Hello :) I was so thrilled with the response to the last chapter :) Thank You very much for all the love, subscriptions and comments. I hope you continue to love the story just as much. This turned out to be way longer than expected but I hope you still enjoy reading it!

I'll put a flower in your hair

They were avoiding each other after the Jacuzzi incident, not just out of embarrassment either. 

He lay down on a hammock outside, listening to the waves and pondering on the realization that had hit him a few hours back. How had he been so stupid? How many people had told him in how many different ways that he was in love with her, that they were meant to be? How many times had he laughed at them, claimed they were just friends and that the others were too narrow minded to see it. He felt like a fool who had lived and believed a delusion. He had loved her for so long and he had known it in the back of his mind all along. He had known it while he asked her to join him on this vacation.  Also when he flirted so easily with her, it was never just friendship. 
Then again, it was never about not realizing, more about not wanting to. The friendship they shared was very precious but it had not survived anyway. Not really. They were not the same, everything the world threw at them had taken it's toll, after all. So, why shouldn't he confess? There was nothing to lose. She trusted him enough to come with him to this faraway place even though she had her worries. Maybe, she wouldn't be averse to holding his hand for the rest of their lives, he thought hopefully.

Now that he had realized his feelings for her, there was no going back, there would be no hiding from it. He would confess to her on this very trip.  She might reject him, though he hoped fervently that she wouldn't. He would respect her decision needless to say and write more songs on heartbreak, this time more intense. He smiled at his thoughts. Why was he taking this so calmly? Wasn't he supposed to freak out and lose his mind? He had fallen in love with his best friend. He felt his heart soar. Falling in love was good but falling for her? The best feeling in the world. He took his guitar and composed a tune. It was light and fluffy and all things happy.

She had smuggled some food into her room and holed up there, all afternoon. It was dark outside now, she wondered where he was. It was rare for him to not come seeking for her if he didn't see her for even some time. Was he mad at her? Why would he be though? She was embarrassed, he had to know that. He knew that. She had played the incidents of the day in her mind multiple times and found herself not regretting it. When had she gotten so shameless, she cursed herself. Eventually, she came to the conclusion that it was all part of the imaginary script that was being played out, they would get past this too just like everything else.

Strains of music wafted into her room. Yong Hwa was singing and playing the Guitar. Forgetting her embarassment, she went towards the origin of music. He was sitting on the sofa in the living room with his Guitar, playing a tune that she had never heard before (yet again) but this time, it made her heart soar. She found herself wanting to dance, the song was fresh, it had the warm feeling of spring. She felt like she was falling in love because that was the sentiment the song conveyed to her heart. 

She forgot all her earlier apprehensions as she swayed to the melody and sat down beside him.
"Who did you fall in love with ? Did you meet a girl around here, behind my back ?"
He was stumped by her question. 
Then he laughed. She giggled along. 

"So who is the girl, Yong" She asked playfully not willing to let go.
"You" He said smilingly.
She laughed. "Ya.. " she shouted as she attacked him in her trademark manner. 
"Ya.. Stop" he said ducking her swipes. "I am going to be a bruised husband someday" was his sly response.
"What? " 
"Who is going to marry me but you? My reputation has been tainted by my association with you " he said half laughing.
"What?" She laughed harder.
"What about your virtual ex- wife?she smirked. Never the one to lose in a trolling match. 
"Ya.." He replied seriously "I have to live in Korea not outside" he huffed before continuing "you are the only one I have ever loved"
"Huh" she blinked.
"As per the people of our country" he added after the longest pause possible.
Then laughed at her reaction. He couldn't believe he was actually having fun. At this rate, she was going to be really mad at him by the time he confessed.
"You need to take responsibility, shin aaaah" he said in the most sincere, sweet and annoying tone. 
"Yaaaaa" she screamed, making some serious attempts at injuring him. His concern for his guitar led him to put it away and in turn fend off her attacks a tad bit too late. He finally managed to hold onto both her hands and did the unthinkable, he pulled her over to him. She was taken aback by what he did. Nobody had ever done anything like that before, none of her costars, not one of her male friends, not even those she had dated before. Why, he himself had never done something like that before. They lay, a mess of limbs, her body sprawled on him every bit uncomfortable. 
He hadn't been really thinking when he pulled her but now that he had, he felt apologetic.
"Sorry" He whispered softly. 
She felt a shiver go down her spine. She was on top of him, their faces were close. So much that she could feel his breath when he talked. He tried to steady her by holding her by her waist which made her gasp.
She kept slipping as she tried to get up, falling harder every time. She silently cursed the soft silky surface of the sofa. 
"Wait, I'll help you" He said, sending another shiver down her spine. She managed to look at him for the first time since the fall. She felt heat emitting from her face. I must look like a tomato now, she thought. This day was easily the most embarrassing day of her entire life. She averted her gaze quickly when she noticed that he was trying to figure out how to help her get up. 
"Put your hands around me"
She did as she was told, he quickly got up supporting her weight as well.   
Even though they were both now sitting up neither of them let go of the other. 

In fact, she tightened her grip around him and closed her eyes tight shut as if willing for it to be a dream. 
"Shin Hye Ya let's not be so awkward around each other, remember what I said before we came here? Follow our hearts without overthinking"

He moved backwards a little so he could see her face. She still had her eyes shut. He stared at her face for a bit. This was terrible, he thought, here he was, quite hopelessly in love with her, yet telling her to think nothing of their closeness. He didn't exactly say that, he tried to reason with himself. Quite suddenly she opened her eyes. He blinked in confusion, his words caught in his throat.
"I understand" She said. 
Did she ? He wondered as he nodded his head.
"Let's go out to the mainland" He said.
She stared at him curiously. 
"Is that a good idea? Won't somebody recognize us?"
He shook his head.
"I've been there before you came, I think there are places where we can go unrecognized besides what are disguises for?" He smiled mischievously.
She smiled, then nodded her head.
"Okay" 

She got up, touched his cheeks and smiled adorably before leaving.
His heartbeat had shot through the roof.
He cursed himself. Messing his hair in frustration, he thought, this was going to be hard. Why did he have to fall in love at such an inconvenient time? Was there ever such a thing as a good time to fall in love? 

He was waiting at the stairs for her to come down adjusting his hair, nervously. He wasn't sure why he was waiting there, this crazy heady feeling was making him do strange things he grumbled to himself. He was better off being laid back and confident but alas, gone are the days and here he was. 
She sashayed down the stairs confidently, in a light blue chiffon assymetrical dress. He stood gaping like an idiot. Beautiful. Beautiful just wasn't enough to describe how she looked to him. 
"Angel" He said breathily when she reached him, but he was only solving the problem in his mind.
She blushed furiously before she hit him lightly.
"Ya Yonghwa are you alright? "
He came back to his senses.
"You look beautiful" he said, before adding "Like an angel"
"Ya" she hit him this time with slightly more force. 
"Why are you being so cheesy now"
He flinched a little and rubbed his hand where she had hit him. 
 He held his arm at a right angle, she smiled, then looped her hand into his, holding his biceps. 
"Oh" she exclaimed. 
He turned towards her.
"We are wearing the exact same shade of blue" she said answering his unasked question. 
He grinned, he hadn't realized he was wearing a light blue shirt to go with his jeans. It was a coincidence but it felt right. 

They walked around the streets without anybody recognizing them but it was difficult to not gather an occasional second glànce as they were two very good looking people. But largely, they felt liberated. They felt like a couple of normal youngsters for the first time in years. They took in the sights, bought mementos at roadside shops. She bought a large scarf that she played around with it, he took pictures of her in poses she would never be seen in magazine photoshoots. They took selfies where he planted a kiss on her cheek and got chased around by her. 

She saw a small shack by the seaside that was selling fresh seafood. She insisted they eat there, he felt slightly troubled by the idea, worrying about her health more than his but had to laughingly agree when she pouted and called him a killjoy. 

She literally ran all the way to the shack and he had to run as well to keep up. How he hated to sweat, thank heavens for the sea breeze. She sat impatiently waiting for her order in a worn down table and bench that was just by the sea, open to the sky. He placed his order and sat opposite her. Though it was unlike anything he had imagined, he felt the romance in the setting. There was a even candle placed in the middle for lighting, albeit fake, it added to the atmosphere. She was enjoying the waves and the breeze while his eyes not once left her. When she turned back, she found him looking at her, she felt a moment building up. If only to avert the tension she said the first thing she could think of "we look like a couple with our color coordinated clothes" which might not have been the brightest thing to say as it didn't help in alleviating the tension. 

He smiled "we are a couple"
She looked at him, eyes filled with confusion. He grinned and added "of friends".

Her expression cleared but she was all set to beat him up this time. To which he pointed at a cop who was patrolling the area and said she might get arrested for assault which really annoyed her. She moved from her side of the table and adjusted herself to his side and promptly pinched him discreetly. He first howled in pain then burst into laughter. 

He put his arm around her and pulled her closer. 
"Shin Hye Ya" He whispered into her ear, she felt goosebumps erupt on her arms. Her heart was beating erratically but it was nothing to how he felt. He rubbed her arms to keep them warm. How perfect, she thought, it didn't matter that the guy with her wasn't her boyfriend, it was the best date she had ever been on. 
When the food arrived, they painstakingly separated crab shells and the meat within and fed each other. There were some times in life when you live the moments as they come, their time together here was one such. Beautiful memories of a life time.

They heard music from a distance and decided to follow it. They noticed a bonfire and musicians from the Caribbean singing and playing traditional instruments. There was much bonhomie as women danced to the beats swaying their skirts. Shin Hye removed her sandals and joined them. If Yonghwa thought he couldn't be more in love with her, he couldn't be more wrong. Watching her dance gracefully to the music with fire dancing in the background made him want to grab her and kiss her right there. An elderly lady tapped him on his shoulder and offered him a basket of flowers and pointed toward a dancing Shinhye. YongHwa picked a gardenia not knowing its significance and the lady laughed knowingly, he paid her a dollar, she told him in actions to put it on her left ear. He noticed that all the women dancing had flowers on their hair either to the left or right. Quite a few men approached ShinHye while dancing but she skillfully avoided them finally making way towards YongHwa. He tugged her closer and put the flower in her hair next to her left ear. On an impulse she hugged him. 
"You look beautiful dancing " he murmured into her ear. She blushed into the night. You should join, she said. He laughed shaking his head and pushing her to continue. He noticed that guys had stopped approaching her, he looked around for the flower lady who winked at him. He grinned, it had just occurred to him that the flower on the left meant the girl was taken. When he looked back to where shin hye was dancing, he couldn't spot her. She was talking animatedly to one of the musicians pointing at where he stood. She then, pulled him over and the musician handed him an ukulele, he looked slightly taken aback but she smiled encouragingly at him giving him a double thumbs up. He smiled and played around with the instrument for a bit before playing along with beats. The other musicians stared in amazement as he picked up the tune in a jiffy and played adding his own variations to it. She grinned proudly before continuing to dance while he played the ukulele. It was a secret dream of hers, to dance to the tune of her guy playing the ukulele in a similar setting, but to recreate the exact scene was beyond any of her imaginations. The only difference was probably that in her secret dreams she was with her husband but this wasn't too bad, she thought, Yonghwa was as good as it gets. When he was done, all the musicians clapped and the elder one patted him on the back offering him a gypsy bracelet he was wearing, Yonghwa was touched by the gesture. As they said their good byes, ShinHye was excited beyond words at how the crowd and the musicians had reacted to his music. 
"You are amazing YongHwa Ya.. I am so proud of you" She said as they walked hand in hand. 
"Your music has the capacity to touch hearts" she continued energetically. 
They had walked ahead along the seashore and found themselves alone. 
"I knew it the moment I heard the first song you let me listen. It was so obvious, your music was meant for the world" she spun around hands outstretched. 
"Shin Hye ya" he said quietly as he held her hand, she looked at him. 
"I'm going to kiss you now"
He stared at her for any sign of protest, but found none, he pulled her closer by the hand he had held. He wrapped his left hand around her waist and used his right to sensuously move the strands of hair that were blocking his view of her lovely face, carefully tucking each behind her ear. She was now staring at him, he smiled just a little, as he placed a light kiss on the corner of her lips. Her lips tugged upwards into a small smile. He then, kissed her full on the lips and smiled into the kiss when he found her responding. They kept kissing as they found new ways to get a response from the other, with every kiss being deeper and longer that the earlier. At one point, he smirkingly said that their fans would've been pretty impressed with that kiss eliciting a laugh and a swipe from her. It was like he had prophetic powers, as he predicted, he was kissing the girl under the moonlight, what more could he have asked for?