Annyeonghaseyo?

Oh, yeah, I forgot to clarify. Eherm... I don't like MinShin (Lee Min Ho-Park Shin Hye tandem), but Min Hyuk and Shin Hye are fine :3 Anyway, here's to the next chapter.

****

At Jung Shin's pad, they held Yong Hwa's homecoming. Min Hyuk and Woori brought some drinks, and Jong Hyun brought some food. Yong Hwa distributed his gifts for his friends, who were taken by surprise that he managed to bring home a lot of things for them. Jung Shin crooned when Yong Hwa gave Shin Hye a Rilakkuma stuffed toy.

"That is just the cutest!" Jung Shin told his hyung. "I could put one in the clinic."

Anyway, Yong Hwa announced that he will be giving another gift for Shin Hye tomorrow for her birthday, and Min Hyuk and Woori teased the two. Jung Shin begged for another set of gifts with his puppy eyes, and Jong Hyun stated that Yong Hwa's so rich for him to buy very expensive gifts, most especially to Shin Hye.

"Aish, why make such a big deal of it, Jong Hyun-ah?" Yong Hwa replied in embarrassment, hoping his friends had not read his actions.

Woori noticed that Shin Hye was blushing, but the latter just dismissed their teasings. 

"I am his best friend, that is why he will give me very expensive gifts, geureochi, Yong Hwa?" Shin Hye told everybody before asking for a confirmation from her BFF.

Yong Hwa looked at her and smiled with his toothy grin, and the rest of the gang teased them again.

****

Jong Hyun stayed in the pad to help Jung Shin clean up. Min Hyuk accompanied Woori home, while Yong Hwa also brought Shin Hye to her pad. When they got out, Shin Hye invited him over for some small talk.

"Gwaenchanha?" he asked. "You will be working early tomorrow."

"Nan gwaenchanha," Shin Hye replied. "What is seven o'clock? It's better than Jong Hyun's six."

Yong Hwa accepted the invite and went inside the pad with her. The other ajummas no longer shook their heads. They kept teasing the two to get married already, for Yong Hwa often hung out at Shin Hye's place even past nine at night. They warned the two, however, not to do anything that only married couples should do. And it made the two blush.

"Ajumma~~ Yong Hwa and I are not like that," Shin Hye told them in embarrassment.

"Aigoo, these two, what more are you waiting for, huh? Shin Hye is a content writer showered with good salary, and uri Yong Hwa is such a stable manager. What are the two of you waiting for?" one of the ajummas asked them.

"Ay, we are just friends, Ajumma," Yong Hwa said politely.

"Friends. Huh! That's what secret lovers lie to people, ahahahah, and when they separate, they will cry and confess that they had been lovers," the other ajumma teased them.

Yong Hwa and Shin Hye only blushed at their statements. Then, the ajummas bid them goodnight and left the two alone. Shin Hye let her bestie in and she closed the door after Yong Hwa got in. And before Yong Hwa could even sit down, Shin Hye wrapped her arms around him in a backhug and buried her face into his back.

"Bogo shipda," she whispered.

Yong Hwa's heart fluttered to hear that from her. Of course, he would lie if he told himself she liked him, but he was willing to believe that lie. He held her hand and squeezed it lovingly before replying he missed her too.

"Being in Singapore alone made me wish you were there, traveling with me," he said.

Shin Hye let go of her hug as he turned around. Yong Hwa held her chin and tapped it with his thumb, and he swore he could see a blush on his face. He was hoping it was true.

"I'm afraid to turn a year older," Shin Hye told him.

"Wae?"

"Because I felt I had not fulfilled my potential yet, and I am turning twenty-seven tomorrow. I envy Min Hyuk because he can go up higher as an Android programmer, and Woori will have her novel released next week. Jong Hyun is beginning to invest some of his money on stocks though he is just a content writer like me, and he is also getting royalties for the songs that he composed. Jung Shin can have any nursing opportunities coming his way, and you can go up higher because you had your masteral studies. While I... am I just to stay here forever?"

"Don't feel bad for your circumstance, Shin Hye-ya," Yong Hwa comforted her. "You just might need to find something that will take you to where you are supposed to be. And being in the life that you wanted to be might not happen now. Maybe in the future."

"But I want it now!" Shin Hye cried.

Yong Hwa wrapped his arms around his bestie, who was crying over her own insecurities. Shin Hye felt so vulnerable that Yong Hwa wished he had the power to grant her her desires. But as it is, he's not a deity, just human like her.

"Just live in the present, Shin Hye-ya," he told her. "Your dream will come and find you at the right place and time."

After hugging her, he looked at her and wiped the tears off her face.

"Do you want me to stay here and wake up to face a new year with you?" he offered.

For Shin Hye, Yong Hwa was her everything--cousin, family, neighbor, friend, frenemy... and it was no longer new that he'd spend some nights with her (no malice, okay?) when she'd feel lonely. Both of them were from Busan, and living away from family was making her homesick.

"Ne..." she whispered.

Yong Hwa tapped her cheeks and instructed her to get changed. Because he had left a few of his clothes in her pad, he could just bathe in here tomorrow and go to work. After all, he would be in the office at eight, an hour later than Shin Hye.

Finally, both of them settled for the night, lying next to each other side by side. Yong Hwa pulled the blanket to keep his bestie warm, and scooted next to her.

"You feel warm now?" he asked her.

"Ne..." she whispered before closing her eyes.

Yong Hwa leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Oh, how he loved this girl! He'd give his gift to her tomorrow and confess. Hopefully, she'll not hate him for it. He was already willing to give his heart to her and spend the rest of his days with her. He could not imagine his life with someone else. Wanting her to feel all the love he could muster, he wrapped his arms around her and cuddled her in sleep.

****

The next day, Shin Hye woke up to the smell of bacon. She cooked her own meals, but whenever Yong Hwa's around, he'd cook a feast, more than she could cook for herself.

"Saengil chukhahae," Yong Hwa greeted her as she stepped out of the room, for the kitchen could be seen from her room.

Shin Hye smiled as she lazily walked to the table. Yong Hwa loved the morning look of his bestie. Shin Hye was wearing a giant t-shirt, now looking sloppy. Her hair was a mess, and her night mess was evident on her face, but Yong Hwa found her beautiful. A girl without makeup and who looked messy early in the morning looked beautiful to him, and he loved Shin Hye all the more for it. Shin Hye was still yawning because, after all, all of them lacked sleep.

"Don't forget your miyeokguk," Yong Hwa said, pointing to a bowl with the traditional birthday treat.

Shin Hye went to him ang gave him a tight hug.

"I wonder what you'll be giving me tonight," she purred. "I hope you'll be giving me books."

Yong Hwa smiled and instructed her to go wash her hands. She did, and they sat down for breakfast. Shin Hye drank her soup and ate her breakfast because she'd have to bathe and go to work earlier than Yong Hwa. And Yong Hwa had a smile on his face, seeing the girl that he loved enjoying his birthday breakfast for her.

****

Jong Hyun was alone in the office, for he was the first employee to go to work, being on the six o'clock shift. He and Jung Shin ended cleaning at eleven that night, and he was able to get home at almost twelve. That gave him less time to sleep. No wonder he was yawning hard. And he was a bit grumpy because he had not eaten breakfast yet.

Finally, Shin Hye came in, and knowing of Jong Hyun's constant habit of not preparing food for himself, bought meals along the way. When Jong Hyun saw her, he smirked and clapped his hands in delight.

"Saengil chukhahae, Shin Hye-ya," he said. "Is that breakfast for me?"

"Tsh... you parasite, you always skip breakfast and ask me to buy breakfast for you," she told him.

Jong Hyun grinned as he took the food. And he ate in his work station. Meanwhile, Shin Hye took her place beside him, for they were working for the same client, though Shin Hye came in later than he did. She set up her files and her browsers to start the day. When she opened their official website where they would correspond with their clients, she saw a digital birthday card, greeting her a happy birthday. It was her third card since she came to work in the company as a content writer.

"See? Even our bosses knew it is your birthday, haha," Jong Hyun told her.

"Of course they know," she retorted. "They have a list, and the digital cards are automatic."

Jong Hyun cleared his throat.

"So, has Yong Hwa-hyung greeted you already?"

"Mullon! He made miyeokguk for me..."

"So he slept in your pad last night?" asked Jong Hyun, though he knew Yong Hwa often slept in Shin Hye's pad.

"Ne..."

And Jong Hyun's smirked turned y.

"So... did something happened... you know?"

"Aish, jinjja!" Shin Hye hissed as she boxed Jong Hyun on his arm.

"Aya! That was a joke, you know," Jong Hyun . When he turned serious, what he said shocked her a bit. "Ah, and Hyung loves you a lot."

"What do you mean?"

"Tsh, don't play dense, Shin Hye-ya," Jong Hyun told her. "I am a guy, so I know."

Shin Hye rolled her eyeballs and hissed at him, "Whatever."

Of course, Jong Hyun did not take it to heart. He absolutely knew how Shin Hye could be so dense. Or if not, Shin Hye could already be crowned the Denial Queen. The two quietly worked on the landing pages for a mover. They exchanged ideas regarding correct usage of grammar and other stuff related to language. Shin Hye forgot about Jong Hyun's insinuation, but he never forgot. When Min Hyuk and Woori came to work (Woori is also a programmer), they greeted Shin Hye a happy birthday, and Jong Hyun let it slip that Yong Hwa made miyeokguk for her.

"Wow! That's so sweet!" romantic guy Min Hyuk remarked.

"So, does that mean he slept in your pad again?" Woori asked, and Shin Hye nodded before punching Jong Hyun for embarrassing her. "You should get married already!"

"She won't believe me that Hyung has a thing for her," Jong Hyun said.

"It's very obvious," Min Hyuk said.

"Take it from a guy's POV," Woori told Shin Hye.

"Aish, why are you all fond of teasing me?" Shin Hye asked them.

"Because it's true!" a voice piped up, and when they all turned around, it was Nurse Jung Shin.

"See?" Woori told Shin Hye.

"Saengil chukhahae," Jung Shin greeted her in an aegyo voice while swinging his lean body left and right like a member from a cutesy girl group.

"Whatever..." Shin Hye replied dryly at them before getting back to work.

They all settled down, and Jung Shin went inside another room, the company clinic, to start his day right. All the other twenty-five employees came in too, each with different job description and different clients. They greeted Shin Hye a happy birthday and took their places to start work. And later, Yong Hwa came in, finding his subordinates hard at work. He looked at Shin Hye busy discussing some English idioms with Jong Hyun, and he smiled to himself.

"I can't wait for tonight," he thought. "And tonight, I am going to confess my feelings to her."

But the girl in question still was not open to the thought of it.

~~~~