Kim Cheon-sa (Lady In Blue)
"What the hell is this?"
Cheon-sa looked up from her board to see her brother's dropped jaw and raised eyebrows. She noticed her room was a mess! Papers were strewn all across the room, boards filled with red and black ink, and a pile of clothes on the bed.
"I can explain."
Kim Jae-Sung nodded slowly as he absorbed everything. "Yeah, I think you need to do more than explain."
Cheon-sa stepped back, her eyes not leaving the board for even one second. With a straight face, she began.
"We've reached an impasse."
Jae-Sung furrowed his eyebrows and pushed himself off the doorframe. He walked toward the board to take a look.
"What kind of an impasse?"
"My heart and mind want different things," began she. "Logically speaking, Kim Ha-Jun is the ideal type. Any woman would be lucky to have him. He's charming, confident, kind of a flirt, gentlemanly, successful, loves the color Blue, but a bit of a show-off."
"Hmm."
"But my heart keeps drawing me towards Lee Sung-Hoon. Unlike Ha-Jun, he is aloof, distant, and cold. However, I've seen him warming up to me in the last few months. He's observant, thoughtful, and kind and gets shy when he pulls off romantic gestures. The tips of his ears and cheeks turn a light shade of pink, which is adorable. Moreover, we both love trivia!"
Kim Jae-Sung remained quiet. He observed his sister throughout the explanation. When she talked about Ha-Jun, her pupils were normal, her breathing rate was regular, and her cheeks showed no sign of flushness. On the contrary, her eyes lit up when she talked about Sung-Hoon. Her cheeks turned a light shade of red, her breathing accelerated, and her pupils dilated.
Once she was done, she looked at her brother, who had a thoughtful look.
"I can't believe I'm saying this," began Jae-Sung. "But screw logic for a second. The answer is clear, Cheon-sa."
"But logically-"
"It doesn't matter what your logic tells you," he cut her off. "Some things don't work according to scientific logic."
"I still have reservations about Sung-Hoon," Cheon-sa admitted.
Jae-Sung heaved a long sigh. He placed a comforting hand on his sister's shoulder.
"Nobody's asking you to dive into a relationship with him just yet. I suggest you both get to know each other better first before you decide whether you want to date or not. I believe Sung-Hoon must have reservations as well. Moreover, as he's the distant type, I doubt he'd be ready for a relationship right now."
Cheon-sa nodded.
Jae-Sung patted her shoulder. "Go on a date with Ha-Jun one last time before you make any decisions."
"Alright," said she. "Thanks, big brother."
"My pleasure, yeodongsaeng."
~
Kim Ha-Jun
The men were at their usual hangout spot: Lee Sung Hoon's apartment. Hwan-Woo, the groom-to-be, paced back and forth as he explained everyone's duty at the wedding. Everything was designed to the dot. There was no space to breathe between events. Starting from picking up the parents from the airport to dropping the newlyweds at the airport for their honeymoon - TIGHTLY PACKED SCHEDULE!
Jun-Seo heaved a sigh, a headache slowly forming on his forehead.
"This is giving me a headache," said Song Jun-Seo. "I am never getting married."
Ha-Jun chuckled. "Scared already?"
"I'm not scared," Jun-Seo puffed his chest. "I'm just a little concerned about my health."
It was Sung-Hoon's turn to chuckle. Despite being on the phone, his ears were open to receiving any important information being discussed at the meeting.
"I would've tried this tactic years ago if I knew it would force you to consider your health."
Sung-Hoon looked up at Hwan-Woo with a smirk. "Why the hell did you not get married sooner?"
Hwan-Woo let out a hearty laughter. "Sorry to disappoint."
"Anyway," said Jun-Seo, steering the direction of the conversation. "Did you choose your best man yet?"
Without missing a beat, Hwan-Woo replied. "Ha-Jun."
"Really?" asked Sung-Hoon as disbelief washed over him. "Him? Over Jun-Seo or me?"
"Jun-Seo has a headache, so he's out," stated Min Hwan-Woo. "And you don't bother with being part of the wedding. You're one of those happy guests who attend weddings for free food."
Sung-Hoon gave him a straight smile before focusing on his cell phone. Before long, the meeting came to an end. Hwan-Woo and Jun-Seo left, leaving their best friends in the apartment. An awkward silence enveloped them. Since the declaration of the battle, they hadn't spent time alone. Oddly, they didn't have anything to share as well. Whenever Ha-Jun thought of starting a conversation, the topic of Blue would be on the tip of his tongue.
Knowing Ha-Jun for over a decade gave Sung-Hoon an advantage: knowing when his best friend was struggling with his thoughts. Maybe ten years ago, if he were in a similar situation, Sung-Hoon wouldn't have bothered to talk to Ha-Jun about his troubles. However, he was gradually trying to change himself. That would mean that this was the moment to demonstrate the change.
"Are you alright?" asked Sung-Hoon, eyes glued to the screen. "I can sense that you're struggling with something on your mind. Care to share?"
Eyebrows raised in surprise, Ha-Jun asked. "You're asking? Since when do you care?"
"Since now," Sung-Hoon politely responded. "If you don't wish to talk, I'll leave you be. But I don't want you telling me later that I didn't lend you a shoulder."
Kim Ha-Jun chuckled and shook his head. "You still remember what I told you that day at the hospital?"
Sung-Hoon nodded. "I do, and believe it or not, but your words cut deep that day. It made me evaluate my current life."
A pang of guilt hit Kim Ha-Jun.
"Was that the reason...?" Ha-Jun drawled, unable to finish the question. Sung-Hoon's car accident was indirectly caused by Kim Ha-Jun. When the realization hit him, his eyes widened in shock. If something happened to Sung-Hoon that day, he would forever be carrying the guilt. Though, Sung-Hoon never explicitly mentioned that. Until now.
"I would've lost you that day," said Ha-Jun as he blankly stared at the ground. "If the paramedics didn't get to you on time if Cheon-sa didn't get to you, you would've-"
"But, I didn't," reminded Sung-Hoon. He swiftly placed the phone away and looked at his guilt-laden best friend. He grabbed Ha-Jun's chin to face him.
"That accident had nothing to do with you, Ha-Jun-ah."
"How can you say that?!" cried Ha-Jun. "If I didn't yell at you, you wouldn't have stormed off and then get hit by a car."
"I got into that accident because of me, not you," reminded Sung-Hoon in a comforting manner. He let go of the chin. "Don't blame yourself."
"Besides, I'm trying to change here because of those words and the council meeting. Give yourself some credit."
Puzzled, Ha-Jun asked. "Council meeting?"
Sung-Hoon dismissively waved his hand. "Not important."
"Look, let it go. You can't change the past, so might as well focus on the future."
Ha-Jun looked at him with a smile. "You give off a different energy now; it feels strange."
Sung-Hoon chuckled. "I believe it's all my best friend's fault."
With that, they both shared a laugh. Kim Ha-Jun paused for a while to simply watch Sung-Hoon. He had infectious laughter that could easily make someone fall for him. Despite being cold on the outside, he had a warm personality that only a few people had the pleasure to know. In most cases, people would stay away from him because of his chilliness. Honestly, looking at his change made him realize something.
"I'm gonna say this, Sung-Hoon-ah," began Ha-Jun. "I know that we're technically fighting over Cheon-sa, but I hope there's no bad blood between us."
"Why would there be bad blood?"
"Well, I don't want you to hate me when I take Cheon-sa from you," grinned Ha-Jun. "You still have to be my best man at the wedding. I won't be asking anyone else."
Sung-Hoon rolled his eyes. "Who said you were allowed to take her? It's the woman's choice. If she doesn't want you, she doesn't want you."
Ha-Jun sat up straight and gave his undivided attention to the conversation.
"Why are you assuming I'll lose?" Ha-Jun asked, crossing his arms against his shoulders.
Sung-Hoon rubbed his chin with his thumb and index finger.
"Hmm," began he. "You're more of a secondary character. In the end, you will have to give up the girl."
Ha-Jun playfully punched his shoulder. "Ya! I won't lose. Even if I do, I will fight for her till the end."
"We'll see about that," said Sung-Hoon. "Because if you do give her up, I will rub it on your face for the rest of your life, coward."
"Ayy! Who are you calling a coward?!"
Sung-Hoon giggled and rolled down from the sofa while Ha-Jun attacked him with pillows. Their laughter echoed throughout the entire apartment.
Once they both calmed down, Ha-Jun began. "Did you hear?"
"W-What?"
"H-Hwan-Woo and J-Jun Seo bet o-on us."
Sung-Hoon shook his head. "Should I take a guess?"
"No, I think we both know that your cousin bet on me."
"I'm his cousin."
Ha-Jun patted his shoulder. "And look how much faith he has in you."