Nearly two weeks had passed. A hard, busy, exhausting two weeks, but Hoon felt like things were going well. Except for the fact that Serin’s douchebag ex was traipsing around Seoul, and that fact on it’s own made him incredibly angry. He supposed the feeling helped him with the whole getting the emotions right during performances. It did not, however, help him focus on interviews and memorizing lines. But he was trying his best. And Serin had assured him that since they had run into him over a week ago, she hadn’t seen him at all.

Of course, he hadn’t really seen her at all, either. He was beat. Practice, recordings, filming, interviews on TV and radio. This was what it was like to promote. He had sent Serin a text while he and the other members rode along in the van, checking to see how she was, telling her how much he loved her, and trying to subtly convince her to spend the night with him since she was going to leave for her business trip the next day.

He wasn’t exactly surprised when she agreed to come over for the night, offering to show up earlier in order to feed not only him, but his brother and Soohyun, as well. He jokingly asked he if she’d feed all of the members, but she immediately answered that she’d be happy to do so.

I was only joking, love.

But I don’t mind. I’d really enjoy making you a full meal. You can eat to your heart’s content.

He hadn’t been aware that Soohyun had been looking over his shoulder and had read the conversation on his phone. “Ne,” he said, “is she serious?”

“I think so, but she really shouldn’t be up all night cooking for us. Not when she’s leaving tomorrow.”

“Who’s cooking for us?” Eli asked.

“Ah… well um… Serin offered to feed us,” Hoon said hesitantly. He wasn’t super comfortable bringing her up. They all knew about her, of course, but only Soohyun and Kiseop had even met her, and he felt awkward at the idea of introducing her. Especially with things as they were with her ex-fiancée around, he felt that he needed to be more protective of her, even if they were s, and they were not threats to his relationship at all.

“That’s very kind of her,” Kevin commented.

“I’d be more than happy to go and eat whatever she cooks,” Eli said.

AJ shrugged, not all that interested in dinner. “I think I’d rather go home. It’s going to be kind of late. And I’m not entirely sure Hoon even wants us to be there.”

Hoon didn’t want to not invite them. He wasn’t sure he really wanted them to be there, but he did also want them to come over and eat, and he was conflicted. So he said, “It’s fine. If she wants to do it, then she can do it. It’s not like I can really stop her from doing us favors.”

“SWEET!” Eli exclaimed, excited about the prospect of a delicious meal.

“What time do you think we’ll be done tonight?” Hoon asked. “I want to give her a time estimate.”

The manager, who was driving, piped up then, saying, “I would guess like 10 tonight. Tell her 10:30. I’ll try to get you done as quickly as I can.” The manager’s attitude surprised him a bit, but he decided that it was most likely because the manager wanted to get done as soon as he could so that he could go home to his newlywed wife and spend time with her while they were still in Korea.

Hoon told her that everyone had decided to come over for dinner, and she asked for menu requests. They asked for kimchi chigae and bibimbap, and Serin agreed but also promised a special surprise menu item. The two continued to text back and forth until the van reached its destination, a fan sign, and he told her he’d talk to her later.

--

The rest of the day seemed to drag on forever until finally they were done just a bit later than the time guessed. They hurried back to the company building, before promptly going to eat, as their stomachs were demanding food.

They arrived at Hoon, Soohyun, and Hoonbi’s apartment more quickly than they had expected they would. Serin stood up from the couch to greet them, bowing deeply. “It’s very nice to meet all of you.”

Hoon went and stood beside her, though he was feeling a bit awkward about her being there with all of the members. She had previously met Kiseop a few times before and obviously Soohyun as they lived together, but it still seemed weird to have all of them in the same space.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, as well,” Kevin answered. “Thank you very much for making us dinner.”

“Yeah. Thanks,” Eli tacked on.

AJ had decided to go along with them, as well. He greeted her politely, before thanking her as Eli and Kevin had.

“Don’t thank me until you’ve eaten,” she stressed. “I hope it suits your tastes.”

“We’re starving,” Soohyun said to her kindly. “I’m pretty sure it’s going to taste wonderful considering how well you cook.”

She smiled. “I hope you’d think that even if you weren’t starving.”

Soohyun smiled wryly. “Well you know I like your food on any other day so don’t give me that,” he teased.

Hoon was glad that she was so relaxed around all of them. Of course, he supposed, he shouldn’t have been surprised.  She did have three brothers, and most of the associates she went overseas to have meetings with were men. And she had never acted starstruck around him, Kiseop, or Soohyun. To Serin, being around a group of guys was natural. It helped that Soohyun knew her and was helping make it seem natural for her to be there.

“It smells delicious. Let’s eat,” Kiseop said.

“What’s the surprise, anyway?” Eli asked.

“Can’t you smell it?” Kevin joked. “I could recognize the smell anywhere. It’s pizza.”

“Ah. You’re right!”

“I hope you guys like it. I made it American style for you two in particular,” Serin explained.

“Thank you very much. I’m sure it’s delicious,” Eli said.

“Let’s all go eat,” Hoon said, leading the way to the kitchen.

“Don’t worry about saving any. Hoonbi ate before he headed out for the night, and I already ate, as well,” Serin told them as they settled into their spots around the table.

They ate quickly and heartily, devouring the food she’d made. “It’s really delicious,” Eli complimented.

“Thank you. Keep up your strength while you promote. You guys are always so busy, and I worry about you. All of you,” Serin said from her seat beside Hoon. “Make sure you take care of your health.”

“She’s just like a mom,” AJ commented.

“More like a big sister,” she retorted.

“Sorry, noona,” Kiseop apologized for AJ. “We’ll make sure we prioritize our health.”

“Thank you, I don’t want any one getting sick or injured.”

Hoon looked over at her meaningfully. “Thank you for making us dinner, Serin,” he said, resting his hand on top of hers. “It’s good to feel full after a hard day of work.”

“You’re very welcome. And I would be more than happy to do it again whenever I get back.”

“Do you get back before we have to go to Japan?” Soohyun asked.

“I think for a few days.”

“We should do this again then,” Kevin said, brightly. “I really enjoyed dinner. Thank you so much for making it for us.”

All of them, full and feeling the effect of the food sitting heavy in their stomachs, eventually stood up and headed to their respective homes. Hoon and Soohyun, of course, stayed.

“Are you going to go home tonight?” Hoon asked her.

“Wasn’t planning on it. I packed all of my stuff already. I figured I’d stay here and then leave in the morning. As long as that’s alright with you two.”

“I don’t mind as long as I don’t hear you,” Soohyun said snarkily.

Hoon shot him a look, before answering, “Of course, you can stay. And really, thank you for all of the effort you put into making our dinner. It was very good. I am extremely grateful.”

“You’re very welcome. I wanted to meet the rest of the guys, anyway. And I know you don’t always get to eat the best when you’re busy.”

“I still really appreciate it,” he said.

“I do, too,” Soohyun added.

“Why don’t you take a shower first?” Hoon suggested to Serin.

“Oh, I don’t need to. I took one before I came over. I’ll just wash up again in the morning before I leave.”

“Go ahead and shower first, Hoonie,” Soohyun told him. “I’ll wait until you’re done.”

“Okay, hyung” he said, and the two walked to his room, as Soohyun headed to his room. He grabbed the stuff he needed for bed, and then went to shower. Serin quickly changed into her pajamas, and settled into his bed. She was tired, so she started dozing off before he came back. When he opened the bedroom door, she was startled awake.

“Go back to sleep,” he told her gently. “I’m tired, too.”

“I’m going to miss you a lot,” she said as he situated himself under the blankets with her.

He moved closer to her, wrapping an arm around her possessively. “I’ll miss you, too. At least I’ll be busy. That’ll help take my mind off of missing you. Things are so comfortable like this. I don’t ever want to separate.”

“Mmmm yeah. Thanks for letting me feel this happiness, Hoonmin. I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t met you.”

He hugged her tighter as he said, “I don’t even want to think about it. I don’t want to think about not having you in my life.”

“Then don’t,” she whispered. He kissed the back of her neck, gently rearranging their positions so that she was beneath him, kissing her lips, her neck, marking her as his. Though they were both exhausted and longing for the sweet embrace of sleep, they were more than willing to say goodbye like this.

--

Serin was gone by the time he woke up. He felt a pang of guilt because it was his fault that she’d gotten so little sleep. It had been his suggestion that she cook for the members. And then he’d kept her awake for a while after going to bed. At least her flight was long, and she could sleep on the way. She had left a note for him in the kitchen.

I’ll miss you, Hoonie. I’ll let you know when I land. Keep promoting your hardest. I’ll be watching and cheering you on from Italy. I love you!

            Serin

Hoon smiled as he put the note in his room and got ready to leave for the day.

--

One day dragged into one week, and he was pining for Serin hard. He had spent other times apart from her. But they hadn’t been quite as close, quite as used to being in each other’s company as frequently. Most days for nearly a month, he’d been with her. He’d gotten used to having her beside him. He was sleeping poorly without her there.

The lack of sleep, the busy and exhausting schedule, and how much he missed her was putting him in a not so great mood. There wasn’t really much that could make him feel better, but he and AJ had decided to get dinner after practice. “What’s up with you recently?” AJ asked.

He sighed. “Guess?”

“You miss her a lot, don’t you?”

Hoon nodded. “I can’t… How did I survive without her before? How am I going to be able to promote in Japan and not see her for several months?”

AJ shrugged. “You’ll work something out. You’ve gotten really attached to her. Maybe you should spend some time apart. It might be good for you.”

“I don’t want to, though. I want… no it’s more than want. I need to be with her.”

AJ was suddenly aware of how attached Hoon was. He hadn’t necessarily paid much attention before, but now it was glaringly obvious that this relationship wasn’t just a relationship that had formed out of convenience. Hoon was dead serious. “Listen, if it helps you any, I’ll try to keep you occupied while we’re in Japan.”

It wasn’t until a few steps later that AJ realized that Hoon wasn’t walking beside him anymore. He turned around, confused, but was only more confused to see Hoon squared up against a guy he didn’t know.

“I’ll take her back if it’s the last thing I do,” the stranger said.

AJ swore that if Hoon had hackles that could be raised, they would have been. He was angry, ready for a fight, and AJ could feel it hanging in the air. AJ stepped in to try to diffuse the situation. “Come on, man. I don’t know who you are, but is this really necessary?”

“She doesn’t want you back,” Hoon snarled back, ignoring AJ completely. AJ, though not entirely sure of the situation, was keen enough to realize this had to do with Serin. The stranger must have been an ex who wasn’t ready to let go.

“Hoon,” AJ said, still attempting to keep things from erupting, “let’s go. We’re in a bit of a hurry.”

The strange guy spoke up again, this time attacking both of them. “You two sissy boys need to just back off. She was mine originally, and she’ll be mine again.”

AJ didn’t like his tone or demeanor. He had very little attachment to Serin, having only just met her, but he knew full well that this ex, from his behavior, obviously didn’t deserve a girlfriend at all, much less Serin. “What’s wrong with you? You’re going to go pick a fight with two guys you barely know over a girl who is very obviously done with you. That’s incredibly stupid,” AJ said using a demeaning tone.

Of course, as much as AJ was rational about the situation, Hoon was getting emotional. And when Josh didn’t back down immediately after AJ tried to diffuse the situation further, Hoon went after him verbally. “She is mine,” Hoon growled. “Don’t you dare even think about her any more.”

AJ smirked. Hoon’s possessiveness was a bit amusing to him, but he couldn’t say he blamed him. Not when this pompous jerk was making a fool out of himself claiming he’d take back his ex. AJ knew full well, from his very limited observations, that the likelihood of Serin leaving Hoon was slim to none. From his perspective, it was more likely that the two would get married than break up.

The guy came after Hoon, and that was pretty much the last straw. Hoon kicked him in the shoulder and sent him reeling. He got up and came back for more. He swung unsuccessfully a few times, balled fist swinging wide of its mark or being blocked as Hoon’s years of taekwondo came out as naturally as breathing. He’d block, land a hit, block, land a kick, and it wasn’t long before AJ decided to step in to prevent things from getting really messy.

Hoon was barely breathing hard, as he’d mostly just defended himself. The other guy was bruised and lying on the ground, dazed. AJ walked up, and looked down at him, smirking. “It’s probably for the best if you just disappear, loser. Serin isn’t going to take you back, and Hoon wouldn’t let you have her anyway. I hope this embarrassment teaches you a lesson.”

Hoon took a deep, steadying breath, and then his face froze as he remembered the promise he’d made to Serin about not fighting. “Let’s get out of here,” Hoon said quietly. “Gloating over him isn’t going to gain us anything. And you,” Hoon squatted down to tell Josh, “don’t you dare think about bothering us again. I went easy on you. Go home. Reflect on your actions. Find another girl to love, and do it right this time.”

He stood up and walked away with AJ. They picked up their food, and purposely avoided talking about what had transpired. They made their way back to the company building, and while everyone was eating, AJ pulled Hoon aside and asked, “So what was that all about?”

“He’s Serin’s ex-fiance.”

“Fiance?” AJ asked incredulously. “Really? She was engaged to that loser?”

Hoon nodded. “She says everything was fine between them until she started having to go on a lot of business trips all the time. Then he got bored and started cheating on her.”

AJ could understand that, even if he completely disagreed with it. “He should have manned up then and broken up with her.”

“He did. Eventually. After about a year and a half of seeing other people and being engaged to her, he called it off, saying he’d found someone else to be with and left her devastated.”

“I should have punched him in the face, too. He deserves it. What a lowlife.”

“That’s when I met her. Right after that break up.”

“Ah,” AJ said, gaining a deeper understanding of the situation. “So why is he back then? He’s from the United States, right? His accent sounded a bit like he’s Korean-American? What’s he here for?”

“I suppose to try to win her back.”

AJ shook his head. That notion was ridiculous. No one would fly that far just for a stab in the dark at getting an ex to like him again. Only an idiot or someone very desperate. Of course, at this point AJ could believe that he was both stupid and very desperate.

“Serin’s going to be so upset with me,” Hoon said suddenly.

“Why?”

“I promised I wouldn’t fight him. But I couldn’t help myself. He was being all cocky and threatening. I needed to put him in his place.”

AJ put his hand on Hoon’s shoulder. “Listen, I’m more than willing to go up to bat for you on this. He was asking for it. If you hadn’t gone after him, I would have in about two more sentences. And to be fair, he came after you first. You just defended yourself.”

“I’m not entirely sure she’ll see it that way, but thanks for the support.”

AJ smiled. “I’ll make sure she’s not mad at you. It’s not your fault that her ex is a jerk and needs put in his place.”

Hoon smiled back, feeling a bit more at ease over the situations. “Thanks Jaeseop. I’m going to miss your blunt honesty when you leave. And of course, our dorm room will seem so empty.”

“Oh don’t worry. I’ll be back before long, dishing out more blunt honesty than you probably really want.”

--

Hoon returned home that evening, and felt lost, again, without Serin there. He decided to call her, despite the international rates, and he was relieved when she did actually answer. He confessed that he’s run into Josh and had fought him, despite his promise not to.

“What?” she asked, sounding angry.

“Listen,” he started, “he came after me. Jaeseop and I were headed to get food, and in the short walk, he found and confronted me. When he came after me physically, I defended myself. I couldn’t really control it. Muscle memory and reflex kicked in, and I just naturally used my taekwondo to protect myself from his attacks. I didn’t get aggressive with him.”

“Still. You promised you wouldn’t fight him. I’m not all that angry. I’m just disappointed. In both of you, honestly.”

“Jaeseop was with me, Serin. He was getting angry, too. If I hadn’t been attacked first, he would have gone after him. Jaeseop couldn’t stand his attitude. I think, maybe, you should talk to him once more and let him know how done things are. I will protect you, but he’s never going to accept how things are unless you really spell it out for him.”

Serin sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. I wasn’t ever expecting him to attempt something like this. I don’t know where he got the idea that I would just go back to him from. Had I never met you, his chances would be slim. Just out of caution for my own emotional health, I’d be hesitant to give him a second chance. But with you here, and my love for you, I wouldn’t ever want to go back to him. I don’t think he gets it. I’m not sure he will.”

“Serin,” Hoon said seriously, “if I see him again, I’m not going to be able to back down. He’s made me too angry and possessive. If you want me to stay out of another fight, please talk to him. Get him out of the country and gone. And then come back to me and be by my side. I’m missing you too much.”

“I miss you a lot too, Hoonie. And I’ll try my best to take care of this problem.”

With that, they said goodbye. Hoon was lost in his thoughts. He had gone from thinking of her as the girl he fancied and was dating, to a woman he couldn’t live without. It was a bit astounding to him that in the period of time that they’d been dating, she’d so completely worked her way into his life. Now he felt as though nothing was worthwhile if she wasn’t there to share it with him. “This is serious,” he said to himself aloud. “I think I’m going to have to marry her. I need her to be mine.”

Uttering the words audibly to himself, made him feel at peace. He’d been struggling with his feelings regarding her of late, and now that he knew he wanted to marry her, he felt surprisingly tranquil. It felt right, and he knew, that before too long, he was going to have to marry her, because he couldn’t let her continue to not be with him. It was going to complicate everything way more than necessary, but without her being his, he didn’t think he would be able to continue much longer.

His mind was made up then. He wasn’t going to rush through anything, and he would take his time, but he knew as he settled into bed that night that his mind was made. He was going to marry Lee Serin.

--

Serin called her middle older brother before she went to bed. “What’s up, Serin?” he asked.

“I need to ask a big favor from you,” Serin explained. “Josh has been going around apparently, harassing Hoonmin, trying to get me back.”

“What would Josh be doing, thinking you’d take him back?”

“I don’t know, Hyunsaeng. I need you to relay a message from me. He’ll believe that it’s from me if you’re the messenger.”

“You know how much I hate him,” he complained.

“I know. Which is why I know you won’t be nice to him, or try to make him feel less bad. Seunghyun plays too nice with people. And Jaehyun isn’t going to be ready for this task for a few more years. You’re my only hope, oppa.”

Hyunsaeng melted at his little sister’s plea for help. She was desperate enough to call him ‘oppa’. “What do you need me to do?” he asked, resigning to the fact that she knew him too well.

“Just go and tell him that I’m done with him. How much you will not accept him again. I don’t really care what you say. Just get him out of the country before I get back.”

“What’s the big rush though, Serin? He’s going to give up and leave eventually.”

“He’s been picking fights with Hoonmin,” Serin explained seriously. “Earlier he went after not only Hoon, but one of the other members, as well. And that needs to stop. If I need to, I can put all of my power into getting him deported, but I just can’t do it right now, from here.”

Hyunsaeng understood what she was asking then. This wasn’t really for her own benefit so much as it was for protecting her boyfriend. Hyunsaeng couldn’t really blame her, and he also didn’t really want the jerk around to cause Serin any more pain. “I’ll take care of it,” he promised her then. “Send me his phone number.” They said their goodbyes, and Serin did as requested and sent her brother the number.

--

Hyunsaeng immediately called Josh and asked him to meet up. Though the man had no respect for Hoon, Hyunsaeng was a different story. Hyunsaeng was intimidating, strong, and fiercely intelligent, and he knew it as well. He was charismatic and bold and not at all afraid to speak his mind. Josh agreed meekly, and Hyunsaeng drove to where the man had designated, a small coffee shop.

Josh arrived just a bit after he did, and he sat down across from Hyunsaeng while keeping his gaze averted. “What are you doing here?” Hyunsaeng demanded deciding to keep this conversation entirely in English just to make himself extra clear.

“I was sorry after I did what I did to her. And I missed her a lot. I came back to see if I could win her heart back, but then she already had a new boyfriend, and I got jealous.”

“That’s a good half of the story. It’s the part that sounds good. But I know you much better than that. What were your hidden intentions?”

“I didn’t have any.”

“Stop bullting me,” Hyunsaeng threatened. “What were you really hoping to accomplish?”

“Look at you, Hyunsaeng. Thinking you can read me like a book. But did you honestly think I was going to tell you my true and complete intentions?”

“No, actually. But knowing for a fact that you have an ulterior motive is all I need to know. See, you and Serin are done. She decided that awhile ago, and well, all of us decided that should you ever try to crawl back in to her life, we’d forcibly remove you.”

“How can you do that? I have every legal right to be here.”

“There are ways that I can get you deported. And we can either play this game the hard way or the easy way. Either you leave on your own, or I get you kicked out of the country.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Josh retorted. He stood up to leave, and Hyunsaeng pulled out his phone and made a phone call.

“Hello. Yes, I want to report someone for smoking .” Josh froze in terror. Hyunsaeng wasn’t sure he’d ever actually smoked any, but Serin had mentioned a few times that he’d struggled finding jobs because he often got false-positives on drug tests. It would have been pretty much a non-issue in the US, but here things were different. He would either decide to avoid the legal trouble and leave or he’d try to fight it out in court and more than likely be forced to leave the country anyway. It was a dirty way to force his hand, but Hyunsaeng was willing to go even dirtier if necessary.

“Okay, okay. You win,” Josh conceded.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Hyunsaeng apologized to the person on the phone. “It was just a normal cigarette. I didn’t look closely enough. I’m sorry for the oversight. I won’t make the same mistake again.” He hung up his phone and glared at Josh. “I want you to leave. Serin wants you to leave. And if I hear that you’ve been tormenting her or her boyfriend, I will personally come see that you get the treatment you deserve.”

“I could press charges against you. Him too, since he violently assaulted me last night.”

“I would appreciate if you would stop trying to sell me your lies. We’re not letting you leech off of Serin any more. She loved you, paid for you, gave you a place to live, and you returned her kindness by breaking her heart. You gave up on her and moved on. And so did she. She’s moved on. And you know what else? I like her new boyfriend way more than I ever liked you. If I catch you bothering either of them, I will personally take care of you for them. You know that I’m not afraid to play dirty, and I can get a lot more underhanded.”

Josh scowled, but he looked defeated. A fight against Hyunsaeng was one he knew he would never win. Verbally or physically, he stood no chance. “If it helps you leave faster,” Hyunsaeng suggested, “I can throw in a little monetary compensation. Since I’m sure that’s why you’re here anyway. Take what I give you and get out of here.” Hyunsaeng hadn’t really wanted to bribe him like this, but money was often a good motivator, especially with scoundrels like Josh. He reached into his wallet, and pulled out several large bills. “Here’s enough for a plane ticket home, and whatever else you want to do. At home.”

Josh nodded, and sulked out of the coffee shop. Hyunsaeng sighed in relief when he was gone, but spent the rest of the day following him secretly. He hated taking a day off of work for this, but he was compelled by Serin’s request (and his father’s encouragement to make sure Josh was out of Serin’s life forever) to ensure that Josh left immediately.

It wasn’t until much later in the day when he was at the airport that Hyunsaeng called Serin to tell her that she didn’t have to worry anymore. Josh had gone home. Serin was so relieved and thanked him over and over again. “You’re my favorite big brother,” she said.

“Seunghyun wouldn’t like hearing that,” he joked.

“Seunghyun doesn’t have to know,” she said playfully. “I’ll buy you dinner when I get back, okay?”

“Get me something nice from Italy, instead.”

“Sounds like you have something in particular in mind.”

“Well, a pretty Italian girl would be ideal, but I was thinking more like a nice Italian suit. I’ll get it tailored here.”

“That can be arranged,” Serin said brightly. “And I’ll make you dinner sometime, as well.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal, little sis.”

When they ended their call, Serin called Hoon to tell him the good news. He didn’t answer so she left him a voice mail. With Josh out of the picture, she could relax and fantasize about going home to a man who loved her and appreciated her. Who made her feel like she was floating and made her life happier and brighter.