Heavy footsteps in the middle of the silence dawn woke Hwang Bo up. She bolted on the couch and narrowed her eyes to see the shadow clearly in the dark. She recognized the disoriented figure who seemed to drag his feet in rushed small steps as Hyun Joong. "Hyun Joong ah.." she called him softly as she did not want to wake up the others who were sleeping on the floor. Hyun Joong was really disoriented. He almost bumped into the wall. Hwang Bo thought he was sleep-walking until she heard he called her name.
"Hwang Buin.." Hyun Joong rubbed his tired eyes. He carefully watched his steps when he walked towards the couch. The crew members were sleeping on the floor. Some were sharing the other room and some were cramping with him. Sometimes he wondered why they needed so many crews ranging from PD to hair stylists to wardrobe manager to everyone else. He did not even recognize half of them. "Ar.. You are still here," he said as he sat next to Hwang Bo.
She thought about Hyun Joong's question as she removed the deeply sleeping Jins to her side. "Are you all right?" asked Hwang Bo. Of course she was still there. Where else would she go at this time in Busan? She did not get any reply for her question.
Hyun Joong took in a deep breath. It was a dream after all. When he had told Hwang Bo he would dream of her, he did not expect he really would. It was not a pleasant dream. He had a nightmare. In his nightmare, Hwang Bo had told him that she wanted to leave him for another man. Hyun Joong sighed lowly. He could not see clearly who that man was but he was 101% sure the other man was one of Hwang Bo's disrespectful dongsaeng who publicly announced on national TV he would like to date or marry Hwang Bo.
Hwang Bo repeated her question, louder this time as she thought he did not hear it when she whispered the first time. To her surprise, Hyun Joong grabbed her hand and led her to the balcony. Although the air outside was cold and the sun was a couple of hour away from rising, she went with him because Hyun Joong, despite being fully awake, was still a bit disoriented.
"Let's talk where we will not wake everyone up." Hyun Joong closed the sliding glass door behind them.
"What is it you want to talk about?" Hwang Bo asked as they both sat on the balcony with their backs against the sliding glass door.
Hyun Joong groaned. Now that he could think clearly, the nightmare seemed immature to be talked about with Hwang Bo. After a long pause, he finally said something. "Noona.. You know I'll be away for the drama, right?" he said, gulping a bit before uttering his next sentence. "Don't look at other guys," he continued sternly.
She laughed out loud, somewhat flailed on the floor. Hwang Bo leaned her back against Hyun Joong as if it was something natural between them. She slightly tilted her head up to glance at Hyun Joong. "Ya!" She started to fire up once she composed herself from all the laughing. "I should be saying that, not you!" Hwang Bo scolded him in fake anger.
Hyun Joong chuckled. His shoulders moved vigorously as Hwang Bo leaned against him. He lifted his arm and naturally put it around Hwang Bo's shoulder. He grinned when Hwang Bo snuggled comfortably in his arms. Their time together was getting shorter. Although the separation will be temporary, he dreaded the time he would not be able to see Hwang Bo in person.
"I'm sorry but.. Can you call me once in a while?" Hwang Bo asked. She was struggling to complete the sentence without pausing between each word. She felt bad asking him to do that as she knew he would be tired and drained out from filming the drama. Even now, when he was busy learning horse riding and playing violin between filming with her, he could barely open his eyes. Hwang Bo gritted her teeth, feeling regretful about her request.
"Call you?" he asked.
Hwang Bo immediately brought her hands together into a huge X and said, "No. No. No. Don't call.."
"Three times a day," Hyun Joong said, cutting short Hwang Bo's sentence.
Her eyes almost popped out when she heard the promise coming from Hyun Joong. She instantaneously shifted to face him. "Really?" Her voice was bursting with excitement.
Hastily, Hyun Joong bobbed his head. "I'll think of Noona three times a day." That promised earned him a hard whack on his shoulder. He initially flinched, trying to block it but later changed his mind. He merely chuckled when he saw Hwang Bo's deadly glare and pouted lips.
"Then.. How many times are you calling me a day?" she insisted to know. She was somewhat frustrated she would not hear his voice on the phone three times a day as she thought he initially promised her.
His forehead wrinkled when he tried to think of a number.
She sighed. "Why do you even have to think about it?" She expected the answer to come out naturally from him. But when he took time to think about it, she has a feeling his answer would not be sincere. It would be force from him to please her. Her second sigh was louder than the previous sigh.
Obviously, Hwang Bo was upset with him. He could tell from her sigh and expression. Hyun Joong did not dare to make promises. He was warned ahead about the busy schedule. He doubted he would have time for luxury meal or leisure sleep. He could not promise Hwang Bo anything. His eyes blinked a few times as he continued to ponder the answer.
Hwang Bo patted Hyun Joong's knee a couple of time to assure him that she was not anticipating anything from him. "It's OK." She gave him a sweet smile.
All the bones in his body turned weak by the mere smile. He returned her smile with a wide grin. "Does Noona like odd number or even number?" he asked, putting up his left and right index fingers respectively.
"Odd number." She lightly touched the tip of his left index with her index finger.
"Arrh.. You are very lucky."
"Why? Why am I lucky?"
"Because I like odd number too. We have so many things in common," he concluded. "So, Noona.. We are already in this relationship. We also have many things in common too. Let's date openly then," he requested. It was the same request he had make to Hwang Bo a couple of time before. Hyun Joong was never granted that request by Hwang Bo.
"Aishee.. Do you like me this much because my aegyo was too cute?" She sighed in frustration. "I already warn you not to." She paused. Her playful tone turned serious suddenly. "You are too young for this. This can wait. We can wait. I can wait."
"I'm not. I don't want to wait."
"Hyun Joong ah, what's your hurry?" she asked, somewhat flabbergasted by his stubbornness. Hyun Joong was not quick enough to answer her before she fired another question. "Why are you so unreasonable? Don't just think about yourself. Think about me!"
Hyun Joong heaved a sigh too. Hwang Bo was so insecure. It was always like this since the beginning. There was nothing he could do or say to convince her that he would protect her at all cost. "I'm going crazy," he said. "If I'm not younger than you, then will it be OK?" He too felt insecure with their relationship. Hwang Bo was well liked by everyone, guys especially. But he had enough faith in her and in their relationship. He wished she would have faith in him too.
Hwang Bo hung her head low. Hyun Joong and she seemed to be conversing in different language. She had told him times and times again that age was never the problem. Since him, she had learned to accept a younger man. She wanted him to explore his idol life and do many things now before thinking deeply about her or their relationship. "Even if I'm 6 years younger than you, we still have to wait. This has got nothing to do with age," Hwang Bo said, exasperated. For a moment, she thought he understood her when she saw Hyun Joong nodded his head with wrinkled forehead, looking very deep in thought.
"If you are 6 years younger than I, you'll be 17 then. We will definitely have to wait for you to finish high school."
Although it was not funny, Hwang Bo laughed out loud when he uttered it. Hyun Joong's harsh tone made him sound like he was scolding a fan girl who had just confessed her love to him. "Hyun Joong ah.." she whined, trying to get him focus on their discussion. "If you are not an idol, then.."
"Actually Noona.. When you are not around, I feel lonely. Really," he emphasized when Hwang Bo raised an eyebrow at him. "What fun is it if there's no one to bully."
She threw her head backward and heaved a heavy sigh of frustration. "Is that what I am too you? Someone to bully? Is that why you make me try all those clothes you hate? And do cute act in my dance?" She sounded like she was about to explode in rage.
Hyun Joong stared at her with blank expression. He had perfected this expression to hide his true feeling. He felt lonely without his Hwang Buin because he missed her. He missed her laughter and the laughs they shared together. "That's not it," he denied. Yet, Hyun Joong still could not speak what was in his heart. "I'm just lonely when you are not around." Then he shrugged, as if it was not important.
Tears came easily to Hwang Bo lately. She would be force by circumstances to separate from him. Although it would do them both good, but she felt heartbroken. She knew Hyun Joong felt the same too.
"Are you crying?" Hyun Joong asked Hwang Bo. Although he asked in a teasing tone, there was a hint of surprise and concern in that tone. He leaned forward, extending his neck to catch a glimpse at her expression.
Hwang Bo denied it forcefully and turned her face sideways to hide from him. "I'm not." She tilted her head a little to force the tears not to fall. She touched underneath her eyes and ran her finger there to clear the traces of tear. "Arrhh.. This place is dusty. We must make complain to the resort management," she said, faking a cheerful voice. She was laughing alone at the joke.
Hyun Joong stared into the space in silence. Or in their infamous married life, it would be called awkwardness. "Hwang Bo shi!" Hyun Joong called her name and smiled at the same time. He pushed her up and stood up himself too. "Hwang Bo shi.. Don't cry. Ahjussi will buy you ice cream, OK? Do you like that?" he asked cheerfully.
Instantaneously, as he expected, she fell on the ground and hid her face on her laps. Hyun Joong grinned and chuckled lightly. The bright smile and the merry laugh had returned. He put his hands on her elbows and helped her up.
"Ice cream? Really?" Hwang Bo asked him. Ice cream in winter did not sound like a bright idea but as long as it meant spending time with Hyun Joong, Hwang Bo would agree to it without any hesitation.
He nodded. Hyun Joong placed his hand on her back and lightly pushed Hwang Bo to walk forward with him. "Take Jins with us," he suggested and tenderly gazed at her, trying to observe her expression. She was genuinely smiling again. The smile that he would be missing. "Noona, there's something I want to do.."
"What is it?"
Hyun Joong smiled shyly. "Close your eyes and don't peek."
She glanced at him suspiciously with narrowed eyes. She gave up and closed her eyes tightly when he insisted it would not happen with her eyes opened.
Hyun Joong took in a deep breath and muttered out he was nervous. It made Hwang Bo laughed and she peeked, making Hyun Joong wagered his index at her in scolding fashion. When Hwang Bo asked him to be quick because she was eager to know what he wanted to do, Hyun Joong pulled her closer to him and hugged her tightly.
Hwang Bo was so shocked when Hyun Joong embraced her. Her eyes were wide opened with disbelief. Her jaw dropped. She was too stunned to do anything and in a split second, Hyun Joong let go of her.
It was brief but he managed to smell the scent of her shampoo, to hear her rhythmatic breathing and to feel her heart beat. Still smiling timidly and to some extend, blushing, he told her, "When you feel sad, you will remember that hug and you will smile like now." It would be something for him to hold on to until they met again.
As if that was a cue, a smile formed on Hwang Bo's lips. A coy smile yet filled with bliss. He would wait just like she would. Hwang Bo knew that for sure. What they shared between them was too beautiful to be wasted. She had dated her previous boyfriend in secret for 8 years before. Hwang Bo knew she could do the same with Hyun Joong to protect his budding career. "Let's elope with Jins before the others wake up," she said with a wide smile.
[COMEL] 2008. All rights reserved.
