A/N: Hi, guys! I had a bad case of writer's block, but I finally powered through. I hope you all like the chapter!
glorialopezgl534.03: Thank you for your review. I hope you like the chapter.
emeraldbutterfly: Thank you for your review. Yeah, I agree, someone trying to stab you in the eye with a chopstick is a valid reason to breakup.
Special thanks to my beta Vnillachamomile for helping out with this chapter. Enjoy, guys!
Woo Bin flipped through the channels. "We don't have to watch The Wailing."
"But you love that movie," said Jae.
"Yeah, but I've seen it a million times. And I know how you feel about horror."
"Is this about what happened the last time? At the sleepover?"
Woo Bin pushed down the memory of her clinging to Ji Hoo. He wasn't a jealous person. That was Yi Jeong's department.
"That was a one-time thing. It was super dark. I'd had a long day. I don't routinely cling to people's arms during jump scares."
"I'm sure you don't."
"Poor Ji Hoo. He must have felt so uncomfortable."
"Trust me. He was perfectly fine with it."
She mulled that over for a second. "Yeah. He's a perfect gentleman. Doubt he thought anything of it."
Perfect gentleman.
He schooled his features. He was not a jealous person. Besides, he didn't have that right anyway. Jae was not his girlfriend. After that disastrous dessert date, chances were she never would be.
"Now that you bring it up," she said. "I've a bone to pick with you."
That got his attention.
"How could you and Ga Eul just abandon me like that? After that little incident, I spent the rest of the movie sitting a foot away from Ji Hoo, digging my nails into my hand. All that discomfort could've been avoided if I was next to either of you."
He and Ga Eul.
They were exactly the same in her mind.
No difference, what-so-ever.
Great.
He tapped the armrest. What was wrong with him? He was behaving as unreasonable as Yi Jeong. Or worse, Jun Pyo.
"Earth to Woo Bin."
"Sorry. Was just thinking about what to watch." He shuffled through the list once more. "Casablanca? I haven't seen it."
He tried to focus on the movie and nothing else. Not on how close Jae was sitting. Not on how her eyes lit up during her favorite parts. Not on how adorable she looked, mouthing along to the dialogue. Not on how he wanted to wrap his arms around her and pull her closer.
He turned away. Ever since he admitted his feelings, his desire to touch her was much harder to reign in.
He snuck another look at her. Whenever she got engrossed in something, her entire face brightened. She looked especially beautiful when she was lost in her own world.
He forced himself to look away. If he asked her, there was a 90 per cent chance she'd say no. The odds were too high to risk it.
She leaned in closer to grab some popcorn from the bowl. Their fingers touched ever-so-slightly, sending a jolt of electricity through his entire body.
Then again, what if she said yes?
_oOo_
Jae Kyung returned from movie night frustrated. She sunk into the sofa. Before meeting Woo Bin, she'd mentally recited all the reasons why dating him would be a disaster. He had commitment issues, was emotionally unavailable, and if they dated, there was a good chance that he'd get bored in a month.
But when he was right in front of her, none of it mattered.
She paced the floor. Because, as true as these things may be, it was also true that he was a loyal, fun, sweet guy with a wicked sense of humor who'd go to the ends of the earth for his friends... for her.
Despite all the logic to the contrary, a part of her was still convinced he could never hurt her. She struggled to reconcile the two sides of him: the callous player Hana described and the guy Jae Kyung knew.
The guy who made her laugh, even on her worst days. The guy who slipped encouraging notes in her lunchbox on the days she had TA status meetings with Prof. Chung. The guy who made her feel—safe, so safe that she'd let herself breakdown in his arms.
No one had held her like that since Chen, and that was ten years ago.
Yoo Jin's words from the bar came back to her.
You think you'd be his exception? Don't be stupid, Princess.
She tapped her keychain. Yoo Jin was a real asshole, but he had a point. It was dangerous to bank on her being his exception.
_oOo_
Woo Bin sat in Yi Jeong's pottery studio, playing with the wheel. He lived by a simple philosophy: once you've made a decision, stick to it. Nothing was gained from vacillating back and forth. His current predicament was testing this theory.
He looked back at the opened Google page. Not one useful piece of advice.
What had the world come to? If you couldn't trust the internet in times of crisis, then who could you trust?
"Like I keep saying, Woo Bin, just call Jae Kyung up and ask. It's not that complicated," said Yi Jeong.
"We've been over this. It's not that simple. She's my best friend. I can't afford to screw this up."
"It'd be fine. It's not like you've known her since, I don't know, you were six."
Woo Bin rolled his eyes. "Maybe instead of throwing quips, you can give me some useful advice. Given your long history of playing jump rope with the boundaries of friendship, you should know how to approach this."
Yi Jeong shot up from his seat and walked off.
"Wait, wait, wait, I need you. Come back. Please."
Marching to Woo Bin's workbench, Yi Jeong snatched the wheel of clay from him. "Meet her at the porridge shop. Her home front. That way, she'd be more comfortable. And since you didn't drive her there, if things go south, you can leave without stranding her."
"Not bad." He ruffled Yi Jeong's hair. "I knew you weren't completely useless."
_oOo_
Following Yi Jeong's advice, an hour later, Woo Bin stood in the porridge shop kitchen, listening to Jae Kyung talk about food. Or her internship. Or maybe it was school? He wasn't entirely sure. He was too nervous to pay attention.
"And that's the whole story."
"Cool."
She put the plate back on the drying rack. "Something on your mind? You seem distracted."
"I've been doing a lot of thinking," he said while leaning against the counter. "About risks, and how the best things in life require a leap of faith."
"Is this about that game show idea you had?" She leaned closer. "Because I've been doing some market research, and I don't think it's actually that risky. I even thought of a name: Can You Eat That?"
He suppressed a smile. "No. Not that. About—" He took a deep breath. He could do this. It was just a date. The worst thing she could say was no. "What you doing tomorrow night?"
"Nothing as of yet. Watch a movie with Ga Eul, most likely."
"How would you like to go to dinner instead?"
She picked at the dishcloth. "Me, you, and Ga Eul?"
"No. Just us." He rubbed his neck. "On a date."
Her face fell. "Woo Bin, listen, I think you're great, but—I don't think it's a good idea. We're friends. Things could get rather… messy."
Her words hit like shards of glass. "Yeah, I understand."
"Sorry."
I think you're great, but—
"Woo Bin?"
It'd be fine. He knew there was a huge chance this would happen. He was prepared.
"And my life's kind of—"
I think you're great, but—
So what if Jae didn't see him that way? He was Song Woo Bin, plenty of girls were interested in him. He'd move on in a jiffy. Sure, he'd never wanted someone this desperately before. But they were just feelings; they'd have to go away at some point. Yes, the pull was strong. Yes, he'd liked her for a better part of a year. Yes, dating a gorgeous woman did nothing to dull the attraction, but—
"...Your friendship means a lot to me, Woo Bin. You know that, right?"
He looked at the soft look in her eyes and the worried expression on her beautiful face.
He forced a smile. "I know. Thanks for your time. I'll let you get back to work."
Shutting the door behind him, he looked at the moving traffic.
Yes, he was Song Woo Bin. Yes, he'd asked out dozens of women before, and some of them had turned him down. Yes, none of that ever phased him before. But none of them had the kind hold on his heart that Jae Kyung did. He had no idea how to get over her.
He let out a bitter laugh. What was it that Ji Ah had said? After all the heartbreak he's caused, he deserved a taste.
Well.
She must be happy.
_oOo_
Yi Jeong found Woo Bin in the F4 lounge living room, lying in front of the television, watching some foreign film.
He slid in next to Woo Bin. "She said no?"
Woo Bin didn't reply.
"Do you have any idea what they're saying?" he asked, pointing to the characters.
"I find the chatter soothing."
Yi Jeong switched it off. "Let's go out and do something. How about a game of basketball?"
Woo Bin snatched the remote back. "No, thanks."
Yi Jeong switched it off again. "How about squash?"
Reclaiming the remote, Woo Bin switched it back on. "Leave me alone."
"You want to do some weird experiment? Maybe blow up some sausages in the microwave or something?"
"What I want is to watch my show in peace."
Yi Jeong leaned back against the backrest. "Fine. I'll pretend it's a silent film." Yi Jeong knew Woo Bin well. He did not actually want to be alone. If he did, he'd be locked in his bedroom, not laying around on the F4 lounge couch.
A few seconds went by. "Squash doesn't sound so bad," Woo Bin said.
_oOo_
Yi Jeong rang Jae Kyung's doorbell. Here goes nothing.
"Hey. Ga Eul's at her parents, but she should be back soon. You're welcome to wait," she said.
She looked terrible. Bloodshot eyes, droopy shoulders, messy hair. As petty as it may be, her haggard appearance pleased him. She broke his best friend's heart into a million pieces. That should take a toll. "I am not here for Ga Eul," he said, joining her on the couch.
He was inside the house, so step one was done. The only thing left now was convincing her to date Woo Bin. Without sounding pushy or creepy. Easy peasy.
She snuck a glance at him, but the second he noticed, she looked away.
Today was his lucky day. Jae Kyung looked a few steps away from broaching the subject herself.
"Yes?" he asked.
She picked at her phone cover. "How is he?"
There was no way for Yi Jeong to answer that question without betraying his best friend. So, instead, he tried to change the trajectory of the conversation altogether. "I understand you recently learned about his dating history?"
She said nothing.
"It's not his fault. Not entirely, anyway. High school was a tumultuous time for me, and Woo Bin got caught in the chaos."
He took a deep breath. He hated talking about those years. He'd done everything to erase them from his memory. Talking made it seem more concrete.
He looked back at Jae Kyung. Woo Bin was his best friend. Yi Jeong couldn't let him lose his shot with his dream girl. "My mother wasn't doing well. My brother left again. For the second time. Let's just say my coping mechanisms were less than ideal."
"Kleptomania?" She took a look at his shocked expression. "Happened to a friend."
"No. Just alcohol. I wasn't an addict or anything, but I did drink far more than I should." He looked away. "A lot of Woo Bin's time was spent bailing me out of situations."
Guilt gnawed at him. Woo Bin spent far too many evenings babysitting drunk Yi Jeong, or sad Yi Jeong or—there was no use pulling at that thread. He should focus on the task at hand.
He fiddled with his sleeve. "As I was saying, given the circumstances, he didn't have time to date seriously."
She shot him a concerned look. "Yi Jeong—"
"The point is, it's not that he isn't capable of commitment, alright? He just didn't have the emotional bandwidth. Because he was putting all his time and effort into getting me out of my own head. Maybe take that into account before you judge him."
"I'm not judging him. We're just incompatible."
"How?"
"He can separate the emotional from the physical; I can't."
Yi Jeong tapped his ring. He hoped it wouldn't come to this, but he would've to tell her the entire truth. It was risky. It didn't make Woo Bin look the best, but it might assuage her doubts.
"Jae Kyung, did Woo Bin ever tell you about Kiarra?"
"His first girlfriend. His only girlfriend," she corrected. "He said she was amazing."
"I don't know how many of their dates got cut short or postponed because of me. She never complained, though. Instead, she did whatever she could to make their time together stress free."
She didn't meet his eyes. "Sounds like you've a lot of respect for her."
He nodded. "He didn't date anyone for a year after they broke up. And even when he did start dating again, well, I don't think he quite got over what they had. A part of him kept searching for that level of support and understanding. When he wouldn't find it, he'd lose interest."
"And at some point, he just stopped trying?"
He nodded. "It was easier to not get emotionally involved."
She stared at the opposite wall, her expression thoughtful. "Did he tell you this? Or is it a mere observation?"
"Observation, but he's my best friend. I know him."
"He's mine too."
"You know what they say: a solid friendship is the best foundation for a relationship."
"True. But those are also the relationships where you stand the most to lose."
"Nothing in life worth having comes without risks."
She turned towards him. "More than twenty women haven't measured up to Kiarra. It's foolish to believe that I'd be the exception."
"Maybe it was the circumstances under which you met. Maybe it was because you were friends first. Maybe a lot of time had just passed. I don't know. But—you're different."
"I don't—"
"A small part of me was always envious of you, you know. I never felt that way towards any of the other girls, not even Kiarra. Do you know why?"
She studied his face with a curious look in her eyes.
"Because I was always his 'person.' The one whose opinion he valued the most. The only one who could get him to talk. The one he involved in all his crazy schemes. Until you came along and unceremoniously usurped me. I know you think it is unlikely, but you are different."
They sat in silence for some time, neither knowing what to say.
He got up. "It's getting late. I should go."
She followed him to the door.
"Think about what I said with an open mind, okay?" He paused. "Also, let's keep this little visit between us. Woo Bin doesn't need to know."
_oOo_
After his unfruitful conversation with Jae Kyung, Yi Jeong drove to Woo Bin's house to check on him.
"We aren't friends? Now that is just hurtful, Ji Min," he heard Woo Bin say. "Hello? Hello? Did you hang on me? How rude!"
Yi Jeong would ask what that was about, but years of experience dictated that he was better off not knowing.
Woo Bin put his phone down. "Yi Jeong. Were you here the whole time?"
"No. Just got here." He slid in next to him on the bed. "Here. Got you some grape juice."
Woo Bin swallowed it all down in one gulp.
"I'll get you some more."
While Woo Bin was engaged in devouring four more glasses, Yi Jeong took the time to study him. Crumpled clothes, uncombed hair, and a messy room—Woo Bin was not doing any better.
"Would you stop looking at me like someone died," said Woo Bin.
"I—"
"I'm fine. So Jae doesn't like me back. It happens."
Yi Jeong stood stunned. Did Woo Bin honestly believe that? God, he could be so dense at times. "Did she tell you that? That she doesn't like you?"
"Well, no, but—" Woo Bin got up. "You don't think? No. But—what if?" Woo Bin grabbed the first pair of presentable clothes he could find and ran towards the bathroom. A second later, he emerged fully dressed. "I gotta go," he said. "I have to know."
_oOo_
Jae Kyung was on her third attempt at finishing the chapter when her phone rang.
"Ji Min. How are you? Long time, no see?"
"Great. Listen, we need to talk about your friend Woo Bin."
"Why? What happened?"
"Is he clinically insane? He keeps calling me for the most nonsensical things. Today it was for advice on getting over Ga Eul, I think."
"Come again?"
"Yeah, he said something about 'how did you accept the harsh reality that you and Ga Eul would never be together?' I told him that she was just a friend, but that did nothing to stop him. He continued rambling."
She chuckled. That was such a Woo Bin thing to do.
"It's not funny. You got to get him to stop. We're not even friends. Why does he keep bothering me?"
"Sorry. You're right. Not funny. I'll talk to him."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, she hung up.
She shook her head. There wasn't anyone else quite like Woo Bin. That was part of why she liked him so much.
Placing her phone on the center table, she paced the room. Ever since her conversation with Yi Jeong, she kept second-guessing her decision.
Dating a friend was a terrible idea. She learned how disastrous it could be with Yoo Jin. She wasn't eager to revisit the experience, but Yi Jeong didn't think Woo Bin's feelings were fleeting. He'd known Woo Bin for years. That must count for something.
She tapped her arm. But he had been wrong before.
Ga Eul once told her that the first time she met Yi Jeong, they got into a huge argument. He was against Jan Di and Jun Pyo's relationship. Apparently, he doubted the longevity of Jun Pyo's feelings.
He was wrong then; maybe he was wrong again.
The doorbell buzzed, interrupting Jae Kyung's train of thought. Must be Ga Eul. Maybe she'd have some good advice.
It wasn't Ga Eul.
"Woo Bin."
He stepped inside. "You never said you didn't like me."
"What?"
"Back at the porridge shop, when I—you said it wasn't a good idea, but you didn't say, 'I don't like you.'"
"Woo Bin."
"I know nobody says that because it's such a hurtful thing to say, but I need to hear the words."
"I can't."
"Don't worry about sparing my feelings. Trust me, it's for the best."
Jae Kyung averted her gaze. She wanted to close this chapter, but she wasn't willing to lie, not about this.
"Just say the words. You need to shut the door completely. That's the only way I can move on. Please? I'll never bring this up again. Promise."
"I can't."
"Why? I'm okay with it. It won't hurt me or anything. Unless..." He touched her arm. "Unless it's untrue."
She refused to meet his eyes.
"You like me?" His face broke into a grin. "You like me."
Turning away from him, she walked to the other side of the room.
"Jae."
The silence stretched on while she attempted to untangle her thoughts. "What happens when"—their eyes met—"what happens when our time in the sun is up?"
He followed after her. "So that's what this is about: karma catching up to me. Ji Ah must be pleased."
"What?"
"Nothing. That won't happen. I know what I feel, okay? Trust me."
She looked up at his hopeful face. "I need some time—to think."
"Listen to me." He covered her hand with his, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. "There's no world in which I could ever get bored of you. You've mesmerized me since the day we met."
He grazed her arm with his fingertips, starting from her hand, then moving upwards—to her shoulder, her neck, her chin. A small voice in the back of her head whispered this was a mistake, but it was drowned out by the sweet sensation of his fingers on her skin.
She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent.
He joined their foreheads together. "Jae." He whispered her name with the reverence of a prayer. "Jae. I've never felt this way before. About anyone." He pulled back for a second, meeting her gaze. "Please. Please believe me."
The sheer intensity in his eyes captivated her. He looked so earnest, so open, so vulnerable. She pulled him closer till she could feel his racing heartbeat against her own.
"Jae. I'm so crazy about you. You've no idea."
He clasped one hand in hers. The other he brought up to her face, brushing his thumb over her lower lip. She clutched the back of his shirt and leaned into his touch.
Cupping her chin, he leaned closer. He was going to kiss her.
Reason came crashing back.
He was going to kiss her. What was she doing? There was no coming back from that.
She pushed him away with more force than she intended.
His expressions changed rapidly: confusion, hurt, and finally, horror. "I'm sorry. I—I thought you wanted—I should've never—you said you needed space, and I"—he ran his fingers through his hair—"I am so sorry. I'll go."
"I think that would be best."
Jae Kyung sank to the floor.
They could come back from this.
Nothing happened.
Not really.
She leaned back against the wall. If she repeated those words a million times, maybe she'd start believing them.
A/N: Yi Jeong telling Woo Bin that asking out a girl is simple, the irony! So did you guys enjoy the chapter? What was your favorite part? Tell me in the reviews.
