They let the silence linger in the air; both of them refusing to let out any sound. Both of the men stare at each other, unperturbed.

"You would?" Yongguk wants to confirm it again. 

On the other hand, Daehyun doesn't feel so confident anymore. Whatever he said moments ago, gets stuck in his throat. He can't spit out the same words as easily as before. Why does he have a feeling that Jiyoon wouldn't pick him? No. He has to be optimistic; that day alone would be enough, wouldn't it?

"If she doesn't pick me, I'll let her go," he says in one breath, glad that he's able to utter it. 

"Good enough for me."

Both of them file into the room, and Jiyoon has to hide her gasp as she catches the sight of Daehyun. She's left wondering as the two men stand beside her bed, both of them looking awkward. Daehyun taps his feet lightly on the floor, and Yongguk keeps scratching his nose, showing that he's nervous. 

"Is there any... Problem?" Jiyoon speaks up, intrigued. 

"We need you to make a choice," Daehyun swoops in. 

"Make a choice?"

"Between the two of us," Yongguk says. 

Jiyoon is reduced to wordlessness when she hears their request. She looks at all of the wires attached to her body, wishing that she could fade back into unconsciousness. Are they serious?

"Stop joking around."

"We're not, we're being serious right now."

"It's childish and immature."

"It's more childish and immature if we keep arguing over you, don't you think so?" Daehyun's playfulness is returning back, and Jiyoon has to hide her smile.

"..."

The men pretend to act coolly. Jiyoon, who's conflicted right now, looks back and forth between the two men. Deep down in her heart, she knows the answer, but will she go against her real choice?

"Yongguk oppa, I..."

Both of the men's ears perk up. Until she completes her sentence, they won't know the verdict.

"I choose you." 

He's sure that he can hear his heart shattering into a billion pieces, spreading all over the floor. The pain that he's feeling right now, it's hard to describe it. In fact, he doesn't even know if there are suitable words to describe it. It's strange how a simple phrase can wreck you. The sentence that he utters just now seems so intimidating. I'll let her go.

"Why?" He's surprised that he's able to say something. He thought that the verdict made him lose his voice too.

"I don't like you, so why should I choose you? Yongguk oppa is the obvious answer; he's been longer with me than you. You're a man I just met."

Painful words after painful words are being thrown at him. He's amazed on how he's still able to stand up, his legs firmly planted to the ground.

"He- he brainwashed- you- he told bad things- about me."

"Yongguk oppa said nothing about you to me. It's my own choice. Both of you asked me to make a choice, so there you have it." 

"That day when I- protected you and when we spent time together at Myeongdong, were they nothing?"

"I'm grateful for them, but that doesn't mean I should fall in love with you."

His ears block out the rest of the sounds in the world, blocking him from catching anything said after. Rejection makes his mind go blank, nullifying his ability to think. The woman in front of him, clad in the green hospital gown, seems so distant from him now. So is this how rejection feels? He’s been rejected countless times by his family he almost forgets how it feels. It seems so foreign, this weird feeling creeping up, covering every inch of his body.

Initially Yongguk feels triumphant, but after seeing the dark expression on Daehyun’s face, he actually feels sorry for him. Ironic, isn’t it? He’s glad that he won over the younger man, but at the same time he wished that Jiyoon could take back what she said. This isn’t right. Daehyun doesn’t deserve this. Jiyoon made the choice, so it’s not his fault, right?

“Well then, looks like I have to leave now,” Daehyun checks his non-existent watch and taps his wrist. He’s frantically trying to cover his embarrassment, pretending what happened just now doesn’t affect him at all. He prays silently that he’ll be able to walk sturdily until he gets out of the room, which is becoming hotter by the second. Jiyoon watches his back as he retreats from the room, looking morose even from behind.

“This is not right,” Yongguk says under his breath, barely audible.

Jiyoon’s sharp ears catch the sound anyway, and she replies, “You asked me to make the choice, so I did.”

“This is not you; I expected you to decline the stupid request.”

“If you think it’s stupid then why did you ask me to make the choice?”

“Daehyun was the one who insisted on it! He’s still immature and he’s so confident that he can win over me, but in the end you picked me. I don’t like seeing Daehyun anywhere near you, but I don’t want to see his life getting ruined again!”

“So are you saying right now that I’m the bad person?”

“All I’m saying is that I expected you to pick him! I know you like him because the way you look at him is different than how you look at other people. I see how your eyes sparkle when you lay your eyes on him, the same way when you look at the stars.”

“You want me to pick him over you?”

“Yes! I mean, no, but I can’t bear to see him in that condition. Of course I want to win over him, just not in this way. What does it make me when you picked me, but Daehyun is having his heart broken yet again? I don’t want to be the bad guy in the picture. I feel as if I didn’t fight for you, that I won easily over him.”

“I can’t make everyone in this world happy,” she shrugs, as if her actions were nothing.

“You’re better than this,” Yongguk laments, his voice full of regret.

“Then what do you want me to do?”

“Go to him… Or say that you’re sorry… Anything! I don’t want to feel as if I owe something to him.”

“I won’t.”

“Why?”

“Because you are wrong. I never had feelings for him.”

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Here, another chapter for you guys! (yeah, yeah I know it's short) I posted for two days in a row because I love you guys hehe. I hope you'll bear with me! I have to admit the story is getting pretty flat, so maybe you guys are starting to get bored. But please, don't leave because I'm planning something more in the future chapters. The next few chapters may be (I repeat, may be) unexpected, so anticipate a lot :) Thank you to those who subscribed and left comments!