For a few moments, not any one among them spoke.

Woo Bin stared at Yi Jung, noting that this was the first time he'd seen his friend after so long - and yet his presence had never felt more- intrusive? Unwelcomed?

But that was unfair of him, wasn't it? Yi Jung had flown in from Sweden now, of all times. Perhaps Woo Bin himself should act better, instead of treating his friend as though he was being- invasive, of all things.

"How was your flight?" he asked, trying to sound... normal.

Or as normal as he could given that his best friend - the one he'd somewhat betrayed over a woman - was now here, in the flesh.

"Long," Yi Jung responded, stepping closer to the bed.

Woo Bin couldn't help it; he tensed up. And judging from how rigid Ga Eul stood now, perhaps she did, too.

"Tiring," Yi Jung added, crossing his arms. He glanced briefly at Ga Eul before looking at Woo Bin again. "Does that answer your question?"

He smirked in response. "Sorry, bro. I'd have met you at the airport had I known you were coming, but as you can see-" Woo Bin lifted his injured arm - or at least tried to - for emphasis.

"You idiot," Yi Jung said, sounding exasperated. "What the hell happened?"

"Someone shot him," Ga Eul replied, drawing both's attention towards her. She cleared her throat, then looked pointedly away.

"Who?" Yi Jung asked, his expression tightening.

Woo Bin frowned. Come to think of it-

He hadn't even bothered to think about who was responsible for this whole mess, ever since he woke up. Not that he'd been awake for long, however.

"We don't know yet," Ga Eul mumbled from beside him.

"What?" Yi Jung looked incensed. "What do you mean you-"

"It could have been anyone," Woo Bin said, in his defense - which was not much of one, now that he'd heard it out loud.

"And you're not doing anything about it yet?" Yi Jung asked. "You're not having your men investigate who instigated the attack on you?"

Woo Bin shrugged - and winced, as consequence to his unnecessary actions.

"Unbelievable," Yi Jung said, gripping the rails on the side of Woo Bin's bed. "Are you seriously doing nothing about this, Woo Bin?"

"Bro-"

"Please don't ask him too many questions, Yi Jung-Sunbae," she said, stepping closer and straightening Woo Bin's pillow all of a sudden. But there was undue force in her actions, as though she's taking her anger out on his pillow, of all things. "He's tired and he needs his rest."

When she'd moved towards his blanket, Woo Bin grabbed her wrist to steady her. "Ga Eul. I'm fine."

And yet what he really wanted to ask was-

-was she?

She gave a tiny shake of her head, but kept a death's grip on his blanket.

"Ah," Yi Jung said, his attention on their hands. "Suddenly you're the expert at what my best friend needs?"

As it was possible, Ga Eul stood a little straighter, a little paler, and pulled away from him.

"Yi Jung," Woo Bin said, turning to glare at him.

But he was on a roll, apparently. Yi Jung pulled at his mouth. "Once upon a time, you seemed to be an expert in mine, Ga Eul-yang. And now-" He chuckled - and it sounded too high-strung to be genuine. "How quickly the times have changed."

"That's enough," Woo Bin snarled.

"What?" the potter asked, meeting his eyes. "Suddenly I can't ask her questions, too?"

The pit in Woo Bin's stomach curled tighter. Had he been stronger, had he not been fucking shot at, this confrontation would have- Yi Jung would not have come here and Ga Eul would not have to-

"And if I am?" she responded hotly, lifting her gaze to look at Yi Jung directly. "Would it be so wrong to want to be, as far as Woo Bin-Sunbae is concerned?"

His throat suddenly felt so dry.

The whole conversation revolved around him, and yet he'd never felt more excluded from it as he did now.

Then again, he couldn't help but think that she needed this to happen.

No matter how awkward and caught in the middle he might feel as a result.

"Ga Eul-"

Yi Jung took a step towards her, but she stepped back.

"I have-" Ga Eul started to say, her voice shaking, "-I've waited for you for so long, Yi Jung-Sunbae. Don't you remember? You've left me with hope when you went abroad. You made me hope that I- that we-"

She took a deep breath and added, "But then months passed with no word from you, despite you knowing how much I would have loved hearing your voice again and- didn't you think you were being deliberately cruel? That you gave me hope but you never stoked that hope in me? In us? You never even tried and now-"

"I called you," Yi Jung said, his expression perfectly controlled. "I invited you to Sweden to see me and you refused."

"Why did you do it?" she asked him, sounding vulnerable. "Of all a sudden, out of the blue, you called me and asked me to come to you. Why? You never even asked how I am. Or what I've been doing without you."

"Because it's obvious, isn't it?" Yi Jung spat. "That you and Song Woo Bin, of all people-"

Woo Bin gritted his teeth against the sting Yi Jung's words left him. Was this how little he thought of him?

"How could it be obvious?" Ga Eul asked him, genuinely sounding confused. "You never asked me about it. I never told you about Woo Bin-Sunbae!"

Yi Jung glanced at Woo Bin, exhaled loudly, and said nothing.

As though compelled to explain himself Woo Bin said, "I- told him, Ga Eul. That I- like you."

That I wanted him to know before I do anything about my feelings for you.

God. It felt like so long ago. Like a lifetime ago.

And yet now, here they were.

"You-" She blinked at him repeatedly, her mouth opening and closing on its own. Then Ga Eul turned to Yi Jung. "And that's why you called me, after all those months?" she asked brokenly. "Because you wanted to check if I- if I'm still-"

"That's not-" Yi Jung gritted his teeth.

"You left me behind, Yi Jung-Sunbae," Ga Eul reminded him, eyes overly bright in her face. "Perhaps you thought I liked you so much that you don't have to do anything for me to keep on liking you. But you were wrong. I'm sorry, but you were wrong." She turned around, grabbed her bag from the side table, and stalked to the door without saying another word.

Leaving both him and Yi Jung staring after her.

Feeling drained all of a sudden, Woo Bin slowly settled back on the bed, his hand massaging his suddenly throbbing forehead. It took everything in him to keep silent, until he couldn't any longer as he called out, "Yi Jung."

"Don't say anything-"

"Go after her."

Fuck. Fuck. What was he saying? Did he really just fucking say that?

Judging from Yi Jung's expression, he, too, wondered what the hell was wrong with him. "-what?"

"Don't make me repeat myself." Woo Bin shut his eyes against the look on his best friend's face. "Look. I'm sorry that this- all this happened between you and Ga Eul. But don't waste this opportunity to talk to her and clear things up. She needs to hear it from you. You both need it."

"What's the point?" Yi Jung asked. "She's already decided."

Had she? Woo Bin couldn't even tell. All he could pick up from the conversation was that So Yi Jung royally fucked things up - which, if he was to be honest with himself, wonderfully worked in his favor.

And yet-

"You really hurt her, you idiot," Woo Bin told him. "The least you could do is explain to her why." He paused. And because he couldn't help it he added, "And you had the fucking nerve to tell me that I'm the one who's going to hurt her, when all along-"

"That's enough," Yi Jung said, quietly this time.

Woo Bin closed his mouth.

"I- didn't come here because of-" He stopped. "I took the first flight out when I heard what happened to you. Because despite everything you're still-"

"We're friends for life, So Yi Jung," Woo Bin said, opening his eyes. He then reached for Yi Jung's arm and grabbed it. "Even if sometimes I want to punch the fuck out of you, and I don't doubt you want to do the same to me especially after knowing about my feelings for Ga Eul. Except now you'd have to wait until I'm at least able to fight you equally."

Yi Jung let out a breath that suspiciously sounded like a laugh.

With all his strength, Woo Bin pulled Yi Jung close enough to say, "Now, go after Ga Eul and tell her you're sorry, or I swear to god I'm going to drag myself up and take you to her with me."

He shook off Woo Bin's hold on him rather easily. "Why?" Yi Jung asked. "Why are you doing this?"

Fuck if I know, was on the tip of Woo Bin's tongue. Except he took a deep breath and said, "It's for Ga Eul. I'm doing this for her."

He just wished, with everything in him, that he wasn't making a huge mistake here.

Then again, that would be up to Chu Ga Eul, wouldn't it?

notes: now who here thinks we all deserve a one-shot between Ga Eul and Yi Jung?