Friend

The rehearsal class had just ended at 6 p.m., so Eun was packing her belongings and preparing to leave when her friend approached her and invited her to dinner before she left. So Eun remained silent for a while, contemplating her offering; today she works full-time at Campuss and has no time to do anything else or visit the library. She recalls Hyuk Soo asking her to visit him every day; she isn't willing to go that far, but every time she thinks about it, she can't just refuse.

          "I apologize... "I'd like to go to the library before going home," Eun said sweetly to her friend. Her friend is perplexed and frowning her brow as she wonders about So Eun. Their tasks were completed, and they didn't need to find any literature for the foreseeable future, but why did So Eun continue to visit the library? She then made a joke to So Eun about how diligent she is. So Eun just laughed awkwardly at her remark. She feels silly for no reason; she is not visiting the library because she is particularly diligent or anything. It's all because of that man who continues to take advantage of her; She was aware of this, and she questioned herself why she should continue to do so.

          Hyuk Soo, on the other hand, is preoccupied with his work. He was tidying up the books when he heard people whispering to each other. He turned his gaze to the entrance and found a tall man with the figure of a fashion model approaching him with a big smile. He raised his hand and waved brightly at Hyuk Soo. Kim Young Kwang is already well-known as a top model.

"Hyuk Soo-ah, here you are..." Young Kwang smiled cheerfully and childishly at Hyuk Soo.

"What are you doing here?" asks Hyuk Soo, who is acting coldly. Young Kwang simply told him that he wanted to pay him a visit and see what he did as a librarian. Hyuk Soo sighs as he hears this; he is happy to see his old friend, but he has a feeling something else will happen.

       Young Kwang realized that people were staring at them and talking about them, so he turned around and smiled at everyone. He also informed Hyuk Soo that the librarian has a large number of fangirls. Hyuk Soo, who was uncomfortable with all of the attention they were receiving, advised Young Kwang to go outside. When he was alone, he drew a lot of attention, and it only got worse when his top model friend came to visit him. Young Kwang agreed to the suggestion, and they soon walked outside together.

        So Eun was almost to the library when she noticed Hyuk Soo and his friend at a road junction. When she saw the two guys walking together, she suddenly heard the music from Boys Before Flowers OST "Almost Paradise" in her head. She knew who Hyuk Soo's friend was because she saw him in magazines and had seen his street photo shoot. People who don't know what Hyuk Soo does would think they saw two models walking together, she swears.

       “ooh??” So Eun stood there stunned, watching them. She can't help but be intrigued by their relationship and where it might lead. She made the decision to trail the boys. The boys came to a halt in the middle of an empty park, as if they were trying to avoid anyone's gaze. So Eun hid herself behind a tree not far from their locations. She watched their interaction as if she were a professional stalker. She had just witnessed Young Kwang present Hyuk Soo with two tickets to the Louis Vuitton catwalk premiere in Korea. With a question mark on his face, Hyuk Soo just stared at Young Kwang.

       “Min Hee noona asked me to give you these; you can go with your friend," Young Kwang explains. He told Hyuk Soo that Kim Min Hee would be a Louis Vuitton model, and she told Young Kwang that she wanted Hyuk Soo to go watch her. He also stated that he would be one of the models and that Hyuk Soo should not be concerned. So Eun, who overheard their conversation, was taken aback by the story, and she began to wonder who Hyuk Soo was until he revealed that he knew many top models, including Kim Young Kwang and Kim Min Hee.

"I'm afraid I can't go..." Hyuk Soo responded firmly. After hearing his response, Young Kwang sighed heavily.

      “It's been five years... it's time to move on...don't you think now is the time for you to return? I know how much you enjoy it; it's your passion..." Young Kwang tried to persuade Hyuk Soo, but he simply turned away to avoid the topic of the conversation. Young Kwang tried to persuade him even further by telling him that this was his big chance to meet the famous designer company. Hyuk Soo's eyes sparkle with excitement; he can't deny his passion for fashion and modeling, but he tries to keep under control. He lost his most precious one due to the modeling he did, and he will not do it again.

      So Eun, the eavesdropper, couldn't help but wonder what happened to Hyuk Soo five years ago. She can tell how uneasy he is by looking at his face; it appears that something big, something bad, has happened in his life. She can't help but be concerned about him; just looking at his sad eyes makes her feel his pain.

"Is it for modeling or... Min Hee noona?" Re-ask Young Kwang. After hearing the question, Hyuk Soo immediately lifted his face and looked at Young Kwang intently. In a pressed tone, he told Young Kwang that he had nothing to do with her.

"Everything about us was over, it's been four years," Hyuk Soo said, staring at the ground.

"It's not her fault that the two of you broke up if you hadn't pushed her away after what happened." "You didn't give her a chance and acted like a coward," Young Kwang said boldly, hoping to make Hyuk Soo realize what he had done to his big sister.

Young Kwang adores his sister, but he also cherishes his best friend, who stands in front of him right now. Their relationship breakdown had a significant impact on Young Kwang as well. Hyuk Soo had been dating his sister for two years. He realized how much Hyuk Soo adored his sister and attempted to pursue her.

He thought Hyuk Soo was really cool when he expressed his feelings for his sister regardless of their age difference. His confidence in obtaining his sister was something he admired in Hyuk Soo, but he can't believe how Hyuk Soo acted as a coward after what happened to him and simply pushed his sister away. He can't completely blame Hyuk Soo; he knew how much pain he was in, and he tried to understand him as his best friend.

        So Eun, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, dropped her jaw when she discovered that Hyuk Soo had previously been in a relationship with top model and actress Kim Min Hee. She continues to mumble "daebak" with her mouth.

"If you said there is nothing , why don't you try to act casual with her, as your bestfriend's sister,... like before... or... do you still have feelings for her? Is that why you can't stand up to her?" Young Kwang inquired, causing Hyuk Soo to freeze for a moment before sighing and struggling to say something.

       "I... don't know, she had a boyfriend the next year after we broke up," Hyuk Soo finally replied. But, to his surprise, Young Kwang informed him that his sister had ended her relationship with her current boyfriend, actor Kang In Sung. Young Kwang stated that his sister informed him directly about it, and he also informed Hyuk Soo that his sister believes it would be beneficial for Hyuk Soo to attend the catwalk, and she wishes to do so for his sake.

    When Hyuk Soo told Young Kwang about Min Hee, he avoided making eye contact with him. It was clear on Hyuk Soo's face that he was nervous and unsure about discussing Min Hee's problems.

"He still has feelings for her..." So Eun thought to herself after observing Hyuk Soo's expression during Min Hee's discussion. She felt a flinch in her heart as she realized this.

She looked at Hyuk Soo again before leaving; she had been eavesdropping too much and knew too much about him. She realized it wasn't good for her because her curiosity was leading her to delve too deeply into other people's personal lives. So Eun turned around to leave, but she accidentally bumped into a recycle bin and made a loud noise.

"who is there?" Hyuk Soo was surprised and asked. Young Kwang was as surprised as he was.

        So Eun squated quickly, tried to hide herself, and walked quietly in her position. Meanwhile, Hyuk Soo and Young Kwang, who were suspicious, walked quickly toward the noise. When Hyuk Soo arrived at the source, he discovered a girl with long dark brown hair squating. He recognized her figure and raised an eyebrow, trying to get a better look at her.

"Han So Eun?" He hesitated as he said. So Eun opened her mouth wide, startled by his voice calling her name. She walked away quietly, trying to cover her face with her hand.

        "Is that you?" Stop right there..." So Eun is given a command by Hyuk Soo. So Eun was humiliated and cursed herself for sneaking and being caught like that. She then slowly stands up and prepares to face Hyuk Soo. She turned around and gave Hyuk Soo a silly smile.

“an...nyyeong...” She greeted him awkwardly, trying to hide her embarrassed red face.

Hyuk Soo remained silent and crossed his arms, waiting for an explanation from her.

      "eeeh...I... I'm just walking home and happened to see you here..." So Eun explains, nervously, that everyone can tell she lied and that she looks awkward as a result.

“really?” When Hyuk Soo notices how nervous she is, he smirks. He wants to chuckle and laugh, but he tries to hide his excitement by acting serious. He just wanted to tease her more and was looking forward to seeing her reaction.

"Who exactly is she?" Young Kwang inquired, intrigued, when he felt Hyuk Soo knew the girl.

       "annyeonghaseo... my name is Han So Eun... Hyuk Soo oppa's friend," Han So Eun says. So Eun boldly introduced herself. It was very different when she spoke nervously to Hyuk Soo. She couldn't help but be excited when Young Kwang approached them.

“friend?” In a mocking tone, Hyuk Soo inquired. He can't believe the girl considers him a friend; are they already in a close relationship that can be called a friend? She even addressed him as "oppa," which she had boldly refused the day before. He laughed at how quickly she had changed. So Eun glared at Hyuk Soo when he mocked her; she just wanted to appear close to Hyuk Soo in front of Young Kwang.

"I am Kim Young Kwang..." Young Kwang approached her and introduced himself.

"Yes, I recognized you... I'm a fan of you..." With a sheepish smile, So Eun told Young Kwang. Young Kwang smiled brightly when he heard that, while Hyuk Soo just rolled his eyes, unable to believe her words and kindness to Young Kwang. She always glared and yelled at him while smiling and speaking politely to Young Kwang.

     “really? So Eun-ah, nice to meet you..." Young Kwang approached So Eun and casually hugged her after calling her name informally. So Eun was taken aback when she unexpectedly received his hug, but she couldn't help but smile to herself while Hyuk Soo dropped his jaw in disbelief and watched everything.

"Why should you embrace her?" Hyuk Soo raised objections and frowned to his best friend.

      “why? She is your friend, so she is my friend as well; I just try to be close to her, and she said she is my fan; I just want to thank her for that, right So Eun-ah?" Young Kwang made his excuse and simply smiled childishly at So Eun.

"ne (yes) oppa!" So Eun responded as brightly as Young Kwang to Hyuk Soo's mockery when she called Young Kwang oppa. She needs some time to casually refer to him as oppa, but she can refer to Young Kwang as oppa during their first meeting. What on earth is going on?

      Young Kwang suggested that the three of them have dinner together and told So Eun that his stomach was growling, which elicited a cheer from So Eun. She told Young Kwang that she was also hungry and that it would be great to have dinner with him. Both of them began to walk by themselves, leaving Hyuk Soo behind.

"waah... they're so mean... they're so similar..." Hyuk Soo was irritated.

      They all end up in a Japanese restaurant and have a delicious meal. Young Kwang started the conversation by asking So Eun why she became his fan, and So Eun told him that she had seen his photo session, that Young Kwang has a very bright personality, and that his cheerfull smile somehow gives people's hearts a warmth.

Young Kwang became enthralled by her compliment and couldn't stop talking; he kept asking So Eun which of two options she preferred and giving her his opinions as well. So Eun initially enjoys the conversation, But the more they talked, the more active Young Kwang became, leaving So Eun speechless at how talkative he is. In the end, So Eun just talked less while smiling and listening to him.

      "Stop talking, it's so loud here that I can't enjoy my meal" Hyuk Soo's patience had run out. He is always unable to suppress the noise that disturbs his peace. So Eun just stared at Hyuk Soo and observed his expression; she thinks he's adorable when he's bothered.

"So Eun is getting bored with your story," Hyuk Soo said, hoping that Young Kwang would stop talking and enjoy his meal by using So Eun as an excuse, which So Eun quickly denied. She stated that she enjoys listening to Young Kwang's stories while eating, which caused Hyuk Soo to stare at So Eun inconveniently, but she pretended not to notice.

        "But, oppa, are you younger than Hyuk Soo oppa?" So Eun inquired, as Young Kwang was intrigued. Young Kwang informed her that he is one year older than Hyuk Soo. His response piqued So Eun's interest in why Hyuk Soo spoke to him as if he were younger; Hyuk Soo continued to nag and speak to him informally.

"because he is so childish and noisy, he is always out of control" Hyuk Soo attempted to explain his reasoning.

"What exactly do you mean by 'no control?'" Young Kwang protested with a sulky voice, to which Hyuk Soo calmly replied, telling So Eun that he always acts like a child and screams whenever they go to some exciting places.

"You are the dull one!" Young Kwang will not give up and will make an excuse. His words make So Eun chuckle; she agrees with him that Hyuk Soo appears cold and unfriendly.

"Do not call me dull! I'm not dull," Hyuk Soo said firmly to Young Kwang, and So Eun laughed as they resembled two little boys debating each other.

"What makes you laugh?" Hyuk Soo inquired. He was annoyed by her laugh who sound to mocking him.

“why? He's correct... you're a bore..." So Eun teases Hyuk Soo, she is overjoyed because it is her first time tease him, which makes Hyuk Soo upset and tells them that he wants to return to work with a sulky face and then leave them. So Eun and Young Kwang laughed at Hyuk Soo's response. While laughing at Hyuk Soo, Young Kwang asked So Eun if he was so cute.

"He is, indeed..." Eun responded with a smile on her face. She followed Hyuk Soo's figure as he walked away, and her smile faded as she remembered his past. She is very curious as to what caused him to abandon his passion.