It was way after midnight, but still before dawn. The streets of Seoul were almost empty at this hour. Junhyung and Hara were walking down Hongdae street, hand in hand, both wearing huge smiles on their faces, clearly experiencing a certain type of high called love.

 

Junhyung was falling absolutely head over heels for the girl next to him, and he constantly wondered how he was now dating someone he had absolutely no interest in two weeks ago.

 

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“Noona, do I really have to go?” Junhyung whined to his phone, frustration etched on his face.

 

His stylist noona had told him that she managed to convince a girl, a female idol at that, to go out with him, about a week ago. The girl’s identity was deliberately kept a secret, and Junhyung agreed to go, just for the heck of it. “One date wouldn’t hurt,” he had said nonchalantly with a shrug at the time. Since he was busy writing and composing new songs for BEAST’s new album, he didn’t give it much thought at the time.

 

“Goo Hara.” The minute the older woman excitedly revealed the identity of his blind date, Junhyung’s eyes immediately shot open as wide as they could, the name instantly provoking a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.

 

There were several reasons why Junhyung didn’t want to go out with Goo Hara. Firstly, even though he was older than her, Hara had made her debut earlier than Junhyung did, so she was considered his sunbae in the industry. Obviously, Junhyung let his pride get in the way. Also, the fact that Hara had thousands, possibly millions of erted ahjussi fans disgusted him to no end. But the thing that irked Junhyung the most was Hara’s tv personality. She acted exactly the way she looked – vulnerable, dense, ostentatious, full of aegyo, with no trace of intelligent cells evident in her system at all. He hated that she was so… generic. Basically, she just wasn’t Junhyung’s type.

 

“Noona,” he reiterated, more firmly this time, rubbing his temples indistinctively. They have been on the phone for quite a while now, arguing back and forth, and he was starting to get a headache. “Can’t you send someone else? Yoseob? Gikwang? Anyone but me?”

 

A loud rustling noise was heard from his phone, indicating that the person on the other end of the line was shouting. Junhyung held the phone away from his ears, afraid that it might damage his eardrums. The noise went on for two whole minutes, and when it finally stopped, Junhyung let out an exasperated sigh. “Okay you know what?” he paused, shaking his head at what he was about to say. “Fine. I’ll go. But I’m just doing youa favour.”

 

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Junhyung threw on a black blazer above his white v-neck and jeans, and looked himself in the mirror. Even though he had no interest in Hara and definitely had no intentions of seeing her again after tonight, he still wanted to look good to impress her. After deeming himself decent enough, he grabbed his car keys and bolted out the door, avoiding any unwanted questions from his curious members.

 

He drove around in his sleek black BMW for about half an hour, until he arrived at an art gallery located in Gangnam. It was after 12AM on a weekday, so the streets were practically empty. His noona had intentionally planned for them to meet here because the art gallery was owned by the CEO of DSP Media, and tonight, it was opened after working hours, specially for them.

 

He got out of the car and straightened his jacket before pushing through the doors of the art gallery, causing the bells to jingle. He was greeted by Hara’s back facing him, staring at a piece of abstract painting that hung on the clean, white wall. Hara was dressed casually in a burgundy silk top, skinny jeans, and 5-inch heels, with her long brown hair cascading down her back in loose curls. Junhyung knew that she heard him come in, but she didn’t even so much as look at him.

 

He walked over and stood next to her, mesmerized by the same painting she was staring at. The both of them admired the painting in absolute silence, immersed in their own thoughts. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Hara suddenly voiced out. “It’s so abstract at first glance, and yet every is so precisely accurate…” she trailed. “He must’ve had a lot on his mind when he created this masterpiece,” Hara whispered quietly, barely audible, as if speaking to herself.

 

Junhyung turned to face her, surprised at the words she had just muttered out. The Hara he sees on tv definitely does not look like she knew how to appreciate contemporary art. And as if noticing him for the first time, Hara glanced at him briefly, and turned back to look at the painting in front of her, her shoulders tensing up. She furrowed her brows and looked like she was deep in thought, before turning to face Junhyung again.

 

“Look, I’m just gonna be completely honest here. I really don’t wanna be here, but it’s just that unnie was so convincing, and she wouldn’t take no for an answer…” she sighed as she looked back at Junhyung, her face expressionless. Her eyes had a hint of sadness in them, giving away the guilt she felt, but was clearly hiding.

 

Junhyung was pleasantly surprised for the second time in the span of five minutes. She wasn’t the playful little girl she appeared to be on tv at all. Her forwardness and honesty intrigued him, he hasn’t met a girl like that in a long while. “It’s okay,” he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “I actually feel the same way,” he chuckled bitterly.

 

She seemed to brighten up slightly at the information, a huge relieved smile spreading across her face as she relaxed. “Ah, great! But since we’re already here, let’s go look around the art gallery. I’ve been wanting to see this exhibition for quite a while now,” Hara mused, grabbing Junhyung’s wrist and dragging him into the corridor that led to more contemporary paintings, wall murals and quirky sculptures. 

 

So that’s how their first date went – discussing modern art while sipping champagne. Junhyung himself was an avid fan of art, and he was secretly happy when his noona had informed him about the venue of his date. Because of their love for art, the both of them connected right away, though they had very contrasting opinions, and had spent hours in the art gallery debating over certain pieces of artwork until the wee hours of the morning. Her eccentric and unusual opinions fascinated him.

 

By the end of the first date, Junhyung had completely changed his mind about the girl in front of him. Contrary to popular belief and her appearances, she was actually straightforward, sarcastic, opinionated – a little unconventional for a Korean girl, but that was what he liked the most about her. She was nothing like the Hara he recognized from tv and music programmes.

 

“So, when am I gonna see you again?” Junhyung asked her, eyes hopeful.

 

She chuckled and shook her head lightly. “I thought we agreed that this was going to be a one-off thing…” she trailed, tucking some strands of hair behind her ear.

 

“Don’t tell me you didn’t feel any chemistry between us, I’m not buying that bull,” he said through gritted teeth.

 

She sighed. “It’s not that I didn’t, but I can’t exactly say I’m looking for a relationship right now. With Kara, I feel like I’m at the peak of my career, when I’m actually just starting out. I have a long way ahead of me, and I really don’t want any distractions from my job at this point of my life,” Hara explained apologetically.

 

“Give me a chance.”

 

And with that, Hara roughly grabbed his blazer and pulled him towards her, crushing her lips on his. Junhyung was beyond stunned, it wasn’t an ordinary action for a girl, and for a while, he really didn’t know how to respond. At the contact, Junhyung’s heart rate shot up immediately, his lips tingling from her kiss. When he finally got to kissing her back, he took control of the kiss, turning it into a desperate, passionate one. It was his way of begging her to give him a chance, hoping that she’d respond positively to his unspoken plea. They only pulled apart for oxygen some time later.

 

“I like a guy who knows how to dominate,” Hara said, chuckling, touching their foreheads together. “Maybe there’s still hope for you yet, Yong Junhyung… Okay.”

 

“Okay?”

 

Hara nodded her head. “I’d like to give this, us, a chance. It won’t be easy, but I’d like to at least try,” she replied, a small smile tugging on her lips.

 

That night, they exchanged numbers and made plans to meet a few days later.

 

Before Junhyung drove back to the dorms in his car, he shot his stylist a quick text. “Thank you, noona.”

 

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It was a known fact that Goo Hara loved Starbucks. She lived on coffee, and she loved the homely ambiance of the Starbucks cafés. However, since she made her debut with Kara, she never had the chance to sit in a Starbucks store because people recognized her. So on their second date, Junhyung had intentionally gone to Hara’s favourite Starbucks chain in Insadong to request for the café to be closed for them that night, and even had the windows tinted. It had cost him a lot of money, but he thought that it’d be worth it. Of course, to get this little tidbit about Hara, he had to beg Dongwoon to tell him the information, since he was a huge fan of Kara.

 

When he blindfolded her and brought her into the store that night, she gasped when she heard the familiar jazz music playing in the background, and the smells of coffee beans and chocolate hit her nose. She tore off her blindfold immediately, recollecting her memories of her trainee days when she used to come here to read, to catch some sleep, to study, or just to think, with an espresso in her hand. She loved this place like it was her own home.

 

She threw her arms around Junhyung’s neck, silently thanking him for bringing her here tonight. Junhyung buried his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent. She smelled like fresh flowers, and it drove him crazy. He was just happy that she was happy.

 

That night, they sat in Hara’s favourite corner of the homely café, chatting about their musical interests and everything else, with her usual double espresso in Hara’s hands, and a decaf iced Americano in Junhyung’s. She had her head on Junhyung’s shoulders, and he had his arms around her protectively. Hara had confessed that she loved listening to the likes of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and U2, which, again, surprised Junhyung.

 

“What’s a tiny girl like you doing listening to those rock bands?” Junhyung asked her playfully, though the question was half-serious. Those were some of his all time favourite bands as well, bands that he didn’t think someone like Hara would like.

 

“Hey, don’t judge a book by its cover!” she hit him lightly on his chest as she looked into his eyes. “My father would play their music around the house, so I grew up listening to them. It’s sad, though,” she said, a sense of frustration and sadness lacing her tone.

 

“What is?” he asked curiously, her silky long mane instinctively.

 

“Music like that doesn’t exist in our time anymore. I hate what I do sometimes. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love performing on stage. The feeling I get when the adrenaline sets in is amazing, and I’m grateful for all the fan support, I’m sure you understand it too. But really, it’s not the type of music I thought I’d be making. I just wish they’d let me write my own songs,” she explained. Junhyung noticed diverse emotions in her statement. Anger, frustration, regret, sadness, defeat.

 

He had a newfound respect for the girl he was slowly falling in love with. He had never realized she had such a huge passion for music – the same passion he has. He would consider himself lucky, as the company would often allow him to participate in producing and composing songs and writing lyrics for his group.

 

“Don’t worry, baby. You’ll get the chance to show the world your talent one day, I know you will. I trust you, and everything you’re capable of,” Junhyung reassured her, as he lightly kissed the top of her head.

 

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Their third date was spent in Hara’s place, a luxurious apartment located in Cheongdam that she had just bought as an investment, thanks to Kara’s major success in Japan. Since the both of them were coincidentally having a day off, free of schedules, they decided to spend the day together, though they couldn’t do it outdoors.

 

In the end, they chose to order pizzas and snuggle on the couch to watch movies. Junhyung made Hara watch Inception and Sherlock Holmes – both of which he considered some of the best movies made in the 21^st century, and both of which Hara added to her list of favourite movies. Hara, though, loved the classics. Junhyung loved that she was such an old soul, and even though their interests contrast vastly, they were still compatible. She made Junhyung sit through To Kill A Mockingbird, which he thoroughly enjoyed and thought was tolerable. But it was after 8PM when Hara put on Breakfast At Tiffany’s, so she wasn’t surprised nor disappointed when she found Junhyung asleep on her lap, snoring slightly.

 

Hara stared at Junhyung’s face, and used a finger to lightly trace his distinctive features. She was mesmerized by how peaceful he looked when he was asleep. Hara gently removed Junhyung’s head from her lap, careful not to wake him up, and laid him down on the couch.

 

She was out at the terrace, enjoying the cooling night breeze and staring up at the beautiful night sky, immersed in her own thoughts when she suddenly felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her tiny waist. At the embrace, she leaned back into Junhyung’s chest, comfortable because her small frame fit into his arms perfectly. They stayed in the same position in comfortable silence for a good five minutes, both not wanting to break apart.

 

“Can I ask you a question?” Junhyung suddenly asked, not removing his arms from her waist. The question had been bugging him ever since the day he met her, but he was afraid that it would be too personal to ask, even on the second date.

 

“Sure.”

 

“The side of you that you’re showing me… How come I don’t get to see this side of you on tv? Hara of Kara, and the Goo Hara I know, both seem like a different person to me…” he slowly murmured, not wanting to overstep the boundaries.

 

She chuckled bitterly at his question and turned around to look into his eyes. “This, baby,” she said as she cupped his face with both of her hands, “is why. I don’t want my career to get involved in my personal life at all. I’m afraid that one day I wouldn’t be able to differentiate the both of them, so I guess you can call it my defense mechanism. Though, this side of me you’re seeing, I don’t show it to many people. Only the special ones,” she winked at him playfully, leaning in to lightly peck his lips.

 

The girl was full of surprises, in the best ways. He’s been surprised by her so many times that these days he didn’t even get surprised anymore.

 

“I love you,” Junhyung blurted out unconsciously. “I know it’s only the third date and we don’t even know each other that well but hell, you’re one of the realest people I’ve ever met. I love you, Goo Hara.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, glad that he got that off his chest. He was, however, afraid to open his eyes, afraid of how she might react.

 

“Junhyung, look at me,” Hara said as she gently grabbed his chin. He opened his eyes and was met with the warm, gleaming ones of his amazing girlfriend. “I might not be able to say it now, but I’m falling for you, hard,” she replied.

 

Junhyung heaved a sigh of relief, and leaned in for a sweet, loving kiss.

 

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“I’m sick of staying indoors, Junhyung. Let’s go out, live a little!” Hara had said that Saturday night, where Junhyung had drove all the way to her apartment to spend some time with her.

 

Junhyung’s eyes bulged a little at her statement. “Seriously? Together? In public?” he asked, not quite believing the absurdity of the plan his girlfriend had just suggested.

 

“It’s almost 2AM, no one’s out on the streets right now! No one will recognize us. Come on, we’re only young once anyway, what’s a little adventure to you?” she asked, batting her eyelashes, hoping that Junhyung would give in. Secretly, the girl knew that he wouldn’t say no to her.

 

“Fine.”

 

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And so that was how they’d ended up on the empty streets of Hongdae at 3AM on a Saturday night.

 

Junhyung really looked at his girlfriend for the first time since they’d started dating, and instead of finding her distasteful like he thought before they met, he found her absolutely beautiful. The way the night-lights highlighted her cheekbones, the way her smile would reach all the way to her big, doe-like eyes, making them glimmer, the way the cool breeze blowing through her hair accentuated her free spirit. There was not even one thing he disliked about this girl now that he really got to know her. He wonders how he used to be so blind.

 

He smiled to himself, feeling contented on the inside – a feeling he hasn’t felt in a long while. Thankfully, so far, nobody recognized them yet. They’d gone to get a late night snack at a nearby ramyeon shop, and even then, not even the waiter in the empty shop had recognized them. They walked down the streets with intertwined fingers, enjoying their few hours of freedom before they had to go back to their hectic lives tomorrow.

 

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Junhyung woke up to the shrill cry of his ringing phone. He opened his eyes and rubbed them slowly, mentally cursing the person who was calling him at 8 in the morning, and on a Sunday. He carefully removed his arms that were tangled in Hara’s waist, not wanting to wake her up, but was unsuccessful at his attempt. As Hara’s eyes fluttered open, he kissed her forehead and picked up his phone that he wanted to hurl across the room so badly.

 

“Doojoon hyung, what do you want?” he said as he groaned loudly, at the same time Hara walked out of her room in the pair of tiny shorts and his oversized shirt that she slept in. He couldn’t help but to stare after her, she looked incredibly y despite just getting out of bed, especially since she was wearing his shirt.

 

“Junhyung…” Doojoon trailed slightly, worry evident in his voice.

 

“What, hyung? Just spit it out already!” Junhyung replied, a bad feeling beginning to stir in the pit of his stomach at his hyung’s tone.

 

“Your face is plastered all over the newspapers today, Junhyung! Hara’s involved in this too,” Doojoon explained, sympathizing with his band member that he considered his brother. “Manager hyung wants you to come to the office immediately,” Doojoon said before hanging up.

 

Junhyung swallowed the lump in his throat; slowly processing the information his leader had just told him. He tried to recall if he’d seen anyone suspicious last night, but his brain just wasn’t functioning well at this moment.

 

He walked out to see Hara sitting on the couch, reading the papers, an expression of horror plastered on her face. He walked over to her immediately, leaning across her shoulders to sneak a peek at the article she was reading.

 

YONG JUNHYUNG AND GOO HARA SEEN FROLICKING AROUND THE STREETS OF HONGDAE

 

Along with the headline was several pictures of them walking hand in hand, smiling and laughing at each other. The two of them sat in absolute silence, not wanting to address the giant elephant in the room.

 

“It’s all my fault,” Hara managed to utter before letting a small sob escape . “I shouldn’t have suggested going out last night. I’m so sorry, Junhyung. It’s all my fault,” she rambled. And with that, the waterworks began.

 

Junhyung enveloped her in a tight hug, letting her rest her head on his shoulders as she continued sobbing loudly. “Shhh baby, it’s not your fault, I agreed to it too, remember? Don’t blame yourself,” Junhyung gently consoled her, even though he felt like crap himself.

 

“I’m sorry,” she reiterated with a small hiccup. “BEAST’s comeback is soon, right? Kara has promotions in Japan next month too!” she continued as she bawled endlessly. “It’s not as simple as that, what if both our promotions get affected? We’ll just be pulling our groups down with us.”

 

Junhyung couldn’t have said it better himself. He really didn’t mind getting hated by his own fans, or by Hara’s ahjussi fans, even, but he knew he couldn’t handle all the hate that s might face because of him. They’ve been going strong with their career so far, and Junhyung didn’t want it all to end.

 

“We deny it,” Junhyung said as he her soft hair.

 

Hara sighed between sobs. “This is why I didn’t want a relationship in the first place. I knew it’d end up like this. What’s the point of being in a relationship if we can’t go out and do normal things anyway? I’m sick of living in a cage. Aren’t you, Junhyung?” she asked, letting her tears fall uncontrollably.

 

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The car ride to Cube Entertainment’s office was silent. Junhyung had finally gotten Hara to stop crying, and throughout the car ride, she was busy tapping away on her phone, presumably texting her members and her manager to settle the whole scandal. Junhyung used the silence to think. Hara’s statement provoked him to think of what was the right thing to do.

 

It was chaos at Cube Entertainment’s office. The phones were ringing off the hook, and they were busy setting up an emergency press conference to clear up the mess Junhyung had made.

 

“So all I have to do is just deny it, right?” Junhyung asked his manager as his stylist noona straightened up his tie for him. He really didn’t feel like wearing a suit right now, but his stylist thought that it’d be better to look professional at the press conference later, so that he can be taken more seriously.

 

When his manager was out of earshot, his noona guiltily told him, “I’m sorry, Junhyung. I didn’t think that things would get this far.”

 

“Noona, don’t apologize. I’ve never been happier in my life, really. If anything, I should thank you,” he reassured her honestly, eternally grateful that his noona had set him up with Hara.

 

After his noona left, s walked up to him. “Hey, man. How you holding up?” his leader asked him casually.

 

“I want to say I’m trying to remain calm, but who am I kidding? I’m freaking out, hyung. I’m so sorry I dragged BEAST into this,” Junhyung said sincerely and apologetically, hoping that his hyung and the other members would understand his situation at the very least.

 

“Junhyung, we’re brothers. I want you to know that we’ll support you no matter what decision you make, whether or not it’ll affect BEAST in a bad way,” Doojoon told him, the other members all nodding in response.

 

Junhyung stood there speechless, tears threatening to leave his eyes. He was touched by his leaders words, and he silently thanked each of them for supporting him. They all gave him a pat on the back and wished him good luck for the press conference before huddling backstage, anticipating the outcome of it all.

 

Right before he went on stage, Junhyung found Hara and enveloped her in a tight hug. Since they’d started dating, this was the first time he’s seen her so vulnerable, and he didn’t like it. “I want you to trust me, okay?” he whispered softly into her delicate ears. She merely nodded her head dumbly against his chest.

 

It was a huge bedlam backstage, and before you know it, Junhyung was pushed onto the stage. The whole conference room was left in utter silence, and only the clicking of the reporters’ cameras could be heard.

 

“I, Yong Junhyung, am currently dating Goo Hara. Any questions?”

 

As the reporters erupted into a fit of questions and his manager yelled into his earpiece manically, all Junhyung did was look back at Hara, standing backstage. Her face lit up at his statement, the smile he hasn’t seen all morning returning back to her beautiful face.

 

“I love you,” she mouthed to him, tears welling up in her eyes.

 

At that very moment, Junhyung knew he did the right thing. He knew they’d get through this just fine.