~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

Early the next day, Seunghee and Jeonghan got to the airport to bid Kevin goodbye.

“So I think this is it. See you again sometime Seunghee,” Kevin bade.

“Take care there oppa,” Seunghee said.

They hugged each other with lonely smiles on their faces.

“Have a safe trip sunbae,” Jeonghan uttered.

Jeonghan offered his hand to him. Kevin knew he lost to him, so he shook his hand.

“Take care of Seunghee for me,” Kevin requested.

“Oppa!” Seunghee interjects.

Jeonghan smiled at her and then back at him.

“You don't have to remind me. I always will,” Jeonghan said.

“It's better to be sure,” Kevin replied.

“I'll miss you again oppa. Visit us sooner alright?” Seunghee said.

“I'll try. So that's my flight right there. I better get going.”

“Don't forget to call me once in a while.”

“Yeah, I will. Goodbye Seunghee.”

“Goodbye oppa.”

Kevin then turned around to go. He knew it was just a matter of time before Seunghee would finally admit to herself that she loves Jeonghan. It was a shame. He wasn't really scheduled to return home but because he was expecting she would feel the same, he hurried back cancelled his contract and left everything in California for her. But of course he couldn't tell her that now. She made up her mind. And she didn't love him the way he did. He lost everything. And he was lost too. But seeing her face for the last time and biding him goodbye, he found hope again. Maybe in California someone's waiting for him. Just maybe. And so with a final peek at her, he faded into the crowd.

Seunghee was teary eyed by then but with a loud sigh she dismissed it.

“Let's go?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said.

As they were walking back,

“Are you ready for the finals? What genre will you sing?” Jeonghan asked.

“A ballad of course, I’ll play the piano. And you? You've been keeping your performance a secret from me,” Seunghee answered.

“Well let's just save it for the finals.”

“Ahh! You're not fair! Come on, spill it out!”

“No. I'll save it for the finals. You'll just have to check me out.”

“You're so unfair!”

Jeonghan was just laughing. It was times like these that he really loves her. She was so cute when she sulks.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

At home Seunghee practiced her piece for the finals. Like she told Jeonghan, she would sing a ballad. Playing the piano, she felt the music whole-heartedly. It echoed beautifully.

Her dad, who was just across the room went over her and sat beside her.

“Dad... Does it sound okay? It's my piece for the finals.”

“A little. Haha. Just joking. It's perfect. Even if I’m not a musician, it sounds good,” her dad answered.

“Music and my voice, it's all have dad. If I don't succeed in this, I don't know where else to go.”

“What do you mean that's all you have? You have us. You can always turn to us. And don't worry too much. You have it. You have the voice and the music. You're talented. And you're my daughter. I know you can make it.”

“Thanks dad.”

“And I’m really glad you threw that coups out the window already. He really gets on my nerve.”

“Dad... He's not that bad.”

“But he is kinda bad.”

“Well, yeah... You go now dad. I'm practicing! I need to concentrate.”

“Alright. Just don't go thinking about bringing that boy here again.”

He stood up and walked away.

“I won't dad.”

“And don't bring any other boy than Kevin.”

“He's abroad dad!”

“Oh, right...”

Her dad went to his room then. Seunghee resumed on playing the piano. She was playing the song "What to do". She was solemnly feeling the intro then she started singing the lyrics.

“ijen nado jogeum pyeonhaejyeossna bwa
amu il eopsdeon geoscheoreom
geunyang geureohge useumyeo jinae
himdeureossdeon geuttae uri jogeumeun
eoryeossneunjido molla jigeumboda deo
sarangeul mollassna bwa
apeun gieok miun maeum modu jiwoboni ijeya
nal hyanghae usdeon neoman tteoolla
ijeneun eotteokhajyo deoneun gyeondil suga
eopsneunde (eojjeojyo) ireohge (himdeulgo) apeun naren…”

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

“duri geotdeon georie honja
mundeuk geudae saenggage meomchwo seo
nunmuri meomchuji anheul ttaen eojjeojyo...”

Seunghee just ended her finals performance. Jeonghan was proud of her. She was really good and she really shined on the stage. She was so beautiful. If only she was his girl. If only she was officially his girl. Seunghee timidly went down the stage upon the nonstop applause of her classmates. She wanted to go to where Jeonghan was but he was getting ready too. She only saw him smile at her and that was okay for her. Meanwhile somewhere in the room, Seungcheol was also watching her.

Jeonghan was up. He was also nervous. But not as nervous as when Seunghee went up the stage. It was his time and with the help of two of his classmates, his performance was set. He peeked at Seunghee before going up the stage, and she mouthed 'Fighting' to him silently. And so he was more than ready.

The group went up the stage and stood in position. With Jeonghan in the middle, the music started playing, and he started singing and dancing...

“Oh an bwado ppeonhae neoui geojitmal
Oh nega mworadeunji ije nan
Oh deoneun byeonmyeong ddawi hal saenggak
hajima nal cheotjima get em out hey
Oh an bwa no fun hae nega han geumal
Oh neoneun dareudago haetjanha
Oh jigeut jigeuthae ije nan
deo isang nal cheotjima get em out”

As the song progressed, the crowd's enthusiasm towards the performer also increased. Girls were squealing like fan girls and an overall major commendation for the person performing became apparent. Seunghee was dumbfounded. She just realized that she hadn't really been paying complete attention over Jeonghan. When has he ever been this good? When has he ever been this mesmerizing and hot when performing? It was like watching him the first time when she had seen him perform so many times before. She was really amazed. No wonder those girls were squeaking like kittens. He was pretty gorgeous on that stage and even she was caught in his trap.

“No F.U.N deoneun jaemi eobseo
Yeah it's over oh oh
ne modeun ge no fun
You can't give me what I want
No F.U.N
imi da jilyeosseo
Yeah it's over oh oh
ne modeun ge no fun
You can't give me what I want
Du du du du du
Du du du du du
Du du du du du du ha ow X2”

After his performance, a very loud audience filled the gym. It was a winner. Jeonghan was catching his breath but only one person's approval was his goal. He looked at where Seunghee was and he was relieved. She was almost teary eyed clapping her hands together. He was done for. No one else can make him feel good about himself but her. With a satisfied smile on his face, he went down the stage.

“Jeonghan you were awesome!! You're hot! Sexy!! You nailed it!!” the crowd exclaimed.

“Thank you guys...” Jeonghan timidly said.

He was feeling overwhelmed. They were swarming around him when the only person he wanted to go to was Seunghee. He couldn't get away from his classmates.

Seunghee was smiling where she was. Of course they would go gaga over him. It was the best performance of the night. She was silently feeling proud when someone stood near her.

“So he's strutting his best stuff now huh,” a person said to her.

It was Seungcheol. Seunghee ignored him. She was alarmed of course, but with this crowd, he won't be able to do anything to her.

“Easy. I won't do anything stupid and besides, your knight in shining armor might fly killing me if I move any closer,” Seungcheol said.

“What do you want Seungcheol?” she disdained.

“Hey, I know I won't be able to talk to you normally so let me just say it here.”

He left off a deep sigh before continuing.

“I was wrong in every way I know. No matter how I defend myself, I’ll still end up on the losing side. I was stupid and selfish. I only did what I thought was right for myself. And I hurt you. So I just wanna say I’m sorry. I apologize for everything. I'm not a gentleman like Jeonghan. I'm not as considerate as him either. And maybe I’m never gonna be. But one thing is true after all that I’ve done. I still love you Seunghee. You're still the girl I want to be with for the rest of my life.”

Seunghee didn't want to look at him. But hearing him, his voice trembled, as if he was collapsing. She felt a bit guilty.

“But that seems to be a dream now. When you have someone like him.”

They both looked at where Jeonghan was in that circle of crowd. He was shining, like a diamond. Everyone was adoring him. And Seunghee was starting to feel the need to be with him.

Seungcheol took a last look at her before he went without goodbye. He already lost to him a long time ago. Even before that incident, he knew Jeonghan liked her. The moment he learned about Jeonghan’s feelings for her, he already gave up. And that time in Jeju was his last resort. It was goodbye for him.

When Seunghee noticed, Seungcheol was gone. Maybe he was only telling her not to let Jeonghan go cuz he was more than just anybody. Maybe he was also helping her realize her feelings.

Soon enough, Jeonghan reached Seunghee. He was panting. It was hard leaving that crowd.

“Are you okay? I saw Seungcheol a while ago,” he muttered.

“I'm alright. He won't make a scene here, would he now? He just apologized again and said some things,” she replied.

“What things?”

“Nothing. Well aren't you popular? The girls are all over you. You even have fan boys now.”

She was being sarcastic but Jeonghan soulfully looked into her eyes.

“The only person I want to notice me and acknowledge my talent is the girl infront of me now. I don't really care about anybody else.”

It made Seunghee feel self-conscious for the first time.

“Why are you so straightforward? You didn't even bat an eyelash saying that to me. Are you mad?”

“I'm not. I can't be mad at you.”

Seunghee was starting to feel feeble. She didn't want it to show so she tried to change the topic.

“Of course you can't. You're too nice. But that performance was so unlike you so everyone was really surprised. And I was too so stop the drama now. You were great.”

Jeonghan smiled.

“And you were too. You were beautiful.”

Something hit Seunghee. Was this what they called cupid's arrow? She didn't want to believe it just yet. So she suppressed the feeling.

“My, you're doing pickup lines now? Stop it Jeonghan. I'll go ahead.”

“Hey, it's not a pickup line! Seunghee, wait!”

Seunghee went on. Jeonghan was still putting his things on the bag back there. But she had to be away from him. All of a sudden she was feeling the butterflies, it put her on the spot. So she had to clear her mind. Away from him, that's what she had to do.

“Seunghee!”

Seunghee really left Jeonghan. It was strange for him. She never did that before. Was it something he did? But what? He asked himself. As he was staring at her receding figure, a couple of girls went over him.

“Oppa! Will you sign this for us?” the girls said.

“Oh, I’m not a celebrity. I can't do that,” he replied.

“But oppa... Please...”

The girls were persistent so Jeonghan gave up. When they left, Seunghee was out of the view. Jeonghan could only sigh. What just happened? He thought.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~

Seunghee couldn't sleep that night. As she lay on her bed, hugging a pillow, she kept on sighing. All she could think about was Jeonghan. His smile, his face, his growing mustache, his jaw line, his eyes... And all of her memories were everytime he was looking at her. Everytime he was facing her. She could clearly see his face even though her eyes are open and more so when her eyes are closed. It was insane! She was going mad.

“Aghhhh!!!! This is not fair! I'm 20, for god's sake! Get your act together Seunghee!” she shouted at herself.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

To be continued...