Every girl would feel envious and even dream to replace my position in this house. A mansion. A butler. Thirty or more  servants. Luxurious bags, dresses, shoes and flashy cars. Father was senator himself who aspired to become the next president of South Korea. My mom? She was a former beauty queen and like any other cliché stories, got married to a politician and became his trophy wife.

I was their only child who should feel happy living a princess kind of life but again just like what you read in books, I felt the opposite. It seemed like a cage here. Bodyguards monitored my movements. My parents chose my friends. Men who courted me should undergo their scrutiny. Pass or fail. The richer and more influential family background the better.

They didn’t know that underneath this girl was the strong will to be freed, to get to know more people whatever classes they belonged to, and to love someone who would love her back.

I just wanted to experience them for once. Be that lioness that would stand still after throwing her to a pack of wolves and be that lioness who would tame that one fierce and special wolf.

“Joohyun!”

I looked up from what I read and saw Joy bouncing happily towards me. She had been my bestfriend since grade school. Her father was also a senator but her parents were a little bit lenient than mine. Truth was I was jealous of her moreso because she could date anyone.

I smiled at her. “You look… jovial?”

She took the seat next to mine and grasped my hands. “Aish, that kind of word again! But yes, I’m happy! I have finally thought of the gift I will give to Sungjae!” She exclaimed excitedly.

Joy was dating Sungjae for a year already. He was a medical student who worked part-time in a local bar in Hongdae. Her parents didn’t mind because they saw how hardworking and determined their daughter’s boyfriend was.

She blabbered about that Coldplay tickets she managed to get with all her might. We had been eyeing for them a month after the band announced their Asia concert stops. We thought we could get tickets since we were senators’ daughters but we failed. The producers meant fair business. I didn’t know but it made me happy.

I didn’t notice Joy already stopped talking and stared at me closely. “What’s wrong?” She carefully asked.

I heaved a deep sigh. “Eomoni told me to prepare myself because they have finally found the man that I need to marry.”

“What the… but Joohyunie, that’s not what you want!” She protested.

I playfully glared at her. “When did my own choice matter, Joy?” I felt my lips quivered. I fought back the tears, stood and started gathering my things. I felt her stopping my hand.

“Ahra. Let’s forget about today first. How about a drink or two?”

**

Joy asked my parents’ permission (through a call) for a girls’ night out. We were surprised that they both agreed right away. Later on, I knew that they were perfectly giving me all the time to enjoy before putting me in a dungeon. My bestfriend laughed when I told her that but went silent realizing how might true that was.

We went to the local bar where Sungjae worked. He was a bartender there. He was extremely happy to see us and assisted us right away to a table near the stage. I looked away when they kissed in front of me. My eyes flew to the man tinkering his guitar. After setting the tune, he looked up and caught me staring at him.

I couldn’t speak. He had the most beautiful brown eyes. His nose was perfect. Without breaking his stare, he opened the bottled water and gulped down its content. Everything seemed hot after he did that but I didn’t look away. It seemed like I was lost in trance. I only woke up from it when I felt Joy touching my shoulder.

I tried my best not to look again so I focused on my friends. But I heard someone clearing his throat before speaking.  “This song’s for the most beautiful woman my eyes have ever laid on. “

I gasped. He was gazing at me directly.

“Wow! That’s the first time Yonghwa dedicate a song to a specific person.” I heard Sungjae muttered. I knew he and Joy were both looking at me. I didn’t mind them. My mind was reeling with the man’s name.

Yonghwa

He started singing. God, he sang so well. His voice was so y.

Nothing’s that bad

If it feels good

So you come back

Like I knew you would

And we’re both wild

And you’re my drug

Breathe you ‘til my face numb

Drop it down to that bass drum

I got what you dream about

Nails scratchin’ my back tatt

Eyes closed while you scream out

And you keep me in with those hips

While my teeth sink in those lips

While your body’s giving me life

And you suffocate in my kiss

I couldn’t finish the song. I needed to get away so I excused myself from my friends and went out. I heard everyone gasping but I heed no mind.  Then I felt someone pulling my arm and moving me in a dimly lit room. I was about to scream but the person covered my mouth immediately.

It was him. It was Yonghwa who pulled me—

“I’m not going to do anything to you. I just wanted to know your name.” He whispered. I pulled his hand away from my mouth.

“I’m Joohyun. Seo Joohyun.” I whispered back.

“Joohyun… Hyun.” He chuckled lightly. “I badly wanted to kiss you but I’m afraid you’ll kick my .”

“Wha…t?” He tucked the strands of hair falling down my face. He stared at my lips and back at my eyes. “Can I kiss you?”

I felt his face moving closely at mine. His breath fanning my face.  I closed my eyes.

Then a knock interrupted us.

He groaned and dropped his head on my shoulder.

“Joohyunah? Are you okay? Joohyun!” I heard Joy asking with her frantic voice.

He chuckled and gazed at me again. What he did next both shocked and warmed me.

He kissed my forehead and whispered, “I’m Yonghwa. Jung Yonghwa.” He stepped back and opened the door.

**

Remember what I told you about a lioness finding her wolf?  It finally came true.  

After that night, we started meeting through Sungjae and Joy’s help. They still didn’t know about the forehead kiss because I felt like it was something special about us that I couldn’t share even to my friends.

Jung Yonghwa was a part-time singer in the local bar where Sungjae worked. They treated each other like brothers. Yonghwa was living alone. His parents separated before they had given him a name. His mother left him outside a monastery. The nuns gave his name Yonghwa which meant ‘harmonious face’. At the age of fifteen, he left the place and started living on his own. He was sixteen when he realized he wanted to write songs, produce them and even perform them on stage. So he did and juggled multiple jobs day and night. He worked harder until he was able to produce that small recording room in the farthest side of Myeongdong.

Yonghwa never asked about my social status but one time, the bar’s small TV, mounted on the wall, was on and my father’s face suddenly appeared. It was one of his few interviews this month since he announced his intention for presidency. I saw Yonghwa watching it closely before dropping his guitar and went inside the dressing room. I followed him.

He turned around with that sad expression. “I can never go up against you, right Hyun?”

I shrugged like I wasn’t suffering inside. “Who knows?” Then looked down and said in small voice, “For me, you are more than enough.”

I didn’t hear his reply but I felt him walking towards me and engulfed me in a tight hug. “I can never deny this anymore. “ He cupped my face and muttered, “I like you, Seo Joohyun.”

With tears in my eyes, I asked, “You mean that?”

He nodded. “Do you like me too?”

I didn’t answer back but instead, I tiptoed and kissed his lips. He seemed surprised but immediately wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me harder.

My wolf, I love him so much and I hoped he realized that.

Slap. And another slap.

“Seo Younghwan, stop it already!” I heard my mother exclaimed but I knew no one could stop my father. He had gone mad after knowing my relationship with Yonghwa.

“We give you everything, Seo Joohyun! How dare you choose an unworthy guy!”

I cried harder. “I love him, Appa!”

He slapped me again. “You are so stupid for thinking that he would love you back. He just wanted you because of your name and wealth!”

“He isn’t like that! He’s a decent man, Appa. Please believe me.” I crawled towards him, begged him to hear me out. He crouched down and cupped my jaw tightly.

“I will send you to London and prepare you to marry the heir of Jae-il Company!” He thrashed me to the side and left me crying and wounded. My mother knelt down and hugged me tightly.

“Eomma, I only want Yonghwa. Eomma please…” I begged until everything went black.

Whenever I was with him, I was at my happiest.

He never failed to make me smile and laugh. He was like that light in the middle of a dark room.

Yonghwa was gorgeous so he was also popular to girls. I didn’t know I was the jealous type not until I saw the outright flirting of a woman after he performed. I walked out from the scene and he noticed me doing so. That was the first time I got mad at him but when he showered me kisses and telling me that he only had his eyes on me, I caved in.

He was a caveman himself too. He admitted he didn’t like the boys from the school looking at me. I laughed it off and told him that I only loved him. We were both shocked. It was the first time that I dropped that L word. I was surprised he started jumping like he won the lottery. He kissed me hard and spun me around.  I shrieked and laughed at his silliness. When he finally let me settled on the floor, he said the sweetest words.

“I love you so much, Seo Joohyun. I will only love you.”

I woke up in a hospital the next day. Joy was beside me, crying while clutching my hands tightly. Sungjae was standing at the other side.

“What happened?” I asked weakly.

“Joohyunah…” Joy started crying harder.”

“Joy…”

“Joohyun, you fainted right after your fight with your father. Hyun… did you know that you’re pregnant?”

“Wha…t?” It finally dawned on me. The constant visits in the bathroom. The dizziness. The weird cravings that Yonghwa found cute and annoying.

“But Joohyunah… the baby’s gone. You had a miscarriage.”

I shook my head. I started screaming. Joy and Sungjae tried to stop me. Then the nurses and my mother came in. She was crying. And it went black again.

I was amazed while touching the pieces of equipment inside Yonghwa’s recording studio. He told me they were expensive but because of working on multiple jobs, he was able to buy them all.

“Are you bored?” I turned around and saw him placing the Chinese take-outs on the side table.

“Nope. I’m just amazed from seeing these things.” I turned my back again and touched the cables. I felt him hugging me from behind. He started kissing my nape. My mouth found his. We kissed harder. I turned around and he gripped my bottom and gently placed me on the table. My legs wrapped around his hips.

Shirts on the floor. Deep grunts. Delicious moans.

Yonghwa pulled me on the sofa near the recording table. He nipped my collarbone. He the puckered . His lips trailed down my navel. I felt his tongue inside my thigh until I moaned loudly when his lips reached my center.

My hands grasped his back tightly. He went back kissing me. Then he positioned himself and without breaking his gaze at me, he moved inside. It was painful. He was murmuring gentle words at me. When he felt I was starting to feel comfortable again, he pushed deeper.

We had the best ride that night and rode even more… and more.

The next time I woke up, I saw my mother staring down at me. She immediately cried after meeting her gaze.

I didn’t know I was crying not until she wiped down the tears on my face. “I’m sorry I haven’t done anything to stop your father.”

“I can never forgive him.” I told her.

“I understand. Joohyunah, listen to me. I heard him talking to your uncle a while ago. He’ll be sending you two days from now to London and he made it sure that Yonghwa will never trouble you again.”

“Eomma, what did he do to Yonghwa?” I asked, suddenly afraid.

“Shhh. He’s alright. I made sure he’s okay. Now, listen. I’ll help you run away from this place. Later tonight, Joy will accompany you to him as I’ll trick the bodyguards. I already set up a private jet for you. Go to LA. You can both settle there. Yonghwa can finally achieve his dreams there. “

I was so overwhelmed. “Eomma, why are you doing all these?”

“Because I love you and I know that you’re not happy. I don’t want you to live the same life as mine. You deserve more than that.” She said while crying. I suddenly noticed how she looked aged. She seemed so tired.

“Come with me, Eomma. You can come with us.” I begged but she only smiled sadly.

“You have to know that I love your Appa. Even if he’s like that, I love him and I can’t leave him. I will continuously pray that he’ll soon realize his mistakes and he’ll be able to accept your decisions. Until then, don’t search for us. We will find you. That time, I know he’s ready. “

“Thank you, Eomma.”

Nothing was easy after that but when I saw Yonghwa waiting at me, bruises on his face; I knew I could never live without him. We both cried as we remembered our unborn child.

That night, we flew to Los Angeles and never looked back.

“Mom!” I dropped the diary I was reading and readied myself as a 5-year old girl launched herself at me. People around said that she looked a lot like me, my mini Joohyun.

“What’s wrong? Did your brother tease you again?” I tucked her brown hair.

“I didn’t!” My 7-year old son who looked a lot like his father said indignantly. “She said she missed Dad already.” I felt her nodding with her face on my chest.

“Dad will be her—“

“I’m here.”

“Daddy!” The two kids ran towards her husband who looked handsome with his black piece attire. Who knew Jung Yonghwa would ever wear something like that.  

He lifted Euna while pulled Chani on his side. I walked towards him and kissed his lip. Euna giggled upon seeing that and wiggled for her father to let her down.  She and Chani went inside after hearing their favorite cartoon starting to show.  

I wrapped my arms around his waist. “How’s the conference?”

 He smiled at me and kissed my nose. “Congratulate me properly later because Peter and I will produce songs for both CNBLUE and Big Bang!”

I shrieked excitedly and kissed him. 

A/N: The lyrics over there were quoted from Camila Cabello and Machine Gun Kelly’s “Bad Things”. Love the song and MV so much (now imagine Kel’s rap part as Yonghwa’s acoustic version LOL).  It haunted me for days now. I know the plot was a bit cliché but I totally love writing this. I intended to write this as one-shot but this could pass up for a chaptered fics. Yet I know how I usually failed continuing my on-going fics these days so here’s a looooooooong one-shot for you all.

My friends told me not to delete this account and I’m actually glad I listened. Haha

See you soon, loves!

P. S. Eonni @lyre sorry for using Euna again. Love you! And Chani, well Chani, he looks a bit like Yonghwa *excuses excuses* Heh