chara: YongShin couple and Jung Shin

By the way, I do not know if you have seen this pic... so sweet... (bromance?)

(my source:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=343761875661631&set=a.238516696186150.51135.235877163116770&type=1)

********

Yong Hwa and Jung Shin lay beside each other on the grass under the tree. It was a windy and sunny afternoon, and the birds chirped in happiness. Yong Hwa was covering his eyes with his hand, while Jung Shin was poking an apple up above with a stick.

"Hyung, as I was saying, what will you do if Shin Hye-noona gets married next week?" Jung Shin asked. "You will have no more chances to be with her."

Yong Hwa silently sobbed.

"Ara..." he said.

Jung Shin got up to pick up the apple on the tree, then he sat down and rubbed the fruit against the sleeve of his shirt.

"Hyung, if you want to be with her, you need to do something to make her yours," Jung Shin chided his friend.

Yong Hwa got up and looked at the horizon.

"Jung Shin-ah, imagine that you are me, then I am Shin Hye," Yong Hwa said. "What will you say?"

The long-haired guy choked his apple.

"Hyung, I cannot imagine myself being in your place," he retorted. "Aish, if it were a girl asking me that, it would be no problem."

Yong Hwa turned to his friend and squinted his eyes.

"Ya, I am not telling you to fall in love with me, nor will I fall in love with you," Yong Hwa said.

"Ah, arasseo, arasseo~~," the younger guy said.

He cleared his throat and looked at Yong Hwa, who went back to staring at the horizon.

"Hyung--er, Shin Hye-ya, I do not know why you choose to be with him," Jung Shin started. "But you must know that I love you so much. I want to make you happy. I am the only one you love, right? I am the only one who can give you happiness."

But deep inside, he was cringing. Why does Yong Hwa have to let him do some acting? It was gross. And from the back of his head, he was gagging.

"I am done with my discourse, Hyung.. I mean, my acting," Jung Shin said.

Yong Hwa nodded and lay back on the grass.

"Please stay with me," Yong Hwa said before covering his eyes to weep.

The younger guy nodded and continued to munch on his apple. Yong Hwa reminisced the times he was with Shin Hye.

*****

Flashback:

Yong Hwa, Jung Shin, and Shin Hye had been childhood friends. It was a given that the three of them shared some things together.

When they reached middle school, Yong Hwa started to court Shin Hye. He was in third grade, she in second grade, and Jung Shin in first grade of middle school. The youngest of the gang did not get jealous because he was perpetually crushing on his girl teammates in the swimming team.

And so, when they got to high school, Yong Hwa and Shin Hye continued to be sweethearts, the hottest couple in campus. Many girls got jealous of Shin Hye because Yong Hwa was good-looking and cool. And many guys got jealous too because they liked Shin Hye.

In college, only Jung Shin had a different major. He was taking up architecture, while the lovers took up business. Despite the distance, they still communicated and hung out every weekend.

The architecture student was in his last year already when Yong Hwa and Shin Hye had jobs. And the younger guy was excited for his bestfriends' wedding  because he was sure he would be the bestman in the wedding.

However, fate turned cruel when Shin Hye was betrothed to the son of a businessman, who was friends with her parents. Her parents were business people, which was why Shin Hye took up business. The guys were shocked because Shin Hye consented to the marriage.

Yong Hwa had tried many times to talk to her to get her out of the marriage, but Shin Hye insisted that she was tired of him and that she wanted to be with someone else.

"You are so cruel," he said to her.

"Geurae, I am cruel. It would be best for me to get married to Hyun Joong because he is the better man, and he is rich," Shin Hye said.

"So... you are only after his money?" Yong Hwa spat at her.

"Ani. I love him," Shin Hye said.

Tears of defeat run down Yong Hwa's eyes when she confessed that she no longer loved hm. For months, Shin Hye dated Hyun Joong. Yong Hwa tried many times to fight for his love, and Jung Shin tried many times to give her some sense, but she would not listen. She loved Hyun Joong and was willing to marry him. Yong Hwa did not want to give up, but she would not allow him to pursue her anymore.

Then, the engagement.

He tried to even have a secret meeting with her where they would get to talk, but she would not stay long and leave him. Indeed, Shin Hye had grown cruel and money-greedy that she just threw her love away.

News of the upcoming marriage spread. Yong Hwa suddenly got so depressed that he was not willing to fight for it and drowned himself in work. Whenever Shin Hye's name would be mentioned, he would get into a fit or walk out of the scene.

He wanted to give up, and he was tired.

End of flashback:

*********

Yong Hwa got up and told his friend that they need to go home.

"Gwaenchanha?" Jung Shin asked.

"Eung," Yong Hwa answered without meeting his friend in the eye.

"You are not," Jung Shin said.

"I am," Yong Hwa denied. "Gaja."

He started to walk when Jung Shin called him back.

"Hyung, I know when you are telling a lie," he said. "If you want to cry, just do it."

Yong Hwa turned around and wrapped his arms around his friend. Jung Shin wanted to protest because someone might think that they were lovers, but he shook it out of his system and tapped his hyung's shoulder.

"You'll be all right, Hyung," he said. "I will help you get her to talk to you."

"Let me do this, Jung Shin-ha," Yong Hwa sobbed. "And thanks for your support."

*****

They walked to their houses when Yong Hwa asked Jung Shin if he was afraid of his impending surgery two days from that day.

"Geurae, who would not  be?" Jung Shin said. "They said operation for scoliosis might take more than eight hours."

As they were talking, they saw Shin Hye coming out of her house and accompanying Hyun Joong at the gate. The four of them met, and Shin Hye got her gaze away from her friends. Yong Hwa walked fast, and the younger guy had to chase him.

"That was your ex, right?" Hyun Joong asked.

"Ne," Shin Hye said. "Let's not talk about him."

"He looks like he is a great guy," Hyun Joong said. "But I am the better man."

"You are," Shin Hye affirmed before giving him a kiss.

****

"Hyung, hyung!" Jung Shin called out.

Yong Hwa stopped walking and began to cover his face with his palm. Jung Shin put an arm around his shoulder in a brotherly manner and tapped his shoulder.

"Why is it so hard?" Yong Hwa sobbed. "Wae?"

Near from where they stood was a cheap restaurant. Both went inside and ordered something to eat.

"I don't feel like eating at home just yet," Yong Hwa said. "I do not want Eomma to see my tears."

He ordered two bottles of beer and two glassses.

"Hyung, I will not drink," Jung Shin declined. "I want to be in my best condition for the operation."

Yong Hwa did not insist, so he drank the beer by himself. Later, Jung Shin had a problem because Yong Hwa will not stop drinking.

"Hyung! Aish," the long-haired guy complained. "You are heavy, you know that."

Yong Hwa was drunk, but he managed to grab his wallet and pay for their food. The younger guy used all his strength to bring Yong Hwa to his house.

****

"Annyeonghaseyo, Eomeonim?" Jung Shin greeted Yong Hwa's eomma.

"Omo! Aigoo, aigoo," the eomeoni cried as she saw her drunk son.

Jung Shin brought his hyung to his room and let him sit so he could place a stack of pillows. After that, the younger guy had Yong Hwa lie on the stack of pillows. Yong Hwa held his friend's wrist and began the long hair. Jung Shin felt his cheeks burning up.

"Shin Hye-ya," Yong Hwa called out.

"Ah, Hyung is  hallucinating!" Jung Shin complained to himself. "Eck! Why does he have to pretend that I am a girl?"

"Saranghae..." Yong Hwa drawled.

"Mwo?????" Jung Shin ed.

"Saranghae, Jung Shin-ah," Yong Hwa drawled.

Jung Shin got his hyung's hand away from  his wrist. Did Yong Hwa just said...?

"Hyung! I am not Shin Hye-noona, and I am not in love with you," Jung Shin retorted.

"I love Shin Hye, I love her, not you. Got that?" Yong Hwa drawled.

"Aish, that hyung," the long haired guy thought in exasperation. "He should clear that up! I am not in for some bromance!"

"Don't leave me, Jung Shin-ah..." Yong Hwa drawled.

Jung Shin stayed by his hyung's side. His friends are weird. One time, Shin Hye got drunk in front of Jung Shin and began telling him that she loved him, though she had been calling Yong Hwa's name. And now, Yong Hwa telling him he loved him, and that he loved Shin Hye.

"Ughhh!!!! Michigesseo (I think I am going to get crazy)..." Jung Shin thought.

For a few hours that he stayed with his hyung, he prayed that Yong Hwa will not do stupid things.

*****

The day of the operation.

"Are you ready?" Yong Hwa asked.

"Ne," Jung Shin said. "And by the way, I told Shin Hye-noona through text that I will be operated on today."

Yong Hwa's face got pale. He was not ready to face her.

"Why... did you tell her that?"

"Hyung, am I not her friend too?" Jung Shin asked. "Maybe with this chance, you will be able to talk to her. And Hyung, do all you can to win her back."

A knock was heard, and Yong Hwa opened the door. 

"Shin Hye?" he asked.

Shin Hye maintained her poker face and said. "I am here for Jung Shin."

Yong Hwa opened the door wide and let her in. 

"Annyeong, Noona?" Jung Shin greeted.

Shin Hye went to him and hugged him tight.

"Are you scared?" she asked him.

"Ah, ye..." Jung Shin said. "I do not know what will  happen to me at the OR."

Yong Hwa offered a seat to Shin Hye, and though she hesitated at first, she sat down at last. Jung Shin distracted her with his talks so that she will not have the least idea that Yong Hwa would be talking to her.

Finally, the operating nurse and the ward nurse came in with the OR personnel to fetch Jung Shin. The ward nurse had him wear an OR gown and a hair cap to keep his long hair in place. The patient handed his accessories and his mobile phone to his hyung so that he would not have some lost items. Finally, he was placed in a stretcher and was transported. Yong Hwa and Shin Hye followed them and stayed outside the OR complex.

"Joesonghamnida," the OR nurse said. "Visitors are off limits the OR complex."

"Arasseoyo," Yong Hwa replied.

Both of them stood outside the OR complex when Shin Hye turned to Yong Hwa first, awkwardly.

"Jeo~~ have you had breakfast?" she talked to him in a timid voice.

Yong Hwa found it odd that she should speak to him, so he looked at her in astonishment. He could see that she avoided eye contact with him.

"I had breakfast, thank you very much," he said, trying to sound distant.

But deep inside him, he wanted to grab her and hold her and hug her till there was no room for contradictions.

"Shin Hye-ya, I don't know why you are inviting me for breakfast, but if you want to eat, I will accompany you," he said with a heavy heart.

Shin Hye looked at him.

"Geurae. Coz I have something to say to you too," she said.

****

Both of them went to a cute and decent cafe where food is also served. Shin Hye bought breakfast for herself, but she also bought Yong Hwa something to eat.

In the middle of the meal, Shin Hye spoke first.

"Jung Shin-ah told me he was getting an operation today, and I know his scoliosis had been bothering him eversince," she told him. "Why did he tell me only yesterday? Am I not important to him? He knows I treat him as my namdongsaeng."

"Ah, geurae?" Yong Hwa asked, starting to sound sarcastic.

Shin Hye caught up with the sarcasm in his voice.

"Yong Hwa... I..."

"You know he loves you too," Yong Hwa said. "So when he talked to you about me, you should have listened. I know he is taking it too hard, but he did his best to have the two of us talk decently before your wedding."

"About the wedding, I..." Shin Hye started.

"Are you here to have some closure?" Yong Hwa asked. "Or are you talking to me because you want to invite me to your wedding?"

The remark stung her to death.

"Ani..." she said in hurt.

"If you are here, just at least, stay for Jung Shin-ah, arasseo? Stay until the operation is over, or when he wakes up from anesthesia... or even until he is discharged," Yong Hwa said. "Do it at least, for him, even if it is not for me."

He wiped his lips with a table napkin before standing up, and Shin Hye looked at him sadly as he stood up to go.

"Yong Hwa, jamkkanman," she called out as she held his wrist.

He turned to her and looked at her with his eyes that burned and pained her soul.

"Can we please.... talk?" she begged.

Yong Hwa sat down and angrily looked at the cars passing by outside. Shin Hye ate silently to help him gather his thoughts. He turned back to her and icily said.

"I do not want to do this anymore because you never gave me the chance to talk to you in the past," he said. "But because I love Jung Shin, I am putting up with this because he wanted this for us."

Shin Hye tried her best to fight back her tears even if her chest was getting heavy.

****

Both of them went back to the hospital to follow up on their friend, even if the nurses at the OR nurses station were not needing anything. The two of them settled to the garden, where they had the chance to talk.

Or that was what they thought.

It began to suddenly rain despite the sunshine, and they had to seek shelter. The downpour was quite heavy, and it was impossible to make it to the lobby on time, so they settled to stay at the storage room located behind the garden.

The storage room was dim, so Yong Hwa tried to turn on the lights. The incandescent lamp was not working, so he used his cellphone to light up the room. The room was not dingy; in fact, it was in neat. Yong Hwa saw a used sofa on the far end of the room, so he settled there. He liked the darkness so he could think in peace, but he did not like bringing Shin Hye in here. Kim Hyun Joong might hear malicious news and kill him.

"What were you trying to say?" he asked her icily.

Shin Hye found solace at the darkness because she could not see his eyes. Even if she could force her voice to sound adamant, she did not want him to see her tears.

"For not breaking up with you properly, joesonghamnida," she started, her voice betraying her emotions.

Tears started to fall down her eyes and her voice choked, and he looked at her, just listening to her voice.

"I hurt you in the most cruel way, and I know that you loved me too much that you get hurt because of me," she said. "I do not deserve your forgiveness, even if I apologize infinitely."

She took him by his shoulders and tried to search for his eyes despite the darkness.

"Take me away. Please say that you still love me," she  begged. "Please say that it is still me..."

Tears of disappointment and frustration tore Yong Hwa's eyes.

"Are you regretting that you will marry Hyun Joong next week?" he asked her. "There is no use in telling you my feelings if you will only leave me after my confession."

"Saranghae..." Shin Hye confessed, her voice broken.

Yong Hwa's eyes grew wide.

"Mwo?" he asked.

"I still love you, Yong Hwa," Shin Hye said. "I only agreed to the marriage because I was too ambitious to survive on the business world. I do not love Hyun Joong... Please believe me...."

Yong Hwa felt his tears stabbing his heart when she went on.

"I do not want to walk down the aisle, wishing that Hyun Joong is you. I do not want to say 'I do,' wishing in my heart that it is you. I do not want to spend my first night, and in fact, the rest of my life, being in Hyun Joong's arms, wishing that he is you," Shin Hye said. "I need you and I love you."

Yong Hwa was still doubtful.

"Did Jung Shin say anything else to you when he said he will be operated on?" he asked.

He did not know what else their youngest friend might have said.

"A...ani..." she said. "I... I just realized that I had hurt you big time when the four of us met at the gate... I was denying the fact that I am still in love with you."

She wrapped her arms around him and wet his shirt with tears. He felt the girl convulsing with sobs that he could not deny that he was still deeply in love with her.  He wrapped his arms around her tight and her skin, feeling the scent of her shampoo enter through his nose. This was the girl that he had loved for the longest time, and he found it hard to let her go.

"Yeojeonhi saranghae (I still love you)," he whispered. "I loved you so much that it hurts me deep when you pushed me away. I found it hard getting over you..."

Both of them looked at each other. Yong Hwa held her cheeks and wiped the tears. She felt the warmth of his thumbs and his fingers. It felt so good to be with him.

"After this day, I know that this is going to hurt, but I will break up with Hyun Joong so I will not get married to him next week," she said.

Yong Hwa leaned forward, and Shin Hye closed her eyes to feel the warmth of his breath. And later, she felt his lips giving a soft kiss upon hers. Despite their warmth and their love, the cold rain outside continued.

*****

Shin Hye did not wait for the operation to finish. She was sure that Jung Shin was going to be fine, so she went to Hyun Joong's office first to get some closure. His secretary let her in, knowing that she was his fiancee.

When she came in, Hyun Joong saw her gloomy face, so he told her to lock the door.

"What is it?" he asked calmly.

Shin Hye fumbled with her hands and found it hard to speak.

"Uh...."

"You do not want to marry me?" he asked.

She looked at him, shocked that he was able to guess.

"I could tell, because you never want to talk about him, and when we met him and your other friend outside the house, you could not even bother to look at him," he calmly said. "It seems that both of you never had closure, and I could tell that even with your kisses, you were still in love with Yong Hwa."

Shin Hye looked at him and shed her tears.

"Mianhae..." she said.

Hyun Joong let out a sad smile.

"I know that you had never loved me, and we had only abided by our parents' wishes," he said. "I do not want to keep you in a relationship where you will never be happy. So I am letting you go."

Shin Hye strode forward and gave him a hug.

"Gomapda... gomapda..." she said.

He hugged her in return and shed his tears.

"I am happy that we will still part as friends," he said. "I know that I am a better man than Yong Hwa, but I know I am not the best man for you."

Shin Hye let go of her hug.

"I struggled too, I tried to love you," Hyun Joong said. "But it seems that I cannot make myself love you, no matter how hard I tried."

Shin Hye found it a relief that Hyun Joong did not feel love for her at all. Both of them were free to love whoever they like.

"I will explain to our parents, I mean... the two of us," he said. "Just explain to Yong Hwa that I will be with you till the ordeal is over so that when it is finally over, he will be with you."

Shin Hye nodded at him in happy tears.

*****

Jung Shin got back to his consciousness hours after his operation, and later on, he was transported to his room. He received great care because it was his spine that was affected. Shin Hye did not see him wake up because she and Hyun Joong had a promise to keep to each other.

She told Yong Hwa of Hyun Joong's plan, and although he was a bit pissed off because he told her to stay until Jung Shin wakes up, he let her do as she pleased.

Anyway, Jung Shin never requested for it in the first place. It was just Yong Hwa's plan for his chingu.

****

Shin Hye and Hyun Joong met with their parents in a restaurant. The two sets of parents looked at the couple in bliss because the marriage of the two will be the realization of their business dreams.

"Joesonghamnida," Hyun Joong interrupted. "But Shin Hye and I are breaking up."

This led to the rage of the parents. It was just less than a week for the wedding, but the two were giving it up as if it was just a game.

"What can I do?" Hyun Joong said. "You wanted me to marry her, but she does not love me, and I do not love her."

Underneath the table, he was holding Shin Hye's hand hard, and Shin Hye tried to be brave.

"Is that true?" Mr. and Mdm. Park asked their child.

"Ne..." she said with conviction.

"Are you pregnant to someone else's child, to Yong Hwa's child, that is why you break up with Hyun Joong?" her parents asked in horror.

Shin Hye's hackles rose.

"Animnida!" she ed. "I kept myself chaste, and I will wait for marriage to have a child! You taught me that eversince I was small."

"And we taught you to be obedient!" Mdm. Park argued.

"But you also taught me to fight for what I think is right and proper, to listen to my heart, to think things over, and to stand for my decision," Shin Hye said. "Andwaeyo. I am not marrying someone I do not love. It is unfair to Hyun Joong if I married him but my thoughts are still of Yong Hwa!"

Hyun Joong felt his heart lightening up. Shin Hye was also fighting for his right to love freely. His mother was disappointed too, but his father nodded in resignation.

"Arasseo," the old man gravely said, much to the surprise of his wife and his friends.

"What are you trying to say, Yeobo? That Hyun Joong and Shin Hye cannot learn how to love each other, just like how we had learned how to love each other?" his wife asked.

The old man cleared his throat and calmly spoke to his wife and friends.

"I know the feeling of loving someone with my heart, and the feeling of learning how to love someone whom I should not have loved," the old man said to his wife. "I know, Yeobo, that you feel the same way. But just because we had done it, it does not mean that Hyun Joong and Shin Hye will be able to do it."

Hyun Joong had often seen his parents getting into fights because their marriage was not bound by love but by agreement between their parents. And Mr. Kim did not want that to happen to the young people.

"I give you my blessings, the two of you," Mr. Kim said. "And if you want to cancel the wedding, you may do so."

"Yeobo!" his wife shouted.

"...." Shin Hye's parents were speechless.

"Gamsahamnida, Appa," Hyun Joong said, bowing to his father.

"Gamsahamnida, Abeonim," Shin Hye replied with a bow to her ex-boyfriend's father.

The two young people stepped out of the resto to make things right, and it was up to Mr. Kim to convince his wife and their friends.

"Just because they broke up, it does not mean that our business ventures are over," Mr. Kim said, the wise old sage that he was. "You can see how the two are still friends despite their breakup."

*****

After all the cancelation, Shin Hye and Hyun Joong went to the hospital to speak to Yong Hwa. When they got in the room, the patient looked at the rich young man with disdain.

"Mianhamnida," Hyun Joong said to Yong Hwa. "I borrowed her longer than I should have. It took us longer to cancel all the wedding preparations."

"You are...!" Jung Shin ed. "AYA!!!!!"

Yong Hwa went to his friend and assisted him in a comfortable position.

"Do not be so restless," he told him.

"We broke up already, Jung Shin-ah, so no worries," Shin Hye told the youngest of their bunch.

"Ah... that is better analgesic than all the strong analgesics that I am getting," Jung Shin said as he winced.

Hyun Joong became the fourth member of their bunch, as the two other guys accepted him. He offered to buy them some food so he could leave the three to be by themselves first. When Hyun Joong left, Jung Shin held Yong Hwa's hand and held it to his face--in front of Shin Hye.

"Ya! Mwo hae (What are you doing)?" Yong Hwa errupted.

"Saranghae, Oppa~~~" Jung Shin crooned, then winked at Shin Hye.

"Ya! Take your hands off my jagiya!" Shin Hye chided him as she got the younger guy's hand off Yong Hwa's.

"I love him, Eonni," Jung Shin crooned in aegyo style. "He also said that he loves me."

Shin Hye shot an iron-hot glance at Yong Hwa.

"Ya! You are gay?" she asked him, much to his embarrassment.

"Aniya!" Yong Hwa argued, with a blush on his face.

"Why are you blushing?" Shin Hye asked.

Turning to her jagiya and her other friend, she asked in playful jealousy.

"Ya, are the two of you in for some bromance?" she asked.

"Ne~~," "Aniya!" Jung Shin and Yong Hwa replied in unison.

Then Jung Shin began to laugh.

"Noona, I will never look at Hyung as a lover," he said with a wink. "He loves only you."

Yong Hwa held his jagiya's hands in front of the patient.

"Ah, that makes me happy," Jung Shin said. "I am sure that if the two of you will get married, I will be Hyung's bestman."

"Are you in a hurry?" Yong Hwa asked.

"Go ahead~~~" Jung Shin replied.

"Huh?" the lovers asked.

"Ah, consider me a babo sometimes," the long-haired guy said. "Hehe, if the two of you want to be sweet inside my room, please feel free to do so, and Jung Shin-choding will close his innocent eyes."

The lovers laughed at their friend's effort of being corny, so they turned their back at him after seeing him close his eyes in happiness. However, Jung Shin naughtily opened his eyes.

"Kekekek, so sweet of my Hyung and Noona," he thought. "Makes me happy."

The lovers did not know, or did not mind the younger one inside the room. Yong Hwa leaned forward once again and gave Shin Hye a soft and tender kiss.

 

~~~~END~~~~

(up next: Another one-shot fic, featuring Min Hyuk)

 

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