IDK what this chap is supposed to be anymore. I wrote this on and off for 3 weeks. I don't even have a summary for this one. This can be considered as a filler chapter (?) IDK LOL.

I'll probably come back to this and edit this once I have my brain under control LOL

 

Song: Only (둘도 아닌 하나) by DAY6

"Please know
I dedicate my heart to you
Maybe in this world
Only one person
Only you don’t know"

 

---

 

 

Sol A and Joon Hwi heaved a sigh. They both felt that they had been awake for three days, when in fact it must’ve just been almost 24 hours. They were in their last year in Law School, and while they should be preparing for their finals and the probable (if they graduate that is, well there was no doubt that Joon Hwi would and although Sol A’s grades had slowly climbed to above-average after her disastrous 1L… Sol A wasn’t confident enough to be complacent, after all, there wasn’t anything wrong with being careful) their Bar exams that were due in six months, but here they were... In a bus station in Yeosu.

 

Sol A’s head was pounding, she really needed to eat and sleep right now. They both do. But even if they did want to, it was nearing midnight. And unlike in Seoul where there are twenty-four-hour convenience stores, in this countryside there were none.

 

There was a rumble heard, silence reigned for a minute before Joon Hwi chuckled and looked at her. “I think I saw a vending machine at the entrance of the bus station. I’ll try to see if there are snacks in there.”

 

Too embarrassed to say anything after her stomach rumbling was heard, Sol A just nodded.

 

With a shake of his head, Joon Hwi stood up from the bench to search for the said vending machine.

 

There was a flash of light and then the unmistakable roar of thunder was heard. It was loud, so loud that even though Sol A was not afraid of thunder, she had jumped in fright.

 

Sol A watched the rain fall even harder through the glass panes. She sighed, they might be stuck in this bus station until tomorrow. She badly needed a shower and to brush her teeth. She felt sticky and grimy from the dried-up sweat dust that seemed to have accumulated the whole day. There were no signs that there was going to be this much heavy rain, maybe it was even a typhoon but they just didn’t have a clue due to the slow internet connection. In fact, today felt like the hottest day of the year in Sol A’s opinion.

 

Sol A felt the bench dip a bit and knew that Joon Hwi had returned. In his hands, there were two individual packets of plain Haitai Ace which is as bland as crackers go and two bottles of water.

 

Sol A scrunched her nose at the sight of the crackers which Joon Hwi only chuckled at. “You don’t have a choice, these were just given to me by the kind security guard Ajusshi. The only thing in the vending machine was water.” he then gave her her share.

 

“So what did they say? Can we even go home at this rate?” Sol A asked while opening her packet of crackers.

 

Joon Hwi shook his head, “Ajusshi said that the buses will probably start operations again tomorrow,” he then looked at his wristwatch and corrected “I mean later, Ajusshi said that it was raining too hard and the roads will be too slippery in this weather so they didn’t want to take the chance and get into an accident later.”

 

They ate silently, when they finished Sol A excused herself “Sorry but I really need to at least wash my face, I can’t take it anymore.”

 

Joon Hwi grimaced and nodded. They both made their way to the restrooms to at least wash their faces of grime and clean their mouths.

 

They then met up on the same bench that they had occupied for more than an hour already. It already was one in the morning and according to the schedule, the buses are supposed to run by five in the morning. They still had four hours to go.

 

Sol A’s head was still pounding, she brought her hands to rub at her temples as if it would alleviate the migraine that had been a persistent nuisance the past hour. Joon Hwi noticed the action and said worriedly, “You should probably get some sleep, Sol-ah”

 

“You too, Joon Hwi-ah. You’ve been awake as long as I have.” she then groaned remembering, “argh, Prof. Yang better treat us to dinner after this! We’re not even his students anymore but he still makes us run errands for him.” 

 

Joon Hwi just looked at her, “Are you confident that you’ll be able to reject Prof. Yang after you hear the circumstances of the client?”

 

Sol A just stayed silent, she knew she wouldn't be able to. And Joon Hwi knew that too.

 

Silence reigned for a few seconds.

 

The continuous rain had brought the temperature lower and because it was a much older building the expected controlled temperature was absent.

 

Suddenly, there was a squeaking noise, and when they looked around to find the source they saw the security guard ajusshi pushing a portable electric heater. Joon Hwi stood up to help the old man.

 

“I know you’d probably stay here for a little longer but it’s getting cold so…” the old man trailed off sheepishly.

 

“Thank you very much.” they echoed with a bow.

 

“No, don’t mention it. Get some sleep and don’t put the heater too close.” he had kindly reminded them.

 

They both nodded, before voicing their agreement. They bowed one more time in thanks and set up the heater. Although there were benches scattered around the waiting area they had just agreed to share the bench because there was only one heater.

 

Trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in was hard, especially when you’re trying to sleep upright and in a sitting position. After a while, Sol was sleeping and Joon Hwi had tried, wanted, to sleep but it seemed like it was evading him.

 

Joon Hwi looked at Sol and saw how uncomfortable she looked sitting there sleeping. He took his backpack from beside him before he scooted farther from Sol and put the backpack between them to act as a pillow. He shook Sol awake and coerced her to lay down, and she did so whilst blinking blearily. And in seconds of laying her head on the “pillow”, she was out again.

 

Joon Hwi watched the gentle breaths of Sol, wisps of her hair covering her cheek. And try as he might he couldn’t help but remove the stray hairs from her cheek. It was but a whisper of a touch but Joon Hwi couldn’t help but notice how soft her skin was, how there were faint peppering of light freckles on her cheek and across her nose that one wouldn’t really notice if you do not look closer. He also couldn’t help but notice how naturally pink her lips were.

 

He didn’t know how long he sat there, just looking at Sol, thinking of how beautiful she looked. He knew he was biased because of his feelings for the girl. But it was not just about her outside appearance, she was also beautiful on the inside. Thinking about it again, he had probably fallen for her because of how strong she was as a person. Even though fate had given her trials that would make any other person give up, she didn’t. She persevered. While she is admittedly a bit jaded after all she’d been through, she’s still kind and gives a person ‘the benefit of a doubt’ before judging them, which could be a big con when you consider the field that they’re going to join in the near future. And, of course, she wouldn’t be Sol if she didn’t wear her heart on her sleeves. Astonishingly, after all that she’d been through, she still has that bleeding heart for the people that need her help.

 

Joon Hwi smiled wryly, he didn’t know what to do about these feelings of his. They were friends. Best friends even. Sol was someone that has become so irreplaceable in his life that sometimes just imagining not seeing her every day fills him with so much dread. He was terrified of not having this warm presence in his life.

 

He’d be lying if he said that he had never thought about confessing. He did. Every Single Day. But that desire is immediately squashed by the fact that he’s petrified just thinking of the consequences. Scared of the fact that Sol might not feel the same way as he did. That he’d scare her away.

 

That was why, even though it pains him… he’ll hide these feelings for her. He’d wait. He’ll wait for the day that she’ll have the same feelings for him. Because, although he himself might admit that he’s a fool for Sol, he also knows that they were made for each other. They were the last pieces of each other’s puzzle. And it might be cringey admitting this even to himself, Joon Hwi knows  that they were soulmates. If time was what was needed for her to realize it, he’d give her all the time she needed, because he knew that Sol was worth it. He knew that there was going to be only one Sol in his life, his sun, his best friend, his everything.

 

Joon Hwi smiled softly. Then glanced at Sol again before finding a more comfortable spot to catch some sleep.

 

 

---

 

 

Sol awoke with the sound of a bus engine, and saw that while there was some spattering of rain, it was not as heavy as last night. She felt relieved, they might really be able to go back to Seoul today. She sat up and felt something fall off her torso. She looked down and recognized Joon Hwi’s jacket. She turned to his direction and saw that he was still asleep, with his arms crossed across his chest... he looked cold. Sol shook her head wryly, it was so obvious that he’d given her his jacket because she might’ve been a bit cold when she was sleeping. Although it was sweet, Sol had always thought that Joon Hwi should be more selfless and care more about himself and not just about others.

 

(If only Sol knew, Joon Hwi is only selfless when she’s involved. But alas, she’d have no idea until it was spelled for her. And unfortunately for Joon Hwi, his ‘friends’ love watching him struggle to hide his feelings for Sol. So, she won’t really find out until much later.)

 

Sol stood up, and draped Joon Hwi’s jacket on him before she journeyed to the bathroom for some relief and to wash her face.

 

When she came back, she saw that Joon Hwi was already awake, wearing his jacket and was tidying their things. He then took the portable heater to return it to the security guard.

 

Sol stretched, trying to ease the stiffness of her body after sleeping in an awkward position. She sighed, to think that they still have a five hour bus ride to go through.

 

“Why? What’s wrong?” Joon Hwi asked when he heard her sigh.

 

Sol frowned in irritation, “I just can’t believe how much of a cheapskate Prof. Yang is! Couldn’t he have forked a little bit more money for train tickets? We could’ve saved two hours! Two! Now we have to sit through a five hour bus ride!” she ranted.

 

Joon Hwi just laughed at her irritability.

 

Sol frowned, even more annoyed. She wanted to lash at Joon Hwi but she knew it wasn’t his fault. She sighed and grumbled some more. Joon Hwi just watched her and smiled.

 

They went to the ticketing station, and the security guard was also the one manning it at the time.

 

“Be careful on your way back.” the security guard had told them before he gave them a new ticket after exchanging it with the old one that they weren’t able to use.

 

Sol and Joon Hwi nodded, they both bowed at him and thanked him profusely for his help. The security guard just laughed it off and waved them away to the direction of the bus.

 

The bus driver called for the passengers and surprisingly (not) they were the only ones crazy enough to ride a bus this early and after that rainstorm that they just had.

 

They were debating whether they would sit together or whether they would just occupy different rows so that they could comfortably journey this five-hour ride with more legroom. Then suddenly several rough (no judgment but…) looking men entered the bus and began to sit on the front part of the vehicle. The bus driver was conversing with the men, so they probably knew each other and didn't really pose any danger but it’s better to err on the side of caution so they decided to sit on the rear seats of the bus beside each other.

 

They didn't wait too long and they were now on the road. Having had a chance for a few hours of sleep, Sol wasn’t really sleepy. And although she and Joon Hwi could talk for hours about everything and anything in between, it was too early and they were too exhausted to have a conversation right now.

 

The silence was comfortable, Sol was just looking outside the window, watching the rapid change of scenery when she noticed that the driver had dimmed the light inside the bus to help the passengers sleep. The view was not much but it could pass the time. She could browse her phone but decided against it as she did not have much battery left and it would be really unfortunate if they got stuck somewhere or god forbid have an accident and their phones did not have battery so that they could call for help.

 

Sol was mentally planning the subjects and topics that she needed to study for the upcoming finals exam when she suddenly felt a weight on her shoulders.

 

Startled, she looked to her left and sure enough, Joon Hwi was leaning on her shoulder sleeping. Sol looked at her seatmate and saw his darker than usual complexion and saw how he looked more exhausted than when they had exams and case papers due back to back.

 

Sol stifled a laugh, she might find it funny now but she was almost cursing Prof. Yang to the heavens yesterday morning.

 

Who would have thought that Prof. Yang would task them to secure a case file related to the criminal case that their Professor was helping with at ten in the evening the other day? And that it was in Yeosu, which was 197 miles (318 km) from Seoul? Much to their chagrin, the Police Station where they were going to get the files from, haven't digitally upgraded their documents and files yet so they had no choice but to come and pick it up themselves. And that their miserly Professor couldn’t pay a few more bucks so that they could ride the train, which was faster?

 

Their ride there was not terrible, as they just slept throughout the bus ride. But everything went wrong when they arrived in Yeosu. Because the Police Station was stationed in a secluded village they had missed the stop and had to wait for another bus which came an hour later to get to the village. Not to mention, when they arrived at the Police Station there was no soul in sight. So they had to find the officer, only to find him in the fields helping the farmers harvest their crops. The officer had insisted that he wouldn't be able to help them until he had finished the tasks that he needed to do that day. As it turned out, he was the only officer slash government official in their village. Left without a choice, they helped him. That and they couldn’t refuse the kind, old men and ladies, in the village. Only to find out that the harvesting was just the beginning. They had to help carry the harvest, help fix the roof, help till the soil, fix the plumbing of one house and feed the livestock. 

 

After all of that, it was already afternoon, the elders were kind enough to feed them as thanks for lunch, and that was only then they got to the Police Station. But alas, Sol might’ve been too positive. As what they had encountered in their record room were stacks of documents and files in disarray. And so they had wasted the afternoon buried in files and dust inside that tiny room. When they had finally found the file that they were looking for, it was almost ten in the evening. And they were exhausted but they still had to run to the bus station if they wanted to make the last trip to Seoul. Fortunately, the police officer had taken pity on them and offered them a ride to the station. But unfortunately, while they were on the way there the rain had started pouring heavily. And that was what led them to have an impromptu overnight stay at the bus station.

 

Sol looked at Joon Hwi again, it was no surprise that he was exhausted. While she did help, most of the tasks were of manual labor and although she did have ample strength Joon Hwi insisted that she take on the lighter tasks and him the more physical tasks. Ever the gentleman, Sol thought. While she embraces feminism, it was flattering to be treated like a dainty fragile woman. She always had to embrace the role of the male figure in her life. Given that her father had abandoned them and his step-father was a no-good human being, the role fell almost naturally to her. As her sisters were more delicate than her, she knew she had to be the support that her mother and sisters needed.

 

Sol was startled when Joon Hwi suddenly cuddled closer to her. She didn’t know what happened, but she was suddenly aware of their proximity, of how she could feel the warmth that was radiating from him. And somehow she could smell the faint sandalwood mixed with the smell of just plain soap coming from him, which was crazy as they had sweat and grime stuck on them. Sol knew she didn’t smell good anymore. She looked down at him and saw the faint stubble that was growing on his upper lip and his jaw. But more than that she saw his straight nose, long eyelashes, and shapely lips. As if taunting her, she imagined his eyes, which could be his more attractive featu- Sol almost hit herself, why was she evaluating the physical appearance of her best friend?

 

She might be really tired.

 

And so, after trying hard to ignore the rapid beating of her heart and the funny feeling that she feels in her stomach, she fell asleep.

 

 

---

 

 

Faint sunlight was filtering through the window which dazzled the occupants of the bus. Joon Hwi blinked, momentarily dazed. And found out that he had been leaning on Sol whilst sleeping, who was also leaning on him, amazingly enough. He felt Sol move and with a groan opened her eyes and stretched while yawning. Joon Hwi immediately closed his eyes and pretended to be still sleeping. 

 

Joon Hwi waited for a few minutes to not be caught, and he had wanted to relish this moment even if it was just a minute or two. But indubitably, he cannot stop time. So even though it was against his will he ‘woke’ up and removed his head from Sol’s shoulder. He could not help the yawn that threatened to come out.

 

Eyes still a bit blurry, Joon Hwi asked “What time is it?”

 

Sol looked at her phone and answered “Seven-thirty. We still have two and a half hours give or take.” she groaned and grumbled, “I’m hungry, aren’t we going to a Service Station?”

 

“I’ll go and ask.” Joon Hwi then stood up and went to the front of the bus. Sol couldn’t hear what they were saying so she just blanked out in a daze looking outside.

 

Joon Hwi went back and said, “The driver said there’s a Service Station in ten minutes and they’ll give us thirty minutes to eat.”

 

In less than ten minutes they arrived at the Service Station and they were now browsing the selection that they could choose.

 

“Sol-ah what do you want to eat?”

 

“A! Sol A!” she reminded him in a huff, which he only chuckled at. “But I’m craving Guk Bap.”

 

“What kind?”

 

“I don’t know, what kind is available? Also, who’s going to pay?”

 

“There’s still some money left from the pocket money that Prof. Yang gave us.”

 

“How much is left?”

 

“There’s 30,000 won left.”

 

“What? Is that gonna be enough?”

 

“I’ll treat you.”

 

Sol laughed, “Thanks Second Judicial Passer.”

 

Joon Hwi just shook his head and chuckled in answer.

 

They eventually found a stall that sold Guk Bap where they ate and had barely made it back to the bus on time.

 

“Look, the bus could’ve left us because you went and bought that!”

 

Joon Hwi furrowed his brows and looked incredulously at Sol, “You’re the one who said that you wanted waffles?”

 

Embarrassed, Sol stopped chewing and smiled. They had now entered the bus, the occupants looked at them and had teasing smiles on their faces.

 

“Oh, I thought you guys would forget about the time because you were too busy with your date.” one of the guys seated in the front said.

 

Sol felt heat suffusing her cheeks but did not comment and continued eating her waffles. She hurried to the aisle to go back to their seat. She overheard Joon Hwi talk but couldn’t hear what he said but she definitely heard the laughter that followed his comment. 

 

It did not take long before Joon Hwi also reached their seats and sat down.

 

Sol gave Joon Hwi an inquiring look which he just shrugged at. Although confused, she let go of her curiosity about whatever Joon Hwi might’ve said and continued eating her waffles.

 

The bus was already traversing the highway when they had finished eating, as if on cue Joon Hwi wordlessly took her rubbish and went to the front of the bus to throw it away.

 

When he came back, he saw that Sol was fighting sleep and commented, “You should sleep Sol, I know you wouldn't get much when we come back.”

 

She nodded, too sleepy to say anything before she tried to make herself comfortable and leaned her head on the window and closed her eyes. It didn’t take too long before all Joon Hwi could hear was her soft breathing. 

 

There was a sudden bump on the road and Joon Hwi heard the soft thump of Sol hitting her head on the window and her silent curse before she just leaned back on her seat to sleep, not wanting to bump her head on the window again.

 

Joon Hwi decided to follow her example, after all, it was already finals. There’s definitely going to be at least a week of sleepless nights. There was a soft touch of something leaning on his shoulder and when he looked he saw that Sol was leaning on his shoulder sound asleep.

 

Joon Hwi smiled and let himself be pulled into slumber.

 

Later they will disembark the bus and will again face their life in the city. The sleepless nights of studying, their final exams, their looming bar exams, and their uncertain future after Law School.

 

But Joon Hwi had always thought that he could weather all of them, as long as Sol was beside him. And he knows that he’ll do the same for her.

 

---

 

TBH my only prompt in this was "I want the guy to be the one leaning on the girl's shoulder, sleeping" LOL coz you know it's the girl most of the time? But this just spiraled out of control.