Seohyun yawned while reading her book. She was at her apartment on her third day of resting. Her arm almost healed completely by now, the cast already opened and she could move her finger the way she wanted to. These three days, she spent with reading and watching music program. And despite couldn't use her hand; she could still practice well in singing.

 

It's on the day like this that usually she got to rest well, but not this couple days. Ever since that day, she was restless. She got so awry by the fact that she just got rejected and experience failure. These couple days she was waiting for someone at the company or even her dad to call and say that Yonghwa rejected their collaboration and maybe they would give her another partner, but none. None of it happen which makes her confuse.

 

The sudden ring of her phone startled her. She took the phone and saw the unknown caller. "Hello?"

 

"Where are you?" The cold tone from the other line irritated her.

 

"And who is this?"

 

"I'm Jung Yong Hwa. Now tell me where you were these past few days instead of practicing?"

 

Seohyun couldn't hide her shock that made gag open. It's fortunate he won't be able to see her from the phone. "There's none of your business if I practice or not.." She said slowly.

 

"So you won't care about our collaboration anymore?"

 

"What do you mean? You reject it though.."

 

"I change my mind.. Come to the company right now if you still want to collab with me.. You have 30 minutes.."

 

"What? B-but.. Hello? Hello? Yaahhh.." Seohyun shouted but the other line already ended the phone rudely. "Aishhh.."

 

Seohyun quickly washed her face and changed her shirt before headed to the door. It's fortunate that she had her small apartment not too far from the company so she could arrive in 15 minutes. She run fast as if run for her life and panted hard in front of the door of his practice room. When she opened the door, she saw his figure at the piano, not even minding to take a glance at her.

 

He looked at his wrist watch and smirked. "30 minutes.. You are on time.." She saw how he stood up and turned to look at her before frowning with disgust. "You look awful.."

 

She tried to even her breath and saw herself. She dressed in a rush and didn't mind to even take a second look when she walked out. And now she can see how she got different shoes in each leg, her green jacket contrast with her red pants, made her looks like a Christmas tree. Okay, she wasn't used to have this bad fashion sense, but now. She coughed up in embarrassment when she took off her jacket and threw it on the couch. "I usually didn't wear anything like this.. Just because you asks me in a hurry.. Well, fashion is confident you know.." Seohyun tried to act careless and kept her pride high though she wanted to burry herself under the table.

 

Yonghwa lifted his eyebrow but didn't push the topic further. Thankfully.

 

"I assume you still practice these past few days.." He said. "I will give you a week to perfect your play.. Now let's hear you sing first.." He asked her to sit at the chair across his.

 

"Wait the minute, sunbaenim.. I still don't get it.. Why did you change your mind?"

 

"Just because.. Never mind.. Did you want this collaboration or not? If you really don't want it then-"

 

"I want it. I want it.." Seohyun sit at the chair in front of him in a rush.

 

Yonghwa smirked slightly and clapped his hand. "Okay.. Let’s hear your voice.."

 

Seohyun coughed once and tried to find the right key before she started singing.

 

"You change your mind

Like a girl changes clothes.

And you over think

Always speak cryptically

 

'Cause you're hot then you're cold

You're yes then you're no

You're in then you're out

You're up-"

 

"Stop.. Stop.. Stop.." Yonghwa said, felt annoyed suddenly. "Why did you sing that song?"

 

With an innocent look, she looked at him who obviously unhappy about her song choice. "Just because.."

 

"Let's try again.. Another song.."

 

"Why you gotta be so rude.. Don’t you know I'm human too~"

 

"Yaahh.. STOP.. Are you trying to mock me?"

 

"What are you talking about? I'm just doing what you told me to do.."

 

Yonghwa took a deep breath tried to restrain his urge to shout at her. Is this girl really just sing it without any other intention? Then why did he felt offended?

 

"Ahrasso.. Now let's sing the song I chose for you.."

 

He handed her a note book filled with music paper. "Open the third one.."

 

Seohyun through the pages and open right at the page he mentioned. "Love girl?"

 

"Sing it.."

 

"But I never heard about it though.."

 

"You never heard about it? It's CNBLUE song. Really - really never heard about it?" He doesn't know why but he felt irritated suddenly.

 

Seohyun shook her head. "May you give me time to learn the note?"

 

He sighed, really annoyed this time but couldn't do anything about it and decided to just gave up and let her do what she wanted. Yonghwa took his phone on the couch and sit there while she was busy rummaging her phone. "What are you doing?"

 

"Oh I search this song on the internet to help me get the note faster.. Is that okay?"

 

"Do what you want.."

 

Not long after he could hear her humming the song. "Oohh.. Cause you're hot then you're cold..You're yes then you're no~" Seohyun mumbled the song slowly while browsing her phone.

 

"I could still hear you.." He snapped and Seohyun startled. He swears to himself that he won't ever listen to that song ever again. Seohyun cursed at him inside her heart with any vocabulary she knew.

 

Seohyun took her headset and put it on her ear when she found the song she was looking for. The song is very light and romantic; it could melt the heart of every girl who listened. She felt a bit surprised though. CNBLUE is rock band yet Yonghwa could compose and sing something this sweet. It could totally change her mind if she wasn't remembered the way he treated her.

 

He saw how she tapped her finger on the table and her feet on the floor, obviously enjoying the music. A slight smirk appeared on his lips, knowing it was his music made her that way.

 

She hummed the melody and he couldn't feel any prouder. Above all of his piece, he loves Love Girl the most. He made it with memory of his first love. Though it's heartbreaking yet he could created a lovable piece.

 

Seohyun might think he was easy to change his mind. But he didn't. Yet he still changed his mind and gave her second chance. Of course he had his reason to do that; he after all couldn't judge her just by one failure performance. If she could get that approval from management team, she must have something in her. But it wasn't the sole reason of it all..

 

Previous days ago..

 

He was ready to meet with Hwejangnim to reject the collaboration with Seohyun that day. When he walk passed the gym he saw Hyeri and Seohyun standing in front of the door with not so friendly atmosphere. He knew they weren’t really had good senior-junior relationship so when he saw they were standing across each other like this, he was sure they would start cat fight. He wasn’t interest in girls fight though so he was trying to move away when suddenly he heard something that took his interest.

 

"I sprain my arm because of what you did.." Yonghwa stopped his step and leaned his body beside the wall that safe from their peripheral when he heard Seohyun said that. He could sense the cold wall beside him and suddenly felt stupid for eavesdropping like this. This is so not him.

 

"Me? Then tell me did you have proof?"

 

"The water wasn't there when I first came in.. and there's no one at that time except you and me. I hear weird sound before you exit the room.."

 

"You said that a proof? Yah.. Was it my fault if you walk without using your eye? Why you keep blaming me for your clumsiness? Just blame yourself and stop whining like baby.."

 

"..Just so you know Sunbaenim, I know what you did to the piano at the practice room and many other things you did to bully me and other trainees. I don't know why you should show your authority with that kind of attitude but please stop. I'll let you go this time but I won't let it pass next time. Please remember it.."

 

Not long after he saw Lee Ki Hong hyung walked to the scene and defending his idol. He could hear his name called by them and saw how Hyeri trapped Seohyun at the wall and makes her winced in pain. Unconsciously he rushed to the scene and join the conversation. And despite clearly knowing the situation, he acted clueless and took side to Hyeri and her manager by said rude things to her. It was intentional though, knowing Hyeri, she will got harsher in defensive mode. Moreover if she saw how Yonghwa took Seohyun side in that situation, he couldn't imagine what Hyeri manage to do to Seohyun next.

 

The next thing he knew was the hurt flashed Seohyun eyes by his words. Though he felt a bit guilty and pitied her but he had no choice at that time. He didn't want to burn the fire and he didn't want to be part of the burning process either.  

 

 

The first minute she said she was ready; he took a better look at her. Though it took his every effort to keep his laugh at himself, her horrible outfit choices still a bit too much for his liking. It was fortunate she still isn’t debut yet, or she will be the headline on every entertainment page and be the laugh stock of the whole town, or worse, the whole nation.

 

Seohyun took a deep breath and start singing. She sings carefully, not even minding to look at him in the eye and just focusing on the paper in her hand. Clearly she wasn't memorizing the lyric yet. But it doesn't matter anyway. The purpose was for him to measure her voices, since he never heard she sings before. When she finished, she looked up at him nervously, waiting for his response with anticipation.

 

He took a deep breath before looked at her intently. "You had a good voice, very clear and soothing. But you lack in performance. At first I thought you were just not memorizing the lyric but I could catch a glimpse of awareness.. You are aware you had audience, and despite communicate with them, you restrain yourself.." Yonghwa stood up, walked closer to her and bend his body lower. His lips whispered softly right at her ear. "Or is it me as the audience so you can't even look me in the eye..?"

 

Seohyun gulped down the lump in when her body shivered by his soft breath. For a second she freeze before the smirk in his face brought her back to her sense. The only reflex response she could get was to push him and smack that ugly smirk from his face away. "A-are you c-crazy? Y-you.. you.."

 

Yonghwa stood frozen at his spot, his eyebrow lifted, watching her shuttering by his joke. Seohyun tried to compose herself in a second before continue with calmer tone, "..Don't flown away too high, Sunbaenim. It will be hurt when you fall from the sky.."

 

And to her surprise, he wasn't even mad like she predicted. He chuckled first before crack to laugh out loud. And it confused her even more when he gave this light response. She got used to loathe him, sent curses, his sarcastic remarks, anything but his laugh. Because it makes his feature soften with a slight of mischief. He had a boyish grin and friendly laughed. It made her anxious for she couldn't stop the loud thumping in her heart.

 

"W-why you laughed?" She couldn't stop herself to ask.

 

"You had guts that I know.. You always calm, that's what they said.. But you were shuttered and hesitated in front of me yet you dare to talk big like that, that's new.. I wonder if you could show me more interesting side of you.. I guess I will very anticipate our collaboration, Seohyun-ssi.."

 

Seohyun gaped when he smirked and handed her a piles of album in her hand. "Watch this and learn something.. See you tomorrow.."

 

He walked to the door but turned around to face her again. "..Ah right.. I'll give you a week to master the song.. I bet your arm completely healed already at that time, right? Let's do our best, partner.."

 

"Wh-?" Did he know about my arm? Before she managed to ask, he was already gone from her sight.

 

 

 

 

"Stretch your leg.. Yes like that.. Hold it for a minute.." Ye ji Noona ordered. Seohyun tried her best to stretch her body; they were in the middle of dance training. Though not a perfect dancer, she had quite good body reflex by her constant ballet training when she was a kid. It helped her lot to do pop dance now.

 

"Okay now we are done.. Let's rest for half hour.."

 

Seohyun took a deep breath, walked to her belongings and took her water bottle. The other trainees scattered around the room, some of them sit at the bench near her and whispered to each other. It's not eavesdropping when she could hear clearly what they said, especially when she was the topic of their conversation.

 

"It's really uncomfortable for me to be in the same room with her.. We came first, so why aren't we debuting yet?"

 

"I smell something fishy.. You know what people said about her, right?"

 

"Yeah, I don't know if she was just lucky to have collab with Yonghwa sunbae or she really use her body to the director as what they said.. Oh .. We train so hard all this years but gor defeated with that kind of cheap tricks.."

 

"But-but we don't know anything.. Maybe she really is good..And please lower your voice, she might hear us.." Said the one with the braided hair.

 

"Shut up Yoona.." The latter got snapped by one of her friends and looked down while her friends continue to gossiping.

 

"You know-"

 

Seohyun sighed while keep on sipping her drink, tried to ignore all the bad comments she heard. It’s good enough when she came back yesterday knowing Hyeri and her group was in China attending an event there yet here she was still dealing with another one who keeps saying bad things about her. It was better to just close her ears for now and focus on her upcoming debut. She told herself a couple times that they were just jealous of her. That's why they kept sending her hate.

 

She decided to go outside to get some fresh air. The backyard of the company contained Green Park that allowed the artist to enjoy the green scape in the city without really walked out of the city. "Ahhh.." Seohyun took a long deep breath while stretching her arms in the air.

 

The sounds of the calm nature made Seohyun felt sleepy. She was sure there's no one around when she yawned sleepily. "Hoahm.."

 

"Woah.. That’s a big yawn you had.." Seohyun startled when she heard voices from behind. The silhouette of a man came closer to her and rested below the tree.

 

"Sunbaenim.. You are here?" Seohyun felt embarrassed getting caught yawning.

 

"I was sleeping before you came and shouted.."

 

"Emm.. I'm sorry Sunbaenim.."

 

"Hey, chill.. It's not like this park was mine.. Everyone could come and shout and yawn and do whatever they want and none of it was my business to meddle with.."

 

"Sunbaenim.. mmm.. actually.."

 

Jonghyun smiled at her, his hand crossed on his chest. "Don't be too formal with me.. You are Seohyun, right?" Seohyun nodded her head, can't believe she was recognized by the senior like Lee Jong Hyun. "Just call me Jonghyun or oppa.. We will met often anyway.. So drop the honorific."

 

"Mmm.."

 

"Don't be hesitate.. Just say it.."

 

"Sunbaenim.."

 

"Oppa!"

 

"Okay, Jonghyun oppa? Can I tell you something?"

 

"Of course.. Go on.."

 

"Actually I'm not sorry for disturbing your sleep because like you said this is a public space and people may come and go and do whatever their businesses are. What I want to tell you was that your-" Seohyun hesitated but keep pointing at certain part of his lower body. "..Your zipper is open.."

 

Jonghyun first reaction was to gaped and check on his zipper which wide open showing his green boxer clearly. Seohyun coughed awkwardly, looking away to anything except his body. Jonghyun quickly zip his pants, feeling embarrassed all of the sudden. He was supposed to be a cool sunbae yet his image always showed the otherwise. He laughed awkwardly before rake his neck sheepishly. "Well.. That’s a bit.. Would you please keep it for yourself?"

 

Seohyun held her laughter to prevent him getting embarrassed more. "I won't tell anybody.. Promise.."

 

Jonghyun heaves a sigh of relieve and act like the previous scene was never happen. "Geure.. Since now we have a secret together.. Let's not be awkward anymore.. Please keep the secret well, dongsaengie.."

 

"Ahrasso, Jonghyun oppa." Seohyun giggled.

 

After a second of silence between them he says, "I heard you were collaborating with Yonghwa hyung?"

 

"Ah.. ne.. That’s true."

 

"How is it? He got emotional often right? Ahh.. You should have just collaborated with me.. I will treat you well."

 

"Interesting offer.." Seohyun nodded once more when Jonghyun chuckled, "Yonghwa always a perfectionist one when it comes to music.. But it's for our own good, trust me.. Just endure it and follow his lead. If he gave you a hard time.."

 

Jonghyun looked at his right and left as if telling her the important secret to defeat Yonghwa and whispers, "..Use your aegyo.. He can't stand cute girl.."

 

Seohyun laughed at his joke and Jonghyun had this 0.01 second freezing time when he saw her laugh so beautifully before he join to laughed out loud too.

 

 

 

 

Yonghwa thought he was being nicer after he gave her the second chance. He reached the conclusion that they need to cooperate well to make things work. To do that, there's no other way than to change the opinion about the way he saw her and the way she saw him. He acted as if he is her mentor, he could pinpoint all her flaws in every performance and expect her to do better next time.

 

He could think he was being nice but he is still a total tyrant in her eyes. Though knowing exactly what he did and what he wanted, it wasn't easy to communicate throughout the training. Yonghwa's perfection drives her crazy sometimes and as if she always did nothing right, he could always find the wrong in her performance.

 

Despite the entire professional things, they were strangers, still. He could talk about music for hours but dodge every personal question threw at him. Not that she wanted to know his personal matter; she was just wondering what's inside his mind and how to be friend with him. It's hard to read him, he could joke around and be very friendly sometimes, yet his rude mouth never really left. They were not becoming friend yet, they were just act civil to each other.

 

After a week under his supervision, she managed to play the melody with no mistakes at all. Just the way he wanted it to be.

 

"..So when I strum the guitar, you will start the intro with piano.." They were in the middle of practicing in his practice room, as usual.

 

"Shouldn't we practice with the song, Sunbae?"

 

"Well, of course we will reach that step eventually.."

 

"But you didn't even write the lyric yet. Should I help you to make it?"

 

"You want to try?" Seohyun nodded enthusiastically. "Ahrasso, let's just make it together. I already had something in mind about the song, but you could make the verse one as the beginning.." Yonghwa stood up from the chair and put his guitar at its case. "Let's take a break first.. I'm hungry.."

 

"Okay.." She answered when he stepped to the door yet stay there while looking at her. Seohyun looked up, confuse defiant in her eyes. He usually just walked out and left her ate her lunch alone.

 

"Don't you want to eat? Palli.. We could talk about the lyric while eating."

 

With confuse still evident in her eyes, she walked following him.

 

 

They were at one of the steak house that was his favorite he said. Yonghwa ordered tenderloin steak immediately and asked her to order as well. Seohyun was on diet and refused the offer. "You are already skinny, just eat comfortably.. I don't like eating alone.."

 

“Please don’t risk my debut album to show the chubby me, sunbaenim..” He chuckled but didn’t buy the excuse. “You’ll be fine..” After a couple minutes of persuasion, Yonghwa finally could make her ordered some steak as well. Their steak arrived and he quickly slices the meat and dips it on the sauce.

 

"You must be very hungry, sunbae."

 

"No. I'm starving."

 

Seohyun chuckled when she saw him munching his food hungrily. He looked far from his actual image all this time. At the time like this, he was being easy to approach, which not happens often.

 

"What kind of lyric will suitable for this song, Sunbae?" She asked when the dish already gone.

 

"I'm thinking about the feeling when you fall in love.. Like the way a guy or a girl saw the other one, full of admiration yet don’t need to use such hard phrase.. Do you know that kind of feeling?"

 

"Do you? What is love for you?”

 

“It’s bittersweet.. Like chocolate, as bitter as much as you have when you break up..”

 

“You seems experience much in love.."

 

"How can you say that?"

 

"I listen to your song and the lyric itself could touch me. I believe in order to make good lyric you at least should have known or experience it.. Or the words you arrange won’t be able to reach the listener and becoming mere empty words.."

 

Yonghwa looked at her in the eye but shook his head. “That.. where you were wrong. Good lyricists never need to experience one to write it. They see, feel and embrace anything catch through their eyes and heart.. Be it their own experience or even others..”

 

Seohyun pouted her lips and said her own view, “I could feel it though.. You were telling stories through your songs and the words you created..”

 

His finger touched the tip of his glass and stayed there. "I make the melody of this song when I was still a trainee, like you now. But I haven't wrote the lyric itself.."

 

"Could that be you were in love back then or was that other’s experience as your muse?"

 

Yonghwa stayed silence but keep looking at her intently, his eyes rummaging her face carefully, tried to read her initial intention from her question. He doesn’t like anyone to meddle on his private life. Being a celebrity means he should maintained his professional and private life separately. And that’s what he did all this years. Not many people know about his personal matter and not like he wanted to share it anyway. Privacy was a luxury he could get only if he managed to keep it well.

 

“I was in love.. Past tense. Everyone did, right?”

 

“I guess so. Such a beautiful melody must be created from beautiful memory, too. Love faded but memories stay..” Seohyun never intended to pry or meddle in his business over his past love; she thought it was something natural to talk about the inspiration behind a good piece of work. She never thought he would suddenly make an uncomfortable expression that she couldn’t comprehend.

 

“Let’s go back to the company..” He said, and she could felt how he became distant again. Yonghwa paid the bill, headed to the front door and about to step outside when to his surprise was raining hard. Seohyun stood behind him and got surprised as well. They didn’t realize the rain was pouring down since earlier because the room they use in the restaurant was a private room with no windows at all. Yonghwa kept silent while they were still standing in front of the door, waiting for the rain to calming down. The waitress ushered them to wait inside the room but Yonghwa reject it and wanted to wait for the rain outside.

 

Seohyun could only follow, thinking it wasn’t the right time to object the idea. She glanced secretly at his figure while the latter keep watching the grey sky above him in silence. He clearly was in a deep thought.

 

Of what?

 

Only God knows what..

 

 

Bittersweet Memories

That is all that I’m taking with me

 

 

TBC.

 

A.N : Unedited.. Ignore typo..

I still can't get over the way Jonghyun saw Seohyun laugh with his sweet smile and dreamy eyes in many events.. I don't know what's on his mind yet couldn't help but spazz it here..Won't beat yongseo in my heart but still made my mind go crazy over it.

Please drop your upvotes and comments if you like this story as a token of appreciation to motivate me of writing more, dear lovely readers..^^ Thank you..

 

Lyrics credit to :

- Katy Perry-Hot and Cold  

- Magic-Rude

 

XOXO