Chapter 3 Part 1

Battle

Jung Yong Hwa’s eyes swam with anger hue, yet confusion pounded every corner of his head. Trembled hand clutched forming a ready-punch when his heart ached, exposing the old wound he managed to hide in every single day of his life. After seven years ago.

Just several minutes before, someone gave him a simple blue strip present box through one of the karate student.  World made a pro deal for him all these days, before he opened it up then discovered two bare music scores book  and some guitar instrument CDs inside. His eyes rimmed for good five seconds, his brain was stucked to run.

No one, during his seven escape years from music, dared to snudge him by music stuff.
He raised a piece of paper with handwriting inked out aside the present. He statued.

I’m your faithful fan since seven years ago~ Oppa, fighting! *hugs*

Yong Hwa stayed dumb. He was chased, by a nightmare.
 

*&^%$#@

And that was the smallest thing. He woke up in the supposed-to-be-peaceful-morning-but-the-fact-was-complete-horror-morning while he abruptly banged his wood doorleaf behind, emerged out to spot  a ring radio tape sounding outloud on his room terrace. La Paloma. The classical guitar solo playing mingled with air melodiously, but NOT for him.  It was gratingly wrecked his ears.

He roughly slammed the STOP BUTTON on the tape radio, but nothing happened. Yong Hwa’s hand pressed the button repeatedly in depression, trying to deal with ‘no effect’ hell thing as the radio tape looked like mocking him.

He broke a pause for seconds when his peevish eyes caught a piece of paper under the tape, sounded: Oppa, enjoy the music in the morning~ Keep loving music! –your faithful fan-

Yong Hwa formed a clueless expression before he heaved a deep breath. That was total crazy!

And then he stood on foot straightly while limbered up, stretching up his muscle. His vengeance eyes swept the karate yard to find the culprit, then he smirked as no one appeared. He made a distance with the accursed radio tape, before squaring off to throw a kick towards..

“NO!”

Someone screamed hed off in sudden while Yong Hwa was in the half-way of kicking, right leg hang in the air.

He found a woman run to approach him, while he put down his leg to face. her. Their eyes encountered in silence, just an irregular breath from her panted fulfilled the atmosphere.

And Yong Hwa memory popped out.

She was that FNC girl.

“You..?” He pointed her in puzzle.

“Why are you like this?!” She grabbed the radio tape rudely, almost cried, not looking at him back while taking fast steps away.

*&^%$#

Her pace in sinuous as making a zig zag trace through FNC corridorway, absent-mindly brain wandered around the moments she just experienced. Jung Yong Hwa and his music abhorence. World had inevitable mighty powers as it could turn a born-talent music prodigy into a total music hater, something she would never understand.

What sort of things could make him like that?

It was not about only complying FNC request in fulfilling head department position, and more than the promising money enticing her. The most important thing was, Jung Yong Hwa was lost. Of himself.  

“Seo Joo Hyun-ssi?”

Someone scatterbrained her mind. As she spotted the caller, Seo Hyun hurriedly took a bow.

*&^%$#@

Yunho handed her a glass of coffee off. Both of them now was sitting on FNC comfortable couch in the lobby, a place for the FNC waiting guests.

He murmured for himself, “Coffee is always the best during work hours.”

Her lips curved as a response, she smiled.

Silence was dripping around before Yunho broke it off, “Did you meet him?”

Her gulp almost puked out as a nervousness churned her stomach. Jung Yong Hwa topic is coming.“N-ne.”

“And?”

“He didn’t seem nice.”

Yunho exploded, “That child barely looks nice.” His tone sounded like he was intimate enough with Yong Hwa. Seo Hyun blinked. Yunho continued, “Any progress?”

And now she hang her head low, “Not.. yet, Yunho-ssi.”

“Ahrasseo.”

Seo Hyun gulped her coffee again, reducing her doubt to finally say, “Yunho-ssi. Why did he hate music? I mean, someone you trust could be the real-“ She swallowed, “The real musician.”

She could see a bitter smile flashed on him, “He encages himself up from music, and burying every music memories he had. The reason was crazier as you could think, Miss. And until now, no one could open his heart back to his music.” Yunho then gazed at her, “I’ve tried before, many times. And always failed.”

She blinked. Yunho looked distressed and despondent, though he perfectly wrapped his expression up with warmth and geniality.. yet total obscinaty.

“I understand if you meet difficulties, Seo Hyun-ssi. I owe you for doing this..”

“I will help you to make him back.” Seo Hyun cut his line sternly, “I promise. Please count on me.”

Yunho paused as he digested her sure words, amazing enough catching Seo Hyun’s burning spirit in sudden. Then he laughed, “Thankyou.”

“But..”

“Sajangnim!” A staff approached them, “Mr. Wardon is coming.”

Seo Hyun’s lips was still opened as she prepared a question to him, her curious mind blew up. But Yunho got off before she could complete it out. “See you around, Miss.”

And she ended up with an obedient yes nod.

*&^%$#@

“So, Mr. Jung Yunho,” Janson L. Wardon, director of Roxar, the most popular entertainment agency from America, smiled widely as Yunho finally signed the agreement paper. “This movie will be real hit as you agree to work for music and soundtrack parts. FNC is one of our credible music partner. Thankyou for your cooperative response.”

Yunho took a light bow, “I see. Thankyou for you, too, Mr. Wardon, as your trust. We will do our best for this project.”

Then they shared a friendly smile.

“We will send the file you need to work with through emails, so you can arrange the music plan. Because the movie tells about Korea, we intend to rake Korean actors and actresses as the roles. And the shooting, of course, will be held in this country.”

Yunho nodded in understanding.

“We’ll comeback two months later for the details. And now, we will take my leave.”

“Oh. Yes.” Yunho then got off, accompanying the Roxar staff until lobby.

His thought gnawed his head. A movie handled with well-known agency was a big step for FNC, moreover the broadcast would be spread all over Europe and America. No one as director in average national agency had enough brain to dare rejecting this promising offer. But Yunho realized something. He surely needed him, he wanted music head department to lead this project.

And he craved for Yong Hwa in urgency.

*&^%$#@

Yong Hwa was officially mad, or crazy, or insane, whatever the words could describe his wrath towards the stack of guitar partitur sheets sent by his-anonym-fan every day, almost twice a day. He had fed up enough to deal with the franctic fan, and count her or him as complete nightmare for messing up his tranquility.

He took the music sheets relentlessly and steps to the corner of his room, pausing his pace in front of a small trash bin. He made a roll of the stacks so it will be smallest and fit to be thrown away, but then he suddenly stopped.

Yong Hwa heard a guitar melody rang inside his head. He cracked up with sudden anger, even he could mention the song title. La Paloma.

Holy crap!

It was the same song FNC girl brought the radio tape for him days ago!

He coarsely slammed the stacks against the floor, then wildly banged the door, going outside to calm his head by walking roughly passing out Karate Temple Center gate.

*&^%$#@

 “Ahrasseo.” Seo Hyun quickly hang his cellphone up as someone out the line told her the news. She hen spun her neck towards one man and one woman sat on sidewalk bench, “He comes to our direction.”

A commotion brought up right after.

“Yah! Seo Joo Hyun, what the hell you want us to be? Street musician? With this costume?” Lee Jung Shin, one of her workmate at the same department, yelled out a protest.

He sticked with winner clothes combination: a pink skinny trousers and a tight
yellow glowing shirt, along with sunglasses put on her oval shape face. He
looked like a long-haired Elvis Persley astrayed at the blazing Seoul.

“Seo Hyun-ah, please make this plan faster.” Soo Young, another her workmate, whimpered,
fixing her jet hair and bold make up, and getting annoyance wearing a glimmering red dress full with glitter marks.

“Do my instruction before. And we need to be the center of attention. Jung Shin as acoustic guitar, and Soo Young-ah as pianica. Me as vocal. Don’t play too good, broke the melody.” Seo Hyun herself wore the same style dress as Soo Young, light green one plus a glasses, as Yong Hwa maybe recognized her face. Both of those women looked like a twin doll at festival.


Then they saw Yong Hwa from distance, walking through the sidewalk, going to their spot.

And the trio began to sing haphazardly, in random shot

“Gee gee gee baby baby! Gee gee gee baby baby!” Seo Hyun danced shamelessly, as people
started to take a look and broke a tickled smile as they caught the trio’s silly action. Some stopped to see the funny performance, so catchy in early evening.

“Neomu banjjak banjjak nooni bushoh no no no no no! Neomo kamjjak kamjjak nolan nanneun oh oh oh oh oh!”

Yong Hwa approached them, beamed a fierce stare even from metres away. She could see ‘stupid
moron’ plastered on his forehead as mocking as he walked closer.

Seo Hyun danced along while reaching him, giving him the microphone to sing with her. But Yong Hwa stayed rigid, lips tightened, didn’t fall with their play. Seo Hyun pouted, and began to voice a screech to build up a rumpus around. People laughed. Then she made a circle dancing around him, flirtatious, to arrest him of going forwards.

Yong Hwa reluctantly stood up, looking for a moment to escape. He was trapped.

Then Jung Shin made the maneuver while the song reached choda parts. He pretended to be drowned into the melody as he bit his lower lip and kept noddin to fakely enjoy his guitar strum.

And it was complete terrible. The horrible and unharmonious sounds ever.  

“STOP YOUR PLAY!”

A bass voice screamed out, cracking up the mussy song. They paused, then turned around to the source. Yong Hwa stared at Jung Shin in devil eyes, like wanted to eat him entirely, “Do you ever learn how the hell to play a guitar? That was total creepy!”

“What?” Jung Shin stood up, “Yah! Who are you?”

Seo Hyun grin inwardly. Fast response.

Yong Hwa stayed silent, having stare competition with Jung Shin.

“Yah, Ahjussi!” Seo Hyun yelled out, faced Yong Hwa, “Who are you daring to dictate my friend? He’s the best guitarist ever!”

Yong Hwa threw mocking laugh. “Are you lost your mind, Miss? She was the worst guitarist I’ve ever seen. Best guitarist, my !”

His rude words made people around gathered as finding up an interesting furor at sidewalk.

Seo Hyun heaved a deep breath, served his anger, “I see. So you’re the best guitarist, I guess, as you have the enough bravery to humiliate my friend outloud.” Then she returned to Jung Shin, “Jung Shin-ah. Lend your guitar to him.”

Jung Shin got off holding his guitar. Yong Hwa’s eyes grew wide.

Seo Hyun glanced at him, “Let’s see how good this Ahjussi playing a guitar.”