looking at her best friend helplessly.
“Relax,” Taeyeon calmly soothed her.
“Right,” Jooyeon said, taking a deep breath. She forced out a smile. “See you later then,” she told her as the bell rang.
“I’ll meet you outside the cafeteria,” Taeyeon promised, turning to go.
“Hey Taeng,” Jooyeon called. “There’ll be no weird introductions, right?”
Taeyeon chuckled. “It won’t be weird if you just stick to your name,” she promised. Jooyeon nodded and turned to go inside. “Jooyeon-ah,” Taeyeon then said, “don’t embarrass me. I am a queenka after all.”
Taeyeon laughed as Jooyeon rolled her eyes at her.
~ * ~
So as it turned out Taeyeon had a hot kingka boyfriend as well. As Jooyeon was walking towards the cafeteria, she saw this tall, well-built, really good-looking guy walk over to Taeyeon and give her a kiss. Did she mention good-looking? He was like a model, but better.
“Hey!” Taeyeon said as soon as she saw Jooyeon. She grinned. “Siwon, this is my best friend, Jooyeon. Jooyeon, this is Siwon, my boyfriend.”
“Jooyeon,” Siwon repeated as he looked at her with his blush-inducing smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“You too,” Jooyeon awkwardly said, glancing at Taeyeon with a questioning look. She’d never told her she had a boyfriend.
When they were in the cafeteria, where Siwon had gone ahead to talk to his friends, Taeyeon told her all about him. They’d met when she started attending this school. They were partners in some project and had just grown to be really good friends. Then one day they realized they were in love with each other.
Too good to be true, right? Only in Taeyeon’s life. Jooyeon never had a boyfriend before. She wasn’t interested in boys. Before you get any ideas, she wasn’t interested in girls. She just didn’t have any dreams of getting a boyfriend any time soon. Her agenda was to study and live the life she’d dreamed of.
But Jooyeon was happy for her best friend. Taeyeon had always dreamed of a prince sweeping her off her feet. And she got exactly just that.
“Is he really a prince?” Jooyeon wanted to know. He may be an ogre inside.
“Yes,” Taeyeon gushed.
That was enough for Jooyeon.
The cafeteria was like a zoo. All the kids that were in Jooyeon’s earlier classes, whom she thought were all so prim and proper (Neulparan was a private school, after all), were acting like crazy people. There was a lot of loud laughter. Some were sitting on the tables and playing around. Then there were the ones, who were called the geeks, who buried themselves in books and managed to concentrate despite the noise.
Of course everyone looked when she walked in. She was with Taeyeon, after all. Oh, and she was exhibit A. She led her to a table in the corner, where Siwon already was with two of his probably kingka friends, who were arguing about what seemed like basketball.
“Hey,” Taeyeon said, catching their attention. The three boys looked up. “This is Park Jooyeon, my best friend from home.”
The two boys whom Jooyeon haven’t met, but remembered in her Literature class that morning, immediately stood up and introduced themselves, both speaking at the same time.
“I’m Lee Hyukjae.”
“I’m Lee Donghae.”
They looked at each other, not pleased with the other.
“I was first.”
“No, I was first. I definitely stood up first. You’re heavier than me.”
“That’s because I have more muscles. You’re practically all skin.”
“I am not. Have you seen this?” the other said, then flashing him his biceps.
Taeyeon chuckled and turned to Jooyeon. “I’m sorry to say, but they are always like this,” she said, answering the question she was meaning to ask.
Jooyeon nodded, chuckling at the two, who still weren’t done. They were now practically stripping and showing each other their muscles. She leaned forward and said, “It’s nice to meet you both.”
“The pleasure is ours,” Donghae, the more muscular one, spoke up. He had the warmest gaze. It was like swimming in hot chocolate.
“We’re happy to have finally met Taengoo’s gorgeous best friend,” Hyukjae said, grinning, his gums showing.
Jooyeon couldn’t help but laugh.
~ * ~
After school, Taeyeon told Jooyeon that she had some council duties. She told her that, as secretary of the student council, she couldn’t walk home with her since they had a meeting that afternoon. Jooyeon told her that she was fine.
Walking home meant having time to digest everything that had happened that day. All her classes, the people she’d met… She had a pretty good day. It wasn’t a bad first day at all. In the beginning, it was awkward, but overall she had fun. She would have to do a lot of catching up on the classes, but that shouldn’t be too hard. Taeyeon mentioned that she would help her so she got that covered. Besides, she had no extracurricular activities and no social life to distract her from studying.
“Hey Jooyeon!”
Jooyeon turned to her right. It was Lee Hyukjae. The slimmer one of the two. She decided she was going to call him anchovy because he kind of looked like one. Only cuter.
“Are you going home by yourself?”
Jooyeon turned to her left. It was Lee Donghae. He was going to be fishy from now on. She didn’t know why exactly, but he just was that. Fishy. She wasn’t sure whether he was the serious or fun type. But how would she know? They just met.
“Uh yeah,” Jooyeon answered.
“We figured,” Hyukjae said cheerfully. “Taeyeon mentioned that she has a meeting so we’ll walk you home.”
“No, it’s fine. You don’t have to,” she politely declined. She didn’t know them that well. It would make conversation difficult.
“Oh but we insist,” Donghae said with a smile. “It’s your first day. You should make new friends.”
“Are you saying that I should be friends with you guys?” she clarified. She watched as the two boys looked at each other then at her and nodded their heads. It made her wonder what she was getting herself into.
“When’s your birthday?” Hyukjae then asked as soon as we were on their way. He really was the talkative one. He never seemed to run out of things to say.
“Um, September 17, 1994,” she answered at once. “Why?”
“That makes us your oppa,” Hyukjae happily and proudly said. “We’re born in 1993.”
“So I really have to call you guys oppa?” she asked. Hyukjae grinned, nodding, while Donghae merely smiled. “But I don’t think I heard Taeng call you oppa. Ah right,” she said as she remembered. She was one year older than her.
“Can you say it?” Hyukjae asked excitedly.
Jooyeon really didn’t see what the big deal was. “Hyukjae oppa,” she indulged him.
He clapped like a little kid who got what he wanted on his birthday. She supposed being called oppa really does have that effect on guys sometimes.
“So Jooyeon,” Donghae began quietly. He was the more pensive one. He wasn’t as overly excited as Hyukjae was, but he had a quiet mirth about him. “Why’d you come to Seoul?”
“To study,” she said. “Coming here was my dream.”
“Really? Why?” Donghae asked interestedly.
“Because it seems like a place where all dreams can come true,” she answered with shrug.
“We’ll make all your dreams come true, Jooyeon,” Hyukjae said, which earned him a slap on the head from Donghae.
“You just met her and you’re already talking dirty,” Donghae chided. He turned to her. “Forgive him. He has a hard time forming sentences that sound decent.”
“Ya, that’s not true,” Hyukjae said defensively, looking at her. “Really.”
“You’re going to get used to it eventually,” Donghae told him with a shrug. “Anyway, Taeyeon mentioned that you’re into computer games. Is that true?”
Ah yes. Gaming. When she graduated middle school, her appa bought a computer. It was that summer when she learned all about computer games, StarCraft, War Craft, you name it, she knew how to play it. It wasn’t something that she talked about because she knew it was kind of weird for a girl to be so into gaming. Apparently, it was something exciting for Hyukjae and Donghae as they waited for her to answer in anticipation.
“Yes,” she slowly confirmed.
Hyukjae put his hands together into a loud clap. “What level are you in StarCraft?” he wanted to know.
“Far enough. I’m really not that good,” she mysteriously replied. “What level are you in?”
“Terran level 5,” Hyukjae proudly announced, clearly pleased with himself.
Jooyeon smiled, looking a bit surprised. “Wow that’s great! I’ve never reached that far. How long have you been playing?”
“Not long,” Hyukjae went on proudly.
“That’s really awesome,” she affirmed, grinning.
As they neared Taeyeon’s apartment, Hyukjae suddenly stopped walking and groaned. He looked really annoyed after that. He then mentioned that he had detention after school but forgot about it.
“Are you sure it’s okay?” Hyukjae asked Jooyeon apologetically. He felt really bad that he wasn’t going to walk her all the way home.
“It’s fine,” she dismissed. “I really don’t want you to get detention for missing detention.”
Hyukjae laughed. “Hey, that’s funny! We’re going to get along well.” He patted her on the back. Turning to Donghae, he said, “I’ll call you later.”
“Yeah,” Donghae said, waving at him. When Hyukjae had left, Donghae turned and saw her amused expression. “What?”
“Nothing,” Jooyeon said innocently.
“We’ve been best friends since… we’ve always been best friends,” Donghae rephrased. “So we do call each other like girls do.”
“I didn’t say anything,” she said, holding her hands up and biting back a laugh. “It’s totally fine.”
“So what level are you in Starcraft?” he asked her curiously, looking at her. She looked at him in surprise. “You were being modest. Well…?” he prodded.
Her cheeks tinged pink. So she was caught. She was never a good enough liar. “I finished the whole thing,” she answered, resigned.
Donghae looked shocked. “Really?” He looked stunned.
Jooyeon smiled sheepishly. “It’s not a big deal. I just—.”
“Not a big deal? Hyukjae’s going to cry when he hears this,” he told her.
“You don’t have to tell him,” she pleaded. She really didn’t want to take his joy and pride away from him. He looked really happy when he said he was on level 5.
He looked at her for a moment then nodded. “Okay, it’ll be our secret.”
“Thanks,” she said, smiling. Somehow, she liked Donghae already. He was just so comfortable to be with, like a security blanket, telling her that everything was fine.
He chuckled. “I can’t believe Taeyeon’s best friend is a gamer. She always tells us it’s a waste of time.”
“She hates it,” she agreed. “She doesn’t talk to me whenever I start playing, completely ignores me, telling me I’m going to grow stupid because of it.” She smiled at the memory.
“How long have you been best friends?” he asked.
“Since we were two,” she shared, sighing wistfully. “She’s like my unnie, best friend, and family all rolled into one.”
“Why don’t you call her unnie?” he asked curiously.
She smiled. “You know we got into a big fight because of that?” She turned to him and suddenly felt embarrassed. Why would he be interested in her stories? They just met. “But you probably don’t want to hear that,” she finished, smiling shyly.
“No, I do want to hear it,” he said. “Taeyeon never talked much about her life in
Jeonju. All she talked about was you.”
“Really?” Jooyeon looked touched. She didn’t really know if Taeyeon valued their friendship still like she did. She smiled. “I was 10 then. She was 11 and she realized that she was my unnie. So she told me I should start calling her Taeng unnie.” She rolled her eyes as she recalled the incident. “We had grown up calling each other by name so I really didn’t see what the point was. I flat out refused to call her unnie. Besides, she never acted like one most of the time.”
She smiled as Donghae laughed. “I bet she stomped her foot and her face started turning red from suppressing her anger,” he said.
“That’s exactly what happened!” Jooyeon said, laughing with him. “She really became upset. She didn’t talk to me for a week! After her mom explained to her that, having grown up together, it was perfectly okay for me not to call her unnie, that, in fact, it makes our relationship more special.”
They reached the apartment. Jooyeon turned to Donghae. “Thank you so much for walking me home, oppa!” she sincerely said.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in and ask if I want to drink anything?” Donghae teased.
“Oh!” she said, her cheeks turning pink again. “I’m not sure if—.”
The door suddenly opened and Taeyeon’s omma walked out. “I thought I heard voices,” she said, giving Jooyeon a quick hug.
“Omma,” Jooyeon said. “This is—.”
“Oh Donghae,” omma said. “Come on in.” She ushered them inside and to the living room. “Want some Kimbap, Donghae?” she asked as she returned to the kitchen.
“Yes please,” Donghae called, watching Jooyeon in amusement. She looked confused. “We always come over and bug Taeyeon when she’s not busy with Siwon.”
“Right,” she said, looking away. “Um, I’ll just help out in the kitchen.” She left the living room, not meeting his eyes.
Donghae watched her retreating back curiously. All of a sudden she was uncomfortable with him all over again, like they hadn’t been laughing all the way home.
~ * ~
“So how do you find Neulparan?” Taeyeon asked Jooyeon as they were getting ready for bed. Taeyeon was sitting in front of the dresser, brushing her hair.
“I like it a lot,” Jooyeon admitted as she sat down on the mattress where she slept on the floor. “I like the uniforms, the classes, the rooms, the hallways, the uniforms.” She really liked everything.
Taeyeon chuckled. “You watched too much of Boys Over Flowers.”
Jooyeon looked at her best friend through the mirror and smiled guiltily. “Maybe.”
“How about the people?” Taeyeon then wanted to know. “Was everyone nice to you?”
“Yes, brought about by being your best friend,” Jooyeon said teasingly. Taeyeon rolled your eyes. “Hyukjae and Donghae were especially nice.”
“I heard,” Taeyeon said, watching her through the mirror. “Donghae was my first ever friend here in Neulparan. He’s incredibly nice. And Hyukjae, he’s Donghae’s best friend. He’s really nice, too. You can’t find better guys anywhere, both in terms of attitude and looks.”
“He’s like sunshine,” Jooyeon remarked, referring to Hyukjae. “And Donghae… he’s…”
“Donghae is hard to describe,” Taeyeon finished for her, smiling. “He’s the sweetest boy in the world. If I wasn’t with Siwon, I’d go for him.” She watched as Jooyeon smiled uncomfortably and didn’t add any more to the subject. “He reminds of you of—.” She immediately stopped talking.
Jooyeon stared at her hands for a while. She knew what Taeyeon was going to say. Her eyes left her hands and turned to Taeyeon, who was looking at her. She smiled brightly. “They’re both really nice. You’re lucky to have friends like them.”
“They’re your friends, too,” Taeyeon said, smiling back. “You’re in good hands with them, Joo.”
“I know that,” Jooyeon responded. Still, it won’t hurt to be a bit guarded.
Characters: Donghae, Kyuhyun, Hyukjae, OC, Super Junior
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Friendship, Comedy, Drama
It was hard for her. Being the new girl in school, one who arrived in the middle of the school year, was no walk in the park. Jooyeon felt like a freak, exhibit A to be exact. Everywhere she went, people ogled at her. She really didn’t know what was so interesting. She was just a girl. She didn’t look any different.
Jooyeon had long, stylishly wavy, dark brown hair that fell below her shoulders, had hazel eyes and was very petite – Taeyeon called her shorty, but she preferred petite. She was fair enough. She was the type of girl who hated frowns and sadness so she smiled a lot, which was refreshing for anyone who meets her. Her smile made her prettier in everyone’s opinion. She wasn’t drop-dead actress-model pretty, but she was pretty. Especially when you get to know her better.
So yeah she was exhibit A in her first day of school. As she was walking down the hall, she realized that people were looking at her, not only because she was new, but because of who she was with.
It was then that she realized what was so different about ahjumma Taeyeon. She was miss popular in this school. A queenka. Taeyeon had always been popular. She’s always been so friendly and everything, but she never thought it could reach this status. It was like everyone wanted to be like her or be associated with her. Wherever they went, everyone said hi. It wasn’t just the students. Even professors, janitors, the lunch ladies… they all wanted to be in her good graces. It was amazing. It was like the Pope himself was walking around, greeting them.
“You alright?” Taeyeon asked me as they walked to homeroom.
“Queenka, huh?” Jooyeon simply said, biting back a laugh.
Taeyeon’s cheeks turned pink. “Stop it,” she said. “It’s not like I planned this.”
“Of course not,” Jooyeon agreed, chuckling. “Knowing you, it’s just fate.” It was true. She wasn’t jealous of her best friend, but Taeyeon always seemed to have fate on her side. Everything just went well for her. Good looks – check. Brains – check. Good family background – check. Incredibly nice and friendly – check. She really had everything.
Taeyeon rolled her eyes at Jooyeon, stopping outside a classroom. “Here’s your schedule,” she told her, handing me a sheet of paper. “This is your homeroom.” She gestured towards the classroom.
“What, you mean we’re not in the same homeroom?” Jooyeon panicked.
Taeyeon smiled at her and shook her head. “You’ll be fine.”
“Are we together in any other class?” Jooyeon demanded, staring at the schedule intensely. It gave her comfort that her best friend was going to be by her side, helping her through her classes every step of the way. That hope was fading.
“We have English and History together,” Taeyeon answered. “4th and 5th period.” She chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ll see you at lunch.”
“When’s that?” Jooyeon asked, looking at the schedule again. She had to go through two hours of classes without her. She was doomed, looking at her best friend helplessly.
“Relax,” Taeyeon calmly soothed her.
“Right,” Jooyeon said, taking a deep breath. She forced out a smile. “See you later then,” she told her as the bell rang.
“I’ll meet you outside the cafeteria,” Taeyeon promised, turning to go.
“Hey Taeng,” Jooyeon called. “There’ll be no weird introductions, right?”
Taeyeon chuckled. “It won’t be weird if you just stick to your name,” she promised. Jooyeon nodded and turned to go inside. “Jooyeon-ah,” Taeyeon then said, “don’t embarrass me. I am a queenka after all.”
Taeyeon laughed as Jooyeon rolled her eyes at her.
~ * ~
So as it turned out Taeyeon had a hot kingka boyfriend as well. As Jooyeon was walking towards the cafeteria, she saw this tall, well-built, really good-looking guy walk over to Taeyeon and give her a kiss. Did she mention good-looking? He was like a model, but better.
“Hey!” Taeyeon said as soon as she saw Jooyeon. She grinned. “Siwon, this is my best friend, Jooyeon. Jooyeon, this is Siwon, my boyfriend.”
“Jooyeon,” Siwon repeated as he looked at her with his blush-inducing smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“You too,” Jooyeon awkwardly said, glancing at Taeyeon with a questioning look. She’d never told her she had a boyfriend.
When they were in the cafeteria, where Siwon had gone ahead to talk to his friends, Taeyeon told her all about him. They’d met when she started attending this school. They were partners in some project and had just grown to be really good friends. Then one day they realized they were in love with each other.
Too good to be true, right? Only in Taeyeon’s life. Jooyeon never had a boyfriend before. She wasn’t interested in boys. Before you get any ideas, she wasn’t interested in girls. She just didn’t have any dreams of getting a boyfriend any time soon. Her agenda was to study and live the life she’d dreamed of.
But Jooyeon was happy for her best friend. Taeyeon had always dreamed of a prince sweeping her off her feet. And she got exactly just that.
“Is he really a prince?” Jooyeon wanted to know. He may be an ogre inside.
“Yes,” Taeyeon gushed.
That was enough for Jooyeon.
The cafeteria was like a zoo. All the kids that were in Jooyeon’s earlier classes, whom she thought were all so prim and proper (Neulparan was a private school, after all), were acting like crazy people. There was a lot of loud laughter. Some were sitting on the tables and playing around. Then there were the ones, who were called the geeks, who buried themselves in books and managed to concentrate despite the noise.
Of course everyone looked when she walked in. She was with Taeyeon, after all. Oh, and she was exhibit A. She led her to a table in the corner, where Siwon already was with two of his probably kingka friends, who were arguing about what seemed like basketball.
“Hey,” Taeyeon said, catching their attention. The three boys looked up. “This is Park Jooyeon, my best friend from home.”
The two boys whom Jooyeon haven’t met, but remembered in her Literature class that morning, immediately stood up and introduced themselves, both speaking at the same time.
“I’m Lee Hyukjae.”
“I’m Lee Donghae.”
They looked at each other, not pleased with the other.
“I was first.”
“No, I was first. I definitely stood up first. You’re heavier than me.”
“That’s because I have more muscles. You’re practically all skin.”
“I am not. Have you seen this?” the other said, then flashing him his biceps.
Taeyeon chuckled and turned to Jooyeon. “I’m sorry to say, but they are always like this,” she said, answering the question she was meaning to ask.
Jooyeon nodded, chuckling at the two, who still weren’t done. They were now practically stripping and showing each other their muscles. She leaned forward and said, “It’s nice to meet you both.”
“The pleasure is ours,” Donghae, the more muscular one, spoke up. He had the warmest gaze. It was like swimming in hot chocolate.
“We’re happy to have finally met Taengoo’s gorgeous best friend,” Hyukjae said, grinning, his gums showing.
Jooyeon couldn’t help but laugh.
~ * ~
After school, Taeyeon told Jooyeon that she had some council duties. She told her that, as secretary of the student council, she couldn’t walk home with her since they had a meeting that afternoon. Jooyeon told her that she was fine.
Walking home meant having time to digest everything that had happened that day. All her classes, the people she’d met… She had a pretty good day. It wasn’t a bad first day at all. In the beginning, it was awkward, but overall she had fun. She would have to do a lot of catching up on the classes, but that shouldn’t be too hard. Taeyeon mentioned that she would help her so she got that covered. Besides, she had no extracurricular activities and no social life to distract her from studying.
“Hey Jooyeon!”
Jooyeon turned to her right. It was Lee Hyukjae. The slimmer one of the two. She decided she was going to call him anchovy because he kind of looked like one. Only cuter.
“Are you going home by yourself?”
Jooyeon turned to her left. It was Lee Donghae. He was going to be fishy from now on. She didn’t know why exactly, but he just was that. Fishy. She wasn’t sure whether he was the serious or fun type. But how would she know? They just met.
“Uh yeah,” Jooyeon answered.
“We figured,” Hyukjae said cheerfully. “Taeyeon mentioned that she has a meeting so we’ll walk you home.”
“No, it’s fine. You don’t have to,” she politely declined. She didn’t know them that well. It would make conversation difficult.
“Oh but we insist,” Donghae said with a smile. “It’s your first day. You should make new friends.”
“Are you saying that I should be friends with you guys?” she clarified. She watched as the two boys looked at each other then at her and nodded their heads. It made her wonder what she was getting herself into.
“When’s your birthday?” Hyukjae then asked as soon as we were on their way. He really was the talkative one. He never seemed to run out of things to say.
“Um, September 17, 1994,” she answered at once. “Why?”
“That makes us your oppa,” Hyukjae happily and proudly said. “We’re born in 1993.”
“So I really have to call you guys oppa?” she asked. Hyukjae grinned, nodding, while Donghae merely smiled. “But I don’t think I heard Taeng call you oppa. Ah right,” she said as she remembered. She was one year older than her.
“Can you say it?” Hyukjae asked excitedly.
Jooyeon really didn’t see what the big deal was. “Hyukjae oppa,” she indulged him.
He clapped like a little kid who got what he wanted on his birthday. She supposed being called oppa really does have that effect on guys sometimes.
“So Jooyeon,” Donghae began quietly. He was the more pensive one. He wasn’t as overly excited as Hyukjae was, but he had a quiet mirth about him. “Why’d you come to Seoul?”
“To study,” she said. “Coming here was my dream.”
“Really? Why?” Donghae asked interestedly.
“Because it seems like a place where all dreams can come true,” she answered with shrug.
“We’ll make all your dreams come true, Jooyeon,” Hyukjae said, which earned him a slap on the head from Donghae.
“You just met her and you’re already talking dirty,” Donghae chided. He turned to her. “Forgive him. He has a hard time forming sentences that sound decent.”
“Ya, that’s not true,” Hyukjae said defensively, looking at her. “Really.”
“You’re going to get used to it eventually,” Donghae told him with a shrug. “Anyway, Taeyeon mentioned that you’re into computer games. Is that true?”
Ah yes. Gaming. When she graduated middle school, her appa bought a computer. It was that summer when she learned all about computer games, StarCraft, War Craft, you name it, she knew how to play it. It wasn’t something that she talked about because she knew it was kind of weird for a girl to be so into gaming. Apparently, it was something exciting for Hyukjae and Donghae as they waited for her to answer in anticipation.
“Yes,” she slowly confirmed.
Hyukjae put his hands together into a loud clap. “What level are you in StarCraft?” he wanted to know.
“Far enough. I’m really not that good,” she mysteriously replied. “What level are you in?”
“Terran level 5,” Hyukjae proudly announced, clearly pleased with himself.
Jooyeon smiled, looking a bit surprised. “Wow that’s great! I’ve never reached that far. How long have you been playing?”
“Not long,” Hyukjae went on proudly.
“That’s really awesome,” she affirmed, grinning.
As they neared Taeyeon’s apartment, Hyukjae suddenly stopped walking and groaned. He looked really annoyed after that. He then mentioned that he had detention after school but forgot about it.
“Are you sure it’s okay?” Hyukjae asked Jooyeon apologetically. He felt really bad that he wasn’t going to walk her all the way home.
“It’s fine,” she dismissed. “I really don’t want you to get detention for missing detention.”
Hyukjae laughed. “Hey, that’s funny! We’re going to get along well.” He patted her on the back. Turning to Donghae, he said, “I’ll call you later.”
“Yeah,” Donghae said, waving at him. When Hyukjae had left, Donghae turned and saw her amused expression. “What?”
“Nothing,” Jooyeon said innocently.
“We’ve been best friends since… we’ve always been best friends,” Donghae rephrased. “So we do call each other like girls do.”
“I didn’t say anything,” she said, holding her hands up and biting back a laugh. “It’s totally fine.”
“So what level are you in Starcraft?” he asked her curiously, looking at her. She looked at him in surprise. “You were being modest. Well…?” he prodded.
Her cheeks tinged pink. So she was caught. She was never a good enough liar. “I finished the whole thing,” she answered, resigned.
Donghae looked shocked. “Really?” He looked stunned.
Jooyeon smiled sheepishly. “It’s not a big deal. I just—.”
“Not a big deal? Hyukjae’s going to cry when he hears this,” he told her.
“You don’t have to tell him,” she pleaded. She really didn’t want to take his joy and pride away from him. He looked really happy when he said he was on level 5.
He looked at her for a moment then nodded. “Okay, it’ll be our secret.”
“Thanks,” she said, smiling. Somehow, she liked Donghae already. He was just so comfortable to be with, like a security blanket, telling her that everything was fine.
He chuckled. “I can’t believe Taeyeon’s best friend is a gamer. She always tells us it’s a waste of time.”
“She hates it,” she agreed. “She doesn’t talk to me whenever I start playing, completely ignores me, telling me I’m going to grow stupid because of it.” She smiled at the memory.
“How long have you been best friends?” he asked.
“Since we were two,” she shared, sighing wistfully. “She’s like my unnie, best friend, and family all rolled into one.”
“Why don’t you call her unnie?” he asked curiously.
She smiled. “You know we got into a big fight because of that?” She turned to him and suddenly felt embarrassed. Why would he be interested in her stories? They just met. “But you probably don’t want to hear that,” she finished, smiling shyly.
“No, I do want to hear it,” he said. “Taeyeon never talked much about her life in
Jeonju. All she talked about was you.”
“Really?” Jooyeon looked touched. She didn’t really know if Taeyeon valued their friendship still like she did. She smiled. “I was 10 then. She was 11 and she realized that she was my unnie. So she told me I should start calling her Taeng unnie.” She rolled her eyes as she recalled the incident. “We had grown up calling each other by name so I really didn’t see what the point was. I flat out refused to call her unnie. Besides, she never acted like one most of the time.”
She smiled as Donghae laughed. “I bet she stomped her foot and her face started turning red from suppressing her anger,” he said.
“That’s exactly what happened!” Jooyeon said, laughing with him. “She really became upset. She didn’t talk to me for a week! After her mom explained to her that, having grown up together, it was perfectly okay for me not to call her unnie, that, in fact, it makes our relationship more special.”
They reached the apartment. Jooyeon turned to Donghae. “Thank you so much for walking me home, oppa!” she sincerely said.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in and ask if I want to drink anything?” Donghae teased.
“Oh!” she said, her cheeks turning pink again. “I’m not sure if—.”
The door suddenly opened and Taeyeon’s omma walked out. “I thought I heard voices,” she said, giving Jooyeon a quick hug.
“Omma,” Jooyeon said. “This is—.”
“Oh Donghae,” omma said. “Come on in.” She ushered them inside and to the living room. “Want some Kimbap, Donghae?” she asked as she returned to the kitchen.
“Yes please,” Donghae called, watching Jooyeon in amusement. She looked confused. “We always come over and bug Taeyeon when she’s not busy with Siwon.”
“Right,” she said, looking away. “Um, I’ll just help out in the kitchen.” She left the living room, not meeting his eyes.
Donghae watched her retreating back curiously. All of a sudden she was uncomfortable with him all over again, like they hadn’t been laughing all the way home.
~ * ~
“So how do you find Neulparan?” Taeyeon asked Jooyeon as they were getting ready for bed. Taeyeon was sitting in front of the dresser, brushing her hair.
“I like it a lot,” Jooyeon admitted as she sat down on the mattress where she slept on the floor. “I like the uniforms, the classes, the rooms, the hallways, the uniforms.” She really liked everything.
Taeyeon chuckled. “You watched too much of Boys Over Flowers.”
Jooyeon looked at her best friend through the mirror and smiled guiltily. “Maybe.”
“How about the people?” Taeyeon then wanted to know. “Was everyone nice to you?”
“Yes, brought about by being your best friend,” Jooyeon said teasingly. Taeyeon rolled your eyes. “Hyukjae and Donghae were especially nice.”
“I heard,” Taeyeon said, watching her through the mirror. “Donghae was my first ever friend here in Neulparan. He’s incredibly nice. And Hyukjae, he’s Donghae’s best friend. He’s really nice, too. You can’t find better guys anywhere, both in terms of attitude and looks.”
“He’s like sunshine,” Jooyeon remarked, referring to Hyukjae. “And Donghae… he’s…”
“Donghae is hard to describe,” Taeyeon finished for her, smiling. “He’s the sweetest boy in the world. If I wasn’t with Siwon, I’d go for him.” She watched as Jooyeon smiled uncomfortably and didn’t add any more to the subject. “He reminds of you of—.” She immediately stopped talking.
Jooyeon stared at her hands for a while. She knew what Taeyeon was going to say. Her eyes left her hands and turned to Taeyeon, who was looking at her. She smiled brightly. “They’re both really nice. You’re lucky to have friends like them.”
“They’re your friends, too,” Taeyeon said, smiling back. “You’re in good hands with them, Joo.”
“I know that,” Jooyeon responded. Still, it won’t hurt to be a bit guarded.