Ji Hyo caught Eun Hye’s confused face. She noticed that the younger woman was eager to ask them something. Eun Hye kept turning her head to look at Jong Kook and Ji Hyo, trying to answer her own question. She suspected something was going on between her unnie and oppa but she stayed silence. It made the situation more uncomfortable to all of them. They shared awkward gazes at each other continuously.

“Umm mianhe. I think I disturb the two of you. I’ll ju—I’ll just…. go. I’ll just go. Nice seeing you!”

Eun Hye stuttered a bit due to the nervousness and confusion. Ji Hyo gave her a polite smile, telling her that she didn’t bother at all. But the dongsaeng still felt uneasy and walked back to her seat after greeting them for the last time. She sat alone at her table, trying to make herself looked busy by having a phone call.

Jong Kook watched her as she left. Little by little the sweet scent went away and leaving Jong Kook insecure. He exhaled quickly, just like he had been holding his breath for a minute.

“Oppa, are you alright?” Ji Hyo asked him with a very small voice, almost like a whisper, just in case Eun Hye could hear their conversation. There was no answer from Jong Kook though. He looked desperately nervous. It was like his spirit had escaped from his body. Ji Hyo asked again with a gentler voice. This time she moved her head closer to him to hear his answer. But still he stayed quiet.

Jong Kook, you shouldn’t be like this in front of your girlfriend. Jong Kook told himself to answer the question. But somehow he couldn’t hear his voice coming out from his mouth. He tried his best to remove the image of young Eun Hye and him from his mind. The thought of his past love haunted him so bad. All he could ask now was just to go home as soon as possible.

“Oppa, come on, I’ll drive you home.” Ji Hyo seemed to understand him really well.

She actually never thought he would act like this in front of Eun Hye. Yes she knew he used to have a crush on her, but she didn’t know it was this real. As his girlfriend, she had to admit that she felt insecure about that. Jealousy was somehow rushed through her vein, but she had to hide it. Jong Kook needed her more right now.

The only answer Jong Kook could give her was just a single nod. She quickly stood up from her seat, followed by Jong Kook.  Then quietly the ace held her boyfriend’s right hand and slipped her fingers between his. It was a polite stay-away gesture she gave Eun Hye. She didn’t really care if the whole world knew about their relationship, because it was never a secret from the beginning. But fortunately nobody saw the intertwined hands except Eun Hye. The younger girl had been observing them from afar. Now her question was answered and she knew exactly what Ji Hyo meant by holding Jong Kook’s hand. She got the message.

Ji Hyo never hated Eun Hye, and vice versa. She didn’t want to be rude or harsh to Eun Hye but that was the only way to tell her to back off. Jong Kook might think Eun Hye was just being friendly to them earlier, but Ji Hyo knew their dongsaeng had different intention. The look Eun Hye was giving Jong Kook was the flirty look. Jong Kook might not notice it because he didn’t dare to look at her face, but Ji Hyo recognized it. She watched her every single movement. She observed her every single expression. If she could, she would said “So now you like him, huh?! Why did you reject him in the first place?” right in front of her dongsaeng’s face.

I don’t hate her for flirting with my Jong Kook oppa. He is just too charming. He didn’t even look at her anyway. She almost let out the words loudly, but she managed to keep it for herself and grumbled instead. She kept her eyes straight to the street, trying to drive the car safely. Her mind was full of questions and they made it harder to concentrate. She stole a glance or two at Jong Kook every 2 minutes. Although she had tried to calm herself before, the thought of Jong Kook falling in love for Eun Hye again made her heart raced. How she wished Eun Hye could just disappear from Jong Kook’s life.

Jong Kook still hadn’t said anything for the past 15 minutes. Ji Hyo the radio, trying to break the silence, but it didn’t work out. The only thing she could find on the radio was breakup songs which made the situation more awful.

 The image of Jong Kook and Eun Hye together kept on appearing in Ji Hyo’s mind. Both of them looked really perfect for each other. A feminine woman dates a manly man. They would be a flawless couple. People love them too. Ji Hyo let out a chuckling sound. I’m just a bother for them.

The chuckle caught Jong Kook’s attention. He was slowly healing from the nervousness he felt earlier. Now he was embarrassed for acting like that in front of his girlfriend. What kind of boyfriend he was for getting shy in front of his used-to-be crush.

“Ji Hyo-ah, why did you chuckle?” He asked curiously, hoping Ji Hyo could just escape the part where she would be asking him a lot of questions about the meeting. He knew she would sooner or later, though. So what he needed to do now was just delaying the time, asking about random questions, speaking about different topics, or anything else until he didn’t have any idea left.

“I was thinking oppa, maybe the netizen hates me now for ruining their imaginations. I used to read comments about how cute you two were.” She said chuckling again. Maybe her face looked like she was just telling him a funny joke, but only Ji Hyo knew her heart was being stabbed. The thought was killing her softly.

“What imaginations? ‘You two’ who?” The man who sat on the passenger seat somehow understood some parts of the sentences, but he wanted a confirmation. He couldn’t believe Ji Hyo could say it so casually.

“ Eun Hye, you, your closeness—or better to be called relationship.” She emphasized the word ‘relationship’ which actually was creating a bigger empty hole inside her heart. Although she didn’t mean to, her answer sounded like sarcasm to the man whom she pointed to. Jong Kook was hurt. Deeply hurt.

“What are you trying to say exactly?!” He burst into anger. He could see Ji Hyo was startled and bewildered by the sudden change of atmosphere. “Are you trying to mock me or something? Does that mean you’re saying that my love life never worked out? She rejected me, okay. She-rejected-me! What part of the sentence that you can’t understand?! It’s over. She had never loved me anyway.” He bit his lips, trying to hold all of the bad words that could escape his mouth anytime.

“Yah, you’re stupid if you think I still love her Song Ji Hyo! Pabo.” Jong Kook looked away, trying to think about something else to cool down his own anger.

 After awhile, he waited for Ji Hyo’s response but she didn’t say anything. The only move she made was slowing down the car and stopped on the side of the street.  

And that was the moment Jong Kook knew that she would be really mad at him. He assumed she would yell at him about how bad he was for saying such a thing, but instead Ji Hyo sighed and looked him deep in his eyes.

“Oppa, I saw it. I saw how she looked at you.” She stopped and covered with her small fingers. “She likes you. May be she didn’t, but now she does.”

That statement made Jong Kook’s shoulder felt tense.  His blood rushed to his head, creating warm feelings behind his neck. He couldn’t think much. Slowly he closed his eyes and opened it again after he managed to absorb the words one by one.

“And I also saw how you avoided making any eye contact with her. I saw your fears. You were scared of falling in love with her again.”

Ji Hyo had grown stronger from the last time she cried. There was no use of crying so she tried to hold it back desperately. Hold it JI Hyo. You can cry later, just not now. Brace yourself for another goodbye.

“Say it oppa. Say that you love her too. Say it! Just quickly say the goodbye!” Jong Kook had no longer felt his chest burning. This time, he felt Ji Hyo’s chest was burning too. He could see the pain, the anger, and the sadness in her eyes. The sound of her voice pleading him to let her go was killing him. He wished he could release her now, he wished he could erase the burden she had.

“I don’t want to say that.” He stopped and stared at her. “I love you and I don’t want to let go of you.” Ji Hyo’s pleading face was slowly changed into a confuse one.

“I used to love Eun Hye. I don’t love her anymore.” Jong Kook smiled, trying to convince her. He grabbed Ji Hyo’s right hand and clutched it tightly in his big warm hand. There was no more word needed. Ji Hyo could see Jong Kook’s love for her by just looking at his eyes. She regretted her insecure thought for suspecting Jong Kook on having feelings for his dongsaeng. I’m being paranoid.

Jong Kook stayed still on his bed, again. It was getting harder for both of them. Eun Hye’s presence really brought tense to their relationship and he didn’t felt happy about that. He started to think about Ji Hyo’s doubtful question again. “Do you think our relationship works out?”  That question bothered him a lot. He didn’t doubt their relationship, but he did doubt his own self.

He might tell Ji Hyo he didn’t like Eun Hye anymore, but it was a lie. Actually he didn’t know about his own feeling. He hoped he didn’t like her anymore, because that surely would ruin his relationship. But things like that were unpredictable.

He still remembered the first time he met Eun Hye. She was as fresh as the spring air and as pretty as flowers. She was this kind of shy and feminine girl who definitely could catch everyone’s attention. Young Jong Kook liked her very much. He liked the way she smile, the way she walked, the way she talk, the way she did things cutely. He acted very obvious and that cause a big scandal for both of them. In the first few months, Eun Hye thought Jong Kook was just joking around. But every week he showed her that he was really serious. Eun Hye finally understood his intention but stayed silence, although she gave him some response.

That made Jong Kook gained his confidence. He finally decided to confess to her one day after the filming. She rejected it politely but still kept in touch with him. She showed some interest to him and of course it made Jong Kook more confused. He asked her again whether she had changed her mind or not, and it turned out she still hadn’t changed her mind. That was the moment Jong Kook knew Eun Hye was just using him. She played the game very well and that disappoint him. He still loved her when he decided to give up on the younger woman.

But there she was this morning, standing in front of him, smiling cheerfully at him and his girlfriend. She looked like a ghost haunting him until he died.

Suddenly Jong Kook’s phone rang. He picked it up immediately, thinking it was from Ji Hyo.

 “Ji Hyo-ah, have you eaten yet?” He asked with such a caring voice.

“Oppa, I’m Eun Hye.” The soft voice on the other line surprised him. He used to call this girl everyday, but ever since he gave up, he even deleted her phone number. Now here she was there again, unreasonably calling him after everything that had happened in the morning.

“Eun Hye-ah….” He said it reluctantly. She was the least person he wanted to talk with in the moment.

“Oppa, I’m happy for you and Ji Hyo unnie.” Eun Hye used her sweetest voice to congratulate them.  Jong Kook was the one who ended the game, but now she had the chance to start a new one herself.

“Umm… okay. Thank you.” He said it rather coldly, keeping his guard up once again.

“But I have to admit I am pretty disappointed that you already have someone else.” She said again, this time with even sweeter tone. This woman really knew how to play the game well.

Jong Kook couldn’t help but chocked when he heard her flirting with him like that. Ji Hyo was right! She was completely right!! He waited for her to continue her words.

“Oppa, I know this maybe sound non sense, but I call you only to tell you that I regret my decision. I wish I could go back in time and say yes to your confession.”  This time, Jong Kook’s heart beat really fast and he thought he could hear his own heartbeat sound. Blood filled his head with guilt. He could imagine Ji Hyo’s crying face in his mind. He bit his lips harder and felt pain on the part where it was bitten. He wanted to let go and release the pain, but he bit harder instead. At least the pain could pay the guilty feelings he owed Ji Hyo.

Hearing no word from Jong Kook, Eun Hye decided to warm up the battle even more.

“Saranghae oppa.”

Beep.. beep… beep… beep….

Jong Kook hung up the phone. He was disgusted by his own self. He was disgusted by Eun Hye’s words. It would sound really great if he didn’t date Ji Hyo, but since he did, it sounded like a sin to him. He tossed his phone to his bed and it fell to the floor, creating a loud sound. He didn’t know how to feel. Anger and guilt were not there anymore. Disgusting…. Disgusting. Disgusting! Disgusting!! He frowned and threw himself on his bed.

He felt like he was going to cry. He felt like he wanted to kiss Ji Hyo so bad. He really missed her. He really loved her. And now he could tell her honestly that he didn’t like Eun Hye anymore.

Ji Hyo-ah, I wish I can see your face. I wish I can kneel in front of you and beg for your forgiveness. I wish I can receive your love forever. Damn it!

He reached for his phone somewhere under his bed and dialed Ji Hyo’s number fast. Waiting for her to pick her phone up was like waiting for the ocean to dry up. It felt like she wouldn’t answer it forever. Answer it! Answer it!! Answer it!!!!

“Annyeong Jong Kook oppa” Suddenly a voice was heard

“Saranghae Ji Hyo-ah.”

A/N: Okay this is the longest chapter I've ever written. I'm sure there are lots and lots and lots of mistakes here. I don't reread it (yup I didn't know that my eyes would get so tired after writing a chapter this long. Let's give appreciation to authors at AFF!) Please don't be confuse if you read it and find some weird sentences. They are probably my mistakes. Please don't hesitate to tell me about that and I'll correct it. My prediction is there will be a lot of 'he', 'she', 'him', and 'her'  errors here.

Anyway, I'll be happy if you spend a tiny little bit of your time to write comments here ^_^

P.s. I've been thingking about this since I started writing this story. I want to draw Jong Kook and Ji Hyo for the main image, what do you think?