Darling, just hold my hand

Be my girl, I'll be your man

“Are you excited, Oppa?”

Yoo Jung’s cute smile while saying those words still lingered in his mind as they walked towards the crowd. Being in front of thousands of fans -and in front of millions of viewers from around the world-, with Yoo Jung by his side, made Bo Gum feel like the proudest, happiest guy. He could hardly contain his excitement as he made his way to the center of the stage, his arm firmly gripped by the girl he loved, feeling so much more like a real couple than he had ever felt before.

“Ne, Yoo Jung-ah.” Bo Gum had replied to Yoo Jung’s question just seconds before entering the stage. He had no idea he would be so amazed, and his initial excitement couldn’t compare to the way he felt right now.

Their trip to Hong Kong had so far been crazy, to say the least. He had been able to travel in the same flight as Yoo Jung, but the overwhelming crowd that was waiting for them at the airport prevented them from walking calmly next to each other. They were staying in the same hotel, but had hardly spent any time together, for they had to get ready for the ceremony. Eventually, they left in separate cars, and Bo Gum wasn’t able to see her on the red carpet.

He first got to see her while they were backstage, right before her first stage. She looked incredibly breathtaking wearing that white dress, with her long hair brushed back and her beautiful smile, warmly welcoming Bo Gum. Then again, it had only been for a little while, long enough for him to wish her good luck before she had to run onstage. They had finally met again just a few minutes before they were supposed to go out together, and that’s when she’d asked him that question.

So there they were. It was Bo Gum’s first time at MAMA, and being able to share the stage with Yoo Jung made it much more special. The crazy screams from the crowd made him blush, because they weren’t cheering just for him, but for them. His smile was just as big when they reached their mics and started talking.

“Hi, Hong Kong.” He introduced himself in English, Chinese and finally Korean. Yoo Jung did the same, and Bo Gum’s heart started pounding rapidly. Their short skit was next.

“Back then, at Lee Juck’s stage, I saw you and I was so surprised. You looked so pretty.” He started, meaning every single word.

“Ye, jeongmal kamsahamnida. I’m also very honored that I could be there.” Yoo Jung delivered her lines.

“Speaking of which, you are together with other male artists.” Bo Gum took a deep breath and looked at Yoo Jung. “Bulheonhanda.”

Lee Yeong’s famous line was followed by crazy screams from the crowd. Bo Gum smiled as he saw Yoo Jung blush and avoid his gaze. It was exactly the kind of reaction he was expecting from her when he suggested they use that line in their skit. Yoo Jung had liked the idea, and they went along with it, writing the rest of the skit around it.

“Ne, but this line isn’t for me, but for fans in Hong Kong and for audiences watching MAMA from their TV, right?” Yoo Jung looked at the audience. Bo Gum smiled.

“Ah, yes. Am I being too transparent?” He immediately felt his face getting red and tried to keep it together by biting his lip and fidgeting with his card. That last line wasn’t in their original script, but he had decided to include it last minute, and didn’t tell her about it. Bo Gum looked at Yoo Jung’s face once more before resuming his speech and started presenting the Male Artist award. He made sure to stay close to Yoo Jung as she gave out the prize to the winning artist, and then stepped to the side next to her as he gave his speech.

“Oppa, you improvised!” Yoo Jung called him out on it, whispering. She looked almost amused, although a little bit flustered. He just shrugged and decided to be completely honest.

“I meant it, Yoo Jung-ah.” He simply whispered back, and they said nothing more.

In no time, they had to be onstage again, ready to present the award for Best Dance Performance by a Female Group. They delivered their lines and stood by as videos of the nominees were playing, and Bo Gum got lost in thought.

He couldn’t quite make it out, but it almost looked as if Yoo Jung was happy and excited about him improvising that little line. Many recent happenings were making Bo Gum become more and more hopeful regarding her feelings, and was really close to believing that maybe, just maybe, she could like him back…

The touch of Yoo Jung on his arm made him turn back around and face the crowd. He had completely zoned out, thinking about what had just happened, and hadn’t even paid attention to the videos playing. Bo Gum turned back around to the screen, not knowing if another video was to play, or if it was already over. He realized his mistake two seconds too late.

“Bogum Oppa looked so happy while watching the clips.” Yoo Jung tried to cover up his mistake by joking with the audience, and Bo Gum turned dead serious. He’d certainly hadn’t been watching the clips; it had all been a misunderstanding, and the last thing he wanted was for Yoo Jung to get the wrong idea about that. That thought weighed heavily on his mind, so he remained serious as he gave out the award and walked to the side of the stage with Yoo Jung. He stood in silence for a while, waiting for her to say something, but she didn’t.

“Yoo Jung-ah, we’re matching tonight!” Bo Gum made a comment about their outfits, trying to make her smile and divert her attention from what had just happened. He’d done nothing wrong, but felt like maybe she thought he did.

“Ne, Oppa, you’re right.” She simply smiled. Bo Gum thought she looked a bit sad, but Yoo Jung was good at hiding her feelings, and he couldn’t really tell if it was because of him. After all, he hadn’t been staring at the videos, he’d simply made a mistake. If only he could tell her how much he secretly loved her and how she was the only girl in his eyes!

That’s when he decided he’d make it up to her, whether or not he was at fault for the way she was feeling. He waited for the right time, after the awards were over and they arrived back at their hotel. By then, Yoo Jung didn’t seem mad anymore, but he still wanted to go through with his plan.

“Yoo Jung-ah.” Bo Gum softly grabbed her arm before she left the elevator. “Meet me at the restaurant in 30 minutes. The one on the last floor. I’ll be waiting for you.” He smiled as the elevator door closed between him and a surprised Yoo Jung. He wasn’t worried, though, because he knew she would be there.

And she was.

It was late at night, so the restaurant was practically empty, and no one who could recognise them was there. They ate happily and talked about their night, and Bo Gum felt incredibly grateful to be able to share such a beautiful moment with her. Yoo Jung didn’t seem mad at him anymore, but either way, he wanted to set things straight.

“Yoo Jung-ah, about before, I just want you to know…” Bo Gum started. “I wasn’t staring at the clips. I was simply confused, and that’s why I looked back again.” He explained himself as straight-forwardly as he could, not knowing what else he could add to help his case. There was no need, though, because Yoo Jung looked at him with a big, reassuring smile.

“I know you weren’t staring, Oppa.” She said, apologetically. “I know you and I know how you are. I got confused for a minute but I know you’re not that kind of person.”

Bo Gum didn’t know what she meant by that. All he cared about was that she wasn’t mad at him anymore. He smiled as he turned around and looked out the glass walls, over at the Hong Kong skyline. Yoo Jung was doing the same.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” She said. He turned around to face her and their eyes met.

“It is.”

Without really knowing how, Bo Gum’s hand had found its way to Yoo Jung’s and was now holding it. It felt like the most natural thing to do, and neither of them felt awkward or weird. They stood up from the table, still holding hands, and Bo Gum led the way back to Yoo Jung’s room. He loved how they could enjoy each other’s company without the need for words, and they stayed silent until they reached the room. 

“Yoo Jung-ah, did you notice that I kept my promise?” Bo Gum playfully asked as they reached her door.

“What promise, Oppa?” Yoo Jung looked at him, confused.

“I told you I’d say Lee Yeong’s line to you in front of everybody.”

Bo Gum gave her a playful little smile, satisfied with his subtle flirting. Yoo Jung blushed like crazy but kept quiet, and Bo Gum felt a sudden urge to kiss her. Just for a second, he didn’t care that he’d never confessed his feelings, he didn’t care that they were in the middle of a hotel hallway, or about how he’d promised he’d wait for her. He didn’t care at all; all he wanted was to scoop her up in his arms and kiss her in such a way that she’d understand the deep love he had for her and his utter need to never let her go.

But he didn’t do it. Yoo Jung was laughing now and admitting his victory.

“You’re right, Oppa. You won.” She wrinkled her nose as she smiled and got one step closer to him. Bo Gum was surprised when she slid her arms under his, wrapped them around his waist and put her head on his chest. She hugged him tightly, as if she didn’t want to let him go, and Bo Gum hugged her back just as tight, because he certainly didn’t.

“Good night.” Yoo Jung stood at the door and looked at him one more time, as if she had something to say. She didn’t, though, and Bo Gum was left alone.

It was the second time that he’d been left outside her hotel door with many thoughts running wild inside his mind. Some of her actions made him think that maybe she liked him, too, but he couldn’t be completely certain. All he could do was to stay close to her and hope that, sometime soon, she’d take the lead and let him know what her true feelings were.

December was only beginning, and Bo Gum was sure it’d have a lot of things in store for them.