Chapter title : Hard Is Our Way

“Ahhhh .. Finally we can get a holiday trip!!” Sunhwa exclaimed. The others smiled on her act. “Yeah.. The scenery is so beautiful!” JiEun added. “Thanks to my aunt,” Zinger said. All of them laughed. Hyosung walked behind them, didn’t even say any words. “They said that the beach scenery can be so beautiful if the moon shines brightfully,” Zinger talked again.  “Let’s see the sea !!” Hyosung jumped to the front, finally being a talkative again.

And like what Zinger had said, the beach scenery was so amazing. The sun shined too much for them, so they decided to go in. “Let’s have a short nap before walking to the streets!” Hyosung yelled. It wasn’t an advice, it was an instruction. The other members whined, “Why you’re still being our leader huh? Even when we’re having a vacation!” “No? Then we won’t go anywhere today..” Hyosung said in her killed tone. “Arghhhhh….”

Hyosung chuckled then she went to her room, bringing her luggages with her. She went to the bathroom, smiling excitedly when saw the bathroom was big enough, even bigger than the bedroom. She filled the bathtub with warm water and poured some therapy liquid. “Ah…” She sighed in relief as she already in the bathtub.

She played with her fingers but then got bored, she fell asleep. Her mind flew back to the most memorable time with him and when she finally had to close her heart for him.

FLASHBACK   

Hyosung could feel the uncomfortable feeling in the air. She just stepped in and the feeling hit her in a sudden. There was Kim Hyun Joong’s fitting room. She tried to kick away her worry. She was there to ask him about their joined stage. She bumped into someone, she had to admit that she was so clumsy. She bowed for times but just got a cough as the reply.

She almost cried when that man lifted her chin up. “Aren’t you Hyosung from SECRET?” Hyosung nodded, that man was Hyun Joong. “Oppa.. I’m sorry..” Hyosung bowed once again, because after all… someone she bumped to was Hyun Joong, her partner going to be.

“WHY DIDN’T YOU WATCH YOUR STEPS?!” Hyosung jumped a few steps away from the angry man. Everyone had their eyes set on them now. “I..I…” “I don’t know that ONE of my PARTNERS going to be, is A FOOL like you,” Hyun Joong said in a cool tone with a force in every words. “Opppa……..” “What? Don’t you see that my clothes are ripped?” He replied in a harsh tone. “Mianhae.. Mianhae..” “Get out ! Now!”

Hyosung ran from that place as fast as she could. She held her tears as she went to SECRET’s fitting room. Hyun Joong had never been nice to her, he was so mean if he met her. She was thankful that she went back at the right time because when she came, the staffs called them to the backstage. Hyosung’s eyes met with that figure again. She sighed.

“SECRET and Kim Hyun Joong now!” The staff called. Hyosung almost fell down when she walked to her position. But fortunately , someone surrounded his arms around Hyosung’s waist. Their position was so awkward. Hyosung looked at him, her cheeks blushed. Hyun Joong fixed his glasses and just sighed.

The fans started being noisy again, thinking that the accident was a fan service. The other members eyed her as she walked near them. “What?” She mouthed but the girls just shook their head. The performance went smoothly, but Hyosung almost had some accidents if Hyun Joong wasn’t there. They had to improve a lot, making the original moves went too far.

After they finishing their performance, Hyun Joong bowed and so did the SECRET members. Hyun Joong gave his last death dare to Hyosung before leaving. “Ah…” Hyosung sighed.

“Unnie.. Maybe he doesn’t like your appearance?” Sunhwa asked as she saw whole of the action they had made. “No, he hates unnie’s cheerful and clumsy side.. He’s a perfectionist,” Zinger as usual, conclude the rumors. Hyosung just smiled a little, she felt a little bit hurt.

She had been liking Hyun Joong for the last 2 years, she had felt how hurt was it when she knew that Hyun Joong had a girlfriend and broke up just 5 months before he debuting as a solo. It meant that, she was liking someone else’s boyfriend right? Back to the past, she was a fan of Hyun Joong of course. And after meeting him, she was a secret admirer of him.

She met with Hyun Joong for the first time at a national music stage, she was nervous so she walked to many places and unfortunately at the first meeting with him, she got scolded. Hyun Joong was nervous too but because Hyosung kept appearing in front of him, he got more frustrated. His band mates trying to calm him but he was being meaner as he cursed on Hyosung.

She didn’t say anything as she had know that habit. Many people had done the same thing on her. But she never knew that Hyun Joong would keep giving his cold attitude on her. As the time flied, she felt sad on that fact. But she kept silent.

Her band mates had protected her by made a distance between her and Hyun Joong everytime they met. But it was never enough, because the fate made her to meet him again and again. And it made her feeling became bigger, because she always found a new fact of his characteristic. She always found out many unique sides of him.

But she never had any chance to get closer to him. And when the chance came, fate played with her. That chance became a disaster. She promised to always remember that moment when he was blurting his mind about her.

“Oppa.. I was told that we have a project together?” “Hem” “Do you have any idea for that project oppa?” “No. And can you please leave? I’m feeling something disguising near me,” “Eh?” “You.. You’re so disguising..” There was a very long silence before Hyosung blinking her eyes and asked again. “What do you mean oppa?”

“You.. A like you.. Why you always walking around me? I don’t like you ! I hate to see your face!” “?” She whispered in disbelief.  “Yes! You meet many boys.. You played around with them on the backstage aren’t you? You keep trying to get closer to me as if I will care! Just go to your masters!” Hyosung gasped. “Masters? ? Me?” She repeated the words a few times before getting her mind back. She slowly looked at Hyun Joong who stayed silence after his words.

“WHO ARE YOU DO YOU THINK?! It’s been 1 year since our first meeting ! And your acts to me have never got better ! Why ?! Because you think that I’m a ?! Fine.. FINE! I’m a , Happy now?!” She slapped him, leaving Hyun Joong speechless.

End of Flashback

“Unnie..” a knock made her got up from her short nap. “Wait..I’m coming,” She walked to the door. JiEun had waited for her. “Oh.. Did you sleep in there unnie?” “Uh..Yes.. What are you doing here?” “It’s evening already unnie!!” JiEun almost kicked Hyosung’s leg if she didn’t close the door in front of her. “Okay..Wait for me.. I will change..” She quickly wore her clothes.

Her dongsaengs brought her to a market on the edge of the beach. It was beautiful because they still could watch the beach while looking at the things which being showed. “Hey..Let’s separate!” Sunhwa stopped them. “I agree.. Too many cute things!” JiEun replied which added by a nod from Zinger. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Hyosung said. But her dongsaengs ignored her. “Let’s meet at my aunt’s home okay?!” Zinger talked “WHAT? YOUR AUNT’S HOME?” “Yeah unnie.. We want to go shopping freely,” She pouted. “NO!” “YES!” The three dongsaengs attacked her with their yells. “Argh.. whatever.. When do we have to arrive at zinger’s aunt’s?” “Of course before dinner.. We have 1 hour..” Sunhwa said.

Hyosung sighed before nodding. They went to their own directions. Hyosung went to the south direction of the market. She inhaled the fresh air and bought some cute things. She looked at her watch and surprised that she only had 10 minutes to go back. She smiled in satisfaction.

She saw a big crowd and after asking to some people, she knew that the crowd was preparing to film. But, before she could approach the crew to greet (maybe she knew the people!) she caught the digits at her watch. She widened her eyes and ran back.

She had run faster but she always back to the same place. “Oh my god.. I’m lost!” Hyosung said. “Are you okay miss?” Someone patted her back. “No! Of course not! I’m lost!” She replied in a panic tone but still back faced that man. “Do you need help?” That man asked worriedly. Hyosung slowly turned her face, her eyes were already red. But seeing the man who offered her a help, she opened her eyes widely. That man looked at her in a shock too.

“Oh.. Thanks.. But I don’t need your help..” She replied as she walked further from him. “Hyosung! Wait!” Hyun Joong shouted but she didn’t care. After a few minutes, she regretted for refusing his offer. “Now.. Will you accept my offer?” That voice became soft now. Not like he was used to be. She gave up and nodded. “Where do you stay?” “Just lead me to the gate of this market.. I can go by myself after that..” “Okay..”

Hyun Joong held her hand as they walked to the gate. People staring at them because they knew who they were but didn’t dare to give any comment. Hyosung tried to hold her feeling deep in her heart. Without she realized it, she was already on the edge of the beach near Zinger’s aunt’s home. “Ah…Oppa..Why ??”

Hyun Joong let her hand go. He stared at the sea as he kept walking. Hyosung followed him. “You know what ? I was so angry because I just knew that you have many boy friends and many boys like you.. Some even make you as their crush.. I’m always jealous when they come to your side..” Hyun Joong’s face was looking handsome in Hyosung’s eyes.

“I like you..Ever since the first time we met.. I’m not smart in telling you my feeling.. But .. I just like you too much.. Maybe I’ve not just liked you, but love you..”  When he finished his confession, they had arrived at the home. The band mates ran to her, hugged her tightly. “Unnie!!”

Hyun Joong smiled, walked backward. As Hyosung kept eyeing him. Hyosung gathered all of her braveness, before shouting loudly. “KIM HYUN JOONG OPPA, I’VE  LOVED YOU EVEN BEFORE WE MET!” And so, the time froze around them.

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