Chapter 5

Yong Hwa stood up straight, fighting the gravity that is pulling his body down to the ground. The weakness he feels around his both knees made him struggle to push himself up, but nonetheless, he managed to do so.

He turned to face his Hyung, regret filled the entirety of his small face.

“Miyanhe~ Hyung!” he worded to the man who stilled his stare at him.

“You don not say your sorry to me, Yong Hwa~ssi, I wasn’t the one who was hurt. It’s the girl inside that home.” He pointed at the house in front of them.

Yong Hwa glanced at the pointed house. Eagerness to run into it filled his heart and mind. He wants to see Shin Hye. . . . . . to know if she is alright as how she lied she is, or if she is still crying because of these happenings. He wants to put her inside his arms, hug her forever even if she continues to act OK and lie to him . . . or if she is breaking down crying. He wants her to stay with him; he wants her beside him tonight, even if she insists not to. He will do what he wants, and what he ought to do.

He ran unthinking. Three leaps towards that door he intends to enter to. That door he has been entering multiple times in a hiding procedure. That door where Shin Hye has been waiting for him all the time. That door that divides them.

But before raising his white beautiful hands on air towards that wooden door, he turned to his back, calling his name.

“Jun Manager-Hyung! Gumawo.”

~~

Shin Hye sat down in tripod as she continuously remembered those happenings. All of the pain, hurt and disappointed she kept within rushed out heavily in a form of her flowing tears. Trying her best, she wiped them one by one, knowing it will just tire her in the end, she kept doing it.

She cried covering to avoid making sounds which could awaken her family members. Exerting so much effort, she moaned noiselessly.

She never blamed Yong Hwa about it. She knows this will happen and she could have asked him to just back out anytime, but the truth of her heart’s desire dominated . . . she really wants Yong Hwa in Heirs. She wants him in, she wants to be with him, more often, more open.

She knows bashing and hates and threats will come. . . in her Twitter, in her gift boxes, in her career image. . . but she chose not to let Yong Hwa know all of those. . .for she fear. . .his decision . . . to leave.

Then she heard knocks. No not knocks, but bangs!

“Open the door!” the voice commanded.

Her heart leaped out a meter away from its chamber, startling out her insides.

“I know you are still in there. Shin Hye~~yah. . . please, I want to talk to you!”, he continued.

She kept still, undecided to do anything. She hopingly wished he would just give up with what he is doing. . . and just leave for the moment.

But he persisted. “I will break this door down, and disturb your neighborhood if you won’t open this up.” He warned.

Shin Hye felt alarmed for the second time. She froze. Without reason. But her second thought butted in her thinking, finally deciding on something. She rose from her previous position while doing her very best to erase all of the signs of her cries . . . yet she knows it will be a failure to do so.

She just inhaled. Exhaled.

She reached out for the door knob, turning it circularly, slowly.

~~

Yong Hwa heard the knob unlocked. He expressed a deep sigh as he waited for the door to completely open, enough to let him in. Gradually, he heard the slow screeching sound of the door, shedding the interior part of the house with light from the post lamp outside.

He waited more. Waited a little more. Then he saw her in front of him, her head slightly bowed towards the ground, as if hiding something. Then not wasting a second, he slowly stepped one, two, three inside, making her step back three, too. But they are silent.

He slowly moved his right hand behind him, reaching the opened door, then slowly closed it. Then, it is them alone in the living room. Dark and silent. The only illumination they get is from the moon that rose in the east, penetrating the window glass beside the door.

They just stood there, unmoving.

Silent. Dim. Motionless.

Then Yong Hwa moved forward. No word.

Shin Hye stood still, allowing Yong Hwa to get closer. She kept still. No Word.

Then Yong Hwa raised his right hand in the air, mobile, until it reached its destination. To her perfectly carved chin. He gave a slight energy to hoist his face up, but still he succeeded. He saw her face, illumined by the light from outside. He saw her face. He saw her teary eyes, her wet skin, her dried up tears, the redness on her cheeks, the red nose, and the red bite mark on her lips probably from trying to stop her crying. He saw her. A familiar sensation resurfaced when he saw this crying face again. He cursed himself. “!”, he thought.


That sensation overpowered the limited capacity of his heart. So, in a split of a second, he tried to redirect that feeling and convert it into a physical emotion by reaching for her shoulder and her waist, pulling her closer to his body and embraced her tightly.

No words.

But still, he never let her go.

Until Shin Hye cried. “You knew already?”

“Sshhhh! Don’t talk, dear, don’t talk . . . Just don’t do anything.”, he requested, his voice full of love and sincerity.

Then silence.

“I’m Sorry!”, he initiated. “It’s entirely my fault.”

Shin Hye obeyed him and did not speak a word. She listened to Yong Hwa’s explanations and apologies, unloading the pain she felt. She wasn’t sure but eternity has passed until she finally felt him loosen the hug and face her, looking her in the eyes.

She understood him, totally. Even without his explanations, even without his apologies, she does. She did, she does and will always do. But sometimes, when the fans and their comments are too much, her patience lasts.
And the fear. She always has this fear of those fans. The fear that she thought she couldn’t fight alone. She fears for the harsh words of those, she fears the evil actions of those, she fears the existence of those. And sometimes, she asks herself why.


Yong Hwa proceeded on wiping her tears, using his both thumbs, he tirelessly erased the signs of her weeping, whispering his love and sorry and truthfulness.

And it lasted for an hour. At least.

~~

Shin Hye decided to speak up. “I’m Sorry, Yong Hwa~yah!” she said, si