Chapter Ten

“Hongki?”

“Oh, Anyeeeoonnggg~~!!! Hong ki on the other line answered the caller with so much enthusiasm, sure and absolute with whose voice it is.

Sniffs. “What are you doing?”. She asks in between her sniffs. She was walking along the streets of Cheong Dam Dong area, decided to get away from the place she’s been.

“I’m at the practice room now with the members. You?”

“Ahhh . . . Jjinjja?”, she stopped amid. “You must be busy … I understand! Geno! (just gonna hang up!)”

Hong Ki’s intuition rose and smelled something fishy.

He didn’t let another minute wasted afterwards and turned to ask where the caller is as of the moment. “You are crying! Where are you?”, he asked with his voice’s sudden change in tone. It has become curious . . . and concerned.

“Anyo, I’m fine!”, she said attempting to stop her urge to cry on the phone.

“Park Shin Hye! If you aren’t going to tell me where you are now, I am going to search the whole Seoul and make sure that every corner of it is checked.” Hong Ki said in a raged tone, serious in asking Shin Hye’s location. He waited for seconds to get answer, and his being impatient made him shout at his phone.

“Park Shin Hye!”

“I’m coming!”, she answered hastily, sudden drop of the temperature that must came from her phone made her answer.

“I’m coming to the FNC.”

~~
He then ended the call afterwards and pocketed his phone.

Hong Ki halted the ongoing practice of the band and asked for a minute break. He put away the microphone he has been holding for several hours then immediately rushed out of the room.

But then he was halted by his dongsaeng’s sudden call. “But, where are you going Hyung? Did something happen?”, JaeJin lengthened his neck to show elaborately his curious face.

Hong Ki stopped by the door, turned around and smiled sincerely. “Uri Go Mi Nam needs Jeremy now!”, he uttered, pride fulfilling his being as he walked out of the door thereafter.

The remaining boys inside the practice room shouted in congruence, teasing and clapping simultaneously at their Hyung’s cheesy answer. “Awwwwww! ! !”. Jaejin went near Jong hoon and offered his right hand for a High 5 while laughing like crazy. They kept on giggling and snickering together.

Suddenly, Seung Hyun removed his guitar and dispensed it right away to its holder. He ran to the door and tried to scream his last message to his Hyung. He peeked out his whole face and luckily still saw the running Hong Ki at the end of the corridor.

He shouted amid. “Yah! Hyung! Just call Kang Shin Woo! That’s his role after all!”, laughing out loud while going back to his position.

~~


Standing outside the FNC building is Hongki. With his arms crossed and his head held up high, the FTisland leader sighed cold breaths as he patiently waited for his close friend to come to him after the call. He kept on pacing here and there, unsure of staying still or walk or to just go out and look for her. “What could have happen?”. He asked curiously.

Until. “Hong Ki?”, a voice came out of nowhere, waking up his deep thought.

He looked sideways to the voice.

“Yah! Shin Hye~yah!”, he came rushing towards her. He caught her shoulder and immediately dragged her inside the building, his face is filled with worries and concerns.

~~

A minute after, Shin Hye found herself inside the studio of FNC. She lifted her head up and rotate it 80 degrees. “It’s the recording studio.”, she named the place whispering. She knows the studio so well, as she has been here every now and then, doing serious career stuffs and otherwise.

Especially with her Yong Hwa.

Yes, this is the where she usually record songs and albums. She remembered this studio where she was being guarded out by Yong Hwa and even taught her stuff about recording music. She remembered the fun they had when she made mistakes and off tuned melodies. She remembered when she noticed Yong Hwa’s special treatment, treatment that he never showed to any of his girl Colleagues or friends. She remembered those treatments that he showed, but never told. Anyhow, she felt so naïve that time. But giddy.

“Pak!”, she heard from behind. She turned around to see what it was and immediately chuckled upon seeing Hong Ki dropped the stool he was holding to offer to her.

“Miyanhe! Slippery palm!”, Hong said, chuckling between his breaths.

Shin Hye’s thought all gone at Hong Ki’s cuteness. She chuckled shyly at his clumsiness but nonetheless appreciated so much the love and supports she receives from him.

She stared at his worried face, guilty that she has to bother him this way.

She was assisted by Hong Ki to sit down in the corner and saw him look for another seat for himself, dispensing it in front of her. Then he sat down too.

He then put on his most serious face, establishing eye contact with her. “Start.”

Silence.

Hongki already had his “Start” started, but he heard no response yet from her. He just stared at her. She did to him. No noise, no distractions, no peripheries…just them….

Shin Hye, inside her, tried to verbalize her feelings. “Just a word, please! Just a word!”, she pleaded her mind. But the ever betrayer herself still blocked her vocal cords to function, not allowing her to say a word.

“Shicks!”, she cursed herself for the inefficiency. “Just a word and I’ll shut up! I just need this out of me!”, she continued thinking. She took another deep inhalation to supply her deprived brain due to hyperventilation. Then waited.

But still, she is still in the state of shock!

Until she finally surrendered. She continued being silent and just waited for HongKi to give up too. Right now, after thinking that talking to him is as not as effective as how she wished it would, she just wanted her bed, cry and think and whatever thing she could do. Her body became so exhausted from the feelings she hides inside and from the same feeling that couldn’t be expressed.

Shin Hye blinked twice to thrice, her eyes, attempting to prevent the fluids around her sclera to pool down her lower eyelids. As she stared at his eyes, his concerned eyes, she remembered what she saw . . . earlier.

That was when the pain has exceeds to its limitation. The hurt she feels has overpowered the capacity of her heart and mind to keep. She feels cheated. “No Shin Hye~yah! You are cheated!”

She blurted out, finally.

“Appuh! Hong Ki~yah appuh!”

~~

“Why did you hit me?”

The fire Hong Ki took the eye contact Yong Hwa established. With a hint of anger, rage and all sorts of fury, he fisted firmer, stronger.

“Mollaseo?” Hong Ki looked down on the floor, eyeing Yong Hwa with full anger. He stepped closer towards the stunned Yong Hwa and grabbed his collar harshly. He flared his nose and closed the distance of their face. He then pulled him up with all his might, doubling his strength through his adrenaline rush.

Then he banged his back on the wall of the corridor. “Huh?? Why did I hit you? You do not know?” pushing his own body against him, making sure YH won’t escape from his grip and grab.

Astounded Yong Hwa tried to push Hong Ki away from him as he realized his breathing has been impaired by his dongsaeng’s act. “Hong Ki~ah!