OST : Way Back Into Love by Hugh Grant and Hayley Bennet.

“You’re going to perform Banmal Song with Seo Hyeon-ssi in Niigata” his manager informed.

“Yeah, right, Hyung” Yong Hwa responded, not even bothering to open his eyes, he was comfortable like that at the back of their van. “And we’ll sing it in Spanish”.

“Yong Hwa-yah……I mean it” his manager said, as if he was exhausted with the idea already.

Yong Hwa opened his eyes, “You have got to be kidding me”.

His manager sighed and dug something from his backpack, extracting a manila folder and gave him a neatly typed paper.

Yong Hwa quickly scanned the list of performers.

Between all the familiar names, he clearly read, “Jung Yong Hwa and Seo Hyeon, special stage”.

“Oh God. What the hell is this?”

“You read it. Special stage, they said”

“But why? Why now?”

“To promote We Got Married in Japan. They like Yongseo couple”

Yong Hwa was speechless. His mind, which already reeled out of sleepiness, reeled some more with the idea of this duet.

Seo Hyeon…..what would she say?

So he reached his phone and texted an “Have you heard about Niigata?”

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

“Jinjja?” Seo Hyeon asked for the third time.

“What?” her manager asked, starting to get scared by her reaction. “You don’t want it?”

“No!” Seo Hyeon impatiently waved her hand, “I mean, is this a joke or something?”

“This is real, Seo Hyeon-ssi”

“But. But! We have to practice!”

“And so you will. You are both scheduled to practice in FNC Building with him in a few days, after the
shooting of his drama wrapped up”

“Oh. He must be really tired”

“He already confirmed that he’s available that day, though he hoped you don’t mind waiting”

“I don’t mind” Seo Hyeon said in a hurry, digging her bag to get her phone. And read his message.

She typed back, “Yes. It’s hard to believe. But I’m glad for the chance”

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

Like he feared, she arrived in FNC Building and had to wait until his schedule was done. “I’m sorry, Seo
Hyeon. You must be tired after your schedules too. And now you have to wait for me” he apologized in his text.

“Don’t worry, Oppa. I understand. Besides, Jong Hyun Oppa and Jung Shin are here to keep me company”

It was true. He hated the idea of her waiting alone, so he had sent Jong Hyun and Jung Shin to sit with her.

They spent the afternoon telling each other their activities. When lunchtime almost passed and Yong Hwa still hadn’t come, Jong Hyun and Jung Shin decided to buy her lunch.

After lunch, Jong Hyun suggested some music, and they agreed readily.

“Can you play any of our new songs?” Jung Shin asked curiously.

Seo Hyeon, who sat at the keyboards, stopped to think, before playing some tunes that sounded like “You’re my imagine love…….”

“Wow” Jung Shin clapped his hands.

“Shall we play that?” Jong Hyun offered.

So they played several songs together, until the door opened and Yong Hwa came in, with Min Hyuk who was holding a big bag of snacks.

He instantly looked at her and his cheeks burst into a wide grin.

“Hi, Joo Hyeon”

“Hello, Yong Oppa” she greeted back, smiling warmly.

“So. A duet, huh?”

“Yup. We should practice a lot”

He nodded but he stood motionless, staring at her for a while, forgetting they were not alone, until
Seo Hyeon blushed and looked down, playing some tunes for excuse.

“Okay” he breathed in, “Okay” reaching for his laptop that he asked Jong Hyun to carry. He dragged a chair
and stood beside her, turning his laptop on and played the song . “I’ll sing first and you’re the second”

“De” she nodded obediently, using the opportunity to really look at him for the first time.

She in a breath.

This is really happening, she told herself. 

This is really happening, so enjoy every minute of it.

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

She said she’d wait in the hallway. So he got out the second his Cordi Noona finished putting his make-up. His dongsaengs, who just got satisfied in teasing him, were now full of consideration for him, almost pitying him. Years of living together told them plainly that Jung Yong Hwa, the leader of CNBLUE, was seriously nervous. As if this was their first debut as CNBLUE. Worse, he was going to sing together with his crush aka ex wife on screen a.k.a girl idol a.k.a ideal girl. It’s more than enough to make anyone lose their head.

When he said, “I’m going out first”, everybody was quiet. Not a word of teasing. Even Jung Shin guarded his big mouth, only letting out a “Fighting, Hyung!”

He could see Seo Hyeon standing with her unnies and KARA. She had her back to him, facing Nicole. From a distance, he knew it was her. The problem was, she was wearing a dangerously low cut dress that all he could see was miles of smooth skin. His thoughts running wild already, the kind of thoughts that always made him wanting to kick himself with guilt because hello! This was Seo Hyeon you’re thinking about! Impure thoughts about her was the same level with crime! Nevertheless, he couldn’t help to sigh inside at the delicious view, walking closer and closer.

Nicole, who was talking animatedly with her, changed expression as Yong Hwa got closer. Had she dared, she’d squealed with the look in Yong Hwa’s eyes. Yong Hwa looked at Seo Hyeon with so much longing Nicole wondered how the hell he was hoping nobody would know.

“Jung Yong Hwa is here” Nicole whispered conspiratorially to Seo Hyeon.

If it’s even possible, for a second before Seo Hyeon turned around, her smile got wider, her eyes brighter,
her face happier. She turned around and greeted him with a simple, “Oppa….”.

The second she turned around, Yong Hwa realized he was unprepared. He held his breath as he couldn’t help scanning her from head to toe. From her hair held up in a sweet bun and the tiara slipped on top, to the bling of her necklace, her dress that was shaped like big flower petals, down to her legs and high heels.

Beautiful…..he whispered inside. A goddess indeed.

“Oppa?” Seo Hyeon tried again, as he hasn’t said anything.

“Ni—nice dress” he stuttered, mentally kicking himself again.

She beamed.

He whimpered inside for anybody to save him.

“Thank you Oppa. I love this dress. Like a flower blooming”

That’s you, he thought.

“The back of the dress might look weird though, they have to pin it to fit me”

“Oh no no no! You look perfect!” he insisted.

She chuckled, surprised with his sudden outburst.

“Thank you, Oppa” she repeated. “You look good too. You have lost a lot of weight”

“There was not much time to sleep or eat” he said, smiling out of it.

Her smile suddenly turned to a look of sympathy, “I know. I know that feeling” she said, patting his shoulder in an attempt to let him know that she understood.

Nicole, on the other hand, finally realized that Seo Hyeon had completely forgotten that they were
talking and retreated to the corner where the other KARA members were standing.

“Yong Seobang!” the three gorgeous hosts of the show came to them.

“It’s been a while. How have you been?” Soo Young greeted cheerfully.

“I’m great. Thank you”

“We watched your drama!” Yuri exclaimed proudly, “Whenever we can, we watch it. You’re better than in
Minamishineyo!”

Yong Hwa bowed again, feeling grateful.

“So what did you do when you last met?” Tiffany shot the question, not caring how Yuri poked her ribs.

“When we last met?” Yong Hwa asked back.

“At FNC?”

“Unnie, we practiced! I told you that, right?”

“We practiced together” Yong Hwa confirmed,

“Ah. Did you—“

Tiffany was starting another teasing remark when the rest of So Nyeo Shi Dae came and they gave their
greetings to their Yong Seobang. The girls and him remained like that. They were loud and he smiled and bowed until a staff gave a cue of  “Yongseo couple. Stand by!”.

Cheers and excited shouts of Fighting followed them while they walked to the end of the hallways, bowing
again to fellow celebrities.

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

Seo Hyeon felt very nervous, honestly. But she couldn’t deny the feeling that miracle was happening. The fact
that she was now standing beside Yong Hwa, readying to go on stage to sing their Banmal Song, made her felt like she could fly.

“Oh wow. I’m nervous!” Yong Hwa gushed.

“Me too, actually”

“Really, Hyeon? You don’t look nervous!”

She smiled, “How do I look then?”

“You look ready” he scrutinized, “If you didn’t say that, I’d always think that you’re very cool with all of this”

“I’m not. I’m very nervous. I hope it goes well”

“It will!” he hurried out of habit, pacifying her had been a habit. “It will be great. We’ll be alright”

She nodded, drinking in the words she badly needed to hear.

“Yongseo! To your respective places!” somebody ordered.

In the back of her mind, she thought they should stop calling them Yongseo. They were not in WGM anymore. But maybe that nickname going to stick whenever they were together.

She turned to him,  he smiled and nodded, trying to give her courage.

She nodded too, and walked to her place.

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

Seo Joo Hyeon felt scared with herself, to the flood of feelings that swept her completely as she stood there facing him in front of 40,000 audiences.

He’s there, he’s there. We’re here, we’re here. I’m with you, I’m with you.

We’re together, we’re together!

It was strange. How at that moment she felt Yong Hwa Oppa looked different yet so familiar. And everything they ever did together flashed in her mind faster than the LCD could project.

Her heart squeezed and swelled. Over and over again. Seeing him like this, she felt again all the rushes and tingles she blindly followed for a year. Her heart whispering that one sentence she sometimes tried not to hear.

She felt randomly sad and deliriously happy. All in the course of what? 30 seconds?

She walked down the stairs, not realizing that she almost broke into a run, looking at him and reaching out her hands.

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

He felt so happy standing there, singing this song with her, for her. At the back of his brain, he heard, “Don’t look too comfortable, some fans might hate you or worse, her”. And yet, he was just human. She was the one who looked inhuman. Too beautiful. Like a Goddess shining brightly in his direction.

Who is he kidding with?

He felt so happy that this chance made them sing together again. That he even could have this opportunity to be together in the same place, the same time with her.

That it was more than a song.

That it was all real, all real!

And he smiled when she sang. And smiled even more the first time he sang “Neol saranghae”.

The second time he sang “Neol saranghae” he felt like he would be forgiven for saying it out so loud. The
excuse would be, as always, for the show.

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

One second they were decently bowing to each other. A picture perfect of professional entertainers. And then they (accidentally) bumped into each other and she let out a surprised “Oh!” and he caught her in reflex, hand circling her small back. Both were smiling and laughing, like children caught stealing cookies. Walking together off the stage was lighter. Fun.

Backstage, as they walked together through the crews and technicians and staff, and fellow artists, she
said, “That was really fun”.

He didn’t realize he was holding her back again. “Yes. Definitely”.

“I want to do it again” Seo Hyeon said excitedly, her nervousness and emotional sweep has passed and what’s left was happiness. That they just sang together again on stage. Singing their Banmal Song. Well, he wrote it, but she added to it, so technically it was “Their song” right?

And then something changed. The atmosphere turned. Suddenly they realized they were holding on to each other and no one was even talking anymore. His hand was still on her back, and hers held on to his arm. As if they were supporting each other not to fall.

They were both awestruck. They didn’t know what they were doing. This hadn’t happened in a long time. The feeling of their throat clogged and drying. Their eyes scanning each others’ faces as if trying to find a denial or an affirmation.

It was a shocking moment. Maybe only for several seconds, but he almost lost his mind and said something dangerous. Or hug her right there. The problem was, her eyes told him she was frantic too.

She screamed his name inside her heart, it felt so loud as if her ears were ringing with his name.

For one moment, time stopped and they were not idols, famous, or popular. They were just Yong and Seo. Their hold on each other was firm. There must be something more. Something more than this.

“Aaaaaaaaah! You’re both so sweeeeeeeeeeet!” Yoona and Soo Young squealed.

They broke their eye contact as Sunny ran to Seo Hyeon and gave her a back hug. “Maknae-yah sang with nampyeon……..” she sang naughtily.

“Hyeonnie, you’re daebak!” Fany said, struggling to hold her arm as Yuri was already holding Seo Hyeon’s palm.

“You both looked in love!” Yuri proclaimed.

Seo Hyeon’s cheek was caressed by Tae Yeon, “Awesome Hyeonnie, as always”

Seo Hyeon turned to Hyo Yeon, as if waiting for her comment. She was the one who hold all of her secrets and confessions.

Hyo Yeon said nothing but Seo Hyeon knew she cried. She only put her two thumbs up for her, whispering, "Daebak!"

And Seo Hyeon finally smiled back to her unnies.

Meanwhile, Jo Kwon and Seulong approached Yong Hwa while clapping their hands.

“Yaaaaaaah. As expected, Yongseo couple is the best” Seu Long clapped.

“Yong Hwa-yah” Jo Kwon patted his arm affectionately, “I envy you, dude”

“De?” he asked back.

“Good performance!” Jin Woon praised quietly.

In the distance, Yong Hwa could see his dongsaengs smiling in his direction.

Yong Hwa suddenly felt suffocated. He turned to her and said, “I’ll get you some water”.

She had nodded, as Sunny said in her best baby voice, “Ooooooooh Nampyeon is getting water for Buiiiiiiin!”

Later, when Yong Hwa came back to her side with a bottle of mineral water in his hand, she was standing quietly alone. She thanked him and exclaimed, “Ah. I’m so thirsty”. She drank and then they talked for a while, before lapsing again to silence, no one wanted to move away.

They did it again, standing there doing nothing while staring into each other hearts, as if they were struggling to hear what the other’s heart was saying.

“CNBLUE! Standby in five minutes!”

As if waking up from a trans, Yong Hwa said, “I have to go”.

She said nothing so he turned around.

Only to feel that his jacket was pulled.

The second he turned back around, Seo Hyeon let go of it as if it burnt her hand. Her eyes were large and afraid.

“I—“ she began.

He waited, but she couldn’t say anything.

“We’ll talk after the show? Is that okay?”

Her "yes" sounded grateful.

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

She might be watching, he thought. So he sang and performed with all his heart.

He might be watching, she thought. So she danced gracefully, taking care to look unwaveringly at the
camera every time it shot her.

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

When the show was done, and his dongsaengs already sat cozily holding the meal boxes from the event organizer, he thought of their promise to talk again after the show. Frowning and taking his phone, he saw there was no message.

They didn’t say where they would talk.

Had she got back to the hotel with her unnies?

Maybe. A promise was a promise and if he had to go to SNSD’s waiting room for that, then so be it. He opened the door.

To find her standing in front of the door, hand poised in a position of knocking.

“Hi” he greeted, opening the door wider for her to get in.

“Let’s eat with 2AM!” Jong Hyun suggested, sending furtive glances to his dongsaengs.

They all sat up in a rush, bowing to her and leaving the room, eager to give the chance to their Hyung even
though short.

Inside the room, they were two lost people, no barriers separating them.

In the show,  there were cameras. Staffs, crews.

When they passed each other backstage on music shows and concerts, there were other people around.

When they met at FNC and practiced, it was for this concert, legal because it was scheduled by their agencies, and his dongsaengs were also there to make the atmosphere lighter.

This time, nobody stood between them, and they had proposed the chance themselves.

It was. Terrifying.

To say the least.

He remembered suddenly, a conversation with Tae Yeon when she met her on a show months ago.

“You be careful with Uri Seo Hyeonnie” she had said.

“It’s hard for her to trust people and to open her heart. But when she does, she’d jump head first into
your life. Like she did with us her unnies. So you be careful with her, Jung Yong Hwa-ssi. Or else we’ll never forgive you”.

Yong Hwa was remembering that conversation as Seo Hyeon stood there in front of him. She looked positively scared with the situation, not daring to say anything.

Seo Hyeon felt her heart beating like mad. Like mad.

Come on, say it. Say what you feel for him all along. Say it now, or you won’t get another chance.

She still couldn’t find her voice.

So she just held out her hand, walking closer to him. It was only two steps, but for her, it felt like giant
leaps. 

Yong Hwa caught her hand, grasping it tight.

He searched her face for a clue, anything, blocked by his own fear and insecurities, but the instinct to save
her from trouble kicked in and then he helped her with,

“What do you want, Hyeon? I’ll follow. I’ll do anything you want”

Tears already filled her eyes.

She prayed for courage. She prayed to be strong.

Us…..Oppa” she whispered. “I want us……”

A heavy weight was lifted from his shoulders.

“Oh Hyeonnie………..” he walked closer to her, holding her cheeks, looking into her eyes, that, finally he let
himself to believe, was only looking at him.

“Oppa” she called, tears streaming down her cheeks the second he touched it, she grabbed the fabric of
his jacket, “Oppa….I…..”

“I love you” he beat her to it. After all, she’s the girl and he’s the guy, this was how it was supposed to be. “I’m
so sorry for not saying this sooner. I guess I was………overwhelmed most of the time. I’m scared my feelings would hurt you. Would annoy you……would be a hindrance for your dreams……….”

“Oppa. The last episode. It killed me. I cried—“ she sobbed, “for days and days. I thought I will never
have a chance. And then this happens. Niigata happens”

“Seo Hyeon. Seo Joo Hyeon. I love you. If you think you can handle a relationship with me……would you…..would you do it?” he asked, feeling like he’d passed out sometime soon if not because of holding on to her.

“Yes” she nodded, “Yes. Please. Please Oppa. Let’s do this. I’d endure anything, Oppa” she cried, “Just
anything. As long as I know we’re together. I think I’d be able to face anything”

“Okay. Okay. Let’s do this. Let’s be together”

She collapsed in his arms and he led her to the nearest couch.

She then curled in his lap and he held her, brushing soothing touches on her back, drinking in her scent.

“I love you……” he whispered once more. “I hope you know how much, Hyeon”

She tightened her hold around his neck and closed her eyes.

“I think I do, Oppa. Because I feel it just as much” she sighed, swallowing down sobs that still blocked her
throat. “We are alike in our feelings, I’m sure. We are Yongseo couple after all”.

He chuckled and dried her tears.

Before moving forward and brushed his lips with hers.

 

Author's Note :

22 August 2011

Hellloooooo! This is my new take of the Niigata duet. I want this fic to feel real and more in character than anything else I've ever written.
You can find hundreds of my Yongseo stories in my Livejournal: https://lady-lia257.livejournal.com/

Or my other AFF for my non-Yongseo fic: Vanillasoul257

You can also reach me on twitter: @ladylia257