Byul's backstory is revealed - inspired by 아저씨 (Ahjussi) aka Man from Nowhere

Please note: This fanfic is in an AU where gay marriage is legal in South Korea but there is still some resistance to it from the older generations.

I listened to the following songs whilst writing this chapter, so please feel free to listen while reading...
1) 씨야 (SeeYa) - 미친 사랑의 노래 (Crazy Love Song)
2) SG Wannabe - 죄와 벌 (Crime and Punishment)

Solar wasn’t sure if she had made the right decision. 

It was a few days after she had made up with Wheein and the younger girl had headed back to her own flat just that morning. They had spent a lovely few days catching up and hanging out like they used to when they were inseparable in college. Then, yesterday evening, they had held their little "Sorry Soiree" and invited Solar's entourage to make up for what had happened and after a few inevitable tears were shed as apologies were shared, the party had been a rip roaring success. 

Although, they all had been a little disappointed (particularly the unofficial fanclub) that a certain bodyguard had politely declined an invitation, saying that it should be for Solar's closest team members.

Solar remembered how nervous she had been ringing Moonbyul to invite her, ignoring how Wheein laughed at her for retreating into her bedroom to make the phone call. She also ignored how her heart had strangely fluttered when Byul answered her call almost immediately in that ( stupidly y ) husky voice of hers and how warm she felt when she was asked seriously how she was doing and whether she had eaten. She also wasn't sure why she had been a little upset when her invitation was eventually declined, biting her lip to prevent herself from blurting out that Moonbyul had become one of her closest and most trusted members of the team. Instead, she had jokingly called the younger girl a 'party pooper' and engaged in their, now increasingly normal, teasing banter.

But when a slightly hungover little puppy had left her with her own thoughts that morning, herself not hungover as she rarely drank, Solar couldn't help but admit to herself that she missed Byul's presence. And deciding to use the excuse of asking about the progress in her investigation, she had sent the younger girl a text. 

And then another.

Followed by a few attempts at calling her.

After over an hour of pretending to watch a documentary so that she could intermittently glare at her phone, impatience gave way to concern as normally Byul had been quick to reply or answer her calls, and she had called RVSM using the phone number on their website. 

“What do you mean she’s on leave?” Solar had demanded of the poor receptionist manning the phone.

“I-It’s the only day M-Moonbyul-nim ever t-takes off, miss.” The poor boy had stuttered back.

Just as Solar’s brain tried to register that Moonbyul only ever took one day off work every year, there was the sound of a minor scuffle on the other end of the phone before a different voice came on; a woman’s, soft but authoritative.

“Hello, Solar-ssi? It’s Irene, here. How can I help?”

“H-Hello, Irene-ssi… I was just looking for Byulyi but if she’s on leave, I can wait until she’s back.” The idol felt a little guilty but also a little ashamed at not knowing her bodyguard had taken leave. “Especially if it’s her only day off.”

There had been silence on the line that made Solar feel even smaller before Irene suddenly took a deep breath in and let it out slowly through her nose, seemingly making a difficult decision.

“I can tell you where she is.” She had said, giving Solar the address and then just before hanging up, cryptically added, “I think this will be good for the both of you.”

The address was for a crematorium just outside of the city, up on a hill surrounded by rolling green countryside that Solar admired as she was driven up by the taxi she had requested.

Something in Irene’s voice and the nature of the address made her think that requesting Driver Lee or informing anybody at the company of her whereabouts felt inappropriate. 

So, here she was.

Wondering if she had made the right decision turning up unannounced.

As she hopped out of the taxi after paying the driver (who had thankfully not recognised her in sunglasses and face mask), she then wondered if she would even be able to find Byul in a place like this.

Three steps through the gates, and she was proven wrong.

Dead ahead of her sat the main building of the crematorium, to her right was the car park and further afield lay a cemetery and a separate site for burial mounds.

To her left was a bench beneath a tree at a cliff’s edge, with metal guard railings preventing people from falling off as they admired the amazing view the vantage point provided of the beautiful Korean countryside and the villages dotted amongst them. 

And on the bench sat one Moonbyul.

Yongsun’s breath caught.

Byul was wearing her standard 2 piece black suit with black tie but in a black shirt. She was leaning forward in her seat with her elbows resting above her knees, fingers playing with the rings on her left index finger and deep dark eyes staring off into space.

A large bouquet of flowers lay next to her.

A passing zephyr tousled her silky hair and her tie.

Yongsun wasn’t sure how anyone could look so beautiful whilst looking so sad.

And a sudden urge to hug the girl propelled her feet towards her.

Byul’s gaze was redirected towards the movement.

Their eyes met.

Yongsun froze.

She watched as Byul tilted her head to one side, surprise stamped in her features, but her movements held no hostility as she slowly stood from the bench and walked over, carrying the bouquet. She quickly pulled off her sunglasses before her bodyguard reached her, keeping her mask on to prevent being recognised.

“Was it Seulgi or Irene-unnie who gave me away?” Byul asked in a huskier tone than normal but when coupled with a ghost of a smile, it removed any sting from the words. 

Now that she was closer, Yongsun could see the exhaustion set in her tense form and under her sunken eyes. She tightened her grip on her sunglasses to stop herself from doing something reckless, like reaching out to cup the younger girl’s face. Instead she focused on replying, “I… It’s my fault. I called your company to ask where you were and Irene-ssi told me.”

“It’s okay, Yongsun-unnie… I… I’m kind of glad you’re here…” Byul looked away as she admitted the latter part quietly. 

The idol was stunned and this time didn’t fight it when she found herself taking Byul’s free hand (not holding the flowers) and running her thumb over her knuckles. 

“Will you… Would you mind staying with me?” Byul found the courage to ask. 

Yongsun nodded immediately.

“I-I normally get really drunk to be able to do this… but I… I just didn’t feel like it today…”

Even though she didn’t know what was going on, she understood enough to give the younger girl all the time in the world and gave her another nod. Her heart clenched when Byul squeezed her hand once in gratitude before letting go to try and do up the top shirt button and neaten her tie. Without a moment’s hesitation, she stepped in closer and did both for her before silently fussing over Byul’s suit jacket, straightening it out and closing the uppermost button.
When her eyes flicked back up to meet a slightly darker pair, she looked searchingly into them, hoping she was conveying the same strength Byul had given to her when she needed to face her own demons a few days ago.

She was strangely not at all perturbed when Byul slowly leaned closer and rested her forehead against hers, despite how intimate it might have appeared with her hands still resting on the lapels of her jacket. 

Even though the contact was chaste and brief, Byul seemed to gather strength from it and stepping back, they walked side by side towards the main building of the crematorium.

Yongsun, however, respectfully hung back as Byul took a deep breath and entered through the open main doors. From her position a little distance from said doors, Yongsun could see a family performing Jesa* ceremonies for a young woman, whose name was “Lee Dahee”. 

Then she overheard an older woman’s voice ring out over other hushed voices.

“How dare you show your face here every year?” 

There was a pause as everyone turned to look at Moonbyul and the woman who had snapped at her but the tension eased when the latter added, “At least you don’t stink of alcohol this time.”

Byul bowed to this lady before walking up to a black and white photo beside an urn, ignoring the stares. She slowly sank to her knees and deposited the flowers with the others gathered around it and gazed at the photo for a long moment before bowing until her forehead touched the ground. Then she rose and swiftly made her exit.

She didn’t expect an older gentleman, who had been comforting the aforementioned older woman, to follow her out.

“Moonbyul-ssi?”

Byul stopped and turned, then bowed when she realised who it was. He gave her a nod and gestured that they move away from the open doors of the crematorium and away from any curious ears.

Instead it brought them closer to where Yongsun was leaning against a tree but he had no idea that she was there with Byul.

“Why did you ask the military to send your pension to our account?” The man asked without any preamble.

“Because I should have died that day.” Byul replied simply, as if she had been expecting the question. “And Dahee-unnie would have received my pension, so it was only fitting that it was sent to her parents.”

Mr Lee and father of the late Dahee, looked at her strangely and seemed to be assessing her for a long moment before he finally spoke again, “You know, if you were born a man, you would have made a great son-in-law.”

He let out a humourless snort before continuing, “Anyway, thank you for the sentiment. I am not sure if my wife and I will ever get over the loss of our Dahee or accept your marriage… but we both feel that we have no space f