When they got back from Busan, Yonghwa insisted on being present in the de-briefing. Seo refused but in the end Lee Joon agreed because Yonghwa was both client and witness. He was silent all thru her recount of the events leading up to the incident on the beach. Lee Joon told Seo to take her top off so they can see the bruise.  Yonghwa was going to protest when Seo just took off her jacket, t shirt and just had her white silk cami. To their credit Lee Joon and L didn’t even blink. They looked at the bruise with dispassionate eyes and L took measurements.

“He didn’t kick you hard enough Seo” Lee Joon tells her. “That’s a good thing. It’ll probably be faint in 3 days. Are you putting salve on it?” Seo nods and puts back her t shirt and jacket. Yonghwa noticed that she looked everywhere except in his direction.

This was another observation he had to take back.  Seo wasn’t flat as a board like he told his doongsaengs. She was slim but she had curves in all the right places and her s were just right. Then he mentally slaps himself. What was he thinking again? She had a purple bruise on her shoulder and all he could think of was how y she looked in the silk cami!

“Maknae, you will have to put this all in a report for me to sign.  I’m can’t promise that Sajangnim will not discuss this with you. He probably will so hold your tongue and accept whatever he says.  I’m letting you off lightly because this was a favor I asked from you. BUT you were not in possession of any means to defend our client or yourself from the attacker and also you were without your mobile. The only thing in your favor was Dubu was with you – she would have been able to assist you in protecting the client.” Lee Joon tells Seo.

“As long as it’s not TOP Oppa I will be talking to I’m fine. And yes, I’ll keep my remarks to myself, Sunbae. May I please be excused?” Seo stands up and heads for the door with Dubu without even waiting for Lee Joon to answer.

“Yah – Maknae!” Lee Joon shouts but the door was already closing. “I apologize for her, Yong.  She’s always like this. Is there anything else you wanted to add to Seo’s report?”

“It’s my fault that she was without a weapon or her phone – I was the one who asked her to step out of her car. Does that count?” Yonghwa asks.

“No – it’s 2nd nature to be prepared that’s why I’m so surprised about what happened. Seo is meticulous about this.  And knowing her - she’s probably beating herself about it.” Lee Joon replies.

Yonghwa keeps quiet.  He couldn’t tell Seo’s supervising officer that she was distracted because of him. He remembers her flushed face and he made up his mind to apologize to her as soon as possible.

When he comes out of the room Seo was nowhere to be found.

“She left with Dubu. But she told me to give this to you.” L gives him a plastic bag.

Inside the bag were 2 more patches for his foot and 2 more herbal smoothies. In her neat hand writing she tells him not to forget to put on the patches every six hours and to sit down when his foot starts to ache.  The smoothies were for him to take before he went to sleep and another one before lunch the next day.

Yonghwa couldn’t help but smile.  He went up the practice room in a good mood which surprised everyone considering what just happened to him and Seo.

That was last week but since then Seo had avoided Yonghwa for a whole week. And he was pissed off.

He’d tried texting her and calling her but she never responded or picked up. It was increasingly hard for him to keep from exploding whenever all their body guards were with them.  She acted like nothing happened between them.  That he hadn’t kissed her.  She was as aloof as ever. Seo was often with either Minhyuk or Jungshin.  Yonghwa usually had Lee Joon or Hoya with him.

CNBlue was doing the rounds of all the talk shows and variety shows because they were enlisting 3 months’ time. Their last appearances were themed as nostalgia –the band would be playing all their hit songs since their 2010 debut. Today they were all in MBC for Music Core.  Though CNBlue had their own dressing room – it was still quite crowded since the stylist noonas where there as well as their 3 managers.  Seo and Cheongdong were assigned to the hallway. Hoya was near the stage and Lee Joon was inside with the band.

 Seo and Thunder were chatting when Seo suddenly heard someone calling her name.

“Seo! Oh my God! Seo! It’s you!”

Seo had barely turned around when she was surrounded by feminine arms embracing her.

Girls’ Generation clustered around her.

“Why are you here? Who are you guarding now?” Yoona asks her.

Just then the door opens – Jonghyun and Yonghwa step out.

“Annyeong hasayo Yonghwa Oppa! Jonghyun Oppa!” Yoona smiles at Jonghyun and Yonghwa. The other members likewise greet the 2 guys.

  Yoona and Jonghyun were an item.  Everyone speculated whether they were on or off.  Right now they were unofficially on.

“Oppa – remember what happened to us in Japan? When we had that stalker?” Yoona held Seo’s hand tightly.  She knew that Seo would never want the acknowledgment for what she did.

“Seo’s the one who saved us!” Sunny exclaims. “She got wounded but she took out that man so bravely.”

Seo wanted to run away – she couldn’t bear looking at Yonghwa.  She didn’t want any acknowledgment and had told SM that she wanted to remain anonymous.

“What did you say?” Yonghwa asks the girls.

“Oppa – you must remember. CNBlue was in Osaka at that time. There was this guy who’s followed us constantly and SM together with Seo’s company decided to trap him.  Seo wore my clothes and when the man broke in she protected us.” Yoona replies.

“I was so scared because he had long knife and he held it against Seo’s neck but she was so brave – she literally made him go down on his knees. Blood was oozing out from her neck wound – I had nightmares for weeks. Then the adjoining door broke open and 2 other bodyguards came in.” Sunny recounts.

“It wasn’t very deep.” Seo mumbles.

“Right – 2 inches inside your neck isn’t deep.” Thunder mutters loud enough for Yonghwa and Jonghyun to hear.

Just then the Minhyuk and Jungshin step out followed by Lee Joon.  There was another round of bowing and recounting of the incident in Osaka.  Seo was very aware that Yonghwa was looking at her and she felt her face start to heat up.

“Yah-yah everyone stop – you’re all embarrassing Seo!”Taeyeon tells the group. “Mian Seo! We were just so excited to see you. It’s been awhile.” The SNSD leader takes Seo’s hand and gives it a squeeze. “We can never thank you enough for saving Yoona and Sunny and putting your life on the line so forgive us if we become like this when we see you.”

“I’m glad to see all of you.” Seo smiles at them. “But like I told you before-“

“We know – it’s your job.” Jessica finishes for her.

Just then the PD comes and informs SNSD that they were next.  The girls say goodbye to CNBlue, Seo and the other bodyguards.

“Why don’t the 2 of you come in?  We’re finished with hair and makeup.” Jonghyun tells Thunder and Seo.

“I’m watching the performances” Thunder tells them. “You can go inside Seo.”

“I’ll go with you.” Jonghyun replies – any excuse to see his secret girlfriend Yoona.

“After you.” Yonghwa holds the door open for Seo.

She nods and enters. There was no one in the room except for the TV blaring out SNSD’s performance.

“Where is everyone?” Seo had barely finished speaking when she gets hauled against Yonghwa and thoroughly kissed.  He holds her fast and while the kiss starts out roughly he suddenly gentled the kiss, his arms going around her.  Seo stood shock still. She hadn’t wanted to respond to the kiss but when his lips turned gentle her own lips followed as well.  He breaks off the kiss and proceeds to kiss her cheeks, her eyelids and lastly her forehead.

“Bogoshipo.” He looks into her eyes. “I mean it.”

“Yonghwa-shi.” Joohyun looks up at him. Her hands clench on ends of his jacket. Seo felt faint.

“Can you call me Oppa when there’s only the 2 of us?” He whispers before rubbing his lips against hers.

“We can’t do this.” Seo gives him a stern look. Unfortunately, Yonghwa finds it cute and kisses her nose. Seo flinches and takes a deep breath – she needed it because her legs were turning into jelly. She was pressed so close to him, she could smell his cologne, the mouthwash he uses and she looks very deeply into his eyes. “I mean it. No matter how many questions I will need to answer – I will take myself out of this assignment if you insist on doing this.”

“You can’t leave. I won’t allow it. You have to be here beside me until I go to the army.” He tells her. “I’m serious as well.”

“And then you’ll forget about me.” Without meaning to tears spring up in her eyes and she blinks them back.

“Ani – you’re wrong. I can’t wait for you to finish guarding us because that would mean you won’t be my bodyguard anymore and you can visit me in the army.” He still kept his tight hold on her.

“Who said I will visit you?” She looks at his neck.  She didn’t want to look up into his eyes anymore because he would see too much. No one was allowed to make her vulnerable. Especially not Jung Yonghwa.

“I said.” He kisses the top of her head. He lowers his head and captures her lips again – very softly rubbing them against his.  Seo’s heart did somersaults.

Just then they heard a commotion outside.  The noonas were coming back.  Yonghwa pulls her away from the door and heads for the sofa.  Joohyun pulls her hand from his and sits in the chair in front of the mirror.

“Ah – there you are!” The eldest stylist noona smiles at Yonghwa.  When she sees Seo her smile becomes wider. “Seo-nah! You’re here too.  Good at least it’s been proven you two can stay together in one room. Definite improvement. I hope you were talking to each other. It’s been 2 months and you’re both still so set on ignoring each other.”

“Did you get what I wanted Noona?” Yonghwa asks her.

“Ah- deh of course Yongie.  Gomawo for treating everyone to nice drinks. Here Seo-nah, I ordered this for you. Yong said you’ll like this.” The noona hands Seo a hot drink.

“It’s chai latte – using almond milk.” The woman smiles at her. “He gave us specific orders about what milk to use.”

“Kamsahamnida.” Seo holds the hot drink between her cold hands.  Yonghwa had indeed been paying attention – this was her favorite hot drink.

“Oh don’t thank me – thank Yong.” The woman waves aside Seo’s thanks and joins the other staff who were crowded around the TV watching SNSD’s performance.

“Wah – they’re so good. No wonder uri Jongie is so in love with Yoona.” The younger assistants sigh. They were all happy with Jonghyun’s relationship and all of them wished that the love birds wouldn’t quarrel anymore because a sad and/or angry Jonghyun was hard to dress and style.

“You know uri Seo can give them a run for their money. And those 3 other bodyguards – Yuri, Sooyoung and Hyoyeon as well.” The eldest stylist remarks the other women agree and all turn to smile at Seo.

Seo could feel her face grow warm. She stammers her thanks and just catches Yonghwa nodding his head.  She glares at him and he responds by raising his cup to her and drinking his coffee.

The door opens to let in the 3 CNBlue members and the 3 bodyguards. Everyone was holding a drink.  They thank Yonghwa for making the noonas buy drinks for everyone. He smiles and accepts their thanks and looks everywhere except in Seo’s direction. 

“You look happy Hyung!” Minhyuk plops down on the space next to Yonghwa and playfully hits his shoulder. “Like you hit the jackpot or something.”

Yonghwa just smiles and takes another swig of his drink.

The PD comes in and announces that CNBlue was up next after the commercial break.  Lee Joon and Hoya tell the 2 younger guards that they can just sit and wait in the room. The band members all have their ritual pep shout and file out of the room followed by their 2 bodyguards.

Seo and Thunder watch CNBlue’s performance together with the other FNC staff.  Seo makes sure that she stands behind everyone.  When the camera focuses on Yonghwa’s face – all his noonas clap and exclaim just how handsome he was. Their manager shushes them and tells them that Yonghwa wasn’t just a pretty face but is a very talented and hard-working artist – all the CNBlue members were – and all the staff agree.  Their youngest manager sighs and tells everyone that he’ll miss the boys terribly when they go into the army and it would be a long 20 months for all of them.

Seo had a lump on when she looks at Yonghwa’s face on the screen.  Those lips just touched hers, those eyes just looked into hers and those arms were just around her – not more than 20 minutes ago. Of course she missed him – avoiding his calls and messages were hard on her. But their situation was not good – he was her client and everyone in their agency would tell her that it was not allowed. But then her heart was doing strange things to her lately. It would speed up when she heard his voice – even when he wasn’t even talking to her. She saved all his text and voice messages and had listened and re-read them.  She was like a high schooler in love for the first time. And Seo had vowed that she did