Surprise party.

 

Shouldn’t those words come with an exclamation point, maybe written in big, bold letters, and perhaps, all letters italicized, in a flamboyant, bright color? Why so dull, plain and lame?

 

Because it was Jung Yonghwa’s mind processing it, everyone.

 

For the very reason, it’s not one being prepared by himself or one for him.
And for the very reason it was for his Park Shin Hye by her official boyfriend, Yoon Shi-Yoon.

 

To make matters worse, it was not just one of those surprise parties with a specific occasion nor was it set-up for the grandest reason. Yoon Shi-Yoon was just being a sweet boyfriend. He said Shin Hye was working too hard and they haven’t been spending too much time together lately. (How about going to the filming site, Shi-Yoon? And seeing her at her house, like her best friend Yonghwa regularly does?) So, Shi-Yoon had come up with an idea to surprise his girlfriend with a party inviting everyone and of course, her favorite, and ‘bestest’ of them all, couldn’t not be missing. 

 

Jung to the Yonghwa.

 

Yoon Shi-Yoon appeared in front of him, made time out of his busy schedule and went to see Yonghwa in FNC Building while he was practicing.

 

“Help me.” Yoon Shi-Yoon shyly asked, “Just one song.”

 

Yonghwa swallowed.

 

Oh, no big deal.
He just asked him to sing Shin Hye a love song.

 

Then Yonghwa smiled, “You don’t mind if I choose the song, Hyung?”

 

Shi-Yoon shook his head

 

“You’ve fallen for me should be fine.”

 

Oh dear.

 

Not that song.
That is so Jung Yonghwa & Park Shin-Hye.

 

That is their song.

 

That could even be their wedding song.

 

“Thank you, Yong.” Shi-Yoon smiled. “And I guess I never told you this, but thank you for taking care of Shin Hye. For making her happy; for being there for her all the time. I admit, I was jealous of you at first, but I learned we both have our own roles to play in her life. I’m just glad you’re there for her too.”

 

Yonghwa could offer him no words. He just smiled. It was even a fake one. The CNBlue leader wanted to scream his heart out.

 

All Shi-Yoon’s words tugged his heartstrings.
All of it.

 

Shi-Yoon called him Yong.
Maybe because Shin Hye does; and he felt they were ‘close’ enough now.

 

They’re that close?
Shi-Yoon and Yonghwa.

 

.
Oh, shiiiiit.

 

How could those words ever apply to them?

 

“I will send you the details, I am still finalizing with the venue, inviting people and stuff…” Shi-Yoon told him before he left. “I’ll let you know once everything is done.”

 

‘And I’m done for.’ Yonghwa thought.

 

“Ah, Hyung.” Yonghwa called when Shi-Yoon was about to go, “Can I go last?”

 

Mmmm.
Park Se Ju has plans.

 

Undercover forever.

 

  Club TA
Hongdae, Seoul
10.30 p.m.

 

Park Shin Ye was in tears.

 

Literally.

 

And it could’ve been one liter by now.
Her tears.

 

And she wasn’t even filming.
This is real life, and she was at her best.  

 

Everyone in that Turkish-themed bar wouldn’t even think twice that those tears were because she was so touched by Yoon Shi-Yoon’s sweetness and not because she was washed away by guilt feelings.

 

Shin Hye was crying the moment she realized Yoon Shi-Yoon prepared everything for her that night. One of her friends from the university had to open a new box of tissues when Shi-Yoon told her the reason why he needed to do that. They weren’t spending much time with each other. He misses her; he even added ‘so much.’ Her official boyfriend told her she deserves a break from all the hard work and effort she’s been exerting lately.

 

Shin Hye need not to look at the mirror to confirm she looked like Rudolph.
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer.

 

Her eyes, her nose, her cheeks felt hot and were so red because she was crying too hard. And she can’t speak anymore. Her nose was even too clogged. No amount of water intake can help it ease it the soonest, because she kept on crying.

 

Guilt.
It was all over her.

 

And almost everyone was there; like when they threw her a party when she won an award that she had always dreamed about. Her childhood friends, those from school, some of her closest friends and people from work. CNBlue was there, even FT Island, AOA, and Juniel. In short, the FNC family is in complete attendance sans the big bosses. Yoon Jin Yi was there, Jong-hoon brought her along which made Lee Jonghyun happy and disappointed and happy at the same time.  Her cast mates from Heirs were also invited; Lee Min Ho had to excuse himself to leave earlier though. He had to film some of his parts of the drama so he had to leave before everyone.
 

One person is missing though. But he’s not supposed to be there. Shin Hye is guessing he declined the invitation.

 

Good thing he didn’t show up.

 

It was a pretty much a fun night for everyone, and even for the guilty Park Shin Hye. FT Island played songs for her. Juniel and AOA had to sing a couple of songs too. CNBlue too, had to perform with Jonghyun as lead vocals. So the FNC family was there for a reason not just as Shin Hye’s friends.

 

Shin Hye, who had calmed down a bit, whispered to Shi-Yoon that she wanted to speak and thank everyone. But her boyfriend looked tensed and kept glancing at his watch, seemingly getting impatient waiting for someone. It was too obvious, because the bar was dim, and Yoon Shi-Yoon either had to raise his arm to check on his wristwatch or let his face come closer to his left hand. And he kept looking at the door and scanning the place particularly where the Blue boys are seated.

 

Shin Hye was about to repeat what she had told him, when the door of that Club Ta, which Yoon Shi-Yoon rented exclusively for that night, opened ‘dramatically’.

 

Dramatically – not too fast, not too slow.
 

Almost everyone looked when the lone door located near the left side of the stage flung open. And it’s as if a cold gush of air came alongside when it did.

 

And when it flew open, a beautiful man entered.
He was wearing a three-piece dark navy blue suit, complete with a vest and a tie. A white handkerchief was inserted in his suit pocket which made his attire more elegant. His hair was neatly slicked back, his face can’t be described by anything less than the word: beautiful.

 

Jung Yonghwa is beautiful.
He is a beautiful man.
No doubt about that; not a single soul that night contesting that fact.

And he looked like he just came from a wedding.

 

His own.

 

The groom, er, Yonghwa, looked for Yoon Shi-Yoon and bowed to apologize for coming in late. He just came from filming his drama, hence his dashing attire and his late arrival.

 

He was few steps away from the stage so he didn’t waste any more time and took his spot in the middle. With a rhythm guitar prepared and handed by one of the bar’s staff, Yonghwa eased up easily sitting in front of everyone, with the spotlight on him.  

 

“Sorry, I’m late.” He apologized.

 

This had earned him cheers, hoots and claps from the people in that bar.

 

His brothers were too nervous that he came. Jonghyun and Minhyuk were emptying their beer bottles quickly the moment Yonghwa arrived; as if the two were having a contest on which one of them can drink more even before their Hyung can sing his song.

 

And if it was a contest, Jungshin could’ve won.

 

Seriously, Jonghyun and Minhyuk was no match at all.
The beer-drinking and who’s-the-most-nervous-of-‘em-all.
Jungshin will win at both categories hands-down.

 

Oh dear.

 

If people present were just observant, they could’ve noticed how the three younger blue boys tensed up seeing their Hyung arrive in that bar. Their worried faces are too much to cause someone else’s worry too. Even the cool Jonghyun was in a panic state. But no, all eyes were on that beautiful man on stage.

 

Yonghwa.

 

Yonghwa in a suit.
Yonghwa with a guitar.
Yonghwa on stage.

 

He makes girls, ladies, and women speechless when he wears a suit.
He makes girls, ladies and women cry when he plays the guitar.
He makes girls, ladies and women scream when he’s on stage.

 

Now what?
What does Yonghwa want those girls, ladies and women present that night to do with their lives exactly?

 

Stay speechless, yet screaming… and crying?

 

But there is someone who wanted to do that right that very moment.

 

But she can’t scream.
And her eyes are hurting because she’s cried too much already.
And being speechless is an understatement, not because she doesn’t know what to say. It’s just that there’s only one thing that got into her head that she wanted to put into words:

 

I love you.

 

Shin Hye wanted to tell Yonghwa that.

 

She was feeling guilty all night, yes, she was not fighting that. But the moment she saw him, she knew, Jung Yonghwa was worth taking that risk for.  She was not, for any second regretting that she crossed that thin line.

 

He is so freaking worth it.
And there was never a day that Shin Hye failed to remind herself that.

 

With those thoughts, a batch of fresh, hot tears fell from Shin Hye’s eyes again. Yoon Shi-Yoon, who was sitting beside her, smiled and hugged her.

 

“That’s my final surprise, Hon.” He smiled more, “Your most favorite guy on earth. The one you can’t live without…”

 

Whatta man, Yoon Shi-Yoon.
You just got to give respect to the guy.

 

How can a boyfriend be so selfless, calling another man, as someone to be his girlfriend’s most favorite guy on earth? And admitting the one he loves can’t live without another person apart of him.

 

You might own the stage, Jung Yonghwa, but Yoon Shi-Yoon is ‘the man’ too.
Yoon Shi-Yoon deserves some good lovin’ too.

 

Shin Hye cried harder.
And harder.
And harder.

 

Shin Hye and Shi-Yoon’s hug was broken when Yonghwa spoke again. After he apologized for coming in late, he had to fix something with his guitar, hence a further delay in his performance.

 

“Do you know Heartstrings?” He flashed his toothy smile.

 

Oh dear.

 

The Blue boys gulped.

 

They knew Yonghwa was up to something. That was his favorite spiel every time they were about to sing ‘You’ve fallen for me’. So it goes without saying, he’s going to sing the acoustic version of that song. The boys were not particularly happy with that.

 

Everything about us started coincidentally
At first I didn’t know that this was going to be love but to think that this was actually love
My heart keeps on going degeun, degeun
When you look at me, you keep on smiling without you even noticing,
And before you even realized, you started to fall for me

You’ve fallen for me, fallen for me, you melted because of my sweet love
You’ve fallen for me, fallen for me, you’ve fallen for the look in my eyes
See my eyes, you’ve fallen for me
See my eyes, you’ve fallen for me

Guess love always comes like faith/destiny
As if a sudden rain has passed by and soaked me, to think that this was love
When you close your eyes, the face keeps on appearing
When you notice your face with blushes, before your feelings realized,
You’ve fallen in love with me

You’ve fallen for me, fallen for me, you melted because of my sweet love
You’ve fallen for me, fallen for me, you’ve fallen for the look in my eyes
See my eyes, you’ve fallen for me
See my eyes, you’ve fallen for me

I’ll also confess to you I love you I love you, Now I shall confess to you that I love you
I also love you love you my feelings are telling you that I love you
See your eyes, please only look at me
See your eyes, I love you
(See my eyes, you’ve fallen for me) Even if this moment passes by I’ll love you forever
(See my eyes, you’ve fallen for me) Without even realizing, you have fallen for me

 

While Yonghwa was singing, he only looked at Shin Hye and no one else in that bar.

 

No one else.
His eyes didn’t travel elsewhere.

 

He smiled at her all throughout the song too.
His eyes smiled when his lips couldn’t.
He knew what lines could make her smile wider.

 

See my eyes
Neon naege ppajyeosseo

See my eyes, you’ve fallen for me
 

And finally, there was no crying Park Shin Hye anymore.
She smiled back at him.
She smiled back at her Yong.

 

When the song ended, Yonghwa knelt down at the end of stage. He motioned Shin Hye to come over the stage. Everyone hushed down, but few whispers can be heard. They thought, it was a part of Yonghwa’s performance. Yonghwa was like re-enacting that ‘famous’ scene in Heartstrings.

 

“Me?” Shin Hye mouthed and pointed at herself.

 

Shin Hye as Gyu Won.
Of course, she knows how to play her part.

 

She looked at Shi-Yoon who nodded at her. It meant she can go to Yonghwa who’s one leg still knelt down waiting for her. Everyone now was cheering on them, waiting for what they’re going to do. Shin Hye was happily and excitedly going to Yonghwa when she remembered.

 

Lee Shin kissed Gyu Won in front of everyone.

 

Damn.
Damn it.

 

But too late, the club was small. She was sitting near the stage and it was a good few steps away that she had come face to face with Yonghwa in a matter of seconds.

 

But.

 

Yonghwa offered his hand to her.
He didn’t kiss her the way people expected.
The way Shin Hye expected him to do.

 

Shin Hye froze.

 

“Mmmm?” Yonghwa offered his hand again. Shin Hye was in shock.

 

When her shock mellowed down a little bit, Shin Hye shook her head and after few more seconds, finally, she placed her hand to his. She was clueless up to the point that Yonghwa led her to sit in the middle of the stage, on the chair where he was sitting a while ago when he sang.

 

“I’m singing another song for this beautiful lady, over here.” Yonghwa told the crowd; he is playing the piano this time.

 

When he struck the third note, Jungshin, Jonghyun and Minhyuk wasted no time and were hurrying to join their Hyung to help him serenade the love of his life. The Blue boys crooning one of Stevie Wonder’s greatest hits, Knocks me off my feet.

 

For Park Shin Hye.
Jung Yonghwa’s love and life.

 

Not a typical CNBlue song. No, never. Jonghyun might dig and sing Eric Clapton but legend Stevie Wonder’s music weren’t particularly to the boys’ liking. But their manager happened to like this song a lot and have become sort of a ‘national anthem’. So the boys knew this song by heart. They were surprised when one time in a party, they realized that they could even play this song with their instruments without practice and that they even knew the lyrics by just having heard it too many times.

 

Yonghwa liked the melody. When he was learning English, it was one of the songs he first translated and he liked the meaning of the song.

 

He told everyone he’d sing it to that special someone someday, when he feels he had already met her.

 

When the feeling is right.
When the timing is right.
When the person is right.

 

Someone.

 

He meant the one.

 

He said that special song for the one needs not to be a cheesy love song. He liked this song because it has too many ‘I love you’s. No one took him seriously; Yonghwa didn’t take himself that serious either.

 

Until they crossed that thin line…

 

All things finally fell into place.
All things went right.

 

For him and for his best friend.

 

And the one who had always knocked him off his feet. 
The one whom he’s willing to say that ‘I love you’ too many times.

His best friend, who has always been the one.

 

I see us in the park
Strolling the summer days of imaginings in my head
And words from our hearts
Told only to the wind felt even without being said
I don't want to bore you with my trouble
But there's something 'bout your love
That makes me weak and
Knocks me off my feet

There's something ‘bout your love
That makes me weak and
Knocks me off my feet
Knocks me off my feet

I don't want to bore you with it
Oh but I love you, I love you, I love you
I don't want to bore you with it
Oh but I love you, I love you, I love you
More and more

We lay beneath the stars
Under a lovers tree that's seen through the eyes of my mind
I reach out for the part
Of me that lives in you that only our two hearts can find
But I don't want to bore you with my trouble
But there's something 'bout your love
That makes me weak and
Knocks me off my feet

There's something 'bout your love
That makes me weak and
Knocks me off my feet
Knocks me off my feet

I don't want to bore you with it
Oh but I love you, I love you, I love you
I don't want to bore you with it
Oh but I love you, I love you, I love you
I don't want to bore you with it
Oh but I love you, I love you, I love you
Darling, I don't want to bore you with it
Oh but I love you, I love you, I love you
I don't want to bore you with it
Oh but I love you, I love you, I love you
Darling, I don't want to bore you with it
Oh but I love you, I love you, I love you

 

Shin Hye even sang along. Especially with the ‘I love you’ part. And Yonghwa was biting his lip, smiling all throughout the song. He would’ve kissed her right in front of everyone else if his parents didn’t raise him well and haven’t taught him respect.

 

When the song ended, he approached Shin Hye and gave her a friendly hug. He whispered to her, singing, “Oh but I love you, I love you, I love you”

 

“Thank you, Yong.” She whispered back. “Next time, don’t show up in front me looking so damn fine like this.”

 

Yonghwa laughed. “Hey, I’m yours. You’ve got nothing to worry about. Didn’t you say, I am yours ever since? It’s me that’s got loads to think about.”

 

“Stop thinking about what you’re supposed to think about.” Shin Hye assured him, but took a quick glance at the waiting Yoon Shi-Yoon. “There’s no easy way to break someone’s heart I guess. But what can I do?”

 

“Mmmm?” Yonghwa evilly smiled.

 

“What?” Shin Hye asked him.

 

Oh, Shin Hye, pretending you don’t know. Pffft.
He just wants to hear it.
But Shin Hye-ah, those were two sweet and romantic songs, can’t you just say it?
And C’mon, Yonghwa in a suit.

Park Shin Hye, c’mon.
Not because you get to work with the hottest guys in Korea, you can’t say those words.

 

Yonghwa was still smiling at her flirtatiously, and was waiting for her to speak.

 

 “Fine.” She rolled her eyes, and came closer to whisper to him, “I love you, Jung Yonghwa. I love you.”

 

Awww.

 

Then he quickly kissed her on the cheek which made the people on the bar tease them.

 

“Hey!” It was Yoon Shi-Yoon who shouted jokingly, “I only asked for one song; you did two. That kiss is way out of the line. I’m calling the police.”

 

Everyone laughed.

 

“Arasso.” Yonghwa joined in the laughter, “Instead of calling these jerks (he was referring to CNBlue) to pick me up from prison, can you call my best friend to bail me out instead? Her name is Park Shin Hye, she said she loves me.”

 

Yonghwa was mighty proud when he shouted back at Yoon Shi-Yoon. And he was all-smiles.

 

But Shin Hye stomped her feet and shrieked, “Yonghwa!!!”

 

Yonghwa earned too many hard arm slaps on stage afterwards. Their friends laughed at them; even Yoon Shi-Yoon who was entirely clueless about the truth of Yonghwa’s statement.

 

She loves him.
She just told him.

And he told everyone else in that bar that night.

 

Oh, Yonghwa.

 

 

When the party ended a little over midnight, Yoon Shi-Yoon brought Shin Hye home. She was thanking him profusely but he was so surprised that she didn’t want to let him in inside her house. She kept saying it was late and that he should go. Then, Shin Hye told him, she got really tired that she wanted to sleep the moment she gets inside her house.

 

Since Shi-Yoon too felt overwhelmed by Shin Hye’s happiness a while ago and that the party seemed to have lifted her spirits up, he didn’t seem to make the big deal out of it.

 

If his girlfriend didn’t want to let him inside her house that night, it’s fine. When she seemed to have jerked a little bit when he took her hand, Shi-Yoon still thinks it’s fine. When their hug didn’t have that warmth anymore and lasted only for less than five seconds, Shi-Yoon still took it as something fine.

 

Fine.
Still, everything’s fine for Yoon Shi-Yoon.

 

But not when she avoided his kiss.

 

That was the turning point.

 

She intentionally looked to a different direction, and removed her beautiful face inches and inches away from him as fast as he was drawing closer to her.

 

Shin Hye knew Shi-Yoon is going to kiss her.
And Shi-Yoon knew she avoided his attempt kiss her.
And when their eyes met, they just knew the obvious.

 

“Goodnight, Oppa.” She ran to her house.

 

Oppa, not Hon.

 

It’s not fine for Yoon Shi-Yoon.
He is not fine anymore.

 

He drove off feeling dejected and went to drink Soju in a Pojangmacha. He never liked going to these tented restaurants. But Shin Hye liked them, because Yonghwa likes them.

 

Shin Hye and Yonghwa.

 

He suddenly wanted to become Jung Yonghwa. For the longest time now, he wished he was Yonghwa, the best friend.

 

Shin Hye’s most favorite guy on earth; the one she can’t live without.
That one guy that all men who love Shin Hye needs to get approval from aside from her dad and her brother.
That one guy who’ll Shin Hye put first over her own boyfriend, whatever time of the day.

 

Many guys probably wanted to be Yonghwa because he is a talented musician, and he is an actor too who had a huge fan base.

 

But Yoon Shi-Yoon wanted to be Yonghwa, because he is Shin Hye’s Yong.

 

He was a little tipsy when he decided to drive over to Shin Hye’s house once more. Yoon Shi-Yoon shouldn’t have done that. He shouldn’t have returned. All things were the same right before he left actually, except there was a black Jeep parked in front of Shin Hye’s house now. Shi-Yoon parked his Volvo next to that car. With a crying broken heart, he spent the remaining hours of that early morning locked up in his automobile waiting for the owner of that jeep to come out.

 

But the owner, as her best friend would always say, usually wakes up late.

 

Shi-Yoon had too many thoughts running on his mind. He felt he was about to go crazy. He didn’t know Yonghwa spends the night ever in Shin Hye’s house; that wasn’t included in Shin Hye’s ‘Daily Dose of Yong’.

 

But Shi-Yoon had a tiny glint of hope when at past four in the morning, the person he wanted to be, that is, Mr. Jung Yonghwa, emerged from Shin Hye’s house, wearing a new set of different clothes. He had to duck a little bit inside his car for Yonghwa not to see him. Not long after, Lee Jonghyun came out of the house too walking hand in hand with a girl wearing a baseball cap. Shi-Yoon couldn’t see much of her face so he couldn’t tell who she was.

 

He felt bad for thinking there was something going on between Shin Hye and Yonghwa. He almost wanted to hit his head on the steering wheel. His intuition was wrong.

 

Wrong.
You were right, Shi-Yoon.

 

That was Jonghyun with Yoon Jin-Yi.

 

Birds of the same feather are the same birds.
Jung Yonghwa and Lee Jonghyun are brothers.

 

No one will think Yoon Jin Yi and Jonghyun are a thing with Shin Hye and Yonghwa around them.
While Shin Hye and Yonghwa, under one roof with friends like Jin Yi and Jonghyun, will always have an alibi that it’s just a friends’ sleepover.

 

Sleepover my .

 

There are three rooms in Shin Hye’s home. The third one always gets unoccupied every time there is a friends’ sleepover.  And Yonghwa sleeps next to Shin Hye all the time, right?

 

And no, Lee Jonghyun doesn’t not sleep in the living room.
And please, no one thinks he ever does in the kitchen.

 

These sleepovers are rare actually. But it doesn’t happen all the time in Shin Hye’s place. Yoon Jin Yi lives alone too. Can you just imagine t