A/N: Thank you to everyone who is reading this story. I appreciate the support!
Phantomstimeturner: Thank you for your review. I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, and it was meant to be a little heartbreaking
Cataleya2021: Thanks for your review! I am glad you are enjoying the story so far!
Nothing happened.
Nothing happened.
Nothing. Happened.
Yet every time she shut her eyes, she could feel his fingers on her skin.
Time ticked by but Jae Kyung didn't move from her position on the floor. This couldn't continue. She needed a distraction. People? No, her friends would ask too many questions. Drinks? No, the last thing she needed was her inhibitions lowered. She got up. She found just the thing.
Rushing to her bedroom, she took out her art supplies. Nothing helped sort through complicated feelings like a bit of creative expression.
Spreading the canvas on the floor, she sketched away. Her brain shut off, she let her emotions guide her. It wasn't until the sketch was finished that she stopped to consider what she created.
It was the park near her high school: The place she spent the most time with Yoo Jin. The place they had their last date before they both went off to separate colleges.
The memory resurfaced with vivid clarity.
They were sitting on the bench in the backside, almost hidden behind the canopy of trees. Yoo Jin's arms around her, Jae Kyung rested her head on the crook of his shoulder.
"This is nice," she said. With all the arguments they were having lately, today was a much needed respite.
"It is." He brushed his hand down from her waste, moving downward to her inner thigh.
She jerked away from him, almost on instinct.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She slipped her hand into his. "Let's get something to eat. I'm famished."
"I was hoping we could go somewhere more private. How about we have lunch at my apartment? Much more intimate."
"But it's such a nice day. Too nice to spend it indoors."
Anger flashed across his face. "I'm not stupid, Jae Kyung. I know what you are doing. If you don't like me anymore, just say it. Stop stringing me along."
"No—it's not—of course I still like you."
"You think I don't notice it? How you avoid being anywhere private with me? Do you have any idea how it feels? To know how little you trust me?"
"I do trust you." He'd never disrespect her boundaries. She knew that. He'd stop the minute she asked, but it spoiled his mood. He denied it, but it always did. He never fought her, at least not at that very moment. He just blew up at something completely inconsequential later on.
"I am not stupid, Jae Kyung."
His voice was calm, but she sensed his growing anger. "I am sorry," she said.
"We won't see each other in person for months. Don't you want to spend some time with just the two of us?"
"Of course I do. It's just…" She stared at her shoes. There was no way out of this conversation now. "It's just— sometimes—sometimes I feel you want to go much further than I'm comfortable with."
She prayed this wouldn't lead to a fight. Not today of all days. She hated the person Yoo Jin turned into when he was angry. It was best to avoid any and all situations that could lead to that.
She looked back at him. Clenched jaw. Scrunched up forehead. Eyes blazing. That seemed unavoidable now.
"Can you stop painting me out to be some kind of—we've been together for two years. I have been plenty patient." He drew closer until their faces were inches apart. "All my friends—everyone else"—he paused, frustration evident on his face— "are you not attracted to me? Is that it?"
"No. Yoo Jin. It's not—"
"Yet we hardly do anything any more?"
She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. "Save it. This is my last week in Incheon. I'm better off spending it with the people who actually care about me."
That was the last time she saw him in person until their breakup. She mulled over that argument for months afterwards. After every passive-aggressive text message. After every stilted phone call, and especially— after their breakup.
She went over their entire relationship with a fine-tooth comb. They were friends, once. He couldn't get enough of her, once. What could she have done differently? What turn of phrasing could she have used that wouldn't have caused it all to blow up in her face? Maybe she was too demanding, too energetic, too self-involved.
Nothing.
The answer was nothing.
She stood near the window. No matter what she did, Yoo Jin would've still pulled away. She could finally accept that now.
And ask for their final argument? Nothing short of giving in would've prevented that. But Jae Kyung was glad she stood her ground. That was one of the few things regarding Yoo Jin that she did right.
I thought you'd learned from your last foolish dalliance.
She tapped her fingers against the window sill. Yoo Jin's temper? Not her fault. His disloyalty? Not her fault. His selfishness? Not her fault.
Putting up with his mistreatment? Her fault. Buying into his lies? Her fault. The plethora of red flags she ignored? Her fault. Her fault. Her fault.
He was always a bit of a flirt. He'd never had a serious relationship before. And a few months into the relationship, it was clear they saw physical intimacy differently.
She folded her arms. He wasn't wrong when he accused Jae Kyung of avoiding being truly alone with him. The last few months of their relationship were miserable. She was frequently walking on eggshells. Watching her words. Overthinking every little action. Constantly terrified of setting him off.
It wasn't conscious, but all that bottled-up anxiety affected her desire. Jae Kyung needed to feel emotionally safe before she could enjoy any sort of physical interaction.
Unlike Yoo Jin.
Unlike… unlike Woo Bin.
_oOo_
Ae Cha took a sip of her coffee. "Why do you want to know?"
Woo Bin didn't begrudge her curiosity. He was asking himself the exact same question. Why was he calling up an ex out of the blue, begging for help? Why was he embarrassing himself this way? Because of Gran. Gran and her dumb advice that somehow sounded reasonable in the moment.
It all started three hours ago. He sat in his bedroom, flinging a ball at the wall.
He was the architect of his own misery.
When Jae said she needed time to think, she meant: 'leave me alone.'
She did not mean: evade my personal space. She did not mean: profess your undying devotion. She definitely did not mean: pin me against the wall and kiss me.
It had been three days since they last spoke. He dug his fingers into his hair. Forget about dating him, after the way he steamrolled over her clearly-stated boundary, he'd be lucky if she still wanted to remain friends.
"Woo Bin," said Gran, stepping into the room. "Yi Jeong called."
"I am not home."
"He's called ten times already. Ji Hoo has called three times. Jun Pyo called once—to invite you for a movie marathon." She sat beside him. "I don't think that boy has any idea what is going on."
"I prefer to keep it that way."
Gran patted his hair. "You look like you could use some advice."
He didn't answer. It couldn't hurt. It's not like anything he did at this point could worsen things. "I am guessing Yi Jeong told you the whole story. Keeping his mouth shut was never his strong suit."
"He's worried about you."
"I told you. I'm fine."
"You've been holed up in your room for the past three days."
"Merely enjoying some solitude."
"Is that what the kids are calling it these days? We called it a pity-party."
"That is not—"
"Woo Bin, stop over-thinking this. I have seen the way Jae Kyung looks at you. She returns your affections. She only requires some reassurance. So, instead of locking yourself in your bedroom indefinitely, talk to her."
"Talking? Why didn't I think of that?"
Gran's eyes narrowed. "Careful."
"Sorry."
"So you've talked, have you? You assured her that you've learnt from your past, then? That you're determined not to repeat the same mistakes? Have you even done the soul-searching required to discover what those mistakes were?"
He was far too stunned to speak.
"Then how about you do that? Instead of throwing this ball at the wall like a mad-man."
That was how, three hours later, he ended up here, in a coffee shop with Ae Cha.
Get some feedback from an ex. Learn from his dating history. It sounded so reasonable when Gran said it. Now it sounded lunatic.
He looked back up at Ae Cha's curious expression.
"So?" she asked.
"Trying to gain some perspective, that's all."
"The rumors are true, then? About why you and Ji Ah—"
"I didn't cheat on her. Ae Cha, I thought at least you of all people—"
"I know." She raised her hands. "But you did fall in love with someone else."
"I'm not in love."
She took another sip. "Of course you're not."
"Are you going to help or not?"
"Alright. Believe it or not, I've actually given this a lot of thought." She leaned closer. "It wouldn't have worked between us, even if we met at a time when your life was less… chaotic."
Surprise flickered across his face. Among all his exes, he liked Ae Cha the best. They'd struck up a real friendship after they broke up. A small part of him believed that if the timing was better, it could've worked.
"Woo Bin, you know I love you. In a completely platonic, non-sexual way, of course."
He flashed her a cheeky smile. "Platonic, non-sexual way? You sure know how to flatter a guy."
"I aim to please," she said while raising her coffee cup. "Anyway. As I was saying, you are an excellent beer-pong partner, an even better tennis partner, and possibly, one of the most reliable men I know. Not many people would make a two hour drive, at 3 a.m., to pick up a drunk ex-fling."
"First of all, that's just common decency. Second of all, you're much more than an ex-fling. We're friends."
She returned his smile. "The point is—I like you a lot, as a person. So know when I say this, I say this with love, you're the poster-child of emotional unavailability."
Well.
Ae Cha didn't hold her punches. Wasn't that why he came to her in the first place?
"Think about it? We dated on-and-off for months, but I never knew how completely bonkers you were. Until we became friends."
"I prefer 'creative.' Or 'trail-blaizer.' Or—"
"I prefer bat-shit crazy." She took another sip of coffee. "The point is, even now, after being your friend for years, I've never once seen you truly upset. You can't have a meaningful connection with someone unless you're willing to be emotionally vulnerable."
Woo Bin leaned back in his chair. "I suppose that's true."
That also explained why Jae had such a strong hold on him. He let her in. And look where that got him…
_oOo_
"Anyway, what's up with you?" asked Jae Kyung. "What was that story you were telling me—about chef class?"
"Stop trying to change the subject," said Ga Eul.
Over the past three days, they'd had some variation of this exact conversation at least once. "There is nothing to tell. I told you. We're fine."
"When was the last time you spoke to Woo Bin Sunbae?"
"It's not been that long. A week?"
"But you're fine."
"Things are a little awkward right now, but with time, eventually—"
"You truly believe that? Because to me you don't look all that certain."
She wasn't. A small part of her was terrified that they couldn't come back from this.
Ga Eul sat beside her, legs folded. "Unnie, it's been a week. Yet you still look so torn up. Maybe, it's time to consider the possibility that you made a mistake?"
"I didn't." She held Ga Eul's gaze. "It won't work. No matter how much I like him."
Ga Eul took a second to answer. "Why? Because you two look at physical intimacy differently? As long as he respects your boundaries, why does that matter?"
"You know it's much more complicated than that."
"Is it? It's quite simple from where I'm standing." She took Jae Kyung's hand. "Just because he is capable of sleeping with someone without emotional attachment, does not mean he's incapable of emotional intimacy. And you know as well as I do that his feelings for you are real. So what's the real reason, Unnie? What are you actually afraid of?"
Jae Kyung was silent for a bit, staring at the ceiling, gathering her thoughts. "He makes me feel safe."
"I don't—"
"I haven't felt that way before. With anyone. If I let myself go there, no matter how much I try to hold back, I'll fall in love with him. I won't be able to help it. God knows I'm halfway there already."
"I fail to understand how that'd be a bad thing."
"Despite his colorful history, he's on good terms with all but three of his exes. You know what those three have in common?"
"What?"
"They fell in love with him." Jae Kyung picked her sleeve. "I can't risk losing everything we have over a fantasy."
Woo Bin was not Yoo Jin. He'd never yell, or lie, or cheat, or string her along. He'd treat her well, very well.
All that kindness would make the inevitable heartbreak sting so much more.
"Unnie, you're one of my best friends, and that's why I'm going to be brutally honest with you. As much as you may want to, you can't stay in limbo forever."
Jae Kyung bit her lips. Ga Eul didn't know that. Nobody did. Things would be awkward for a while, but with time—
"Woo Bin Sunbae opened his heart up to you, and you turned him down."
"He won't hold a grudge. He isn't like that."
"He won't. He'll just move on."
The past few months flashed before her.
I've a date.
Ji Ah clinging to Woo Bin's arm.
I like her. A lot.
Them walking together, arms intertwined.
She's fun, pretty, and charming.
Ji Ah wounding her arms around his neck and kissing him.
"Can you live with that?" asked Ga Eul.
No, that would break her heart into a million pieces.
"I know you're scared, but the risk isn't as high as you think. Have you ever seen the look in his eyes when you're in pain? I have. So trust me when I say this, he'd never break your heart."
He took her on a hot air balloon because she mentioned missing traveling. Once.
He spent God knows how long searching for cheap, high quality art supplies because she missed painting.
He was at her door the second he learnt about her fallout with Hana, intent on fixing her problem.
And she never asked for any of this. In fact, she tried her best to downplay how upset she was.
But he knew anyway.
"I'm not saying that Sunbae's dating history isn't concerning. But have you ever asked yourself, if a casual relationship was truly what he wanted, then why did he stop dating around?"
"Well, Da Eun did try to stab him in the eye with a chop-stick. Maybe that traumatized him."
"Unnie."
"I'll talk to him. Alright? I guess I owe us both that much."
_oOo_
Woo Bin stared at Jae Kyung's number. He could do this. He was Song Woo Bin. He was famous for driving head-first into hopeless situations with no regard for consequences. He could do this.
"You having a stroke or something?" asked Yi Jeong.
"Pound sand."
"Mature. Woo Bin, so mature. Will you—" His bedroom door flew open, cutting off Yi Jeong's retort.
"Jae."
"I'm going to—I've a—pottery. I've a pottery thing," said Yi Jeong as he rushed out the door.
Time ticked on but they both stood frozen in place.
"Sorry about Yi Jeong. You know how he is," Woo Bin said.
"Yeah," she said, returning his smile.
"Would you like to sit?"
She sat on the sofa. A good three feet away from him. After ignoring his calls for days, why was she here? He snuck a glance. Her expression, usually an open book, revealed nothing.
He looked away. It didn't matter. Whatever her reasons, she was here. This was his chance—to fix things.
"I'm sorry," he said. "About last week. I don't know what came over me. Temporary insanity. Will never happen again."
She snapped her head up. "Your feelings have changed, then?"
Not in the slightest, but it didn't matter. If the price for her continued friendship was burying his romantic feelings, he'd gladly pay it. Yes, it hurt that she didn't want to be with him, but it would hurt a hell lot more to lose her completely.
"Woo Bin?"
He forced a smile. "Don't worry about that. It's my problem. I'll deal with it."
She remained silent for a second, an excruciatingly long second. "What was your intention, exactly, when you asked me out?"
He almost asked her if she was high but stopped at the last second. "I'm sorry? I'm not sure I follow."
"What was the end-game? What kind of arrangement were you proposing? Casual? Non-exclusive?"
"Seriously? You think I'd risk our entire friendship for a fling?"
"I didn't want to assume anything this time. That's all."
Oh. Oh.
It was dangerous to get his hopes up, but he couldn't help it. After a week of pure agony, finally there was a sliver of a chance. If he treaded carefully, he could salvage this.
He joined her on the sofa, a few inches apart. "Jae. I was asking you to be my girlfriend."
"Exclusive girlfriend?"
"I don't plan on seeing anyone else. I'd very much appreciate it if you don't either. It'd be better for my sanity. Turns out, I don't handle jealousy all that well." He tilted his head. "Any more questions?"
"What changed? After Da Eun. Why didn't you date anyone for a year?"
"You moved to Seoul."
Woo Bin concentrated on the ticking clock, counting down the seconds, attempting to calm his racing heart.
She broke the silence. "Okay. I'll give it a shot."
"Oh, thank god." He clapped his hands together. "I suspected that's where this was headed, but I didn't want to jump the gun again. I mean, if you'd just said 'okay,' and then walked out…"
She folded her arms, a small smile on her face. "Come on, Woo Bin. I'm not a complete psychopath." She inched closer, close enough for him to get a whiff of her perfume. "I'll see you tomorrow. At around 6 p.m."
She turned to leave but paused at the door. "If we do break up, don't take me to that dessert place. That's just tacky."
"I won't." He joined her at the door, leaning against the frame. "Break up with you, I mean."
He caught the hint of fear in her eyes, before she masked it with a smile.
"If you do, remember, not there. Please."
He touched her face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "My feelings for you weren't a thunderbolt from the sky. I've felt this way for far longer than I'd like to admit."
She met his gaze, surprise evident in her features. How was it that everyone figured it out but her?
"You said you cut-off all your exes. No exceptions. I couldn't risk losing you. So, I fought it. Every step of the way. But no matter what I did. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't get you out of my head. So, believe me when I say this, I'm not going to break up with you."
Hours after she left, he still couldn't stop smiling. His past recklessness hadn't cost him his dream girl.
_oOo_
Woo Bin fixed his shirt. He'd been here a million times. There wasn't anything to be afraid of.
His hand hovered over the doorbell. It'd be fine. This was Jae Kyung. They hung out on a daily basis. It'd be fine.
"You forgot how a doorbell works, Sunbae?"
He snapped his head up to find Ga Eul walking towards him.
"Don't know what you're talking about. I just got here."
"Sure you did. Here. Let me help you out." Before he could protest, she took out her key and opened the door. "You're early. She's probably still getting ready."
There was traffic. He didn't want to risk being late. "Happy to wait," he said sitting on the sofa.
"You do that. I'll be right back."
A second later, she emerged from her bedroom with a notebook.
"Let's get started with the multiple choice questions, shall we?"
"I am sorry?"
"This should refresh your memory. 'Have you had sex with over two hundred women?'"
The memory struck. His questionnaire from the camping trip last year. "Wrong quiz?" he asked, smiling.
"Nope."
"Of course not! My quiz was way more respectful, Ga Eul."
"You asked if any of my blood relatives were ugly?"
It wasn't his fault Yi Jeong was obsessed with appearances. He was just the messenger. "Fair point. Carry on."
"Your last relationship ended because
a) you were a complete idiot who dated the wrong girl.
b) you were far too stubborn to take good advice.
c) you—"
Jae's bedroom flew open, snatching his attention.
"Hi," Jae said. "When did you get here?"
She wore a pair of jeans and a frilly pink top. Her hair, curled in loose ringlets, fell around her shoulder. She looked incredible. For a second, he could do nothing but stare.
"Hope I didn't make you wait too long."
"Nope. Just got here."
He rubbed his neck. "You look nice."
"Thanks," she said, smiling brightly. "So do you."
_oOo_
Jae's face lit up. "Skating rink?"
Woo Bin had put considerable thought into where to take her tonight. A fancy restaurant was the classic choice, but he was afraid that something too expensive might make her uncomfortable. Coffee sounded too lowkey, and a movie too impersonal.
She looked up from tying her skates. "This brings back so many memories!"
"You took lessons as a kid, right?"
"Yep." Flashing him a smile, she dashed forward.
And fell straight onto the ice.
"You okay?"
She brushed off her clothes. "Small fact I forgot to mention: I bunked most of the lessons. To attend mime class with my friend Tina."
He stared at her in surprise.
"In my defense, the ice skating teacher was a bore."
Given her skill with sports, he should've seen this coming. "Let's start with the basics. Spread both your legs apart."
"Like this?"
"Nice. Now bend your knees. A little more. Just a bit more. Perfect. Now form a small circle with your skates, bringing your toes together. Like this."
Following his instructions, she stepped forward, slowly. Carefully.
Her caution lasted for about three seconds.
"Think I got the hang of it now." Increasing her speed, she dived straight ahead.
"Don't! Jae, stop!" He caught her arm, breaking her fall.
She met his gaze, a soft look in her eyes. Was it from the contact? He sure hoped so. While he considered himself skilled at gauging a woman's interest, with Jae his gut failed.
Until the day at that Karaoke bar, she'd never shown any romantic inclinations towards him.
In fact, she'd done the exact opposite. She gave him relationship advice.
She laced their fingers together. "Maybe we should skate like this for a bit. So I don't fall."
"Might be best."
They skated in silence for a while, hand intertwined, her thumb occasionally brushing his knuckles.
"This is nice," she said.
He turned towards her.
"I was really nervous. In the beginning. I had zero idea how to act around you. Which sounds ridiculous, now that I think about it. We've been friends for years."
"Jae. I spent five minutes outside your door staring at the doorbell."
She burst out laughing.
"Ga Eul caught me. It was super embarrassing, really."
"What were you guys discussing? When I showed up."
"I'll tell you later."
It seemed as if she'd protest, but she let the subject drop.
He looped his arm through hers. "Mime, huh? You have a unique set of skills."
"Tip of the iceberg ." She stopped moving. "Woo Bin."
"Yes, Jae?" The gleam in her eyes scared him a little.
"Let's do a pirouette."
"You're kidding."
"Leap."
"No."
"Twizzles."
"You'll fall."
"Where is your sense of adventure?"
"Hmm. I guess losing all your teeth does count as an 'adventure.'"
"You sound just like my teacher."
Woo Bin never thought a day would come when he'd agree with an authority figure.
"How about going backwards."
He smiled. Jae—relentless as ever.
"Okay." He placed her arms around his neck. "Hold on tightly." Lifting her off the ground, he spun her around. "Happy?"
_oOo_
It was dark out when they finally left the rink.
Jae slid into the passenger seat. "It's only nine o'clock. Do you wanna drive around a bit?"
"Actually, I had something else in mind. If you have time. It's about a two hour drive," he said.
"Lead the way."
They stopped near a pond, hidden inside a small clearing, the sky alight with millions of constellations, reflected perfectly in its glassy surface.
"Gorgeous," Jae said. "What is this place?"
Removing a blanket from the trunk. He spread it on the grass. "Come on."
She laid down next to him. "It's been years since I've seen so many stars."
"I used to come here, whenever I needed to think. It's kind of my spot." He pointed to a house a few meters away. "See that house over there? It's my mom's. She drove here on a whim once and fell in love with the view."
She scooted closer. "Thanks"—she met his gaze—"for bringing me here."
For a second nothing happened, they stood still, eyes locked.
"Jae." He turned to face her. "Can I kiss you?"
She wound her arms around his neck, pulling him down towards her, then pressed their lips together. He responded immediately, deepening the kiss.
The world disappeared around him. She was his single point of focus. The only thing that mattered.
He trailed kisses down her face, behind her ear, down her neck. He meant what he said. There was no way he could ever get bored of her. He could never get enough of how her lips moved against his. How she clutched the back of his shirt, and pulled him closer when they kissed. How her fingers felt in his hair. How she melted into his touch. How her hands felt on his arm, his face, his neck, his back.
He laid back down. "Thank you. For giving this a shot."
"I am glad I did," she said, resting her head on his chest.
They remained like that for a while, snuggled up together, enjoying the closeness.
"It's getting late, huh?" she said.
"Yeah. We'll leave in a bit."
"Yeah," she snuggled closer. "A few more minutes."
He meant to follow through, but with her curled up in his arm, so warm and soft, and the rhythm of her heart, so gentle and soothing, he dozed off.
A/N: Hey guy! Hope you liked the chapter. After 44 chapters Woo Bin and Jae Kyung finally got together. I had a lot of fun writing this arc. The next few chapters will focus on Ga Eul and Yi Jeong, though Woo Bin and Jae Kyung will still be there. I am not going to stop writing them or anything. Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed the rollercoaster that was the Woo Bin/Jae Kyung arc
