It was about 9 something at night, Sunggyu just done some recording with Jong Wan but he didn’t get any message from Lily, meaning she was still working in the costumes workroom. He said goodbye with Jong Wan politely then quickly rushed to the workroom. 

When Sunggyu pushed open the door, he saw Lily in the phone call with someone and she sounded unpleasant, which actually surprised him. Lily saw him walked in but she only nodded to him and continued the conversation in the phone, so he sit at a chair near her table and tried to understand the situation. He could hear that Lily wasn’t satisfied with the outfits which they were going to wear for the fan meeting official goods’ photo shoot. He looked around and found two racks which was fully hung with many outfits, so he went to the racks and checked it himself. 

The clothing actually wasn’t too bad, he turned around to see Lily and at the same time, she ended the phone call and spoke to Sunggyu, “Ridiculous isn’t it?! How could she approve such fashion??” Surprised, he looked to the clothing again and still thought it wasn’t as bad as how Lily described, she continued to speak annoyingly, “I already told Seang Mi about the theme and sent her the details too but she still got it all wrong. The photo shoot is just around the corner and she still couldn’t get the right outfits!” 

Sunggyu left the racks and went near Lily and she still couldn’t stop complaining, “If we couldn’t get the right outfits on time the photo shooting might be postponed, everything has to reschedule! It’s not easy to get free slot from the photographer, and you guys have group schedules and different individual schedules, it’s even harder to get all of you free for the same day!” This really surprised Sunggyu, he quickly held her both arms and tried to speak with his soothing voice, “Hey...... chill...... she’ll get it right tomorrow, and we changed the date to next month end, remember? I’m sure we’ll have enough time for everything...... don’t worry okay?” 

As if remembered something, Lily gasped and slapped her forehead lightly, “Right!! The date changed!!” Sunggyu held her hand down and gave her a kiss on her forehead which actually calm her a little, then she spoke sheepishly, “I’m sorry... I was......” He lower himself to catch her gaze, “It’s okay, I’m here with you...... hmm...?” He brushed her face and smiled his sweet smile, Lily couldn’t resist to smile with him and finally let loose of her temper. “Let’s go home now.”  Lily nodded in agreeing to Sunggyu’s idea then started to pack her things. When they left Woollim building, it was 10 at night. 

Sunggyu felt tired after the long hours recording, but he decided to drive back home because he didn’t want Lily continued to stress out. Her behaviour was very unusual and Sunggyu couldn’t help to feel worried. He never seen her became jumpy over small matter, she even called colleague and query her job after dinner hour and she couldn’t stop complaining. Besides, she forgot about the changed date which they just decided during the meeting this morning. She was all crabby but now she became quiet since they walked out from the workroom, after they settled in the car she kept looking out the side window and softly sighed a few times which again surprised Sunggyu. She didn’t even ask about his recording which was also the first time. Everything was so odd and unusual, something must had happened. 

When they reached their condominium and headed to the lift, Lily suddenly spoke, “Have you seen my power bank? It’s not in my bag and I couldn’t find it in my work table. Maybe I left it at my place... I should go back and get it... can I go to your place later? Maybe I should get some shower before I go to your place......” Looking at the troubled Lily, Sunggyu felt bad and he said, “Take your time, I’ll get some shower and then I’ll see you at your place.” He thought Lily should get a good rest tonight and she’ll definitely feel more comfortable on her own bed, but he didn’t tell her this, he smiled to the confused Lily and continued, “I miss your bed...” This actually cracked Lily a smile and he felt glad for it.

Sunggyu walked Lily back to her place which was a smaller unit and one floor under his place, then he rushed back to his own place to get shower. When he was done and drying his hair with the hair dryer, he saw a power bank lied on the lamp table. This should be the one that Lily kept looking for, he shook his head and sighed, then took it and put inside his pocket. He rushed up everything and quickly went to Lily’s place. When he opened the door with the passcode, he saw Lily still in her working clothing, she hasn’t taken her shower yet and she looked exhausted. 

“I couldn’t find it!” She cried out frustratedly. Sunggyu pulled out something from his pocket and showed her, “You mean this one?” “Ahh... it’s at your place!!” She put one hand on her forehead and sighed loudly, felt released and annoyed at the same time. She went near Sunggyu and took the power bank from him, “Thank you...” She rose up onto tip toe and kissed him softly on his lips, then smiled to him with her tired eyes. “Go get your shower, I’ll wait at your couch.” He patted her hair then turned her shoulders towards the bathroom, “Go...” She smiled and headed to the bathroom without any objection, she was indeed exhausted. 

Then, he went to the kitchen and look for a mug and some tea bags, he wanted to make some lemongrass tea for Lily. After the hot water drowned the tea bags, the aroma filled the whole kitchen in minutes. He could see it why Lily loved lemongrass tea, it was refreshing and it soothed their nerves. He brought the mug to the coffee table and waited Lily patiently at the couch. 

Lily sped up everything and quickly returned to the lovely man who had been waited for her in the couch. She was pleased to see the mug of lemongrass tea, she sat beside Sunggyu and held the mug for some sips, enjoyed her favourite soothing aroma. Then she held the mug to Sunggyu, smiling, he took it without any complain and followed with some sips. He became to like the tea too. After he placed the mug back to the coffee table, Lily sat nearer to Sunggyu and rested her head on the couch. As usual, Sunggyu mirrored her gesture, he rested his head on the couch too and looked at Lily adoringly.

“How was your recording?” Lily spoke gently and Sunggyu sighed a quiet sigh in relief. The shower and the lemongrass tea had brought back the Lily he familiar. He answered in smiling, “Everything went well, working with Jong Wan hyung is great, couldn’t be better.” “And your love stories... all done?” She sounded curios and teasingly but Sunggyu just smiled and nodded a few times, “Just a few lines that needed to be fixed.” “...and you still don’t want to tell me about it... hmm?” She asked again trying her luck and Sunggyu smiled sweetly while shaking his head, “Be patient, it’s going to be done very soon and I’ll tell you my stories one by one.” She playfully pouted to Sunggyu which drew him to ruffle her hair in smiling because she was too cute to ignore. He gently pulled her over for a hug, she rested her head on his chest, enjoyed the lovely moment and smiled joyfully under his arms. 

“So, how was your day?” Sunggyu asked carefully. “It was...... frustrated......” Lily answered quietly after a long thought. “Tell me about it...” Sunggyu patted her head trying to make her spilled more about it. “You already knew it, the outfits... people just couldn’t do their job nicely... and cause all the troubles...” Lily spoke sheepishly under his arms, avoiding his gaze. Sunggyu knew exactly what she was doing, he pulled away and held her face while looking at her eyes. She knew she couldn’t escape from him this time, when she still thinking how to put into words, he suddenly sang loudly, “Tell me tell me~~ tell me tell me~~~” She bursted out laughter so as Sunggyu, she couldn’t help to pinched his face for his overloaded cuteness and leaned in to hug him. She felt touched to his thoughtfulness for trying to lighten her mood in making her laughed, but she also remembered to warn him, “We still haven’t released the album, you shouldn’t simply reveal it to anyone.” “You’re not anyone...” He spoke sweetly to Lily and then kissed her hair quietly.

Then, Sunggyu kept patting her hair, waited until she managed to find a way to tell him what exactly happened. Finally, she sighed and spoke under his arms, “Woollim annual dinner, Jung Yeop wants me to go.” Sunggyu thought for a while, “As I remember, you never attended the event.” She nodded quietly in his shoulders, Sunggyu couldn’t hold his curiosity, “Why?” “It’s troublesome.” She replied as instant. “Troublesome?” He repeated her replied tried to understand it. She pulled away from him and sit up right, she looked annoyed but still tried to explain, “It’s really troublesome, I can’t wear simply, even when I found a nice dress, I need to look for suitable purse and shoes...... and then the hairdo and make up!” She shook her head and sighed, “That’s not my thing... and I really hate attention, everyone will be looking around and judge for every single thing!” 

Didn’t expect for this, Sunggyu tried to soothe her annoyance but failed. “Of course some of them are really nice to me, but some of them... I’ve heard how they talked about others even for the working clothing, I know exactly how ridiculous they could be. And... I’m always one of their favourite topics to discuss, because I’m a foreigner and I’m close with Jung Yeop...... they don't say at my face but I’ve overheard them many times...... so tell me, why should I be there? To add a new topic for their discussion? Who are they to judge me from head to toe??” 

She wasn’t exaggerated about it, even Sunggyu heard about it several times but he didn’t tell Lily about it. He reached out to caressing her neck and her shoulder, didn’t know what to say at this moment, “But... Jung Yeop hyung wants you to go?” She nodded. “Why?” He didn’t get it, Jung Yeop seldom forced Lily to do things she hated. Lily looked at his eyes and spoke reluctantly, “I believe...... you won’t like it......” Sunggyu rose his eyebrows in wonder, she dropped her gaze and sighed, “...Kenny will be there...” She was right, Sunggyu hated it. She stole a glance at Sunggyu which has turned to a stone face, she quickly spoke nervously, “Look, I hate the idea too, I don’t know why Jung Yeop still keen for it, he talks to me everyday for this since last week... you know how much I hated such events, I think I’ll pretend to be sick and hide at somewhere he couldn’t reach me.” 

“No, you should go as hyung said.” Sunggyu suddenly spoke which Lily thought she heard him wrongly, “What??” “I think you should attend the event, with me, so I can introduce myself as your boyfriend to Kenny.” He tried to speak with his controlled voice but Lily knew he was serious and determined, he probably would be mad if she insisted not going, but she never expect for this, she didn’t know what to react. Seeing no respond from Lily, Sunggyu reached out for her hands and continued, “I know how much you hated to attend such events, I promise I’ll help you in everything that troubles you. Please go with me this time... just this one time, for me, once and for all.” She saw his tender gaze and he sounded pleading, “It’s been two years... don’t you think it’s about time?”

Yes, Sunggyu and Lily had been in the relationship secretly for two years. No one knew about their relationship including his mother, he had only mentioned about having a girlfriend just recently because his mother started to worry and wanted to arrange blind dates for him. However, she wasn’t ready to meet his family yet, so he still kept her underground and willing to wait until the right timing came. He knew her problems and how terrible she had been wounded from her previous relationship. He always be very supportive and be utterly patient for her, but the situation didn’t seem to tolerant with him, Jung Yeop never gave up to pair Lily with Kenny which annoyed Sunggyu to the max. He must do something to stop all the nonsense and protect Lily from being stolen away from him. 

On the other hand, Lily always felt very guilty in having Sunggyu to wait for her like forever. He was right, it has been two years and he was still the same Sunggyu that she knew years ago, and his love and patience for her had never been dying. He still loved her wholeheartedly and still willing to wait for her unconditionally. She knew he would always be there for her backing her no matter what happened and she shouldn’t doubt for any changes from him because he had proven himself how persistent and determined he was for their relationship. She could never repay what Sunggyu had done for her, how much he had tolerant to keep her in secret and how much he had worked out to deal with her insecure feelings, and what he just demanded wasn’t even something comparable with what he had done for her. She had no reason to let him down. Maybe he was right, it was about time for them to go surfaced, to prove her definite and to do him justice. 

She looked at his eyes wasn’t sure if this was what she wanted to do, but she didn’t want to hurt his feeling, she just couldn’t allow herself to hurt him any more. So she said, “Once and for all?” Slowly, his lips curled up contentedly and said with his firm voice, “Once and for all.”

****** to be continue ******