Unwilled Truth ft. Kim Hyun Joong & He-Ran

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She didn’t understand, she couldn’t comprehend as the pain shot through her body causing her to limp to the floor. It’s merely a dream, she hoped, she wished, it couldn’t be could it? Tears slipped through her eyes and onto the hardwood floor as he held her in his arms. He loved her, he wanted to protect her, she was his everything, but why would this happen?

***

It’s was a beautiful summer day, a day meant for laughter, a day meant for love, a day that she never experienced. But no, she was in her office, a detective office, meant to capture murderers and such which was why she never had time for anything else. It’s not like she’s always busy it’s just that whenever it comes to things like confessing her personality would disappear. A blunt and direct girl she was, a passion for justice, it’s just when she’s around him it’s different, it’s always different.

She stared at the picture before her, a picture of the three of them, best friends. It had been a couple of months since the three had last seen each other. Ayu, the young energetic girl in the photo was too busy with all the photo shoots she had to do for celebrities. Jaebum, the serious male on the right smiles for the camera for the graduation ceremony and He-Ran stood between the two laughing as the photo was taken. The good times, she thought, so far away.

A knock was heard from the door and He-Ran looked up to the man she had fallen in love with four years ago. Now this should be the moment where they come and embrace each other but no, not even close. She practically adores him but their relationship has never taken flight. They were close but not close enough, not yet.

“You called me for something?” Hyun Joong said when he caught her staring at him.

“Oh yeah, can you drop this box of heavy goods at Jaebum’s house? He left a lot of crap in the office and I’m too tired to make a trip to his house.” He-Ran replied with a matter of fact tone and sipped her third cup of coffee.

“Sure.” Was all Hyun Joong said as he patted her on the head.

He wasn’t exactly happy about bringing a package to Jaebum’s house. It could have been a moment of jealousy but the thought was cut off with when the box slipped and his hand got cut. He-Ran ran to his side to examine the cut.

“You better wear gloves when you carry the box. You won’t want the cut to get infected.” She said.

At a moment like this He-Ran should have taken the box from him and bring it to Jaebum’s house but she heard a call from the office phone saying she had a visitor downstairs.

“Hope you get better.” He-Ran said as she assured him with a squeeze on the arm and walked out the door. After that moment she quickly regretted that decision thinking it was too bold of her.

He-Ran clicked the button on the elevator telling it to bring her to the ground floor. It was unusual for visitors but she decided that it wouldn’t hurt to see whoever was there. When the elevator doors opened she walked over to the entrance hall of the police building. Without even consulting the secretary about who the visitor was she immediately saw the man that was waiting for her and she ran up to him and gave him a hug.

“How are you doing?” Jaebum asked He-Ran as they let go of each other.

“Pretty good, well except for one perspective of my life, yeah.” She smiled at Jaebum remembering the good times they had with each other.

“Yeah, I would like that.”

He-Ran remembered the package and decided she’ll call Hyun Joong about it and she would bring it to Jaebum. It was too much to think about since she was glad that she could see a long lost friend.

And they walked out of the building and onto Jaebum’s silver Toyota. It might not be a pricey and expensive car but it was comfortable and it gave He-Ran a sense of old times and the Jaebum that she’s known for years.

Jaebum drove downtown to one of the Japanese restaurants that they went to all the time and parked the car a block away both of them got off the car and He-Ran took a breath of fresh air into her lungs. When they entered the restaurant they were seated and the waitress gave them a menu.

“What do you want to eat He-Ran? “ Jaebum asked like a gentlemen.

“Actually some sushi and sashimi would do.”

They made their orders and talked about the events that had happened recently. He-Ran wanted to know about the reason why Jaebum was fired but his mouth was shut and nothing came out of that story. When it was He-Ran’s turn to answer questions nothing could come out of her when Jaebum wanted to know the one problem in her life. Yes, He-Ran thought, I love him but there’s nothing I can do about it.

Despite that the two chatted about recent lifestyles and events that happened. Jaebum found a new job and although he didn’t tell He-Ran what it was it seemed like he was doing pretty great. Evening arrived and Jaebum paid for the bill.

“Want to come over?” Jaebum invited, “I got the new FFXIII game”

“You mean like the one with the uber hot blue spiked hair guy? He’s so hot.” He-Ran squealed like a child considering she hasn’t felt this way in such a long time. Work was such a pain.

Soon enough, Jaebum drove them towards his house and they walked up to his apartment. It was like those Japanese apartments where the stairs to the apartments were outside unlike the apartments in North America.

When they were outside of his apartment Jaebum had something to say, “He-Ran, I like you, I really do.”

Before she could reply he started kissing her and touching her but suddenly she heard a scream a few meters away. It was Ayu. She ran up and slapped him in the face. What’s happening, He-Ran thought.

“I just moved in with you and this is what I get?” Ayu was screaming at his face, “You made a move on my best friend, oh wait, she’s your friend too you .”

“Come on, Ayu.” Jaebum didn’t want to make a big fuss over something so little.

“I’m sorry He-Ran but could you leave?” Ayu apologized, “I’ll tell you the whole story tomorrow, ‘kay?”

I smiled awkwardly and left them alone. I didn’t want to be a part of such nonsense and what’s wrong with Jaebum? He’s changed far too much.

***

He-Ran remembered that she had to make a call and she called Hyun Joong about the package. He picked up the phone after a few seconds.

“Hey, about the package, just dump it.” He-Ran said suddenly surprisingly.

“Yeah sure I didn’t deliver it yet. I was wondering if you would like to go out for dinner tomorrow. You know, just the two of us.” He asked.

He-Ran was surprised by this but she answered him anyways, “Yeah, I would love to.”

And then both of them hanged up. She was glad that Hyun Joong asked her to dinner but was quite bummed over what happened with Jaebum and Ayu. But she decided it was too much to think about and she decided a good night’s sleep was what she needed.

***

When she arrived at the office people were busy running around and she was surprised that there was a new case and she the supervisor was not notified. She decided to go ask Hyun Joong what was happening since he was the other supervisor. Dodging all the urgent people she found her way to his office and saw him going through some files.

“What happened? Why am I not notified?” He-Ran asked a little pissed off that no one told her what was happening.

“Murder. It happened last evening and I got people at the crime scene getting all the evidence that we need. We’re not allowed at the crime scene.” He said and He-Ran was a bit confused.

“Why?” He-Ran got really irritated.

“Because it’s Jaebum.” Hyun Joong walked over to He-Ran and pulled her towards the couch.

He-Ran was shock at what came out of Hyun Joong’s mouth and was even more shocked that her best friend was dead. It couldn’t have been, she though, I saw him last night.

“Who could have done this?” He-Ran was angry and gripped the sofa.

“Ayu. We have her prints of the knife, we have neighbors that saw them arguing so there’s a motive. We have her DNA all over the house. It’s her.” He-Ran got a hold of Hyun Joong’s arm and made him look at her in the eyes.

“Are you sure? One hundred percent?” Hyun Joong nodded at He-Ran’s question, “Then bring the murdered in.”

***

They brought Ayu to room to be questioned and since He-Ran and her were best friends she wasn’t allow to go in but Hyun Joong was. He-Ran could only watch being the tinted window as her friend was being asked questions and she had no power to help her helpless friend.

Hyun Joong drilled the questions and tears fell from Ayu’s eyes as Hyun Joong claimed her as the murderer considering all the evidence pointed at her. No matter how Ayu tried to deny it Hyun Joong would have a way of twisting her words and making her look like the murderer. It was his job and he was good at it but a moment like this He-Ran only wished that it wasn’t Hyun Joong that was doing this because it was the guy that she loved putting her best friend behind bars.

Hyun Joong came to He-Ran’s room and said, “So what are we going to do now?”

“Put her behind bars.” He-Ran said and tears dropped one by one at the realization that she was also a part of putting her best friend in jail but she had no choice it was what evidence pointed at.

Slowly, Hyun Joong came up to her and gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead before they headed to Ayu. The look of Ayu’s face as Hyun Joong escorted her to the car was one that He-Ran could never forget. The look of injustice and innocence filled Ayu’s face as she was handcuffed and put onto the car but no matter what He-Ran thought she could do she never did. And in a blink of an eye the car drove away with Ayu leaving Hyun Joong and He-Ran in the background staring at something beyond their reach.

***

The dinner that Hyun Joong promised He-Ran still occurred but not at a mood that He-Ran wanted it to occur. They were at a normal restaurant in Korea and Hyun Joong ordered some food since He-Ran didn’t seem like she was even going to talk with the puffy eyes that she had. They sat there and Hyun Joong didn’t try to make conversation since he knew that the girl her loved was in distress.

It’s true, he loved her too but there were so many obstacles that held him back from loving her. He knew the consequences of his actions would cause her pain and no matter what he can do now what he had done wouldn’t make things any better. And despite all this he knew this was his last chance or the only chance he had to tell her how he felt.

“He-Ran…don’t be like this.” Hyun Joong tried to comfort of as he reached out for her hand but she flinched at his touch.

“Hyun Joong… I don’t know, I just don’t know anymore.” He-Ran said as her head fell in distress,
“One moment I knew them and the next moment they change into something that I feel so unfamiliar with.”

“It’s okay. It’s okay. You still have me.” Hyun Joong told her.

He-Ran looked into his eyes at the meaning of the words and it striked her. She knew what he meant and she knew what he wanted but was she ready for such a big step after a death of a friend and her other friend a murderer? She’s didn’t know. At a moment like this she was just too confused to even tell the difference between black and white.

“Hyun Joong, I like you, so much that I don’t even know how much I like you. But at a time like this a relationship would never work not with someone so broken as me.”

Just as she was going to walk out of him he grabbed his arm.

“He-Ran, you have no idea how much I like you.”

Ignoring his words she walked out the door and immediately regretted another decision yet she knew it was a correct decision.

***

I don’t know, He-Ran thought, I just don’t understand anymore. One minute she’s my best friend and the next she’s a murderer. Was my decision even correct? Did I just ruin her life? He-Ran continued walking along the street staring at the lamp posts, like light in the darkness, what is light and what is darkness? Is there even a difference anymore? Stars glistened in the night sky dancing a familiar routine. Life’s a routine, isn’t it? After about a half an hour He-Ran arrived at an all too familiar place.

His house, Jaebum’s house. He-Ran decided to pay his house one last visit before she was going to go home. After all we were friends, weren’t we? The door creaked as she gently pulled the knob and the lights. Things were still as it was the last time she came to investigate yet a dark feeling seemed to linger around. Steadily she walked over to the kitchen and scanned the desolate area. Something caught her eye, something that she didn’t see the last few times she came here.

Quietly, she walked over to the TV across the kitchen and saw a light being reflected. It was a camera. He loved to take videos but was really careless about placing things back where they belong. It was out of batteries so He-Ran found the cord and plugged it in. Immediately, it with the charging sign flicking over and over again. There were many videos but one that He-Ran couldn’t pull her eyes away from. It was taken on the day of the crime and at the same time. He-Ran gasped.

She played the video and replayed it over 5 times. It couldn’t have been, she screamed in her head, it wasn’t him of all people.

***

[Camera’s Perspective]

Hyun Joong walked into Jaebum’s house as Jaebum opened the door for his and Hyun Joong was delivering the goods He-Ran told him too with gloves on. Hyun Joong’s face was full of fury when he entered the apartment.

“Jaebum, what the hell were you thinking!?” Hyun Joong asked with a face ready to kill, “I saw what happened from my car! What kind of friend are you!”

“Oh chill out. He-Ran’s just a girl.” Jaebum mocked, “Oh yeah, you’ve liked her for ages haven’t you. Right, but you never had the guts to ask her out.”

“You little…”

“And don’t worry, she’s not the first girl either. I bring girl’s home all the time. We tape what happen and it goes on the internet. It’s surprising how much people pay to watch these days.”

“You were her best friend!” Hyun Joong screamed in frustration.

“Yeah, best friend’s with a ! You know there was a rumor going around before I left the office right? She screwed around to get to the position she is now. Aren’t you a little dumb to fall heads over heels for her?”

Before Hyun Joong could say anything else he grabbed the fruit knife from the table and stabbed Jaebum right in the chest. Realizing what he did he took the box with him and shut the door behind him as he left the house.

[End of Camera Perspective]

***

Before He-Ran could snap back to reality she felt a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist. She almost screamed in shock but it quickly covered before she could utter a sound.

“He-Ran…” She felt the familiar warm breath breathe onto her neck and the same voice she wished would say her name everyday but not in a situation like this, never in a situation like this, she thought.

“You!” He-Ran whispered through his hand. Her voice was full of hate, full of loathe even he was surprised to hear such a sound from her, “Of all people, I’ll never forgive you.”

As hard as she could she tried to escape his grasp and away but her strength was nothing compared to his. But she didn’t know, she couldn’t even imagine how his heart shattered the moment he heard she’ll never forgive him. Don’t you know, he thought, that everything was for you? That everything I did was only to be noticed by you, to only protect you? Don’t you understand?

“Don’t you understand?” He screamed into her ear. She shuddered at his voice, it sounded like a stranger, or did it?

She cried as she realized it was a fact that she could never hide from. First, he was the one that killed him. Second, because of him and her stupid mistake her best friend was in jail. And third, despite everything she would always choose him over anyone in any situation. He-Ran loved him, to a degree that she couldn’t comprehend.

“Mianhe,” he gently whispered into her ears, something she has yearned for, for the last couple of years, “Mianhe, He-Ran, mianhe.”

She felt an indescrible pain through her stomach as she looked down to see red blood oozing out of the knife that was stabbed into her moments ago. The blood wouldn’t stop spilling as the hardwood floor began to pool with He-Ran’s blood and fresh tears. She felt his head rest upon her weak shoulders as she fell to the ground. Her legs lost its strength and her face paled at the lost of blood. Within minutes her world would black out and Kim He-Ran would be a part of history, a history meant to be erased. Erased without regrets, never regret.

She moved her powerless hands onto his face and met his eyes. She knew what emotion they held and possessiveness that killed her.

There was only one last word in her vocabulary. Nothing else mattered.

“Saranghae.” She said.

“Saranghae.” Hyun Joong swept her hair away and pressed his lips against hers.

And she left him.

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-end-

Yeah, old one. mhmm.

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