๑ I STILL WANT US
TO BE FRIENDS.
her, or me? ✧ chapter 29
"Thank you for taking me to the symphony, Taehyun. I really mean it. I enjoyed our time together," I comment as we leave the theater, hands in my pockets. "Although I'm not one to enjoy symphonies, I did enjoy it tonight."
"I'm glad you were able to enjoy it," Taehyun replied. For a moment, he stares, looking between my eyes. Then, he clears his throat, hands behind his back. "So, should we go to the one that takes place in the summer?"
I laugh. "Let's give that one a rain check."
"So not too interested, I suppose," Taehyun jokes, nudging me. "Anyway, we've been in there for two hours. Aren't you hungry? Or, are you trying to keep caution? If that's the case, I can just take you home."
My stomach answers for me, grumbling at the sound of potentially eating. I laugh awkwardly as I cover my stomach with my arm, nodding slowly. "Perhaps we should eat. It'll be my treat since you paid for our tickets," He tsks, ready to say something, but I raise my hand. "Ah! Don't say anything. Let me be kind to you for once, in return for all the things you do for me."
He sighs, lips turned down. Suddenly, he grabs my hand and intertwines our fingers, causing me to widen my eyes. "Fine, as long as you'd be so kind as to warm my hands," In the coming spring? Please, he was making more excuses! Not that I'm complaining... "Do we have a deal, Miss Kwon?"
"I suppose I can make such adjustments for this CEO in front of me," We chuckle in unison, sharing a moment that I know will be engraved into my head for later. "Then, I know where we can go–"
"Kwon Sora," I look toward the feminine voice, seeing an unlikely foe. She turns her head slightly, facing him. "Taehyun."
"Yanxi," His hand instantly departs from mine, making me furrow my eyebrows. It might be because being so flirtatious in front of someone familiar might spark rumors. But, I was wearing his sunglasses for a reason, so he was just so, so happy to see her. He takes a step forward, suspicious of her arrival. "What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you busy with a modeling gig?"
"What does my business have to do with you?" Her sass strikes Taehyun surprised, crossing his arms at her behavior. I take a step forward to join his side, and she looks over at me. "I told you. I have eyes everywhere. It's not a shocker that Taehyun would take you here–it takes me to one of these every year. He just wants you to feel special."
"That's not true, Yanxi. Stop spreading lies."
"The truth is, I'm not here to speak with you, Taehyun," Yanxi doesn't spare him a glance, noticing how my expression turns sour. She beckons to me, frown growing bigger. "I'm here to settle the score, once and for all."
I furrow my eyebrows. "What do you mean by that?"
"I would like to drink with you–and whoever can stay the least drunk at the end of the night," Yanxi pauses, gazing over at Taehyun. "Can have him. I'm sick of playing this push-and-pull with you."
I take another step forward, a few inches away from her. "I never thought you'd want to suffer defeat so easily. Sick of the emotional abuse that you'd like to drown yourself in liquor? Have you finally ceased the desire to fall for him?" Yanxi rolls her eyes, poking her finger against my heart. I look down at it, scoffing. "You must even want to get physical with me if it wasn't for the risk, right?"
"Yes, I'd love to slap you even harder than that night with Mr. Choi," Yanxi scoffs. "But I can't bear to hurt my hand trying to harm your stone-cold face. Drinking is the only way."
"We don't have to make it that complicated," I reply. "How about you just ask him?"
Yanxi raises an eyebrow. "What?"
"Her, Taehyun," I pause, facing him. "Or me?"
"What?" They ask me in unison, Taehyun furrowing his eyebrows. "You know I can't do that, Sora. That's not fair to either of you if I were to just choose one of you!"
"I'm giving you that decision to make, Taehyun, based on my morals and my thoughts. I know I'm irrational. But, it's always been up to you. So really, Taehyun, is it Yanxi, or me?"
Yanxi faces him too, on my side for one crucial decision. Taehyun stumbles over his words, looking between us, bewildered, his eyes linger a little longer on Yanxi's before switching over to my own, begging for an easier ultimatum. His eyes go back to Yanxi's but as I spare her a glance, all she's waiting for is an answer.
He still... didn't get it. He still couldn't pick the woman he claimed to love. I was going to throw up the more I waited for him to choose someone. "I get it. I know the answer," I straighten my dress, fixing the cardigan around my shoulders. "I'm going to take a taxi. I'll see you both later."
"W-Wait, Sora!"
"I've got a car," Yanxi announces, and I hear an exchange between them before I feel her hand sit on my shoulder. "So..."
I stop for a moment, waiting for her to say something nasty, disrespectful, or downright insulting.
But, in contrast to my thoughts, she smirks. "Shall we drink?"
"And really, I thought he'd say something!" Yanxi laughs, taking another swig of soju. At a local skewer place, we drown ourselves in what we perceive as romance. She slams down her glass, wiping her lips. "But, I should've known you'd make a good competitor."
"I'm not a competitor, at least, I don't think I am," Maybe at one point, I was. But, after today, I think we both lost–no, not us. He lost. "I don't know what Taehyun really wants. Maybe I pushed him to his breaking point."
"No, it's not you," Yanxi was already getting drunk, her head swaying around. "It's him. He can't make up his mind. If a man really wanted either of us, Sora, he'd give up everyone for her. Until Taehyun's ready to make that decision, we're never going to keep him around romantically."
"But, if he let you go, Yanxi," Hypothetically, of course. "Would you be fine with that?"
She's silent for a moment, hesitant. All of a sudden, her smile grows, her head nodding. "I think... I will be. I did love him for a while, because after all our time together, who wouldn't? But, I won't be mad if he chooses you over me. I have a lot of other men waiting for me."
I laugh, starting to get intoxicated. "Really? Say, what kind of connections do you have?"
"It's a secret!" Yanxi exclaims, making us laugh in unison. Maybe Yanxi wasn't as bad as I believed. She was tainted by the thought of romance, and let it get to her. That's why she became so hateful toward everyone around her. However, her words will always bring caution. I can't forgive her just yet because we're drinking together.
"But tell me, Sora," Yanxi slightly slurs, pointing at me. "Do you really... love Taehyun?"
Is there any point in denying it now? I've told Sorin, told Taehyun himself... it wouldn't be of any use to lie to Yanxi that I didn't.
"Yes, I love him," I nod slowly, letting my mouth lead the way. "I love him more than I could describe. Although he tires me out, leads me along a foggy path, and leaves me lost... I wouldn't want to be placed in a maze with anyone else but him. He brings color to my once dull life, and, and– I can't bear to lose him because I chose work over romance."
"Wow, I'm moved," Yanxi places both hands over her heart, hissing. "It hurts in a good way. You really do love him."
I nod slowly. "More than I can say I love myself."
Yanxi chuckles, drunkenly placing a hand on my shoulder. "Then I'm glad to forfeit my feelings and my place to you. I pray for you, Sora, that Taehyun will open his eyes."
"Don't you have these feelings for Mr. Choi?" I reply, widening my eyes at my own words. Did I just say that?
Yanxi laughs hard, hitting her palm against the table. "Mr. Choi!?" She exclaims, but it quickly dies down. "Actually, maybe. I mean, every time I hear about him with another woman, I feel that tingly feeling in my chest... but I always thought it was because I was jealous that I wasn't one of his models."
"Maybe it's something more, Yanxi. If you need me to set you up with him, let me know–"
"Ah, ah, ah!" She places the hand that was on my shoulder onto my mouth, shutting me up. "Don't say that. Don't get my hopes up. Don't do anything like that, because, Sora, he's in love with you still."
"He's not in love with me!" I deny, prying off her hand.
"He is! Even someone who is blind can sense that Mr. Choi has fallen so deeply for you! Maybe it was because of forced proximity or whatever you guys had decided to do to have it all make sense, but he had entirely fallen for you!" Yanxi defends. "And now that I think about it, I'm quite mad at you for not giving Mr. Choi a chance. He's attractive in many ways I can't describe."
"Why would I give him a chance? You're crazy," I scoff. "He's my business partner, maybe a friend. Nothing more."
"Liar," Yanxi frowns. "But, I know you're stubborn. Last question about Mr. Choi–do you think that if Taehyun wasn't in the way, you would've fallen for him?"
"No!" I deny again, shaking my head drunkenly. "You're crazy! He's so different from me! We– we share different values. Why would I date someone so polar-opposite to me, it's–"
"Okay, okay, I get it," Yanxi huffs, sitting back. "You only have one prince charming on your mind, I suppose."
"Yes, I do," I agree, suppressing my smile that begs me to jump out. With all this conversation, my head begins to hurt, so I lay it against the cold table. "My head hurts, I'm taking a nap."
"Fine! Boring."
"Sora," I look over, seeing Taehyun. He cups my face, frowning. "I'm sorry."
I'm bewildered. "For what?"
"For leaving you by yourself after all this time," Taehyun says, brushing his thumbs under my eyes. "I should've realized it sooner, Sora, that I have so many feelings for you, and all of them have always pointed to love."
I widen my eyes. "Wait, Taehyun–"
"I know I've been blind, foolish, stupid, everything you can describe," Taehyun apologizes profusely, shaking his head. "But I want you to give me another chance. Please."
"I..." I hesitate, looking at him. His eyes are desperate, fingers getting antsy against my face. "I think I–"
"Yanxi."
"Oh, Taehyun! How did you know we were here?!"
"You just called me, stupid," Was Taehyun here? Gosh, I just had a dream about him, and then he came to life! Maybe everything I dream of comes true, hehe. "Anyway, did she blackout? Why are you the only one drowning yourself to death?"
"She drank more than me! Five bottles of soju all by herself!" Yanxi scoffs. "But, she's napping. She's drunk, though. I called you, but you didn't need to come. Are you here to take your princess away?"
"Yes, I am," I feel Taehyun's hands on me, one around my shoulders and another under the crook of my legs. I'm carried by him, hands tapping me in case I am awake. I hear him sigh as he continues to stand there, doing god knows what. "Yanxi, I have to tell you something. I–"
"Don't bother," Yanxi interrupts. "I know what you're going to say, and it's fine. You don't have to explain yourself or tell me anything extra. Sora and I have already talked it over, and I forfeited. She loves you more than I ever believed I could. I'd prefer you choose her over me."
"It's not that I don't value our friendship, though," Was Taehyun telling her... he chose me? "I still want us to be friends."
"That's not what it takes to get a woman on your side–especially after being friends with another woman for years on end," Yanxi slams her glass back on the table. "Sora and I are friends, so we will be in contact. When she's ready for us to be friends again, we will be. But, one word of advice–convince her that she's the only woman you have eyes for."
"I... will," Taehyun clears his throat. "Thank you, Yanxi. I hope we'll be in touch again."
"Goodbye, Taehyun."
After that, sleep encases me in its grasp again, leaving extra small talk and my whereabouts to be a mystery.