Anneyeong!! I had written this part a long time back but something made me stop from publishing it and then a series of events pertaining to YongShin happened and I couldn't help but change a few things around.  I hope you enjoy reading it. Thank you for you love and support. 

Scandals and Charities 

A month had flown past and rumours of their alleged relationship had caught the imagination of the general public. The overwhelming opinion was that they looked good together and seemed to be in love. Well, they didn't think they needed to deny it, apparently their companies thought the same way. They were instructed to avoid each other for a while. 
However, there was one event for charity that they were already scheduled to attend. It was inevitable, they were to meet again, where there would be cameras on them and more public scrutiny than usual. Hong Ki was to be their companion to make it seem like a *you are beautiful* event. 

They pretended to be as normal as humanly possible during the event. Even though he couldn't avoid the occasional glances he stole at her. He still managed to remain largely well behaved much to Hong Ki's surprise. 

Hong ki wondered what had gotten into them. The rumors about Shin Hye and Yong Hwa weren't exactly new. They had been linked for a while now, but the duo had remained friendly. Now, however they acted so polite that he thought they were holding their breaths everytime the other talked. Holding their breaths? He wondered what had led him to think that. 
After the event, he asked them casually what was up with them. Yong Hwa shrugged while Shin Hye denied anything was up. Now, he knew something really was up. 
He just got two red flags. 
Yong Hwa would never shrug off something that wasn't true. He would be vociferously denying things that were not true or making twisted statements that confirmed what was true. 
Shin Hye on the other hand was the kind to protest too much if something were true. She never cared about untrue things. 
In conclusion, something was up. It wasn't just the rumors. 

He proposed to go out for coffee that evening, for old times sake. He got a firm denial from both as they had been instructed to avoid been seen together. No amount of cajoling could convince them to do otherwise. So, he did the next best thing - invoke Yong Hwa's jealousy. 

He decided to ditch Yong Hwa and offered to take Shin Hye for coffee. If ever Hong Ki felt depressed in life, all he had to do was remember  Yong Hwa's shocked expression at that moment, a hearty laugh was guaranteed. What amused him more was Shin Hye's panicked face that instantly turned towards Yong Hwa. He even wondered if they were dating secretly. He could never understand the two of them. They always seemed to have a separate code by which they deciphered each other. He and Jang Geun Suk had  often called it (in secret, of course) yongshin's perfect world which consisted of just the two of them. He wished he had Geun Suk hyung to give him handy advice on how to deal with the two. 

However, Lee Hong Ki didn't have to do anything. Almost miraculously, the both of them laughed it off as a joke and decided to join him. He could only roll his eyes and shake his head at the antics of his good friends. 
++
Strumming along

As they sat down for dinner after a long coffee hour, Hong Ki thought he might have been over thinking. Yong Hwa and Shin Hye seemed perfectly comfortable with each other as all three reminisced their drama shooting days and laughed endlessly.  

Yong Hwa was glad that they had found a private booth for dinner. The open cafe had been uncomfortable, even though he hadn't let on. 

Hong Ki was sitting on the opposite side while Shin Hye and Yong Hwa sat on the same side of the semi circular booth much to YongHwa's happiness. 

Shin Hye wasn't even shocked when Yong Hwa grabbed her hand from under the table. Instead, she felt a growing sense of excitement. She let him hold it as they listened to Hong Ki's adventures in Japan that never ceased to be funny. 

She was, however, quite sure that her broad smile was not because of the stories she heard. Yong Hwa had taken to playing with her fingers and at one point even strummed like it were guitar strings and she let out a giggle at an inopportune moment in the story, making Hong Ki stop and ask her what she was laughing about. He didn't miss Shin Hye's blush. He did miss YongHwa's smirk though. 

She regretted being left handed  for the first time in her life. Because it meant she had to let go of his hand to be able to eat. Never the less, she enjoyed the light skin-ship he engaged in. It felt different from their earlier days. She indulged in some of her own too. She wondered if Hong Ki  would suspect something. Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt when Yong Hwa whispered something completely inconsequential into her ear. She was flustered and unable to avoid a blush, despite her years of acting experience. She did glare at him though, for she knew what he was up to. 
He just grinned charmingly at her. She dropped her spoon as if in response, it was the damned smile, she cursed under her breath as she tried to retrieve the spoon from her lap only to spill water in the process. How she managed to do that, she had no idea. He reached over and pulled her to his side by her waist in an effort to save her from the dripping water which left her even more flustered. Almost landing an elbow into her food but was saved again by YongHwa gently holding  her by her elbows and pushing aside her plate. 
She had never pegged herself to be such a train wreck when flustered. He seemed amused by her actions. Hong Ki was watching them again completely confused at their behavior. When had Shin Hye become so clumsy? Why was he feeling uncomfortably like the third wheel? What exactly was going on?

To avoid the mess on the table, Shin Hye was meanwhile shifting to Yong Hwa's left and he was guiding her by holding her waist. Much to her embarrassment she landed on his lap for a split second. She hid her face while he gently helped her into her new seat, laughing. Shin Hye apologised to Hong ki multiple times but he didn't miss the shy smile on her face. Little did he know it was because of the comforting hand Yong Hwa had placed at the small of her back through the rest of the meal. 

When they said their byes, they went  their separate ways but within ten minutes Shin Hye heard her calling bell ring only to find Yong Hwa at her door step. She had accidentally let slip in the restaurant that her parents were away on their yearly vacation and her brother was away in Japan, so she was going to be alone for a few days. 

Yong Hwa needed to meet her. Alone. When she said she would be by herself, he couldn't stop himself from seeking her out. They had decided to part ways but seeing her again had thrown him into an emotional maelstrom. Even though he had enjoyed their few moments of innocent intimacy, it had left him craving for a real relationship however impossible it seemed. 

He walked in quietly letting her close the door behind him. She felt speechless, his sudden appearance in front of her had been exactly what she wanted. Even though she was afraid of the rumors, she realized   her feelings for him always made her lose her sense of reason. 
Almost at the same time, they moved forward to hug each other that made them smile despite the situation. The situation being that there way no way they could date at this stage in their careers. It would be equivalent to committing professional harakiri. 

They embraced each other with all the pent up feelings bubbling up eventually holding on tighter. They had no idea how long they stayed that way but it was too blissful to let go. Like moments stolen out of someone else's life they stayed there realizing what it means to be in perfect harmony. 

They were connected they knew that from the time they met. They could understand each other's thoughts by just taking  one look at the other person's face. They also were aware that it was incredibly rare to have someone so attuned to your thoughts and feelings. However, all this does not discount the truth that them staying together could be nearly impossible if not absolutely so.  
He wanted to give their relationship a try however hard it may be. She was too afraid to lose him to the busy schedule. Her thoughts were that if they dated and the long separations took a toll on them and caused them to break up, she wouldn't be able to take it. He was way too important in her life. She didn't want to lose him at any cost. As always, he relented, he only asked her for one thing. Just a day together. A day plucked out of someone else's life where they could be happy together. One fine day.