"What the heck was that Jiho?" 

Eunhye could not contain herself the moment it was just the three of them in Chanyeol's car. It was finally her turn to give her friend an earful. She should have known when Chanyeol gave her the key to his car "for safe-keeping," that she was going to be her best friends' cgauffer for the night. They had a small get together when Chanyeol said they would be meeting with some schoolmates before, but they ended up meeting with the girls who graduated from the Arts, Park Jiyeon, Bae Suzy and Lee Jieun. 

When the girls started talking about Jieun's upcoming wedding, Zico, who had a few drinks too many (since he could not hold his liquor well), had shut them up with a sudden confession.

"How can you get married, when I haven't even told you that I've always liked you?" he had said loudly since Jieun was on the other end of the table.

"You're drunk," Eunhye told him, trying to stoo her friend. She had wanted to leave an hour ago and surprise Wonwoo by going to the coffee shop since it was just four blocks away, but it seemed that she was needed more there so she stayed.

"He's right," Chanyeol seconded, pointing to Zico. "How many times have I told you to tell Jieun you love her more than a friend before she realizes you're not worth sh*t and fall for someone else? You never listen to me."

"This is your fault," Zico went on, dismissing Chanyeol with a wave of one hand, while the other pointed at Eunhye. "If I wasn't so busy taking care of your mess with every sh*t relationship you had, I'd have time to figure out my feelings for her. You won't even see me as a man, why did I bother?"

"Jiho, you're drunk. Shut up." This was not the time and place to talk about it, and Eunhye did not want to get caught between her two friends.

Zico laughed. "Jieun-a. If I tell you I've always loved you more than just a friend, will you punch me in the face? I was just so scared so I kept quiet."

At this point, Eunhye got up from her seat and covered Zico's mouth. Her old friend, who was completely sober since she, too, drove her car there, had an unreadable expression in her face. For sure, she was in shock. . All this time, she believed Zico only saw her as a friend. Believed it and was constantly hurt by it. She had even figured out Zico had feelings for Eunhye, but she kept it to herself because she was scared Eunhye might reciprocate it if she knew.

"Jieun-a," Eunhye started. "Don't mind him. He's just drunk. He's not thinking straight right now, so just... forget what he said, okay?"

"You even invited me to your wedding," Zico rambled on, prying off her hand. "You want me to watch you walk down the aisle in a wedding dress but some other guy will be at the end. Did you hate me that much?"

"Chanyeol-a, can you help me get Jiho into your car?"

Thankfully, Chanyeol could hold his liquor well and was still able to drag their friend to his car. He even paid for their meal and bade Jieun goodbye.

"Where are you going?" Jiyeon asked, on her way back with Suzy from the restroom "I thought we were going karaoke like old times?"

"Zico needs to go home," Chanyeol said, waving them goodbye.

"Next time, let us go out, just us girls," Eunhye told them. "Okay?"

Jieun was just quiet and Eunhye wondered if she should stay and talk to her about the things Zico said. But then, she had to drive the two guys home, and it did not seem to be her who had to straighten it out with Zico. She sat next to Jieun and took her hand quietly.

"Are you okay?" Eunhye asked her gently.

"I-I'm fine," she replied. "It's all in the past, Eonni. Don't worry."

"You can call me tomorrow," Eunhye promised. "Or later tonight if you're still up. I just have to drive those two home and then I'll be free to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about," Jieun insisted. "But call me when you get home so I'll know you got back safely, okay?"

Eunhye knew Jieun was trying hard not to show how affected she was about what Zico said, and she decided to respect that. And so she left them and got behind the wheel of Chanyeol's car.

She did not drive them straight home, though, and took a detour to a park near Han River. That was when she exploded.

"You told me to give her closure," Zico said. "She should at least know the truth before she tied herself to whoever that guy is."

"Closure? That was a can of worms!"

Chanyeol snorted from the passenger's seat. "You timed it pretty well, though. She's probably questioning everything now. Who knows, she might call off her wedding."

"Stop encouraging him!" Eunhye protested, punching his arm. She turned to her other friend in the backseat. "Ya. Why did you have to say it like that?"

Zico buried his face in his hands and started cursing himself. ". What have I done?"

"Drive," Chanyeol commanded.

Luckily, Chanyeol sobered enough to carry a wasted Zico into his apartment. They had to stay for a while longer because he started to cry and asked them not to leave him alone.

"Should we just stay over?" Chanyeol asked, worrying.

"I can't," she answered honestly. The thought crossed her mind, but she dismissed it as soon as it came because Wonwoo would not like it, and they just made up. 

Chanyeol nodded understandingly. "Just me, then," he decided, walking over to Zico's tiny walk in closet that Eunhye never went near to. The door was probably just a foot wide, and even just by looking at it, her chest would tighten. "Can you cook ramen before you leave, though?"

She was already turning the stove on when he said that. After setting the pot, she helped herself to some beer in the fridge. Zico did not like drinking, but still kept stock for whenever his friends would be over. Now that she did not have to drive, she was going to have a can. Or maybe, two.

Remebering Wonwoo who might be closing up by that time, she called him. He picked up right away.

"I was thinking of calling you," he said, explaining why he answered on the first ring. Relief washed over her the moment she heard his voice. "Are you home?"

"Not yet," she replied while putting the noodles into the boiling water. "We're at Jiho's. He's wasted so Chanyeol's staying over. We'll eat some ramyeon then I'm going home."

"Why does it have to be ramyeon at this hour?" she heard him mutter. [In Korean, saying "Eat ramyeon before you go home," would be the same as "Netflix and chill", or basically asking to have casual before leaving.]

"Ya. Don't even--"

"I know, I know," he said quickly. "I was just joking. I suddenly wanted to eat ramyeon now that I can hear that water boiling."

"You can come over here, then walk me home later," she offered as if it was her own house. She and Chanyeol was there the very first day Zico moved in, and had been treating it like their own place ever since.

"I just let the last customer go," Wonwoo said. "Minkyung didn't finish the inventory, so I have to do it, and then close up."

"Okay then. I'll just see you tomorrow."

"I can hear you pouting."

"Is it cooked?" Chanyeol appeared behind her and looked over her shoulder at the noodles boiling. He took note of her on the phone, trying to look cute even though the person on the other end could not see it and he leaned closer. "Hi, Wonwoo. Checking up on Hye?"

"Was that Chanyeol-hyung?" Wonwoo asked, chuckling. Eunhye put him on speaker. "How did he know you're talking to me?"

"The silly look on her face gave it away," Chanyeol told him. "It's disgusting."

Wonwoo laughed on the other line.

"Hey, Wonwoo," Chanyeol said while Eunhye put the seasoning and stirred the noodles. "We're at Zico's. Wanna come over, have some beer?"

"I have to close the shop up, Hyung."

"Can Eunhye stay over, then?"

More laughter from her boyfriend, which surprised her. Even more so when he answered. "It's up to her. I don't mind."

Liar. "Nah, he just wants me to cook them breakfast in the morning," she said, which was true. "I'm not sure if the couch was cleaned so I won't sleep here."

"Hey, Wonwoo. Did you know after she and Mark--"

Eunhye ended the call abruptly before Wonwoo heard what Chanyeol was going to say. He almost told Wonwoo that Eunhye ran to Zico's place after her first night with Mark, because she was scared of the intimacy and wanted to stay with someone platonic. So much for that. Anyway, that was way back when she was scared of her own desires and did not think she was allowed to have them after what happened to her when she was younger.

She texted Wonwoo that her battery was down and she would just call again when she got home.

"I thought you sobered up," she scolded, punching him lightly in the stomach. "Why would you tell Wonwoo that?"

Chanyeol just stuck his tongue out and turned the stove off for her. "Go home. Go to Wonwoo. We don't want you here."

***

"What if your first love shows up again, then tells you that she had liked you all along and just did not tell you because she was scared of losing you?"

Wonwoo choked on his ice cream. "What?"

Was Jieun telling him she had liked him all along and just did not tell him?! What K-drama is this? he thought. He would not even watch this if it was an animation.

"What if you see your first love again after all these years, and realize your heart still ached for him all this time, and you're about to get married to another person, who was just perfect and loved you so much that you had no other choice but to love him back even if you tried not to?"

Wonwoo blinked at her multiple times, processing her ramblings. "Are you talking about your first love or mine?" Because my first love was you, he almost added. And if this was a confession, it was not that appealing.

"Yours, sorry," she apologized, then drank again. "Forget about me. Why do first loves have to , huh?"

"Tell me about it," Wonwoo muttered. He watched Jieun for a long time before sighing. "So let me get this. You're getting married soon, but suddenly your first love shows up and tells you he was in love with you."

"Sh*t. Am I that obvious?"

He had never heard Jieun curse. It was so unfamiliar, and for some reason, dirtier because it came from her. In his memory, she seemed pure, clean and innocent. Or maybe he just whitewashed it because he was too in love. Not that she seemed less than what he thought of her before, but he realized how blinded he was.

"Let me also guess you're angry at your first love because he just told you now. And that you're confused about how you feel."

"Wow," Jieun exclaimed, shaking her head in awe at him. "You're good. Are you sure you don't want to drink with this pathetic noona?"

The last thing he wanted was for the two of them to be drunk at this hour. If he remembered clearly, the last time he had more than enough alcohol, he sent embarrassing drunk texts to their TA, and even the time before that, slept with a girl he just met in a forced double date(who turned out to be that TA). Who knew what could happen this time?

"Oh, I'm sure."

"Then you can drive