Seo Dae Young shifted in his seat.

He glanced at the pale, green neon display of numbers and inwardly groan. Still an hour to go. 

"Do we really have to listen to this?" 

"What? Classical music is good for the soul." Seo Dae Young resists the urge to roll his eyes because Seo Dae Young doesn't roll his eyes. It is Myung Joo's thing. A girl's thing. But he is so tempted to do so now. He cannot decide between the former or just reaching over and wring his friend's neck. Except said friend is currently driving the car and endeavoring the second act could result in both of them, dead. 

He squeeze his eyes shut and rubbed his tired eyes with the balls of his palm. He resolved with his third option; enduring Si Jin's sudden interest in classical music, which is currently blaring through the speakers a Beethoven's Symphony No.5.

It is not that Seo Dae Young hates classical music. It just isn't his cup of tea and he cannot learn to appreciate it enough though he respects the works and arts of it in which Si Jin snorted at the reasoning.

'Of course you wouldn't know much about classical music. It requires intelligience to appreciate such great works.'

Seo Dae Young almost had him killed. As he stared out at the blur of lights and cars zipping past, memories of earlier events surfaced in his mind. He cringed. 

Who would have thought the amiable, charasmatic and charming; Si Jin's words, never his, was quite the contary tonight. It wasn't his fault that the air-stewardess friend his cousin brought along was so entranced with Si Jin that she practically tried to jump on him. Seo Dae Young noted with some relief that he suggested to meet at the quaint little cafe down the street of his abode instead of the local pub. God knows what would happen.

Seo Dae Young was only being a good friend and hyung to Si Jin and make good of the promise he made earlier. Well, if he would admit honestly, he needed a day out too before they are stuck out in wherever Uruk is. Besides, his favourite cousin was in town. Si Jin didn't say no but he didn't quite say yes. In fact, he did looked a little hesitant. Seo Dae Young threw his friend a look. One that spoke volumes on whatever he did not answer when they were having the conversation while bathing. 'Is he still moping over that doctor in Haesung Hospital?'

Si Jin blinked and looked away. He cleared his throat and asked the usual 'Is she pretty?' and 'Are you sure she doesn't have a boyfriend?'. Seo Dae Young answered him briefly and notes that Si Jin's usual isn't the usual. The guy didn't even ask for a picture! Exhaling with determination, Seo Dae Young decided a blind date would do him some good and dragged Si Jin some 80 minutes drive out of the barracks. 

If he knew this is the outcome, he shouldn't have even bothered. The doctor, what's her name? Kang something....Whatever. A Dr Kang. Who is she? What is she? Most importantly, what did she do to him? He had never seen Si Jin never jump at any opportunity for a blind date nor have he ever seen Si Jin being so disinterested. Rather the man in discussion was more interested in the floating tea leaves in his tea cup and the patterned floor tiles than his "date" who was, in her defense quite cute and pretty. Just perhaps not as pretty as a certain doctor that recently captured his comrade's heart. To say the entire affair was awkward is an understatement. He had to "ping-pong" conversations around the table to a marginally-vocal Si Jin and he was anxious to end the date quickly. It didn't help that his cousin's friend is rather enthusiatic about Si Jin and her soft coos of "Si Jin oppa" is met with the man's restraint smiles. As soon as they got the girls home, Dae Young his friend. 

"What is wrong with you?" Though he very well know the answer, he wants to hear the man out.

"Nothing." Of course he would say nothing. 

"Can't things be work out between you and the doctor?"

Seo Dae Young is not blind. He knows when Si Jin is interested. Especially when pretty girls are involved. He just have not seen Si Jin being so serious and so attached or mope around for so long. Long because it has already been a week and it is not like they have gone official. He barely dated her, if his calculations aren't wrong - but then, Maths hasn't excatly been his strongest but he counted at least two. Only two dates. She probably broke things off or something, judging by how forlorn and disappointed he looks. 

He tried to brush things off and acts cool, even throwing himself in the piles of paperwork and rendered for once - Seo Dae Young, himself, useless. For the past few days after Si Jin got back from Seoul and most definite a date - he was all dressed up, he typed away on the keyboard with such vigor and outdo himself by finishing the paperwork well before their dateline. Their superior was impressed. Seo Dae Young was between impressed and worried. 

After the feat with the paperwork comes his obsession with various selections of classical music. Seo Dae Young learn in between scores of Mozart's Requiem the reason of Si Jin's latest fascination. 'Mozart is one of her favourites. Do you know that the Requiem was left unfinished because the composer died?' 

No. He did not know and he did not care that he did not know. All he knows that his friend is pretty much a goner.

Seo Dae Young contemplates Si Jin as the track when on to its next. He might as well entertain him.

"So...what's this?"

"Eh? Mwo?" Si Jin asked, shaken out from his reverie. Seo Dae Young surpressed the urge not to strangle him, yet again. Why is he driving? He should not be driving if his thoughts are wandering every now and then. 

"This song. This song... What is it?", he asked impatiently.

"Ah, Debussy's Prelude."

Prelude? How befitting. They are leaving for Uruk tommorow. And he has a hunch this is going to be the beginning of a long 8 months.