"She's pretty. She looks like the innocent type, but she's surprisingly intelligent. Right?"
Despite her supposed confusion, Hong Joo knew exactly who the woman was on Woo Tak's phone background. After all, how could an investigative reporter like herself not recognize her own silhouette? However, she did not want to ever hurt the man's feelings in any way. Nor did she want things to become awkward between them. She cared too much about him for that to happen. Therefore, she purposely brushed off the feelings of surprise and slight unease at the unexpected revelation and countered it with a lighthearted response, instead. She had to admit, though, that she was extremely grateful for the interruption when her phone rang unexpectedly in order to get a moment to compose herself.
Not only was she surprised, but the situation made her a little sad, as well...and she found that she had to wipe the moisture from her eyes as she turned away from the men in order to talk to her sunbae. After all, she was so fond of Woo Tak. How could she not be – especially after everything they had been through together? Not only was he connected to her and Jae Chan through their dreams, but he had also almost died while trying to save her! Despite that, he was still doing his best to protect her before the trial.
It was because he was such a good man. Consequently, she could not bear the thought that he felt lonely as the odd one out because of her developing relationship with Jae Chan...and that he felt he had to surreptitiously take a photo of them together rather than to ask for a freely given selfie. It was obvious that he did not want her to know. That made her feel even worse. After all, she knew that he had nobody else here in the city besides them...and Robin.
Despite all of that, though, Jae Chan was still the one she wanted to be with – especially since she truly felt that fate had brought the two of them together again after the tragedy they shared thirteen years earlier. Consequently, the way she felt about him was not something that she could change...nor did she want to do so...not even for someone she admired as much as Woo Tak. Her feelings for the police officer were completely different than those she had for Jae Chan, anyway. In reality, he was far more like the brother that she had never had than a romantic interest...and she wanted their relationship to stay that way.
Unfortunately, that did not stop the feelings of guilt that had wormed themselves into her heart and soul over the impossible matter.
Thus, for the moment, there seemed to be no viable solution to their problem – especially since they were all presently stressed about the upcoming trial, as well. Consequently, she tried to force those negative thoughts and feelings away for the time being until she had the time and energy to deal with them properly...whenever that would be!
Meanwhile, since she still held her phone up anyway...even after her call had finished...she reversed her phone camera to selfie mode in order to check her eyes for any sign of redness or distress before she rejoined her two favorite men. After all, she did not want to raise their suspicions – especially since she knew instinctively that Woo Tak would distance himself from her...from both of them, probably...if he discovered that she knew the truth about his feelings for her. After all, he was an honorable man and would not want to cause either of them any unhappiness.
She definitely did not want him to disappear from their lives, either, not after everything they had already been through. In fact, she knew that the most important thing was for The Three Flying Dragons to stick together...no matter what! Otherwise, why else would fate have united them in the first place? Or given them the shared power of prophetic dreams?
Consequently, Hong Joo plastered on her most convincing smile as she went to tell them the news she had just learned from her Senior. She then headed home to her mother and her bed in order to be as well rested as possible for the following day...and to hopefully find a reprieve in sleep from the negative feelings that now plagued her about her best friend.
...
"Oh, thank goodness!"
In spite of the fact that she was nervous about having to testify at the trial that day, Hong Joo still woke up the next morning with a wide smile on her face and the expression of fervent gratitude on her lips. Her happiness, however, was entirely due to her new deep-rooted conviction that everything was going to turn out for the best with Woo Tak. After all, the pleasant dream she had experienced during the night had armed her with the reassuring knowledge that the man's single days would soon be at an end.
Even though she did not know exactly when it would happen or what Woo Tak was doing there in the first place, Hong Joo had dreamed that he would apparently meet a pretty and capable law school librarian. Somehow, she also knew that, ironically, the woman had been born in the Year of the Dragon just like them. Not only that, but they would come together after Woo Tak prevented her from having a nasty tumble off of the book ladder when a careless student bumped into it.
Even better was that Hong Joo had seen that the penguin passenger in his car would soon be replaced with a bespectacled owl instead...one that looked surprisingly similar to the attractive librarian!
Hong Joo knew that meant that she herself would then be relegated to her rightful place in his heart... one that was reserved for only the closest of friends and family. That was a huge relief to her because that was precisely what she wanted. After all, family was exactly what Woo Tak was to her...and to Jae Chan, too. Once he finally met the real woman of his dreams, he would soon be free to realize that, as well, and their relationship would settle down into something more comfortable for them all.
That certainty relieved all of Hong Joo's leftover feelings of guilt about their impossible situation. Consequently, when Woo Tak arrived for breakfast along with the Jung brothers, she was able to greet them all with an equal abundance of warmth and affection that caused Jae Chan to quirk an inquiring eyebrow in her direction.
"Dream," she silently mouthed the word to him when Woo Tak's back was turned as he helped her mother and Seung Won set the table.
When she added a finger heart and gestured vaguely towards the outside world, Jae Chan nodded in sudden understanding and smiled as the jealous tension that he did not even realize he was holding in his shoulders released immediately.
Even though he knew the truth about Woo Tak's feelings, he also knew that Hong Joo had made it clear from the beginning that she had chosen him...and that Woo Tak was an honorable man who had never once acted in any inappropriate way towards her. Plus, he depended on the police officer to help keep Hong Joo the trouble magnet safe – just as he had done for the past few days.
Nevertheless, Jae Chan still could not help but to worry. After all, even he had realized that Woo Tak was a very good looking man with a lot to offer to a woman like Hong Joo! That was why, despite the steadily increasing closeness of their friendship, he refused to drop formalities with the man. He was simply too afraid to change the dynamics of their group in any way that might eventually affect the balance of their relationships. After all, they had learned from their experience with dreams that even the smallest change could sometimes make a difference in the way that things eventually played out.
However, if the police officer was destined to meet the woman of his dreams soon, then Jae Chan could relax.
"Woo Tak," he said as he finally decided to drop all formality and honorifics in his address to the man right before he left to go to work. "Good luck today, friend." He made sure to emphasize the last word as he stuck out his hand, as well.
...
What could have possibly happened to my other two dragons this morning? Woo Tak could not help but to wonder as he carefully watched his friends over breakfast.
He strongly suspected that a dream was somehow involved. It must have been a good one, however, if anything could be judged from their reactions. After all, Jae Chan had finally spoken to him informally and the beautiful Hong Joo just could not stop smiling at him.
As much as Woo Tak wished that she was smiling because of him, he was a smart enough man to know that was just not the case. After all, even though they had not yet made anything official, it was apparent to everyone close to them that she and Jae Chan had a special connection. It obviously surpassed even the one that they both shared with him. Apparently, their destinies had been intertwined long before he had ever entered the picture when he first met them on that cold fateful Valentines night.
Therefore, he knew for a fact that it was simply not meant to be between him and Hong Joo. It was a depressing thought, but he knew he would have to live with it. In fact, as long as he still had Hong Joo...and Jae Chan...by his side as friends, he knew that the sacrifice would be worth it! He could...and would...be happy with that – especially when he considered what the alternative would have to be! He was just grateful that Hong Joo had never figured out the way he felt...or realized that it was her picture on his phone. That would have been painfully embarrassing for them all.
Therefore, he just grinned cheerfully at both of his best friends...and shook Jae Chan's offered hand vigorously...before he left to go to the station. After all, it was going to be a tough day for them all and they would need each other's support.
On his way to work, though, he suddenly thought about the strange dream he had on the previous night about making a ridiculous decision to go to law school at his age.
What in the world does that have to do with anything? he could not help but to wonder. It must have been just a regular dream...not one of the special ones, he decided as he pulled into the station's parking lot. That made a lot of sense.
However, he still had to check in with his sunbae before donning his dress uniform and heading out to testify at the trial. Therefore, in the hectic rush of events that followed, the dream was pushed to the back of his mind and temporarily forgotten...
...at least until Hong Joo and Jae Chan came to visit him later after his resignation. It was then that they convinced him that his dream had actually been one of the special kind, after all. Later, he would be so grateful to them both when he finally realized that both his dream and theirs had actually led him to where he felt he was supposed to be all along...and to whom he was supposed to be with, as well: The Woman of His Dreams!