Woori was right, and Shin Hye was worried and fidgeting.

Last night, she called Woori up and told the other girl in tears as to what transpired between her and Yong Hwa. Woori told her that she already expected it because Yong Hwa was so obvious, but she never expected he would confess on Shin Hye's birthday. Woori chided her a bit and told her that she could have rejected Yong Hwa nicely. Shin Hye should have known better, Woori pointed out, because they were best friends, and Yong Hwa had the tendency to get crestfallen easily, especially in matters of love.

"Eotteohke?" Shin Hye asked.

"Go and talk it out with him," Woori said. "There's no other way than that."

Shin Hye was fidgeting as she remembered that call last night. Her thoughts were a swirl and a mess as she made her way to the office. By the time she got there, she saw Jong Hyun typing on his cubicle, and so, she greeted him.

"Annyeong?"

But Jong Hyun only turned to look at her soberly, and Shin Hye thought that Jong Hyun knew about the case. She was flustered because she did not know what to say, as if she was feeling guilty that she shooed Yong Hwa off.

"Where's my breakfast?" Jong Hyun asked.

Shin Hye shook her head sadly and took her place beside him. Jong Hyun, however, did not waste time. He told her that Yong Hwa got drunk last night, and he and Jung Shin had to bring him to the nurse's pad.

"He... drank?" was Shin Hye's query.

While she was overtly angry from the start, her anger changed to worry when she talked with Woori.

"You and Hyung have to talk," Jong Hyun told her. "If not, your problems will be the way they are, and things will go awry between the two of you."

Shin Hye bit her lips. She knew he was right. But how can she talk to Yong Hwa?

****

Yong Hwa hit his head with his fist. Man, was it this painful? He slowly opened his eyes and saw a face staring at him intently. He closed, then blinked his eyes, and opened them again. And in his fright, he jolted up in a jiffy.

"Relax, Hyung," Jung Shin said calmly.

"W... why are you staring at me like that?" Yong Hwa asked.

"Aish, you were so drunk last night that Jong Hyun and I had to go after you and your vomit," the nurse said. "And hey, it's already seven in the morning."

Yong Hwa looked at the place and realized he was not in his pad. He saw the clock near the bed and realized he was at Jung Shin's place.

"Are you gonna get up or what?" Jung Shin asked as he akimboed. "You can't go late, remember?"

Yong Hwa shook his head in confusion. What day was today? Why could he not go late?

"Do I have an appointment?"

"Molla!" Jung Shin replied in exasperation. "For all I know, you are the supervisor, and there are certain rules for people who will take the sick leave."

Yong Hwa looked here and there on the bed to look for his phone, but Jung Shin handed it to them.

"Don't worry," he said to the supervisor. "I've got you covered. I already called the office and told them that you'll be late because you have matters to attend to."

"Gomawo, Jung Shin-ah," Yong Hwa mumbled.

"Ppalli, ppalli," Jung Shin told Yong Hwa as he pulled the covers out.

Yong Hwa sluggishly moved out of the bed and asked Jung Shin if he had spare clothes for him to borrow. Jung Shin said that Yong Hwa had lots of clothes in his pad because he often left things here and there.

"Hyung, you had lots of clothes in Jong Hyun's pad too, as well as in Min Hyuk's pad. You can be an international citizen already!"

"Huh?"

"Heol~~~ maybe you also have lots of clothes at Shin Hye's pad," was Jung Shin's careless reply.

And he realized he had spoken the forbidden name, so he covered his lips.

"Oops... Mian..."

The pain got back to Yong Hwa again as he remembered how Shin Hye rejected him last night. He smiled in pain and told Jung Shin that he appreciated his effort to be with him.

"I... I can manage this... work is work, and private life is private," Yong Hwa told him.

Anyhow, Yong Hwa and Jung Shin prepared for work fast so that they won't be late.

"Hyung, you can take your time," Jung Shin said with worry, reminding him he had called the office that Yong Hwa can come in late.

"Geokjeongma," Yong Hwa replied, trying to life up his mood.

Jung Shin shrugged off and invited his hyung to his car. Of course, Jung Shin had a car!

****

Nan nappeun gijibae, nan-nan nappeun gijibae, nan nappeun gijibae, where all mah bad girls at?

Yong Hwa listened to CL's "Baddest Female" over Jung Shin's sound system in the car. Jung Shin was mouthing to the lyrics of the song even though it was a female's song, for crying out loud. Yong Hwa was getting used to it because Jung Shin often preferred women's songs, as he was a fan of 2NE1, KARA, Girl's Day, Wonder Girls, and T-ara. However, sometimes, he could not help but think if Jung Shin was secretly gay or if he really just was a straight guy with a penchant for feminine songs. 

"Jung Shin-ah," Yong Hwa started out. "Why do you like girls' songs so much?"

"Ah? But girls are cute," Jung Shin started out. "And don't get me started on how fly CL is."

"Tell me about it," Yong Hwa sighed.

The two listened to the entire song. Finally, when Wonder Girls' "This Time" was played, Yong Hwa turned off the sound system.

"Ya!" ed Jung Shin. "What did you do that for?"

Yong Hwa shot Jung Shin a sad look, and it was when Jung Shin realized why.

"This Time" was Shin Hye's favorite Wonder Girls song.

"Ah... mianhae, Hyung..." Jung Shin said before biting his lips.

"Gwaenchanha..." Yong Hwa said before turning back the set on. 

Jung Shin watched as his hyung manipulated the sound system in the car until Yong Hwa was able to choose Epik High's "Don't Hate Me."

"That's better," Yong Hwa said.

Everybody hates me, but you love me and I love you...

Yong Hwa leaned on the car seat and closed his eyes. For the rest of the journey, the supervisor and the nurse did not say anything.

****

Jong Hyun and another copywriter were checking against their checklist, seeing which topic needed another landing page or another newsletter. Shin Hye was with Min Hyuk and Woori, explaining about the details of the press release for the website of a client. It was the two lovers who were making the codes for the website, and they wanted to know which content needed to be placed.

"Annyeonghashimnikka?" an employee greeted someone.

Everybody looked up to see Yong Hwa and Jung Shin coming in together. All the other employees but Shin Hye greeted Yong Hwa. When the supervisor saw the copywriter, he turned around in a jiffy to go to his office, leaving Shin Hye without words. Her eyes were starting to get watery, and then, they darted towards Jong Hyun's burning gaze. Jong Hyun cocked his head, a cue signalling her to go to the supervisor to talk. Shin Hye hesitated and looked at Woori and Min Hyuk, who both were mouthing at her to go talk to Yong Hwa.

"Geunde... it's still office hours," she reasoned out before getting back to her seat.

"If you are not willing to talk to him, just set up a lunch appointment," Jong Hyun suggested.

The other copywriter, Ok Taecyeon, looked at Shin Hye and asked Jong Hyun what the matter was about.

"Ah, eopseo," Jong Hyun lied before getting back to discuss with Taecyeon.

Shin Hye bit her lips as she listened to the other copywriters discussing about their project. After contemplating on what to do, she grabbed her cellphone and began to send a text message to Yong Hwa.

****

Yong Hwa was replying to his contacts in Singapore when his phone vibrated. He checked to see Shin Hye's name registered on his phone.

His hands shook, his heart ached, and tears suddenly streamed down his eyes. He shook his head, telling himself to get over it yet, as he was in the middle of work. When his conversation with his contacts was through, he hesitated before grabbing his phone. He opened the message and began to read the content.

Yong Hwa... can we have lunch together? I wanted to say something... Please?

Whatever it was, Yong Hwa did not want to hear any of it.

Please?

That short sentence, however, resonated in his consciousness. What was Shin Hye trying to tell him? Will she tell him that she was wrong and that she realized that she loved him too? Will she tell him that she was sorry that she broke his heart but that she could not accept his love?

What would she say?

The text message bothered him throughout the whole morning that his secretary had to repeat some of his appointments for next week.

"Ah, joesonghamnida," he told his female secretary.

****

Jong Hyun arrived from lunch, as he had an earlier break. As he sat down, Shin Hye told him that she sent a text message to Yong Hwa.

"Oh, good for you," he dryly said. "You and Hyung have to settle it neatly."

Shin Hye sighed unhappily. Why was her fellow copywriter not supporting her at least?

"I am not choosing sides, Shin Hye-ya," Jong Hyun told her, speaking to her among the two of them. "I know Hyung's feelings because I also felt that many a time when girls turn me down, but I also know how you feel, as I also felt guilty a lot of times when I turn girls down."

Shin Hye turned to see Yong Hwa getting out of his office, so she stood up and grabbed her bag. Jong Hyun watched silently as she walked away with the supervisor, and Min Hyuk and Woori noticed it too. Jung Shin, who just came from the loo, also saw Shin Hye following Yong Hwa from behind. All of them could not help but get worried.

****

Yong Hwa and Shin Hye settled into a posh coffee shop, and Yong Hwa said with a sweet yet painful smile that it will be on him. Shin Hye saw the pain behind the eyes and could not help but feel guilty. Yes, she did not have the heart to love this man, but she was sorry that she had hurt his feelings overtly.

"Anything you'd like to eat?" was Yong Hwa's gentlemanly attempt to stay friendly.

"I'll have spaghetti," she replied softly.

Yong Hwa hailed a waiter and ordered two orders of spaghetti and some tea. The waiter took down the orders and went his way. Yong Hwa, meanwhile, was getting nervous. He wanted to stop time. He did not want to learn what she had to say, but, at the same time, he wanted to hear what it was. Good thing, both of them were sitted far from the counter, to the farthest end of the cafe to avoid disturbing other patrons.

"What... did you want to say to me?" he asked, in hope and in despair.

Shin Hye, too, was fidgetting in her seat and twiddling with her fingers. She slowly brought her eyes to him, took a deep breath, and started.

"Mianhae...."

Time stopped for Yong Hwa.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry for shouting at you last night... I'm sorry for being rude... I'm sorry for not...."

Yong Hwa eventually realized what was coming. It was bad news.

"I'm sorry for not saying it the nice way..."

It indeed was bad news. Shin Hye bit her lips, as she did not get a response from him. Nevertheless, she just wanted to get it all out.

"I wish there would be a better way to say this, but I'd rather say the truth than kid you, right?"

Yong Hwa's eyes began to stir, tears falling down discreetly.

"I'm sorry that... that I don't share your feelings... the way you love me... I.. I don't."

"I'm... I'm sorry," he told her too, his heart too heavy beyond compare. "I'm sorry for breaking our friendship like this... I'm sorry for breaking your heart... your trust... I'm sorry... for loving you."

The last statement broke Shin Hye's heart. Yes, he broke their friendship. It was very awkward now. It pained her that he was sorry for loving her, and that it pained her because she could never reciprocate it.

"Yong Hwa..." she whispered.

Yong Hwa saw that she tried to lift her hand to touch his, which he placed on the table, but that she put it back in place. It was inevitable. Shin Hye was not in love with him.

"Geokjeongma..." Yong Hwa told her, mustering some strength to let it go and cheer up. "Let's just forget about it, arasseo?"

But Shin Hye felt all the more guilty.

"Yong...."

Their meal came, and the waiter left in haste. The two ate silently, speaking less. Yong Hwa did not need to ask Shin Hye about her ideal type. They had been best friends for so long, so he knew. He knew she wanted a man, a manly one, one who is organized, one who will make her feel like a princess. Shin Hye often fell for the bad boy types, which was why she had a crush on Jong Hyun and Min Hyuk before. But good thing, Min Hyuk realized that if he went on with his playboy ways and get a girl pregnant out of wedlock, he might sire a child who will blame him for not having a complete family. His child might regret living a life without a legal father. And that was when he started to get serious when he started to woo Woori. As for Jong Hyun, Yong Hwa often told Shin Hye not to fall for such guys because bad boys, in real life, will only be urchins instead of being the knight in shining armor.

His motto? This is not like the dramas that you see.

Yong Hwa never believed that a good girl will change a bad boy, unlike what we see in dramas. He believed that it is difficult for a grown man, a bad boy at that, to change, unless he has discerned that he should change, the way Min Hyuk did. He wanted to spare Shin Hye the pain, all the more falling in love with her. He did not want to end up with someone like Jong Hyun (because he is mine, kekekekekek), but with the turn of events, he hoped someone better than him will love and care for Shin Hye.

"Spaghetti-ga mashisseo, georeohchi?" Yong Hwa asked with a forced smile.

Shin Hye knew he was just trying to cheer up by putting up a front. She nodded and ate hers in silence.

"Can we be friends again? Can we just... be friends? Can we get it back?" she asked herself, talking to him in thought as she watched the supervisor eating his spaghetti while maintaining the cold wall between them.

****

Jong Hyun frowned upon seeing Shin Hye sit on her place, so he scooted near and asked for some piece of gossip.

"Shin Hye-ya, eottaesseo (how was it)?" Jong Hyun asked.

Shin Hye watched Yong Hwa get inside his office, but a little while, his secretary went out of the room, standing there because she was shut out. Everybody saw it and asked the secretary what was wrong, but the secretary only shrugged and politely told them that she had no idea. Jong Hyun turned to Shin Hye, not saying a word. Min Hyuk and Woori looked at each other, then at Shin Hye. Even Taecyeon, who had no idea on what it was about, got a clue that something might have happened that lunch time. Shin Hye bowede her head and turned to her monitor to avoid letting everyone see her tears.

As for Yong Hwa, he shut the door, went to the windows, shut the Venetian blinds, leaned on the wall, and let tears fall down.

"Shin Hye... Shin Hye doesn't love me..."

~~~~

Up next, Shin Hye meets Lee Min Ho.

~~~~