After the gig, Min Hyuk checked his Twitter account to have an update on all the people that he had followed.

"Huh? Look," he showed his cellphone to Jong Hyun.

Jong Hyun's face got grave.

"Uh-oh, Lee Hong Ki's tweets had given Shin Hye some antis from the Sukkie fans."

"It's not my fault, isn't it?" Yong Hwa asked weakly.

"Hyung, it was never your fault. So what if you and Shin Hye-noona are in love?" Min Hyuk said to him.

Jung Shin's phone rang, and he answered Shin Hye on the other line. After the call, he showed a grave and tired face.

"Geuge... Noona wants to visit you tomorrow," Jung Shin said. "She wanted to tell you something."

"Please Jung Shin-ah," Yong Hwa said. "Just lead me to her dorm."

"Hyung, Manager Hyung is there," Jung Shin retorted. "He will beat the life out of you."

"I don't care," Yong Hwa said. "I am the guy, so I visit her."

"Arasseo," Jung Shin said in exasperation.

"I'm coming with you, Hyung," Jong Hyun offered.

"I will go too," Min Hyuk said. "I will give the DVD to Noona."

Yong Hwa smiled weakly. 

"Thanks guys," he said to them. "I really can count on you."

"We are heart brothers," Jong Hyun said, being the next eldest. "Of course, we will be here for you. We love you."

"I love you too," Yong Hwa said to the guys as he indulged in their hugs.

********

The next day, Sunday, the guys went to Shin Hye's dorm after lunch. Manager Oppa was the one who opened the door when he heard the doorbell rang.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in anger.

"We are here...I am here to visit Shin Hye," Yong Hwa said, gathering up his strength.

"She is not here!" Oppa roared.

"Oppa?" a female voice called out, voice getting nearer.

The guys looked at the manager in anger, annoyed at him for lying.

"Oh, Yong Hwa-oppa!" Shin Hye greeted as she saw her jagiya.

She shot a hot glance at her manager.

"You should treat them accordingly, Oppa," she told her manager. "They are my guests."

Manager Oppa looked at them in anger as the boys were being led by Shin Hye to the balcony at the back of the dorm.

********

"I was supposed to visit you," Shin Hye said to Yong Hwa, then shot a confused glance at Jung Shin.

"Hyung insisted," Jung Shin replied.

"I want to visit you, coz I am the guy," Yong Hwa said.

"Mianhae," Shin Hye said with a blush. "I was wanting to visit you because I wanted to talk to you about our present situation... And also, since you are the patient..."

"But I don't care if I am walking with crutches," Yong Hwa said. "I just want to visit my lady."

The other guys saw the blushes errupting on Shin Hye's cheeks. She just looked beautiful.

"Even your blushes are sweet to me as honey," Yong Hwa said.

Shin Hye smiled like an idiot, unable to hide her giddiness at his saccharine words.

"All right, all right, you win," she finally replied with a pout. 

Yong Hwa pinched her cheeks. 

"You are not only chic and beautiful, you are also cute," he .

Finally, when the fun died down, they got to business.

"I am sure that you knew about Lee Hong Ki''s tweets," she said to them. "I think I should ask you now, Yong Hwa-oppa..."

"If you are going to ask me if you want our relationship to be out in the open, and if you are going to ask me if it is fine with me to reveal my identity, then it is fine with me," Yong Hwa said. "I was prepared for this when I asked you to be my girlfriend."

Shin Hye was unable to utter a thing, her lips trembling. He had guessed what she had wanted to ask.

"It's predictable, isn't it?" Min Hyuk said. "Celebrity thing."

"Geureom, if you are OK with sacrificing your privacy for me, then I will tell the whole world that you are my boyfriend," Shin Hye said. "I will proudly show you to everyone."

Yong Hwa smiled. Never did she shy away from the fact that her boyfriend was invalid, and she even fought for him from her manager. Maybe, it was time for the fans to know the guy who captured Shin Hye's heart.

"I spoke with the president of the agency this morning, and he wanted me to attend an interview this evening, at around six," she said. "I want you to come with me."

Yong Hwa nodded.

"Hyung, don't worry," Jong Hyun said. "We'll explain to Eomeonim and Abeonim that you are here."

"Ani," Yong Hwa said to the judo master. "I'll tell them."

"Hyung, I think we should do that for you," Jung Shin said. "I will convince them. Celebrity stuff."

The hyung finally nodded.

"We will cover your back, Hyung," Min Hyuk said.

"Gomawo," Yong Hwa said to the guys.

"Min Hyuk-ah, the DVD," Jong Hyun said.

Min Hyuk got the DVD from his bag and handed it to Shin Hye.

"What is this?" she asked.

"That is the video that I mentioned to you last night," Jong Hyun said.

The DVD gleamed in her hand, and she looked at the guys with a smile.

"Gomawo," she said. "I will really watch this tonight."

*******

The other three guys explained to Yong Hwa's parents as gently as possible about their son being associated with an actress. At first, Appa would not want to have his son appear on TV, but Jung Shin explained that although the situation could no longer be avoided, he assured the father that Yong Hwa would fare better, and Shin Hye would protect him. 

"I am also in that world, Abeonim," Jung Shin said. "I will protect my friend as well."

Jong Hyun and Min Hyuk voiced out their support, and finally, Appa was convinced. He saw how Yong Hwa's friends were so dedicated and loyal.

******

That night, Shin Hye wheeled Yong Hwa inside her company, and Manager Oppa grudgingly walked behind. When they got in the president's office, the president was already there.

"Annyeonghaseyo?" Shin Hye and Manager Oppa greeted.

"Annyeonghaseyo?" Yong Hwa also greeted.

The president saw how Yong Hwa was very polite, and at that instant, he liked the guy. The guy in the wheelchair has the innocence and shyness of someone not used to the spotlight on a bigger scale, and the president took fancy of this. No wonder Shin Hye fell for Yong Hwa at first sight.

"So, he is the guy!" the president said with a warm smile.

"Ne," Shin Hye said with a bow.

The president told the manager to get out first, as he wanted to talk to Shin Hye and Yong Hwa in secret. Manager Oppa bowed then exited the room in a bad mood. The president talked to the two about the coming interview in an hour.

"Are you scared?" the president asked Yong Hwa.

"Ah...quite a bit...nervous," he said.

The president roared into a hearty laugh. 

"Ah, I am sure you will do well," he told Yong Hwa. "And with your good looks, you could be Shin Hye's on screen partner too."

"Ah?" Yong Hwa asked, his cheeks burning up. "But I am not good in acting...."

"I have heard that you gave Shin Hye bits of mini-videos for her to cheer up," the president said. "Oh, how cute."

"Ah...ne, indeed it is," Shin Hye said.

"Oh, by the way," the president said to Shin Hye. "I let Manager Lim go out because I will change your manager."

"M..mwo???" Shin Hye asked in disbelief.

"Ye," the president said. "You will have a new manager, and she will stay in your dorm starting tomorrow."

The president called the new manager, who was sitting from inner room. When the new manager came out, the president introduced Shin Hye to the new one.

"Choi Soo Eun-imnida," the new manager said. "Bangapseumnida."

"Bangapseumnida," Shin Hye said. She was a bit surprised but happy nonetheless to have a new manager.

"I have heard that your previous manager had tried to control your personal life," the president said. "And I don't want that. The manager could control the talent, but not to the point of total manipulation."

"Gamsahamnida," Shin Hye said.

"So, shall we go to the conference room?" Manager Choi asked Shin Hye and Yong Hwa amiably.

The two nodded. Shin Hye really was glad to have Manager Choi because rumors had said that she was a fun manager.

"It's nice to be handling talents once again," Manager Choi said to the president. "After my long absence, I am finally able to manage. And being able to manage my favorite actress is an honor. Gamsahamnida."

"Ah, ne..." the president said. "I'll go with you."

The four exited the room, with Shin Hye still wheeling Yong Hwa.

*****

When they got to the conference room, there were news reporters there already. Cameras flashed here and there, and murmurs rippled like the ripples on a pond.

"He looks good."

"Why was he in crutches?"

"We will get to know it later."

Manager Choi had the two sit in front, and she politely told the reporters to be prudent with their questions. And so, the reporters began asking Shin Hye most of the questions.

"How did the two of you meet?"

"How did the two of you fall in love?"

"What can you say about the Sukkie fan tweets who were heartbroken?"

"What can you say about the pic and videos that Hong Ki had uploaded?"

"What is the real name of Crutches Boy, and why is he in crutches?"

Yong Hwa answered, and introduced his name to them. Other than that, he did not say anything more--first. Shin Hye answered the rest, starting with the day of the meet and greet after the fashion show in the Metro. She told them about the handkerchief, and about her advocacy which unexpectedly led her to meet him again. About Sukkie's fans, she apologized to them, but she needed to be honest with them and told them that it's Yong Hwa now. And about the pic and videos that Hong Ki uploaded, she said she was rather surprised that her friend was there to witness first hand her boyfriend singing in a band.

"You have not seen him and his friends sing live?" one reporter asked.

"Ah, she had never seen us," Yong Hwa said. "It was actually the first time we had sang together as a band after many years, since high school."

And about the accident, he related how he got into that unfortunate mishap. The reporters asked many more relevant questions, and they answered it. One tactless reporter asked why Shin Hye's male manager was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, internal affairs," she said crisply without explaining further.

To that, Manager Choi smirked from where she was sitted.

"Any message, Yong Hwa-ssi?" one reporter asked.

"Uhm, all I can say is, continue to support my Jagiya, and please be kind to her," he said.

The reporters laughed, amused at his kindness and his quirky remark.

"How about Shin Hye-ssi?"

"I want to say thank you to my Jagi for putting me back in perspective," she said. "I did not regret meeting you, and I am not ashamed of you."

"Me too," he replied, forgetting that the media was still around. "I am happy to have found strenght in you."

While the two were having their own dialogue, the cameras still flashed on.

"Saranghae," Yong Hwa announced, his heart unable to contain his feelings any further.

"Saranghae," Shin Hye replied back with a smile.

"Uhm, joesonghamnida," one reporter spoke up. "I hope you won't mind, but have the both of you already kissed?"

Yong Hwa looked flustered, but Shin Hye gripped his hand tenderly from under the table.

"We haven't," she said. "You see, my prince is taking it slow, he does not want to rush into things."

"Ooooohhhhh!!!!"

"You see, there is this anime I had watched two years ago, one character said that the kiss on the lips is a sign of oath between lovers," Shin Hye explained. "My prince promised to be by my side, but we are not rushing to jump off and just kiss without meaning."

"Oh, so if he had promised you already, he should have kissed you," one reporter said.

Shin Hye smiled at the annoying reporter. Yong Hwa was a bit upset at the question, but Shin Hye's hand was soothing him.

"Yes he had promised, but as I had said, we are not rushing into things," she said. "We want our first kiss to be memorable, meaningful, and filled with that pledge of love. I am sure Yong Hwa wanted to put all his heart in that kiss. I am also waiting for that kiss. And as I had said, a kiss is an oath. And we want that oath to be meaningful as well."

"So, can the two of you kiss now?" one nosy reporter begged.

"I am not willing to show my pledge just to anyone," she said. "My kiss for Yong Hwa is precious, so while I am waiting for that day, I will prepare it for it to be meaningful. And that precious day should be only between the two of us."

"So, are you planning to keep it a secret?"

"Ne," she said.

Yong Hwa looked at Shin Hye. Of course, he was waiting for the right time to kiss her, which was why he did not kiss her yet. He was waiting for the right time that he'd let his butterfly lips touch her rosy lips.

"For now, my rosy lips is not in full bloom yet, just as my prince's lips is yet sheltered in a cocoon," Shin Hye said mysteriously.

"So, the two of you are preparing for it yet," one said.

"Ne...."

The president smiled, then asked for any more questions. Finally, when no one spoke, he wrapped up the conference nicely and cleanly, and thanked the press for coming.

"I am proud of you, Shin Hye," the president said. "You are loyal to your namjachingu."

"I promised him," she said. 

"Ah, Yong Hwa, take care of my Shin Hye," the president said. "She is like a daughter to me already."

"Ah, geureohseumnida," Yong Hwa replied.

******

Min Hyuk was waiting outside the dorm, and when Shin Hye and Yong Hwa arrived, he offered to take his friend home.

"Ne," Shin Hye said as she bowed to Min Hyuk.

"Shin Hye, gomawo," Yong Hwa said.

She bent down and gave him her warmest hug.

"Take care," she whispered.

Both of them smiled at each other after the hug. Then, the nursing student assisted his friend in getting in the car before keeping his wheelchair. Shin Hye watched as they went on their way.

~~~~

Notes:

*Choi Soo Eun is Coordi Noona in Minami Shineyo

*The anime that Shin Hye mentioned is my fave anime, "Shakugan No Shana."

~~~~