The sounds of hot broth boiling and meat sizzling made for an enticing dinner backdrop. No other sound could be heard other than the murmur of the other restaurant patrons and the click of chopsticks as they prepared their meal in the boiling pot.

Chang Wook carefully pulled out a cooked piece of beef to place in JiHyun’s bowl. She murmured her thanks glancing quickly between him and Seo In Guk before focusing instead on her bowl of rice.

The three of them had ended up going to a tiny Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu place not too far from the SBS studios. Right outside the window, they could see the foothills of Jeongbalsan Mountain gently lit by the setting sun. The restaurant had started to get busy for dinner; but they had been shown to a private booth near the back away from curious eyes. It didn't seem like anyone had particularly noted their presence. Even the restaurant owner had not looked twice, as frazzled as she was with the dinner rush.

JiHyun couldn’t quite put her finger on it; but there seemed to be an uncomfortable tension going on.

Earlier in the car ride she had asked In Guk-Oppa about how he was doing. He just mentioned that he was taking his time with some physical therapy but was otherwise fine. She hadn't really asked him about his enlistment since it had been a bit of a scandal when news of his early release had hit the media. She didn’t want to bring it up.

She had also kept glancing in the side mirror to see if Chang Wook-Oppa was following along and every time she saw the lights of the turquoise Vespa she would feel a sigh of relief.

When they had finally arrived, she’d hopped out to help In Guk-Oppa and watched as Chang Wook pulled up on his scooter. Neither men said much and the uncomfortable silence had continued; only briefly interrupted by them ordering their food.

Finally she could not take it any more.

“Chang Wook-Oppa, how long have you and In Guk-Oppa known each other?”

Chang Wook looked at his friend, his eyes unsmiling.

“Four years. Is that right, In Guk? We’ve been close friends for about four years?”

“The best of friends” In Guk nods, looking back at his friend, also unsmiling

“He knows all the important things about me,” continues Chang Wook, “All my dreams. My hopes and desires”

“That’s why we’ve been such good friends,” replies In Guk, “We tend to have the same tastes. We’re so alike, really. We even like the same things.”

At this Chang Wook’s eyes narrowed.

Was that what he thought it meant?

Chang Wook had spent the short ride over pondering why the situation did not feel right. First of all, why had In Guk never responded to his texts or told him he was coming? Second of all, why would In Guk be all the way out here? It didn’t seem to make sense that he had a project.

The fact of the matter was, his friend’s situation was pretty dire. The public had not been happy to hear about a celebrity being released after only three days of basic training and some of the more vicious online commenters had savaged Seo In Guk. They were skeptical about his injuries and refused to believe it deserved an exemption.

Knowing all this, Chang Wook had been worried but not really surprised when he hadn’t heard much from his friend. He assumed In Guk was lying low until the furor was over.

Therefore it was hard to believe his friend had an official project nearby. Not when his enlistment status was still up in the air.

Furthermore, there was something off with the way In Guk kept touching JiHyun. Chang Wook knew that In Guk and Ji Hyun were friends from their days doing Shopping King Louie. In fact, he’d relied on In Guk to tell him all about her; soaking up the secondhand stories. But still.

His mind kept returning to In Guk’s words.

There was a girl Seo In Guk was in love with. One he’d never confessed to. One he regretted not confessing to.

He looked up sharply at his friend.

In Guk was sitting on the opposite side of the table across from him; chatting with JiHyun who Chang Wook had made sure was sitting next to him. His friend was listening attentively as JiHyun shared stories about their project. He laughed as she went into detail over the time she had gotten stuck trying to climb through a window for a scene.

Chang Wook himself had cracked up hilariously when that had happened. Poor JiHyun, who wasn’t the tallest of girls, had been so determined to carry out that scene by herself that somehow she had managed to get both her legs and one hand through but the rest of her stuck and ended up wailing for help. He’d finally gotten himself up off the floor where he had been dying of laughter to help pull her through.

Usually the memory would make for a good laugh. But he didn’t feel like laughing now.

What he really wanted to do was pull In Guk aside and ask him what the hell was going on?

Or give the bastard a solid punch to the face.

Violence is bad, he reminds himself. Also, he didn’t know for sure if what he was thinking was true. Perhaps this is what jealousy feels like. He’s never cared about a woman this much before. Maybe any kind of interest from another man will make you go crazy, he thinks rather worriedly.

He was going crazy.

Thankfully JiHyun gets up to use the ladies room which gives him a chance to talk to In Guk privately

“What the hell, In Guk?”

“What?” In Guk looks at him innocently

“Look, both you and I know something is going on, so don’t play stupid. What the f*k is going on?”

Seo In Guk is silent at first. The he looks Chang Wook squarely in the eyes.

“When I went to army camp," he says quietly, "I had a lot of time to think." He smiles a little bitterly at the memory.  "Sure, it was just three days; but trust me, when you’re in hell, three days feels like eternity. And when you come out of it, you realize, you only have one life to live.”

He leans over.

“So I decided. Screw the bullsh*t. Screw the no’s and the doubts and the can’ts. If life doesn't give me chances, I'll make my own."

He looks at Chang Wook for a few more beats.

 "To be honest, Chang Wook, I had already decided, if you were with her, I was going to walk away. You’re my best friend after all.... But here I am. And here you are. And there she is.  And even after all this time, you’re still nowhere”

His eyes look up behind Chang Wook watching JiHyun walk closer.

“I'm taking my chances”  he states ominously,  then he smoothly gets up and smiles at JiHyun.

“Ready to go?” he asks her.

She looks down at Chang Wook, uncertain.

Chang Wook immediately stands up and grabs her wrist.

“I’m taking her home.” his eyes look murderously at In Guk; daring the other man to contradict him.

“Ah, is that so?” asks In Guk, turning to JiHyun. “It’s starting to get dark though, and I’d be worried since it’s a long ride back; especially on a scooter. JiHyun, it’s no trouble at all, I can drive you home.”

His hand holds onto her other wrist.

At this, JiHyun looks with shock at both men. 

What was going on?