Chapter 13 – “I Have a Crush?”

Slowly everyone got back into the swing of life back in Seoul. Seohyun and Hyuna shared the boredom of listening to teachers blab on about economics and international economies. Joon followed his father into meetings full of hotshot executives from companies they did business with. Yonghwa had to deal with cleaning up the messes the younger students created in the labs. Everyone fondly remembered the Busan trip and wished they could return to the port city.

“Yonghwa sunbae,” a female voice called from behind. Yonghwa turned around to meet a familiar face which brought a smile to his. “How are you doing today?”

“Hey there Min Young,” Yonghwa brightly greeted. All the girls within earshot could only glare as they watched the young woman interact with the object of all their desires. Jung Yonghwa had stolen the hearts of every girl in his department, much to the dismay of the other interning lab instructors.

One such girl was Seo Joohyun. Joon had suggested the couples meet up together for lunch which prompted Seohyun to come meet Yonghwa at his lab building. At first she was happy that they were spending time just like in the past, but she couldn’t help but feel jealous with the way all the girls he interacted with looked at him like a piece of meat.

Min Young looked over behind Yonghwa and noticed the girl she met earlier. Immediately, Min Young’s face dropped and she looked down at her feet. The gesture made Seohyun feel bad for the girl. It seemed Min Young felt a little uncomfortable around her, possibly because of the stunt she pulled last time. In hopes that Min Young would ease up a little, Seohyun gave her a genuine smile and waved hi.

“I didn’t know you were busy sunbae,” Min Young apologetically responded. “I’ll see you another time.” Before Min Young could turn away and move on ahead, Seohyun spoke up.

“Hey, I’ll be waiting over there by the door alright?” Seohyun remarked. She knew she screwed up big time the last time Min Young was around and she didn’t want to have a repeat of that. Yonghwa nodded and turned his attention back to the girl in front of him.

“What’s up Min Young?” he casually asked. The jealousy the other girls felt grew even more as the two shared a conversation that seemed much more intimate than what a teacher and student would have. “You don’t have lab with me today so it’s not about that I assume.”

“No, it’s about my mom,” she responded quietly.

“What happened to ahjumma?” Yonghwa quickly asked in a worried tone.

“NO! It’s not like that,” Min Young rapidly shot back while putting her arms out in front of her. “It’s nothing bad,”

“Oh, you scared me there for a second,” Yonghwa nervously chuckled.

Seohyun could barely make out what the pair was talking about but she still wasn’t too happy. How did Yonghwa know her mother? She felt bad for eavesdropping but it was a reflex that she couldn’t get over. Every time she tried to turn her head away and just look out the window, she would always end up facing the teacher and student.

“She’s here in Seoul and she wanted to see you sometime before she leaves,” Min Young continued to speak in a shy tone. Seohyun wondered why the girl was speaking as if she were a mouse but quickly caught on. When she took a look around, there were so many female students giving her the stink eye it was almost ridiculous. She giggled a bit when she realized that she was also one of them.

“You sure are popular aren’t you Yonghwa?” Seohyun thought to herself.

“Oh that’s great!” Yonghwa exclaimed, oblivious to the fact that Min Young was trying to keep everything low key. “When should I go over to your place?” Seohyun gave herself a facepalm when she heard Yonghwa say that last sentence to the entire world. She wondered how someone could be so oblivious to the facts that were right in front of him. If only she knew that she was even more oblivious than that…

“Uh… uh…” she stumbled with her words. “I’ll just have her call you.” Without taking a look at any of the girls in the busy hall, Min Young quickly turned and walked away from Yonghwa. He was left speechless but he wouldn’t question what just happened. After all Min Young was a girl and he knew girls were weird.

Yonghwa turned around to walk towards the front lobby door where Seohyun was waiting. Girls in the crowded hall greeted him, even girls that weren’t even in his class. “Hey there, sorry about that. You ready to go now?” Seohyun shook her head violently while grabbing his sleeved arm. “What are you doing?”

“Yonghwa you are such an idiot.” Without any further explanation, Seohyun slid his sleeves up and pinched the skin on his arm as hard as she could. Yonghwa tried to pull back but only made the pinch hurt even more than it should have.

“Yah! What was that for?”

“Did you really have to embarrass Min Young like that?” Seohyun asked in a serious voice. Yonghwa stared at her with a look of confusion while wondering what he had done. In his mind he hadn’t done anything wrong. All he did was have a normal conversation with the girl he saw often at the labs. There was nothing embarrassing about it.

“What did I do?” Yonghwa asked in confusion. “All I did was talk to her. I didn’t do anything else.”

Seohyun dragged him out of the building and headed towards the restaurant they would be eating at in a few minutes. While walking Yonghwa continuously tried to get her attention so he could find out what he had done that was so wrong. “You embarrassed her. Yonghwa are you really that oblivious?”

“If anyone is oblivious it’s you,” Yonghwa mentally pointed out. He would have said it out loud, but he knew the repercussions that would bring. “According to you I am so tell me what I did that was so wrong.”

“Do you know that every girl in that hallway was staring at her like cats staring at a cornered mouse?” Seohyun pointed out. Yonghwa still had absolutely no idea what the girl was talking about, making her even more frustrated. “They all want you in their beds Yonghwa.”

“Eh? Me? What are you talking about?” Yonghwa asked, still in the dark about everything.

Seohyun stopped walking and stared at him with a look of disbelief. Was Yonghwa really that dense or was he just acting like that so people would praise him? “You’re the talk of the entire female student body in that building. Why do you think you have so many girls greeting you in that hall?”

“Oh…” Yonghwa muttered when he finally got a hint of what Seohyun was saying. “What does that have to do with Min Young?”

“Ugh do I have to spell it out for you? You seem pretty close to her. Every girl in that hall was so jealous of the way you were talking with Min Young so animatedly,” Seohyun spat out. If Yonghwa didn’t know better, it would look like Seohyun was including herself in that crowd. After all, she did sound a little bitter to his ears.

Yonghwa pulled her arm so she came up closer to him and he gave her a smirk. He brought his face down to her ear, sending shivers down her spine. Seohyun could feel his breath on her sensitive skin, forcing a blush to appear on her face. “You were one of those girls weren’t you?” he teased. “Admit it, you were so jealous of her. I can hear it in your voice.”

Seohyun could feel herself melting into him upon hearing his voice. He was purposefully making his voice sound huskier than it should just to play games with her. She knew it was all a joke, but her body wouldn’t listen. Soon enough she would hear his laugh ringing through her ears while he yelled about how he succeeded in tricking her once more. Even so, she couldn’t help but hope that it wasn’t a joke and that he was being serious.

“No..! I was not jealous of her Yonghwa,” Seohyun cried out. It took all the will power she had, but she managed to shove him away from her and glare. “Stop playing jokes like that. It’s not funny.”

As she expected, Yonghwa began to crack up into violent laughter. “Ahahahah you’re so easy to tease it’s almost unfair. If only you could see how red your face is.” Seohyun huffed and turned away from him angrily. The heels of her feet made a small clicking noise while she trekked over to the restaurant. “Wait up!"

“Stupid Yonghwa and your stupid jokes…” Seohyun muttered under her breath. Yonghwa’s legs broke into a small jog in order for him to catch up to the speed walking girl.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” Yonghwa apologized when he caught up to her. “I probably shouldn’t play jokes like those on a girl who is engaged even if she is my best friend.” Seohyun’s frown deepened when she heard him put it in those words. She looked at the ring on her finger almost sadly while thinking about how she was going to marry Joon in the near future.

“It’s fine…” she mumbled as she tried to gather her thoughts.

Yonghwa nodded silently and retook his place beside her during their walk to the nearby place where they would meet up with their respective partners. Yonghwa looked over at Seohyun and smiled at the fact that he was getting to spend time with her. She was already engaged, so his feelings for her were going to have to start getting weaker if he wanted to survive without being in pain for the rest of his life.. The only thing that mattered was that they still hung out like old times.

“So…” she finally spoke up to break the silence. “Did you know Min Young from before you came back to Korea? It seems like you two are pretty friendly with each other.” The question sounded so awkward once Seohyun thought about it. “I’m just curious. It’s not like I was jealous of you guys or anything, I just thought that you two seemed more than just a teacher and student. Um… yeah, I don’t know what I’m saying.”

“You’re a weird girl aren’t you?” Yonghwa teased when listening to her rambling. “We knew each other before I came here. Her mom lived next door to my grandmother in Busan.”

“Ah so you’re kind of like family friends,” Seohyun supposed. Deep down inside her she felt a little hurt that Yonghwa never mentioned her. He and Min Young seemed to be pretty close for them to be just acquaintances. Then she remembered he didn’t have to tell her everything anyways.

“You could say that. Her mom was abandoned by her father when she was really little and the older brother, Min Woo, had to take care of them. He would be around 28 right now if I recall correctly,” Yonghwa explained.

“Would be 28?” Seohyun asked.

“He passed away during the first year I was in the United States. That girl has been through hell and I’m so proud of her for getting this far ahead in life,” Yonghwa said with a smile.

Seohyun could only stare at her feet in shame once more when she heard Min Young’s story. Once again her strange feelings had clouded her vision which caused her to be jealous of an innocent girl. If she didn’t really sit down and have someone guide her through her problem, she was never going to figure out what was going on. The talk in Busan hadn’t done her any good so she would have to call up Eun Jung to have a talk again.

“That’s why her mom wanted to see you?” Seohyun asked with genuine interest.

“Once she heard I was back in Korea she asked me to take care of her. The girl is only 20 years old and is living here all alone without anyone to help her get through her problems. I remember when we were younger her brother would always joke about how she considered me more of a brother,” Yonghwa laughed. “I only ever saw her for a week or two every summer but she really looked up to me. I’m sure Min Woo would be happy to see she had someone by her side.”

“Ah…” Seohyun could only say when he finished his story. “I didn’t mean to be rude the last time I met her. She seems like a nice person.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Yonghwa assured her. “I’m sure she didn’t think anything of it. She’s not someone that would hold grudges.” Seohyun’s face brightened a little upon hearing his assuring words and hoped it would be like that.  She really didn’t mean to make Min Young feel uncomfortable. Everything just seemed to come out of her without thinking. Soon enough they found themselves at the spot they agreed to meet at but there was no sign of Joon and Hyuna anywhere.

“Hmm, they said they were going to be here before us,” Seohyun pointed out. She pulled out her phone to contact them when a phone call came in at the same time. “Speak of the devil…” she joked while hitting the answer button. “Hey Joon where are you guys?”

“Sorry but we won’t be able to make it. My dad just gave me a call from the hospital. My mom fainted while she was climbing some stairs and she took a pretty hard fall,” Joon frantically explained. Yonghwa tensed up upon seeing the dark expression on Seohyun’s face.

“Alright, we will be right there. She’s going to be fine Joon. Don’t worry about it,” Seohyun assured him. The worried girl put her phone into her purse and dragged Yonghwa back towards the university.

“Hey what’s wrong?” he asked her. “What did Joon say?”

“His mom had a fall and she’s in the hospital. We should go see her,” Seohyun suggested. Yonghwa caught on quickly and fell into a speedy pace while they headed over to Seohyun’s car.

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Joon exited the hospital room with a somber face while letting out a deep sigh. His mother just woke up which let him finally have inner peace. The busy heir to the large exporting company hardly ever saw his mother and it made him feel horrible that he had to see her in the hospital after so long. Joon’s father came out soon after and gave him a pat on the back.

“She’s going to be fine son,” the older male assured him. “She’s just going to have to stay in bed for a while. Everything is going to be fine.” Joon silently nodded while sitting down in a nearby chair. “I’m going to head out for some coffee. Do you want anything?”

“No dad I’ll be fine.” Joon’s father looked over at Hyuna to ask her if she was alright and received an answer similar to Joon’s. Hyuna gave the man a slight bow before he left her alone with the worried young man.

“You heard the doctors Joon. She’s going to be fine,” Hyuna assured him. She walked over to him and gave him a warm hug in hopes that he would snap out of his dazed state. Joon quickly sprung into action and pushed her off of him. Hyuna huffed angrily as soon as she felt the rough gesture.

“Are you crazy? You can’t be like that here,” he fiercely whispered. “There are so many people around here.” Hyuna scoffed once more before dragging him out of his seat towards a more secluded corner of the hospital.

Joon stared into her eyes which had a spark of defiance in them. He knew it was his fault she was acting like that, but he couldn’t be intimate with her in such a risky setting. “Joon, let me be here for you. After what’s been going on between us, you can’t deny me the right to comfort you.” Joon remembered the way he spent the last two nights with her in his bed and dropped his guard.

“Hyuna what we’re doing is wrong.” Hyuna put her finger up to his mouth and shushed him immediately. The seductress hugged him once more in order to comfort him. “Thanks for being here though.”

Ever since they began their relationship, that was the first time he felt anything but pure passion and lust for her. Hyuna was genuinely trying to help him through a difficult time and he truly appreciated it. “I’m here for you Joon. I’ll always be here for you.” They pulled away from each other’s arms only to pull each other into a tender kiss right after.

“Joon… Hyuna…” a familiar voice spoke from behind them. “Ahem… I hope I’m not interrupting anything…” Joon and Hyuna both froze up upon hearing the voice of Joon’s father behind them. “Um, Hyuna would you mind leaving us to have a word in private?” Hyuna bowed before quickly rushing past the two men in embarrassment.

“Dad I can explain everything,” Joon tried to justify.

“There’s no need to. Joon, I saw everything that was needed to be seen. I’m not going to tell you how to live your life or anything like that,” Joon’s father explained. The bewildered son avoided his father’s gaze in humiliation. He was supposed to be here for his mother yet he was cheating on his fiancée with his best friend’s girlfriend.

“Dad… I need help. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore,” Joon whimpered. His father took him into a manly father-son hug while patting his back lightly. “I’m such bastard with what I’m doing right now.”

The understanding father guided his son over to a seat in order to have a much needed talk with him. “Whatever you’re going to do, I suggest you fix it soon. If you like Hyuna and you can see yourself with her forever, then grab hold of her. Don’t do this to Seohyun, that girl doesn’t deserve it.”

“You’re not mad that I’m a dirty cheating bastard?” Joon asked as if were a five year old that thought he was going to be scolded by his parents. Joon’s father let out a hearty laugh at the naïve tone his son was using but quickly went back into a serious mode. After all, this wasn’t a matter that could be taken lightly.

“I’m pretty disappointed in you. But I can’t judge you. When I was younger, before you were born, I almost cheated on your mother,” the wiser man admitted. Joon’s eyes shot wide open in disbelief almost instantly. In his eyes, his parents were so deeply in love that they would remain together even after they died.

“Ne? You did?”

“I almost did. There was a woman who drove me insane at work with her charms. I was upset that your mother could possibly never have children at the time,” he continued to explain. Joon sensed the everlasting regret in his father’s words and hoped he would never have to speak like that. “Then when your mother finally got pregnant with you, I realized I was making such a huge mistake.”

“At least you didn’t make the mistake like I did,” Joon lamented.

“It’s the intent that counts. I berate myself every day I see your mother for ever thinking about hurting her like that. While I don’t approve of you cheating on Seohyun, I won’t tell you what to do. Life is about making your own mistakes and learning from them.”

“I’m sorry dad. I know I disappointed you with this and I’ll be sure to sort out my feelings soon,” Joon guaranteed his father. While he was very upset with himself for letting his father figure everything out, he was relieved as well. At least there was someone in the world who wouldn’t judge him for potentially loving a woman that should be completely off limits.

“I’m going to go back in with your mother for the rest of the afternoon. You should head home and rest. I’m sure you have a lot to think about.” With those last words Joon’s dad walked around the corner to watch over his unconscious wife. Even though he was glad to have spoken with his father, it only confused him more.

“Ugh what the hell am I supposed to do now?” he asked himself. As he stood up he noticed that all of his friends arrived at the hospital to see if his mother was okay. Another sigh escaped his lips before he found the courage to face the group of people he was deceiving.

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“It’s good that your mom is going to be fine,” Seohyun pointed out to Joon. “You should watch over her and not let her work so much though. I don’t think it will be a good idea for her to overwork herself to the point where she faints.” Joon absentmindedly accepted Seohyun’s advice without really giving her an answer.

“Oppa~” Hyuna cooed in Yonghwa’s direction. Everyone present looked over towards the new couple with a slight look of disgust but kept their comments to themselves. “I’m hungry.”

“Yah! What did I tell you about that aegyo stuff in public?” Yonghwa lashed out in discomfort. Everyone present began to by calling him oppa in the cutest voices they could muster. Seohyun, however, could not take the sugar coated way Hyuna was calling out to him and walked out to a large lobby with many windows. The girl stared out through the window on the fourth floor pensively.

“You want to talk?” Eun Jung asked when she caught up to her. Seohyun looked over at her friend to give her a weak smile. Eun Jung reciprocated the gesture and gave her a nudge in the ribs.

“Eun Jung I need you to help me with my problem again,” Seohyun muttered.

Eun Jung knew exactly what Seohyun was referring to. Ever since they had their talk in Busan almost a week back, the short haired girl caught all of her friend’s subtle hints. Seohyun really did need help to figure out what was going on inside her brain or else things could get messy fast.

“How are things with Yonghwa? Has it gotten worse?” Eun Jung questioned.

Seohyun sighed before staring at Eun Jung in the eyes to explain everything. It would be of no use to hide anything so she would have to lay out all the facts in order to receive help. “I think it has. I was with him  today and I felt so jealous of that Min Young girl when he was talking to her. He told me what his relationship was with her and even though I knew I shouldn’t be jealous of her, I still kind of am.”

“Jealous of what?”

“He told me he knew her from a long time ago in Busan but I never heard of her. I was kind of mad at him that he never once told me about her. I felt a little betrayed.”

Seohyun figured she sounded so stupid at the moment. Why in the world did she feel betrayed? Yonghwa wasn’t her boyfriend. He didn’t need to tell her about every girl he knew. Even if they were dating, he still wouldn’t be obligated to do that. Still, it didn’t take away the fact that she did feel like Yonghwa was hiding something from her.

“You sound like a jealous girlfriend Seohyun,” Eun Jung teased. Seohyun shot her friend a dirty look for a quick second before getting back into a serious mood. “What about Hyuna? How do you feel about her?”

Seohyun thought about Hyuna and Yonghwa’s relationship whenever she saw them together, but she hated to admit it. Every time they would share a quick kiss or hug, Seohyun felt like turning away. It almost disgusted her to see them like that. “I kind of feel like I need to protect Yonghwa when it comes to Hyuna. She is one of my really good friends, but I don’t like her being with him. I know how she is with guys and sometimes I think she could hurt Yonghwa.”

“What did you feel when he told you that he was dating her back in Busan?”

“Well… I was happy for him of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” Seohyun reasoned. “Although, I did feel a little upset. When he told me about it, I immediately shoved the ring in his face to make him feel jealous. I don’t know why I did that.”

“Hmm…” Eun Jung grunted. “What do you think it is you feel for him?”

“It’s because I’m his best friend of course!” Seohyun confidently replied. Eun Jung almost slapped her forehead when she heard Seohyun’s naïve response. “I just want to protect him from anything that could be bad right?”

“And it just so happens to be that you only want to protect him from other women?” Eun Jung asked in suspicion.

“Well… maybe I want to protect him from other stuff too and I haven’t gotten the chance.” Even Seohyun didn’t even believe that excuse from how stupid it sounded, but she kept quiet about it.

“No girl… I think you have a crush on this boy,” Eun Jung finally concluded. “You have the hots for Jung Yonghwa.”

“I have a crush? Eyyy… that’s just silly Eun Jung. How could I ever have a crush on him?” Seohyun questioned in disbelief. Eun Jung stood in front of the woman in denial with her arms crossed across her chest as if saying ‘You’re not getting out of this one.’

“Yeah, you have a crush.”

Those few last words hit Seohyun after they hit her ears. You. Have. A. Crush. Those four words rang through her head over and over until they finally made sense to her. At first her brain kept on trying to make sense of them. It was almost as if her brain couldn’t even imagine that those four words could be used in the same sentence.

“I… can’t have a crush on him,” Seohyun said in disbelief. “I shouldn’t have a crush on him Eun Jung. Why is this happening to me?” Eun Jung tried her hardest not to laugh at Seohyun’s cute antics. Only Seohyun could act like an elementary school student that doesn’t know the first thing about love in that kind of situation.

“Who knows? Maybe it was meant to be?” she responded. “So are you going to tell him?”

“What?! No! Of course not!” Seohyun yelled without any restraint. “Are you crazy? Do you know how much that would screw everything up?”

“What if he felt the same way?” Eun Jung asked. She wasn’t supposed to be saying things like that and she knew it. Yonghwa had to be the one to tell Seohyun everything. Eun Jung would be a bad friend if she revealed everything to Seohyun without Yonghwa approving of it. Still, she had to find out everything that Seohyun had in her heart.

“I-I don’t know,” the confused girl stuttered. “I wouldn’t be opposed to it, but that is such a big risk. Eun Jung, does that even make sense? I’m an engaged woman that has been with her fiancé for 7 years. Does it make sense that I drop everything I’ve lived for just because I have a little crush on my best friend?”

Eun Jung had to admit Seohyun’s point really did make sense. The girl was confused and had no idea what to do until she was guided in the right direction. Why would she leave her boyfriend of 7 years just because she developed a crush on someone else? Eun Jung was sure this happened often. As much as she wanted to force Seohyun to tell Yonghwa, it wouldn’t work. It would have to be done some other way.

“So even if you knew for sure Yonghwa liked you back, you wouldn’t tell him?”

“I probably would want to, but it’s so risky. If I left Joon for Yonghwa out of the blue, everyone would hate me. I would lose both Joon and Hyuna as friends. What if me and Yonghwa didn’t even work out? Then everything would be ruined for sure.” Eun Jung applauded Seohyun for being so rational. With the way she was dealing with her problems before, it was unexpected that she was thinking so far in advance.

Eun Jung could only sigh and hope that Seohyun figured out her feelings. It was still really surprising just how blind she was towards Yonghwa’s feelings. Then again, that was probably for the best. It would not be good if Seohyun found out Yonghwa liked her while the girl was engaged. “This is a hot mess you have here.”

“I know, but I think I can get over it. It’s just a small crush right? I’m sure by the time the wedding comes around everything will be solved.”

“Hey we’re thinking about taking Joon out to the restaurant after all,” Yonghwa called out to them while jogging over to the windows. “He needs something to distract him from what’s going on with his mom.” Yonghwa put an arm around Eun Jung and Seohyun to pull them towards the elevator. Seohyun’s body tensed up from the contact, causing her to look over at Eun Jung. The short haired woman threw Seohyun a look that said ‘See, I told you that you had a crush on him,’ as well as a victorious smirk.

“Damn… I have a crush on Yonghwa? No… I can’t have a crush on him. He’s my best friend and I’m going to marry Joon soon,” she thought. “Don’t worry Seohyun, now that you know what’s wrong it will be easier to solve.”

“Guys hurry up, I’m starving,” Hyuna whined when she saw the heading over to the elevator.

“You’re still here?” Yonghwa asked in a voice that sounded disgusted rather than happy to see her. They were boyfriend and girlfriend, yet the pair acted like cats and dogs.

“And you’re still an ?” Hyuna shot back. Yonghwa ignored her snotty remark with a laugh and shoved the three girls into the elevator. Seohyun noticed that Yonghwa and Hyuna acted cold towards each other, but they didn’t mean it. It was just how their relationship worked which once again caused her to feel jealous of the pair.

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The lunch date went better than expected since Joon finally managed to cheer up with Yonghwa’s failed jokes which drove the others insane. Soon enough everyone headed home to get ready for the next day which could only bring them boredom in their work places or classrooms. Jang Woo and Eun Jung decided to head out first since Jang Woo’s mother was going to visit the apartment in the evening. Hyuna wanted to spend more time with Yonghwa, but she realized she had to go pick up her things at Joon’s office.

“I’ll drop Hyuna off at her house after she picks up her things at my office,” Joon explained to Seohyun and Yonghwa. “I promise I won’t keep her tied up too long Yonghwa.” Yonghwa scoffed at Joon’s comment and made a comment of his own about how he didn’t care whether or not Hyuna was free or not. Eventually, it was just Seohyun and the boy she realized she had a crush on alone in her car.

“You and Hyuna seem to have a unique relationship,” Seohyun pointed out.

“Yeah, we’re not the typical couple I guess,” Yonghwa laughed. “I guess we’re a little weird but I kind of like her. I thought she would be a real drag to hang out with but she’s not that bad. She’s still a little annoying though.”

Seohyun felt her heart sink when she heart Yonghwa speak so fondly of another girl in front of her. He had the right to do so since they were dating, but it hurt regardless. Deep down, she hoped Yonghwa hadn’t really fallen for Hyuna. She thought that the new couple was only dating to test the waters. Seohyun didn’t expect the boy to actually reciprocate Hyuna’s feelings. She knew Hyuna did like Yonghwa, but she didn’t think Yonghwa felt the same way.

“So do you like her?” Seohyun asked without beating around the bush.

Yonghwa caught a slight hint of jealousy in Seohyun’s voice which made him feel a little happy. Then he smiled and realized she was probably only just worried about what would happen if two of her friends ended up getting hurt. Besides, he was very eager to keep the promises he made to his friends. Now that Seohyun was a taken woman, he had to forget her. It was the only right thing to do.

“Yeah I guess I’m starting to like her,” he lied. “I have fun teasing her and making her life hell.”

“That’s good then…” Seohyun mumbled while keeping her eyes on the road.

“Are you jealous?” he asked in the voice he always in. “I think little Hyunnie is jealous that I’m stealing her best friend away from her. I promise I won’t come in between the love you two have for each other.”

“Pabo! I’m not jealous!” she exclaimed with real anger. Yonghwa caught the fire in her voice and backed off. “I’m sorry, I’m just a little tired today.”

“I’m not mad that you’re stealing my friend. I’m mad she’s stealing my best friend away from me,” Seohyun explained inwardly. Everything was starting to get out of control. Now that Eun Jung helped her figure out what was going on, she had to find a way to kill it. Joon was going to marry her soon. Seohyun knew she still had feelings for him since she didn’t have any intention of backing out of the marriage.

It would be a really dangerous move on her part to act on her crush for Yonghwa. Not only would it hurt her and Yonghwa, but also Joon and Hyuna. Even Jang Woo and Eun Jung would be caught in the middle of it. It was a simple childish crush that one would eventually grow out of. It wasn’t anything serious. By the time she married Joon, she figured it would all go away and everything would be set straight again. Seohyun was never wrong about her feelings before which gave her the certainty that she wouldn’t be the same this time around either.

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“Hello brother,” Krystal bitterly greeted once Yonghwa walked through the apartment door. Yonghwa could immediately tell she was beyond pissed and he knew exactly what it was. Nothing would stop the rampaging Jung Soo Jung when she got started so he braced himself for the words that were just waiting to exit .

“Hey Krystal,” Yonghwa greeted in a shaky voice. “How long ago did you get here from Busan?” Krystal scoffed before going up to Yonghwa and stomping on his foot as hard as she could. He began to hop on one foot and groan in pain while Krystal continued to glare at him.

“I’ve been back for almost the entire day. The thing is, I found out something pretty interesting when I got here. You’re dating that witch? How could you even possibly…? I don’t even understand what you would see in that ,” Krystal insulted acidly. Seohyun was someone she disliked because she always hurt her brother. Then she would remember it wasn’t actually Seohyun’s fault. Hyuna was a completely different story.

Krystal began to hate Hyuna from the first moment they met. She was a pro at reading people’s intentions and she could see that the y woman was nothing more than a time bomb of trouble ready to set off. Now that her brother was dating that fox, the bomb would naturally explode in his face. Angry couldn’t even begin to explain how enraged Krystal was at the moment.

“Krystal you know why I’m doing this,” Yonghwa replied in a calm voice. “I’m trying my hardest to get over everything.”

“By what? By sleeping with that ? No Yonghwa, that’s not how it works,” Krystal pointed out. Yonghwa knew every word that came out of his sister’s mouth was true. Even so, he couldn’t sit back and do nothing. If he tried his hardest, he honestly did believe he could forget Seohyun. “Did you even think about how Hyuna would feel? I hate her with all my heart but what if I didn’t? What if Hyuna actually was likable? You would be using a girl that has nothing to do with this just for selfish reasons."

“Krystal I-”

“Yonghwa, you’re almost as bad as Hyuna is.” Those words hit Yonghwa like a brick across the face. Hyuna was Krystal’s mortal enemy. Even if she had to beg Hyuna in order to save her life, she wouldn’t do it. For her to say that about him, Yonghwa knew he was screwing up big time. “I really don’t understand you. I did think you were cowardly at first but when you came back and you finally made some sort of effort to sort everything out, I was happy. Now seeing you do this to yourself is sickening.”

“You know what I’m trying to do Krystal… Please stop treating me like a–”

“No, you’re just so disappointing it’s ridiculous. Don’t talk to me until you’ve finally set everything straight. That includes Seohyun. Until you finally get rid of every stupid and frustrating feeling you have inside you, you’re not my brother.” The girl huffed in his direction before standing up to lock herself into her room. His first reaction was to go in there and beg her to reconsider. Then he realized that Krystal was right. Everyone involved in this was becoming frustrated all because he couldn’t make up his mind.

“Damn it Yonghwa what are you going to do now?”

Author’s Note: So Seohyun finally realizes that she has a small crush on him. Let’s be real here and put it out in the air that she doesn’t ‘love’ him yet. She only likes him a little. Besides, both of those idiots keep telling each other they like their respective partners so that’s going to keep them separated too. Also having a small crush on someone is not grounds to call of your marriage. At least I wouldn’t do that. We will just have to see what happens with our dear YongSeo couple. Also Joon’s little talk with his dad will make him focus on what actions he will take in his relationship with Hyuna and Seohyun. I’m talking too much so I will just stop writing now :)

Also, just wrote one of the best chapters ever just now. Weeeeeeeeee chapter 18 is so good (for me it was at least)