CHAPTER 23 

It’s already the second week of June. The sun shined with minimal breeze. The air was clear and the skies were blue. Minhyuk, JungShin and JongHyun were in YongHwa’s house drinking some lemonade.

“You finally got with the piano girl!” Minhyuk said happily.

“Yeah.” YongHwa said proudly.

“Have you guys kissed yet?” Jung Shin was smiling at his question.

“Of course.” Yong Hwa smiled.

“How about the other thing? Eh?” Jong Hyun was teasing him.

“No! No other thing!Not now!” His mother suddenly comes into the living room.

“Oh shoot..” Minhyuk grabbed onto the pillow next to him scared.

“How’s college going?” She sat down right next to Minhyuk.

“It’s good. Just finished the semester.” Minhyuk responded.

“Good. Good grades?”

“Yes!”

“Good boy. Well I’m off so ...you have permission to play the Wii.”

“Really?!” Minhyuk said bubbly.

Hye Young nodded her head.

“Thank you so much!!” Minhyuk gave her a slight hug.

Hye Young stood up. “Yong Hwa set up the Wii. I’ll see you later guys!” She walked out.

“Your mom has always scared me.” Minhyuk began to say.

“Yeah, now that we know she’s a detective...she knows when somebody is lying.” Jonghyun replied.

“You’re right…” Yong Hwa stood up to set up the Wii.

Meanwhile, Jonghyun and Jungshin were pestering Minhyuk to ask YongHwa something.

“Nooo, you do it.” Minhyuk mouthed.

“Pleassee.” Jonghyun begged.

“No, I can’t.” Minhyuk mouthed back.

“YongHwa, Minhyuk wants to ask you something.” JungShin stated. Minhyuk was really annoyed.

“What?” YongHwa turned his head.

“Um..” Jonghyun and Jungshin were motioning their hands for him to start. “Have you decided to sign up with the company?”

“Oh..”

“I mean we can do it by ourselves, but we want to do it together.” Minhyuk began to explain.

“Right...I have thought about it and it’s been my dream. But I wanted to spend some time with Shin Hye since she is going through a hard time.”

“We understand. It’s nothing wrong what you are doing but how are you going to support her if you don’t have a job. What you are studying in college is to compose music…” Jonghyun said.

“Yeah that’s what I was thinking. I have a job but it’s not enough if I want to marry her…” YongHwa stood up.

“Dude, FTisland is from that company, isn’t that awesome! We should do something before they say they don’t want us anymore.” Jungshin said excitedly.

“I’ll talk to her then.”

“No pressure, hyung.” Minhyuk was worried.

“No, I understand where you guys are coming from. Let’s play some Wii.”

“Yay!” Minhyuk exclaimed.

Ailee came rushing in to the cafe where she would meet ByungHee for the first time in months.

“Hey…” Ailee sat down in front of ByungHee.

“Five minutes late eh? Not bad.”

“Sorry, I just came out of therapy.” Ailee smiled. ByungHee was surprised how she wasn’t acting rude, her old self.

“Therapy?” He didn’t know what had happened.

“Yeah, you must have saw the news that my mom is in jail.” Ailee grabbed the napkin and started to fold it and unfold it.

“Oh okay, now I understand. How do you feel?” ByungHee was laying back on his chair.

“I feel better. Therapy is helping me a bunch. Hehe.” Ailee was smiling. He was mesmerized with her smile. He haven’t seen her smile in the longest time. “How about you? I haven’t heard of you in a while..”

“First let's order some ice tea or iced coffee. You must be thirsty.”

“You’re right!”

Their iced coffees were placed on the table by the waiter.

“So how are you? What have you been up to?”

“Just doing jobs here and there.”

“In your dad’s company?”

“Yeah I guess.”

“So you finally let yourself work there. That’s a nice character development. Haha.”

“I mean that’s what my father had taught me, that’s all I know how to do.” He played around with his straw.

“That’s good to know.” She drank from her cup.

“You still like that guitar kid?”

Ailee was taken aback with his direct question. “Not really..Do you have a girlfriend?”

“No...But I do like this one girl but I don’t know if she ever will like me.”

“Oh...you just have to try to win her heart huh?” Ailee looked down at the table.

“Oh really? I should right?”

“Um, whos the girl?”

“I knew you would ask…” he muttered. “It’s you.”

Ailee immediately looked up. “Liar..”

“I’m not lying. You know me, I never told a girl that I like them. You’re the first and it’s for real.”

“Um..Byunghee..I-”

“But I know right now is the wrong time, I just wanted to let you know.”

“Thank you..”

“Well, I’ll see you later.” Byunghee rose from his seat and left.

Kahi was in Shin Hye’s house making a visit. She was on her sofa drinking some mango juice.

“I knew he was your fan. I recognized him at the hospital.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“He told me not to. That kid. I knew it was him from the notes so when I saw you with him I just left.”

“Yeah..I was wondering why you weren’t there. Haha. He’s one of a kind.”

“Yeah you look happier. Hahah.”

“He makes me want to accept myself more. I’ve come to love my big arms, the cellulite on my legs, the water retention I have and my chubby cheeks. Finally the dandruff in my hair is gone!” Shin Hye clapped her hands.

“Yay! Have you found a song to play? The competition is in September.”

“Yeah, I finally found one.”

“Ohh, what is it?”

“It’s a secret.”

“Yah Shin Hye, I need to know so I can prepare you well. And make sure it's two songs ok?”

“Yes, I’ll tell you then. It’s Chopin’s Fantaisie Impromptu and Franz Liszt’s Love Dream.”

“Ooh fancy. Chopin is always a finger killer.”

“I’m ready for this.”

“Hahaaha.”

“When can we start practicing?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Okay that’s good!”

“Shin Hye, how’s your father?”

“He’s okay. We talk on the phone every other day. He knows I’m busy with the competition. He’s going to get therapy as well.”

“Ah, I see. Well I’m off. I have to get going Shin Hye.” Kahi stood up.

“Thank you for coming.” Shin Hye walked her to the door.

“No, thank you.” Kahi walked out and Shin Hye closed the door gently.

Her phone began to ring. She scurried to the sofa to grab her phone. Yong Hwa was the one calling.

“Hello.” Shin Hye smiled.

“Hey, how are you today?”

“I’m good. It’s just too hot to go outside.”

“Yeah, it is. Is your air conditioner on? Turn it on if you haven’t. I don’t want you to die.”

“Haha, Yeah it’s been on the whole day. How was your day with the boys?”

“It was fun, we played Wii and we ate. Also, we composed a few songs.”

“Oh that’s great! They must be fun to be with.”

“And a pain, stealing all my food.”

“Haha. Your voice seems relaxed.”

“Oh really? I feel like it's the opposite.” YongHwa was laid on his bed looking at the ceiling feeling a bit restless. “Anyways, my mom and I are doing a trip to the beach this weekend. Do you want to come? Kahi is invited too.”

“Beach? For the weekend? That sounds great!”

“Yeah to beat the heat. Haha.”

“I found the songs I want to play for the competition…”

“Really? Wow, Shin Hye what are they?”

“I won’t tell you.”

“Eh, why not?”

“It’s a surprise. You’ll find out that day.”

“So secretive. Will it ruin your practice time going to the beach?”

“No,I don’t think so. It’s a good way to relax and release my stress.”

“Release stress..”

“You too, I know college is rough.”

“Yeah. You’re right. How are the flowers?”

“Oh! I’m glad you asked! They  look wonderful! I’ve been watering them everyday and leaving the curtains open so the sun can shine on them.”

“Good girl. Take care of those flowers like a boss.”

“Haha. Of course. I’m the flower queen.”

“What does that make me?”

“The flower...peasant. Haha.” Shin Hye .

“Noo, I’m the flower king.”

“Not yet.”

“Why not?”

“I need more flowers..”

“Hmm, fine. I will get you more flowers until I receive the title of Flower King.”

“Yes! I’m going to go to sleep now. So good night…”

“You’re an early sleeper. It’s only 9:30.”

“I think that’s a great time to go to sleep.”

“Not for me, I can’t talk to you more. I’ll have to wait 8 hours to talk to you again. I don’t think I can wait that patiently.”

Shin Hye was trying to contain her fangirl feels when he said that.

“I’m hanging up..”

“Ah, c’mon. You’re being cold again.”

Shin Hye giggled. “Ahh, I’ll let you get some sleep then Shin Hye,” YongHwa’s voice lowered, “Goodnight my love.” It sounded y and caring.

“Goodnight. Sleep well.” Shin Hye’s voice was low but sweet. It was a melody for his ears that he couldn’t get tired of.

A/N: Thank you for all the kind comments!Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter! And hooray that there will be a beach trip ;)