From where she was sitting she can see him clearly entered the arena - barefaced, looking smooth, a sizzling brusque. Upon arriving the venue, Hyejin already raised up her thoughts not to act wimpy when the riveting moment comes, but how can she not? Yang Jungwon looks unreal, more manly than how he looked before, swiftly unstripping her expections for an uncalled reunion.
His mere presence is totally powerful, causing her thoughts to twist in a confusing shape. He was the kind of young man that orders for others to follow, not because he said so, but because everyone felt prudent around him. He was really a natural leader. 
Hyejin's literally having an inner battle with herself whether to stare or not. The way he walks or how he simply gathers his members causes her heart to weakly string and the way it goes at present is stronger than how she felt before. 
"Hyejin-a." Sunghoon appeared right in front of her lingering stares. "It's been a while. I'm so happy to see you here."
"Oppa." she hushed and giggled like a kid seeing a long lost sib. "I missed you."
"Nah. You don't know how I long I've been worried for you. Please don't do that again. I missed you too, queen." Sunghoon chuckled back and tousled her hair.
"If didn't do it I won't be here now." Hyejin jokes back. Her little winks got Sunghoon released a loud cackle. 
"You little brat. But yeah, who would've thought we will do a collab?" Sunghoon couldn't stop his chuckles. 
"Some things go unexpectedly crazy sometimes. But what a let down they won't let you wear your skates in this collab. Your fans will lose their chance to see me defeat you." Hyejin shrugged in laughter with her own quip.
Sunghoon laughs harder. "Oh yeah? Don't challenge me. My skills are still intact."
"I'm sorry for interrupting but I want to take this opportunity to apologize. Hyejin, I know we've met in a very unpleasant situation and I don't mean to act like that. It's just--"
"Heeseung Oppa." Hyejin cuts his worried jabbering with a pleasant smile. "It's nice to see you again. How's Aerin Eonnie?"
"S-She's--" Heeseung cannot believe the response he have got. "Aerin's fine. It's nice to see you too. I couldn't be more happier working with you but I--"
"It's okay. Let bygones be bygones now. It's an honor working with you."
She wished she could tell those words to everyone else, especially to the distant and unbothered Yang Jungwon. But for the moments she have stolen a quick glance, he was completely remote and how bad she deeply feel seeing his blazing smile lost it's sparkle.
"Park Hyejin. It's really a pleasure to finally meet you." Jay cuts in, offering a handshake.
"Hi. I'm Sim Jaeyun. You can call me Jake. Happy to meet you finally."
"Kim Sunoo here!" Sunoo hops in, joining the cheerful undertaking. "You know what, you're prettier up close."
"Nice to meet you at last, Noona. I'm Ni-Ki and I'm a fan."
"Oh!" Hyejin rubs her cheek for the surprise blush, not ready on how to react for once. "I feel so honored to work with all of you, like, really."
She once believe a phony word on the street, that idols are faking their deep connection with one another. But seeing how stable Enhypen's bond is, she can put the unkind rumor to rest. 
Moreover, she had heard maybe a hundred words and none was made by his voice. In her harrowing emotions that push her to look again, Jungwon remained apart, casually talking to Yuki. But eventually and maybe destined to happen, some things acts in a natural way, their eyes locked finally, in a distance, in a period of time that feels like forever. Looking at his eyes, it was once breezy, presently it's sunless, the kind eyes wanting to tell a story at a deeper level.
"Let's get this thing going now! Everyone in position!"
Jungwon's distinct order is such an intimidating command. Hyejin pulled away from the group and immediately went to Minhyuk's side, who, on the other hand, is looking so obviously peeved.
"After the Enhypen leader puts into a nasty situation, you act like nothing happened and playing cute? You're unbelievable." Minhyuk's sarcasm is too loud.
"Nobody puts me in a nasty situation but you because you gave me a catastrophic thinking and even instilled frivolous things in my mind making Jungwon the bad guy. It was you and your brother who created this drama in the first place." Hyejin was pissed but maintained a calm face.
"I'm the bad guy?!" Minhyuk was vexed even more. "My brother is also trying to protect you because you're so blinded by your feelings with that braggart leader. See? You just landed second in your solo competition. If not for me, you won't be called a champ. You're just a loser with a consolation prize."
She had a considerable length of patience when it comes to criticisms but coming from the egotistical Ahn Minhyuk, Hyejin finally reached her breaking point. It's not the first time she had heard such nasty things, it goes dreadful as time passes especially the days there were in Poland.
"After this performance I won't do any paired stunt with you anymore. I want out." she whispered in abhorrence.
Minhyuk gave her a sardonic laugh, hard enough to push her to the edge. "As if you can do better without me. Stop the blabbering and let's get this rehearsal done. I'm so done with your cousin's haughty stares, their leader's peculiarly throwing a whip hand and this whole K-pop gayish things. Geez, why did I even signed on this crap? I deserve something better."
"You're unbelievable." Hyejin fizzled, shaking her head in disbelief.
Minhyuk pulled her in to finally glide. It was the most stressful thirty minute rehearsal she had ever went and after feeling the last stretch fast approaching, Hyejin went to release a sigh of relief. 
"Can you change the last lift? We need something that will definitely amaze the crowd." the production director suggests.
"What do you mean? You want the most hardest lift? That's way too difficult given the song and such a high risk routine to execute. We can't do it in just a short notice." Hyejin voiced out her concern.
"No. We can do it. We can give you the triple twist lift." Minhyuk intervened much to Hyejin's suprise.
"Alright." the production director was delighted from the response. "Let's do a final straight. Everyone, from the top!"
"Shut up---" just in a distance away from the rink, Sunghoon worriedly muttered that caught Jungwon's attention.
"What's the triple lift spin?" he couldn't stop to ask.
"That's the most difficult lift to take. That nutcase is going to toss Hyejin up in the air while she do a quick three rotations. They didn't even performed that routine! What the hell is he thinking?!" 
"What?!" the other members uttered at once.
"That moron better do it right or else I'm going to choke him to death if he harms my cousin."
Looking at a distance from where she's at, Jungwon thoughts jumbled in worry and fear. Even if Hyejin is trying to hide it, he can sense the strain on her face and all the while he saw the argument between her and Minhyuk that she's trying to cover. The memory of the past comes back like a lightning flash. Down in the café one summer night, Hyejin confessed her fears to him, when she said she had a resentment about Ahn Minhyuk trying to ruin her and how it all made sense now.
"Wait, Director Lee--" Jungwon halts everyone as he tried to horn in. "I don't think that's necessary. It's a dangerous routine. I don't want any harm for everyone, especially to Hyejin."
"Come on. Stop the fiddle, will you? We aren't called champions for nothing." Minhyuk is so insistent to push through.
"Doesn't a champion considers his partner's feelings? You just can't make a decision alone. You need Hyejin's say on it too."
Just as she thought he wouldn't talk until the rehearsal is over, Yang Jungwon finally let his voice heard and stood up for her after being mislaid by Ahn Minhyuk. Artist as he is, Jungwon is clueless about the dangers of her routines and yet, he speaks as if he knows the drill and for the fears she's trying to cloak in secrecy.
"Well, it looks like we still got three more days before the gala. You can still work on it, right?" the director is vigorous with his plan. "Let's call this a day. See you all again tomorrow."
"Right." Minhyuk quickly agreed, leaving Hyejin's concerns out of the picture. "And one more thing--" he faced the stunned group and bellowed in annoyance. "Don't step in our game. Just do your thing while we do ours. Is that fair enough?"
He's a forbearing person but Ahn Minhyuk's constant whining puts his tolerance to a severe test, causing him to be annoyed. Jungwon saw Sunghoon's jaw hardened as his own fist clenched in displeasure. Just imagining Hyejin's ordeal with Minhyuk for those long months is causing him to reach his limit. His cornered beast is slowly unleashing and he's feeling the need to attack.
"Won, Hoon, chill." Jay stopped them from being oppressive. 
He's drowning in anger and seeing Hyejin's beseeching eyes, Jungwon have to had it up from there. He fled out as if he had no other recourse. Even if he tried to create a peaceful rehearsal, they won't achieve it because they are in the company of the real enemy.
He stayed in the locker room longer than he imagined. The silence goes in tune with the darkness of the room, practically beating him and his emotions peaks most clearly in it. Feeling the place goes into a solitude is his clear signal to take the way out. He already expected a crazy day before the practice starts, turns out his expectations goes a little fouled up.
"Are you okay?"
Her voice lingered in the empty rink creating a feeling of nostalgia, giving treasured mind-photographs, the best kind of life-reminiscence. Certainly he wasn't asleep or even more so, not in the middle of a beautiful dream but her calling took his feet to float in air. Finally, she stepped out from the shadows, stealing his breath and the heat from his skin. In that nick of time, Jungwon's defences are like paper thin, like being soaked in the rapidly falling rain.
"H-Hyejin-a--"
"I-- I was worried. You shut yourself there for hours." Hyejin shyly muttered.
"So, you've waited for me for hours because you're worried about me?" Jungwon chuckled in disbelief.
A time alone with her is the last thing that entered his mind, not soon enough, but he got his chance sooner than he expects it. He heaved a deep sigh before he continues.
"Believe it or not but for those long months you've been away I am dying to ask you that, if you're okay, if you had at least forgiven me. And how I ached every night thinking I let you go that easy carrying all the pains I have caused you."
Hyejin is trying to act strong but eventually croaked her words in. What was once a handsome face, chiselled in perfection, is now more manly than he appears to be. And before she can draw some air she have melted into his form. 
"It might be too late to say this and make things go back the way they used to be but--" Jungwon stepped forwards, keen that she shouldn't go. After so long without her he think he'll just die if she leaves again. 
Hyejin knows if she is strong enough she'd be running towards him at that point, throwing herself into his arms. When she tried to speak her voice falters into unintelligible rasps. How she wanted to tell him she never stopped thinking about him for those long months but she don't think he'll ever believe and afraid it will all sound hollow.
"I'm sorry." Jungwon finally hushed. "I'm sorry for abandoning you when you needed me the most. I'm sorry for making you believe that love is an awful thing that hurts. But believe me, all I wanted to do is to love with all of me. If you'd only give me another chance, I swear, I would take all the pain away."
His hands are reaching for her face, drawing her to finally wrapped her in his arms. Hyejin can feel his firm torso and the heart that beats within. Unexpectedly, she felt her body shake and those baby tears are like endless spring. She's crying in his arms - crying for those missed time that will never return, crying to release the tension of those long, endless days. How she wished she could scream back that she love him too, that her anger was just a flash of fire to cover her own weakness, but her voice were nowhere to be found as she keeps bawling her eyes out.
Feeling her shoulders uncontrollably shrugged, Jungwon pulled his head back and gently wiped her teats. He is devouring her with his eyes, still cannot believe she looks stunning in the middle of her crying. Running his hand through her hair, he sighed, as if he can't quite believe he's finally holding her near.
Having the courage to finally meet his eyes, Hyejin pulled her head up and move close enough to stare back. His eyes are the still same, although pleading, still that spark is slowly back. His fingers are still touching her hair and she'd wish she'd washed it properly that day. She'd wished she'd put on the make-up she'd been saving upon seeing him again, but he doesn't seem to mind the unpleasing appearance.
"Don't go. Not again, not anymore." Jungwon pleads.
She softly nods as her frittered voice came back at long last. "I won't go. Never again. Not from now on." 
When all was said and done, his lips paints the smile she longed to see. His wide smile, bright and dances like the sunshine, reappeared and came back stronger. It's his smile that casts her world back with deep-colored hues.
And when he kissed her finally, it's sweet, tender, warm and devout. Both were fully open-mouthed, as if they're savouring the lost times in that long, passionate, agonizingly chaste kind of kiss.
______________________________________