Time flew by, and Min Hyuk eventually got over Bom. Jung Shin and Hyun Ah became a couple, leaving Min Hyuk as the only loveless guy in the band. And the day before summer began, Shin Hye and Yong Hwa eventually reached a kissing spree of Round 100 for the first time.

Summer came, and it was time for a vacation. Jung Shin invited Jiyeon to their hometown so that she can get to feel another scenery of fresh air.

"Will Hyun Ah-eonni come too?" she asked.

Jung Shin shook his head. 

"I will surely miss her while we go to our province," he said. "She will be flying to Japan to visit some relatives. Invite your seobang too."

"Ah, Seobang wanted me to have a good time without him," she said. "He wanted me to spend some time without him, or without worrying about him, or him not worrying about me."

"Are the two of you still good?" he asked, confused. "That sounds like someone's asking for some space."

"Aniyo, Oppa," she said. "Seobang is just gracious. He wanted me to have a good time because I freely allowed him to have a good time last May to be with his male cousins. I trust him, and he trusts me."

******

Jin Young allowed his daughter to be with them, and had Bom responsible for everyone, being the eldest. The four guys and the three girls traveled together, and Jung Shin had to take care of Jiyeon not only because she was asthmatic, she was also prone to motion sickness.

Finally, they arrived at the hometown, and the guys smelled the air in contentment. They planned as to where the guys should stay, and since Yong Hwa's harabeoji's ancestral house was the largest, they decided that the girls stay with him. 

Yong Hwa introduced Shin Hye and the girls to his parents and to his grandparents, with special emphasis of Shin Hye being his girlfriend. At first glance, the elders liked her a lot because she was beautiful. And they were even more impressed when they knew that she was a math wizard.

"You could help us at the grain store," Harabeoji said.

"Ah, ne," Shin Hye said blisfully.

So, she went with Yong Hwa to the marketplace where he did his chore of helping at the little store.

*****

Jong Hyun fetched Bom and Jiyeon from Yong Hwa's house, and he brought them to his house. He introduced the two girls to his teacher parents, and when they learned that Bom was his girlfriend, they were hesitant at first. She looked so dainty and princess-like that they were afraid that they did not know what to feed her.

"Eomma, she can cook, and she has no problem with food," Jong Hyun said, with Bom nodding.

"Ah, geurae?" they said.

"But Eomma, Jiyeon has allergic to eggs and crustaceans," Jong Hyun said.

"Ah, gwaenchanhseumnida, Eomeoni," Jiyeon said. "I will do my best to eat what is served."

"We know the feeling of having allergies too," Eomma said. "So we will not cook what is forbidden."

"Gamsahamnida," Jiyeon said.

The girls helped around the house. Later, Min Hyuk picked Jiyeon up and brought her to his house, where he introduced her to his parents. Later, he brought her to Jung Shin's house. And the bassist introduced Jiyeon to his parents and his sisters. Jung Shin's favorite sister gave her a warm welcome and asked if Jiyeon could stay in their house.

"But Jung Shin said she is staying in Yong Hwa's harabeoji's house," Eomma said.

"Ah, gwaenchanhseumnida, Eomeoni," Jiyeon said. "I will visit here."

"Awww.... too bad," Jung Shin's yeodongsaeng said. "I was too excited to meet my twin sister, but she's not gonna be staying here."

Thus, Jiyeon stayed there until dinner.

************

The next day, the three girls went with Yong Hwa to the market, and Jong Hyun allowed Bom to go with the host. While they were in the market, Yong Hwa's fans began to flock around, asking about him and asking for autographs.

"You are now famous in Seoul," one girl said.

"Be mine, Oppa."

"Oppa, saranghae..."

Yong Hwa greeted them politely before going to Shin Hye. When they saw that he placed an arm around her while talking about the sales, they grew jealous and cried.

"Oppa is taken!"

"I had been dreaming of being married to Yong Hwa-oppa."

"Wae, Oppa?"

Min Hyuk came running to the store, and he sported the "cat" look again. 

"Yong, Yong, guess what?" he started. "Tonight, there will be a summer showdown at the plaza."

"Wow, that's good," Yong Hwa said.

Shin Hye, Bom, and Jiyeon flocked to listen.

"I asked the organizer if we can perform on stage," Min Hyuk shared. "And he agreed!"

"Whohooo!!! Another chance to earn some!" Yong Hwa howled.

He turned to Shin Hye and told her. "You're gonna watch your jagi perform as a country boy tonight."

Shin Hye smiled and leaned forward to kiss him.

"I'm looking for that one."

**********

That night, the crowd gathered around the plaza, and Jiyeon was reminded of the first time that the guys performed at the plaza back in Seoul. It was crowded, and it was a bit stuffy because it was summer after all. Finally, the MC greeted everyone, and the people clapped.

"Tonight's guest to perform, coming back from Seoul, let's all welcome," the MC said. "Knights in Shining Blue!"

The crowd howled and cheered, and the heartbroken Yong Hwa fans still cheered for him. The band went onstage, and began to sing "Sweet Holiday" from CN Blue.

Shin Hye waved her hand, appreciating the rustic look of her lover.

"He looks good in country-style look," Jiyeon said to her. "Doesn't he, Eonni?"

"Ah, ne...." Shin Hye replied with a blush.

She continued looking at Yong Hwa, and once again, the whole world stopped. Eversince she and Yong Hwa got together, she never had this feeling everytime he performed in Rack Sky. This was another time that the magical feeling got back to her. His aura swept her off her feet, and she felt herself frozen under his spell, his stare, and his voice.

"Beautiful..." she said breathlessly.

******

After the show, Jung Shin and Jong Hyun treated Bom and Jiyeon to the foodstands in their area. Min Hyuk even joined them as he treated the two girls to the drinks. 

Yong Hwa and Shin Hye went to a local lake which he had shared a few months earlier. Only the moon and the stars could illuminate the sky, and the lake glowed with ghostly but beautiful shine.

"Yeppeuda..." she said breathlessly.

Both of them sat on the grass and watched the beauty of the lake at night.

"I remember my favorite lake everytime I go back home," Shin Hye said. "But there are lamp posts there."

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her for a hug. She felt his hand caressing her hand when she held his hand as well. His hand was warm and soothing....

"Just like the way you sang tonight," she told him.

"Tomorrow, let's have a picnic here in the morning," he told her. "It was Jung Shin's idea and mine too. I promised you, right?"

"Ne," she replied.

"He had wanted to bring Jiyeon here in the lake so that she could see how a lake looks like," he said.

"Ne, Jiyeon had not been to the province for many years," Shin Hye said. "I'd like to thank Jung Shin for being kind and loving to Jiyeon."

Both of them looked at each other.

"Jiyeon said that she met Jung Shin's favorite sister," Shin Hye said. "And his sister liked her a lot."

"They could be twins," Yong Hwa said.

"I agree."

Her head fell on his shoulder, and the smell of his cologne filled her head. She was in the mood for some sweet romance, and tonight was perfect.

"Sweet holiday," she told him as she looked back at him.

Their stares locked, and she shut her eyes when she realized that his breath was getting warmer and warmer--he had leaned close...and...

Their lips met each other, Round 2.

His kiss was unlike the aggressive and suggestive kisses he had given her eversince they learned how to kiss each other. Tonight was sweet and soft, like the first time that they kissed. She liked all the way he kissed, and this one was one of her favorites. He just kissed and slightly her lips. She smiled when he did that, but she also contented herself with just kissing his lips.

After the kiss, she looked at him demurely, and he could see sparkling eyes looking back at him. His hands found their way to her cheeks, which had grown warmer and warmer.

"You're blushing," he said huskily.

"Only you could make me feel this way, Yong Hwa," she said.

His lips found his way to her lips once again, still giving her soft and tender kisses to last the whole night. And after their kisses, his lips found their way to her cheeks, to her nose, then settled to her forehead.

"I love you," he whispered as he let her rest her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too," she whispered.

From the distance, the sounds of people frolicking near the marketplace could be heard. Maybe it was Min Hyuk laughing at Jung Shin's corny jokes. Or it could be Harabeoji's voice, shouting from across the street. But between the lovers, the night was silent, and all they could hear was the beating of the heart of the one each loved.

♥