Few months had passed since Ha Yi and Jongup’s last encounter, very busy months during which Ha Yi and Jongup didn’t see each other because of their busy schedule. BAP made a comeback with their “Badman” album during summer followed by their Japanese debut. Amongst all these releases, they didn’t forget to meet their fans and continued touring for their BAP Live on Earth. As for Lee Hi, she continued her training and made appearances at many events.

During all these months away from each other, Jongup and Lee Hi kept in touch through texts and through their correspondence, getting closer and closer despite the physical distance. Lee Hi was still oblivious of the fact that Jongup had recognized her as the anonymous fan behind the letters. Jongup was very precautious while writing his letters, afraid to reveal inadvertently that he knew he was communicating with Ha Yi. He was dreading the moment he would have to reveal the truth to Ha Yi, afraid to see the hurt of betrayal in her eyes.

Soon, December arrived.

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Jongup’s POV

I was surfing aimlessly on Internet when I found myself “accidentally” clicking on the link of YG Life website, the official YG news site. A piece of news immediately caught my attention: a new article about the upcoming release of a Christmas song, the remix of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” by a duet called BH. I immediately clicked on it, intrigued. The teaser pic showing two hands intertwined only proved that the duet was a female duet but the identity of the girls remained a secret.

The name BH, a song initially interpreted by a diva with an impressive voice…… the identity of the two girls wasn’t too complicated to guess. B was obviously standing for Bom, the powerful 2NE1 vocalist and H……..for Ha Yi.

“Yesssssss! She’s finally releasing a new song!!!” I screamed while pumping my fist in the air.

Zelo raised his head from the comic he was reading and looked at me with an annoyed look.

“Could you be less noisy? We all know she’s releasing a new song! Old news!” He announced calmly but with an annoying superior tone.

“What?? You knew it and didn’t bother telling me? What kind of friend are you?” I asked in disbelief.

“Oh please!! I thought you were visiting YG Life everyday! How come you didn’t see it earlier?” Zelo questioned me.

“Yeah true but I couldn’t yesterday! So you also concluded that the BH duet was composed of Bom sunbaenim and Ha Yi, didn’t you?” I asked hopeful.

“Definitely!! It’s obviously two female singers so I can’t see anyone else…….unless YG is doing his typical trolling and the letters BH aren’t the initials of the singers composing the duet.” Zelo responded with a mischievous smile.

My smile faded away at his last statement. I totally forgot YG’s trolling tradition.

“Oh no please!!! I hope you’re wrong…..and I cross my fingers YG isn’t playing with our poor hearts!” I exclaimed.

“With YOUR poor heart!” Zelo corrected.

I ignored him and continued surfing on Internet in hope to find more information about BH. Many other people were betting on a Bom-Ha Yi duet so I just had to wait and see.

The next day, YG finally announced the identity of the first member of BH. To my relief, it was Park Bom. At least, one of my guessings was right and B was really for Bom. I was now crossing my fingers hoping that H was for Ha Yi and not for an unknown trainee YG wanted to introduce to the public with this duet.

After two long days, the second member was finally unveiled. I almost died of happiness when I watched the teaser, recognizing Ha Yi at first glance even if she appeared from behind at first. She was even more beautiful than in my memory, her blue lenses, her hair gently tied up in a ponytail and her pure white outfit giving her a fairy aura. She looked like a princess….or an angel….or a delicate doll….or everything combined. Bom and Ha Yi seemed like two sisters celebrating Christmas in an ethereal scenery. In one word: beautiful!

A heart attack almost finished me off when I watched the final mv. When Ha Yi appeared on the screen, lying on flowers and foliage, her eyes closed, she reminded me of Snow White in her glass coffin after she got poisoned by the apple. So pure with her rosy cheeks, her fair skin and her chocolate hair! I made a mental note that I would be more than happy to deliver her from her eternal sleep with a kiss. Yes, the diagnostic was still the same than few months ago: I was still madly in love with this girl!

One evening, I was watching the “All I Want For Chirstmas” mv for the umpteenth time when Youngjae interrupted me abruptly by closing the screen of my laptop.

“I was sure you were watching this. You’re so foreseeable! Question: did you send her a text to congratulate her for the song and ….I don’t know …..maybe “incidentally” confessing your love?” Youngjae teased me.

“Ha ha! You’re so funny!” I forced a laugh. “No I didn’t send her a text but I was planning to.”

“A text to confess your love?” Youngjae wiggled his eyebrows.

“A text to congratulate her, you dummy! What kind of guy confesses his love through texts?” I scolded him.

“Okay okay! So did you make any progress with her during the past weeks?” He asked.

“Of course! We are now friends!” I said proudly.

“That’s all? Boring!” He exclaimed. “Let me help you! I’ll dictate you a text and you’ll send it to her!”

I cocked an eyebrow, not sure if I could trust him.

“Come on!! You need me and you know it so let’s go! Grab your phone and start typing!” Youngjae announced with determination. “Dear Ha Yi! Let me congratulate you for your last release! Your deep rich voice is enchanting and you look absolutely stunning in the mv! A true Christmas angel! I hope you’ll promote this song on music programs. Good luck with this new song! Bye and hope to see you soon! Jongup PS: I miss you!”

I looked at him with wide eyes.

“You didn’t write a single word, did you?” Youngjae asked after seeing my face.

“Do you really expect me to write her that I miss her?” I questioned him.

“Why? Is it false?” He played dumb.

“Of course it’s true but I can’t tell her right away.” I answered.

“Ok, scratch the last part but you can send her the rest. I’ll dictate it for you again.” He conceded.

I considered his option and finally agreed since the rest of the text wasn’t too embarrassing. He repeated his text and I sent it to Ha Yi.

“I’ll stay next to you to help you with the reply.” Youngjae stated.

“No no that’s okay! I’ll do it alone!” I tried to get rid of him.

“NO! I stay!” My hyung insisted, not letting me any other choice than accepting his “help”.

 “Why can’t you let me manage my love life on my own?” I sighed and put my phone on my desk.

“More like a lack of love life!” Youngjae burst into laughter but I ignored him.

During the following ten minutes, I kept on looking at my phone, expecting it to light up and ring. Finally, the torture ended when I heard my ringtone. I grabbed my phone and opened the text right away.

The smile on my face kept getting wilder and wilder until the grand final. She signed “Your Christmas angel!” So adorable!!! And my opinion meant a lot to her!! So moving!

“What did she reply? What did she reply?” Youngjae pressed me to reveal the content of Ha Yi’s message.

“Personal space? Do you know this notion?” I asked my Hyung.

“Don’t be shy! Tell me! Tell me!” He said while grabbing my wrist to read the text on the screen of my phone.

“Don’t twist my wrist! I’ll read it for you!” I removed my wrist from his grasp. “Thanks a lot Jongup! I really appreciate your compliments! So sweet! It means a lot to me! I don’t know if Bom Unni and I will promote the song but I really hope so! Hope to see you soon! Your Christmas angel!”

“Is she flirting with you??? Cute girl but she seems to be done with the “we’re just friends” stage. I know exactly how to continue it!” Youngjae exclaimed with excitement. “Write! “I loved the original song “All I Want For Christmas!” but your ballad version is amazing! Did you think about me while recording it?”

“Are you crazy?” I screamed, questioning my hyung’s sanity.

“Write it!!” He ordered me to follow his lead.

“No! She will think I’m flirting with her!” I shook my head, refusing to follow his stupid advices.

“That’s the point Jongup!!!!” Youngjae replied.

“I’m not ready!” I tried explain him.

“Stop shying away!! Man up Jongup!” My Hyung enjoined me.

“Ooooookay!” I winced. “You’re making me do crazy things Hyung!”

I gave up and senT the text Youngjae dictated me.

Five minutes later, my ringtone resonated in the room. I wiped my hands damped with sweat on my trousers and opened her text. Youngjae read it at the same time over my shoulder.

Text: Honestly..... yes! I can’t believe I’m telling you this!

Youngjae clapped his hands loudly to show his approval, his loud approval.

“Daebak!!! That’s short ......but instructive! So next, you’ll tell her ....”

“I know what I have to do!” I said with a new found determination.

Her reply gave me a kind of electroshock and I knew what I had to do now.

Text: Meet me in thirty minutes at our coffee shop! I have something to tell you!

Youngjae was still reading over my shoulder. After reading my answer, he whistled.

“I’m so proud of you Jongup!” He ruffled my hair before leaving me, not forgetting to give me thumbs up.

I heard him shouting accross our dorm something like “Jongup finally decided to act like a man” to inform the other members of my decision. Privacy was really a rare commodity in a dorm!

I didn’t let the time to my other members to come to congratulate me. I grabbed my backpack, my face mask and left the dorm in a hurry.

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At the same time at YG

Lee Hi’s POV

“Why are you blushing Ha Yi?” Bom Unni asked me.

“No-nothing!” I stuttered.

We were together at the gym, exercising. Well, right now, I was reading a text sent by Jongup, an adorable text of congratulation.

She left her treadmill and came towards me.

“What are you doing?” She asked again.

“Nothing!” I tried to hide my phone behind my back.

“Give me what you’re hiding!” She threatened me with a menacing look.

“No!” I refused.

“Daraaaaaaa! Come and help me!!! Emergency case number 16!” Bom screamed.

I turned my head towards my left and saw Dara leaving her personal trainer to run towards us.

“What’s the matter? How can I help you sister?” She panted.

That’s when Bom captured me unexpectedly, blocked my arms while Dara snatched my phone. Bom released me and rejoined Dara. They high fived before reading the text on the screen together. At the end of the text, they squealed like Kpop fangirls in front of their favourite group.

“Jonguppppp!” They said in chorus.

“Ssshhhh!” I whispered, a finger on my lips to urge them to shut up.

“Jongupppppp! They whispered in chorus.

I sighed. My 2Ne1 Unnis were really cool but they were also a pain in the sometimes.

“Did you answer him?” Dara whispered.

“I didn’t have the chance! Someone took my phone!” I said annoyed by their interference.

“Oh sorry! Do you need some help for the reply?” Bom asked.

“No! I’m fine!” I declined the offer.

“Okay we’ll help you!” Dara ignored my last statement.

“I said no!!”

“Pleaseeee! You can write something and we will give you our opinion!” Bom insisted.

I rolled my eyes, knowing that I wouldn’t get rid of my Unnis so easily.

“Fine!” I gave up.

Bom gave back my phone and I started typing.

Text: “Thanks a lot Jongup! I really appreciate your compliments! So sweet! It means a lot to me! I don’t know if Bom Unni and I will promote the song but I really hope so!”

Bom and Dara read my text over my shoulders and I could feel their disapprobation behind my back.

“Too impersonal! Add “Hope to see you soon! Your Christmas angel!” at the end!” Bom suggested.

“What? Are you crazy? I won’t!” I shook my head.

“Yes you will!!!” Bom plunged her dark orbs in mine, maybe trying to hypnotize me.

“No way!!!” I protected my phone into my crossed arms.

“You will or we’ll denounce you to YG! We will tell him that you don’t respect your diet and that you’re planning to date an idol from another agency!” Dara threatened me.

I turned my head towards her with wide eyes.

“You wouldn’t?” I asked uncertain.

“She would!! Be careful!” Bom advised me, nodding.

“O-okay! I’ll follow your recommendation!” I typed the end of the message and sent it. “You’re really frightening, you know!”

“Sorry Ha Yi! It’s for your own good!” Dara apologized.

The sound of my ringtone interrupted us.

Text: “I loved the original song “All I Want For Christmas!” but your ballad version is amazing! Did you think about me while recording it?”

I read it and my heartbeat accelerated.

“What do I answer? What do I answer?” I asked panicked.

I showed the screen of my phone to my Unnis and immediately saw the corner of their lips lifting up into two huge smiles.

“Say yesssss!” They said in chorus.

“I don’t know! Are you sure?”

“Yessss! It’s now or never!! Remember when you told us you hoped your story would be as beautiful as Minho and I or as Minzy baby and Taemin!! You have your chance now!! You can’t deny the hand he’s offering you!” Dara said wisely.

“You’re right!”

Text: Honestly.....yes! I can’t believe I’m telling you this!

I sent it without thinking too much before hiding my face into my hands. Bom and Dara clapped their hands in approval.

“Congrats Ha Yi!! You took the right decision!” Bom smiled at me.

My ringtone once again interrupted us. I breathed in breathed out and opened the text that just appeared on my screen.

Text: Meet me in thirty minutes at our coffee shop! I have something to tell you!

I stayed paralyzed during few seconds while I felt the agitation of my Unnis behind my back.

“Ha Yi! I think you should go!” Dara shook my shoulders.

I snapped out of my daze, stood up and ran outside of the gym.

 “Good luck Ha Yi!” I heard my Unnis shouting behind me.

I smiled and accelerated my path.

“Jongup, I have also something to tell you.” I thought.

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My dear dear dear .......and patient readers!

I apologize a thousand times, I bow a million times and I hope you’ll forgive me for all these.....weeks without any update.

During all this time, I worked on a fanfic for my sister’s birthday and when I ended it, I couldn’t find any new idea for this fic!!

After reading a comment of a new reader who was afraid I abandoned the UpHi couple, I felt so guilty and decided to stop being lazy and update.

I decided to not write about their “Badman” promotion because I didn’t have much idea. I found inspiration again thanks to Ha Yi’s duet with Bom ^^I thought it was a good starting point for a new chapter ^^

I hope this chapter is enough to make it for this long long hiatus. I hope I won’t make you wait for so long for the next chapter.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Bye!!!