“Ahem!” Jong Hyun cleared his throat loudly to get Yong Hwa and Seo Hyun’s attention. Looking up, Yong Hwa found his three dongsaengs standing behind Seo Hyun with cheeky smiles on their faces. “Oh… Thanks guys! Thanks for this…” Yong Hwa smiled sheepishly as he gestured towards the stage and the instruments in their hands. Seo Hyun turned around and bowed to the three boys, “Thank you… Really, thank you very much!” The boys quickly returned her bow “It’s our pleasure hyungsoonim. And it was fun. Anyway, I think we should leave now” Min Hyuk said. “Hyung, would you be needing the car? We can leave it for you if you do” Jung Shin asked. Turning to Seo Hyun, Yong Hwa asked, “What do you think? Would we need the car?” Seo Hyun thought for a moment before shaking her head, “No, I’d like to walk around instead.”

Clapping each of his dongsaengs on their shoulders, Yong Hwa thanked them again and led them to the auditorium exit. Turning around, Yong Hwa eyed Seo Hyun and said “Seo Joo Hyun… You prepared all this?? When did you practice?? How come I never caught you practicing?” Seo Hyun laughed with one hand over , “I only practiced at SNSD dorm. Hyo Yeon unnie even let it slip during the Romantic Fantasy interview. Luckily I had a guitar performance and people thought she was referring to the Taylor Swift song, Speak Now.”

Yong Hwa walked up to Seo Hyun and hugged her again. “Seo Joo Hyun… Thank you. I’m…speechless. That was an amazing performance. Thank you” Yong Hwa said softly. “Oppa, I know you always liked it when I sing for you. This time, I wanted to repay you for the guitar lessons you’ve been giving me all these years. Are my fees fully paid yet?” Seo Hyun teased. Yong Hwa chuckled, “Mmm… Maybe?” Seo Hyun reached up to peck Yong Hwa on the lips, “How about now?” Yong Hwa smiled, “Mmm… Almost.” Leaning down, Yong Hwa kissed Seo Hyun fully on the lips, “I love you, Seo Joo Hyun.” Nestling her head into the crook of Yong Hwa’s neck, they stayed in each other’s embrace, basking in the love they felt for each other.

“Hyu~n, what should we do now?” Yong Hwa asked as he loosened his grip on Seo Hyun. “Let’s go for a walk! It’s still winter. You know how I love walking around with you in winter!” Seo Hyun said excitedly, looking up at Yong Hwa with her big, clear eyes. Yong Hwa lightly rubbed his nose on hers, “I know… I know you do, because we can wear thick jackets and scarves covering our faces and have our hoods up and no one would know it was us.” Seo Hyun nodded her head and wriggled out of Yong Hwa’s embrace to gather her bag she left in the corner of the room. “Wait Hyu~n, you’re not wearing that dress out, are you?!?” Yong Hwa blurted. Seo Hyun stopped to look down at her outfit and laughed out loud. “Oops.. I forgot to change. I’ll be right back!” Seo Hyun called as she grabbed her bag and went backstage to change.

Yong Hwa made his way back to the chair in the middle of the room where he had left his bag. Opening it, he looked at the surprise he prepared for Seo Hyun. I’ll give it to her later. It’s nothing special but I hope she likes it, Yong Hwa smiled to himself. Settling himself comfortably, he looked towards the stage, remembering the performance he just witnessed. It was heartwarming for him to see Seo Hyun play the guitar and sing his songs. And even more so that she had played and sang with his band. So, this was what it’s like, watching CNBLUE performing on stage, Yong Hwa thought to himself. Just then it hit him, he should have recorded the entire performance!

“Oppa, what’s with the scowl on your face?” Seo Hyun asked as she emerged from backstage. “Hyu~n, I should have recorded the whole performance!! Stupid me!” Yong Hwa whined and aegyoed to Seo Hyun. Seo Hyun had changed into skinny jeans that were tucked inside her knee high boots and a thick knitted sweater. “Aigoo Oppa, it would be meaningless if it was recorded. Things like this have to be remembered and cherished in our memories” Seo Hyun teased as she made her way to him. After they had wrapped themselves up warmly, Yong Hwa paged the security guard on the walkie talkie and waited outside the auditorium for the security guard to them out.

Exiting the building, Yong Hwa and Seo Hyun felt the cold wind hitting them. “Brrr….” Seo Hyun shivered. Reaching over, Yong Hwa pulled up Seo Hyun’s hood to cover her head completely and reached to hold her hand in his and put them into his pocket. They were wearing the couple scarf that Seo Hyun had knit for them last Christmas. Seo Hyun had decided to knit another couple scarf as everybody recognized the couple scarf that Yong Hwa had knitted last time. They didn’t really have a destination so they just walked around, enjoying the freedom to be out and about whenever winter came around. They talked about the Valentine’s Day event that Seo Hyun had prepared. Seo Hyun told him she picked the four CNBLUE songs to sing because those were the songs he wrote with her in mind.

She also told him her guitar practice regiment and schedule. Seo Hyun pouted and pretended to be angry that Yong Hwa hadn’t asked her why her hands were so calloused. “I figured it was because of the Speak Now song. Besides, it made me happy knowing you were playing the guitar!” Yong Hwa defended. Hugging Seo Hyun’s body close to his, he apologized “Hyu~n, I’m sorry… I should have been more caring.” Seo Hyun giggles, “It’s ok Oppa. I’m actually glad you didn’t ask. I would have hated to lie to you. Thank you, Oppa. For not asking.” Yong Hwa smiled as he held Seo Hyun’s hand and put it inside his pocket again, “By the way, how did you manage to practice with the boys??”

“Ahh.. That… Well, in the beginning it was just Jong Hyun who came to SNSD dorm to teach me the guitar. It started in early December. He would come once a week to teach me for an hour. Then when I had learnt all the songs, I practiced it on my own in SNSD dorm. I think my unnies were a little annoyed but they were really gracious about it. Then two weeks ago, I managed to borrow a practice room from SM so Jung Shin, Min Hyuk and Jong Hyun came over. We practiced together for two hours!” Seo Hyun laughed as she recounted to Yong Hwa.

Yong Hwa turned to face Seo Hyun, “What?? Then where was I? How did I not know that? How is it possible that they managed to leave me behind? The only time I wasn’t with them was when I was with you. But if you were with me, you couldn’t possibly have been practicing with them! Ohh…. Ohh.. I’m having a headache!” Seo Hyun couldn’t help but laugh at Yong Hwa. “Hyu~n! Tell me!!” Yong Hwa pleaded. Laughing, Seo Hyun explained, “Oppa, do you remember the day after your first win in Music Bank? After your Taxi schedule with TvN? We sneaked out for practice after you went to sleep. We practiced from 3AM to 5AM!! I feel so sorry to Jong Hyun, Jung Shin and Min Hyuk. Like you, they were so tired but they persevered. I promised them I would treat them meat so…maybe tomorrow or something… ”

Again, Yong Hwa was speechless. He’s never been rendered speechless so many times in the space of an hour in his life. “Seo Joo Hyun… You’re really…daebak!! I owe the boys too. Let me treat them to the meat they so deserve” Yong Hwa said as he shook his head in disbelief. He had always been thankful towards his bandmates but he just came to the realization now that they were a blessing to him, almost as much as Seo Hyun was to him. “Wow.. I ought to take them shopping too” Yong Hwa mumbled audibly. Interlacing her fingers with Yong Hwa’s, Seo Hyun gripped his hand tight. She was glad that he appreciated everybody’s efforts this night.

They didn’t know how long they’d been walking and they didn’t have a clear destination. It was just a peaceful stroll they always enjoyed whenever they had the time during winter days. Sometimes they talked, other times they just enjoyed each other’s company, not needing any words to convey the satisfaction they both felt. “Hyu~n, let’s sit down for abit” Yong Hwa broke the silence as he spotted a park in the distance. He felt that it was time that he gave Seo Hyun he surprise he prepared. “Mmm… Okay oppa” Seo Hyun smiled mischievously behind the scarf covering .

“Oppa!! Let’s sit on the swings!!” Seo Hyun squealed as she ran towards the swings in the park. Chuckling after her, Yong Hwa voiced his agreement. Settling on the swing next to Seo Hyun, Yong Hwa just watched as she giggled like a kid on her first trip to the playground, a soft smile creeping across his face. “Hyu~n… Thank you” Yong Hwa said simply. “Ne? Why oppa?” Seo Hyun asked as she slowed her swing to a stop, turning to face Yong Hwa. “Thank you for everything, you know. For being in my life. For loving me. For allowing me to love you. For making me the happiest man on earth. Really, just for everything” Yong Hwa said softly as he looked into her eyes. Seo Hyun nodded her head and replied, “Thank you to you too Oppa… For everything.”

Suddenly, Yong Hwa was feeling around his pockets and turning his jacket around, looking for something. “Oppa, what’s wrong?” Seo Hyun asked with a frown. “Oh Hyu~n-ah… I think I dropped my gloves. I can’t find it” Yong Hwa said as he continued to search around in his pockets. “Gloves? But you weren’t wearing gloves, Oppa” Seo Hyun responded. “Uh… Er.. Yeah, I didn’t wear it but I had it in my pocket” Yong Hwa answered hesitantly. “Maybe it dropped along the way?” Seo Hyun asked as she got up and traced their steps backwards. “Oh Hyu~n… Yeah, backtrack and see if you can find it on the ground somewhere” Yong Hwa said as he kept his eyes on her. Seeing that she was occupied with the search, Yong Hwa quickly opened his bag and took out his gift and placed it on the swing Seo Hyun just vacated.

“Oppa! I don’t see anything…” Seo Hyun yelled as she looked around. “Oh Hyu~n, I found it… Come back here, quick!” Yong Hwa motioned for her to come back. “Ahhh.. Cham! Oppa! You’re so carele-“ Seo Hyun forgot to finish her sentence the moment she saw a box on the swing. Seeing her surprised expression, Yong Hwa chuckled, “Kekeke….” “Oppa! What’s this?!!” Seo Hyun squealed as she ran to the swing and lifted up the box. “Surprise!” Yong Hwa said, chuckling some more. “Can I open it?” Seo Hyun asked as she sat down and placed the box on her lap. “Of course you can, silly. But it’s nothing special… As in, you’ve received this gift before. Don’t be disappointed” Yong Hwa warned her.

Opening the box, Seo Hyun saw a small architectural model of a building. “Eh? You made this for me?” Seo Hyun was quite puzzled. Yong Hwa laughed at her cute expression. “No silly… This is a model of the second school CNBLUE will build in Africa. Last year we built one school for your birthday. This year, we are building a second school and that’s my Valentine’s Day gift to you” Yong Hwa explained. Seo Hyun’s mouth dropped open and her hands flew to . She couldn’t believe her ears. “Oppa!! Really?!? Oh my..!! Oppa!!” Seo Hyun exclaimed, her hands still over .

“Hyu~n-ah, it’s nothing…special. I already gave you one last year, remember? Why are you still so surprised about this?” Yong Hwa said as he motioned to the box on Seo Hyun’s lap. “No way! How can this not be special? How many people build schools in Africa for their girlfriends??” Seo Hyun countered. “Aish… But you’ve received this gift before.. I didn’t think you’d be excited about it this time” Yong Hwa shrugged. “Oppa! You have no idea how many lives you will change with one school. And for years to come, it’ll have a great impact on all the children who study there. Compared to my gift, this is….too great!” Seo Hyun gushed. “Really? You think so? I was afraid you’d be disappointed” Yong Hwa said as a smile crept up on his face.

“Never!! Oppa, you always give me the most unconventionally unique yet meaningful gifts” Seo Hyun said earnestly. “Before I met you, I never imagined I would do something like this. I never thought I’d build a school for children. And all the way in Africa too. You have made a big impact in my life, Hyu~n-ah… The boys are also thankful for your influence on them. We all feel like we’re contributing more to the world because of you. And you push us to become better people everyday. Thank you Hyu~n…” Yong Hwa said as he reached out to clutch Seo Hyun’s hands in his. “Aniyo Oppa. You have no idea the impact you have on my life too. I learnt so much from you and the boys. You opened up my heart and taught me about life and love. I’m also a better person because of you… Thank you Oppa” Seo Hyun replied.

Putting the box away, Seo Hyun mulled over when to give Yong Hwa his Valentine’s Day present. Picking up her bag, Seo Hyun looked over at Yong Hwa. “I have something for you, Oppa” Seo Hyun said shyly. “I knew it! I was just waiting for you to reveal it” Yong Hwa teased. “Wow Oppa… You have come to expect a lot from me eh!” Seo Hyun accused. Laughing, Yong Hwa said, “No, it’s not like that! It’s just that I know you too well!” Seo Hyun took a medium sized box out of her bag and handed it over to Yong Hwa. “I really worked hard on this!” Seo Hyun stated. “I know you did…” Yong Hwa said as he took the box.

Removing the red ribbon, Yong Hwa carefully lifted the cover. Gasping, Yong Hwa uncovered five guitar picks, each with a different colour. Picking one up, Yong Hwa studied it closely. Each guitar pick was engraved with a unique drawing and some very small words. Running his hands over the engravings, he found that they were coated with a substance to make it smooth. “I engraved each picture and word with my own hands.. Then I sent it back to the shop to have it coated to make it smooth so that it wouldn’t rub against your skin and cause more callouses” Seo Hyun explained as she leaned in.

Yong Hwa’s mouth fell open. He never imagined a gift like that. It was unique and simple and also very practical. “Wow… Hyu~n…. Wow…. I….You’ve rendered me speechless so many times in these few hours!!” Yong Hwa teased to hide his emotions. He was touched. It was rare for them to be able to hang on to their couple stuff in public for fear that fans would put two and two together. But these guitar picks would always be with him whenever he practiced or performed on stage. It would be one thing that he could hold on to that connected him to Seo Hyun. “Thank you Joo Hyun-ah…” Yong Hwa said softly as he turned to face Seo Hyun. “I’m glad you like it. This is the brand you like, right?” Seo Hyun asked. Yong Hwa nodded, “Yes… This is my favourite guitar pick brand.”

“But how did you do the engraving??” Yong Hwa asked as he picked up each guitar pick in turn to study the engraving. “Mmm… Actually, first I contacted the company that made guitar picks and asked them if I could do personalized engraving. They offered engraving services but I told them I wanted to do it myself. So we worked something out. Next, I went to an engraver and asked him to teach me how to do it. I bought the tools and did it at home. I brought a sketch to the engraver. He would modify some parts to make it suitable for engraving. Then I traced the picture onto the pick. And I just engraved it slowly, bit by bit each day. I took one month to finish all five!! When I finished the engraving, I sent it back to the company for the final coating!” Seo Hyun gushed, proud of her own work. “And I made you five just in case you lost or broke any of it!” Seo Hyun added.

“Seo Joo Hyun… Seems like you prepared all this a long time ago!” Yong Hwa looked up at Seo Hyun. Nodding, Seo Hyun admitted that she started brainstorming and planning since the last birthday celebration. It took her a long time to decide what she wanted to do and researched on how to go about doing them. “Wow Seo Joo Hyun!! All this just for Valentine’s Day! I wonder what you’re going to give me for my birthday!” Yong Hwa teased. He loved to and see her squirm, although not in a bad way. “Argh!! Oppa! I know right! I think I just shot myself in the foot! I haven’t the slightest idea what to give you for your birthday! Maybe this should count as your birthday present too! Valentine’s Day and Birthday Present!!!” Seo Hyun suggested playfully.

“Yahhh!! Seo Joo Hyun! You can’t roll it into one like that!” Yong Hwa refused to let her bundle his presents together like that. He always loved to receive gifts, especially from her whether big or small. He just loved feeling spoilt by her even if she were to just cook him a meal. He had enough money to buy himself anything and everything he could ever desire but money couldn’t buy him the happiness and sweet memories Seo Hyun gave him.