Romantic Sands and Furry Things

The early train brought you into the Busan station before it was nine in the morning, and you could already sense the vibrancy that was pulsing from the city. It was no surprise that you received this feeling even so early in the morning, as Busan is Korea's second largest city. It took three hours to travel from Seoul to Busan, and the trip took you right across one side of Korea to the other. You began to realise how small Korea was in comparison to your home country. As soon as you had arrived YongHwa had arranged for a taxi to take you to the hotel he had booked for the first night in Busan, claiming that you would need some time to settle in before you faced the big task of meeting his family. It was quite considerate of him to think of you with this, you didn't expect many guys to give it any thought. In fact you hadn't even given it any thought, but you were thankful for YongHwa's quick thinking mind, and hoped they weren't really as troublesome as YongHwa was making them out to be. You were sure that wasn't so, and actually you were very excited to be meeting his family. Any excuse to learn more about the beautiful man that was Jung YongHwa. What fan or lover could possibly resist? However upon reaching the hotel, and as the taxi drove away, YongHwa set down yours and his bags and started fishing around for some things. He put on a terrible moustache, it was neither here nor there, making it look like he had a thin, stubble-like excuse for facial hair. The glasses and the hat really set it off, and if you didn't know it was YongHwa already, you probably would have had some problems recognising him. For a disguise, it was actually a rather good job. Not quite tasteful of course... but it certainly did the trick. You reminded yourself never to let YongHwa grow any facial hair for real. However you knew you wouldn't really have to handle that on your own, with his fame he would never be allowed by anyone to look so scruffy. Before you would even have to open your mouth, you knew the makeup unnies would tackle him first. However, to your surprise he retrieved some details that he intended for you to use for your own disguise.

"Oh you've got to be joking," you said, staring in horror at fourth item YongHwa retrieved from a special place in his backpack. There was no way in hell you were wearing that, not even for a joke.

..............................................

A strange couple walked in the doors of the very sophisticated and prestigious Paradise Hotel Busan. The man seemed to be young but his facial hair made him look like he was verging on middle-aged. He was possibly the more strangely dressed, as he was wearing thin track pants and a sports top with sporty pullover - which all seemed casual and young in itself, but then he also wore an old fashioned peaked gentleman's cap lopsidedly at the side of his head and thick lense round glasses. It looked as if he was having something of an identity crisis, half sporty half nerd and neither young nor old. However his female companion was a little more glamorous, she was well dressed and less eclectic, more elegant. She wore a simple maxi skirt and loose fitting top all of which seemed to glide along as she walked. Around her head was a mottled black and white scarf, and complete with the curved 50's style glasses it looked as though she thought she was a movie star. When she neared the counter she looked shyly away and it was noticeable that she had a very thick mono-brow. It was puzzling that she paid so much attention to her glamorous looks and yet had not manicured her brow, which was very noticeable once up close. Even her extremely long eyelashes which curled over the top of her sunglasses did not detract from that brow. Perhaps she was self conscious, as she did not once remove her sunglasses. This also made it difficult to tell what ethnicity she was.

"Pleased to meet you, I am Kim JoongGo. I have a reservation here with my lady friend, Park HyeRim." Stated the man in a droll kind of voice. He fumbled with his collar and looked down his nose at the receptionist. There was something oddly familiar about him, and the receptionist found it difficult not to stare and try to figure out why.

"Of course, jumkanman," the receptionist clicked into a few windows on her computer. "Everything is all here. Kamsahabnida for choosing to stay with us, we hope you will enjoy your stay. Please allow our staff to help you with your bags and show you to your room, there are complimentary welcome drinks waiting for you inside." She gestured as a young man came along and happily picked up Kim JoongGo's and Park HyeRim's baggage. 

"Ah-ah, kwenchana," said Kim JoongGo, "I can carry the lady's bags."

"Sir, I insist..." the young man bowed profusely, already carrying everything in both his arms.

"Aniyo, aiyuuuu look at you! That is too much, I can carry some of Miss HyeRim's bags," Kim JoongGo reached for them and the bellboy reluctantly allowed the guest to take the bags.

"As you wish, Sir. Now if you don't mind, follow me?" he started to lead the way out of the lobby and the receptionist looked on curiously as Kim JoongGo fumbled behind with the lady's bags as the lady nudged and niggled him quietly from behind. Her accent made it sound as if she was not a native Korean speaker. What a strange couple. She swore she knew that man's face.... he wasn't as old as his moustache made him look. If only he removed those glasses... Hmm, Kim JoongGo, that name didn't even sound familiar. She shrugged and got back to her work.

.............................................

As soon as the bellboy left you alone, you closed the door politely after portraying your thanks and then unfastened your scarf, took off your sunglasses and then made to rip off the ridiculous mono-brow YongHwa had made you wear. However a hand came up and stopped you.

"Actually, I think that looks pretty y," said Kim JoongGo. He was grinning that devilish grin of his. Well actually that grin didn't belong to JoongGo, it belonged to another man you knew. A much more attractive man that didn't have nerdish glasses and a measly moustache.

You at your teeth, looking at him unimpressed. "Oh is that so? Mr Kim JoongGo?" you moved towards him, wiggling your entire brow up and down. It felt heavy and strange there between your eyes. You could see the hairy thing sitting there like something unwelcome and foreign.

"Kureh," Kim JoongGo nodded and moved his eyes over you mysteriously. "JoongGo-Ssi likes a woman with a bit of something extra... special." He closed the gap between the two of you, looking down into your eyes with cartoon-like enlarged ones. The glasses were magnifying those big brown eyes like nothing else you ever seen. He looked like an alien. An alien with a moustache and a silly old man's hat.

You tilted your head, going for a bit of sass. "Well JoongGo-Ssi, don't tell my boyfriend, but I think you're pretty cute too." You frowned and looked him over closely as he beamed at you enthusiastically. "Although," you reached up and removed his hat, "That, I don't think you need now that we are inside." His eyes widened even more as you dropped the hat to the floor. Now they looked as if they were taking up the entire lens of his glasses. "And, those glasses... I don't want you reading into me too much right now." You removed the glasses too, placing them on the ledge beside you. You then scratched your chin and regarded his moustache. Yes, you really, really wanted to remove that as well.

He saw what you were looking at and felt under his nose, pouting. "You don't like a man with a moustache? You don't think it looks refined?"

You shook your head slowly with an equally slow, "A-ni-yo."

He watched your lips tentatively. "Arraso, I will shave for you." And with that he peeled off the moustache slowly with a drawn out  "ssssssss...."

"Does it hurt?" you asked in concern.

YongHwa was back, he had a red upper lip, but he was back. You could literally feel your pupils dilating as you regarded your lover in all his normality again. JoongGo paled in comparison to this dark beauty that was all yours. His eyes flicked to you, and as they did, something also flickered across his face. "An... a, neh... neh.... so painful...." he touched lightly at his lip as if it was too sore to touch with his fingers. He looked at you, wincing like he was in pain. "Could you... maybe... kiss it better?" he blinked at you innocently. Oh yeah, YongHwa was definitely back. This dark beauty was also a cheeky, flirty one. When you didn't react right away he continued his act, his face scrunched up in pain. "Ah... ah.... I don't think it can feel better... But if you kiss it...."

You rolled your eyes and pulled his hand away from his mouth. He watched as you moved in to plant a gentle kiss under his nose, and then smiled at him. His expression hadn't changed, he pointed to his mouth. You frowned at him. He raised his eyebrows at you and pointed more assertively to his lips. Really? That wasn't enough? You kissed him better where he said he was hurting. Now he's pointing to his lips? He didn't have anything stuck on there, his lips are fine. However, he was getting demanding about it. "I kissed you better. Now what? You didn't have anything there."

He tilted his head back and regarded you from the end of his nose and crossed his arms. Then when you bent down to pick up his hat and looked back up again, his lips were on yours. They found yours firmly, pressing onto you deeply, urgent. You dropped the hat again as your lips moved against each others, he at your tongue, and before you knew it his hands were around your waist, pulling you further into the hotel room. The kiss sent you tingling, it was fiery. Suddenly you felt yourself being pushed into something soft at the backs of your knees. You made a sound as you fell backwards and YongHwa was on top of you, something soft under your body. His legs rubbed against your thighs and your eyes had flown open in surprise. You stared at him, but his eyes were closed, lost in the moment. When you stopped kissing him back, then his eyes opened in accusation. "Weh?"

"I don't think I know you well enough Mr Kim JoongGo!" you hissed, though playfully. "And what would you do if we get caught like this? What if my boyfriend walks in right now?"

YongHwa narrowed his eyes at you. "I am your boyfriend. Who is this Kim JoongGo? Are you cheating on me?" he drew himself back to regard you suspiciously, his acting skills were actually quite amazing. Though of course you knew that, as you had seen all his dramas to date.

You smiled. "Oh, YongHwa-ah. You came back! Forget I said anything!" you looked away, pretending to be feeling guilty about something.

"Are you cheating on me, ________?" he took your chin in his hand and turned your face back to look at him. Your mouth popped open. He was laying on top of you, his hands on either side of you, his legs sprawled on either side of your lower body. His position was making you heat up. And since he was staring at you so intently now, even if it was a joke... Oh gosh. You gulped. Heating up... heating up... This position was... Too intimate.

"I would never!" you breathed, unable to keep up your sass any longer.

He considered your answer for a moment, his eyes burning into yours through his hair that had fallen forwards. You were content to admire him as he took his time gazing at you like this, sprawled so conveniently on top of you. Then his face softened. "Arraso, ________. If you say you aren't, then you aren't. Anyway... no other man can kiss you like this..."

And with that promising comment he leaned in again to encase your mouth in one of his most gentle yet passionate kisses, controlling your every movement and sensation with the twirl of his tongue and the caress of his lips. Those beautiful full lips that were so antagonisingly soft and smooth and warm. Lips that you had unabashedly gazed at on film, in interview videos and music videos and studied the perfect shape of them, the incredibly full cupid's bow and fleshy bottom lip. Lips that you had never dreamed would be here in reality, kissing you. Like the Koreans often say when your luck just seems too good for one person: you must have saved an entire village in your past life.

After a bit of fooling around in the hotel room, YongHwa  offered to lead you out for a short walk to the beach. Since this was his hometown you were happy to go along with whatever he planned, trusting he knew where to find all the good places. It wasn't such a bad deal, to have none other than Jung YongHwa as your own personal tour guide in this popular town. Haeundae beach was just a short walk from your hotel, but before the two of you headed out for this joyous stroll through the Busan city streets, of course you had to don disguises once more. You had managed to convince YongHwa you did not need to wear that ridiculous mono brow anymore, and in the end he had relented. However you weren't able to stop him from sticking it on himself. And the entire way to the beach, amidst admiring the colourful buildings and pieces of scattered art that could be found along the downward slope that lead to Haeundae beach, you were looking for the perfect chance to rip that hairy caterpillar off your idol's face so he could be his usual attractive self again.

"Yogioh, adjumma, how much for these pairs of earrings?" YongHwa enquired as the two of you passed a common street vendor who was selling sparkly jewellery and hair accessories. The vendor was a very old bent over kind of lady with an unbelievably wrinkly face, but her smile stretched from ear to ear, albeit rather toothlessly. You looked at YongHwa then, stunned, as you realised he had changed his dialect and he had become even harder to understand. Just when you were getting the hang of freely conversing with him, he had to go ahead and change all over again. You realised though that this was the Busan dialect, so it only made sense that he was using it here. It added a different kind of iness to your Busan-born idol, and you subtly admired him as he talked kindly with this elderly lady in the voice of his home town, the backdrop of Haeundae beach behind him, the warm Busan sun shining down on his dark hair so you could see flecks of brown that you hadn't noticed before. But then there was that stupid piece of fur sitting on his brows.

"You are a very handsome young man," cooed the adjumma after answering YongHwa's question first. She put a hand to his face and surveyed his features, you tired not to laugh as YongHwa blinked back at her in surprise but didn't move away out of politeness, or perhaps simply bewilderment. His gorgeous brown eyes big puppy-like circles of surprise, you almost stopped seeing the mono brow. It seemed the elderly lady seemed to notice it now too, her own brow creased then, adding even more wrinkles to the already wrinkly forehead. "Ah without this... so unfortunate. Don't you try plucking?"

At this you couldn't contain yourself any longer and let out quite an unladylike snort. YongHwa's eyes flickered from you and back to the elderly woman once more as she brought up another hand to cup his face squarely in her ancient hands. She didn't seem to notice you as she continued to marvel at your lover, and you simply watched on in amusement, enjoying the look of discomfort on YongHwa's face. But still he did not move away and let the old lady survey him, as it seemed to make her happy, and you knew YongHwa to have a kind heart. This was only proof of that. "But looking past that, you remind me so much of my first husband. Oh he was a lovely dancer..." Her eyes moved down YongHwa's body and YongHwa's eyes popped a little more, he offered her an uneasy smile and her toothy grin matched him again. "I bet you would make a wonderful dancer as well. You know, when I first met him... we danced all night... And then he proposed to me. It was so wonderful." Then the adjumma's eyes found you, as she finally decided to acknowledge that you were there also. Addressing you she said, "You're a very lucky woman. But do get him to do something about that... there..." She finally let go of YongHwa's face and he slumped in relief.

You grinned and reached out for his hand, which he gladly squeezed in his. "Kamsahabnida, adjumma. We will be on our way now, we're hoping to get to Haeundae beach before the crowds at sunset." She nodded as YongHwa bowed to her, and you followed suit. Then as if he had urgent business to attend to down at the beach he tugged you with him quickly past another two parallel roads so that the two of you finally reached the beach front. The sight that was awaiting you made you stop in your tracks and fall forward as YongHwa kept walking and pulled absentmindedly at your arm as your hands were still intertwined. He turned in confusion at first, catching you as you stumbled forwards from his strength, but then when he saw where your eyes were glued he understood instantly and smiled.

"Arraso, this is probably the most famous beach in Busan. Welcome to Haeundae beach."

You gazed in appreciation at the wide sweep of golden sand and slow soothing movement of the blue-green sea. It was the first peaceful place you had seen in South Korea, void of sky high city buildings, skyscrapers and other tall towering monuments of the sky obstructing kind. To the left you saw the Diamond bridge in the not so far distance, and beams of light were already starting to shine onto the beachfront from the surrounding lamplights and shop or restaurant lights. You crossed the road with YongHwa's hand back around yours and scooted along the clean concrete pavement which stepped down widely from the road down to the beach. The pavement was so smooth and pristine, that it seemed to blend in with the colour and texture of the beach sand so it looked as if there were permanent sand steps which lead to the ocean naturally. There were already a few people milling about the beach, couples holding hands, families of children racing against each other along the shoreline, people holding their shoes as they trudged happily through the golden sand. You reached down to your own feet but a hand stopped you and you looked up to meet YongHwa's big brown gaze.

"Allow me," he said unexpectedly, pushing your hand out the way and guiding you to a nearby bench where he sat you down and proceeded to crouch in front of you. Your pulse quickened as YongHwa squatted at your feet, gently bringing up your leg and removing your shoe. His hand brushed lightly against your calf as he set your leg back down again and reached for the other one. As he did this he looked up at you through his fringe of thick hair and gave you the sweetest of light smiles. You smiled nervously back at him, and looked over your shoulders to make sure nobody was watching the two of you. Thankfully there was nobody close enough at hand to notice or care, let alone recognise you. When YongHwa straightened again, he reached a hand down to you and helped you off the bench again. He was holding your shoes in his other hand. You felt like you were getting the princess treatment, and although your original role wouldn't have agreed with it, you were enjoying it too much to reject it. Besides that would discourage him from being this sweet in the future would it not? Although there was one thing....

YongHwa was gazing blissfully at you, and as he opened his mouth to say something presumably as loving as the gooey look in his eyes he suddenly flinched and pulled back. "________, you- OUCH! What are you-?" His hand dropped yours and flew to the space between his eyebrows where you had removed that dreadful mono brow piece. Finally it was gone, you looked up at him smugly. He pouted and rubbed the small square of skin which was now slightly pink but other than that looking much better than it had a few seconds ago.

"Thank goodness it's gone!" you declared, and you waved the furry thing at him then quickly disposed of it in a nearby bin. "Good riddance!"

When you turned back to YongHwa you noticed he was still pouting. He stopped rubbing at the space between his eyebrows and dropped his hand back to his side, looking at you pointedly.

"Oh my, we're not going to have another repeat of earlier are we, Mr Jung YongHwa?" you asked cautiously, regarding him through narrow eyes.

"Neh."

"Come on, I had that on earlier and it didn't hurt me when I took it off. Just a tiny sting, then it's gone. How sensitive can you be? Especially for a boy!"

YongHwa folded his arms stubbornly.

You turned your back and let out a little giggle as a thought struck you. You leapt from the sand-like steps onto the real golden sand of the beach and ran towards the ocean, leaving YongHwa brooding behind you on his own. Or so you thought. However as you stepped into the refreshing waves of the salty Busan sea, twirls of white and clear water swirling around your ankles, something nipped at your backside and for a moment you thought a crab had jumped from the sand to your bottom and half expected to see one hanging there as you yelped and whirled around to try and get a good look behind yourself. It wasn't a crab, it was YongHwa.

"Mr Jung YongHwa! Where do you think you are touching?" you snapped at him, smacking his hand away and he laughed joyously, straightening up again. There was a cheeky glint in his eye and you felt rather flustered that he had pinched you somewhere so vulnerable.

Out of nowhere he brought his arms around you instead and pinned your arms to your sides as he embraced you in his super strong yet entirely comfortable bear hug. You struggled a moment but your resistance soon slackened, as you actually liked being hugged like this by him. It may have been a little domineering of him, but somehow it gave you such a safe kind of feeling. As you slackened in his arms he bent his head to your ear and whispered, "I can touch you anywhere I want."

Your cheeks burned and you began struggling again, much to YongHwa's great amusement. You jerked your shoulders into his chest and brought your feet onto his, but without the assistance of high heels you were unable to achieve much damage and he only laughed harder as he realised what you were trying to do, thrumming your heels uselessly onto the tops of his feet. He too, it seemed, had removed his shoes to walk on the sand. You peered over his shoulder and noticed he had left both yours and his shoes on the dry sand before the water's edge. Seeing YongHwa's brand new multi coloured sneakers next to your much smaller feminine sandals made a certain corner of your inner contentment warm at the sight. Yours and Jung YongHwa's shoes leaning against each other on the sandy Haeundae beach on a Busan summer holiday. It was too sweet, you suddenly wanted to photograph it but thought that might come across as too weird.

After a little more frolicking in the shallows of the sea, resulting in the two of you getting a little wetter than you had intended, you and YongHwa decided to walk along the beach to dry out your clothes before the sun began to set. When your clothes had dried and the sun had indeed touched the lips of the ocean's horizon, YongHwa pointed out to you straight ahead and you turned to see the blinking lights of the Diamond bridge begin it's ever-changing display of diamond shapes in lights. You marvelled at the pretty display of lights and let out a deep sigh of happiness. The sunset over Haeundae beach, the beautiful light display of the Diamond bridge, and YongHwa's warm hand holding firmly onto yours as you walked along the golden sands of the shoreline... it was like you were living a dream. You knew you had had this feeling so many times before, but at certain moments, it really did feel like you were still living a dream. Sometimes that feeling was so strong you were worried you were about to wake up at any moment, back in your bed at home in your own country. How sad that would be. To be strangers again with the one you loved so dearly. You turned to steal a glance at YongHwa and started when you turned o find him already watching you. He didn't turn away but instead held your gaze, squeezed your hand, and then his face slowly came closer to yours and you accepted the deep and meaningful kiss that seeped through your flesh to your core, and you almost believed he had read your thoughts and was helping you remember that this really was a reality. He was not something given to you only in your dreams. It was really Jung YongHwa, in the flesh, hair windswept, grains of sand on his brow, eyes glowing with the lights of the Diamond bridge and soft warm skin pressed firmly against yours. You were really on a summer holiday with Jung YongHwa, this was no dream at all.

__________________________________________________________________________

YONGHWA P.O.V.

YongHwa was already gazing at you when you turned to face him and apparently looked startled to find his face already silently turned in your direction. He had been admiring you as you had been admiring the bridge. While you were marvelling at such a wondrous site that was something he had seen so many times before, he was taking the opportunity to marvel at something he couldn't get enough of.

Compared to you, that bridge was nothing. None of this was anything. It may as well have ceased to exist, so long as you were still here, YongHwa wouldn't have cared, he probably wouldn't even have noticed. The romantic backdrop was only meaningful to him because it meant something to you. He could stare at the sunset any day, take a walk along the sand, gaze at pretty light shows, but if you weren't here by his side, he wouldn't be able to get the same pleasure out of it anymore. He knew that now he had you, and he had brought you here, every experience he had with you meant he could never get the same joy out of doing them again unless he had you with him.

He felt some sorrow towards the fragments he used to admire in his solitary days, for now he knew he could never come back to appreciate them alone. But none of that mattered, all that mattered was you, right here, right now, looking so breathtakingly beautiful against the red orange of the sky, your eyes full of excitement, admiration... It didn't matter what emotion you were feeling, YongHwa realised, it was always hard to look away from you.

He bet that you were even the most beautiful woman when you were angry or sad and crying. He knew that first hand, you radiated with a sorrowful beauty that if he wasn't so stubborn he would instantly bow down to his knees just to please you. As you looked at him now, so surprised to see that he had been admiring you, he leant in to kiss you. He had to, if someone had told him they would pay him a billion dollars not to kiss you right now, he would not be a rich man. They could keep their money. A kiss from you was worth more than a billion dollars to him.

At that moment someone tapped on his elbow and he slowly broke away the kiss thinking that it was you. However a short tan waiter was standing at his side awkwardly and YongHwa quickly offered him an embarrassed smile and quick bow. You were looking distressed at the sudden arrival of the man but YongHwa knew why he was here.

"Sir, your table is ready." The man gestured to a circular table for two nestled neatly in the sand just under the Diamond Bridge. Just as he had envisioned, the table had a long white table cloth, two plush seats and a long glass vase with a single red rose in the centre. There were also small candles in glasses placed around the centre piece. It was truly a romantic sight, and he looked to you with a boyish grin. At the sight of you looking on at the lone table under the bridge with your mouth hanging open, he straightened himself rather self satisfyingly and raised his eyebrows at the waiter.

"Komowoyo, I appreciate your hard work." YongHwa lead you to the table, the waiter trailing behind graciously holding two black and gold menus. YongHwa bit hard on his lip as he watched you march with him, eyes wide, mouth still gaping in disbelief. However the best was yet to come, as tonight was not just any night... And he knew something truly magical was about to happen.

As if on cue, there was a sudden spark that came from the bridge above the three of you and with it a strange whizzing noise. Several more sparks and whizzing noises from up above were met with large exciting explosions into the darkened sky where the sun had now completely disappeared. Fiery stars exploded in the sky and disintegrated into fading fire confetti. More of them came, in differing shapes, sizes and colours. And now YongHwa couldn't hide his grin any longer, his face breaking into one of delight as he put his arm around your shoulders and the two of you watched the firework display right over your romantic table for two. YongHwa held you close, overcome with a wave of irreplaceable happiness that he couldn't remember having felt since he was a child. He didn't think your jaw could drop any lower, but he had chuckled when he realised it had, and lifted a finger under your chin to close it for you.

"Don't catch too many flies," he said. "I'm expecting you to eat all your dinner tonight."

End Chapter Twenty One