Kyu Lee knocked on the door and stepped back as she waited for someone to answer. Ji Hoo had been really mad the last time she had seen him, and for some reason it had irked her. It had irked her so badly that she had decided to take action on it.

She'd had to work that morning at the clinic but her afternoon had been free. She knew doing this was going to either get her in trouble or scolded by someone who had suddenly become scarier to her than her boss. But it wasn't a bad kind of scary, more like the kind of scary a woman gets when she doesn't want a man to see as less than a woman. How Yoon Ji Hoo had become that she didn't know.

The door opened, and she stood face to face with Woo Bin. He seemed surprised, but that wore off as soon as it registered. He stared down at her for a minute before turning to close the door again.

"I'm not here to see you," she said reflexively before the door closed. He paused but his indifference turned to suspicion. "Is Eri home?"

"If you're here to brag about our relationship, you can just leave."

Kyu Lee held up the to-go carrier. "I'm actually here to clear the air between us. I can't do that if you kick me out."

"Do you really want to do that? We have guests inside.'

"If I don't, I'm pretty sure it will eat me alive."

Woo Bin knew she had never said sorry in her life, not even when she was wrong. Either way, he stepped back and allowed her passage. Like normal, she kicked off her shoes and strode in. He hadn't been kidding. They did have guests, two of them.

Eri appeared in front of her, head tilted to the side in confusion. The last time she had been here had been to have dinner with them and that hadn't gone well. She had too many things to make up for so she might as well start from the beginning.

Although the other two sitting across from her at the table weren't going to make that easy. Yi Jeong and Ga Eul were fierce separated but scary united. They had been the ones to take their friend out during dinner a few nights past, and they wouldn't be afraid to do it again.

Woo Bin stepped beside her and started to sign. She watched him as he spoke in the way she could understand. When his hands dropped, she nodded then disappeared into the bedroom for just a moment. Ga Eul vacated her spot by Yi Jeong so Eri could sit down. She sat on the couch beside Woo Bin instead.

So they were using their best weapon against her if she crossed the line. Though he was quiet, Yi Jeong had a mouth on him when he needed it. There was a reason Eri was always with him when something bad or disconcerting happened.

Kyu Lee sat down across from the two and passed Eri one of the coffees. "If I had known you were going to be here, I would have brought you one."

Yi Jeong waved his hand, fake smile plastered on his face. "No need. I've had enough today and Eri's tea is just enough."

She nodded at him and turned to Eri. She was messing with her ears so she must have put her hearing aids in. "Can you hear me?" The other woman nodded. "I came here today to explain all of this to you."

"Explain what?" she asked.

Kyu Lee folded her hands around the coffee she had bought for herself. "I'm sure you've already noticed, but Woo Bin and I used to be in a relationship. I'm sure if you had known that you wouldn't have come to me to be your doctor. At first when I found out, I was jealous because the Woo Bin I knew didn't want to settle down with just one woman. He wanted to keep seeing as many women as he could until his parents just got so irritated with him. Even then he was still going to do it. So when I saw him the night I came for dinner I was shocked."

She knew she had Eri's attention even if the expression didn't change. "At first I wanted to get in the way and see how strong your relationship is. There was no way he would be serious about one girl. He had never been that way so to see him so doting was a shock. For him to know how to handle your disability and what you can and can't eat meant he spent so much time with you for him to learn."

"It's easy to learn if you ask. Ji Hoo was the one who asked the questions after he nearly sent me to the hospital two days into being neighbors," Eri answered. "I want to know why you felt you had to test me. Surely you hadn't listened to all of the rumors at the hospital."

"It's hard not to listen to them. You were brought in even though you only had a few years of residency and the chief of staff made all of floor heads learn sign language to accommodate you. Then there was the one about you not caring about anything other than your job. You never smiled or spoke unless you were spoken to, and certain things just didn't pass your radar. It made it harder to talk to you."

"I don't talk to people I don't like or know." That was one of the bluntest things she had ever said. "As for whether or not I can talk, it doesn't matter. Not all hearing impaired people are deaf and mutes. I'm neither. I can hear when I have these in and I can talk regardless. Just because I pick and choose those times doesn't mean I'm incapable."

"And since I'm on the topic, I didn't hear what you said that night at dinner, but by the faces of everyone around, I knew it wasn't appropriate."

Yi Jeong looked at her. "I thought you had your hearing aids in."

"I did but the clattering of plates and other tableware forced me to turn them down. I essentially couldn't hear anything. I heard the dull roar of people talking but couldn't understand them. Everyone's expression gave away what they were saying."

"Then why did you cry?"

"Because of him." She inclined her head backwards towards the couch.

With those three words, Kyu Lee realized how much love and respect Woo Bin and Eri had for each other. He was willing to risk his credibility with her to prove a point. Eri believed in him enough to know that he wasn't going to risk their relationship.

She had been a fool to think she could drive a wedge between them. She had heard all about Jan Di and Jun Pyo's rocky relationship from both Jan Di and Woo Bin. In the end they hadn't let parents or anyone else get in their way. Not even Ji Hoo would.

For some unknown reason, the man's face popped into her head. He was irritating and forward and annoying. He thought he could do things that were out of his knowledge. He thought he knew what was best for everyone involved. He frustrated her even when he wasn't present.

She didn't realize she was being completely open until Eri touched her hand. She was way too perceptive to be emotionless.

"If you like him that much, just tell him," she said.

"I never said that," she blustered.

"It's no use denying it. It was written all over your face," Yi Jeong added. "She may not talk much or understand what she sees, but Eri can read emotions. It's what's kept her grounded all these years."

"Speaking of that, it must be hard to understand your emotions."

It gave her a few precious moments to school her thoughts and get them off of Ji Hoo. She didn't want anything more to do with him if she could at all possible. He was so persistent though.

"It's not easy since I've kept them hidden for twenty year. I'm not even sure hidden is the right word for it. I guess I just didn't realize I had them, or that I could use them. It feels weird expressing them so most of the time I don't," Eri explained. "But stop trying to get off topic. First, I accept what you're trying to say. Second, ask him out."

Yi Jeong shook his head as Woo Bin laughed. "He won't be very appreciative if he finds out you said that."

"As long as it gets him off my back, I don't really care. He's starting to grate on my nerves."

The door decided to beep right at that moment. Ji Hoo's voice rang out as he came through the entryway. He stopped as soon as he rounded the corner.

"Why are you here?" he asked as soon as he saw her.

"The better question is why do you know her pass code?" she retaliated.

They started a heated argument right there, neither one backing down. The others watched it like a ping pong match, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. It lasted so long that Eri got up to do the dishes and collect the trash, which Woo Bin took out.

Finally Yi Jeong got in the middle, calling it petty and childish. They wouldn't listen so he slammed his hand on the table for effect.

"Okay, if you two can't get along here, we're going to send you out in public where you have to. Eri, plan a very elaborate double date for tomorrow evening. Use your wildest imagination," he said.

"Please don't make her do that," Woo Bin muttered as he shed his shoes.

"Too late. I hope you two enjoy each other enough to go out."

Ji Hoo closed his eyes as he realized he may have just ended his very existence. Damn Kyu Lee.