When I see myself during these times
I feel that I really am young
Even with you in front of me
I don't know what to do

If there was one thing Jonghyun loved about his career it was the fact that at the end of the day he got to do what he loved more than anything else, sing. Although it had taken years before his company let him compose and perform his own songs, he was proud of everything he had done in the five years since his debut. His most recent single Hello had taken Korea by storm and he was selling out his concerts faster than he ever had before.

“Jonghyun! We’re ready to go! Where have you been?” his manager barks at him, motioning to Jonghyun’s bodyguard to usher him along.

“Yah! Kibum, I wasn’t done signing these!” Jonghyun had been pouring over stacks of his new cd and posters for his fans after the concert, but apparently they were on a tight schedule.

“Bum, you know I hate being rushed-“ but his strong-headed and impatient manager brushed off his remarks, eyeing his bodyguard over his shoulder to indicate he best ignore whatever Jonghyun said. Rolling his eyes at the two, Jonghyun decided not to argue, his hand was cramped from hours of signing anyway. Yawning, he let Minho lead him out of his dressing room, following Kibum closely as they rushed to the company’s van.

Once he was situated and resting comfortably in the seat behind the driver, Kibum joined him in the back and his bodyguard Minho got into the passenger seat, nodding at the driver that they were ready to go. Jonghyun closed his eyes and breathed deeply, ignoring whatever Kibum was discussing with Minho and let his mind empty so that he could rest for a little while.

One of the hardest parts of being an idol was that he got very little sleep – sometimes during promotions and concerts, it wasn’t uncommon for him to go days without sleep, always rushing from one practice to the next. It was literally exhausting and his parents worried about him, but he always assured them that he was fine because at the end of the day he loved what he did. At this point it was just part of his normal routine, but that didn’t stop his mother and older sister from fussing over him constantly.

Jonghyun loved his family and hated being away from them but at times like these he was grateful that he was too exhausted to feel anything else. The most recent phone call with his mother had been hard enough as it was. He had just received his letter from the government confirming his enrollment in the army for the summer, only three months away. After many discussions with his company and production team, they had determined that at this point in his career, Jonghyun was famous enough to take a two-year leave and have a huge comeback once he was discharged. No doubt his president would use this as a marketing scheme and make millions off of Jonghyun, but as long as he was allowed to come back, he didn’t care about any of that.

If he was honest with himself, he was afraid of leaving this life behind him but he knew that he had a duty to his country, to his family and friends, to serve his mandatory two years. His bodyguard Minho would be joining him, they had already spoken with the military higher-ups and they had agreed to keep Minho and Jonghyun together so that nothing would happen. Not that there was a high likelihood that something would happen to him in the army, but it was reassuring to think about spending those two years with one of his closest friends.

Jonghyun jolted from his musings, having gone in and out of sleep, when the van stopped and he felt Kibum shifting next to him. Minho exited the van and opened the side door to let them out. Blinking the sleep form his eyes, Jonghyun finally took in their surroundings and was shocked to see that they were at his favorite club: Heart and Seoul.

“Kibum?” he asked, causing the other to turn around before he exited the van. “What’s going on? I thought we had a schedule….?” He trailed off, unsure of what to say next.

His manager and long time friend smiled at him, the twinkle in his eyes letting Jonghyun know that he was in for a surprise.

“Just get out the damn van, would ya? We don’t have all night.”

Jonghyun moved to follow him out of the vehicle, stunned yet again to see that there was a red carpet leading from the van to the club entrance. Hm… that’s new….

As soon as he stepped out of the van, the slew of people waiting outside of the club, whom he had assumed were waiting to get in, began screaming and chanting his name. Cameras flashed and chaos ensued as Minho placed an arm around him, shielding him somewhat from the crowd while other security guards helped keep the red carpet clear for them. Jonghyun waved meekly, still a bit groggy from his nap and willing his brain to catch up to whatever Kibum had up his sneaky sleeve.

Once they were safely inside the establishment, having been waved through by the doorman, Jonghyun turned to find it pitch black. “Minho, I really don’t understand what’s happening…” he said over his shoulder, but Minho just chuckled and said, “You’ll see, hyung, you’ll see.”

Before he could say anything else, the lights were and the room erupted into yells of “surprise!” as balloons fell from the ceiling and cameras flashed. As Jonghyun took in the scene before him, the crowd began an enthusiastic rendition of “happy birthday” and he smiled, somewhat forcefully. Kibum sauntered up to him, singing loudly as he snapped one of those paper birthday hats onto his head and pushed him further into the room.

“Kibum,” he growled, a clear edge to his voice “I thought we talked about this-”

“Yah! You are my best friend, therefore it is my duty to throw you a surprise birthday party.”

“You know I hate surp-”

“Oh shut up already,” he smacked him on the back of his head, clearly annoyed. “Get over yourself and enjoy the damn party. Aish!” And at that, he stormed off until Jonghyun lost sight of him in the crowd that was now pressing around him. He soon found himself engulfed in friendly faces and “happy birthdays,” being passed from person to person in a whirlwind of sounds and colors.

Jonghyun looked over his shoulder at Minho who was following him but not closely, knowing that this crowd was all of his friends and co-workers. Minho caught his eye and smiled shyly, shrugging as if to say, “sorry, not sorry.” These sneaky s, he thought. Even though he was now 26 and birthdays were no longer as important to him as they had once been, it had hurt him that all day no one, not a single staff person or friend has wished him a happy birthday. Sure, he had gotten phone calls and texts all day – even the fans had sung him happy birthday at the concert, but no one – not Kibum nor Minho nor Taemin – had wished him a happy birthday.

Now though, as the crowd surrounded him, he realized it had all been part of their plan – their evil plan to throw him a surprise birthday party. While he was touched, he was also pissed off. Kibum knew how much he hated surprise parties. Jonghyun loved the limelight when he was on stage singing or when he was doing his radio show and didn’t have to interact with anyone face-to-face, but he really hated being the center of attention when he didn’t have a microphone or bright lights to get lost in.

“Jonghyun! Get over here already!” Kibum snagged him suddenly, for which Jonghyun would be eternally grateful even if this was his fault to begin with. “We’re back here in the VIP section, so you can sit down and I can finally eat something. I am starving!”

Sighing, Jonghyun allowed himself to be dragged by Kibum, Minho tight on their heels. It was going to be a long night.

To the people who are in love
Please tell me how you started to love

Eunsook was, well in a word, flabbergasted. It was her second day working at Heart and Seoul and they were hosting a private (yet somehow very public….) birthday party for a celebrity. While yesterday had been hectic, with her following around one of the more experienced servers, Gwiboon, she had made quite the impression even in her limited time on the job. Not only had she managed to spill drinks several times, she had also dropped two plates of food, tripped over her own feet and crashed into Gwiboon, and overcharged several customers on their orders. All in all, her first day on the job had been rough.

Gwiboon had warned her, threatened really, that if she “pulled the same ” today she would personally hire someone to murder her in her sleep.

Hoping - no determined - to make this day better, Eunsook had showed up to work right on time ready to face the weekend crowd, only to find the club completely empty of guests yet bustling with activity. Seeing Gwiboon as she passed, she meant to ask what was happening, only to have the younger girl snap at her, “Where the hell have you been? Get to work already!” and stormed off, muttering under her breath.

Since then, Eunsook had given the younger a wide berth, afraid of her reaction should she bother her again. After clocking in and dropping off her purse and jacket into the break room, Eunsook’s manager had come up to her a little frazzled but at least willing to give her some directions. She nodded her head at her boss’s rushed words, following him around as he barked orders at the other employees. He then filled her in on the party and that she would be working the VIP section in the back with Jo Kwon, a young server boy that joined them shortly after and gave her a reassuring smile.

Eunsook soon found herself in the back with Jo Kwon, following his directions to prepare the VIP section and listening diligently so that she wouldn’t miss anything.

“Um… Jo Kwon?” she asked hesitantly, not sure how he would respond to being interrupted while giving instructions. Gwiboon had hated it when she asked questions.

“What, love?” he said, smiling at her while continuing to straighten glasses and place them along the counter that lined the back wall.

“Whose party is this? I mean, I k-know it’s someone famous but who is it?” she barely finished her question; embarrassed that she wasn’t in-the-know like everyone else seemed to be.

“Oh, I think it’s that one singer, the y one?” he smiled at her, winking. “He had a concert tonight, I believe… What in the world is his name?”

“Kim, um, Kim J-jonghyun?” she offered. Jo Kwon instantly lit up at the name, nodding his head.

“Yes! That’s him. That boy sure has a set of pipes. I bet his breath control is really good, if you know what I mean,” he winked again and laughed as Eunsook blushed.

Kim Jonghyun had been the star of her fantasies since his debut five years ago. While he hadn’t been widely popular during his early years, “Jojo” had been her favorite song and, if she was honest with herself, swore that he was singing it directly to her. All of her friends found it weird to like idols, and boys in general, that were younger than they were, but that didn’t stopp Eunsook. Every time she heard his soulful voice, her heart fluttered and she lost her breath, not wanting to miss a single syllable.

She was completely, 100% in love with him and knew that without a doubt she was going to mess everything up tonight if she didn’t keep herself in check.

“Yah! Are you two ready? They are almost back here!” Gwiboon shouted at them through the doorway, causing Jo Kwon and Eunsook to snap to attention. Gwiboon motioned for Eunsook to come closer, and she did so nervously, afraid of what the younger would say next.

“Good luck, unnie,” Gwiboon said, a brief smile on her lips. “Jo Kwon’s really nice so he should help you out, but if you need anything just flag me down. Or threaten one of the other servers to help you because I said so, got it?”

Shocked at the interaction, Eunsook nodded slightly and smiled at her. “Thanks, Gwiboon, I’ll do my best!” And before she knew it, the girl had left, rushing off to whatever she had been doing.

Not entirely sure what she was supposed to be doing, she returned to her area and made sure she had her order pad and pen ready for when the guests would arrive. She heard raised voices coming closer until people finally began entering the VIP section.

There were about six people and they were just beginning to sit when Eunsook walked over to greet them and begin taking orders. As she said hello and bowed deeply, her hands caught in her apron while she was attempting to extract her notepad, and she was leaning a bit too far forward when she lost her balance and began to topple over. The familiar feeling of falling overtook her and Eunsook tried to free her hands but they seemed to be even more entangled in her apron and she squeaked, startled and afraid of her imminent fall.

Just as she braced herself for impact, two strong hands caught her and stopped her from face-planting; jerking her upright and knocking the breath out of her from the shock and sudden shift in gravity.

“Hey there, are you okay?” she heard, warm breath brushing her ear as one hand moved up and down her arm as if to soothe her while the other remained tightly gripped on her waist, steadying her.

Blushing, she nodded her head and was afraid to look up and meet the eyes of her rescuer. She would know that voice anywhere and could feel herself beginning to panic at the embarrassing situation she found herself in. Out of all the scenarios she had ever imagined for meeting her long-time fantasy, she had never expected Kim Jonghyun to have to be witness and Good Samaritan to one of her clumsy spells – which her friends and family referred to as Eunsook-condition.

“Yes, t-thank you,” she managed to respond, shaking her head slightly to clear it. Shifting in his embrace, she became very aware of just how he was touching her, how their bodies were almost flush against each other. The hand on her waist was gripping rather tightly and she mentally dreaded that he could feel how squishy she was. At the thought, she twisted, breaking the contact but turning directly to face him. His perfectly round golden eyes were wide with concern at her sudden movement.

“Oh my,” she breathed, her mind going blank while her heart began racing a hundred miles a minute and she could feel moisture begin to form behind her eyes, unable to handle the embarrassing situation much longer. Willing her emotions to remain in check, she opened her moth again but nothing came out. Closing and opening again, she wet her lips with her tongue and glanced over to Jo Kwon, silently begging him to help her. As she glanced away, she missed how Jonghyun’s gaze dropped from her eyes once she looked away and followed the movement of her tongue moving over her lips repeatedly.

Jo Kwon came over, putting his arm around her as he cooed at her, “Are you alright, hun?” After ensuring that she was indeed alright, he turned to the group and bowed, apologizing and excusing them for a moment, taking Eunsook out of the room and guiding her to the break room. He muttered something else to her, leaving the room, but all Eunsook could manage at the moment was the feeling of complete and utter failure that was churning her stomach.

She was going to get fired, she just knew it.

How could she manage to up this job after only two days? Her mother would be livid, they needed this job to help pay for medical expenses – for her medical expenses. Eunsook had a rare heart condition that caused her to be hospitalized for months on end whenever something happened, which was often. Her last visit to the hospital had only been for a few weeks but the bill was still expensive and her parents were aging, unable to pay off as much as they once had when they were both able to work multiple jobs and long hours.

“Unnie?”

Turning at the voice, Eunsook saw the concern on Gwiboon’s face and broke down, unable to keep herself together any longer.

“Oh, unnie, what’s wrong? It’s okay, come here,” and the younger girl brought Eunsook into her embrace, patting her hair and shushing her as sobs wracked her body.

Not only had she just humiliated herself in front of the love of her life, she had also cost her family a much needed source of income.

Hello, hello
I brought up the courage
Hello, hello
I want to talk to you for a moment

Unsure of what was exactly going on, Gwiboon continued to pat the older girl’s head and gave her manager the death glare when he came into the break room, looking as though he was going to scold them for not being on the floor. Thankfully he backed off at her look and Eunsook took no notice.

While the girl had driven her insane yesterday and was a disaster waiting to happen, she had also grown on Gwiboon with her big, innocent eyes and charming smile. Gwiboon was good at sensing people and she knew that deep down, Eunsook was a sweetheart, so it hurt her to see the gentle girl so upset. As the girl’s sobs soaked her shirt, she promised herself that no matter what had happened she would help Eunsook in any way that she could.

Hello, hello
Please give me a chance
Hello, hello
I don't know how you feel right now
Who knows? Two of us
Might be destiny

Jonghyun was well on his way to being wasted as Kibum shoved drink after drink into his hands. While he suspected that his manager was determined to make him have a good birthday, he knew that part of his inebriated state was due to the attractive bartender, Jo Kwon if he remembered correctly, that Kibum was constantly talking to and beckoning over to where he was sitting. Rolling his eyes at his friend’s antics, he downed another mouthful of whatever drink he had been given and turned to face Minho, only to find him making out with Taemin, his boyfriend and Jonghyun’s choreographer. In fact, everywhere he looked people were either locked in a passionate embrace or whispering close together.

He hated being single. Sure it had its perks in the business and it was never hard to find someone to have a good time with, but he missed the intimacy, the feeling of belonging to that one special person in some way. At the downward turn of his thoughts, he motioned for another drink, taking Jo Kwon away from Kibum, who turned and gave him the stink eye, but he just ignored him. If Kibum thought there was any way he wasn’t getting laid tonight then he was as stupid as he looked. Jo Kwon had been eye ing him all night and Jonghyun was ready for them to get a room already and get out of his sight.

The waiter served him his drink and Jonghyun nodded in thanks, sipping slowly. He resumed his earlier perusal of the room, in search of someone to talk to, when he noticed the waitress from earlier enter. When she looked up, their eyes met and she bowed deeply, but not before he noticed that her eyes were a bit swollen and red.

She made her way over to the bartender and began bowing, no doubt apologizing for disappearing earlier. Jonghyun couldn’t help but admire her from afar; her long hair framed her face and reached to the middle of her back. Although she wasn’t thin by any means, he found himself attracted to the curves of her body, moving his eyes from her rather large s to her indented yet soft looking waist, down to her shapely and thighs. While Jonghyun usually liked his girls rail thin and toned, he felt himself responding to this girl in a very physical way.

Taking another sip of his drink, he continued to assess her until she turned around and once again caught his eye. He smiled and nodded at her, and she made her way over to him.

“Can I get you another drink, sir?” she asked, her voice melodious and so smooth, like honey.

“Um…” glancing down, he noticed that his drink was indeed empty. “Yes, I’ll have whatever you recommend, but none of that hard stuff. I like my drinks like I like my women, sweet.” He tried to wink at her but she her heel before he got the chance.

Really? Is that the best you’ve got, Kim? Don’t be a creep. He reprimanded himself, shaking his head to try and clear it so that he could have a better conversation with her when she returned.

She returned shortly, with a clear drink in her hand. “Here you are, sir,” she said and made to leave again. Seeing his chance, he snagged her wrist and pulled her toward him. He must have used more strength than he meant to because the next thing he knew she was sitting in his lap, a surprised look on her face.

“Oh, sorry!” he said, but made no move to release her. She looked up at him, uncertainty written on her face. She glanced over her shoulder at the bartender, but he was wrapped up in whatever Kibum was saying. For once, his manager was exactly where Jonghyun needed him to be.

He moved his hand to her chin, guiding her face back to his so that they were looking eye to eye. “Hi, there,” he said softly. “My name’s Jonghyun.”

“I know,” she said quietly, a blush tinting her cheeks red. Wow, she really was something else.

“Do you now,” he smiled at her, completely aware of the effect he was having on her as he felt her squirm under his gaze, moving on his lap. “And what might your name be?” he asked, moving in that much closer, if that was even possible.

“Eun-eunsook,” she breathed, clearly nervous but not moving back from his advance.

“Eunsook,” he repeated, the sweet name caressing his tongue as he spoke.

“Well it’s nice to meet you, Eunsook….?” And he trailed off, unsure of how to address her directly.

“Noona,” she responded, finally breaking eye contact as her cheeks once again blushed a bright red.

“Ah,” he said, thrilled. While other males enjoyed being called oppa, he had always secretly fantasized about y noona’s that were more experienced and would help take care of him. “Well, Eunsook-noona, today’s my birthday and I still haven’t gotten my birthday wish. Want to help me out?”

“W-what did you wish for?” she asked, biting her bottom lip as she continued to stare down at this chest.

“Oh, if I told you then it wouldn’t come true. What fun would that be?” he asked, smiling devilishly.

He kept breathing her in and couldn’t help but be intoxicated by her scent. Moving closer to take more of her in, his movements caused their position to shift and she moved on his lap, rubbing over a certain part of his anatomy that was getting excited by her proximity.

Just as he was about to close the distance between them, she jumped off his lap and moved back quickly. “I’ll, I’ll be right back, Jonghyun-ssi,” bowing before exiting the room.

Great, just great. He thought. Now he was stuck with a room full of lovebirds again as the only singleton. Why couldn’t he have just kept his cool and not scared her off. She did seem like a nice girl and he wasn’t usually so forward, well at least not with girls he actually liked. And he had a sneaking suspicion that he if he was given the opportunity to get to know her, he would really really like her.

My heart wants all of you, never let you go
If this is love, I'll never let it go
Who knows? The two of us
Hello, hello