Another YongShin fic set in the middle part of Episode 15 of Hearstrings. Gosh, I miss Heartstrings, though it is easier to make sad and achy Shin Woo-Mi Nyu tales...

Because of Park Shin Hye's accident, as you can see, PD-nim and his crew had to wrap two episodes into one, like it was quite made in a hurry. The one thing that got me wondering was the part when Shin was already in the hospital. It was a bit wanting...

And so, my fic will start from the time Gyu Won left.

****

Nothing was holding Gyu Won back, so she went with the record producer to his car, and they went straight to the airport.

London, land of Harry Potter and Peter Pan, here she comes!

All the while, while she was at her place inside the airplane, she was a bit thankful that her seat was located by the window. If she wanted to shed her tears off, she could, at least, shed them clandestinely. The record producer was not aware of her breakup with Shin, so he asked her if she was all right.

"Ne... Gwaenchanheuseyo," she lied.

But deep inside, a lot of thoughts were swirling inside.

"Why are you doing this to me, Lee Shin? I wanted to give up my dream because of you. I don't want to go away from you. Why are you pushing me away? What wrong have I done? Tell me!"

Surging emotions were trying to overflow from her heart that she stood up and excused herself. She ran to the restroom of the airplane, and almost collided with the flight stewardess. She grabbed hold of the knob, and got inside the restroom to cry her heart out.

****

Shin, meanwhile, went back to the doctor to undergo surgery. The doctor told him of what to expect during the operation. Shin complied, and told his Eomma that he will be undergoing the surgery. Even Jung Hyun knew about it.

"Does your Ugly Girlfriend know that you are hurt?" Jung Hyun asked.

"Don't even say her name," Shin said grimly. "We are through."

"YESSSS!!!" the naughty girl exclaimed happily before skipping over to Harabeoji's house for pansori lessons.

Shin looked at his sister in annoyance before getting inside his room to pack his things for his hospital admission. His eomma was really supportive, and all the while, requesting her never to tell a word to all his friends--and to Gyu Won's friends about his ordeal.

Inside the hospital room, Shin looked out the window, thinking that by now, Gyu Won's airplane was already up in the sky, flying, flying away from Korea, and away from him.

Tears started to fall down his face.

"Mianhae...mianhae, Gyu Won-ah... If you only knew how hard this is for me...breaking up with you...forgetting my heart so that you can achieve your dream... For breaking your heart..mianhae..."

He did not regret breaking up with her, but he was all guilty, knowing that he made her cry without her knowing the reason why. Pain gnawed out the fibers of his heart, with blood oozing out with no assurance that it can be healed.

****

The day finally came for the operation. As Shin sat on his bed in his hospital gown, two nurses came in, one of whom was wheeling in a wheelchair.

"Lee Shin-ssi, how are you feeling?"

"I am a bit scared," Shin confessed.

"It must have been difficult to be in a situation where you may not know whether you can still use your hand or not," the second nurse said.

"Eoryeowoyo... (It's difficult)," Shin said sadly.

He got up and sat on the wheelchair, and wore the headcap that the nurses provided him. Then, they wheeled him to the operating room.

Inside the operating room, the circulating nurse assisted him in lying on the operating table, and he obliged. As the nurses and the surgeon bustled to proceed with the surgery, Shin closed his eyes and shed some tears.

"Mianhae Gyu Won-ah...mianhae..."

****

Finally, Gyu Won arrived in London. The record producer gave her just this day to enjoy, because she would start to attend her dance and vocal lessons. She was grateful to be given even a few hours to unwind and sort things out.

She went out of the dorm to walk among the streets in London. She loved the sight of the place, but she was a bit hesitant to stop at each store because her English was limited.

She had been walking for long when she realized that her stomach was grumbling. She pushed away her shyness and entered a bakeshop. With halting English, she was able to buy some bread and milk.

After her little ordeal, she went back to the streets. She caught sight of a group of people crowding, so she went over to see what the commotion was about.

"Emma Watson! I love you!"

The crowd was crowding over Emma, who waved at them as she entered the store. Gyu Won was not fond of Harry Potter, but she often heard from Bo Woon about Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, and that Bo Woon greatly admired Emma for being intelligent and persevering of her craft.

"I wonder how she acts," Gyu Won thought.

The record producer had told her that in the second half of the year, she will be watching as many plays for experience. She thought she had to watch some Harry Potter movies to take note of how Emma Watson acts.

As she got back to the dorm, the record producer asked her if she needed anything.

"I want to watch a Harry Potter movie," she said.

"Which one?" the producer asked.

Gyu Won blinked.

"The Harry Potter movies span from Part 1 to Part 7, with Part 7 divided to two installments," the producer said.

"I am not familiar with the movie. I just want to see know more about Emma Watson."

The producer nodded and opened a cabinet filled with movies. He had DVDs prepared for Gyu Won just in case she may want to stay at home after classes and watch some movies. She looked at the selection and took out the DVD of the first movie.

"Gamsahamnida," she said.

She prepared the DVD and started to watch the film. While watching the movie, she took note of how little Hermione interacted with Ron and Harry, as well as with the other characters in the film.

"Bo Woon-ah likes Emma for being sure of herself," Gyu Won said. "I can be like her too."

That was her conviction.

"That's right. I will build myself up. Just you watch, Shin-ah. I will make you regret for breaking up with me," she thought bitterly.

Emotions of love and hate mixed inside her core that it hurts so much. She started to bawl again while in the middle of the film.

"How can you be so heartless?" she thought.

****

A month after the operation, Shin was able to move his hand without much problem. The doctor prohibited him from using the guitar because he was taking note of the progress of his nerves. Shin was bored to death, with no music, no guitar...

And no Gyu Won.

Jung Hyun, as usual, was busy with her pansori lessons after school, and Shin was busy with school. He thought he'd write lyrics first before he can put some melody because of the doctor's advice. For now, his mind was clouded and messy, and all he wanted was some inspiration or some break.

"HYUUUUUUNG!" a soft voice called out to him.

Shin turned around to see Joon Hee waving at him like a little child. Joon Hee still sported that scruffy 'do, which reminded one of an unkempt lion.

"Annyeong?" Shin greeted his friend.

Joon Hee ran to him. Shin could see that Joon Hee was holding stiffly a pack of bread.

"Hyung, it's been a while since we last talked," Joon Hee said.

"Mianhae..."

"Can we already play at the Catharsis?" the scruffy-haired guy asked.

"Mianhae... I can't...." Shin said, like he was apologizing.

"Wae?"

"The doctor said I cannot play the guitar yet," Shin said.

"Oh, that's too bad," Joon Hee said.

The other Stupid members came and slapped Shin on the shoulders. They missed him too.

"I miss you guys," Shin told them.

"Hyung, just tell us if we will be going back to playing at Catharsis," the bassist said.

"It will be a remote possibility," Shin said grimly with a sad smile.

"But it will be possible, geuchi?" Joon Hee asked with a wide grin.

Shin looked at the drummer. The drummer, though the most childish of them all, was the most optimistic. It was because of him that Han Hee Joo was able to recover at the hospital.

"It...might," Shin said sadly.

"Hyung..." Joon Hee said.

There were so many memories associated with playing at Catharsis, including the night when he kissed Gyu Won in front of the crowd. His heart was aching at the memory that will only remain on his mind, so he excused himself and went away.

"Hyung is really strange," the other guitarist said. "I could tell that he is still in love with Gyu Won-ah."

"Is he?" Joon Hee asked excitedly.

"Ya, babo aniya (Are you a fool)?" the bassist told Joon Hee. "You never can tell, do you?"

"Ne?" Joon Hee asked.

The two other guys left the childish bassist, who ran after them before munching on his bread.

****

Four months after his surgery, the doctor told Shin that he could start playing the guitar. Shin shared the advice to his Eomma, who told him to go slow.

****

Shin's phone rang, so he groggily opened his eyes and answered it.

"Yeob..."

"Shin-ah, annyeong?" a familiar female voice greeted merrily.

He fumed at the annoying familiar voice, which happened to belong to Cha Bo Woon.

"Shin-ah, turn on the radio! Ppalli!" Bo Woon instructed.

Jung Hyun entered the room without permission, bringing along her phone attached to her headset. She placed one earbud to Shin's ear, making him sweep off her hand.

"Would you mind?" Shin asked.

"Oppa, it is just your ex-yeoja," Jung Hyun frowned.

"Listen, quick!" Bo Woon said, for she heard the other girl's voice.

Shin grabbed the earbud from his sister and placed it to his ear. When he heard the sound, a familiar voice greeted him in a song. The voice was so familiar that his heart ached again.

"Have you heard, Shin-ah?" Bo Woon asked over the line.

But Shin did not respond.

"Shin-ah?" Bo Woon asked. "Yoohoo!!! Earth to Lee Shin?"

"Ara..." Shin said grimly.

"Eottae (How is it)?" Bo Woon asked eagerly.

"Gwaenchanha," Shin said with no emotion. "It's just another bubblegum love song."

"Bubblegum?" Bo Woon ed. "Shin-ah!"

Jung Hyun pulled the earbud, making Shin grimace at the pain.

"AYA! Watch it, Jung Hyun-ah!" was Shin's irritated command.

"~merong," went his little sister.

Shin angrily looked at his little sister go, and he turned back to Bo Woon.

"I don't care about Gyu Won anymore, so please do not bug me about her," he begged.

"Geunde... are you sure?" Bo Woon asked from the other line with concern.

"I mean it," he said stiffly before hanging up.

He rolled back to bed and looked at the ceiling. Why is everybody reminding him of Gyu Won?

"I will forget her..." he thought.

He got up and looked at the clock. It was an hour and a half before his classes, so he got ready for school. In school, he had lots to deal with, including practicing the guitar again.

****

In school, Shin would isolate himself during break time and after classes to focus on playing the guitar once again. If the guitarist and the bassist would be flirting with the Windflowers, if Joon Hee would be chasing Hee Joo around, he would be silent with only his craft to occupy him.

Sarang and her friends were less annoying now that Sarang had Soo Myung as her namjachingu. Nevertheless, she and her annoying friends would pick Shin's ire by pretending to sing Gyu Won's latest single, which had topped charts in the UK. Shin would snap at them and told them to shut up, and Bo Woon would often irk them for only associating with Gyu Won now that the latter is a star.

"Gyu Won-ah, I am happy for you," Shin said as he wrote the last pieces of his sad song.

His songs had always been melancholic ever since he broke up with her, and even the melody could make one cry. That was how much he missed her, how much he ached for her, and how much he loved her.

"I miss you, Gyu Won-ah... I cannot dare to forget you..."

He shed tears again in silence.

****

Gyu Won was in the middle of her vocal and dance lessons when she was also recording some songs, and she was glad that she was able to reach her dream. And that day, she was practicing some dance for a performance.

"Just you watch, Shin-ah...and wait for me..." she vowed. "I will ask you personally why you are doing this to me."

She fisted.

"Yes, this is my dream, and I am doing this for myself," she thought. "Half of this, I am doing this for revenge. Just you wait, Shin-ah. I will make you regret for breaking up with me."

She continued dancing some slinky dance when someone clapped. Gyu Won turned around to see a Caucasian woman smiling at her while clapping.

"Good morning, Miss Gyu Won Lee," the woman greeted.

Gyu Won realized it was Emma Watson.

"Oh, An... good morning, Miss Emma Watson," Gyu Won said.

"Mind if I come in?" Emma asked.

Gyu Won nodded and allowed her visitor to come. She ushered Emma to a seat, but Emma sat on the floor, so Gyu Won did too. Gyu Won smiled a bit. If she told Bo Woon she had talked with Emma in person, Bo Woon will die out of envy.

"I have heard that you took a break from classes to train," Emma said.

"Yes," Gyu Won said.

Her English was a bit better by now, and she was starting to be confident. The two of them talked about each other, and Emma gave her tips about acting. Gyu Won told her that she would also be watching plays after her lessons.

"Wow, that's so wicked!" Emma gasped with a smile.

By now, Gyu Won knew what "wicked" meant to the British people.

"But I am sure you left a sad boyfriend back in Korea," Emma .

Gyu Won's smile began to diminish, and Emma apologized for being rude.

"It's all right," Gyu Won said. "He broke up with me because I am too good for him."

Emma patted her.

"That's the spirit, Gyu Won," Emma said. "Besides, there are a lot of guys, you know. I can introduce you to Tom Felton! Oh never mind..."

Gyu Won saw a blush on Emma's face. Everybody knew that Emma openly liked Tom.

"I prefer if you introduce me to Daniel Radcliffe instead, or Sean Biggerstaff," Gyu Won said.

Oh, Harry and Oliver Wood have a Korean fan.

"How about Robert Pattinson?" Emma asked.

Gyu Won smiled as she nodded.

"Thank you... I think there's no need," Gyu Won said.

Emma laughed, and Gyu Won joined her. The two of them continued talking until Emma had to leave for other appointments. Gyu Won felt good to be talking to the British actress, and she thought she had to learn a great deal the way Emma had with her craft.

****

That night, Gyu Won was sorting out pictures and messages in her phone to be deleted when she heard the sound of the guitar coming from the street. She came to the window and saw young men singing their hearts out to no one in particular. The songs were not especially sad, but she found them so.

Not because the songs were sad.

The guitar reminded her of Shin.

And her heart ached again.

"I miss you, Shin-ah..." she thought. "I don't understand why it came to this... I hate you...but I still love you..."

She leaned on the wall to shed her tears again...for him.

****

Shin rested his tired hand and decided to get Gyu Won's passport picture. For him, she was the most beautiful girl, and he was hoping they will meet someday. He brought his lips close and kissed her lips in the picture.

"If only you could feel my lips, and kiss me back, I will be happy," he said. "I try to be happy, but I cannot. I try to forget you, to move on, but I cannot..."

All his heartaches were embodied in his songs, just as Gyu Won's heartaches and hard feelings were positively channeled through her dream of being a performer.

Two hearts tried to push away their true feelings, two hearts feeling indifference.

But they can not deny that they still feel for each other, and that they...

Still love each other.

And the rest just happened afterwards...

~~~~END~~~~

(Up next, more YongShin cuteness)

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