[Fanfic] Noona, You Are Mine

Hwang Bo was not sure whether it was a good idea to rush to Hyun Joong's place when she was told the news. "We Got Married filming today is cancelled," said the We Got Married production staff who called her. The lady seemed to sound very surprised when Hwang Bo had asked why. "Didn't you know?" she asked her back.

"No," replied Hwang Bo. She would not ask if she knew why. "Why? Why?" Hwang Bo repeated in an even more curious tone. The filming was never cancelled at the last minute like this hence something must have happened. Something major. Indeed it was. Hwang Bo had a great shock when the news was told to her.

"Hyun Joong shi.. This is Noona. When you have rest well and wake up, please send me a message. Rest well. ^^"

She managed the text message to Hyun Joong after concluding she should let him rest instead of coming over and bothering him. Hwang Bo let out a loud sigh and tucked her cellphone in her bag.

Being a heavy sleeper, it was not like Hyun Joong at all to be woken up by the sound of a beeping cellphone. The sound of new text message coming, to be exact. But he was already woken up by the beeping sound. Struggling to open his eyes, he reached for his cellphone beside his bed. It was hard to read the text message with half closed eyes. Hyun Joong had to rub his eyes a few time. 

"Hyun Joong shi.. This is Noona. When you have rest well and wake up, please send me a message. Rest well. ^^"

Noona? The word Noona repeated itself in his head. As Hyun Joong was still in slumberland, it took him a while to scroll the screen further to check for the sender of the text message. "Walking Tool," he read it softly. There was a long pause before he whispered again. "Hwang Buin?"

Hyun Joong rested his heavy head on the pillow again and held up his cellphone a few inches away from his face as he typed his reply. A short while after that, his arms fell to his side. Hyun Joong was about to be drifted back to slumber land when he remembered something. Slowly, dragging his tired body, he typed in another text message. He smiled, feeling satisfied with himself, after sending the message. Hyun Joong immediately let sleepiness took over him again.

As soon as Hwang Bo read the two text messages from Hyun Joong, her lips cracked into a thin smile. 

"Buin, I'm awake now. Come and take care of me."

Hyun Joong's next text message was his home address. Suddenly, Hwang Bo laughed out loud. She never knew where Hyun Joong stayed hence if earlier, she decided to rush to him place, she would end up no where.

After shutting down her laptop, Hwang Bo changed her clothes to go out and quoting Hyun Joong's message, take care of him. As she had nothing to do today after the filming was cancelled, Hwang Bo had gone online to search news about Hyun Joong. Her heart sank deep when she read the news. Poor Hyun Joong. Hwang Bo did noticed when they were filming together, Hyun Joong would have the tired look on his face. But being as eccentric as he was, it was very easy to forget that look. Especially when he started to crack one of his 4D jokes and dragged her into his 4D world!

The dark circle under his eyes. The constant travelling in and out of Korea. The lack of meal.. Hwang Bo recalled how Hyun Joong once told her when they were filming in Japan, SS501 seldom eat good meal together. Hyun Joong did look like he lost weight recently. The lack of sleep.. Hwang Bo - again - recalled the time just before they went out to the outdoor water park, Hyun Joong told her how in the past four days, he barely had any sleep at all. Maybe that was the reason why he was always tired and hard to wake up in the morning. 

Hwang Bo stopped brushing her hair. "I force him to wake up early in Japan.." she sighed, regretting it. "Shillang, I'll take care of you," she absentmindedly vowed.

The door to Hyun Joong's place was not locked. Hwang Bo's forehead wrinkled. Why was that? She double checked the number on the door against the address in the text message. They matched. "Hyun Joong shi?" she called out his name softly before biting her lips. Unsure of what to do, Hwang Bo turned the doorknob again. It was indeed not locked. "Hyun Joong shi?" she called again, peeking inside. 

The room was dark. The curtains were drawn to block sunlight from coming in hence the darkness. Hwang Bo found her way in with the minimal light coming in between the drawn curtains. She found her way to the kitchen first, placing the bag of grocery she bought on her way to Hyun Joong's place, before guessing the way to his bedroom.

Hwang Bo's first guess was right. When she slowly pushed the door open, she saw a figure lying with his back towards the door. What a pity sigh to see, Hwang Bo thought to herself. Hwang Bo decided to let Hyun Joong sleep more. She could go and cook him something to eat while waiting for him to wake up. "Something healthy to fill the stomach," she said in low tone and walked back to the kitchen with a bright smile on her face.

It felt like someone had pushed him off the bed. Hyun Joong was really startled. Instantly he sat up straight on the bed, looking around him in daze. What happened? He wondered. He then became very alert to his surroundings. He heard footsteps and sound of people moving around. Hyun Joong slowly walked to the door, tilting his head a bit toward the sound coming from outside his room.

Hyun Joong saw Hwang Bo making herself comfortable in his kitchen. He curved a smile. He always saw her like this. Twice, to be exact. Once when they were filming for the housewarming party preparation and the other time was when Hwang Bo cooked for his members and him in their dormitory in Japan. He loved this sight. He always loved the sight of Hwang Bo in apron with her hands fast moving in the kitchen. It was a very pretty sight that brought warm to his heart.

"Noona."

Hwang Bo shrieked and jumped in surprised upon hearing the voice behind her. She quickly turned around, dropping the ladle she was holding onto the floor. "You surprised me!" Hwang Bo managed to say that out after calming herself. Hwang Bo lowered herself on the floor to pick up the ladle.

"You surprised me too when you shriek," Hyun Joong replied. His two hands were still on his chest. 

Hwang Bo laughed at the cute expression Hyun Joong had on his face. The same expression he always had whenever something surprised him. She had grown used to that expression and found it was loveable. "When did you wake up?" Hwang Bo asked, continuing to finish her soup. To be truthful, she was a bit upset Hyun Joong woke up before she finished cooking. Nevertheless, she was thrilled that he woke up before she left. 

Hyun Joong sat on the counter top. His eyes were following Hwang Bo's moves. He thought she moved too much and too quick because after a while, he got dizzy watching her. "Hmm?" he asked Hwang Bo when she asked him something. 

"When did you wake up?" Hwang Bo repeated her question. She turned around again, concentrating on her pot of soup. It was weird but she felt like Hyun Joong was staring at her. It made her self conscious. Hwang Bo tried to shake the feeling away. 

Hyun Joong frowned. "Me?" he asked again. "Just now."

Awkward silence came between them. For Hwang Bo, it was because she could not say anything when Hyun Joong eyes were piercing at her like that. She knew she was not imaging it! She knew Hyun Joong was staring at her. "Why?" Hwang Bo suddenly asked, turning around with fists on her sides. Hyun Joong made her felt very uncomfortable and uneasy. Was it too much to add that it annoyed her too?

After a few eye blinks later, Hyun Joong finally understand the question. The smile he gave Hwang Bo was a shy one. "Noona looks pretty."

The answer made Hwang Bo dropping on the floor and laughing until her stomach hurt. She could feel her face blushed. Yes, she was overjoyed for a silly reason. But she could not help it. 

Hyun Joong laughed lowly. The way Hwang Bo laughed at everything he said made him happy. Her laughter was very contagious. Once he was infected, it was hard be cured. "You need help to get off the floor?" Hyun Joong cheekily asked with a lingering smile. Hwang Bo shook her hand and waved him away. "Go and wait for me. The soup is almost done. I'll bring it out for you."

Obediently, Hyun Joong nodded his head and walked to the living room. The room was flooded with light from outside. He just stood there for a while, looking at the view outside the window. He, living a life as an idol star, seldom had time to see this view. When he was at home, he was always reading manga, playing video games or sleeping. When he was outside, he was always working. He almost never drew the curtains to expose the view. 

When Hwang Bo walked into the living room, she saw the expression on Hyun Joong's face. It was very hard to read. She concluded that he was not happy she cleaned his place. "I cleaned your place a bit," Hwang Bo confessed, putting down the pot of soup on the coffee table. Hyun Joong helped her. That was a lot of soup, Hyun Joong told himself when he took a glace inside the pot. Hyun Joong nodded. "I noticed," he replied. "Noona, you don't have to do that."

Standing in front of Hyun Joong with her hands on her waist, Hwang Bo grumbled, "You asked me to come and take care of you. That's what I'm doing." It was not really a complaint. She just needed to say something. When she stood facing him like this, taking a good look at Hyun Joong in abundance of light, her heart sank again. He was indeed a pity sight to look at. Spontaneously, Hwang Bo took a step forward and run her hands on Hyun Joong's head and stopped at his cheeks, cupping it in her palm.

Although he was startled by what she was doing, Hyun Joong did not pull back. He could not. He was too puzzled by her hands caressing his hair and moving down on his face like that. But he did not deny he loved her touch. It made his heart fluttered.

"You should take care of yourself," Hwang Bo told Hyun Joong. Still not aware of what she was doing, Hwang Bo continued to say, "You are too busy working that you have no time for yourself. You don't even have time to sleep! What is that? That's not a good life to live. While you are young, you should be healthy and have fun."

Hwang Bo continued to say more things to him but Hyun Joong barely listened. All he was aware of was her hands cupping his face. He felt like someone had just waked him up from his sleep again when Hwang Bo's hands suddenly dropped on her sides. 

Suddenly, Hwang Bo realised where her hands were. As fast as lightning, she dropped them on her sides and walked around the coffee table with lowered gaze. Silently, she scooped the soup into two bowls. So many thought passed through her mind as she did that. What was she doing? That was the loudest thought screaming in her head. She must have lost her mind.

Hwang Bo was embarrassed. Hyun Joong noticed her blush. He moved to sit across from Hwang Bo in awkward silent that they were both very familiar with.

"It may not taste good but it's very nutritious and good for your body," said Hwang Bo, as if nothing happened. She smiled as she passed one bowl towards Hyun Joong.

Hyun Joong extended his arm to take the bowl. He decided to also ignore what happened if it really embarrassed Hwang Bo. "I'm sick. Anything is good for my body," Hyun Joong said, also with a smile. A playful smile.

Hwang Bo's smile disappeared in a sudden. "What happened?" she asked in a very serious tone.

"I'm tired but I can't sleep so I took the sleeping pills."

"But that was a lot." Hwang Bo worry tone was very obvious.

"I really need to sleep. Originally, I have to work today. That's why I must sleep." He was referring to their filming together for We Got Married today.

"What if you never wake up again?" Hwang Bo was at the verge of tear when she asked that question. Her heart was very heavy with depression at that thought. "Isn't it better to stop working than never wake up again?" Then Hwang Bo went again with her talk about how Hyun Joong should take good care of himself. Hyun Joong listened tentatively like a student being reprimanded by his teacher. As before, he barely listened to what she said. He heard her tone though. It was filled with concern and.. Something else. Something warm. "If you can't do it, we can stop We Got Married."

"Noona, no." Hyun Joong response was quick and firm. "If we stop, I can't see Noona again." It was a slip of tongue. When he realised what he said, it was too late. He put down his soup bowl on the coffee table. Hyun Joong touched the dark circle underneath his eyes to hide his embarrassment. He must say something to cover for his slip of tongue. "Noona, you can cook very well. Come and live with me."

Hwang Bo had to hold on to the coffee table as she felt on her knees, laughing at Hyun Joong's word. "What?" she asked, after she managed to take a deep breath. "You want me to be your cook? But don't we already live together now? At least once a week."

Hyun Joong shook his head to disagree with her. "No, not for We Got Married. For real." That was another slip of tongue but Hyun Joong had given up on covering it. It was easier to let what his heart wanted to say, say it out than covering it up.

Hwang Bo's smile was shy but teasing at the same time. She waved her hands at him. "No.. No.. You said that once before.." She did not finish her sentence as Hyun Joong cut it short. "I said it so many times. At the breakfast table. In the studio. In my room, when you woke me up. You just laughed, Noona." Hyun Joong sounded like he was accusing Hwang Bo as guilty of something. "I really meant it."

Hwang Bo laughed. She was amused. She even clapped her hand and threw her head back in amusement as she laughed. "You.." She pointed at Hyun Joong. "..are so funny." Hwang Bo noticed Hyun Joong's expression suddenly became sad after she said that. "Is this recorded?" she asked, looking around suspiciously.

"Why are you so suspicious?" Hyun Joong noticed how Hwang Bo was always imagining someone was pranking her. She asked question like is this real? Is this being film? Now, she was asking is this recorded? 

"Because it doesn't feel real," Hwang Bo confessed. "And you.." Hwang Bo grinned. "..are so mushy. I thought you don't like this kind of stuff." That was more like an accusation rather than a statement made by Hwang Bo.

If this was any other situation or any other woman, Hyun Joong would have agreed with Hwang Bo. He did not like this kind of mushy stuff. But this is Hwang Bo and the situation was different. "Noona, do you like me?" he asked.

Hwang Bo was taken aback by the question. She looked like she was having a hard time swallowing the soup in her mouth. When Hwang Bo did not answer him, Hyun Joong felt like the roof of his place was crushing on his head. It hurt. Boldly, Hyun Joong said, "Noona, saranghae." As he was sincerely confessing his feeling to Hwang Bo, it really hurt when Hwang Bo laughed at him. Not only the roof crushed on his head, the whole building was crushing on him.

"Noona.." Hyun Joong protested when Hwang Bo could not seem to stop laughing. "Noona, during the 100th day photoshoot, do you remember I told you I was afraid?"

Hwang Bo nodded. "Yes, yes. I remember." At that time, she wondered why but Hyun Joong never told her the reason. 

"You asked me what I was afraid of."

"Yes, yes. I did."

"At that time, I feel something but I don't know what. It makes me afraid. But after we came back from the farm, I know why."

"The farm?" Hwang Bo just had to ask the question. She frowned.

Hyun Joong nodded his head. "The farm," he confirmed. "After spending time with the grandmas, I realised that I want to see you like that."

Hwang Bo frowned again with a gloomy expression. "You see me as a grandma?" she asked, feeling alarmed and irritated at the same time. 

"No! I want to see you growing old. I can only do that if we grow old together. Noona, you are a beautiful person inside and outside. I like you. A lot."

Hwang Bo fan herself with both hands. The room suddenly heated up. She got up from the seat and started to walk back and forth with her head tilted up, still fanning herself with her hand. Hyun Joong looked up. If there was anyone who would be embarrassed and shy, it should be him as he was the one making a confession. "Really?" Hwang Bo asked.

Hyun Joong pushed away the strand of hair covering his eyes. "Really." He nodded to emphasize. "Noona, do you like me?"

Hwang Bo placed her palm on her forehead. She felt dizzy and out of breath. It was because she was too happy. Giddily happy. But this was too hard to believe. "Really?" she asked again, pointing her finger at Hyun Joong as if to warm him not to tell lie.

"Really."

"There's no hidden camera, right?"

"No," Hyun Joong answered, exasperatedly. "Noona, saranghae." This time, he said it while looking straight into Hwang Bo's eyes. He really meant it. If he had to repeat his word again and again to convince Hwang Bo, he would. If he had to look at her eyes to convince her, he would. Shy or not, awkward or not, Hyun Joong was careless. 

Hwang Bo smiled. She was satisfied. 

"You are not angry, right, Noona?" The thought crossed Hyun Joong's mind. 

Between the two of them, everyone knew Hwang Bo was six years older than Hyun Joong. By right, she should be more mature than him. But lately, she found she had been feeling very immature and unreasonable when she started to like Hyun Joong. She should know better than that. But.. "No, I'm not angry." Having Hyun Joong telling her that he like her.. "What do you want to do?" she asked.

Hyun Joong looked a bit lost when he was asked the question. He never thought about that. He knew that he like Hwang Bo and he could not keep that feeling to himself anymore. But what did he want to do about it? "Noona can like me too," Hyun Joong offered a suggestion with a witty smile that did not match his serious tone.

Why did Hwang Bo felt like Hyun Joong had just given her consent to like him? She could not stop smiling. Hwang Bo confessed that she was very afraid to like him. He was younger that her. That made everything not right. He was an idol. That made thing not right too. She felt so insecure.

As if he could read Hwang Bo's mind, Hyun Joong said, "Didn't I tell you I can protect you?"

"Except from cicada and grasshopper," Hwang Bo cut in. 

Hyun Joong smiled. "Except from cicada and grasshopper," he agreed with her.

She could tell Hyun Joong the truth that she also like him. She has been having that feeling for so long that she did not know when it started. Maybe when he showed he care about her when he bought her the medicine. Or when he bought her the beauty product gift from his trip to Thailand. Or when he apologised for not learning and playing the piano for her. Or when he made promise with the paper crane. But she always felt it when Hyun Joong gave her laughter. In a way she never thought possible. At first, when she started to feel attached to him, she thought it was because she saw him as a dongseang. She was wrong. She saw him as a man. A man who she like a lot. "OK."

"OK?"

"OK, I will like you." Hwang Bo smiled.

Hyun Joong eyes widened. Excitement danced in his eyes. "Is it OK to ask you out?"

Hwang Bo laughed. She nodded. "But if you are too busy to ask me out, we can date during the filming of We Got Married. In that way, people will not know we are dating."

"You don't want people to know?" asked Hyun Joong in disappointed tone. "I guess it's OK to keep it between us for a while. But eventually, I will have to spread the rumors that we are dating." Hyun Joong had a mischievous smile on his face as he said that. "When there are rumors, you must admit it, Noona."

Nodding her head to answer him, Hwang Bo said, "I think people will be able to tell when watching We Got Married. You are so honest and blunt with your feeling."

"If that is so, then why can't you tell I like you?"

Hearing the question, Hwang Bo laughed. She could tell. But she was not brave enough to acknowledge it. She needed a confession to confirm it. She got the confirmation today. "Come, show me your bedroom." Hwang Bo held out her hand towards Hyun Joong.

Hyun Joong had his hands on his chest. "Noona?" he asked, stunned and surprised.

Hwang Bo immediately fell on the floor as she laughed. "No, it's not that!" 

"Orh.." Hyun Joong was embarrassed. He pretended to rub his nose which was not itchy. He felt silly.

As Hwang Bo got up from the floor, she said, "First, I want to throw out those sleeping pills. You don't need them. When you can't sleep, call me. I'll make you watch me dancing techtonic until you bored and fall asleep. Then, I want to stock up your kitchen with real food, not just ramen."

Hyun Joong laughed at the thought of Hwang Bo dancing techtonic to make him fall asleep. He would not get bored watching her. He knew that. But he agreed. The pills must go. He did not need them as he has to be Hwang Bo's protector from now on. "Saranghae," Hyun Joong shouted at Hwang Bo as he watched her telling him what she wanted to do.

Hwang Bo stopped talking. Her face turned red. She lifted both hands above her head but was too shy to do it. She immediately crouched on the floor, burying her head on her laps.

Hyun Joong was shocked. Pointing at Hwang Bo, he shouted, "I saw that!" Although it was a brief second, he saw Hwang Bo did the cute love sign for him. Hyun Joong laughed, cheerfully.

- the end -

Writer: COMEL

[COMEL] 2008. All rights reserved.