4. Headache

I Just

 4. Headache
Oh please
Please look at me
I'm right in front of you

Kim Wonpil
The hardest thing with acting as a bridge for Jaehee and Younghyun are their baggages and the corresponding defense mechanism they have built. Just when I think that they’re making progress and are about to break through the tough shells they’ve surrounded themselves with, they get promoted, or leave their jobs for a better one, or fly to another country and stay there for two years. Jaehee and Younghyun flourished in their respective careers, genuinely enjoyed singlehood, and consciously made it a point not to listen to me whenever I ship them out loud, to their faces. They have a mutual crush on each other, for love’s sake!

During the past two years, it became more difficult, given that they both don’t see each other anymore. And that’s a challenge that I took. I fed Younghyun with all updates on Jaehee, and vice versa. When I Skype with Jaehee, it’s usually in the living room, where Younghyun can naturally eavesdrop and sometimes drop by to wave a hello at her.

One can imagine how frustrating that it has been three years and yet nothing significant has occurred between them. But I realized that all my work has paid off one night half a year ago.

“Hyung, Jaehee’s new neighbors seem nice.” I handed him my phone and showed the photo that Jaehee sent, a group selca in which a certain tall, bespectacled guy has a casual hand hanging over Jaehee’s shoulder. I deliberately pointed at this, watched his expression, and continued, “This is Jae. Looks like they’re getting along very nicely, huh.”

Younghyun stared at the image on my phone for a few seconds. He gave me back my phone and scrunched his nose. “Yeah, looks like they do. Are they dating or something?”

I grinned widely at him, and which made him throw a cushion at me. “They’re not dating, hyung. At least not yet.” I gave as much emphasis as I can to the last word.

Later than night, Younghyun bursted through my bedroom door and announced, “I’m going to take a sabbatical leave, in Japan probably.” I don’t even bother to stop myself from giggling. “Okay, thank you for letting me know, hyung.” And then he left as abruptly as he came.

 

Months later, he’s on a plane to Tokyo. I told him one thing before checking-in: “Go get her, hyung.” He smiled, swung his backpack onto his right arm. “I’ll try, Wonpil-ah.”

However, on his first day in Tokyo, all he did was sleep. Abashed, I concocted the blind date plan, and hope that the magic of a foreign city dissipates their inhibitions. And as they say, the rest was history (though technically it’s been only a day).

 

I finish the call with Jaehee and answer my phone to take Younghyun’s video call. He has his phone propped in front of him, eating what looks like Korean instant ramen. I can’t believe he packed those when Japan is the land of ramen.

“Younghyunie-hyuuuung, what’s up yo! How's Japan?” I let my eyebrows dance and smile from ear-to-ear.

He smirks and puts down his chopsticks. “Oh, you know, I went to the Pokemon Center as per your bidding. But guess who I bumped into?”

His voice was dripping with sarcasm, but I remain grinning wildly. “Who might it be???”

He rolls his eyes. “I bumped into a certain Lee Jaehee, my dear dongsaeng. What a coincidence, isn’t it?”

It’s my turn to be annoying. “Yeah, I wonder who’s the cupid that set this up?”

He laughs, incredulous at my confidence. “Did you just praise yourself?”

“You're welcome, my dear hyung.” I shoot him finger hearts and he makes a face. I decide to prod him a bit more. “And I heard you also met Jae?”

He raises an eyebrow. “Were you talking to Jaehee before I called?”

“Yeah, just the usual catching up session. So anyway, I also heard that Jae asked Jaehee on a date.” I pause dramatically, and let that sink in.

He finishes the soup he was slurping, looks up, and finally says, “So… Did Jaehee say it was a date?”

“Well…I did try to make her realize that it probably means more than she thinks she does.  But she’s a smart girl, she realized it on her own when the words came out of her own mouth.” I laugh a bit, remembering seeing her thought process reflected on her face which eventually led to the pillow scream. “But then again, she’s a dating illiterate. So much so that by the end of the call, she has convinced herself that she’s just a tour guide to you, and a friend to Jae.”

There was a brief silence, in which I watch him lift and put down his spoon, contemplating on what to do with the information he was given.

“And you did not argue against her conclusion?”

“Hyung, I think I’ve done enough for you two. It’s up to you to break down her walls. Or Jae, whoever does it first.”

 

Yoon Dowoon

It’s 4 in the afternoon and I’m sitting outside one of the university’s auditorium, with Kang Younghyun. He asked me to accompany him on a Durarara!! tour in Ikebukuro, as suggested by Jaehee noona. Afterwards, hyung asked about Jaehee noona’s errand in the university. And thus here we are, waiting for her. Younghyun-hyung is beside me, his eyes focused on the auditorium doors. The silence seems to not bother either of us, but nevertheless I ask out of sheer curiousity, “Hyung, are you noona’s boyfriend?”

His eyes widen, and turns to face me, and smiles bitterly. “Unfortunately, no, Dowoon-ah.”

Amused at his honest answer, I question further. “Not an ex, either?”

He smirks, as if due to a bad memory. “Her ex was an , and that wasn’t me.”

“But you’re close with her?” As much as I’d like to say that I’m doing this to know the enemy, I would like to clarify that this is just me and my insatiable curiosity in the face of an honest man.

“I wouldn’t say close, but that’s what I aim for us to be, at the very least. You have a lot questions, huh? Do you like Jaehee?”

A bit flustered at the sudden question, I cough a bit. I regain my composure and look back at Younghyun, who was smiling as if in triumph (at what, exactly? I’m not sure either.) “I like noona, but not the same way you hyungs do. I’m not particularly interested in a fierce competition.”

 

A stream of people gush out of the building, and I see noona with someone familiar. I wonder out loud, “Is that Junmyeon sunbae?”

“Who?” Younghyun seems to have found Jaehee in the crowd, and sees what I was referring to.

“That handsome Korean guy beside noona, he’s a sunbae from Seoul National University. Looks like he and Jaehee noona know each other? Small world, I guess.” I shrug, and take a look at Younghyun. He got an eyebrow raised, with a stoic, intense expression that I can only interpret as ‘why is there another male character here???’ Another interesting day, huh.

He meets my observational stare and smirks. “You’re grinning, Dowoon-ah.”

“Hyung, we’ve only met yesterday and I like you already.” He scoffs, amused. He then stands and walks toward them, and I follow suit.

Jaehee sees us, quite surprised at our appearance.

Junmyeon sunbae sees me, and looks at Jaehee, then back to me. “Jaehee and Dowoon, you both know each other?”

I nod. “Hello Junmyeon sunbae, what brings you here?”

“Fancy meeting you here, Dowoon-ah! I was a resource person for a training in the area. I knew Jaehee was studying here so I attended this lecture with her. How do you know Jaehee?”

“She’s my sunbae in graduate school. How do you know noona, hyung?”

“We’ve worked together several times before, for her previous organization.”

Jaehee finally decides to jump in the conversation. “So yeah, that’s how we knew each other. Also, this is Kang Younghyun, Wonpil’s brother.” They shake hands briefly. “Younghyun, this is Kim Junmyeon.”

 

We walk in the direction of the exit, with Younghyun and I behind Jaehee noona and Junmyeon sunbae.

“Hyung, do we have any other plans? Looks like noona’s taken for tonight.”

“I actually asked her out to dinner already, but she hasn’t replied to my text yet.” He unlocks his phone and checks. “Yep, no response. Probably was busy with the lecture and-or that guy.”

I close the distance between our pairs, just so I could eavesdrop on them. Younghyun was the one to follow suit this time.

“Junmyeon-ssi, are you not gonna get married to her yet?” 

“Jaehee-yah, I broke up with her three months ago.”

“Oh. I’m sorry I brought it up, I didn’t know.” Jaehee looks up to sunbae’s face, and they hold eye contact for so long, I feared that they might trip. Noona was the one who breaks it.

“It’s fine, I didn’t exactly make an announcement about it.” He turns to her again. “Are you dating anyone, Jaehee-yah?”

This makes her meets his eyes. I dare take a look at Younghyun, and he has an eyebrow raised and a cold stare directed at Junmyeon.

Jaehee adjusts her bag strap and turns her head towards Junmyeon again. I also see her briefly side-glance in our direction before . “Not at the moment, not really. But just so we’re clear, I don’t have plans being your rebound girlfriend, if that’s what you’re about to ask next.”

Junmyeon laughs, and I see Younghyun proudly smirk.

“Quite frank and straight to the point, as always. I really like that about you.” He’s been rejected and yet they’re smiling at each other. What is happening? My mind can’t process this.

“Why, thank you.”

“I’ll try asking again in a few months, when you’re back in Korea.” Beside me, Younghyun audibly scoffs. Jaehee shrugs and says, “Focus on getting her back or moving on first, Junmyeon. I don’t plan on treating your wounds for you, or for anyone.”

At the bus stop, Junmyeon asks Jaehee if she’s available for dinner. She side-glances in our direction, a little longer this time, and says, “I have prior plans with these gentlemen over here, I’m sorry. Do send my regards to Dr. Lee and Dr. Nam, though.”

“See you back in Korea.” He pats her head, and even though she preemptedly rejected him, she’s smiling like a smitten girl.

He boards the bus, and she waves at him. She then turns to us.“So you did the Ikebukuro tour today?”

Younghyun-hyung is staring at her too intensely, and she blinks before turning to me. I answer on our behalf. “The Ikebukuro tour you mentioned noona, I walked him through it. Jaehee noona, I like Younghyun-hyung, he’s fun. And he treated me to lunch.” Jaehee noona laughs, breaking the proverbial ice. “You’re too easy to please, Dowoon-ah.”

Younghyun finally speaks. He’s smiling too. “Or I’m just a very likeable person, Jaehee-yah.” She rolls her eyes and scoffs. “So what’s for dinner?”

I feel like this is my cue to go. “Actually noona, I’m supposed to cook again tonight. Jaehyung-hyung will starve if I don’t, and I think he hasn’t left the apartment all day. For all we know, he’s already dead.”

She laughs again. It’s always very easy to make her laugh. “I know you’re exaggerating, but I can already imagine Jae by the balcony, waiting for your chivalrous return.” I bid them goodbye as a bus arrives, and I board it.

 

Upon arriving at the apartment, Jae-hyung turns to me and asks, “You have any idea where Jaehee is?” I reply, mustering the straightest face I could make. “Hyung, I left Jaehee noona to have dinner with Younghyun-hyung, so I can cook you one.”

“YoU WHAT?!”

I grin in response. Jae’s incredulous facial expression was totally worth it.

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joeycholeekang
What do you think of our new pairings? :D

Comments

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olicity28 #1
Chapter 16: I really love your update! :) and I love a bold Younghyun, as well as a cutie Dowoon ^^
olicity28 #2
Chapter 15: Another great chapter ! :)
I really love the friendship between Jaehee and Wonpil !
cdsofi
#3
Chapter 14: Ooooooh how is she going to act after that confession? I look forward to it
olicity28 #4
Chapter 14: <span class='smalltext text--lighter'>Comment on <a href='/story/view/1406068/14'>13. Hunt</a></span>
Hey! I read your whole story straight through and you got me hooked!

I'm looking forward to read more! Keep up the good work! :)
cdsofi
#5
Chapter 9: Ahh the garden of words is so beautiful, I can't wait for their date <3
cdsofi
#6
Chapter 5: I look forward to reading more!