The loud clappings and shoutings would deafen anyone, as the seconds of New Year began and everyone who’s anyone were on the stage, busy congratulating and greeting and bowing right and left. At the beginning of 2011, Seo Hyun found herself at the stage of MBC Gayo Daejun. 2010 has been full of blessings. All the singles were a success, and she went to so many countries with her unnies, always amazed that fans cheered on them in different languages. She couldn’t even begin to describe how grateful she was for the heaps of awards they received.

In the middle of the crowd, she turned around and found him not a meter behind her. He mouthed a “Happy New Year, Hyun!”. She couldn’t hear it, but it was clear on his lips. And she smiled, transfixed. Through all the year end music shows, they’ve been busy dodging away prying eyes and even the cameras, willing themselves to show zero public display of affection. Because it was wise, it was safe. But now she realized that they were together at this moment, welcoming 2011.

They locked gazes and she could see his smile, wide and unpretentious, genuine. But more importantly it was his eyes, looking straight at her with everything he had to offer and everything he already gave her and only her. Jung Yong Hwa was like a core of magnet. He pulled her to him.

It seemed effortless if she would only walk closer, reached his hands and hugged him. Like how they supposed to be. But she didn’t. Amidst her unnies—CNBLUE were busy bowing to each 9 members—and the others, she smiled wider and said, “Yong, happy new year!”.

He laughed and nodded. And someone approached her and talked to her, so she broke their eye contacts. When she turned around, he wasn’t there, busy at the other far end of the stage, joking with his friends.

Everybody went backstage and changed their clothes, as vans after vans of agencies picked up their celebrities. She gathered all of her things and walked to dressing room door, rubbing the back of her neck and shoulders, as the fatigue sinking in when she heard her unnies squealed.

She arrived to see Yong Hwa standing near the door, with all of her unnies surrounding her, exchanging more good wishes. They stopped talking when they realize she was there. “We’ll wait at the car, Hyunnie” Tae Yeon informed, as one by one, they left the hall, assuring that they understood her deepest wish.

Yong Hwa straightened his backpack and held her wrist, bringing her back to her dressing room and closed the door. “Happy New Year!” he said again, laughter creeping in his voice as he joined their fingers and she felt warm all over her body. “I wish you a very happy year. More successful and even happier than now”

“For you too, Oppa” she leant on the door to analyze him better. “Go higher and be the best”

“Thank you. And I missed you”

“Me too” she sighed, “It’s been a week since Banmal Song. Have you heard Oppa? The video reached more than one million views”

“The Maknae Special at SBS was amazing” he continued, not meaning to ignore her but just found he had too much to say for too little a time. “You were extremely—it’s good that I didn’t mess up my job after that”

She laughed. “Thank you. And you were amazing yesterday at KBS, Oppa. It was great that you could overcome the mic problem so easily. Someone said it felt like a CNBLUE concert”

“You must be tired after you ran to Japan and back again like this”

And she continued with “I’m very proud of you and I hope you will continue to—“ but he caught her lips midsentence, not able to contain himself any longer. She stiffened and then melted easily, sighing to the kiss that sent shivers all over Yonghwa’s back.

He reached her cheek and warned, “Don’t get any prettier than this, Hyun, please. I won’t be able to handle it”.

How he liked kissing while talking was beyond Seo Hyun’s comprehension. Kissing was something that was energy draining and ate up all of her willpower to concentrate on anything else beside the one and only that stood in front of her. Especially when he explored the insides of so thoroughly like this.  

She hated inequality, so when Yong Hwa stopped to catch a well needed breath, she leaned back to look at him straight in his eyes and said, “Only for you, right, Oppa?”.

That sentence sent him awe-struck for a full five seconds before he scooped her and kissed her some more. Really, it was unfair that now she could throw killer lines too. Where did he stand then? Well, at least, she was still too shy to kiss him like this, so, feeling that he won after all, Yong Hwa kissed her harder, tasting every corner of , drinking every little sounds, savoring every second of it.

After that, he slowly let her lips go, witnessing how she needed some time to focus back. “Stay with me too, Hyun, this year”.

“I have no plan to go anywhere else” she confessed, eyes clear and steady.

He had one last peck on her cheek before saying, “Take care, Hyun, until our next shooting”

“De. And rest while you can, please” she touched under his eyes and traced the undeniably dark circles. “I don’t want to see you so pale again”

“Will do. Okay. Let’s go home. I’m afraid your unnies will hunt me down soon if I don’t let you out of this place”

He opened the door, still smiling to her, only to find Jessica and Hyo Yeon leaning on the nearby walls, half asleep on each other shoulders. “Omo! Great! I thought you were going to lock yourself up with uri Hyunnie until morning!” Jessica mocked. “You would be so inconsiderate if you do that”.

Yong Hwa could only shook his head and laughed. “I’m aware that eight of you would be the first to kill me, so I won’t do anything risky. Not now, at least”

“What’s that ‘at least’ meaning?” Jessica asked, eyes turning sharper by the second.

“Come on, Hyun, everybody is waiting for you in the car” Hyo Yeon said, taking Hyun’s arm and took her away from Yong Hwa. “See you around, Yong seobang”

“De, Hyo Yeon-ssi. Good night” he bowed.

Hyo Yeon and Jessica managed to bow too, and together, the three of them walked down the hall, with Jessica clinging affectionately to Hyun and Hyo Yeon caressing Hyun’s hair.

“Did you have a nice time with him?” Hyo Yeon asked, as Yong Hwa could still hear them faintly. He couldn’t hear Hyun’s answer but was optimistic that it was a good one, for her unnies then giggled and squished her in a random hug.

Happy new year, Hyun-buin, Yong Hwa said inwardly.