Right after their Music Bank win, the CNBLUE boys were ushered outside for their next schedule which was TvN’s Taxi hosted by Jeon Hyun Moo and Kim Gu Ro. Riding on the emotional high that they felt from winning this week’s Music Bank chart, the boys were having a great time chatting and goofing around in the taxi they had to drive themselves to meet the two MCs. This arrangement was different as the two hosts usually picked the guests up and drove them to their destination. But for some weird reason, the boys were told to drive themselves to meet the hosts. Yong Hwa was puzzled at first and usually after a tiring day, they all preferred to be driven around as it took too much toll on them to fully concentrate on the road.

“So, which one of you will be driving? I’m assumimg it would be Yong Hwa-ssi, right?” the PD directed his question to Yong Hwa. “Ne? Ahh.. Yes yes.. I will drive. Where do we need to go?” Yong Hwa asked, trying to gather his consciousness. He was high on adrenaline but not sure if it would be enough to get them to the destination safely. Knowing that his dongsaengs were in the same position, he couldn’t find it in his heart to pass the task to them. Min Hyuk nudged Jung Shin, “Jung Shin-ah, I think hyung is too tired to be driving. Maybe someone else should drive…” Jung Shin then nudged Jong Hyun and said quietly, “Hyung, I don’t think Yong Hwa hyung should be driving… He was up the whole night finalizing the..*cough* ring for *cough* hyungsoonim *cough*… Maybe one of us should drive.” Jong Hyun thought for a moment before nodding, “I’ll do it” and walked over to where Yong Hwa and the PD were standing to inform them of the change of plans.

“Jong Hyun-ah, are you sure?? I can drive you know… I’m worried that you’re too tired to drive” Yong Hwa said softly as he dragged Jong Hyun away from the PD. “Hyung, you’re even more tired than us. We know you’ve been up late finalizing the..you know what, for you know who…” Jong Hyun said cryptically while raising his brows, trying to signal it with his eyes to Yong Hwa. Yong Hwa burst out laughing from Jong Hyun’s funny eye signal before saying “Araseo araseo.. Thank you!” before informing the PD of the change in plans.

“And.. Cameras rolling!” the PD shouted as the boys started the recording and pretended to just arrive from Music Bank. As they got in the car, Min Hyuk absent mindedly put on the seatbelt even when he was sitting in the back seat. Nobody felt that was out of the norm as Seo Hyun always reminded them about wearing the seatbelt that Min Hyuk was now accustomed to it. With the emotional high from their Music Bank win, the boys managed to make the mundane ride lively with singing and dancing and playful banter. Whenever there were quiet moments, Yong Hwa always managed to pull the mood back up except one time when he got distracted by his phone. Many people had texted him to congratulate him but the one message he actually read and replied was Seo Hyun’s message. The rest of the messages, he decided, would be dealt with later when they’d gone home.

Yong Oppa!!! Congratulations again!! ^__^ I just wanted to wish you good luck for your next schedule, Taxi! Fighting!! <3

Hyu~n!! Thank you!! I miss you.. Wish you were here. I’m so tired… You rest early ya!! Love you! <3

They finally arrived at their destination and met up with the two MCs Jeon Hyun Moo and Kim Gu Ro. As they exited the car, Jung Shin grabbed Min Hyuk and hissed “Why were you wearing your seatbelt???” The only person everybody knew who wore seatbelts in the back seat was Seo Hyun. Min Hyuk gave a blank look for a moment before his face showed any signs of recognition. With his hands clasped over his mouth, Min Hyuk nodded that he understood. The boys had some friendly banter with the two MCs before beginning their second leg of the journey and the highlight of the show, which was the interview portion.  

Some questions they had anticipated but there were always some that would take them off guard. And since they’ve been in the business for so long, they had learnt the art of answering without revealing too much nor lying. When the hosts asked if they were dating, Jung Shin piped up to answer. The arrangement was always such that those who weren’t dating would answer such questions so that it wouldn’t be a lie. And since the Korean language isn’t always straightforward with the “I” and “We”, they could get away with it. And in this instance, Jung Shin was actually talking about himself when he answered the question and the boys were reinforcing his claims but it sounded like they all weren’t dating. Of course, they tried to stick as close to the truth as possible, they didn’t like to lie. But sometimes it couldn’t be helped and they had to stretch the truth a little bit. However, it was true that no idol girls have ever approached Yong Hwa but that was because everybody knew Yong Hwa and Seo Hyun were together. Yong Hwa smiled inwardly at that. I hope no cluless idol girls would suddenly come and approach me, Yong Hwa was suddenly worried.

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“Good job girls!! Don’t be sad, but CNBLUE’s song is really good!” one of the SNSD managers said as the girls filed through the door of their dressing room. “Sad?? Who’s sad? We’re so happy for them!!” Sunny shouted as she walked through the door. “Yeah, they deserve it!” Yuri chimed in. “Ahhh.. Yes, I forgot SNSD are CNBLUE fans!” the other SNSD manager teased. “We are BOICEs!!!” Hyo Yeon shouted as the girls started singing I’m Sorry. Seo Hyun who was the last to enter laughed at her unnies antics. She’d always been grateful that they were so supportive. “Ok, since you girls don’t have any other schedule after this, change into something comfortable then we’ll take you girls out to eat” SNSD manager said. “Oh, I’m so hungry I could eat a whole cow!!” Soo Young said to nobody in particular.

“Joo Hyun-ah! Go change first, I’m too tired” Tae Yeon said with a gleam in her eye. “Yeah Joo Hyun-ah, go change first and take y our time. I want to rest a bit” Tiffany chimed in, clueing in on Tae Yeon’s plan. “Ne unnie!” Seo Hyun replied as she gathered her things to bring to her into the changing room. The moment the changing room door closed, Tae Yeon hissed to the girls, “Gather round!! Gather round!! And keep it low!!” “What is it??” Jessica asked as she shuffled closer. “Here, Jung seobang sent this yesterday.. Well, technically early this morning” Tae Yeon said as she held out her phone to the girls. It was a picture of the engagement ring they had helped Yong Hwa picked out. “He’s asking if it’s ok and if there should be any changes made” Hyo Yeon joined in. “Oh my God! That’s so beautiful!!” Tiffany squealed as quietly as she could. “It’s pink!!!” Tiffany was seeing stars by now. Sunny whacked Tiffany on the head, “Pay attention!!!”

“It’s perfect…” Yoona managed to eke out. She had been staring at the photo for so long that it felt like forever. The design was too beautiful, too elegant to not be mesmerized. “How could anybody say NO to that” Yuri gushed. “So? What do you girls think? Anything that needs changing? Quick, before Joo Hyun comes back out” Tae Yeon asked in a hurried tone. “There are so many diamonds!!” Soo Young said, awed. “I think it’s perfect. We did a good job” Jessica said, smiling. “I love the rose gold touch. Brings out the colour of the pink diamond” Tiffany said to nobody in particular. Just as Tiffany finished her sentence, the door to the dressing room opened and the girls rushed to scatter.

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It was 1AM by the time the CNBLUE boys walked through their dorm door. It wasn’t particularly late, they’ve had later nights than this but they were just so tired. “Thank God they fed us tonight” Jong Hyun the glutton spoke out loud. “Hyung, you’re lucky you haven’t been invited on 2 days 1 night!!” Jung Shin teased. “I would never go on that show. I don’t think I’d survive the starvation they impose on the cast” Jong Hyun said earnestly as he crashed on the couch. Yong Hwa chuckled, that man sure loves his food. “Hey guys, there’s food on the table!! Must be hyungsoonim’s mother” Min Hyuk called from the kitchen as he opened each container to check its contents. “Bring it here!!” Jong Hyun shouted as he sat up on the couch. Jung Shin rolled his eyes and chuckled while walking into the kitchen to help Min Hyuk.

“I’m going to take a shower first. You guys really should clean yourselves up first before you eat, you know. And don’t finish all the food!!” Yong Hwa called out as he opened his room door. “Hyu~n!” Yong Hwa gasped when he finally saw Seo Hyun curled up on his bed, fast asleep. “O-O-ppa?? Are you back?” Seo Hyun asked as she struggled to get up. “Ne, we just got back. What are you doing here?” Yong Hwa asked as he quickly put down his things and sat next to Seo Hyun. “Ooo… Omma asked me to bring you guys some food. She was worried you’d be hungry after your schedule. So I brought it and then I thought I’d wait for you since I don’t have any schedule tomorrow. I missed you” Seo Hyun said.

Yong Hwa moved to envelop Seo Hyun into a hug. “I missed you too” he whispered. Hugging him back, they stayed in each other’s embrace for awhile before Yong Hwa spoke up, “But I didn’t see your shoes outside. Did you come barefoot??” “Ne? No, of course not. My shoe is there. I’m guessing you didn’t turn on the lights when you came in, right?” Seo Hyun asked. “I did! But I didn’t see your shoes!! How dare you lie on my bed with your dirty feet?” Yong Hwa teased. Seo Hyun’s nose flared and she struggled to release herself from Yong Hwa’s embrace, “My feet are not dirty! I did wear shoes!!! You must have been carrying too many things, that’s why you couldn’t see my shoes!” Seo Hyun refuted loudly. Yong Hwa laughed, he loved to and she knew it yet she fell for it every time. “Araseo araseo, I was just teasing you” Yong Hwa aegyoed to her.

Even though Yong Hwa was now a grown man in his mid twenties, with the reputation as a suave rocker oozing his manly charms on stage, he always turned into a pile of goo when he was with Seo Hyun. She has been the only girl that could make him voluntarily and unknowingly speak, act and coo like a baby. In short, he was full of aegyo for her. Sure, he sometimes aegyoed with his mom but it was a hundred times, if not a thousand times more with Seo Hyun. “Aigoo…. Look at that… Jung Yong Hwa the rocker is acting cute!” Seo Hyun teased as she tickled him.

“Is that hyungsoonim’s voice??” Jung Shin sat up suddenly, his chopstick hung over the delicious food that Seo Hyun’s mother had prepared. “I don’t hear anything” Jong Hyun said as he continued to munch his food. “Of course you don’t hear anything. You’re too busy concentrating on your food!” Jung Shin whined. “I’ll go check if her shoes are at the door” Min Hyuk said as he stuffed his mouth before rushing to the front door. Two seconds later, “She’s here!!!!!” Min Hyuk yelled before he rushed back to his seat. “Should we go say hi?” Min Hyuk asked as he started to stand up. “Don’t interrupt them. Eat your food” Jong Hyun said without slowing down his munching pace.

Yong Hwa got up and pulled Seo Hyun up with him, “Come on, let’s go and greet the boys. You don’t want them to think we’re doing anything funny, do you?” there was a hint of tease in his voice. “Oppa!! Don’t be ridiculous! We made a promise to keep things pure, remember??” Seo Hyun said as she hit him in the arm. Yong Hwa inched back and chuckled, “I know.. But they don’t” he teased again as he held the door open for her. Gently holding her hand, Yong Hwa led Seo Hyun to the living room. “Hello boys!! Sorry for disturbing you so late at night” Seo Hyun said with a bow. “Hyungsoonim! Thank you for the food. And don’t worry, no bother at all” Jung Shin said as the three boys got up to return her bow. “Come, join us” Jong Hyun said as Min Hyuk went to the kitchen to get more chopsticks.

Watching the boys eat, Seo Hyun was contented. She couldn’t do much for them but knowing they ate well was all she could do. Well, technically her mother did all the work but she still felt the same pride and satisfaction. “Hyungsoonim, aren’t you going to eat?” Min Hyuk asked as he held out the chopsticks to her. Seo Hyun shook her head, “No, thank you. I’m… on a diet” Seo Hyun chuckled. “Why?? You’re too skinny! You still haven’t put on the 9 kilos that the doctor said you needed, remember? In fact, you’ve lost more weight since then!” Yong Hwa looked at her sternly. “I have a photoshoot soon…” Seo Hyun informed them. “So what? You’re always having photoshoots and you’ve never dieted for any of them” Yong Hwa stated.

“Hyungsoonim, what photoshoot is this? What’s the concept?” Jung Shin asked. “Oohh… It’s for CeCi magazine. Soo Young unnie and I are going to be interviewed because we have been chosen as Tommy Hilfiger’s ambassadors. Mm.. For concept, we met them this morning and they are aiming for casual and… a little y? I also have to dye my hair to a darker shade” Seo Hyun replied as she nodded her head. “y? What kind of y??” Yong Hwa asked, trying to sound nonchalant. “I don’t know.. Something about baring the midriff and showing some shoulder, I guess? I don’t know… We’ll only know on the day of the photoshoot” Seo Hyun replied, a little nervous.

Seo Hyun was watching Yong Hwa earnestly while Yong Hwa couldn’t look at Seo Hyun. He just kept eating the food while looking everywhere except where Seo Hyun sat. “Oppa….” Seo Hyun pouted. “What? Why?” Yong Hwa asked coolly. “Are you unhappy?” Seo Hyun asked carefully. “Hyu~n…. Hyu~n-ah, I know it’s just work. And I know you wouldn’t do anything that would degrade your self worth. And that’s why I love you and cherish you above all else. I trust you, ok?” Yong Hwa said gently as he looked deep into Seo Hyun’s eyes. Seo Hyun nodded, “I know, Oppa. I appreciate it.” Yong Hwa nodded in return. Yong Hwa was never the chauvinistic kind and never attempted to control Seo Hyun’s actions. But he did tend to be the kind to be a little jealous and sensitive although he always respected her decisions because he knew she wouldn’t do anything that would compromise herself.

The three boys who had momentarily stopped eating to watch them were suddenly breathing again. “So, hyungsoonim, when are you going to dye your hair?” Jung Shin asked, resuming his eating. “Erm… Soon. Most probably before the end of next week” Seo Hyun replied. “What colour are you going to dye your hair?” Jong Hyun asked as he sat back, full from the midnight snack Seo Hyun had brought. “I’m going to go back to dark brown. The photographers requested it” Seo Hyun said shrugging. “Hyung, you’re not changing your hair colour too?” Min Hyuk teased since going blonde was a ‘mission’ for both Yong Hwa and Seo Hyun. “Argh.. I wish I could but the hairstylist said I should wait for a couple of months before I dye it again. Bleaching it blonde really damaged my hair. Look, it’s so limp and coarse now” Yong Hwa pouted as he ruffled his own hair.

As the boys cleaned up, Yong Hwa walked Seo Hyun back to her door. It was difficult to be dating but they always made time. And they were both contented with the simple things in life like a midnight stroll or just hanging out together or listening to music. Whenever he looked at Seo Hyun, Yong Hwa’s heart always seemed to race. Three years after he met her on WGM, Yong Hwa still felt the same nervousness whenever he saw her. And whenever he thought of her, his heart would swell with so much love. And likewise for Seo Hyun. She was an uptight girl, not believing in love nor having much interest in love when she went on WGM. But then Yong Hwa changed her. He showed her what it was like to be in love and to love.

Standing in front of Seo Hyun’s door, Yong Hwa held both Seo Hyun’s hands and looked at her. Gosh, I’m the luckiest man on earth to be with this woman, Yong Hwa thought to himself, emotions filling his heart. Sensing the love radiating from Yong Hwa’s eyes, Seo Hyun smiled at Yong Hwa. I will always and forever, love this man, she thought to herself. “Hyu~n…” Yong Hwa broke the silence. Yong Hwa uttered one word, but his eyes spoke a million words. “Yo~ng Oppa” Seo Hyun said. Yong Hwa wanted to propose to her right there and then, with or without a ring but he got a grip of himself. No, not now. I have so much to prepare.. I want it to be perfect. Something she will remember forever and ever, Yong Hwa convinced himself. “Sleep tight… Dream of me” Yong Hwa said as he smiled at his corny lines. “Okay… Goodnight Oppa.. I love you” Seo Hyun said as she reached up to kiss him on the lips. “Mmm… Again” Yong Hwa purred as he puckered his lips.