Incomplete

A fanfiction I wrote. The girl is a friend from one of the forums I frequently visit. Just to make things clear this all FICTION, none of the events happen in real life (although my friend fervently hopes it will). Featuring Shin Hye Sung of Shinhwa.

Incomplete

Whoo
Ooh
Oh yeah yeah
Bright lights
Fancy restaurants
Everything in this world that a man could want
Got a bank account bigger than the law should allow
Still I'm lonely now

Traffic is light for a Friday evening. Driving pass the fancy restaurants that he often frequent, Sungie continued driving with nowhere to go. He called Eric earlier but his out on a date with one of the many women that are occupying his time right now. Junjin is still in China, Minwoo and Dongwan are both busy with album promotion and Andy’s phone is unreachable. He knew he should be resting. However, Hyesung does not want to stay in his apartment. Even the computer games that he enjoys playing all the time feels boring now. He feels lonely and knows the reason why, but his pride is refusing to cooperate. All it would take is a single phone call but his stupid pride is paralyzing him.

Pretty faces from the covers of the magazines
From their covers to my covers wanna lay with me
Fame and fortune still can't find
Just a grown man runnin out of time

The phone rang, Hyesung checked and immediately turned off his cell. It was Cecilia, the French model, his manager introduced to him the other day. Pretty, tall, elegant looking, she is all that and more. She is fun, witty, and very worldly. The dinner they had ended with him invited to her bed. Sure, it was fun and she is as good as she say she is. By the time it was over, he felt emptier than he felt in days. She is a warm body who willingly offered him a quick roll in the hay. No man in his right man would actually say no to such a creature of beauty. Unless if he is a man hopelessly in love with somebody else.

[CHORUS]
Even though it seems I have everything
I don't wanna be a lonely fool
All of the women
All the expensive cars
All of the money don't amount to you
I can make believe I have everything
But I can't pretend that I don't see
That without you girl my life is incomplete

He left the bright lights of Seoul without realizing it. The streets in this side of town are narrower and instead of brightly lit commercial establishments, there are only low cost hostels everywhere he looks. Most of the residents here are foreigners working in the many commercial establishments in Seoul. Housing here is cheaper than in downtown, that is why foreigner’s flock here. Without meaning to, he found himself parking the car in front of a well kept but obviously old apartment complex. Checking his watch, he knew that the person he wants to see is probably inside one of those small apartments. She probably is back from work now, cooking dinner while doing her laundry or checking her emails. Her ability to multitask amazes him sometimes. She will make a good wife to any man. However, she is also very independent and outspoken, something that always collide with his idea of how a perfect wife should be.

He was already in the elevator before he caught himself asking what he is doing there in the first place. Will she even give him the time of day? “Just do it Pil Gyo!”, he silently told himself

Said without you girl ahh

Your perfume
Your sexy lingerie
Girl I remember it just like it was on yesterday
A Thursday you told me you had fallen in love
I wasn't sure that I was

They met in one of the many secret trips he takes whenever things get too crazy in Seoul and he wants to play around without worrying about the press and the fans catching on. She was in Bangkok for a 3-month company sponsored training and he was there for some good time. It started simple enough, he was drunk already and she seemed to be willing company. But the moment he kissed her, he knew it was something else. Despite her bravado, he knew she is not used to playing this kind of games. Still his alcohol-addled brain told him to ignore this warning signs. In the 3 months that she was there, he came and visited her more than 10 times. He can feel her honesty when she mumbles “I Love You” in his ears whenever she thinks his already asleep. He pretended not to hear because he was not sure if he feels the same.

It's been a year
Winter summer spring and fall
But bein without you just ain't livin ain't nothing at all
If I could travel back in time
I'd relive the days you were mine

Then the recording for his second album started. At first, he would call her and she does not seem to mind at all his continued absence. Then the phone calls became less frequent and whenever she takes the initiative to call he would feign being busy. She even applied to transfer to Seoul so that she could be near him. In the beginning, he would visit her but his manager warned him about keeping it private. She obliged to all his request for secrecy to a point that none of her friends and family does not know about him. The busier he got the less they saw of each other. He has thoughts of asking her to move in with him but his manager stopped him and warned him against going through with it. Slowly they drifted apart, she in her attempt to give him the space he wants and he because of the album recording. Until both of them lost touch and he heard nothing from her again, sure there are days that he felt guilty for ignoring her but he knew deep within that he was just scared of asking himself how he really felt.

[CHORUS]

Oh yeah that without you girl ahh

I just can't help lovin you
But I loved you much too late
I'd give anything
And everything
To hear you say
That you'll stay

He knocked 3 times before somebody came and answered the door. She has not changed much, maybe lost a little weight. She is wearing the shirt he gave her as a joke one time she dragged him to watch Minwoo’s concert incognito. It was a merchandise T-shirt for his first concert. He was busy that time preparing for the concert but somehow he found the time to accompany her. He has watched Minwoo performed before both as a member and as M. However, it was the first time he would be watching him incognito, playing the role of a suffering boyfriend every time she would shout and wave a placard with M’s picture in it. The next day after the concert, he sent her the shirt and told her he was offended by her action the day before and she could only make up for such wanton display of affection towards another man by wearing this shirt the next time they see each other highlighting the words “THIS SHIRT AND NOTHING ELSE” . She answered back by saying he was just jealous. The messages flew back and fort but the next time he came over to her apartment, sure enough she was wearing it and nothing else. That was months ago.

If she were surprise by his sudden visit, she did not show it. She opened the door and let him in without saying a word.

“I’m sorry for bothering you, I was just driving by and saw your apartment light was on, I thought I might drive by and say hi” in all honesty Hyesung does not know what else there is to say to her.

“It’s ok, it’s not a bother at all” she answered in monotone.

Hyesung looked around and was struck at how oddly familiar and comfortable being in her apartment felt. The small apartment still look the same, the drab paint, the creaky sofa, the faded carpet, but what struck him the most is the smell. It was a pleasant smell of her favorite cologne mixed with the sweet scent of freshly laundered clothes. Sure enough, he caught a glimpse of newly washed linens on the makeshift laundry lines she has in her bedroom. That’s when he caught sight of a big box left open.

“Sending gifts home?” he asked her. It first baffled him when he first encountered the practice of sending what they call a “balikbayan box” to folks back home.

“No” she answered him without explaining.

He noticed that unlike the last time, this time she is wearing cut off jeans with the shirt. “Why have such a big box then?” He asked.

“I’ll be moving back to Manila, my flight is the day after tomorrow,” she answered curtly.

The sense of panic that enveloped Hyesung surprised him. He felt the blood drain from every nerve in his body.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes, I asked for a transfer” she said in the same dispassionate voice.

“Why?”

“I don’t need to explain anything to you!” she said.

He stood there rooted to where he is standing. He wanted to kick himself for his stupidity, for neglecting her and lastly for not saying how he really felt.

[CHORUS (2x)]

Without ya girl
Without ya girl my life
Without you girl
My life my life is incomplete
Without you girl
My life is incomplete
Oh yeah
My life is incomplete
Oh yeah yeah
Whoo

It took his manager a month before he could arrange a way to see her again. Getting to Manila was easy enough what prove to be difficult is coordinating the schedules of all the other members. Andy for one is only available certain days, Minwoo and Dongwan on the other hand have to do a lot of rescheduling just so they could give in to his request. Junjin has to cancel a photoshoot. Only Eric is available but that is because he is not doing any new project yet.

Nobody knew that Shinhwa is coming to Manila except for a contact his manager managed to befriend online. She is a Shinhwa fan but promised them that she will be very discreet. She helped them arrange their hotel reservation and even manage to get info’s about an informal gathering of Shinhwa fans that will meet that same afternoon. She assured them that the object of this clandestine visit would be there. At least this is what the organizer of the said affair told her.

Hyesung did not say a word throughout the trip. The other members would grin at him but also did not say anything. Missy, their contact and their manager are the ones who attempted to keep a conversation going. He knew she fancies Andy but she kept to herself and did not attempt to start any conversations at all with him. He reminded himself to properly introduce the two later. She seems to be a nice girl, well grounded with a quirky sense of humor. “Pil Gyo, why the sudden urge to be match maker?” he silently asked himself.

Their manager is concerned about security but Missy assured them that no one knew they are coming. It was not long before they reached their destination. One of her friends sent a message that the person he wanted to see just arrived. Suddenly his heart beat faster and he felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Missy gave him a reassuring smile.

“Ready?”

“Yes” He lied.

One by one they alighted from the vehicle with Missy leading the way. He heard a gasped coming from the inside of the house followed by a shriek. Somebody recognized Eric.

Somebody ran from inside the house to meet Missy. From the open window, he saw them appear one by one, but still the one person he is seeking is not one of them.

An uneasy silence greeted their unexpected arrival. Missy just grinned at them as if a mischievous child caught doing something she was not supposed to do.

Then she appeared, she looked well rested but he can sense how unhappy she is.

“Hi” he heard himself say. He knew he should say something else but words fail him now.

He felt somebody gently pushed him forward. Looking back he there was Eric and the other members giving him a reassuring smile.” He saw her hold back her tears but failed miserably. With both his voice and knees shaking, he went down on his knees and took out the small red box he has been guarding with his life from the time they left Seoul.

“Riel, my midnight girl, will you marry me and make my life complete?”