“Ah, it’s there already!” Yonghwa cried. His face showed just how excited he was. Even from back then, he had always been so transparent. He was almost never afraid to show what he really felt. Maybe that was one of the many reasons why I find him beautiful. The vibrant colors of his surroundings simply get through him, making him stand out. Some people are as opaque as bricks could be, some as soft as satin and some simply sparkle like glitter. But Yonghwa? He was all these things…and more.

He was iridescent.

The both of us headed for the pavement fountain and the closer we got, the louder the slapping sound of the water against the wet concrete became. What made the soaking wet pavement look more inviting were the tiny rainbows it formed due to the sunlight passing through the fountains. It sent off a refreshing feeling, and some tiny drops managed to splash on my clothes, causing me to step back a little. Yonghwa looked at me, and then he let out a laugh.

“What’s wrong, Hannah-ssi? Are you backing out now?” he had to speak a little louder.

I scoffed and then I shook my head no.

He looked around, and finally spotting a good place to put his guitar, he turned to me. “Let’s put our things there,” he said.

“Are you serious about running?” I asked.

“Yes,” he answered with conviction, the bright smile he held stayed on his lips. “We can dry later on, anyway. There’s a public toilet there, see?” he pointed at a cubicle not too far from us.

I looked up at him, and he stared back. He quickly rubbed his palms together and he slightly bowed his head. “Don’t back out now!” he pleaded. “I’ve always wanted to do this.”

I pondered for a moment. “But,” I finally said. “Why do you want me to run through the pavement fountain with you?”

“It just feels right,” he promptly replied. “It’s as simple as that.”

I looked at him again. I found it difficult to breathe and I realized that I was holding my breath all along. I sighed, and crossed my arms. “Call, then,” I said. “Let’s do this.”

“Really?” Yonghwa asked, eyes wide with anticipation. “You really mean it, Hannah?”

I nodded. He gave me a casual tousling, and with that, we placed our things, together with our footwear and coats, in the corner. We hurriedly ran towards the pavement fountain and the floor felt slippery and wet beneath my feet. I was close to falling but it didn’t matter. The cool water was relaxing and it made me grin widely. I felt like a kid again—not just the typical, Londoner kid who gathered stones by the river just last spring with a gentle prince—I felt like that Park Shin Hye several years ago. I became the Park Shin Hye whom Yonghwa built forts with; I became the Park Shin Hye who was unable to differentiate the English tenses…I became the complete Park Shin Hye, because her best friend from long ago was standing, in the flesh, right beside her.

Yonghwa and I were standing right in front of the fountains when several people started to gather around us and the group in the bus stop nearby was looking at us, too. The chilly autumn wind blew, urging us to carry on. Yonghwa, who seemed to get the message, casually reached out his hand towards me. The silver bracelet he wore caught the pale sunlight, making it glimmer.

“Let me guide you, Hannah-ssi,” he began with a nonchalant smile gracing his lips. “You fall, I fall.”

I stared at his long and slender fingers, and smiled. “So you’re saying that we’ll hold hands while we run across the fountain?”

With this, he let out a warm chuckle. “If you want to put it that way, then yes. Girls are meant to be protected, after all.”

I bit my lower lip, and after a moment of pondering, I tentatively took his waiting hand. I glanced at him, and I could’ve sworn he smiled. His hand easily engulfed mine and after all this time, his hand’s warmth never changed. I could feel the calluses on his fingertips against my wrist at that time, and I reckoned that one day back when he was still new to playing the guitar. The thickest string suddenly snapped and it caused a nasty gash on one of his strumming hand’s fingers. I couldn’t remember which one was it, but I was sure that I ended up crying because I thought Yonghwa would never be able to play the guitar again. Instead of me comforting him, he was the one who hushed me while his finger bled.

“You ready?” he asked.

I gave him a determined look, and nodded. We tightened our grip on each other’s hands and we poised ourselves in a running position, with slightly bended knees and all that.

“On the count of three,” Yonghwa began. “One…”

I gulped.

“Two…”

I let out a deep sigh.

“Three!”

Everything happened so fast. One second I was still standing there and then I suddenly found myself laughing hard as the freezing water came in contact with my skin the next. The water beneath our feet made this slushy sound as we ran across the pavement and in an instant, it was done.

Yonghwa and I were soaked through and our clothes clung on our skin. I was thankful I wore dark and loose garments, to be honest. Yonghwa pinched the bridge of his reddening nose before laughing in such a way that could easily beckon the sun to shine brighter.

“That was fun, wasn’t it?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I answered.

We stared at each other for a moment, and finally realizing that the both of us were shivering, we let out another laugh.

“We should dry up,” he suggested. “Or else we’ll catch a cold.”

“Good plan,” I agreed.

With that, we took our belongings and we headed for the public toilet.

Yonghwa and I emerged from our respective cubicles, several minutes later, and we saw the people from earlier play around the pavement fountain—even the skaters from the vacant lot nearby was in there, too, gliding smoothly with their boards just around the borders.

We looked at each other knowingly, like the way B1 and B2 would.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking, B1?

I think I am, B2.

That was how close we were back then. We could actually read each other’s minds. To be honest, even if Yonghwa’s mind forgot me, I was still hoping that his senses didn’t. I secretly hoped that my warmth would be familiar; my voice, my stare and my mannerisms. I hoped that the groves of his hands would remember mine, together with the spaces between his fingers. I hoped that these things would remind him of me, and just who I was in his life.

“Have fun in Belfast!” a local girl hollered when she saw us pass by.

“Thank you!” I replied, waving back at her.

Yonghwa looked at me. “Your English is different,” he pointed out. “You’re not from here, are you?”

“I’m from Korea,” I said.

“I know that,” he replied with the same playful tone. “But where did you grow up?”

“Central London,” I answered. “My friend and I just came here for your concert.”

“Whoa,” he muttered. “Then it must be great seeing the London Eye and the Big Ben every day.”

“You think so?” I asked. “It’s not, to be honest. In the end, you’ll get tired of it.”

We reached the zebra crossing, then. I pressed on the stoplight as we stood there and waited for the signal.

“I always wanted to go there,” he said. “To London.”

I know.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I want to have a concert there, too.”

I know.

“Why?”

“I find that place interesting,” he said with a satisfied sigh. “I’m in Northern Ireland right now. Soon, our next destination will be there, in London. You have to watch us again, got that?”

“Yes,” I replied with a grin.

Yonghwa glanced at me, and then he cocked his head to a side. Just then, the green light flashed, and a beeping sound was heard. We crossed the road and finally, Yonghwa talked.

“Do you always wear dresses?”

“Usually, yeah,” I said.

“Why?”

“I’m a girl,” I pointed out. “In case you forgot.”

He smirked at my snarky remark.

“It’s a consequence,” I finally said, when the air around us became awkward. I tried to salvage the conversation with this. “I broke a promise and this is the punishment.”

“You’ve to wear dresses?”

I nodded. “I promised my friend that I wouldn’t leave him, but I did.”

“Where is he now?” he casually asked.

I looked at him, and smiled. “He’s here, in Belfast.”

“Did you see him?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“How was he?”

“He’s doing good,” I said. “He can pretty much live without me, so everything’s fine.”

“Are the two of you fighting?” he finally asked in a genuine tone.

I slowly shook my head no. “We were just…we never really got the chance to meet up so it’s pretty awkward and difficult.”

“But he’s your friend,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, he is,” I said. “And he forgot all about me. I already saw him from afar, and he’s doing okay, so let’s just leave it at that, Yonghwa.”

“Well, I hope he remembers you soon.”

“I hope so, too.”

<:>

We were in the winding alleyways, once again, and this time we were in Arthur Square, the place I passed by while I was searching for Victoria Square. Yonghwa and I stopped in front of a metal sculpture which looked like several thin, linen-like rings put together.

“This is a good spot,” Yonghwa said, as he eyed at me. “Hannah, do you know how to sing?”

My eyes widened, and I suddenly thought about the summers I spent with Yonghwa under the cherry tree by the river. Ever since he got the guitar, we would go there and sing our hearts out while he strummed his instrument smoothly. We became one with the wind, at that time, and we became one with just about everything else. I thought we contributed to the orchestra of summer and that alone made me feel so privileged to be alive—and end up as Yonghwa’s best friend on top of that.

“A little,” I admitted.

“Then it’s cool,” he said again. He removed his guitar from its case and he easily slung the strap over his shoulder. He tuned it quickly and after having a quick run through several chords, he looked at me. “You do know that song Lucky, right?”

“The English song?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he answered. “With Jason and Colbie.”

I nodded. He smiled. “Then you should fill in the girl’s lines.”

“What?”

“Thanks,” he said with a grin, as if he never heard my confusion in the first place. He tapped on his guitar’s body, and after that, he began to do the intro.

“Do you hear me,
I'm talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying…”

He looked at me, a signal that it was my turn. My eyes widened. His voice was husky and smooth at the same time. It was a little flared at the edges with a sense of ruggedness to it, but at the same time, Yonghwa’s voice was filled with gentleness and warmth. I was surprised that he chose an English song, as well.

“Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard…”

With this, Yonghwa’s strums became louder, filling the square with his own iridescent shade. People took notice of our busking, and some of them quietly stood there and watched. A group simply carried on chatting with a cup of Starbucks coffee in their hands while some took out their phones to record the moment.

“I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again…”

It was strange how out of hundreds of songs, Yonghwa chose this. I looked at him as we sang, and he looked back at me. It was obvious that we were enjoying this—I could feel our friendship revive itself from the depths of my heart. I tried to bury it with new memories but not one single moment in my life could outshine the days I shared with him. If my memories were pieces of glass shards, then ours would be that lone, sparkling genuine diamond in the midst of the dull, fake ones. I took in a deep breath before singing.

“They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you I promise you, I will…”

There was another roll of chorus, and more people started to gather. Tourists who carried their professional cameras with them took several snapshots of us. I looked at Yonghwa, and he looked back at me.

Yonghwa, what if something big breaks out?

Treat this as public advertising. Surely our fans will understand. Don’t worry.

Yonghwa smiled, and he sang his line:

“And so I'm sailing through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music fill the air
I'll put a flower in your hair…”

I smiled a little at that one, and I looked up at the sky, wondering if my voice could reach that height. But that space was nothing compared to the distance between Yonghwa and I. We were only inches apart, and my heart was about to burst. But he would never know—he was oblivious to the anxiety I felt. That was how far away he was. He was someone I could touch but could never have. I should have realized that long ago. Funnily enough, our situation reminded me of asymptotes. The both of us could get closer and closer, but we would never really be together.

“Though the breezes through trees
Move so pretty you're all I see
As the world keeps spinning round
You hold me right here right now…”

We finally ended the song after several repeated choruses, and the crowd applauded, requesting for an encore. Yonghwa and I looked at each other, and he gently pushed me forward. I suddenly looked at him, aghast.

“I have to conserve my voice,” he said lamely. “Try singing something.”

I was never a confident singer, but seeing that he was there, right in front of me, how could I refuse? He was treating me like I was a close friend of his, how could I turn him down? He knew me as Hannah, and not as Shin Hye, his long forgotten best friend. Surely Hannah Park was more confident, outgoing and cool than the peculiar Park Shin Hye who loved collecting pebbles, right?

I took out my phone and browsed for that certain song I kept playing on repeat lately. I showed it to Yonghwa, and his eyes widened.

“I never expected you to know Brooke Fraser,” he said.

“You know her?” I asked.

He nodded. “And this song, as well. I’m quite familiar with it. So will you sing this one?”

I nodded. He grinned. “Then I’ll start now.”

Just like that, he began to pluck his guitar strings in a rhythmic manner which perfectly matched the intro of the song. I bobbed my head with the rhythm, and the crowd grew quiet. I glanced at them and I noticed that some of them already had their eyes closed, with a tranquil smile on their faces. It was about to begin, and so I inhaled and exhaled deeply. I closed my eyes in order to not distract myself. The sun managed to find its way towards us and it warmed me up a bit, banishing my nervousness.

“In the autumn on the ground,
between the traffic and the ordinary sounds
I am thinking signs and seasons while a north wind blows through…”

I my lower lip.

“I watch as lovers pass me by
Walking stories - whos and hows and whys
Musing lazily on love
Pondering you…”

I gave a meaningful glance at Yonghwa, and I realized that he was looking at me with that gentle smile on his face. He gave me an encouraging nod, and I returned that with a smile.

“I'll give it time, give it space and be still for a spell
When it's time to walk that way we wanna walk it well…”

The chorus was about to come around, and I was surprised to find a drum accompaniment enter the scene. I looked back, and I saw an Irish guy, playing the exact beat on his improvised drum set which consisted of plastic pails and steel pots. His dark hair had streaks of red and from the looks of it, he could be in his early twenties. He grinned at me, and I smiled back in return.

“I'll be waiting for you baby,
I'll be holding back the darkest night,
Love is waiting til we're ready, til it's right,
Love is waiting…”

Yonghwa-yah, have I finally reached you?

“It's my caution not the cold
there's no other hand that i would rather hold
the climate changes, I'm singing for the strangers about you
don't keep time, slow the pace
Honey hold on if you can
the bets are getting surer now…”

I looked at my best friend—at my Busan boy.

“…That you're my man…”

The people were swaying with the melody, and the wind participated with us. It felt like the world stood still, and I was the only breathing person in there. If a pin dropped, then I might actually hear it.

“I could write a million songs about the way you say my name,
I could live a lifetime with you and then do it all again,
and like I can't force the sun to rise or hasten summer's start,
neither should I rush my way into your heart…”

The song finally ended, and there was this silence. Suddenly, someone clapped and like a domino effect, another followed that person’s lead, and then another, until everyone around us whistled and cheered. We thanked the Irish first and he winked at us.

“Thanks for coloring up this dull city, mates,” he said, before packing his things. “We need more buskers here, seriously.”

“Thanks for helping us out, too,” I replied. “Have a good day!”

“You, too, wee one,” he nonchalantly said. “Well, I’ll see you around!”

The two of us bowed in front of the crowd and after Yonghwa returned his guitar in its case, we quietly and aimlessly walked around the place.

“You sing really well,” he remarked.

“That coming from a singer, I’m flattered,” I said quietly.

“As if you were singing it to someone,” he carried on.

I smiled a little, and I looked at him. “It’s because I was.”

He smirked. “Ah, that guy must be fortunate,” he nonchalantly said.

“He is, I guess,” I replied. “But here’s the catch: he will never know.”

"There are three things that amaze me—
no, four things that I don’t understand:
how an eagle glides through the sky,
how a snake slithers on a rock,
how a ship navigates the ocean,
how a man loves a woman. "
- Proverbs 30:18-19

So pretty much, this, my friends, is the place where Yonghwa and Shin Hye in this AU busked ^^ It's found near Victoria Square. Hee~ I don't have a picture of the pavement fountain atm so if I've the time (and if it still isn't dark yet) then I'll take a quick picture of it ^^

And if you're ever curious about Shin Hye's song, then here it is:

I just want them to stay together forever, okay? ;A;

And once again, your comments never fail to uplift me ^^ It's one of the many reasons why I smile like a dork xD

JustBee I had goosebumps reading your comment ;A; I usually am rendered speechless when I encounter something beautiful, so I'm sorry if I can't leave you a long reply ;A;

nnaeam to be honest the bible verses I post up give me the strength to get through the day ^^ I hope it's having the same effect on you ^^ And yes! Soon, our dooley couple will be together again ^^ There's no way I'll end this story in a sad ending. :D

miss-hitomi that coming from a reader, I'm happy ;A; I'm glad I managed to pull off that feeling. I'm so bad at describing things, to be honest. That was my weakness back then--even now! I guess bit by bit, I'm getting more used to seeing the fine details and not the big picture ^^]

omoproudBANA No cry, no cry ;A; and Glory to God for the wisdom ♥

laz_15 It's okay. I do that, too ^^ You know, being sentimental. I do it out of the blue that I end up freaking my friends out ^^ There was one time when we were laughing away and I suddenly grew quiet (out of the 15 of us, I think I'm the one with the loudest--and weirdest--laugh. Imagine a dying hyena. You can't? Neither can I) and told them, "Someday, these moments will end too, right?" and I sort of killed the mood xD

mymy5106 here's the update ^^ and I seriously am grinning like an idiot right now because of your comment xD

Nandiferd Ironies are hilarious until they reach a certain extent ^^

icedlatte25 your comment...it squeezed my heart. Now it's aching! ;A; I feel sorry for Donghyun, too. Why did I turn him into a chivalrous martyr why? ;A;

checkinout whoa, to be honest, I don't deserve it ^^;; It's all for God. Hee~ I mean, He was the one who gave me the inspiration and perseverance to write. If there's one person that should be uplifted here then it's Him. I should decrease and let God increase (John 3:30 ftw!) and I should thank you, too, because your comments keep me going ^^ I would open my AFF account and make this silly dance whenever I see this orange and black notification on the left side of my screen ^^ and Heartstrings! Oh how I love that show! It didn't quite meet my expectations but it's beautiful just the same :)

janiejane you're welcome ^^

Clubberontheblock lol I was seriously cringing and smiling goofily at the same time when I read your message xD linking my own story was so awkward, let alone quoting it xD and yes, this story will have a happy ending, so don't you worry ^^

YelleOh YelleOh jeil jal naga~