Chapter One

credits  going out to ♂ Pure♥Lust ♂ ►ʛraphic §hop for this poster :)

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To Lee Jungshin, bars were his common ground.

The time was nearing midnight. Cigarette smoke, alcohol and loud music always made him feel at ease. If Jungshin had dropped his age by ten years he, instead, would be mingling with younger people at the latest raved-about club, dancing and fading into the rapturing music. These days it was too embarrassing for him to step foot in a club, which was why he had persuaded the other men to hold their special celebration at one of the finest bars in Busan that night.

Jungshin took a sip from his frothing beer, languidly leaning back onto his chair as he watched the environment unfold before him. In the VIP section there were circles of tall models, celebrities, a few early twenty-something idols that he recognised from television (but failed to remember their names), and people clad head to toe in designer clothes.

His gaze shifted to the people who kept him company that night. He wryly smiled at the thought that they were finally reunited. They were now older, but very much not wiser.

CNBLUE had broken up a long time ago, yet they were still fairly noticeable to the public eye – especially Kang Minhyuk. Somehow the former drummer boy's popularity peaked after The Heirs and it had ultimately landed him an acting job each consecutive drama season.

When the band had become successful, after striving so hard to break into the music industry, they had decided to keep a low profile. Being constantly under the paparazzi's surveillance had pressured them. They had initially loved the attention, but the older they got they craved privacy and that had been the main reason why the band had naturally broken up.

So when Jonghyun announced that he would be returning to Korea, Jungshin had immediately volunteered to suggest the venue where they would all meet.

When Jungshin had told them that it would be a bar, Yonghwa and Jonghyun had been the most reluctant. And, surprisingly, Minhyuk had been the most enthusiastic about Jungshin's idea. It was ironic how things had changed. When Minhyuk had passed the legal drinking age, he hated going out to clubs and bars, but Jungshin noticed that ever since he met his girlfriend (which soon later became his wife) Minhyuk had loosened up. It was funny what love did to a person.

Despite Minhyuk being excited about the reunion being held at a bar, much to Jungshin's dissatisfaction, the former drummer boy seemed more preoccupied with the phone in his hands than having a good drink.

In fact, as Jungshin stared at his old group, they all looked out of place.

“Why don't we got to my house?” Yonghwa offered, practically yelling over the pounding music.

Jungshin began, “But the-”

“I agree,” Jonghyun grumbled. “Or at least a cafe. We were meant to catch up but I can't hear any of you speaking.”

“I vote your house, Yonghwa hyung,” Minhyuk yawned, which caused a few female bystanders to swoon.

Minhyuk hadn't noticed it, but Jungshin had. Minhyuk, unknowingly, still had 'it'. It wasn't fair. Jungshin was the single one, yet he hadn't been on a date for five months – for almost half a year! That, alone, bothered Jungshin. He had forgotten that the band members were no longer single.

Jungshin was at the awkward age when he was stuck between partying and settling down; his own middle-life crisis. It didn't help that everybody in CNBLUE, asides from him, had betrayed him and gotten married.

Jonghyun stood from his seat, shrugging on his coat. Yonghwa and Minhyuk followed in pattern, causing Jungshin to frown at the scene. Before Jungshin could protest, he found himself following the older men down the stairwell, outside the building, and into a cozy cafe that had been conveniently located right next to the bar.

Had they seriously left? After all Jungshin's planning they had let the night go to waste by picking a darn cafe. They had failed to recognise Jungshin's dilemma, his last chance to hit on a girl was at a bar...oh, who was he kidding? If they had wanted out of this bar, so be it.

When Jonghyun went to order their round of coffees and Minhyuk slipped out for a toilet break, it was then that Yonghwa zeroed in on Jungshin.

“What's the deal?” The ex-lead vocalist questioned him, furrowing his eyebrows at the youngest ex-member.

Jungshin folded his arms. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, you know what I mean. You've been acting like a brat all night. Can't you at least be proud to see Jonghyun back?” Yonghwa sighed.

Jungshin shrugged. “I saw him last month. Don't you remember I went to Osaka last month?”

He was probably appearing immature, but he didn't care. He wasn't as close to Yonghwa as he was used to. Ironically, he was much closer to his daughter than him. Jungshin was certain he had hung out with Minhyuk and Jonghyun more despite Yonghwa being the closest proximity to him.

“It's not about that,” Yonghwa replied. “Can't you be at least more-”

“Oh, look,” Jungshin muttered, distractedly. “Minhyuk is coming back.”

It was a stupid way to change the subject, but Yonghwa still looked up as the ex-drummer approached them.

Minhyuk was grinning to himself as he walked towards them with his eyes glued on his iPhone's screen. When he sat in front of Jungshin he produced a photo from the phone and displayed it, eyes gleaming. “Leeseol sent it. Isn't my little boy cute?”

“Kiwoon's grown!” Yonghwa exclaimed as he examined the young boy showing off a toothless grin. “How old is he now?”

“Six,” Minhyuk said, proudly. “I love him.”

“Isn't that guaranteed?” Yonghwa laughed. “He is your son.”

And this was exactly why Jungshin felt more out of place. He couldn't talk about children with them because he didn't have children. It's not that he was anti-kids. Jungshin just couldn't stand it that they talked about a topic that he couldn't relate to.

Jungshin almost let out a sigh of relief when Jonghyun returned with their coffees. It was automatic as he passed Yonghwa an Americano, Minhyuk a mocha and himself a latte. After all these years, Jonghyun still memorised their coffee preferences.

“I'm glad Sora's company opened a new branch here. It's good to back back in Busan.” Jonghyun sat back on his chair. “The ocean, better coffee, pork rib soup...food. I liked Japan, but I did get homesick. Being a stay-at-home dad didn't do it for me. The only time I went outside was when I was forcefully training my son Taekwondo or walking Mina to school.”

Yonghwa shook his head. “You still managed to produce me a lot of good songs.”

While Jonghyun had been in Japan, he continued his contract for FNC by composing music. He sent his songs to Yonghwa who, currently, was in charge of Busan's new FNC branch. Busan's FNC opened conveniently a year after CNBLUE broke up. While Minhyuk was an actor (owning a restaurant franchise on the side), Yonghwa was Busan's FNC CEO, Jonghyun was a composer and Jungshin had volunteered to become a guitar teacher.

“It'll be even better when I work at the studio. I hear it's bigger than Seoul's studio?” Jonghyun asked and immediately smiled when Yonghwa nodded.

Minhyuk added, “With the latest equipment too.”

“We ensured that we get the best of the best,” Jungshin smirked.

“I can't wait to start!” Jonghyun declared.

Jungshin missed this. Interacting through music. Talking about hopes, desires..their strong, driven ambition to be the greatest band in the world. Although they weren't together anymore, their friendship could never be completely broken. They were still passionate about music.

“You said your son's doing Taekwondo. Is he better than you?” Minhyuk jeered. Jungshin almost wanted to hit him for brining up kids again. He didn't want to listen to them to talk more about their children, but it seemed to always lead back to the topic.

“He's not bad. Just lazy.” Jonghyun glanced at Yonghwa. “I heard from Leeseol that Seohwa's been doing well at swimming?”

It was funny how small the world was. Jonghyun married his childhood sweetheart. Jonghyun's other childhood friend, Leeseol, ended up marrying Minhyuk. And Leeseol was now a Art teacher at Yonghwa's daughter's private school.

“Yeah, she is. Seohwa can't seem to focus on her studies though. I wish her grades would pick up...”

“Tell me about it,” Jonghyun sighed. “I drill my son all the time. He's always slacking off. He'll be starting at Seohwa's school next week. Is it a good school?”

Zoning out of the conversation, he glimpsed that Minhyuk had too. Instead, Minhyuk was now observing him.

“What?” Jungshin glared. First it was Yonghwa, and now it was Minhyuk who looked ready to bother him.

“Nothing,” Minhyuk smirked.

“I know you're thinking something, Minhyuk. Get that silly smile off your face,” Jungshin barked. He may not have been able to get away talking rudely to Yonghwa or Jonghyun, but he could always talk casually with the drummer because they were closer in age.

“Oh, you know...”

Jungshin sipped his coffee, raising an eyebrow. “I know what?”

“How's your love life?”

At the question, Jungshin spluttered out his coffee, causing the older men to look at him. “It's fine.”

“What's fine?” Yonghwa asked.

“I'm fine...now shut up,” Jungshin pleaded, but he knew they wouldn't. He had always been the target for their fond bullying, being the youngest and all.

“We were talking about Jungshin's love life,” Minhyuk filled them in before focusing his attention back onto Jungshin. “What happened to Kaori? She was nice. Or are you over her?”

“Ya,” Jonghyun hissed.

Jungshin frowned. From last month Jungshin had been completely over Kaori. They had broken up on messy terms, dated on and off for several years before realising it wouldn't work. However, Jungshin still loved her. And it was only after three years of silence, Jungshin had plucked all his courage to venture back to Japan to find her - only to find out that she was married. Nobody knew, asides from Jonghyun (since he was in Japan), the story and he wasn't that keen on sharing it to anybody else.

“She's married,” Jungshin replied, numbly.

“Oh..I'm-”

“Sorry?” Jungshin supplied, bitterly. “Sometimes think before you speak, Minhyuk. Just because you're...you know what? I'm leaving.”

“Jungshin-”

He shook his head, grabbing his coat and leaving the three men at the table.

•••••••••••••••

As soon as Jungshin had left the cafe, he immediately regretted it.

He knew Minhyuk was only joking, but it had hit home. It had been something Jungshin had stored at the back of his mind for so long and for it to be nonchalantly brought up out of the blue like that did not impress him. They'd make up; they always did. However it wouldn't be now. Jungshin wanted to be alone and going back into the cafe after acting rather childishly would be awkward.

He found himself wandering into the local supermarket. It was open twenty-four hours. There was nothing he needed from there. If anything, he wanted to have a drink. Maybe he'd purchase some alcohol? Jungshin retraced his steps and then recalled that, back in his apartment, he had about five bottles of beer.

Which led him to stand in front of the aisle filled with confectionary, biscuits and chips. He hadn't meant to find himself there, but it was a habit of his. Every time he'd go to the supermarket, he frequently visited the sacred aisle of junk food goodies.

Everybody has their addictions and for Jungshin it was Pepero.

There was only one box of chocolate Pepero left. As his hand reached to snatch it off the bench, another hand held onto the other side of the small box.

Jungshin lifted his eyes, to be met with fierce brown ones.

“It's mine.” The stranger demanded.

She was pretty. Dressed in a tight tank top, skinny jeans and a leather jacket. Her figure was nice, and not too skinny. He could see from her clothing how healthily toned her body was. Her light brown hair was tied in a high ponytail, strands eloquently wafting around and framing her small face. If it were on any other circumstance, Jungshin wouldn't have cared and let the other person take the box of Pepero. Unfortunately, Jungshin was having a bad day and he didn't feel as charitable as he would have – even if she was a woman.

“I touched it first,” Jungshin said.

“I saw it first.”

“Does that even matter?” Jungshin snapped. “Clearly it's more on my side.”

“I need it.”

“So do I.”

To a bystander they would have looked like fools, not that neither of them cared about it. All they were focused was on owning the last last box of Pepero.

“We could split it in half?”

“No,” Jungshin rejected the idea. The thought of having half the contents was unfair. “I'll pay you for it.”

“You'll pay me for it?” She laughed. “Are you insane? Do you really want it that badly?”

“Yes.”

“Well, how about I pay you for it?”

“What?”

“Because I want it more badly than you do.” She gestured at her cart of groceries. Everything inside the cart consisted of vegetables and fruit. “I've got all clean food in my cart. This is the only thing I can afford to savour.”

“Fine...”

The woman gave a triumphant smile, thinking she had won until Jungshin gripped tighter onto the box and tugged it out of her grasp. “Mine now!”

As Jungshin was about to make a run for it, something hit his head. He dropped the box, rolling onto the ground as he clutched his head and vigorously began to massage it. He cursed as he saw a green apple centimetres from his face. Had the woman actually thrown an apple at him?

He groaned as he saw the Pepero box fall into the hands of his enemy. She gave him a smirk and as she was about to leave him writhing there in pain she left him a parting present.

“Ouch!” Jungshin bawled out.

The woman had kicked him in the gut.

•••••••••••••••

14.06.15

(a/n) Finally! The first chp is now up ;) I had fun writing this opening chapter. There's more flare in the characters than writing from Yonghwa/Seohyun x Jonghyun/Sora's children's perspective. While Leeseol has some fire, Hyeri's a firestorm. ;D I'll stop here because I don't want to give anything else away. Thanks going out to you who are still following me. <3

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