Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Results!

The day is finally here where I reveal the winners of the Fan Fiction category! It's been a great effort from all the participants, and I'd like to say a great big THANK YOU for letting us read pieces of your mind. It was really enjoyable, and honestly, Joongboer's are really a very talented bunch of people!

Okay.... On with the results!

The winner for our choice is.....

THE BEAUTY OF WINTER BY PEPERO!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Now, the winner for the Most Popular Choice is........ *drumroll*.........

http://polldaddy.com/poll-rss.php?id=949800BB4CA7BBB3

AFTER WE GOT MARRIED BY MARLA GUIBAO!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

We will be contacting the winners for their contact details so that we can send out the prizes to them! Thanks for participating, and readers, thanks for voting!!! It has been real fun for all of us!

And no, I have not forgotten the MV contest, haha! I will be posting links soon too, so look forward!!!!!!!

Love,

Chonsa and Sharry

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Finally

Joong Bo Fanfic: Finally – by lai-za



Rated: K+



Disclaimer: This is purely fictional and just for fun and for the love of the JoongBo Couple.



Author’s Note: This has always been at the back of my mind after I finished watching episode 38 but just didn’t have the drive to actually write it. I’ve written fan fictions before but not this type. Usually anime ones. I’m very happy for this couple and would want them to stay that way forever. I hope my fan fic gets to you guys.



---



“That’s a wrap everyone! See you all next Tuesday!”



See you all next Tuesday, he says. For everyone around here, they get to do the same old routine every Tuesdays. Wardrobe check, hair and make-up, lights, camera and action. But I don’t think Tuesdays are going to be the same from now on. Heck, my Tuesdays were never the same after I met her.



“Hyun Joong, we’re really thankful you got to be with us till episode 38. We really had fun watching you guys. I hope your new drama works out well and the guys here wish you all the best.”



The producer gave me a pat on the back as he walked back to his office. They had fun watching us huh? I sighed.



Fun. That’s what everyone sees in us. The other couples, the fans... even her family. We do have fun. I admit I’ve never had so much fun in my entire life. “Getting married” was the best thing that happened to me. “Getting married” to her that is.



I quickly headed to my dressing room, not wanting to talk to anyone anymore. Everyone’s stares and compliments on such a good “marriage”... I was good at hiding myself from everyone. But too much of this and I’ll crack soon. I can’t let them see that. I can’t let her see that.



I slowly closed the door and stretched out on the sofa. I sighed again. This time, I gave a loud sigh.



Fun. Is this the only thing they ever see in us? What about love? What about those secret stares I’d give her? What about those hidden compliments I’d say to her? I know I’m not used to saying those corny and sweet stuff girls normally like. But what about the paper cranes and making her ramen and everything!



I closed my eyes and tried to calm down. We’ve said goodbye to each other before. The one where we thought it would be our last time together. But we were given another chance. The day I knew that we would see each other again, I smiled all the way back to my apartment knowing that the next time I got home she’ll be there. Is a third chance still out there?



I love her. The moment I saw her there in our apartment in Japan, I knew I was beginning to fall for her. Though I cautioned myself because I knew that this was a pretend marriage, I still fell. And right now, it’s come to this.



I have to tell her how I feel. She was the one who told me that it doesn’t matter how far apart our age was. She was the one who said that it was wrong to draw the line just because we’re afraid of what is going to happen in the future. I have to tell her. I need to tell her...



“Hyun Joong... wake up...”



Woah. I fell asleep? I quickly turned to one side and sat up. Suddenly, Hwang Bo’s face was inches from mine. Both of her hands were clutching my sides, a smile playing on her lips.



“It still works.” She laughed. She sat down beside me while Jins was slowly nudging my chest. I took Jins in my arms and sat closer to her.



“I’m sorry I didn’t knock. You look so tired. But I was going to leave the set and I wanted to say goodbye. You should get some rest after I’m gone. Aren’t you glad this is all over?” She asked. She was teasing, but her eyes gave her away.



“Buin...” I started.



“Hmm?”



“Thank you.” I looked at her. She gave me a smile. “But I – “



Ring ring!



“Hold on a minute. Yes?” She took her phone and stood up.



I flopped back down on the couch dragging Jins with me. I heard her saying she’ll be right there and ended the call. She moved my legs and sat again.



“I’m sorry I need to go. My sisters wanted to have dinner tonight.” She took her purse that was on the floor and zipped it close.



“Jins, say goodbye to daddy now.” She took Jins from me and fixed herself. “Shillang, get some rest ok? I might not be there to cook you chicken soup and everything from now on but when I watch your drama, you better not have dark circles under your eyes or I might just be the one who’s going to buy you those anti aging cream you used to get me.”



I chuckled. Just like the old days... I need to do this now if I want to live like that again.



“Ok, I have to go.” She slowly got up, looked at me and said, “I’ll miss you.” I stared at her with my mouth slightly open as she went to the door.



When she turned her back on me, I felt that everything was ending right there. No, my thoughts screamed. Don’t touch that doorknob!



As she reached for the handle, I ran towards her and seized her hand. I saw her startled look for a few seconds before I finally let my lips meet hers for the first time.



I think she could hear both of our heart beats. I know I can. I could feel my heart pounding, wanting to stop to let it slow down a bit. But I couldn’t. I slid my hands through her hair as I felt her lips move with mine.



Slowly, she parted. Our foreheads touching, she kept her eyes closed but she was smiling.



“I was waiting for you to do something like that on our last trip together.” She said, slowly opening her eyes that were slowly glistening.



“Why didn’t you say so?” I whispered. I kept her close to me. It was hard to part with her the last time.



“I wanted to let you realize for yourself.” She smiled, her tears now slowly forming. “I’m happy”.



That was all I needed to hear. That she was happy with everything that we’ve done. That she was happy with me.



“I love you.” I whispered into her ear as she laid her head on my chest. I wiped away the tear that fell on her cheek. “Buin, I love you”.



“I love you too.” She said, cupping my face in her hands as we slowly drifted away into our own world...

Diamonds Are Forever

Title: Diamonds are forever
Author: Winterbubbletea
Rating: PG-13


The constant expression of love, matrimony and over all best friend of ladies are Diamonds. In mineralogy the allotrope of carbon compressed to become the gleam of richness with superlative physical qualities are Diamonds.

A precious gem that few substances can scratch and still untamed and unbreakable gift granted to individuals of the rich for Hwang Bo she has always dream about being a wife. Granted gaining a position a celebrity wasn’t a figure on her plan when she graduated but it came and now she live in fame and glamour.

She even flirted along the avenue of shopping for brands and enjoyed the luxurious of hotel suites being wined and dined in her profession. Granted she would have went and bought herself a diamond ring let alone a pretty bauble but the weariness of falling down from her spot in the world of glamour made her wary.

Saving money-investing it though some of those fell through what with the stock market crash-and though she has faun over like any woman over shinnies-she hope for someone out there to grant her one on her finger.

Her boyfriend of eight years had disappointed her and in the end they parted. The one thing she learned about males is you got many different types-the ones that take for granted woman. You have a few that rather have a good friend where they have fringe benefits and no emotional attachments, and you got the ones where they are forever.

If marriage was forever-she think the avenue of suicide and killing spree would become fashion-if you can’t stand the other spouse it’s the most logical conclusion.

Then again when with the younger male of six years she finds herself unable to indentify what he might exactly be. Instead of presenting items like couple rings and shoes to woman; he presented peanut necklaces and paper stars he attached to himself.

An incredibly imaginative way and he doesn’t cook for her-he doesn’t do a performance for her on a stage with flowers littered on the floor in a shape of a spade. No instead he smiles and gives her the little things-and even after the period of We Got Married.

She is still a bit confused as to the courtship that Hyun Joong demands they do together. They were supposed to separate and they did but in the end fate had tied them together once again.

They are dating. They are courting. They go out together in secret and have fun together spending what time they can with one another in their busy schedules. So when one year passes then another—she begins to wonder if she would be left behind. That the thought of children, marriage, maybe something that Hyun Joong would never want. The fear that he may fall into those categories she has seen and it isn’t until today that she started to melt at the thoughtfulness and the incredibly misjudge movement of Kim Hyun Joong.

A box arrived-they were going to celebrate their anniversary as a couple dating. It has almost been three years and the booking of a private dining establishment ensures they will not be interrupted.

Already arriving into the dining room since she has been taught to be on time, Hwang Bo looks around at the set up the decorated walls of gold to chandelier of crystal made the setting romantic. A table sat in the middle with flowers and red table cloth made her heart flutter-going forward toward her chair a waiter pull her chair back and push it in for her.

“Is everything up to your expectation Miss?” The waiter spoke softly admiring how her silk dress of maroon complimented her tan skin.

“Yes thank you.”

The waiter pull out the wine from the wine bottle and showed her the vintage, “Will this do Miss?”

“Yes that looks wonderful.”

Unwrapping the gold wrap and twisting the cork the waiter skillfully pour into a glass and place the wine back then offered her the glass.

“Thank you.”

The waiter signaled with his finger and another waiter came forward and placed a box on her dinner plate. “Mr. Kim has instructed us to present this to you after you partake of the wine.”

“Oh!” A shy smile graces Hwang Bo’s face and she untied the pink bow and opened the white box a red Gresso cell phone laid inside the box. “What?” She was admiring the buttons made in diamond about to stroke the surface.

The phone suddenly rang making her jump and laugh in surprised, “Pulling out the phone she answers, “Hello?”

“Hello Koi.” The greeting made her laugh and look around for the caller.

“Where are you?”

“Oh I’m here already—I just wanted to see you holding your new toy.”

“What…why a new cell phone? This—this is expensive Hyun Joong.”

“I know.” Hyun Joong spoke with an emotional intensity and laughs softly, “But you are worth every diamond incase in that phone.”

“I…”

“Just like those 23 diamonds inside that cell phone. It was my 23rd year when I met you, truly met you that my life changed.” Hyun Joong’s voice started to sound like it was getting closer. A frown marred her forehead trying to comprehend what he was telling her, “When a program changes everything I knew about myself and the belief of a relationship.”

“Hyun…” Biting her lips she turn her head and finally spot him standing off he side of the door the waiters had disappeared.

“It’s been almost 3 years now and I’m near 26 years old and still the feelings I had back makes me absolutely sure…” Hyun Joong went before Hwang Bo and slid to one knee and lower the cell phone onto the flower as he reaches for a black velvet box.

Silently Hwang Bo watches amazed, opening the box there was a slip of paper inside the velvet box. “Hwang Bo would you take a rain check for a ring after you marry me?”

Hwang Bo stares at the paper unrolled with the words IOU 1 diamond ring after marriage.

Then back at Hyun Joong-a large smile plastered onto his face, “Because I spent it on the Gresso phone for you and that phone is in payments.”

Hwang Bo laughs and places her hand onto her lips, “What am I ever going to do about you?”

“Why not marry me and find out?”

Laughing Hwang Bo sighs and stood up putting the phone to her ear, “I’ll marry you—only if you give me an engagement ring.”

A large smile still planted on Hyun Joong’s face, “That will take a while to do after I pay off the phone.”

“Then just get a movie contract again…” Arms wrap around Hyun Joong’s neck as Hwang Bo slid a kiss onto Hyun Joong’s lips.

“That would require me to kiss Jung Min.”

A soft laugh on Hwang Bo’s lips, “Be sure to earn a lot out of that then…”

Marry, Shag Or Cliff

Title: Marry, Shag or Cliff
Author: Winterbubbletea
Couple: Lettuce
Rating: PG-15 or R for one cuss word.
Summary: Watching too much British channels may not be a good idea.

Somehow Young Saeng knew that the British channel was evil. Granted it was wonderful tool on how to learn English even with Korean subtitles but it was worse when his teammates picked up the evil habits let alone his friends.


"Okay! Jae Joong, Hwang Bo, Hyori."

Young Saeng grimaces, "I cannot tell you how sick I am of this game."

Jung Min leans back and taps Young Saeng on the forehead, while pushing his beer can onto the coffee table. "Oh come on stop being a spoil sport."

Hyung Joon the baby of the group smirks at Jung Min, "You had to add in Jae Joong hyung into the mixture."

"Of course." Jung Min spoke and gave a sly glance at the eldest, "I had to make leader here contemplate the dread of marrying Jae Joong or TOP.

Kyu Jong snorts, "I was hoping there would be some girls in this then men in your choices Jung Min..."

"What's the fun in it....anyways come on..." Jung Min pushes. "It's only a game."

"Fine...." Kyu Jong huffs, "I'll marry Hwang Bo, shag Hyori and cliff Jae Joong-hyung."

"Your no fun..." Jung Min snorts.

"Well obviously Hyori wouldn't be a good wife." Kyu replies never noticing the tighten facial expression on Hyun Joong's face. "Besides who the hell uses the term shag?"

"Well it's better then the f-word." Hyung Joon points out getting hit in the face with a pillow.

"Who uses the censor statement of f-word-just say fuck damn it." Kyu Jong sighs and tousles his hair.

"Well you could always say have intercourse for the word shag." Young Saeng said diplomatically.

"Well then Young Saeng who would you then marry, have sex with, and cliff then?" Jung Min retorted peeved that his game wasn't going well.

"Fine!" Unhappy with the procedure of this game Young Saeng gave a slight look at Hyun Joong nervously, "I'll marry Hwang Bo-noona, cliff Hyori because she is high maintenance, and I'll have sex with Jae Joong."

"What? You would turn gay?" Kyu Jong hisses, "I thought you were straight."

"Honestly--if you notice how many people mistaken Jae Joong-hyung as a girl it would be fine or at least have people question their sexuality!" Young Saeng argues.

Hyung Joon then waves his hands, "Fine fine....lets ask Hyun Joong-hyun his own answers..."

Hyun Joong wasn't pleased that the attention turned to him. He ponders his thoughts, "Why can't you just simply Marry, shag, and cliff the same person?"

Everyone froze.

"Well honestly if you marry someone sometimes you want to cliff them and sex is normal." Hyun Joong spoke and smiles, "besides I've already been married why go through it again?" He then stood up and walked away and pause in his door and look back, "Oh and if anyone of you decides to really shag my girl friend I hope you will be prepare to be cliff for it."

Once he was gone Young Saeng peered at the others, "I'm surprise he didn't cliff us for wanting to marry her."

Capturing Grace

“Don’t you dare speak to me about coherence.” The words sound with acid clarity in the sudden silence that had swept over them. As though her emotions had stolen the sound from the night. Leaving it silent and empty, aching for noise. As he ached for a relief from the rollercoaster of what they flimsily called a relationship.



“Buin.” He tries to articulate himself in a manner that she will understand, a manner she will want to understand. “Hye Jung.”



In the grey light of the underground garage, her face looks as colourless as the cracked texture of the walls. Her hair hangs limp and her eyes are filled to the brim with tears and he realizes with something close to pain, disappointment. She takes a deep breath, her shoulders square and she looks up and meets his eyes. She looks away for a second, frowns a little, wets her lips and then meets his eyes again. He is frozen in that instant, reading in her expression the words she is going to say. “It was a mistake, Hyunjoong ah. We made a mistake.”



He swallows. Calls himself a thousand different names because he can’t tell her that she’s wrong, that all he has ever wanted to do is love her. Eternity is the tear that loses its battle with her control and starts its lonely journey down her cheek. She wipes it with the back of her hand, a brusque action. “So let’s pretend it never happened.”



“Buin…” And even at the end, he can’t stop calling her.



“Don’t call me that anymore.” She meets his eyes one last time and their gazes catch and Hyunjoong damns himself a million different ways as his feet take him nearer to her. She puts her hands up, halting his approach, shocking him still. “No.” That’s all she says and that’s all she needs to. She turns and walks away from him without another word and damn him again, he lets her.



-----------------------------



It started when he was first introduced to her. The very first time he saw her; talked to her, he felt it. That interest, that curiousity about her that was more than just a simple curiousity for a colleague. No, he wanted to know what made her laugh as she did and more secretly, if he could make her laugh as she did. With abandon. A careless disregard for the rules of etiquette that kept other women in his company shy and repressed. Hwang Bo Hye Jung was not afraid to be herself, all of herself at any time. He supposed it was because she was older than him that she could treat him in a casual manner. As if being her junior had robbed him of his manliness. Had rendered him genderless. And truth be told, that rankled him.



Time passed, as it was wont to do. His interest in her was buried in the face of other more immediate concerns; work, fame; money; fans. Each an unreality realized, a goal that hadn’t been set met. Hyunjoong found himself growing and changing from the prices extracted from him by fame and the rewards granted him by that same fame. His entire world coalesced on the songs they sang and the records they sold and it was as though he was turning into a musical note forming a beat, the rhythm of the sort of music he didn’t want to make.



One day, following the edicts of the President of his agency, he attended a meeting which would change him forever. He hadn’t known much about the nature of the program that he was being considered for. Except that it was a reality show where he would have to pretend to be married to some stranger.



Hyunjoong remembers the conference room where the meeting room was held. The walls were painted cream; dirty white is what Hyunjoong would call it. There were curtains pulled aside on one wall to reveal floor to ceiling windows. The desk was long and coloured a russet brown as were the chairs. The carpet was soft under his feet and it was entirely empty. His manager had abandoned him to take a call before the meeting and the people conducting the meeting had not yet arrived. Hyunjoong had sat in the empty conference room, fiddling with his phone. Hero had called him and he remembers saying in response to a question, “Nah, I’m just killing time until the meeting starts.”



“’As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.’” An amused voice had said from behind him and he had swiveled in his chair. Startled.



“Excuse me?” He had sputtered while hanging up on Hero.



“Henry David Thoreau said that.” Hwang Bo Hye Jung had said to him with a smile. “Annyonghaseyo.” She had extended a hand to him and he had taken it mutely, shaken it. Replied in kind. Later he would wonder if he had looked as shocked as he had felt. Because seeing her, so close, so warm, so…beautiful had reminded him in a rush of all the reasons he had spent nights thinking about her. He had chalked the experience down to his extreme youth, that sort of prickly feeling you get during the first blush of a crush but years had passed and he had thought that he had grown up and become suave enough that feelings like these wouldn’t affect him anymore.



Apparently, he had been wrong.



The first instant he realized that was when his heart tried to run out of his chest at the news that she had been chosen to play his wife. Wife. He had stared wide eyed, dry mouthed at the producers and then at her unable to croak out a word. She had interpreted his silence as an unwillingness to work with her but it was kind of difficult to talk when your heart has decided that it wants to do catapults of extreme excitement. They told him to treat her as a Noona, tease her about her age, as a sunbae. He must have heard them in some corner of his mind but the majority of his attention was focused on ‘wife’. He had never even dared to think of her as a girlfriend and these people were telling him that she was his wife. Pretend wife yes but wife.



It was like waking up to a week of weekends. Or depending on your taste of pleasure, and Hyunjoong’s was, getting to sleep in till the afternoon every day.



Shooting for the show had been twice a week and extremely awkward in the beginning. Hyunjoong had difficulty with strangers, yes, even strangers he had dreamt about. But getting to know her, her eccentricities, her quirks, her thoughts and ideas had been worth his sleepless nights when even the promise of dreams didn’t tempt him to surrender his conscience to Mobius. He strategized his moves, his words and his each action around her. He would casually grab her hand, pat her cheek, sniff her hair, looking at her an extra second, and add heat to his gaze. And as he got to know her better, he learned to read her shyness behind her bluster, her uncertainty of his feelings and of him and the fact that she could be insecure about him made him feel like he was on top of the world. For all of two seconds. His greatest coup was getting her to notice him as more than her hoobae, her junior. He wanted – no, needed her to look at him as a man.



When the moment came for him to confess his true feelings, he did so with a fluidity and a confidence that still surprised him. Because the truth was that if anyone had looked inside his heart at that moment, they would have seen the scared little boy trying to grasp desperately what the man inside him wanted. Her.



They had been shooting at a farm in the rural area outside Seoul. He had planned an ‘event’ for her at the urging of the show’s P.D who figured that a little romance this far in the game wouldn’t hurt the ratings. He hadn’t really needed the urging but it had given him an excuse. It had been well executed too. She had liked the cranes he had spent hours folding – hours when he should have been sleeping. But the bright sheen in her eyes which was her way of crying without tears had been, as corny as it sounds, enough. When the shooting ended and it was time to return to Seoul, he had asked her to drive back with him. That itself had been the initial confession. If she said yes, then he had a chance. If she said no, he would turn up his charm and try again. Because this far in the game, rejection wasn’t an answer Hyunjoong was prepared to accept.



She had agreed, surprise colouring her voice huskier than usual. He had insisted on driving and as they navigated their way down roads blushing with the dark, Hyunjoong had coolly turned into an unpaved road leading off from the highway, ignoring her startled look and following questions. He had driven until he had gone enough distance that the sounds and life of the outside world receded, capturing them in absolute darkness and a silence punctuated by his breathing and hers. He had leaned over to turn on the interior light and she had gasped and moved away. The warm light had spilled out over her hair, forehead, lighting up the look in her eyes, down her cheeks and his eyes had inevitably snagged on the gloss of her lips.



The atmosphere had become tense, anticipatory and Hyunjoong had leaned even closer to her, unable to stop himself. Later he’d be full of recriminations, later he’d scold himself for forgetting the pretty words but at this moment, right now he couldn’t have stopped himself from kissing her if a gun had been held to his head. Too cliché? But clichés fell apart in that second before he sealed his fate. This moment he hadn’t dared to think about. This…his brain had shut down temporarily. Her lips were soft under his and he kissed her softly, carefully bestowing the same attention on her that honey bees do on the flowers they steal nectar from. He had lifted his head and found her eyes wide and dreamy and he had kissed her again. She had pushed him after a brief touch and he had pulled back.



“The words I said…back there…I meant them.” He had told her. “You know…?”



The look in her eyes had sharpened and she had opened her mouth to turn him away; he knew that. “I’m not asking you for anything more than what we have right now.” He had curtailed any objections on her part. “Give me now. You can do that…right?”



Perhaps it had been the moon that chose this moment to come out from behind the clouds or perhaps it had been the crickets with their harmony but whatever it was, she had licked her lips which signaled her nervousness and then nodded her head. One quick bob of her head and colour had flushed her cheeks and she unable to meet his eyes, uncharacteristically shy, had turned away to look at that same moon, hanging pendulously in a sky that had seemed to Hyunjoong suddenly full of stars.



He had held her hand all the way back to Seoul.



The days that had followed his “night whispers” as she called it were...well…incredible. The show gave them an excuse to spend as much time together as they could without arousing suspicion from other people. Of course there were speculations, he couldn’t entirely divorce the true reality from the pseudo reality of the show and if his feelings for her were obvious in their interactions onscreen, they let it be. He would write her silly notes and to his delight, she would respond in the same playful manner, letting him see a side of her that was not exposed for general viewing. A softer side that only he knew about. He reveled in his discoveries of her, her opinions delighted him and sometimes maddened him. Even though she must have felt something for him, she didn’t let those warm feelings stop her from acting the sunbae when he was wrong. And he had appreciated it. Appreciated her frankness and honesty. He would kiss her quickly behind a door or duck into an empty room in the studio; hold her hand under tables; give her impromptu hugs that would scare her of being discovered by others.



She had said to him once, “Why are you always touching me?”



“Are you supposed to ask a man who has been wandering in the desert why he is so thirsty?” He had replied with a straight face.



“Yes, if there are oases surrounding him, there is no reason he should be thirsty.” She had shot back and he had made a face at her reply.



When his management had told him of the drama role offered to him, he had been both euphoric and at the same time concerned about what it meant for his current roles. He had found her asleep in a van at the shooting site and confessed to her. That accepting the role would mean leaving this show and he didn’t know if he was strong enough to do so. She had cupped his face in her warm hands and pressed a kiss on his lips.



“Go for it.” She had whispered, her eyes alight, celebrating his fortune.



“Buin…it means leaving you.” He had whispered back, the words evoking a cold contradiction of emotions in him.



She had bit her lip, thinking before speaking. Then she had sighed. “Endings are inevitable, Shillang.”



He had winced and reared back with the sudden pain her words had caused him. “You asked me for “now,” Hyunjoong. We did not discuss forever.”



He had caught her hands in his and his eyes had begged mercy. “If you end this, I will die.” Melodramatic? Certainly. Sincere? Unfortunately so. At that time, he had really felt that he would die without her. “How about this…” He had swallowed and forged on ahead despite her silence. “One date after I’m done with the drama. One date like a normal couple. And then you can decide. Okay?” His words usually fell apart around her. His poetry was a love letter that had unraveled into words and the emotions he wanted to convince her of remained heavy in his chest. He had stared for what seemed an eternity into her eyes as she waged a million internal battles, doing his best to convince her with his gaze alone.



Her “okay” when it had come had been soft, a whisper he had barely heard over the rush of blood in his veins. And he had reacted in his inimitable fashion, singing loudly and he is ashamed to admit now his profession being what it is, a bit out of tune.



They had parted ways on the show for the world to see and judge and he had flown away to do what she had urged him to do. He had worked hard, kissed other women, won accolades and the first day he had the chance, he had called her: ready to claim the date, ready to claim her. She had arrived at the place he had chosen, a nearly deserted with a flushed face on which a smile had bloomed uncertainly. He had been wearing dark glasses and a hat on his head that entrapped any errant strands of his conspicuously coloured hair. They had stared at each other, both hesitant to break a silence borne of having too many things to say and not knowing how exactly to say them. He had stepped forward, hand extended almost unconsciously to grab hers, to touch her once again when the fascinated gaze of a passerby had frozen him. He had straightened up, keeping his demeanor almost excruciatingly casual, knowing that one wrong move would give him away. She, perceptive as always to his every changing mood had nodded once and walked on ahead. As if she didn’t know him and he had let her, as if he didn’t know her.



That failed attempt at a date was only a precursor to other failed dates that would always frustrate his desire for some time with her. Fame was exacting its heaviest price from him and there was not a single thing he could do about it. He’d talk to her on the phone in the morning and float through the days. He wouldn’t be able to meet her when they planned to because their schedules were the whim of creative geniuses who apparently had no respect for time and he would spend the entire day glaring at everything and everyone who dared to irk him.



Then Youngseng had told him of Kangin’s birthday party. And how he could take a date if he wished and no one else would know or care. That’s what he had said and Hyunjoong had done everything in his gratitude except promise him his first born. An honor that Youngseng considered dubious. But Hyunjoong hadn’t been listening.



It had taken a lot to convince her to go. He had tried everything from promising to be good for the rest of his life to threatening to tell everyone of their relationship. The former she had snorted at and the latter had almost caused a fight. But in the end she had relented. He had picked her up that evening and now when he thinks about it, that is just when everything had gained an edge of surreality. She had been dressed in something pretty, silver and more revealing than he had liked but they had discussed his dislike for her clothes in an adult manner. Which meant that she had told him that while she appreciated and understood some of his thoughts, what she wore and when she wore them to a certain extent, was her choice. And that if he couldn’t understand and accept it, well, there were other men out there who would.



He had lost that battle. And so when he had looked at her with a suddenly thick throat and eyes that seemed to be stuck to one particular area of her anatomy, he had a sudden urge to march her right back inside the house and demand that she change. Not something that would have gone over too well but now that he thinks about it, Hyunjoong wishes he had stopped the night from beginning. At least that fight could be settled with a few kisses and some false promises to become less domineering and more accepting.



As they had driven to their destination, which was a very posh, a very private hotel downtown, he had kept sneaking looks in her direction. And she had finally smiled at him and told him to look in front because she didn’t want to die prematurely in an accident because he couldn’t keep his eyes to himself.



“It’s difficult, Buin.” He had muttered. “We are finally together and we are not fighting. It’s a miracle.”



“No, Hyunjoong.” She had rolled her eyes. “It will be a miracle if we can get there on time and without any accidents.”



At that time he hadn’t known that the greatest test of his life was waiting and if he had been told that he would fail it, he wouldn’t have believed it.



They had taken the elevator to the top floor of the hotel. Kangin had rented out the penthouse and even though it was slightly hedonistic, it was understood and even expected of the young celebrity culture that was all about one’s worth and how lavishly one showed their worth. Hyunjoong had been so excited that it was almost tangible. His excitement was a smoky longing for something he was not yet ready to articulate. They had gotten off the elevator and walked towards the hosts; exchanging greetings along the way. They were the celebrated Lettuce couple and seeing them together had become somewhat a norm for society. Nobody had yet questioned their relationship too closely though everyone was curious.



“Hyunjoong! You’re finally here!” Kangin is a little overbearing, a little loud and somewhat obnoxious. He’s traditional and his ideas on life, love and the roles of women as such are traditional. He had greeted Hyunjoong with a hug and accepted the present he had held out to him. Then he had focused on Hwangbo who had been standing slightly behind Hyunjoong talking to Heechul who had come up to greet her. “Ah, don’t tell me you and Hwangbo Noona came together?” Kangin had said loudly enough that he had attracted the attention of several other friends and colleagues standing by. Hyunjoong had frozen. But before he could speak, Kangin had continued, “I thought that Ahjummas weren’t your style, Hyunjoong.”



Later, Hyunjoong would want to kill the him in the past because the thousand different ways he could have reacted to the words, he had chosen the one designed to damn him. He froze. And when his silence became his answer, Heechul stepped up. “Get your eyes checked, Kangin. I know you’re getting old but to call Noona an Ahjummah?” He had nudged Hyunjoong on the shoulder and Hyunjoong had turned, almost blindly. Not comprehending what had just happened. “Thanks for bringing Noona as I asked.” Heechul had lied smoothly, saving both of them but more essentially, saving her. “I’ll take over from here.”



And he had walked away, his arm loosely around Hwangbo’s waist and she had let him after she gave Kangin his present and a tight smile. Hyunjoong, she didn’t look at. In fact, she had spent the entire night not looking at him and Hyunjoong had been confused. What had he done? Why hadn’t he replied to Kangin’s stupid words because that’s what they were? Later Kangin introduced his cousin to him and the girl had spent the night glued to his side and Hyunjoong had barely noticed because his mind was in chaos and the trickle of a cold realization had turned the drink in his hand to vinegar and the food in his mouth had tasted like sawdust.



An hour later, Hwangbo had come to find him.



“Take me home.” She had said and when Kangin protested she had replied, “A hoobae needs to learn to take his responsibilities seriously. He brought me and so he’ll take me home. Then he’s free to come back here.”



Hyunjoong had jumped to his feet, erringly thinking that whatever he had done was forgiven. He hadn’t known the true reason she asked him to drive her home.



She maintained her silence and soon they were nearing her apartment complex. Hyunjoong had cast several nervous glances at her face but couldn’t make himself start the conversation. He drove through the entrance to the underground parking garage of the apartment complex, parked and turned the engine off.



“Buin…” He finally said cautiously. “I’m sorry.”



She had untangled herself from the seatbelt and reached for the door handle. He had acted swiftly and without thinking and reached out a hand to stop her from leaving. “Let me go, Hyunjoong.” Her voice was controlled, tightly controlled.



“I froze. I knew what I was supposed to say but I froze. I’m sorry.” Words rushed out of his mouth in a desperate haste to mend what he had broken.



She went entirely still and her chin rose a notch. That damned pride of hers was asserting itself. “It’s okay…we all make mistakes, Hyunjoong.”



His shoulders had slumped in untimely relief but she wasn’t done yet. “But that doesn’t mean that the mistakes aren’t costly.”



“What are you saying?” He took his hand away from her.



She gave him a long, considering look and then got out of the car. He opened his door and got out too. Waiting. “Do you know how I felt when you didn’t say anything to Kangin?”



“I’m sorry.” He repeated again, helplessly.



She shook her head. “Apologies are not what I’m looking for. I’m not punishing you, Hyunjoong. There wasn’t anything specifically horrible about what you didn’t do. In fact, it helped me decide.”



“What are you saying?” Hyunjoong frowned, feeling the weight of that decision condense the atmosphere with anticipation. And yes, dread.



“I’m saying that I don’t think you are ready for any sort of relationship.” As was her style, she pulled no punches and she gentled no words.



“I am. It was a mistake, damnit. How many times do I have to apologise.”



She remained silent.



“We…our tempers are…we are not being coherent right now.” Hyunjoong was tired of this emotional see-saw.



She straightened up and he could feel the rage radiating off her. And he had known that they had passed a boundary neither of them were cognizant setting.



---------------------------------



And that was how he had arrived at this moment. Two weeks after the event. And if you are curious, no, he didn’t die. This is not to say he didn’t do a superb rendition of a corpse. He did. But life, as is the old adage, goes on.



“You’re telling yourself that life goes on, aren’t you?” Hero, Hyunjoong’s best friend walks into his room and sits down on the bed opposite the one Hyunjoong is lying on.



“Have you come to berate me for my stupidity?” Hyunjoong sends Hero a bloodshot stare designed to stop any further communication occurring.



“No. I have come to take you out.” Hero stands up, indicating that Hyunjoong should follow him. “You might think it nice and dandy to wallow in your misery but your band mates are becoming suicidal.” Hero rubs his chin. “Or should it be homicidal.”



“Leave me alone.” Hyunjoong buries his head underneath his pillow. But Hero is unfamiliar with the concept of mercy and nags until Hyunjoong is dressed and following him out of their apartment which has been wisely deserted. No one wants to cross paths with Hyunjoong in a rage. Supper with a shark might be safer.



“Where are we going?” Hyunjoong finally thinks to ask when he’s strapped in the seat beside Hero and weaving through the traffic.



“A club.” Hero is being sparse with his words.



“Club? I’m not in the mood to party, man.” Hyunjoong scowls and looks out at the crowded streets of Seoul. His mood gets blacker as he notices all the couples.



“The newly crowned Ahjummah is there.” Hero says with a brief look at Hyunjoong’s face.



“Ahjummah?” Hyunjoong frowns and then winces.



“Gossip, you know?” Hero explains with a shrug. “It travels fast. The entire industry knows that she was called by that bast- er, Kangin and you didn’t say anything to refute him. I’m afraid her admirers may be using your face for target practice. I know Micky’s pissed.”



“Micky?” Hyunjoong focuses for the first time, his senses recognizing the deep thrill that danger called her own. “Why was Micky pissed?”



“Oh don’t be dumb, dude. You know that Micky has carried a torch for Noona for since…ever.” Hero changes lanes smoothly navigating the roads.



“I thought he was joking.” Hyunjoong frowns.



“You hoped he was joking.” Hero shoots back.



“Ah.” Hyunjoong recognizes the truth. “I suppose. He’s mad at me?”



“In a way, for hurting her I suppose. But I think he’s pleased too.” Hero has no compunction in airing his opinions when he feels the need to.



“Why is pleased?” Hyunjoong really doesn’t like where the conversation is going.



“Well, it means you are out of the picture now.” An innocent smile accompanies his words.



“Like hell it does!” Hyunjoong clenches the door handle, poised to run out of the car and into the club on some reclaiming mission.



Hero puts a restraining hand on Hyunjoong’s shoulder. “Let me park properly, for God’s sake.” He parks while Hyunjoong waits bristling with impatience.



“Before you go marching in, let me ask you a question and I want you to answer it properly. Honestly. Can you do that for me?” There is no sign of that innocent smile on Hero’s face. He’s serious and the moment warrants none.



“What is it?” Hyunjoong asks warily.



“Do you really love Noona or was what you felt for her a leftover effect from your enforced proximity during WGM?”



“I love her.” Hyunjoong answered almost immediately.



“Then why in the world didn’t you speak up when that as- Kangin said what he did?” Hero frowns. “I don’t get it.”



“You see…” Hyunjoong rubs a hand over his face. “She hasn’t said anything about what she feels for me. And if I said that yes we were together and we came together and…you know what I mean? Everyone would know that we were together and I don’t…didn’t know if she wanted me to confirm what everyone was wondering about. Am I making sense?”



“Barely.” Hero grins. “But it’s okay. I get it. Let’s go.”



Club Nyx is located on the posh side of downtown and is the usual destination of young celebrities who wish to evade fans on a night out for the sole purpose of hedonistic pleasure. There are bouncers at the entrance who ensure that the only people entering are those who can afford the decidedly expensive drinks and food that’s served there. Reporters and gossip hounds are not welcome inside and anyone caught taking pictures of whatever is going on is treated in a manner that skirts the blurry edges of the law. It takes a lot to provide privacy for people who are unused to it and as such the club is heavily frequented by them.



Hyunjoong follows Hero inside, looking around at the people on the dance floor and sitting on the edges of it in the booths provided. He doesn’t see her or Micky. A frown settles itself right in the middle of his forehead and his head aches slightly at the loud music.



“Here.” Hero leads through people who smile, murmur greetings, call out coquettish invitations. Hero returns some of them while Hyunjoong pretends he is in a jungle wading through a fleet of very noisy, vibrantly coloured parrots. Finally Hero stops at the back of the club, in a dimmer area further away from the dance floor. There is a private booth and there, seated comfortably beside Micky is Hwangbo Hye Jung. She hasn’t noticed their arrival; most of her attention on whatever Micky’s showing her. Micky who is sitting way too close to her.



Hero opens the door to the booth and enters. Micky looks up, nodding at Hero and glowering at Hyunjoong. Not very much of a welcome but Hyunjoong wasn’t expecting one. His eyes are drawn almost against their will to the woman who is pretending he doesn’t matter. She’s smiling at him with her best “I am a Sunbae so I have to be polite” smile. The same smile he has seen on her face when she greets men she hates. The knowledge is not very comforting.



“Hero, why did you bring him here?” Micky asks.



“Because he’s my friend and even if he’s stupid, he needs some intervention. Once in a while.” Hero replies easily, flopping down on the opposite seat. “Sit.” He pulls down Hyunjoong beside him. “Talk.”



There is a flush in her cheeks and her eyes are lustrous with things she won’t say. Her hair is softly curling around her face which seems thinner than when he saw her last. Her lips are a glossy peach and he wonders if she has kissed anyone since. The thought fans a banked rage and he sits up.



“Okay, let’s go Micky.” Hero gets his cue and stands up. Micky follows albeit reluctantly. “Noona,” He pauses at the door, “Don’t settle for him if you don’t want to. He’ll live.”



Then they are gone and there’s just him, her and the silence. At least the silence is a familiar emptiness. She shifts a bit in her seat, her discomfort obvious and Hyunjoong gets up. Startled, she looks up and moves away from him when he settles down in the seat beside her.



“Noona,” He says softly, willing her to look at him. “Do you love me?”



His words have a ponderous effect on the silence. It becomes frayed and fraught with the weight of things that haven’t been said yet, things that should have been said before this question had been asked. She looks at him finally and then almost immediately looks away. She wets her lips in a nervous gesture that Hyunjoong has learned to decipher as her inability to elucidate herself in a manner she likes. Then just as he is thinking that she won’t reply at all, she asks, “Can I be honest?”



Hyunjoong nods. “Please.”



“I have never thought that age is a viable factor in the matters of love. I would have no problem loving a man six years older than me as I would not have a problem loving someone younger.” She pauses and turns away from him, as though trying to hold herself together by threads that only bind when he isn’t present. “When you asked me to be with you, I thought it was because you had mistook the camaraderie and the affection that grew between us during the filming as something more. I thought that it would be okay to humour you with your request because you are fun, charming and I liked you. I liked you enough to be drawn into your world where everything is a game and gravity is a sin.”



She stops talking and Hyunjoong waits.



“I expected you to move on with the ending of the show and found myself surprised, happy when you insisted on calling me, wanting to take me out. So I let you. Because I believed myself adult enough to steel myself against any future expectations of you. But that day when you didn’t move to say a word for or against me, I was hurt. It hurt me unbearably and I wanted to drown in my own fury that I let a child like you affect me so much. I was angry and in my anger I realized that I had been stupid.”



“What?” Hyunjoong blinks, realizing that she has said something very important. She meets his eyes and he sees himself reflected in the tears she is too proud to let fall.



“I fell in love you and by doing so, I made myself vulnerable. I did what I promised myself not to do.” She takes a deep breath and then sighs. “It is too difficult.”



“I’m really sorry, Buin.” Hyunjoong dares to take her hand in his. His fingers curl around hers and the warmth of her skin heats his. “I do love you.”



“I know.” She replies, almost embarrassed.



“And I am sorry.”



“I know that too.” She is smiling slightly.



“Will you forgive me?” He almost whispers.



“I really don’t care about what Kangin called me.” She shrugs. “What mattered was what you did.”



“I know.” Hyunjoong nods.



“But at the same time, I cannot really blame you for freezing. You probably didn’t want to give anything away.”



“So you aren’t mad?”



“Oh, I am mad. Of course I am.” She narrows her eyes at him. “But I was wrong to call it a mistake.”



“You were.” Hyunjoong nods firmly. “That hurt.”



“I’m sorry.” She sighs suddenly and then puts her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her in a hug. Hyunjoong pulls her closer, feeling her heart beat faster against his chest and her hair tickling his face. Perhaps love was like this, dramatic and melodramatic, peaceful and chaotic and everything in between. She had been a wish he had made upon a star that hadn’t fell and now at the end of a story that he hadn’t wanted told, she was in his arms and if he were poet he would write an ode to the life that had granted him this grace.

At Last We Are Together

At last we are together
By katty1981




‘Finally the Japan album is release, but why I feel strange at the song? [Let’s break away]’-HJ.
HJB: “Hyung anything wrong? Talk to me…I can lend my ears…”
HJ: “No I am listening our Japanese album…It is weird….Something is missing in the music…”
HJB: “Missing? Can’t be…Hmm let me hear it again…”
Kyu: “Hey what are you doing?”
HJB: “Hyung said that something is missing in the song…So I want to play it out.”
Kyu: “Missing? Weird? I think nothing is wrong with the song, Hyung.”
HJB put the cd to the player and HJ ask HJB skip to track 8, HJB was puzzle that HJ want to skip others…
HJ: “It is weird…It is missing…The sound is different…”
JM: “What is the noise…Ya not the song is weird…You are the one who are acting strangely yourself.”
YS: “Ya…If this song some part is not right, they won’t release it”
HJ: “Hmm you seem right…But I think it is not right…”
HJB remember something… ‘Hyung where is your mini disc?’
HJ: “In my room, waeo?”
HJB: “Wait a minute, let me put this in and take this out….The moment of truth…”
The rest: “Ah HB NOONA….”
HJ quickly take out the disc and put the disc back to his room…
JM: “See it is you the wacko not the cd itself…Are you okie?”
HJ: “Oh I am fine…I still like the background sounds.”
Kyu: “Hyung are you missing HB Noona? If you do, you can sms to her since you have her number.”
HJ: “Huh? I am tired I want to get some rest…”
HJB: “See our Hyung is really weird…No wonder he said that the song was missing part…It is HB Noona voice in the background when HJ ask her to do the sounds in the WGM episode in Japan.”
YS: “Ah…When the producer gives him the back up disc, he hides it, I want to listen he say no…”
JM: “What is so special about it? I do not think any difference…Hmm but frankly speaking got HB Noona in the background sounds it do make a lot better…”
HJ: “So it is Hye Jung voice is left out, why I am like this?”
HJ remember that time he ask HB to do the sounds and he accidentally call her ‘YeoBo’
HJB: “Hyung if you like her so much, so what is stopping you? I know other Idols boy band also like HB Noona too…”
HJ: “Hmm…She is getting more attention over these months…”
HJB: “Look at the presents that the fans gave you.” HJB takes out the couple tee-shirt with printed Joongbo forever; their picture was on the tee…
HJ: “Ya don’t touch it…”
HJB: “Why? Because the tee got HB Noona name? Hyung stop deceive yourself. You really want HB Noona become other guys girlfriend?’
HJ: “I do not know…I do like her…”
HJB: “If you do not like her, why in the first place you fold the paper cranes and told her if you collect 1000 of paper cranes your love will come true? And you ask us to help you to fold the cranes?”
HJ think the flash back…. ‘When we film the last ep…I do not want to let go of her hands but she told me to let go…’
JM: “If you like her so much so go for it, we will support you to woo HB…She is a great woman so you better act fast before it is too late…”
The other let him alone….
YS: “If he just treat her just a Noona? HB is one fine lady…Who pair up with HB the guy also look good too.”
Kyu: “Ya I agree with you, if Hyung is not going to make his first move, other guys will…”
HJB: “Hmm I think beside our Hyung, YunHo from DBSK also match up with HB.” JM hits HJB head from the back.
JM: How can you say that? Well it is the truth, haahaahaa…But we must support HJ…The rest it is up to him.
HJ: “Hmm shall I call her? Text her? What am I going to say to her? I have to try…”
‘Hi Hye Jung, me Hyun Joong. How are you?’-HJ.
‘Hi Hyung Joong, I am good abit busy…What about you?’-HB.
‘Same I am also busy too…But….So have you receive my cd?’-HB
HB: “Hyung Joong ah what cd?”
HJ: “Oh I am surprise that you call me. I think I send you my latest Japanese album…”
HB: “Hmm I have not received it…So anything else you want to tell me?”
HJ: “So…Can I ask you out?”
HB: “What? Did I hear you wrong? Do you know what are you saying?”
HJ: “Yeah I am serious…Why can’t you give me a chance?”
HB: “Hmm I will consider…Bye HJ.”
A month later, HB hasn’t reply HJ back…But there are guys ask HB out for lunch, high-tea and dinner…Guys like Yunho…HB did went out with YunHo for lunch…
The news get to HJ…He did not get angry but why HB gives YunHo a chance and not him.
HJ won’t just give up…He will try his best to win heart one day…
So HJ starts folding paper turtles…
JM: “Why are you folding this again? I am not going to help you…This is hard work…Are you really fall for HB Noona?”
HJ: “Yes I am …Anything wrong? JungMin?”
JM: “No…So happy folding…”
Kyu: “Wow Hyung you are folding this again?”
HJ: “Do not worry this time I want to fold myself….”
Kyu: “Hey guys HJ is folding paper turtles…And I think he want to give it to HB Noona…”
HJB: “Really? Wow at least he want to do something by himself and give it to HB Noona…”
YS: “But I heard that YunHo has asked HB out for lunch…”
Kyu: “So just a lunch only…”
HJB: “Kyu Jong you are wrong, YunHo still like HB…Since HB is single and she is available, anything is possible.”
JM: “What is wrong with you all? HJ wants to win her heart so he has to try harder…So we must do something….I also miss my daughter-in-law….I mean her cooking…Haahaahaa.”
YS: “Hmm JungMin…Is her food you miss? Wow what a greedy pig….”
HJB: “I go in to check Hyung…Can I come in?”
HJ: “Ya…Please come in…So…”
HJB: “Hyung can you please stop being sad…It hurts to see you like this.”
HJ: “Waeo? Don’t worry about me, I am fine.”
HJB: “You like this call fine? If you really like her then what is stopping you?”
HJ: “Hmm she think I’m joking with her…Ok…Enough said…I need to rest now…”
HJB: “Okie Hyung…”
After HJB leave his Hyung in the room, he gathers the other three to discuss how they are going to help them…
YS: “Are you sure this will work?”
HJB: “We have to try…If this doesn’t work, we will come a plan B…”
JM: “Plan B? Your plan A is not gonna work…”
HJB: “Why? JungMin? Ah haven’t carried out and you are pouring cold shower to me…”
Kyu: “I agree with JungMin. We have to think another plan…Hey I got a plan….Hyung Birthday is coming…So we can invite HB Noona…”
YS: “Hmm but she knows Hyung B’day, so will she come?”
Kyu: “Hmm on the actual day we are not in Korea but we can forward it…”
JM: “Hmm that will work…But we need someone to bring her.”
YS: “How about HJB and KyuJong will do the assignment? Since HB Noona like them…”
JM: “That is a good idea…So it is decided…”
Kyu: “Okie…So HJB you and me will to the job well.”
HJB: “Okie…”
So each of them has given a part to do…
Kyujong and HJB leave the house….JM is doing the cooking and YS is doing the decoration…
HJB: “Ah Kyu Jong I’m nervous ….What if she do not come with us?”
Kyu: “Please get a hold of yourself…No matter what we must convince her…Come HJB…”
At the young master’s house, JM and YS is doing well…
YS: “Wow, JungMin you really can cook…You really do it for our Leadership?”
JM: “Ya of course, you think I want myself have all the oiliness smell in me? I also like HB too…Silly…”
Kyu: “Hi HB Noona.”
HJB: “Hi HB Noona.”
HB: “Hey…What brings you two here?”
Kyu: “Well later on, are you free?”
HB: “Huh? Me…Yeah…Where you want to bring me?”
HJB: “Ah that is a secret we can’t tell you.”
HB: “Wae? Tell me please…”
Kyu: “So what time to pick you up?”
HB: “Hmm I am free so anytime is okie…”
HJB: “So you are with us…You can’t go with other people if they ask you…”
HB: “Okie I understand…”

The two headed to the place where the Birthday party holds…
Kyu: “We are back…”
JM: “So is my daughter-in-law agree to come?”
HJB: “Yup she is coming…”
HJ: “Hey where are you guys?”
HJB: “Oh Hyung we? Hmm I do not know…I am outside…What it is?”
HJ: “I just woke up and the four of you not in the house?”
Kyu: “Oh I don’t know that, when I come out they are still in the house…”
HJ: “So what time will be back? I can’t find HJB. He turns his cell off…”
Kyu: “Hmm I don’t know Hyung…Okie I have to hang up…Bye Hyung.”
HJ: “Wait…Ah he hangs up so fast…”
Kyu: “HJB why you switch off your cell?”
HJB: “Opps sorry…Hmm I think HJB I will go home first…Kyu you will meet Noona and I will bring Hyung here…”
JM: “Yup one has to bring HJ here…Ya...Kyu you make sure my daughter-in-law dress up nice okie?”
Kyu: “Yes…”
So HJB headed home…He also buy breakfast for his Hyung…Kyu is helping YS to decor the place…
HJB: “Hello I’m back…Here Hyung your breakfast…”
HJ: “Did you switch off your cell?”
HJB: “No I think it is out of battery, I forgot to charge it last night. Sorry…”
HJ: “It is okie, have you see the others?”
HJB: “Nope…Come and eat….”
HJ: “Thanks for the breakfast…”
HJB: “So later are you going out?”
HJ: “Nope…I want to rest and read my manga books…”
HJB: “So do I …I want to sleep…”
Pretty soon JM almost done with the cooking and he went back to the masters’ house…
HJ: “Hey where did you go?”
JM: “Me…Nothing…Wae? No time to chit-chat with you. I need to take a shower I am going out later…”
HJ: “Going out? What is wrong with you all today? Where is YS?”
JM finish his bath and he is bringing some thing out of the house….Before HyunJoong wants to ask him he already gone…
YS: “So you have to call HB Noona right? You have made sure she will come…”
Kyu: “Hmm I will call her now…Hello Noona…So are you ready?”
HB: “Yes…But you haven’t told me where are you taking me?”
Kyu: “Hmm I will tell you soon, so I will come to pick you up now…Bye Noona.”
When Kyu reach HB’s place, he took her to a boutique, he has to doll her up…
HB: “Wae? Bring me here? Are you hiding something?”
Kyu: “Me no, well it is a gathering dinner…I have to bring a partner so…Can you help me?”
HB: “Why me…?”
Kyu: “I think my friends like you; they ask me will HB come with you? And I straight away say yes…Sorry…”
HB: “Ah it is okie…So I need to chose the clothes here?”
Kyu: “Hmm yup…So…Can you help me to find a dress suitable for HB?”
Shop assistance: “Yes…So Miss can you come over here…”
HB: “Yeah…”
In the shop Kyu and HB stay for a long time…Finally they have chose the dress and HB is wearing on her…Kyu is taking her to a hair salon to do her hair…As well as the make up too, So HB part is done…
HJB: “Hyung can you come with me do some shopping for clothes?”
HJ: “Okie sure…Let’s go…”
JM and YS are doing the last….JM pass a set of clothes to YS…
JM: “Hmm this is finish you go take a bath…”
YS: “Thanks JM…”
HJ&HJB arrived the place to shop for the party clothing….
HJ: “So HJB what kind of clothes are you looking for?”
HJB: “Hmm well, Hyung you also chose one…”
HJ: “Eh…Me chose one? Why?”
HJB: “Come on since we are here so Hyung also have to pick one pieces”
When HJ come up with that, HJB immediately paid up and took him out and drags him to the salon…
HJ: “Ya…What is going on?”
HJB: “Oh I am taking to a bash party…So come on don’t be a spoilt sport…”
HJ: “Oh well…I can’t say no to you…”
Before Kyu bring HB to the chalet, he bind-folded her eyes…So is HJB also doing the same thing to HJ…
HJB and HJ arrive first…HJ was shock that his boys doing a celebrations Birthday party for him…
JM: “Welcome to our private party for you…”
HJ: “Wow I am so touched…But why it is full of pink balloons?”
YS: “Oh I can’t find blue and pink is nice…”
HJ: “Where is KyuJong…?”
HJB: “Hmm he will be her soon…”
Kyu: “Hey I’m sorry I am late…Am I late?”
JM: “Nope where are…You know…is here?”
KyuJong nods his head….
HJ: “Who is here?”
Then lights went off…Slowly it is lighted up…In front of him is HB…HJ was in shock that his Buin is here…
HB: “Hi…I don’t know this is your party, I come empty handed…”
HJ slowly walking towards her… ‘You look beautiful tonight…’
HB: “Oh thanks…”
JM: “Ya are you just standing there…Hello we are here you know….”
HJ hold HB hands bring her inside…Both of them were shock to see that the decoration is for them…
HJB: “So let’s sing the birthday song for HJ….”
HB: “Hmm the food is nice…Who prepare it?”
JM: “I of course didn’t I say I’m the Chef Park…”
HB: “Ya…I remember…”
HJ: “So where is my presents since you guys celebrate for me, so where?”
All of the boys: “Well sadly there is none…”
HB: “You guys are cute…Hahaha.”
Kyu: Hyung we are going…So the house later you and Noona can clean up okie?”
HJ: “What…You guys…”
JM: “So here is your chance to confess…Bye…Good luck…”
Before JM leave, he slightly pushes HB to HJ side, and run away…So that HJ can’t catch up…
HJ: “Are you ok?”
HB: “Yeah…So we better clean up the place...”
HJ brave up and hold her hand…
HJ: “Do you like me? You should know I already falling in love with you…So can you give me a chance?”
HB: “I…I don’t know what to say…”
HJ: “You need to tell me, do you also falling for me? If yes, why are you avoiding me?”
HB: “I am not…I am scared ……”
HJ: “Why…You no need to coz I will protect you always will…”
HJ pull her near him and they are kinda close…Very close…And HJ slowly put his lips to hers and kiss her softly….Not just kiss on the lips but a tongue kissing…You think the boys went back? No…They were hiding at a corner watching them…And they leave coz their Leadership has success kissing her…

After the Birthday party, HJ thanks his boys, and HB agree to be his girlfriend…They really good at hiding their relationship to the media…Mostly they don’t go out, HB will go to young masters’ house…When she is there, HB will cook for them but washing, HJB is doing that…Since he is the youngest…
HB: “So will you have a change of heart?”
HJ: “Me? Hmm…”
HB: “Huh…You need to think? Then I also can too…”
HJ: “No you can’t…You are my mine…You belong to me…”
HJ kiss her again…
4 yrs later…HJ announce that he and HwangBo Hye Jung is getting married…Wish that people/fans will give them blessing…
On their wedding, both of them are shock that many fans from other countries who come to see them…HJ and HB were touched that they have many fans from other places to give them support…They live happy ever after….

THE END

The Beauty Of Winter

THE BEAUTY OF WINTER

Her thoughts.

I always loved winter. Winter was always the warmest season to me. Despite the chilling cold from the winds that felt as though the wind gods wanted to draw our souls away from us through the frosty puffs of breath that we take and the way the snow blistered our skin, I still felt that winter was the warmest season in the world. Because of him. Because of the way he smiled at me. The way he wore my scarves and clothes that I had painfully knitted for him. Because in the eight years that we were together, he would hold me close and rub the numbness away from my hands.

But all that changed when he changed. When the warmest summer nights turned colder than a blizzard, I knew. That he would no longer be my fire when I was cold. And I walked away, thinking that I could never find such warmth again, convinced that I would walk every season in the cold. Winter had become a permanent fixture in my life.

Those were the thoughts that surrounded me for the next two years of my life. To the world, I seemed happy and bright, constantly laughing, but nobody knew how my heart bled as I put on the façade. I became a master of masks, able to put on different sides of me whenever I had to. I kept myself to me, and only me. Until the next him came into my life.

He was someone that I would never have seen as a man; he was someone that I considered out of my league. He was a star that shone the brightest amongst all other stars, whereas I was the fallen star who could only flicker away in the dark nights. But he was chosen to become my partner in the new variety program that I had just signed on. And when I found out, I didn’t know what to expect or do. So I decided to do what I always did. Put on another mask.

But things never work out as we plan. And I knew, as the days passed, that my mask was slowly being stripped off in front of him. He could read me like a book. And there wasn’t anything that I could do about it.

Nothing at all.

And I asked myself that question. What do I do now?

His thoughts.

I always hated winter. The way I had to wear layers and layers of clothing when I could spend those precious minutes catching up on my sleep. Especially the way the winds chapped at my lips, making me even more self conscious of them than I usually was. Winter was definitely the worst season in the world. The only good thing about winter is that she would wear proper clothes and cover herself up to my satisfaction, instead of her short skirts and mini tops that she would flaunt during the warmer months.

But when we drifted apart, winter no longer had that beauty about it. Winter was just cold. Harsh. Cruel. I hated winter with a vengeance.

It was summer when I agreed to come on the program. I figured that it would only be for a while, and I could leave once winter came, hopefully to the warmer countries that were being planned out for us. Or at least in Japan, where I had the warmth of my brothers as we drank and sang our hearts out in that little apartment of ours. Just thinking about it made me feel like taking that flight back to Japan instead of being here in Korea, all alone and going to meet someone I didn’t even know.

I remember walking out of the airport and peering through the windows, trying to figure out who my wife was. When she drove up to me in that red car. And I saw her. And thought, “Oh my god. It’s Hwang Bo Noona. What am I going to do??”

Her thoughts

The early days were difficult for us both. I tried being the bright cheerful me when we first met, but he was stoic and blunt, so that mask failed. I then tried to play the older woman role that was expected of me, but his quirky remarks and attitude made me change my mind about that role. He honestly made me laugh, and it was strange but when I was with him, I wanted to be like him.

Free.

Honest.

The very two things that I had denied myself from for so long.

His thoughts

She seemed like someone very private, but tried very hard to appear transparent. And that intrigued me, because she reminded me of me. I was someone like that too, someone who tried to keep my thoughts to myself as I didn’t want to expose myself to everyone. Which is contradictory I know, considering that I am a celebrity and the price to pay with the job is the way everything that happens to me is usually thrown out to the world to see.

She, however, seemed to do it because she had given up on something, using her pretenses as a means of escape. Even our conversations together never lasted more than two minutes, the moment she felt my gazes bore through her shield, she would break our eye contact and clam up, refusing me any entry into her private sphere.

But the more she hid away from me; my urge to find out more about her became stronger. Breaking her shell was now my new mission in this game that we were playing.

Before it stopped being a game to me.
Her thoughts

I tried so hard to hold fort, but his slow chiseling crumbled my defences. The words he said during the different episodes we filmed together seemed to have a double meaning to everything else it was supposed to mean.

“Don’t hold your feelings in just because you are older.”

“I’d rather be here alone with you instead of with other people.”

“It feels like I’m always getting cheated by you.”

“I have never once won against Hwang Bu In.”

“I was unable to carry on without you.”

“Are you ashamed of me?”

Or am I simply just thinking too much?

His thoughts.

As the months passed, and winter neared, I felt this strange feeling stirring within me. I wanted to stay here even if it meant that I’d have to bear through the dratted winter nights. When I saw the scarf that she knitted for me, I felt that winter was too far away; I wanted it to come tomorrow. When she suggested that I wear it in the sweltering heat, I readily agreed. Which was weird. Wanting winter to come. Me being willing enough to sweat buckets just for her.

Weird.

I thought about it as I walked to the convenience store. And before I knew it, I was searching for a pharmacy for her, wearing that ridiculous outfit, even asking the police for help with directions.

The smile on my face when I finally found one.

It hit me then.

I had fallen for her.

But what did she feel for me?

She seemed to care for me too, but as always, she played around with her words as she skirted around the both of us.

“Take these vitamins, three times a day.”

“You can count on me, twenty four seven. I’ll be cheering for you.”

“It’s okay to lose, take care of yourself first.”

“How will you live without me?”

And then there were those words that made me feel like I was nothing more than a dongsaeng.

“He’s younger than me, he’s the younger husband.”

Why are women so complicated?

Her thoughts

I think, I think, I think…. I think I have brought this too far. I have allowed too much of myself to be exposed to him, and I regret letting my defences fall just like that. I have committed so much of myself to this program, to him… and now… it’s time to say goodbye. The happy moments that I spent with him, and the warmth that I felt during winter after such a long time, was finally cracking. I could feel the numbing cold creeping into my newly found happiness.

Which technically wasn’t mine. Because we’re nothing more than a program couple. Everything we shared was for the program. There wasn’t an ounce of truth in us.

And knowing that; broke my heart a thousand times more.

Before the end.

PD: You’ll be heading out to Jeju for your last episode together. It’s going to be the ‘We’ll end where we started’ theme for you guys.

HB: Jeju?

The thought that this was our last time together broke my heart. I didn’t know what to expect from now onwards. We’d cut each other out of our lives, I’d go back to becoming his stranger and him, mine.

HJ: Sounds good to me, I’m fine with anything. It’d be a good holiday for me before I start slogging for the drama.

I smiled at her only to see her looking away in the distance, that look of hurt registered over her beautiful face. Did I say something wrong?

HB: Good for him? I guess this really tells me where I stand. I’m nothing but a noona whom he can have fun with while on holiday before walking our separate ways. Fine.

Walking towards the end.

HB: I think we should leave each other a message when we reach the peak of Halla San. It’d be cool to see what we think of each other, what words we would have for each other after having gone through so many months together. Just for memory’s sake. Y’know?

I need closure. And this is about as close as I am going to get to getting one.

HJ: Mmm.

Is this another one of her games? Where she says one thing and means another? Whatever it is, this is the closest chance that I am going to get to a real confession. And I need to make full use of this opportunity.

Unspoken words of the heart revealed.

HJ: You came to me when I was at my weakest points, like someone the Gods sent for me. In many ways, you were like my saviour. I just wanted you to know that.

HB: With you, even if there are no spoken words of love, I only need to use my heart to feel everything that you have to say.

HJ: You don’t have to act so strong, we all know that you’re not as strong as you seem to be. Be more true to yourself, laugh when you want to, cry when you feel like crying. It’s when you are honest with yourself that you are the most beautiful.

Her thoughts.

I walked down Mount Halla, deep in thought as he ran off without me. What did he mean by those words? Could I anticipate anything? Should I anticipate?

His thoughts.

I have to speed down this dratted mountain so that I reach in time to show her what I truly feel.

No time to waste!

None at all!!




Their ending

Hwang Bo reached their hostel only to find Hyun Joong lying on the bed, sleeping from the exhaustion of running down the mountain. Smiling, she pulled a blanket over him as she got ready to do the interviews.

*whispers*

Hyun Joong, you will always be the child you are at heart. Fearless of whatever’s lying ahead of you, unwilling to lose to any challenge. Thank you for teaching me to be like you. The times we spent together is enough for me to gather strength from our memories and to walk on, fearless and brave. I love you Hyun Joong. I really do.

She took one last look at his sleeping form before she closed the door behind her, tears falling from her face. She had given her heart to someone, knowing that it would not receive the same emotion that it gave out. But she didn’t regret it at all. It didn’t matter that he didn’t feel the same way for her…

For…

She had finally met the love of her life…

Hyun Joong slowly opened his eyes and took a deep breath. Did his ears fail him or did she say that she loved him? A surge of strength rushing through his veins, he leapt out of bed and ran out the door as he saw her huddled by the wall, her body racking with her sobs.

HJ: Hye Jung!

She froze, before she felt his arms wrapping around her body.

HJ: I love you too. I really do. It was you that taught me how to be a better person. It was you that shone light into my life. It was you that let me know how wonderful love is. And it was you that allowed me to feel the warmth of winter. I really, really love you.

She turned to face him as he looked down at her. Pulling her close, he hugged her so hard her bones felt like they would break. Taking in a deep breath, she wrapped her arms around him, her body finally coming back to life. Smiling into his chest, she breathed in his scent as she felt the warmth course through her on that cold winter night. She had once more found her winter’s fire.

Only this time, she was sure that it would never extinguish.

After We Got Married

“After We Got Married”


“Pack up everyone!” the director shouted.
Today is Hyun Joong and Hwang Bo’s last shooting day for “We Got Married”. They’ve been in the variety show for exactly eight months, have gained enough popularity from it which landed Hyun Joong in a starring role as “Ji Hoo”, one of F4’s charismatic member, in the currently being shoot television series, “Boys Over Flowers” in Korea; and which made Hwang Bo in demand in other different variety shows, as well as concerts where she gets to perform her recently released dance music hit, “Get Hot”, and her heartfelt song, “Mature”. In their presently already busy separate show business careers, they cannot simply continue on together in their loved role playing as wed couples living their lives after marriage together in “We Got Married”. And so they mutually decided to end it here. After all, they’ve known, even at the beginning of it all, that it was ought to end.

Or so, everyone thought it ended there.



The clock striked 1:00 am. No matter how Hyun Joong tried to decipher why he’s actually willing to wake up at this time, he plainly can’t. He found himself still quite shaken from suddenly forcing himself out of bed when he remembered that he has actually directed himself to simply fall asleep lightly after everyone in their last shooting site were done clearing out the equipments and saying their farewells. What he was about to commit that early morning was risky. But there was no turning back. They have already decided on this.
And so, trying to feel his way out of the room with just a little light from his cell phone, diligently hoping no one in the room wakes up and finds out, he finally set out to his destination.



And she realized she was crazy to think that she could easily maneuver herself out of her manager’s room after such an occasion.
She knew it. When her manager called everyone up for some little goodbye gathering, meaning inviting their team of personal make-up artist, hair designer, stylist, translator, and photographer; and some crews they’ve been acquainted with for some celebratory drinking session, she knew that things will get wild and messy. But it never dawn on her that it will get this disorganized that there was hardly enough room to move around and make her way out of the place. It weren’t just “Soju” bottles lying everywhere but as well as drunken human bodies. She smiled. She was such an actress. Moments ago, when everyone was just slightly drunk, people would have thought that she would soon lose it and that she was absolutely wasted to its complete sense. But in reality, for every shot of “soju” they offer her, she was simply drinking a quarter of it and slyly throwing out the rest to the nearby flower pot. The “wasted” part was just an act.
And so when everyone was already down in drunkenness, Hwang Bo stood up, modestly fixed herself, and with her utmost best, given the situation of chaos she was in, quietly tip-toed herself out of the room.
She still had an appointment she can’t cancel.



“It’s 2 o’clock.” Hyun Joong nonchalantly said as Hwang Bo came up beside him looking everything but fixed. She didn’t even smell right.
“There was a parting celebration happening in our place. It was just crazy! I can’t believe I even made it here!” Hwang Bo said looking disoriented herself. “So what’s the plan?” she asked.
This was the plan. While everybody else were busy packing up things moments ago, Hyun Joong and Hwang Bo were themselves busy trying to come up with various strategies to get out of the building unnoticed. It was even Hyun Joong’s idea to meet in this specific room for some reason. And no questions asked, Hwang Bo merely agreed with his proposition.
“You’ve had some soju.” Hyun Joong mentioned completely ignoring her question. “I can smell it.” He added, sounding cold but looking concerned nonetheless.
“You can say that.” Hwang Bo admitted knowing herself that she did drink a little from each glass given to her. But really, time is running out for them. Pondering over the matter at this (instance or instant?) just doesn’t seem right to her. “Shall we skip this topic of argument for now and get on our way?” Hwang Bo suggested.
“You shouldn’t be drinking a lot at your age.” Hyun Joong insisted before swiftly grabbing hold of Hwang Bo’s hand and pulling her.



Hyun Joong suavely swept his hair back while Hwang Bo allowed the misty air to fly hers off her shoulder. It was such a relief that they’ve successfully made it outside. After all, from the very beginning, making it there was already the major problem. They’ve even seen it themselves. Every entry and exit door was guarded and the only other possible way out which were the windows were even grilled.
But the gods and goddesses must have been on their side. Hyun Joong, while surveying the building was able to find an unoccupied room with a mysteriously ungrilled window.
“Now, where should we go? I remember seeing an ideal nook somewhere over there. Let’s go?” Hwang Bo excitedly recommended expecting for Hyun Joong’s instant agreement.
There was only silence.
She turned and to her surprise found Hyun Joong some distance off the opposite side appearing like he was rummaging something within the shrubs beside the building wall. Why does this always happen to her? Talking to air? Talking to herself? Hwang Bo can’t help to notice. Nevertheless, she simply shrugged the thought away and hurriedly walked her way to Hyun Joong.



“It should be just around here.” Hwang Bo heard Hyun Joong muttering to himself as she got closer.
“What are you looking for?” Hwang Bo asked in the hope of shedding some light on this odd picture of Hyun Joong appearing like a beggar desperately looking for some scraps of food in the shrubs.
“I found it!” Hyun Joong enthusiastically cried while swinging in his hand what seemed to be a black duffle bag. “Now, where should we stay?” he innocently asked.



Hwang Bo brought him by the nook she earlier was pertaining to. It truly was an ideal one. The nook was magnificently nestled in by some bushes; it could completely hide them from any unwanted onlooker. The place was even under a seemingly carved to perfection tree which gave them enough cover and sight of the dreamy sky above.
They were contented. They’ve got a wonderful dawn ahead, a cozy spot, and each other for company. The present dictated them not to ask for anything more.



The mystery of the precious duffle bag was revealed. Hyun Joong opened it and pulled out a handful of things. There was a picnic mat, a flashlight, an I-pod, chopsticks, bowls, some packs of instant “ramen”, a small casserole and a burner.
“I thought for a moment there that you’ll start hauling out your comic books. What happened to them?” Hwang Bo asked, her curiosity winning her over.
“It didn’t fit in the bag anymore.” Hyun Joong plainly answered while arranging the things on the ground.
Hwang Bo must have expected something more, but seeing that that was it, she simply laid herself down the mat and made herself comfortable. Hyun Joong, not long enough, after setting his I-pod, positioned himself near Hwang Bo and gently slipped in one of her ears one of the I-pod’s earphones. Hwang Bo seemed to not even notice as she unwaveringly engulfed the heavenly sight above her.
“Don’t ask me to get those stars for you.” Hyun Joong humorously said seeing that they’ve fully captivated Hwang Bo.
“Ha! Ha! Ha!” Hwang Bo heartily laughed.
Hyun Joong remembered the first time he heard them. He was driving the convertible car the show has rented for them and Hwang Bo was sitting right next to him.
“Have you always given your past girlfriends whatever they want?” Hyun Joong recalled how Hwang Bo intriguingly asked the question.
He bluntly answered her. “Not really. I especially hate it when they ask things like ‘Could you get me the stars?’”
Then, Hwang Bo laughed her signature laugh.
After that particular shot, he mentioned in the interview how he found it actually charming.
Nowadays, the sound of Hwang Bo’s laugh just keeps on ringing everywhere.
“Don’t worry. I’m pretty satisfied with the star you gave me.” Hwang Bo teasingly answered back. She was referring to the star Hyun Joong diligently made for her the other night. Even with its uneven placement of tapes here and there, what she said was nevertheless true. It was still the first ever star Hyun Joong willingly plucked off from the skies. And he particularly stole it just for her. Who wouldn’t be pleased?
Hyun Joong smiled.
Hwang Bo seemed to have caught a glimpse of it at the corner of her eyes. At that precise moment, she wondered on whether for how long would she have to wait just to see them again this closed; or whether she’ll actually be able to see them again at all. “Hey, you’ve brought “ramen”, right? Shall we start cooking them?” Hwang Bo said ultimately trying to keep her thoughts from sinking any deeper.
For some seconds, nobody moved.
They both felt it. That, even if this wasn’t really the end of it all, certain things still must end and the rest will simply have to change.
“You’ll cook!”
“I’ll cook!”
They croaked at the same time.
Hwang Bo laughed in amusement and Hyun Joong joined her in.
“I’ll cook.” Hwang Bo repeats after recovering herself from the comical moment.



“I won!” Hwang Bo cried out in rejoice.
“No!” Hyun Joong screamed in defeat. “I should have won this!” he said.
There wasn’t really any argument. Hwang Bo finished her share of the “ramen” first. And so, without any hesitations, just like there agreement, Hwang Bo reached for Hyun Joong’s arm and placed it on the mat and happily laid her head on it.
“You seem to like the feel of my arm a lot.” Hyun Joong stated seeing that Hwang Bo’s completely lying on them at ease.
Hwang Bo simply smiled.
Time seemed to have felt a stronger and purer force working as Hyun Joong and Hwang Bo humbly laid themselves under the majestic sky, simply savoring everything that were still theirs.
“Should we update our marriage contract?” Hyun Joong suggested out of the blue.
“Ok, ok. Then we seal it again with our kiss marks, ok?” Hwang Bo enthusiastically agreed.
“Ok. But since we don’t have any paper and pen with us, shall we pretend that the air is our paper and that every word we say shall permanently be written on it?” Hyun Joong suggested.
“Ha! Ha! Ha!” Hwang Bo laughed remembering how Hyun Joong really has the craziest idea in mind. “Ok. Deal.” she finally said.
“I promise to finish a thousand paper cranes for you before we meet again.” Hyun Joong started.
“Hey, you’ve already done that!” Hwang Bo argued.
“But I’ve got my band to help me do that. I want to finish a whole thousand for you by myself.” Hyun Joong said. “It’s the only way we’ll get a wish granted from it.”
“Well, ok.” That was all Hwang Bo could say after feeling really touched with Hyun Joong’s apparent determination. What could she promise back? She asked herself. “I will always have the ring you gave me by my side.” she confidently said.
“I’m promising the same thing as well.” Hyun Joong seconded the motion.
And, at the same time, both of them hurriedly got something out of their pockets. They were the rings.
“We really are fulfilling the things we have in our contract fast!” Hwang Bo said half in disbelief.
Then silence enveloped them.
Reality really did hit hard at that instance. For at that moment, they had millions of promises to say. But seeing how complicated things were already, they were afraid to let go of empty words. It wasn’t like they have the whole world to support them. They were only relying on each other.
“Let’s seal them.” Hyun Joong decided.
“Together?” Hwang Bo asked.
Hyun Joong nodded.
And together they counted to three and blew their kiss to the air.
Sealed.



Hwang Bo opened her eyes and it was morning.
“Hyun Joong!” she shrieked out of panic.
Hyun Joong was lying sound asleep on her lap. They have missed the dawn and the sunrise they were suppose to watch together. The sun was already high up in the sky.
But that just wasn’t it.
Hwang Bo shook Hyun Joong wildly to get him to his senses. They have to immediately pack up and go before anybody get to see them together.
Struggling, Hyun Joong managed to open his eyes. And weary as he was, it didn’t took him long to realize that the look of the glaring sun above wasn’t right. They should have been back in the building by this time.
Then, a distant shout reached them; they both heard someone screaming Hwang Bo’s name. And in their horror, when they peeped through the bushes, Hwang Bo’s manager was looking for her.
They frantically gathered everything they had and carelessly dropped them in Hyun Joong’s duffle bag. If their calculations were right, they could still make it to the window they’ve exited without being noticed if they hurry. As in, really hurry.
“Listen, when I say ‘go’, we run. O…” But before Hwang Bo could finish what she was about to say, Hyun Joong has already pulled her by the hand. The next thing she knew, they were already crazily running across the field, desperately making their way to their window without being seen.



With amazement, Hyun Joong and Hwang Bo stared at the window they came out from just this early morning. They never thought that they have actually jumped out of it. It was higher than they thought it was.
“I’ll make it inside first and then help you up.” Hyun Joong proposed.
Hwang Bo agreed and watched Hyun Joong in admiration as he swiftly schemed his way up the wall and finally reached the window effortlessly.
“Reach for my hands.” Hyun Joong directed to Hwang Bo as he extended both of his arms down to her.
Not long enough, both of them were already in the room, their backs exhaustedly slumped against a wall.
“I should get going. I bet that by now everyone must have realized that we’re both missing. So, just for precautions, I think if I appear first, they’ll never guess we were together.” Hwang Bo convincingly said. “Am I a genius or what?” she jokingly added while flashing a big smile.
“I’m sorry.” Was what Hyun Joong could simply say.
It was exactly instances like this that Hyun Joong felt helpless the most. It reminded him of how great of a man he is for his fans but not for her. Not for her.
“We decided on this together, remember? And I’m happy with it.” There was a sincere smile plastered across Hwang Bo’s face as she let those words go. She supposedly was to leave the room after that when she heard him call her name.
“Hwang Bo.”
She turned and was surprised to see his bright smile. She just had to laugh with the heart he even had to make with his hands. “Ha! Ha! Ha!”
“Keep this.” Hyun Joong said as he reached for something out of his pocket and threw it to her.
“I will.” Hwang Bo replied, instantly vanishing herself before him.

The next thing Hyun Joong knew, Hwang Bo was already pretending to look for him as well.



Finally. Things settled down.
Hwang Bo just had to tell everyone that she got stuck in one of the washrooms after a cubicle door got jammed. Everybody even got a good laugh out of it. And when they told her that Hyun Joong was nowhere to be seen as well, she simply tried her best to look innocent. And what was Hyun Joong’s excuse?
“I’m sorry everyone. I went upstairs to look for some balcony to stay in… I believe I got lost on my way back. Was I gone that long?”
Yes. Everyone got a good laugh out of it as well.

People were busy doing last departure arrangements and packing ups after that. Hwang Bo was putting labels on her luggage that time. She was almost done doing so when someone in the room pointed at some huge sling bag at the corner saying that she might miss putting a label on that one. Hwang Bo can’t remember having such a bag with her. She intentionally ignored it at first and simply mustered the curiosity to approach it after finding herself alone in the room.
The bag was closed up with a lock.
Then, it hit her.
She eagerly pulled out the key Hyun Joong had thrown to her awhile ago and placed it in the key hole.
It actually tweaked open.
She then unzipped the bag slowly and found herself overwhelmed with what was revealed before her. Paper cranes of different colors and sizes were beautifully crammed inside. Without counting them, she knew there were a thousand. Teary-eyed, Hwang Bo gave her paper cranes a last look and closed her eyes,

“I wish Hyun Joong and I got married for real…”



With that, Hwang Bo slowly opened her eyes…

“I do.” Hyun Joong solemnly answered. He then reached for Hwang Bo’s hand and gently slipped the ring into her finger.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.” the priest concluded.
It was official.
The church bell rang and every guest stood up and clapped their hands in acknowledgement of the great declaration. The wedding was dubbed as the wedding of the century, having the biggest of names involved in its grand preparation. The entire ceremony was broadcasted live and the whole world rejoiced as the ‘Lettuce Couple’ of “We Got Married” and MBC’s Best Couple Awardee of 2008, kissed in front of many relatives, friends, and fans; and got married for real. During the couple’s reception, a public apology for lying to the people about their relationship was regarded with utmost understanding and acceptance by everyone.



In the end, it didn’t matter if they were forced into a fake marriage for the variety show, “We Got Married” on May 11, 2008. What was more important was that, after “We Got Married”, they got married for real on May 11, 2011, supported by all the people they love, and their precious fans.