Guitar Thief

The next morning you make a late start at the company due to your late night out playing with CN BLUE and HanJu's visit in your dorm. You arrived in the late morning, in between ten thirty and eleven, but nobody at Administration minds as they are all aware you haven't yet officially started and this time was still yours to blend in how you chose. Your mind thankfully distracted for the time being as you enter the pristine and amazingly white glassy company building, greet the women at the front desk with your practiced rockish grace, sign the sheet there with a flick of your wrist and ascend to the second floor in the elevator with a little more idea about where you were going. You were keeping a conscious block on your thoughts, allowing only surface distractions to enter your mind lightly, and not allowing anything else to creep in for the time being. Too much of your night had been wasted crying over the past between YongHwa and HanJu, and you were not willing to waste another precious second or emotion on it any longer. It wasn't good for your work ethic, and while you weren't sure exactly how you were going to carry yourself through with such knowledge on your shoulders, you knew you would get through it somehow. So long as you kept a level head.

The woman at the desk had checked HanJu's schedule for the day and had let you know at your request when he was due to come into the company. Since he wasn't due until lunch time, you left them with a note and had made your way with little confusion towards the instruments room on the third floor. As soon as you entered the room you looked to the left rack towards the back where you knew the purple string guitar you had chosen yesterday would be sitting in waiting for you. However you stopped in your tracks halfway across the room as you noticed your guitar of choice had already been taken today. Who else had that guitar as their favourite? There were so many others to choose from, a good forty or fifty, and your favourite little understated elder wood guitar had to be one of the three selected from the guitar section this morning? You took a breath and remembered you were only new here, and while you had claimed that guitar for your own yesterday, you weren't to know if it was already someone else's instrument of choice. Respecting that it was indeed a communal space and any of these instruments were at the selection of all the other musicians that came to practice in the company, you forced yourself to check over the racks for a new favourite. The lucky guitar that you chose this time was a classic steel-string sigma guitar, but it was of an appealing red plum colour and looking at it improved your mood slightly. You took it gently down from the top rack, admired its shiny backboard and proceeded with satisfaction out the door and down the corridor to the same practice room you had been in yesterday.

At the front desk you had picked up an envelope with your name on it and as soon as you put your stuff down on the working bench in the practice room, sitting your guitar against the chair there, you leaned against the table and opened the envelope. Inside was a blank CD, and you mulled it over with a mild puzzlement, before peeking further into the envelope for some kind of explanation. There was a note inside, it was from your manager. Slightly disappointed, but not sure who you had hoped the mystery envelope was from, you unfolded the small paper in your hand.

_______, I have enclosed a CD with a compilation of songs I think you should listen to. Take the time to listen to them and gain some inspiration. These are the style songs that would best suit your image, see if you can find the common factors and apply them to your own song writing.

You put the note back inside the envelope and took the CD to the small stereo player in the corner of the room. Wondering what songs would be on there, you brought a chair beside it as you waited for the CD to play. The first few songs were girl rock bands you barely knew, but you liked their style. You tapped the beat on your knee and listened attentively, glad for the distraction from your miserable thoughts which were niggling at the far corners of your mind, itching for you to rediscover them. Already your head was filling with ideas for chord progressions and guitar solos, what kind of drums and backing vocals you would like in your own songs. You realised there were a lot of elements missing in your own compositions, but weren't so sure how to go about applying them on your own. You had never got that far before, but you knew your manager could help you. Or your sunbaes within the company... Though the latter didn't really appeal to you right now.

You were just thinking this when a song by CN BLUE started playing from the playlist, and you were rudely jolted out of your thoughts by the soft gentle trickle of YongHwa's voice as he sung the beautiful melody in the song Imagine. You hadn't noticed it starting so you hadn't reacted at first, as JongHyun's voice sung lightly to the simple chords on the guitar. When YongHwa's rap started you blinked and it didn't completely register until his tone changed into the heavenly emotional cooing that came after his rap, claiming to be in love, wanting to hold your hand, wanting to kiss you, that he imagines you being his love... imagines kissing you... At his words, at the tone of his voice, so utterly sincere and tender you stare incredulously at the stereo. Even though he wasn't singing personally to you, even the notion bothered you.

That angry bubbling that had seen you through most of the night was starting again inside you, and you were doubly effected as the deceptive love and warmth, the gentleness in his voice scratched like claws that were lies against the inside of your aching chest. How can he sing about such an innocent and delicate love when he was just the opposite deep down inside? He could never love a woman like that, what right did he have to claim it all through song? Tears sprung at the edges of your eyes, and with them you also sprung forward in your chair to skip to the next song. The next song was another CN BLUE song, you barely let it start. You didn't want to hear his voice at all. The next song was also CN BLUE again, and so you skipped several songs when the stereo made a strange clicking sound and kept playing the same line over and over and over. You drew your hands down your face and let out a small strangled scream. Of all the songs that could have got stuck, of all the lines... It had to repeat YongHwa, it had to repeat his line in Love Light that any other time would have made you weak at the knees.

Because I love you. There is no reason for my love, you know.

You burst into a full explosion of tears that you just couldn't hold in any longer and pushed the stereo off the table so that it flung against the wall and finally stopped playing YongHwa's words, completely silent. "No  reason for your love?" You thought to yourself bitterly as you glared at the stereo collapsed before you on the floor, a manic look in your eye and blurred from the hot tears now streaming down your face. "More like you don't know how to love at all! How very fitting!" You didn't even know what you were screaming or if it made sense, it was bad enough you were screaming at the innocent broken stereo player. After sobbing for a few moments and getting it all out of your system, you cleaned up your face and decided you better return the stereo to the front desk so they could replace it and get on with some different practice for the next hour or so.

Eyes red from crying, but your face composed and dry now, you carried the sad stereo player down to the reception desk and admitted you had an accident which had caused it to break. They did not seem too bothered by it and said it would be replaced as soon as possible. You nodded abruptly, thanked them for their help and made your way back up to your practice room. There you remained for the rest of the morning. Occasionally sniffing and wiping at your face as you worked on the sheet music in your booklets, making friends with your new guitar. YongHwa's sweet voice echoing through your ears from the repeated song, but you shook it off furiously, focusing even harder on your projects.

Towards the end of your session the phone in your practice room rang, but you had blocked out all outside noise through your tunnelled  concentration. It rang again, this time you barely heard it but did not think much of it. The third time you pulled back from your manuscript, drooping your guitar on your legs and glared at the phone shaking with its shrill insistent rings on the hook. Who would it be? Probably MinHyuk again, or someone else from CN BLUE. If it was your manager he would ring your mobile. It couldn't be HanJu because he would be making his way to the company by now. So you pointedly ignored the call and glanced at the clock. You should probably head down to the desk and meet HanJu as he started work. You had been so worried about him since last night.

Taking a deep breath you left your sheets, booklet and guitar behind in the practice room, deciding you would come back to it all later. A short trip in the elevator saw you to the ground floor and you walked towards the foyer when the building doors opened and HanJu arrived through them. He saw you instantly and his face broke into a huge smile. "_______! Were you waiting for me?" he seemed elated at the idea and you shrugged noncommittally as the two of you approached each other.

"Did you get home okay last night?" you found yourself asking despite yourself. You didn't care so much about your hard image when it came to your adorable Personal Assistant.

He rubbed his elbow nervously and looked away from your concerned gaze. "Neh! Kamsahabnida, ______. It's so nice of you to care for me. I'm just a lowly P.A. after all."

"Nonsense," you retorted. "Stop thinking so low of yourself. Being a Personal Assistant is a very important job!"

"Chinchayo?" HanJu's eyes wandered back to yours, his eyes so round, his eyelashes so long. He blinked slowly at you, and you had to smile as you nodded at him.

At that moment you heard loud footsteps of a group gaining behind you and you didn't have to turn around as you saw HanJu's expression change when his eyes fell on them approaching from behind. His eyes snapped pleadingly at you, and you knew exactly who it would be.

"Yah! Noona! You are here!" MinHyuk's childlike voice called out excitedly and you heard the pace of the group quickening. "We've been calling you all morning! Why didn't you pick up? Were you not in your practice room all this time?" Before you knew it, MinHyuk was standing beside you, beaming like a cherub you knew you couldn't ignore. After all, MinHyuk hadn't done anything wrong.

"Neh, I have been busy," you replied quickly and returned his smile. JongHyun and JungShin came to stand next to MinHyuk and greeted you just as happily, yet a little more reservedly. YongHwa trailed behind last, he was standing behind them, but you didn't look that far around purposefully. You weren't sure how you were going to deal with him yet. You rather you didn't have to see him at all.

However while JongHyun was talking to you, you noticed from the corner of your eye as YongHwa came around from the group so you would have been stupid to have missed him. You still did not look at him, and he stood there for a while, glowering you suspected, his eyes flitting from you and to the cowering HanJu and back again, before he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked straight out the door. Such an arrogant pig, you thought darkly as you watched the back of him disappear out the glass company doors and start down the street without his band members. However, a conflicting twinge within your chest caused you to falter. A sharp pain, a strange emptiness. It was gone within moments as you looked back at the boys still with you.

"... but we had a rather productive morning apart from that," JongHyun was saying and you nodded absently, having not heard most of the conversation. He looked at you as if in concern, and his eyes followed where yours had been. He sighed. "Looks like hyung's gone without us. Ka ja, we better go catch him up," he said to JungShin and MinHyuk. "It was good seeing you, _______. Practice hard and fighting!" He walked briskly after his leader with JungShin  following closely behind after bidding you his farewells also. MinHyuk gave you a little nudge so that you turned to face him with a questioning gaze, wondering why he hadn't left with the others as they were making quick progress out the doors and down the street.

MinHyuk pouted at you and you knew you had done something to upset him. Was it the phone calls? You raised your eyebrows at his expression. "What is it, MinHyuk-ah? Kwenchanayo?"

MinHyuk shook his head, he looked like a child in a strop with his mother. "Aniyo. _______, are you still going to be my noona?"

You looked at him surprise. "What makes you say that?"

His eyes moved to HanJu and then back to you. "I'm worried we won't get to see you so much since you keep fighting with Hyung, and you have... new friends..."

A small frown formed on your brow as you realised the complications of the situation. If you avoided YongHwa, you would also be avoiding the CN BLUE boys. You actually enjoyed their company very much, and didn't wish to see them any less. "Don't be ridiculous," you reprimanded, though your heart wasn't in it. "Of course I am still your noona, and of course we will still spend time together. Say the word and I'll be there." You felt a stab of regret as you made this promise, feeling it might be a false one.

MinHyuk's pout disappeared instantly and he now grinned at you with eyes lost in his smile. "I'll hold you to that!" he said to your distress , and with that he chuckled and left you with HanJu. You watched regretfully as he fled the company doors with a speed you didn't realise he had. MinHyuk was pretty athletic, it wasn't something you had thought about from such a childlike kind of guy.

"______?" HanJu's voice broke your thoughts and your head snapped to him quickly.

"Neh?"

HanJu was looking glumly at you, and you felt a conflicted pang within your heart. Things were becoming so difficult for you around here. "Have I ruined your relationship with CN BLUE?"

Unsure how to respond, you regarded him silently for a moment. "We didn't have much of a relationship anyway..." you trailed off uncertainly.

HanJu hung his head. "Choshimiyo. It's all my fault... You liked spending time with them. I could tell. And now I have loaded my problems on you and you think you must avoid them."

Seeing his readiness to blame himself for anything and feeling that his self esteem was in need of a huge overhaul you waved his dejected comments aside and forced a smile for him. "Don't be silly! Anyway, let's not think about them. Have you had lunch? I was hoping we could grab something together!"

HanJu's eyes lit up and he brought his head up happily to face you. "Neh! That is a great idea! Since I came in scheduled to be your P.A. I'll just sign in and say we both had business outside the company today! Maybe I can even show you a bit around the area so you don't get lost whenever you leave the FNC building?"

You agreed to his suggestion, excited about spending some time in town with your Personal Assistant. If anyone were capable of showing you all the places you needed to know, it was definitely HanJu. In any case, he was still acting as your Personal Assistant in this way was he not? You felt good about it and looked on as HanJu signed himself into the log book at reception and led you outside into the warming autumn air. Now that the chill of the morning had ticked over into the lunch hour, it had become a lot more pleasant outside.

The two of you took a short walk into the city centre and did some looking around at some of the landmarks and stores there. HanJu explained that it would become hard for you to enjoy yourself out and about like this once you will become known, so it was good to take advantage of the time now. He had you try on some silly wigs and hats, and you laughed at him as you stuck an  old fashioned pipe in his mouth and took a picture. Your stomachs were both grumbling so HanJu led you down a few side streets, whilst chattering mindlessly about the popularity of these side streets for the celebrities who frequented them due to their good food yet quiet clientele. You had told him you fancied Western food today, as you missed the food back home. So he lead you to a small restaurant with gourmet burgers, steaks  and pizzas painted on the front. Curious, you followed him inside and looked around. Only two or three tables were taken, so you walked further in but then let out a short cry of surprise as you walked into HanJu who had stopped where he was suddenly.

"Yah! Why are you stopping?" you hissed, as the two of you both stood awkwardly in the middle of the restaurant, the short man at the counter peering at you hopefully.

HanJu turned completely around so that his back was facing the side of the restaurant where the tables were taken. He shot you an apologetic look. "Mianheyo, _______. Can we eat somewhere else?"

Slightly annoyed you thinned your lips and gazed over at the people occupying the tables that HanJu had his back to. Your mouth popped open soundlessly. "Oh, he's here too?"

YongHwa was facing the two of you, sitting beside JungShin, as MinHyuk and JongHyun sat opposite him so you could only see their backs. The leader had been laughing loudly but then he stopped as his eyes fell on you and HanJu standing like stunned rabbits right in the middle of the room. His expression was impossible to read as he regarded the two of you silently, not letting his band members know that you were there. He doesn't want to see us anymore than we want to see him, you thought indignantly and pulled HanJu with you as you your heel to storm back out the door. HanJu let himself be pulled and breathed a sigh of relief as the two of you stopped outside the restaurant. You looked at each other and somehow, started laughing. It wasn't so funny but at the same time the odds of seeing your shared least favourite person right now twice in the day made the both of you laugh ironically. You didn't realise that YongHwa could still see you as you patted your giggling P.A. on the arm and smiled fondly at him. Your companion returned the smile and you pushed him with you as you took off in the opposite direction of the restaurant, and finally out of YongHwa's sight.

You spent the rest of the afternoon away from the FNC building, not wanting to run into CN BLUE again. So you and HanJu explored more of the town together, and you even managed to do some shopping, treating yourself to a new coat and hand-bag. HanJu the fashionista had talked you into it, pushing all kinds of pretty things under your nose and talking them up like a salesman. He got himself a new pair of fluoro sneakers and you approved of his choice too. For a boy he sure loved clothes, fashion and accessories. You had to draw the line when he pulled you into a jewellery store that was very expensive and wanted you to try on everything that sparkled or dangled or just happened to have an outrageous price tag.

When the sun was beginning to set you and HanJu grabbed a bite to eat from a commercial deli on the way back to FNC. Entering the building you said your farewells as he went off to attend to some P.A. business, and you decided you had to chip away at some more practice before the day ended. You made your way leisurely back up the elevator to your floor with your shopping bags and lay them on the floor by the door as you entered your practice room. With a stretch you surveyed your surroundings, gathering your plan of action inside your mind. You stopped mid-stretch and stared at your array of things you had left on the workbench and chair. Where had your guitar gone? Puzzled, you walked over and checked all around the area, turning left and right and scanning the far corners of the room. It was nowhere in sight. You hadn't taken it with you to meet HanJu. Had someone been in here? Maybe the instruments staff had collected it since you hadn't been in your room for so many hours. You didn't know there was a limit on how long you could use the guitar. Shrugging, you left the room and headed to the instruments room so that you could select another guitar and continue with your work. Tomorrow was your official starting date and you didn't want to be slacking the night before, just because you couldn't have the guitars you wanted. That made two guitars escaping you today. You frowned at this and forcefully opened the door to the instruments room so that it banged against the stopper on the wall. Oops, you didn't mean to be that heavy handed and you checked the back of the door to make sure you hadn't left any marks. You then made to walk further into the room and peruse the guitar selection when a figure standing before you made you stop in your tracks.

______________________________________________________________________________

YONGHWA P.O.V.

When YongHwa arrived for work that morning he settled his band members into their usual practice room and went to the bathroom while they organised their instruments and got started. On his way back, he stopped into the instruments room  on the floor below. He had several guitars of his own, but he was curious as to which types they had on offer. He didn't want to admit it but, he also knew that this was the instruments room you would be using since your practice room was further up the corridor. Sure enough, he laughed to himself as he noticed the guitar you had with you yesterday hanging on the rack, gleaming with fresh polish. The purple-stringed acoustic, that was the very one. A smirk appeared on his lips as he thought of something. Hmm, this guitar was available to anyone. It wouldn't be so bad if he wanted to use it today would it? He took it down and chuckled as he thought of your face as you came in to look for it when you arrived. He wished he could set up a camera to catch it. Not having one on him, he quickly left the room in case he came into contact with you only to be caught red-handed.

MinHyuk cocked his head at YongHwa when the leader entered the room. "Hyung... isn't that ______'s guitar? Why do you have it?"

"It's not _______'s guitar," YongHwa responded as he checked the tuning like he always did, and his finger tips before giving it a run through and getting used to its sound. "It's for anyone to use. It belongs to the company."

MinHyuk tightened his lips and decided not to push it. He went back to his drums, experimenting with the volume of the cymbals and noting something on some manuscript. JongHyun was watching YongHwa closely, amused at the behaviour lately of his good friend. YongHwa only picked on girls he was interested in, and he was otherwise quite a calm, disciplined kind of individual. JongHyun had known him for years, he wasn't fooled. YongHwa might not have realised himself, but his friend knew there was defiantly something underlying there. The smile on YongHwa's lips as he played on that very same guitar you had yesterday, it was too out of place. He should have still been moody from last night, but something so simple like this had seemed to lift his spirits. YongHwa chuckled to himself as he put the guitar aside to look over some sheets. JongHyun shook his head and went back to his solo practice.

The boys worked hard that morning as they always did. When they stopped for brunch, having skipped breakfast and unable to wait through until lunch, JungShin suggested giving you a call to see what you were up to. YongHwa pretended he didn't care but waited to listen if you would agree before setting out to get something from the caf. They tried calling you three times but you didn't pick up. Weren't you here yet? Irked more than he should have been, YongHwa made a rude order at the caf and ignored his band member's disappointed comments at your silence. They went up to their room and practiced some more before lunch time rolled around and they decided to get some air outside the building.

Low and behold you were standing in the foyer with none other than that slimy toad of a human being, Park HanJu. Why were you with him again? He was just your P.A. Couldn't you just send him on an errand or something? You didn't have to look so excited to see him. YongHwa's jaw muscle flexed as he grinded his teeth together. You didn't look so excited to see anyone else. What made rotten HanJu so special? Was he working his charms on you again? MinHyuk flew from YongHwa's side and went to greet you. As did his other band members. YongHwa sauntered along after them but noticed you didn't even look at him. Huh. That was a new one. You had been stubborn with him before, but never blatantly ignored him. YongHwa brought himself into better view for you but you still refused to acknowledge him. What was up with you? Was it something HanJu had said? He glared at the pathetic trembling troublemaker and his eyes darted to you coldly. Whatever HanJu had said, were you going to believe anything about him without confronting him first? Didn't he deserve to speak up for himself? Did you really think that little of him? Overcome with frustration YongHwa stalked past you and left the building without waiting for his band members. They would catch up with him soon enough. He wasn't hanging around watching you ignore him any longer. If he had stayed there any longer he might have lashed out. It could have ended badly. He might have hit HanJu. Again. In front of you though, he couldn't do that.

His band members didn't take long to join him. They didn't ask why he had marched off without them, or why he and you weren't talking. As if by silent agreement the four boys acted as if nothing was going on, and were soon joking together and having animated discussions about their history together and any other subject that flitted in and out of the conversation. They decided to eat Western today, and went to the usual place when they had such cravings. YongHwa ordered the biggest burger on the menu, looking to bury his frustrations in the immense size of the thing. The boys had finished their meal and ordered some drinks, deciding to chill there a while longer when YongHwa was rudely pulled back into his bad mood as two certain people happened to enter the restaurant. Just when he had finally put you out of his mind, there you were. Oh and of course you were with HanJu, why wouldn't you be? He was unable to tear his eyes away as he watched you grab onto HanJu and pull him out of the restaurant at the mere sight of him. Did you hate him that much? YongHwa didn't notice JungShin prodding the side of his face with a straw and the rest of the band laughing as he continued to stare after you and HanJu. You looked so happy with him. What was with that? And why did you have to keep touching him? He felt a pang of loss as he watched you disappear from view, your hands still glued to your beloved, yet utterly wicked, P.A. What would he do if HanJu were to hurt you? Someone with HanJu's history shouldn't even be allowed to work with the young females in the company...

"Hyuuuuuung! You have straw marks all over your face!"

The rest of the afternoon dragged as YongHwa found it difficult to focus on his music. His band members whined at his distance, but in the end they just gave up and left him to it. Realising he wasn't going to get anything done unless he talked to you, he made an excuse and left his band members to go looking for you in your practice room. You still weren't back yet. Knowing you would still be with HanJu, YongHwa was unable to control the surge of jealousy within him and he grabbed your guitar with him as he left the room. If you were going to be so careless about who you made friends with, then you probably wouldn't care if your guitar went missing either, would you? His lips curled into the faintest of snarls and he stalked towards the elevator, his hand shaking as he clutched your guitar with so much force the wood was creaking under his fingers. Just then he realised you could be coming up in the elevator any moment so he quickly ducked around the corner and waited for it to open. Sure enough, he drew in a sharp breath as his last-minute fears were realised as you stepped out of the elevator and made your way mindlessly back to your practice room. You had hands full of shopping bags and he watched after you incredulously. You had been wasting your time shopping?? A wave of heat warmed the inner confines of YongHwa's emotional hard-drive and he fought the urge to call out after you, taunt you. Question where you have been and who you were with. Knowing that wasn't the way to go about it, he took a deep breath and composed himself. You would be looking for your guitar now. He grinned to himself haughtily, and stalked towards the instrument room to wait for you there.

End Chapter Six