Ji Hyun froze in her position and was surprised with his apology.

“I know I was being too harsh on my words. I know you are concerned for me. I should not have spoken to you that way. I’m sorry.” Yo Seob cleared his throat nervously.

“Yo Seob…” She turned around a little to see him.

However, he placed one hand in front of her eyes, “Don’t turn around!”

“Why not?!” She grabbed his hand forcefully.

Yo Seob did not remove his hand, “I don’t like anyone to look at me when I’m apologising. I’ll… I’ll feel…”

“Embarrassed?” Ji Hyun successfully removed his hand and looked at him in the eyes.

Yo Seob was speechless when his eyes met Ji Hyun. He stiffened and blushed madly. He could feel his cheeks getting warm every second Ji Hyun looked at him directly. He snapped out of his thoughts and shut his eyes, “Aish, Nam Ji Hyun!”

“Alright, alright. I shall be nice and stop teasing you!” Ji Hyun giggled and returned back to the vending machine to get her drink.

“So do you accept my apology?” Yo Seob spoke again, carefully.

Ji Hyun became serious and said, “I was in the wrong too. Let’s be mature and forgive and forget.”

Yo Seob smiled, “Ji Hyun is always this forgiving.”

“Are you praising me right now?” Ji Hyun nodded and stated, “Let me treat you to a drink for that then! I suppose you want your favourite hot chocolate?”

Ji Hyun was about to press on the button for hot chocolate but Yo Seob stopped her immediately, “No! Don’t!”

“What?” Ji Hyun retrieved her hand back.

Yo Seob pressed on the button for warm coffee instead. He waited for the vending machine to make his coffee and took it out. He blowed the coffee and drank it slowly. Ji Hyun was baffled, “I thought you don’t drink coffee.”

“In the past,” Yo Seob took another sip and felt blissful after drinking it, “After an occasion, I began to appreciate the wonders of coffee. It makes me feel relaxed and it soothes my throat.”

“Eh?” Ji Hyun was still confused.

Yo Seob explained, “I was at the park feeling down about some issues when someone came over to me and offered me a cup of coffee. It was not scorching hot, it was warm. Although I don’t drink coffee back then, I drank it because it made me feel at ease. From then on, I started loving coffee.”

Ji Hyun nodded as she sipped her own cup of coffee. Unknowingly, she began to smile after hearing Yo Seob’s story. However, her smile faded when Yo Seob added something that surprised her, “But the more I think of it, maybe the person is N.J. Only a fan like her would do such a sweet gesture.”

He felt a little embarrassed by his own thoughts and laughed. He gazed at Ji Hyun who was staring into blank air. Yo Seob found it weird that she was keeping so silent and waved his hand at her, “Ji Hyun, are you alright?”

“Eh?”

“You’re unusually quiet,” Yo Seob raised one eyebrow at her, “Normally you would be asking me questions.”

“I have nothing to ask.” Ji Hyun replied simply.

Yo Seob stood up again after leaning on the wall, “Oh well, it’s time for rehearsal again. And my story telling has ended. Let’s go.”

Ji Hyun pouted as Yo Seob left on his own. Yo Seob felt that Ji Hyun was not walking and so he turned back and grabbed her hand, “Let’s go.”

|August 2010|

Yo Seob wandered around the park for a long time. His thoughts were filled with his problems and burdens, which were also suffocating his heart. He sighed repeatedly, not knowing how to react to the situation he was facing right now.

He was not alone in this but he definitely felt more alone than ever. The night began to sink in and the wind was blowing in his direction like it was intentionally mocking at him. He finally settled down on a bench at the park.

He watched the people around him doing their own thing, probably going home for dinner and having the time of their lives while he mourned over his problem.

BEAST‘s lead vocalist Yang Yoseob was recently diagnosed and treated for laryngitis, vocal nodules, and acid reflux disease. Yoseob asked the ENT specialist, “I’m a little worried because we’re recording a new album these days, and my voice isn’t coming out well.” He was surprised when he learned that he was actually suffering from laryngitis and acid reflux disease as well as vocal nodules.

He could not believe his ears. Because of his illness, BEAST’s comeback had to be delayed. He was not worried for himself; he was plagued with guilt because he was pulling s down because of his illness.

He buried his face in his hands and started to sob. He did not care the stares he was getting from unknown people. He just wanted to express his feelings and let it all out. The tears did not stop as time passed. His heart did not mend even if he cried all night.

Moments later, he felt someone patted his shoulder lightly. He did not reveal his face, ashamed of himself. The person stayed beside him, sitting down without a word.

“I know you are feeling as if you are at your lowest. Take a look at your heart,” The mysterious stranger said, “If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?”

Yo Seob heard clearly and touched his heart briefly, still avoiding the person. She was right. His heart was still with the group and towards singing.

The person stood up and handed a cup of coffee to him, speaking to him in a feminine and angelic voice, “There you go. Drink some coffee. It is the basic need of the human heart in nearly every great crisis. Nothing tastes sweeter than a cup of bitter coffee.”

Yo Seob hesitantly accepted the cup of coffee and held it with both hands with his eyes closed. He smelt the fragrance of the coffee. It smelt great and made his mood so much better. As he had never tasted coffee before, he tried it for the first time – it was bitter but sweet at the end.

Yo Seob felt his mind was clearing up and the tears stopped flowing. He opened his eyes and started to speak, “Excuse me!”

He scanned the surroundings to find the stranger gone. He looked at the cup of coffee and finished it, “Thank you, stranger, for giving me the strength I need.”

“You’re most welcome, Yo Seob,” The stranger hid behind a tree, watching Yo Seob’s movements. It was none other than Ji Hyun herself.

As she spotted Yo Seob smiling and leaving the bench, she heaved a sigh of relief and walked away from her hiding place, completely relieved that Yo Seob was feeling better.