Award-winning artist, Na Hyun Jung, spotted at movie premiere; rumors of romance surfaces anew

(via Star News) – One of Korea’s most-loved artists, Na Hyun Jung, once again raised quite a stir with her stunning appearance at yesterday’s star-studded movie premiere starring wonder boy, Hong Chan Doo. The enigmatic Ms. Na stepping out on the red carpet looking strikingly divine in an understated white gown and was promptly escorted down by none other than the man-of-the-hour himself, the dashing Mr. Hong.

Although the appearance was somewhat to be expected, the resulting fanfare was enough to revive once more the persistent speculations about the possible romantic relationship between the two. It has been a well-known fact that Ms. Na and Mr. Hong have had a very close relationship since Mr. Hong’s pre-debut days, with a few reliable insiders dating the friendship back to their high school years.

Representatives from both parties have avoided giving out an official statement like before, refusing to neither confirm nor deny the long-standing rumor, but the netizens are convinced that the gorgeous-looking pair is indeed seei each other. Some netizens have commented -

The curious article disappeared from the screen with a single click.

“Hyun Jung and Chan Doo are together now, huh?” Baek Hyun leaned back heavily on his seat.

Truthfully, reading the whole article detailing the possible romance between his two friends didn’t seem like a good idea at the moment. Last night’s revelation was surprisingly uncomfortable enough, and conflicting thoughts have continuously plagued him ever since.

Another sleepless night was not what he needed.

 “Since when did that happen?”

“If you want a real answer, then you should ask them that yourself,” the voice from the other side of the room dryly retorted as Baek Hyun continued to stare contemplatively at the blank screen. “Wait a minute. You didn’t just come all the way here to ask me that, did you?”

Baek Hyun quickly twirled himself on the office chair to face his friend.

“Aniya. It’s not like that at all,” he sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

The two of them had spent most of the time idly chatting inside Bong Goo’s slightly cramped office at the back of his clinic, but now it seemed as though the conversation was getting more and more about the other two particular people instead.

“I really wanted to see how you were doing.”

“You know, when Pulip called me earlier this morning to say that she was going to drop you off here, I honestly thought she was kidding,” Bong Goo admitted, finally looking up from the small stack of papers he was filing away from across the room. “But it looks like you’re really back.”

Dropping the last of his documents inside the metal drawer, Bong Goo turned to him with a questioning look. “You are back for good, right? I mean, this isn’t just a vacation or something?”

Baek Hyun confirmed with a small nod. “Found an opening at the university hospital in downtown Seoul. I’m starting on Monday.”

“Good. You’ve been gone too long, Baek Hyun-ah.” Bong Goo added with a small shrug, leaning against the drawer. “I didn’t think you’d actually want to come back.”

His gaze traveled to the inconspicuous picture frame resting on top of Bong Goo’s wooden office table. An unconscious smile formed in his lips. His friend looked as cheerful as he’d last seen him back years ago, though this time Baek Hyun thought it may have something to do with the cute and equally cheerful woman who was in the picture with him.

“Is there nothing for me to come back to?” Baek Hyun muttered under his breath.

“Aigoo, don’t be ridiculous. Of course you’re always welcome to come back here.” Bong Goo adjusted his glasses and flashed him a goofy smile. “But you know, things change. It’s not the same as when you were last here.”

“I can see that.” He motioned towards the picture frame and cocked an eyebrow. “So when am I going to meet the person who wriggled her way to Oh Bong Goo’s heart?”

“Or did she get there through your stomach?” jokingly, Baek Hyun added, leaning closer to give him a conspiratorial smile.

Just then, the door to the small office burst open, catching them both by surprise.

“Yah! Oh Bong Goo, you little rascal! Is there anything you forgot to tell us about?”

The unexpected intrusion made him straighten in his seat. Just as if they were back in high school, Baek Hyun opened his mouth to give the apparent trouble-maker a piece of his own mind but stopped short as soon as he recognized the person who had stepped inside the room.

“Oh! Could you please stop scaring me like that?” Breathing heavily, Bong Goo dropped the hand that had been clutching his chest when he saw who it was.

Chan Doo strode in casually inside the tiny office, oblivious to Bong Goo’s distress and apparently, even to Baek Hyun’s presence.

Baek Hyun took the opportunity to take a closer look. Aside from his sharper, more mature features and sturdier frame, Chan Doo almost looked the same – still as impeccably dressed, and still as neatly groomed as he’d last seen him. Chan Doo was still very much the pretty boy he remembered back then.

“When were you planning to let us know about your impeding marriage?”

“Mwo-mworago? Who told you that?”

If that wasn’t enough to catch everyone inside the room off-guard, the other person piping up from behind surely did.

“No one. We didn’t really get to interrogate Jinah when we bumped into her on our way here this morning, although that blinding thing on her finger kinda gave away the hint.”

As expected, the distinctively husky yet lilting voice belonged to the same person with deep, piercing eyes he saw yesterday.

Baek Hyun’s heart raced.

“Bong Goo-yah, did you seriously think that no one is going to notice it when a girl is wearing a flashy ring like that?” She clucked her tongue at her friend.

If possible, Hyun Jung looked even more striking up close, and Baek Hyun tried his best to remember if this really was the same girl he once found burdensome and annoying.

No, she wasn’t a girl anymore, he reminded himself. Standing right in front of him was a very beautiful woman – thin, pink lips twisted into a teasing smile; warm, chocolate eyes twinkling in mischief; rich, dark hair cascading gently way past her shoulders.

“I didn’t think you’d be…”

But all that seemed to have slowly melted into one inscrutable mask as soon as she noticed the third presence.

She stared at him, not a hint of emotion in her once delicate face.

Words appeared to have escaped him for a moment, and he couldn’t do anything but stare right back.

“A-ah… Chan Doo-yah, Hyun Jung-ah, I forgot to tell you…” Bong Goo started, trying hard not to stutter despite of the abrupt awkwardness that settled inside the small office. Swiftly, he shuffled over to where Baek Hyun was sitting and stood between them.

“Baek Hyun is ba– ”

“Wait, Hyun Jung-ah! I just…” The chair almost toppled over as Baek Hyun shot to his feet. He finally found his voice at the last moment, but it was all too little, too late.

Hyun Jung had already stalked out of the room, without a single word or even another look back.

It was Chan Doo who finally broke the deafening silence.

“Actually, we only dropped by here to visit Mindol on our way to the gallery,” he lightly explained, referring to the injured mutt Bong Goo had been nursing back to health in his clinic. “Hyun Jung just wanted to give the toy she bought the other day.”

“Look, Chan Doo-yah, I know I owe both of you an apology – ”

“We really should be going now.” Chan Doo effectively cut him off, a small, polite smile playing on his lips.

“Bong Goo-yah, don’t forget to send us the invitations, alright?” He turned to his other friend who only wordlessly nodded. With one last look back, Chan Doo offered him his last parting words.

“Welcome back, Hwang Baek Hyun.”

He slumped back on the chair with a grunt, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

“You shouldn’t take it against them, Baek Hyun. Things change; people change.” Bong Goo finally spoke after a few seconds. “Those two…. A lot has happened since you’ve been gone, so don’t take it against them.”

Change.

Baek Hyun was really starting to hate that word.

“You’ll also get your chance to properly talk to Chan Doo and Hyun Jung, eventually.” He crossed the short distance between them to give Baek Hyun a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

“Pulip did.”

* * * *

A/N: I wasn't originally planning to do this, but I'll cut off this chapter right here so that I could ask you guys: are my chapters too long? Or too short? I couldn't be too sure because it looks longer than when I type it. This chapter is roughly around 1.4K words (and this was supposed to be just a third of the original one). Do you want it to be longer? Or is this length okay? The reason I'm asking  all these is because I don't want to assault your eyes with too much text, but I also don't want to make the story as dragging as it is. Please tell me your thoughts, yeah?

Anyway, I think this answers the question about Baek Hyun's companion. The next chapter is going to be a continuation of this one.  :)