That day, when Sooyeon and Miyoung are sent home by the guidance counselor, Kyuhyun isn’t able to see Sooyeon but Jongwoon does. He is feeding the turtles in the botanical garden again when he notices Sooyeon walking towards the garden. Miyoung has gone home already and Sooyeon is supposed to go home already, too, but for some reason, Sooyeon wants to have some time alone with herself – which, as probably expected, doesn’t happen because she decides to have her ‘alone time’ in the botanical garden and Jongwoon is already there.

“Oh,” Sooyeon mutters, quickly wiping the tears on her face when he sees Jongwoon inside the garden feeding the turtles in the turtle pond. “I’m – I’m sorry… I’ll go.”

“Sooyeon-ssi,” Jongwoon calls after her uncertainly, “It’s okay. Um, you can stay here… I’ll leave.”

Jongwoon figures that maybe, Sooyeon needs time alone to herself. He’s done feeding the turtles, anyway, and the botanical garden isn’t his. If there’s anything he can do for Sooyeon, that’s probably to give her the place, the space, and the time she needs alone. He knows what she’s going through isn’t easy and if there’s anything he can do to help, Jongwoon is willing to do it.

Besides, Sooyeon is Kyuhyun’s childhood friend. She’s almost a younger sister to Kyuhyun.

“Jongwoon-oppa,” Sooyeon suddenly says when Jongwoon is about to leave the botanical garden.

Jongwoon stops and looks back at Sooyeon, smiling at her encouragingly, because even though Jongwoon hasn’t really spend time with Sooyeon, he doesn’t really know Sooyeon at all, and despite the things Sooyeon did to Joohyun and Sooyoung, and probably to him as well, as indirectly as it may seem, the pain in Sooyeon’s face is etched, so deeply that Jongwoon just can’t ignore it.

“Why are you being kind to me, oppa?” Sooyeon says sarcastically, like she’s mocking herself more than she thinks she does to Jongwoon. “Why aren’t you disgusted at me? Why aren’t you avoiding me?”

Jongwoon walks towards Sooyeon. “Why should I?”

Sooyeon can’t help the tears in her eyes. She covers her face with her hands and buries her face on the table. “I don’t – I don’t know. Because I’m disgusting? Because I’m a lesbian? Because I’m in love with a girl, as I’m a girl? Because… Because…”

Jongwoon sits across Sooyeon, letting the younger girl let everything out. He wonders when was the last time Sooyeon cried, like really cried, although he doesn’t need to have a degree in psychology to know that it has been a while.

“I’ve never been fond of labels,” Jongwoon says.

“Huh?” Sooyeon looks up from burying her face in the table at Jongwoon’s face, not sure what Jongwoon’s talking about.

“I said, I’ve never been fond of labels,” Jongwoon repeats, smiling at Sooyeon. “If you love a person, then you love that person. I don’t think a label is really necessary. Do you?”

“No,” Sooyeon answers, in between sniffs and hiccups.

“Sooyeon-ssi,” Jongwoon says again.

“Sooyeon, please,” Sooyeon interrups Jongwoon.

“Sooyeon-ah,” Jongwoon says again with a gentle smile on his face. “You’re not disgusting, okay? You’re not. People will say anything they want to say for things they refuse to understand but just because they’re saying things doesn’t mean they’re true. You’re not disgusting. Please, don’t call yourself that.”

Sooyeon only stares at Jongwoon. How can someone be so kind?

“It’s funny because I feel like I should say this thing I read once from one of Joohyun’s books,” Jongwoon continues when Sooyeon doesn’t say or do anything except stare at him. Jongwoon’s not much of a talker. (It’s pretty obvious in his reputation in the university, right?) But what Sooyeon needs right now is a friend, somebody who’ll believe in her, take her hand despite everybody saying mean things to her, and help her walk through this.

“It goes like this, um,” Jongwoon begins, suddenly not too confident in his speaking skills. “Make your weaknesses your strengths, so people won’t be able to use them against you… or something like that.” He laughs uncertainly and silently calls himself an idiot because what on earth is he saying?

Fortunately, it garners a soft giggle from Sooyeon even though tears are still falling like rain from her eyes. Chuckling, she asks, “What’s that supposed to mean, oppa?”

“That you have to accept your weaknesses, turn it into your strengths, so no one will be able to use them against you?” Jongwoon offers, laughing along with Sooyeon.

Sooyeon laughs even more, not because Jongwoon’s answer is funny but because Jongwoon is being funny. To be honest, Jongwoon’s answers sound perfectly acceptable.

“I don’t really know,” Jongwoon continues, still laughing. “We have to ask Joohyun about this.”

After their laughter die down, it’s a little awkward because Sooyeon and Jongwoon don’t really know each other personally. As a matter of fact, the only reason why they got to know each other is because of that little incident Sooyeon stirred in the cafeteria before. Jongwoon takes that sign to leave.

“Jongwoon-oppa,” Sooyeon says when she notices Jongwoon standing up. “I just want you to know that I’m really, really sorry for what happened before. I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry.”

“I protected Sooyoungie and Joohyunie because they’re important to me,” Jongwoon says, although at this point in time, it’s probably obvious. “Protect those important to you, too, Sooyeon-ah. Don’t lose them. It’s difficult, but not impossible.”

Jongwoon doesn’t stop turning on his bed. After what happened in the botanical garden, he expects Kyuhyun to accuse him right away of being Yesung and Jongwoon will admit everything, of course. It has come down to that point that the right thing to do now is reveal everything to Kyuhyun, if he really wants to protect him, that is. But Kyuhyun merely talks about ‘hearing the same thing from someone.’

He knows he should come clean right now. Although to be honest, Jongwoon knows there’s no way he can come clean about this, especially that he knows who Kyuhyun is and they’ve spent so much time together, with the choir, with the basketball team, and even outside those. There’s so much time he could have told Kyuhyun the truth. But he didn’t, he hasn’t and he’s still not doing it.

Jongwoon sighs. This is really making his head ache, thinking how is he going to tell Kyuhyun everything, when suddenly, Sooyoung IMed him on his real account. (It’s kind of dangerous to use his ‘Kim Yesung’ account at home.)

CHOIsoo0210: Jongwoon-oppa!!!

Jongwoon smiles. Sooyoung is always seen as an exuberant, obnoxious, and cold girl, but for Jongwoon, Sooyoung isn’t anything like that. Her heart is warm. It’s not that she’s obnoxious, but rather, she’s not just easily fooled and she knows how to stand up for the things she believes in, no matter what others think about it.

redred: Hello! ^^ How are you, Sooyoungie?

CHOIsoo0210: I can’t study, oppa! >.<

Jongwoon laughs. That’s not unusual for Sooyoung. It’s not that she’s not intelligent or anything like that but school doesn’t interest her the same way it does other people, like say, Joohyun. Joohyun and Sooyoung rarely fight, but when they do, it’s mostly about Sooyoung not studying. That, or their differing opinion with Kyuhyun for Jongwoon. (Of course, not that Jongwoon needs to know about that.)

redred: What are you doing then?

CHOIsoo0210: I’m reading Detective Conan manga, oppa! ^^

redred: Of course you are. ^^

CHOIsoo0210: What do you mean, oppa? >.<

redred: You’d be a great detective someday!

CHOIsoo0210: Ha! I’m not that ambitious, oppa. >.<

redred: I’m serious!

CHOIsoo0210: But there’s something I don’t understand, oppa…

redred: Is that about the lesson you’re supposed to be studying or DC?

CHOIsoo0210: DC. xD

Jongwoon sighs, but he figures that helping Sooyoung figure out things she doesn’t understand in that manga she’s reading is better than overthinking and overanalyzing how he’ll tell everything to Kyuhyun tomorrow.

redred: What about it?

CHOIsoo0210: Why is it that Ran is so stupid?

redred: You can elaborate further, Soo.

CHOIsoo0210: Why can’t she realize that Shinichi and Conan are one and the same person?

redred: Well… I don’t know?

CHOIsoo0210: There’re many evidences, oppa. And there’re many times Conan slipped up and almost revealed his real identity to Ran. But why does it seem like Ran isn’t following? I mean, isn’t she even observing?

It’s amazing how Sooyoung can get so worked up in a Japanese comic book, but not on the lesson she’s supposed to be studying for their test the following day, Jongwoon thinks.

CHOIsoo0210: If she really knows Shinichi, then wouldn’t it be just right for her to realize that Conan is Shinichi, oppa?

redred: I don’t know, Soo. Maybe the author just wants the story to be longer? It works that way, right?

CHOIsoo0210: But it’s getting pointless, oppa. >.<

redred: Why?

CHOIsoo0210: When is she going to realize that Conan is Shinichi? When is she going to realize that Shinichi has been, as a matter-of-fact, always beside her, looking out for her, and protecting her? When is she going to realize that Shinichi has been with her always?

CHOIsoo0210: That’s why I like Haibara more. >.<

CHOIsoo0210: Don’t get me wrong, oppa. I know it’s true love for Ran and Shinichi. But sometimes, I don’t get Ran at all!

CHOIsoo0210: Unlike Haibara who knows Conan’s real identity, Ran seems so clueless. I can’t blame her but when it’s the eight hundredth chapter, there must be something wrong with her, oppa!

CHOIsoo0210: Jongwoon-oppa, are you still there?

redred: Still here, Soo! ^^

CHOIsoo0210: I’m sorry I ranted about my DC feels to you, oppa. >.<

redred: What are you saying? It’s okay, silly! ^_^

CHOIsoo0210: But honestly, oppa, what do you think about that? There’s something wrong with Ran, right?

Jongwoon thinks about it. He’s not that much of a fan of the aforementioned manga like Sooyoung is. He’s only watched a few episodes of the anime because it’s interesting, really, although he can’t find much time to watch over five hundred episodes of the anime. But when he carefully thinks about it, he can’t say for sure.

It’s not that Ran is stupid, Jongwoon thinks… But probably…

CHOIsoo0210: Oh, wait, oppa! There’s something!

redred: Okay…

CHOIsoo0210: I’m just going to read an article, oppa! It won’t be long!

redred: I’ll stay here. ^^

Jongwoon considers that maybe, Joohyun’s spirit reaches Sooyoung’s and she’s reading an article in relation with their test tomorrow, but he should have thought against that because Sooyoung’s become more engrossed in the thing  she’s worrying about in Detective Conan on her next IMs.

CHOIsoo0210: I know it, oppa! I know it! xD

redred: Sooyoung, are you alright?

CHOIsoo0210: You see, oppa, there’s this article in our DC forum. There are many articles and avid readers like me are free to write articles about what we think about all sorts of things in relation with DC, episodes, chapters, ships, everything!

CHOIsoo0210: I’m browsing through the articles in relation with the love line in the story and there’s this most read and most commented article!

CHOIsoo0210: I know it, oppa! I know it! Ran knows!

redred: What do you mean, Soo?

CHOIsoo0210: Okay, so I think there should be a benefit of the doubt in here…

Benefit of the doubt?, Jongwoon nearly chokes. If Sooyoung doubts her ability to be a great detective, then who has the ability to be?

CHOIsoo0210: I know Gosho Aoyama-sensei’s mind is really like a labyrinth and we really can’t figure out what he’s thinking but I – we think, Ran already knows, oppa. She knows it subconsciously, that Conan is Shinichi and that they’re one and the same.

CHOIsoo0210: It’s just that, she’s waiting for Shinichi/Conan to tell her that, the truth!

CHOIsoo0210: Oppa? Jongwoon-oppa?

CHOIsoo0210: Jongwoon-oppa, are you still there?

redred: I’m here, Sooyoungie.

redred: That’s great news for you! I should go now, Soo. Goodnight! ^_^

CHOIsoo0210: I know it, right, oppa? xD Goodnight, oppa! See you tomorrow! ^_^

Now Jongwoon understands how engrossed Sooyoung is with Detective Conan, and Ran, and Shinichi and Conan, Jongwoon understands that and he knows, Sooyoung doesn’t mean anything with everything she talked to him about. Maybe, it’s just Jongwoon because he realizes that it’s like him and Kyuhyun.

Maybe, it not that Kyuhyun doesn’t know.

Maybe, Kyuhyun already knows (subconsciously or whatever).

Maybe, he is only waiting for Jongwoon to tell him the truth.

A/N: I love Detective Conan! <3