Remember When

You Already Found Someone

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

It was fortunate Somin had just set her wine glass on the table or else she would have dropped it in surprise.

She gaped at Woo-jin who sat opposite her. They were now in her favorite restaurant, The Hidden Kard, which was set in an enormous, luxurious room on top of the exclusive DSP hotel. The night, although it started awkward on her end, had turned out nice. Woo-jin was quick to engage her in a humorous conversation about their work and university days and Somin actually enjoyed the night, she refused to call it a date in her mind, and began to even mellow more towards Woo-jin.

She didn't expect that he'd just slip in the question unexpectedly in their conversation. His bluntness made her heart hammer a wild beat inside her chest and made her face heat up. And it was difficult for her to regain her composure when she had his full attention.

Somin managed to smile. "Just... just because Tae-hyung and Jiwoo are dating doesn't mean we have to, Woo-jin," she tried joking but failing miserably.

He regarded her for a moment, then said, "I'm serious about you, Somin. I want you to be my girlfriend. And I swear. I swear I'll do everything to make you happy."

Happy. He'll make her happy. Those thoughts resonated in Somin's brain and the once indestructible walls she had built around her heart to protect it from him began to crumble.

Maybe... maybe she should just say yes. Maybe it was time to set aside her pride and see how far this could go. This was Woo-jin after all. He would never deliberately hurt her. Maybe it was time to tell him that she had always loved him—

"I've actually been thinking of asking you out for years, Somin," he continued when she didn't speak.

Her thoughts came into a screeching halt.

For years?

"Since when?" she asked when she found her voice.

"I've..." His cheeks tinged red as he said, "I've been in love with you since the first time I met you."

It was like she was doused by freezing water.

He... did?

**********

"I'll take you home," Woo-jin offered as he reached for his jacket.

"You don't have to," Somin said as she yanked her hair out of the collar of her coat.

"Let him take you home, Somin," Tae-hyung said from the couch. "And make him buy me some beer on his way back."

Woo-jin sighed. "I will, I will."

"And tell him not to jump into conclusions next time."

"I already apologized for punching you, Tae-hyung," he grumbled. "Do you want some fried chicken with your beer."

Tae-hyung smiled at Somin when he said, "Yes, thank you."

Somin wrinkled her nose at him and waved goodbye as she walked out the door. Woo-jin followed closely behind her.

"He has a point you know," Somin said. "It's not like you to jump into conclusions and think your best friend has hurt me."

"I know," he muttered.

"Thank God he wasn't wearing his glasses when you punched him. You might have really hurt him."

"I actually wanted to give him a bloody nose but I missed," he admitted.

Somin raised her hand to strike him but he dodged her with a laugh. He walked backwards, smiling playfully at her.

"You're an awesome girl," he said. "Do you know that?"

Somin grinned at him.

Yeah, she thought as she caught up to him.

But it wasn't enough.

She just wasn't enough for him to love her, was it?

They'll have to remain friends, she decided, blinking back tears as they silently and comfortably walked side by side.

It was the only way she'd be able to keep him in her life.

**********  

"You don't," Somin said tensely. "You can't be in love with me since the first time we've met."

Woo-jin's face turned hard. "I did. And I still do."

She didn't need this. She didn't need to hear this crap. Just when she had started to think that maybe it was alright to be in a relationship with him, just when she had finally accepted his feelings, he had to ruin it.

He was breaking her heart all over again with this confession. Why? Because if it was true he should have pursued her. He should have confessed. He shouldn't have let her date his best friend, he shouldn't have dated other girls and he shouldn't have let all these years slip by.

Just thinking about the time wasted and the emotional hell he put her through made her so furious.

This was bullshit. He was so full of shit.

And she wasn't going to let him walk all over her and to toy with her affections again.

"I can't be your girlfriend."

A look of pain crossed Woo-jin's face. "You said you'll think about falling for me again," he said, reaching for her hand. "Did you even think about it, Somin?"

She pulled her hand back and lied, "I don't have feelings like that for you anymore."

His brows snapped together. "Did you even try?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she said, "I'm tired Woo-jin. I want to go home."

A muscle on his jaw leaped. Still he signaled the waiter for the check and paid for the meal. He helped her into her jacket and assisted her out of the restaurant and into his car. Because this was Woo-jin. He may be angry but he was never too angry not to act like a gentleman.

They were silent on the way home. When he arrived at her place, they sat there for a while in his car, staring at her building.

"I just wanted you to love me again," Woo-jin muttered, breaking the silence. "Because I never fell out of love for you. Not even once."

Somin finally looked at him. "Really?" she asked. "You could have fooled me."

Then she pushed the door open and got out of the car, leaving a dumbstruck Woo-jin behind.