Better Than You

This thing has been lying around on my desk for a few weeks now, just last Saturday or Sunday, I finally decided to sit down and finish it, but there was a series of unfortunate events TT.TT which made me toss it aside because I did not know how to finish this. But that only lasted for a few hours. I know people were like sad and sulking last night, but not the evil me--I ended up weirdly laughing and giggling and chuckling as I stalked blogs and chatrooms. Bwahahahhaa...

Rocking the boat sometimes can be fun, right?? And oh, I SALUTE THE DIEHARD, SOLID TO THE MAXX BELIEVERS!!!

So back to the fic, it has a very weak ending since I think it's pretty much forced, so this isn't something I should be proud of.

Gwaps, I know you said something angsty, something hateful and something that will make HJ look like a twerp after the minor 'commotion' that made you react and post my email here, but it just did not come to me today. Pasensya!!! Maybe some other time? Peace!! And warning, the last line will make you hurl and cringe!!

So, if you want to be disappointed, go ahead and read. If you don't, please I'm begging you, stop right now. LOL.

I want (like all the other writers) the readers to leave comments, but PLEASE NO BASHING. Please leave me some LOVE, it's a Monday, I need all the Loving I could get!!!

To Moc, thanks for dropping by and leaving me lotsa love. It is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!!

And oh, thank you LVK2010 for the pic!!! You're jjang!!!

Hyunjoong grunted as the white Sedan in front of his Cayenne slowly and carefully turned right, taking almost all the time in the world. As soon as he had the chance to overtake, he immediately grabbed the opportunity.

He was anxious and in a hurry. The call he received earlier made him wake up from his sleepy reverie, put on his pants, grab the lime green polo from last night, pick up a pair of heavily tinted sunglasses and his General Idea cap, slip on the first pair of slippers he could find and run out of the door.

He had been swerving, overtaking, beating red lights ever since he got out of his apartment’s parking lot. A few seconds ago, he even had to steal an Ahjumma’s parking space. He was not normally rude, and he always followed road rules and courtesy, but today was an exception.

“Mian..”, he mouthed, then gave the fuming Ahjumma a 90 degree bow. She was watching him fiercely, like she was about to attack her prey.

Hyunjoong was pretty much aware of the expletives she might be throwing at him, but he really could not care less, like how he did not care that his hair was dishevelled, that the dark circles under his eyes were growing 1 millimeter wider each second, that his polo was not buttoned properly. He did not care about his image being an idol today. In fact, he forgot he was one. All he cared about was seeing her.

He remembered his Hyung’s trembling voice over the phone.

“Sorry to wake you so early Hyunjoongie. I just don’t know who else to call.”, Brian started.

It was 5:17AM when he received his call. Hyunjoong answered sleepily without even looking at the caller ID. He barely had two hours of sleep in the past two days, and it was his only time off from the Playful Kiss set.

“I normally call Euni or Junjin or Andy when things like these happen. And also, I did not want her parents to worry. You were on her speed dial, so I thought it’d be best to call you…”, Brian continued. Hyunjoong was startled. He quickly glanced over the screen. It said ‘Blackbelter’. His heart pounded faster as thoughts swarmed his weary head.

“Hyung, did something happen?”, Hyunjoong managed to ask.

“It’s Hyejung-ah, she’s very sick right now. I think she caught the flu, but she still worked and had not had sleep yet. She’s being stubborn again and refused to go the doctor..”, Brian explained, “She was coughing and shivering at the set, so I insisted to take her to the hospital, but we ended up fighting inside my car, so I took her to her apartment instead.”

“Can you come over immediately, Hyunjoong?”, Brian asked.

Hyunjoong breathed heavily as he climbed up the stairs, taking two steps at a time.

Sweat started to trickle down his forehead as he lifted his arm to ring the doorbell. He rolled his eyes and thought that she should have given him the keys to her apartment, but as usual, she stands firm and insists on doing things her way.

As expected, Brian opened the door. Relief was painted all over his then worried face when he saw his Hoobae.

“Thank God, you’re here..”, he exclaimed, “I gotta run back to Storm’s set to finish some things.”

Hyunjoong nodded as he watched his Hyung scurry and went out of the apartment.

“She’s inside, and she refused to take any medications..”, he told Hyunjoong before leaving.

The idol walked through the familiar hallway. Nothing much has changed except that the cats and dogs weren’t the first once to greet him and it has become a bit messy knowing that Hyejung is a neat freak. Both of them have gotten busier as more projects poured in, so they have been getting lesser time for themselves and to be with each other.

Hyunjoong knocked on the first door to the right, but he did not get an answer. He decided to open the door slowly so as not to disturb the person inside.

He looked around and finally saw her shivering on her bed, all wrapped up in two thick comforters. She was asleep, but her face was tired, pale and thin. Her once full lips were dry, and there were heavy, dark circles under her eyes.

She started coughing. Hyunjoong remembered the first time he saw her sick and coughing inside their apartment back in their WGM days. The sense of urgency to take care of her at that time was exactly what he felt today. He wanted to run to the nearest drug store and buy all sorts of medications and vitamins, but at the same time he never wanted to leave her side.

He peeled off one of the thick comforters from her, and she did not even notice. Then, he slowly rolled the other one down, revealing her fully clothed body.

She cringed a little, then shuddered even more.

“Cold”, she whispered, then started to cough again.

It took great effort for Hyunjoong not to be all over her and take her into his arms as he watched her almost coughing her lungs out. He took a seat in bed beside her and gently patted her back, hoping that would ease all the pain she was feeling.

On his way to her apartment, he was cursing her for not taking care of her body and her health, for being a workaholic, for saying she was fine when in fact, she wasn’t. He swore to himself he was going to reprimand her for all those reasons, for making him worry and for not telling him that she was sick, but all those pent up anger disappeared the very second he saw her weak face—an unfamiliar scene for him.

She started to cough again, making her whole body tremble. When the coughing subsided, Hyejung opened her catlike, puffy eyes.

“Are you okay?”, he asked, “Do you need anything?”

She could not believe who was in front of her.

“Hyunjoongah..”, she whispered, trying to avoid his eyes.

“Are you okay, Buin?”, he asked again, “Are you feeling pain? Discomfort? Anything I can do to make you feel better?”, he asked, touching her pale cheeks.

“I’m fine..”, she answered, trying to convince him by trying to sit up, “I’m really fi…”, but her world suddenly spun before her very eyes. She started coughing again, this time harder and more violent than before.

“Apayo…”, she unconsciously said as she staggered to one side, nearly falling off the bed.

But two strong arms scooped her up and were wrapped around her small strength-less figure protectively. It felt warm and safe to be inside Hyunjoong’s secure embrace—like all the worries and pains will soon go away. Hyejung wanted to be trapped inside his embrace forever. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. It felt amazing.

Hyunjoong pulled away from their embrace and cupped her face between her palms. He watched her intently as if observing if there are traces of pain.

“Kwenchanayo?”, he asked her then pulled her closer to plant a kiss on her feverish forehead. Without waiting for an answer, he took her inside his loving embrace again.

“I’m here now. I’ll take care of you..”, he whispered into her ear.

A small smile formed on Hyejung’s parched lips. Her flu and fever has not gone down, but having him hold her like that eased her pain a bit. Just when she needs two arms to hold her tight, his tender love and kisses can make it right. He can chase the darkness in her world and make her days full of light. It is a fact, that there is none better and no one can do it better than Kim Hyunjoong.