Once In a Blue Moon Bar
Chungdam-dong, Gangnam-gu
Seoul
9 p.m.

It was supposed to be fun.

That birthday party.

Except that the birthday boy got so drunk that he planted an unwanted kiss on the cheek of his long-time crush.

And it’s not supposed to be a big deal. It was his birthday. What’s a peck on the cheek from the birthday boy? Lee Jiyeon could’ve let it pass. She and Hongki had known each other for years. She is Choi Min-Hwan’s first cousin and she had hung out with the boys ever since. She and Hongki were friends and were even comfortable with each other to a certain level.

BUT.

Her boyfriend was there with her.

And that started the commotion.

Oh well, the fistfight.

It was supposed to be just between Hongki and Jiyeon’s boyfriend Suho. And normally, it’s Lee Jonghyun who would intercept these kinds of fights and step in behalf of his friends. But Jonghyun called that he’ll be a little late, so there’s no Lee Jonghyun performing his heroic boxing stunts for Team FNC.

Neither does the wasted birthday boy Hongki. He could not defend himself when Suho struck the first blow onto his face.

That’s when the still sober Jung Yonghwa knew he had to take in a different role as a leader. It was but instinct when almost all guys started to hold on to Hongki and stop him when Yonghwa literally wrestled with a much muscular guy Suho.

Suho was about two inches taller than him, and he has a muscular built too. But the guy was enraged. A guy just kissed his girlfriend in front of his face. That doesn’t happen every day.

People in the party were shocked. F.T. Island members all rushed to Hongki’s side to stop him because he wanted to hit Suho back. Lee Jiyeon was crying on the side; some girls comforting her.

No one was stopping the mad (man) Suho. He was still aiming at Hongki. He managed to hit a few more jabs, without someone holding on to him and with F.T. Island holding Hongki, not realizing they’re giving Suho access to hurt the birthday boy even more.

It was Yonghwa who realized that.

Kang Minhyuk, the handsome smart boy reported the commotion to the bar security. But it took them some time to respond.

Lee Jungshin was terrified, holding on to one of the crying girls, apparently because she got scared of what she was witnessing. Jungshin wanted to cry too.

Tables turned. Glasses, bottles and plates shattered. Food is thrown on the floor. The once classy jazz bar where well-known jazz musicians perform was totally messy and chaotic.

Girls were crying and some people were screaming.
You can either hear people begging them to stop or cursing them to stop.

And Suho won’t stop.

At all.

Yonghwa was mad too.

He pulled him and punched him.

Straight and hard in the face.

Suho landed on the floor. When he was about to get up to meet his new opponent, Yonghwa didn’t let him anymore. Yonghwa used all his might to beat the daylight out of Jiyeon’s poor boyfriend. He went on top of Suho and let him realize that it’s not only Jonghyun who can do boxing well.

Seohyun who was nervous and scared of what happened to Hongki suddenly become terrified of Yonghwa’s sudden transformation.

Seohyun cried.
In a good five seconds, hot fresh tears were rolling down her face.

“Oppa!” Seohyun cried, “Oppa! Stop it, Yonghwa-Oppa, Stop, please, No… Please…”

Yonghwa only looked up to her but he didn’t stop. Suho managed then to punch him.

Jong-Hoon and Jae-Jin tried to pull him out. Yonghwa glared at them before pushing them away. Still saying no words at all.

Minhyuk came, still wary that security taking too much time to respond. It crossed his mind that the person he talked to might have called the press instead.

“Hyung.” Minhyuk he called out to Yonghwa.

He also got a glare.
A glare that meant don’t come any closer.

And Jungshin…
Bless that baby. He is crying now.

Anyhow, any chance that Yonghwa is distracted by someone, Suho hits him. Yonghwa is bleeding now. His mouth is. But he was so mad that he couldn’t be stopped. He was mad because someone has hurt his friend.

He was coming from the fact that ‘that peck’ was just too simple of a reason for Suho to be mad like that to hit Lee Hongki. And Hongki was drunk; Suho should’ve realized that Hongki probably doesn’t know what he’s doing at all. And the people tried to explain to Suho everything before he had hit Hongki. It enraged Yonghwa that  Suho had TIME to think before he hit Hongki, yet he still did.

No one can stop Jung Yonghwa that night in that bar.

Of course not.
 

There’s someone invited in the party who goes by the name Park Shin Hye.

Shin Hye had to take a phone call outside the bar so she did not witness the entire happening. So when she went inside she was shocked to see Yonghwa wrestling with the gentle and friendly guy who was introduced to her earlier in the party.

Shin Hye, like the other girls panicked. But she saw no one daring to stop the brawl. It frightened her to see the bloodied face and torn shirt of Yonghwa and same case with the equally beaten Suho.

And what scared her most is that look that she saw in Yonghwa’s face.

That ‘No one should mess with me’ look.
Or rather, ‘No one can stop me’ look.

Shin Hye knew she should keep her cool yet she had to do something.

“Yong.” She called at him. Her voice cold. Her stare cold too.

Yong.
She called him Yong.
Just Yong.

Then Yonghwa stopped.
And so did everybody.

He was about to land one more punch when he heard her call his name.

Shin Hye and Yonghwa stared at each other for a good ten seconds before Yonghwa dismounted himself from Suho.

As if just in time, the security and the manager together with the staff from the bar came hurriedly to where Yonghwa and Suho were beating the crap out of each other.

Even without exchange of words, Shin Hye went to Yonghwa and got his wallet from his jeans pocket. She took his credit card and handed it to the manager.

They’re that close.

“Charge whatever damages incurred here.” She said icily. As if she wasn’t affected by what just transpired.  Truth is, she was shaking deep inside.

Shin Hye wanted to send off that vibe that she was not one bit shaken.

She was mad that Yonghwa lost his cool and did all those things.
She was scared as hell seeing her best friend hurt.
That alone made her nervous like crazy.

“Um…” The manager spoke to Yonghwa, since he saw that the card was his, not Shin Hye’s. “This card has a chip. I need your PIN for it.”

“I got it.” Shin Hye was the one who answered for him. She motioned that she’ll be the one to provide the PIN numbers.

They’re that close.

Lee Jiyeon ran to Suho who still managed to get up despite being beaten by Yonghwa. The two guys were still eyeing each other even if their fight has already ended. Jiyeon insisted they go to a hospital; Suho was suggesting they’d just head home because he was just feeling tired. He claims Yonghwa’s punches were not as hard and that he’s not that hurt. It was Yonghwa who needs to see a doctor, not him.

Seohyun on the other hand, ran and hugged her boyfriend.
 

Never mind that she didn’t realize that he didn’t listen to her when she told him to stop.
Never mind that he didn’t budge when she was almost out of breath crying her heart out when he was out there fighting.
Never mind that she almost lost her face in front of everybody when all Shin Hye had to say was ‘Yong’ and he stopped.

“I’m sorry.” Yonghwa kissed Seohyun’s hair, “I’m sorry, baby.”

At least he knew he had to apologize.
At least to her.

“Are you okay?” Tears are still on Seohyun’s eyes when she asked.

“I’m fine.” He wiped the tears that fell from her eyes.  “I’m sorry. I was bad. That’s not going to happen again. He hit one of my friends. That’s not fair. I know I should do something…”

Yonghwa explained to Seohyun. He had to. And he had to assure her over and over that he was fine and that he didn’t have to go to the hospital to cure his bruises and cuts. She agreed finally.

Shin Hye came back, still controlling her emotions (She was very good at it), spoke in a calm voice.

“Let’s go to the hospital.”

She wasn’t asking him.
She was telling him.

Shin Hye was not waiting for a YES or a NO.

“Shin Hye…” Yonghwa wanted to protest. But he heard another ‘Yong’.

“Yong.” She repeated and then turned to Seohyun, “Let’s use my car. Obviously, he can’t drive so I will.”

She walked past everyone else who witnessed how Jung Yonghwa only followed Park Shin Hye and no one else.

And that was extraordinary.

They’re that close.

The car ride to the hospital was in absolute silence. Yonghwa and Seohyun were seated at the back which made Shin Hye looked like a driver. The two held on to each other lovingly. Shin Hye didn’t care; her heart’s still pounding like crazy.

Doctors told them Yonghwa’s fine and gave him painkillers because for sure his body will ache like hell the next day; but no need to worry, all tests done show everything’s alright with him.

Shin Hye drove to their neighborhood since the two live near each other.
In the same apartment complex.

Seohyun went out together with Yonghwa. Shin Hye was about to leave when Yonghwa told her to wait for him. Looks like the bruised boy wanted to do some explaining. Shin Hye need not to hear any actually; at least not that night. She was still reeling from that incident and still hasn’t gotten over that fact that it was the first time that she had seen Yonghwa get into a fist fight and hurt and bloodied at that.

She was not prepared by any means.

Shin Hye was startled when she heard a knock at driver seat window. At her side.

It was Yonghwa.

She rolled down the window.

“I’ll drive.” Yonghwa told her.

He was taking her home.

He gave her a commanding look that required no answer from her. It was his turn this time. And Shin Hye knew it wasn’t really the right time to argue with him. He was hurt and they were both emotional to begin with. 

So with not much of a choice she went out and transferred to the passenger seat.

Travel to her house from Yonghwa’s takes about forty-five minutes without traffic. It’s a bit far. And that fifteen-minute short of an hour trip to her place was in perfect silence. Until the car went into a complete halt in front of her house.

“I’m hurt.” Yonghwa had turned engine off and pulled out the keys. “My whole body aches… Everything’s ouch.”

Who else can he admit everything he’s feeling to?

“I don’t regret doing it…” He admitted, “He hurt my friend, right in front of me, in front of everyone for the tiniest reason. Hongki was drunk. And even if he wasn’t, he’s a harmless guy. That jerk Suho knows that. And we told him not to touch Hongki and he still did… If I can go back to that situation again, I’d still do what I did.”

And who else can he be totally honest with?  With no holds barred.

“I hate you.” Shin Hye started to cry. She was fast to wipe her tears.

“Do you know how scared I got? Yong… For goodness sake, it was miracle I was able to even call out your name. I thought I was going to faint seeing blood in your face… You know I was scared of blood… And to see you bleeding and all that… I just… I just couldn’t…” She was biting her lip, because she was trying her best to control her tears but her efforts were useless; she was crying uncontrollably just the same. “That was wrong. Hurting another person like that. I hate you. I will not talk to you again.”

Shin Hye went out of her own car and stormed her way in to her house, still crying. Yonghwa followed her. No, he didn’t just take her home. He intended to stay over in her place.

A place where he’d rather be at his lowest.
Her house.
Shin Hye’s house.

And he did stay.
But true to her word, Shin Hye didn’t talk to him the entire evening and the next day.

But they did share a bed and Shin Hye prepared  breakfast for two the next morning. Shin Hye even made sure he drank his medicine but she never said a word to him.

He made her too scared.

And he didn’t say he was sorry. Not that she was waiting for it. She was just too traumatized by what happened.

She was shooting a CF five days later when he called. It was the first time they have communicated after the incident.

No hi’s.