Min Hyuk and Jung Shin came inside the work premises and went to Shin Hye's cubicle. 

"Ya, there's a really tall tree of a guy who is currently speaking with the receptionist right now, and he is looking for you," Jung Shin told her.

Taecyeon guffawed at Jung Shin's remark. Isn't he also a tall tree of a guy?

"Mwo?" Shin Hye asked, indignant.

"If I were you, don't go," Min Hyuk advised her.

"Who's here?" a calm voice spoke behind them. When they turned around, it was Yong Hwa. "Did you say, a tall guy?"

"Ne," Jung Shin replied.

Yong Hwa knitted his brows and stepped out of the working area. Shin Hye looked at her teammates and apologized, and followed Yong Hwa out of the work premises.

****

"Lee Min Ho-ssi?" Yong Hwa calmly called out.

Min Ho turned around and look flustered as he saw Yong Hwa. His face lit up a smile when he saw Shin Hye behind her bestie.

"Shin Hye-ya..."

"Come and follow me," Yong Hwa ordered sternly.

"But, can I talk with Park Shin Hye-ssi in private?" Min Ho requested politely.

Shin Hye only scoffed and rolled her eyeballs. She'd definitely prefer writing all the 100 press releases in one hour than talk with him. (But hey, it is not possible to write all 100 press releases without getting them in a totally bad shape!).

"I said, come and follow me!" Yong Hwa still calmly ordered, though his voice raised up a pitch.

Even the receptionist jumped in fright. Yong Hwa, though a very kind boss, could get so scary when he's angry. Min Ho sighed unhappily and followed Yong Hwa, but he looked at Shin Hye before going. Shin Hye's curiosity got the best of her, so she followed behind, though not closely. She had to know what Min Ho has to say, and she wanted to know how Yong Hwa was going to deal with it.

****

Shin Hye saw the two men at the basketball court. Min Ho was looking at his watch and was fidgetting. His one hour was wasted, just walking and following his girlfriend's boss. Yes, he still look at Shin Hye as his girlfriend.

"Mianhande, what are we going to do here?" Min Ho asked. "I'll be late for the second half of my work."

"It's your fault for skipping over to the company to look for my best friend," Yong Hwa sternly replied. "Ah, but it is good then, because I have this chance to talk to you man to man."

Min Ho was really fidgetting. 

"Look, please make it fast," he rudely said to the manager.

Yong Hwa reminded him who's boss here.

"Ah, I forgot. We simply are two men because we both are out of the office," he said.

What happened next was unexpected. Yong Hwa came forward and boxed Min Ho so hard that the latter stumbled and rolled over. When he gained composure, he saw blood dripping down his nose and his burst lips. Yong Hwa came forward again and gave him another beating.

"This is for my best friend!" shouted the manager.

Shin Hye saw that Yong Hwa was acting not like a manager at all. She got inside the basketball court and stopped her best friend in tears.

"Geumanhae.... geumanhae...." she said to Yong Hwa as she grabbed him by the arms.

Both guys looked at her. Min Ho implored to her with body language, but Shin Hye only looked at him in anger.

"Why did you stop me?" Yong Hwa asked his bestie. "I am doing this for you..."

While still looking at Min Ho, Shin Hye replied, "Ara..."

"Shin Hye-ya..." Min Ho implored verbally.

"Don't ever look for me again! You hear me? We are so through!" she screamed at him. Then, to Yong Hwa, "Gaja..."

She turned her back and did not look back at the guy she used to love. Yong Hwa went along with her and held her hand so tight to make Min Ho jealous. The one on the ground grunted in anger to see his ex-girlfriend with her best friend.

"Just you wait, Shin Hye-ya," he vowed in anger. "You'll be mine! You'll be mine again!"

As he struggled to get on his feet, a pair of white feet inside red shiny stilettos came forward. When Min Ho looked up, he saw Ga In and her foul mood.

"Wae geurae?"

Min Ho tried to explain, but Ga In interferred. 

"Ah, I don't need to ask why," she replied to her own question. "Bwasseoyo (I saw it)."

She helped the tall guy to his feet. Min Ho humbly mumbled his thanks.

"Gwaenchanhseumnikka?" she asked.

"Ah... animnida," he replied.

Ga in laughed her y laugh. "Well, obviously, you are not."

****

Ga In brought him to the hospital for first aid. After Min Ho was treated, he asked Ga In why she helped him.

"Are you being unfaithful to Shin Hye? Ga In-ssi and Shin Hye are friends."

"Yes, we are friends, but I am also a human being who can feel," she said. "Though you greatly deserve what Yong Hwa gave you, it is still a pity to see your nose dripping with blood."

The doctor came in and advised that Min Ho be allowed to go home already. Ga In smirked and went out to pay the bill. After paying the bill, she went back and saw Min Ho still sitting on the hospital bed, looking pensive.

"Ya, if you are thinking I am betraying my friend, I am not," Ga In said. "You can come out now."

Min Ho looked at her, tears falling down his eyes. "Gomapseumnida."

Ga In smirked a y and foxy grin before waving her hand. "Well, you are super late already."

Min Ho stood up and hobbled out of bed. 

"I can't thank you enough," he voiced out sincerely. "What can I do to repay you?"

"Repay me?" Ga In asked before laughing. "I am a woman with lots of money. What's there to repay me?"

Min Ho was flustered. Ga In, though a very y woman, was very witty beyond his comprehension.

"If there is something you could do, just leave Shin Hye alone," the noona said. "Let's go."

Min Ho was downtrodden that it was the thing Ga In asked for in this world: Shin Hye's freedom. He pensively followed her out of the hospital and into the  bus stop.

"Can you manage to the office?" Ga In asked, and Min Ho nodded. "Oh, there's a bus."

When the bus stopped in front of them, Min Ho went aboard and paid for his fare. Then, he turned around and waved Ga In goodbye. Ga In, for her part, bluntly pursed her lips and grabbed her phone to call the office.

"Yes, I will be late. I have an emergency right here," she said.

****

All eyes were on Yong Hwa and Shin Hye as they came in. Jung Shin, the nurse that he was, ran out to meet them. He saw Yong Hwa's bloody fist and asked if something occurred.

"Yeah, I beat the life out of that bastard," Yong Hwa said, cursing.

"Woaaahhhh!!!!!" the people exclaimed. They never thought, and had never heard the boss cursing.

Jung Shin turned to look at Shin Hye, who bowed her head.

"Shin Hye-ya?" Jung Shin asked.

"Gwaenchanha, Jung Shinnie," she said. "I'll help him clean his hand."

The two of them went to the restroom so that Shin Hye could cleanse Yong Hwa's hand. The two of them remained silent for the whole time that they were there.

After a while, Yong Hwa whispered his thanks.

"It... it should be me who should be thanking you," Shin Hye replied. "You saved me... You fought for me... You saved my heart..."

"I've been doing it many times, Shin Hye-ya," he whispered to her. "You just did not know it. Or... you chose not to see it."

His last sentence broke her heart. As she looked back at him in guilt, all she could see was sadness in his eyes, laced with love.

"That's how much I love you, Shin Hye-ya," he continued. "And I am willing to go that far for you."

Shin Hye broke down into tears when she realized how much Yong Hwa loved her. And as for him, he was always willing to prove her his love. He held her chin with his index finge and thumb, and he leaned closer to her. As Shin Hye felt his warm breath to her face, she silently closed her eyes to allow her best friend to show his love...

And behind closed doors, Yong Hwa kissed his best friend. Shin Hye melted under such sweet and loving kiss that she opened her lips to accommodate him. 

"Am I being real to myself? Why do I want this?" she asked herself as she wrapped her arms around Yong Hwa's neck.

~~~~