AT A DISTANCE, SPRING IS GREEN - BAE IN HYUK a.k.a NAM SOO HYUN

Part.2 A Friend

고맙다 해이야, 네 앞에서야... 진짜 나를 보여줄 수 있을 것 같아...

Thank you Hae-I-ya, I think.. Only in front of you, I can show who I really am...

*Author POV

"Freshmen at the Department of BA, gather around! You'll now board the bus. Come on!" Soo-Hyun shouted calling the freshmen to get on the bus immediately.

Hae-i walked hesitantly knowing that Soo-Hyun was the leader at their department's freshman orientation. "Annyeonghaseyo, sunbae!" Hae-i's greeting was only a nod back by Soo-Hyun, which made Hae-I sad and confused. "He was like a different person from the one I met yesterday" and Hae-I saw So-Bin who came in as a third-grade student representative who also helped with this orientation in order to negotiate with Yeo Joon to give her place as a research assistant to her in a study with Professor Song, She talking to Soo-Hyun in front of the bus to Inform her about her job.

Soo-Hyun gets on the bus. "Let me take attendance!". For a moment the atmosphere in the crowded bus became quiet and everyone returned to their seats. "Annyeonghaseyo, sunbae-nim. Are you joining us on this trip?" Yeo Joon greets Soo-Hyun with a smile. "We leave in ten minutes. I must take attendance, so please sit." Soo-Hyun responded to Yeo Joon's question with a cold face. Then Yeo Joon continued "Don't bother, I already checked." As usual, without replying to Yeo Joon's words, Soo-Hyun start to check the attendance.

"Oh Young-Seok?... Kim Ki-Hyun?..." Soo-hyun suddenly fell silent for a moment. "Yoon Hae-I" Soo-Hyun and Hae-I were silent for a moment when the look in their eyes met. "Ya! Sunbae called your name." Yeo Joon who saw that immediately nudged Hae-I's arm who was still standing beside my sit. "Ah! Ne! I'm Here!". (Ah! Yes!) She clear her throat then looked out the window with a blush of pink on her cheeks.

"Neo wae geurae? Jamdeuronya?" (What's wrong with you? Did you fell asleep?) Yeo Joon teased Hae-I and chuckled which Hae-I gave him a glare. "Shut up! Anjara! (sit down!)" 

*Hae-I POV

I heard Go Sang-Tae, one of Yeo Joon's "friends" talked to Yeo Joon. "Is he our group leader?" Yeo Joon looked at Soo-Hyun sunbae that still checked the attendance and back to Go Sang-Tae. "I doubt he volunteered. Maybe he's getting paid."  "Why that psycho of all people? Group two's leader is a cutie." I sigh and took a glare at Sang-Tae.

"Ya! Go Sang-Tae! Mal josimhae! (Hey! Watch your speak!) I don't think you are better than Soo-Hyun sunbae. Don't talk as if you know him. And Yeo Joon, you know, sometimes a person has to work hard even in a small way to live, not everyone is born with a golden spoon in his hand."I said with a calm but firmly voice to them. Yeo Joon seemed surprised at what I said. I know he didn't meant it but he's word took an effect to me.

*Author's POV

All the students gathered in a circle to introduce themselves to each other. Hae-I sit beside Kim So-Bin, She looked at Yeo Joon who was watching Soo-Hyun with a frown and sighed. Hae-I's brow wrinkled as she watched Yeo Joon so she turned her gaze to Soo-Hyun.

Feeling that someone was watching him, Soo-Hyun turned his gaze towards Hae-I. Hae-I who was shocked frantically lowered her head so quickly that he accidentally hit her knee. Soo-Hyun who saw that was holding back his smile while continuing to pay attention to Hae-I who finally stood up and introduced herself with a clumsy smile.

"Well... Hello, I'm Yoon Hae-I, a freshman. Nice to meet you!" Everyone clapped and cheered. "Wow, You're cute!" "You're beautiful!" One of them raised their hand with a smile "Do you have a boyfriend?" Hae-I's eyes widened and subconsciously turned to Soo-hyun "No, I don't have a boyfriend...." She turned back to the front and with a low voice "...not everyone has time for that" then she sat down with a faint smile and caught Soo-hyun unreadable expression and Yeo Joon staring at her with a weak smile.

Night was fall, orientation show was held, everyone had fun, except for one person. Hae-I does like music, but not in the crowd. When she's tired of the noise of the world, Hae-I only needs music and earphones to keep her sane. The world of Hae-I behind the wall that she built, the world that only Hae-I knows, a world full of past wounds, a world full of hard work just to survive, a world that Hae-I covers with a smile that makes everyone who sees it deceived and thinking Hae-I is a strong and cheerful person, a smile that at the end without Hae-I realizing, It is the only way to survive and not give up on life.

-After Show

"You barely got to drink, looking after them... Let's have a drink, just us." Yeo Joon approached Soo-hyun who was laying one of the drunken juniors in the tent. Soo-hyun ignores him and rushes out of the tent. "This is mean, don't you think?" "...I'm hovering around you because I want to be your friend. Shouldn't you at least try to be nice?" Yeo Joon with a sarcastic tone followed Soo-hyun out of the tent.

"Are you anxious?"  Soo-hyun answered with a straight face and a calm voice.  "About what?"  The smirk in Yeo Joon's face dropped immediately.  "You need everyone to like you, but I get your nerves."  Every sentence that comes out of Soo-hyun's mouth makes Yeo Joon's face darken.  "You don't need to be anxious... Befriending a guy like me won't help you anyway. Even if we're not friends, your college life won't be affected."

Before Yeo Joon could answer, Hae-I appeared and interrupted their conversation. "Yeo Joon, is there a problem?" She held Yeo Joon's arm with a faint smile and worried face. Yeo Joon's face looks a little calm due to Hae-I's touch.

"I knew you had a lot of pride, but you're actually pretty insecure. It can make life miserable for you and everyone around you." In a low voice Yeo Joon continued while looking at Hae-I and Soo-hyun in turn. "What?" Soo-hyun still with the same expression.

Yeo Joon smirked. "Relax. Don't be so guarded." Soo-hyun was not affected by Yeo Joon's words "I like being guarded-"

"Soon, you'll let your guard down and feel comfortable, at least around me. I'm really good at that." With that Yeo Joon let go of Hae-I's hand that was still in his arm and held it with him while pulling her away.

*Hae-I POV

"Hey! Can you slow down?...."  "Eodilkkaji gal geonde?" (How far we gonna go?) Yeo Joon keep dragging me until we reach a small garden that quit far from the tent. Yeo Joon finally sit in the bench still holding my hand. "Sit down, Hae-I-ya"

I accidently heard their conversation back then in front of the tent when I was looking for So-bin sunbae around the camp for helping her to make sure no one's passed out outside before I go to bed. I wanted to ignore them, but I decided to approach them when I saw Yeo Joon's face darken.

"Yoon Hae-I" Yeo Joon finally opened his mouth after a long silence and looked at me with a sad look. "Hm?" I answered him with a comfortable smile still holding his hand. I know what Soo-hyun sunbae's words hit the deep of Yeo Joon heart. Yeo Joon really just needs someone to be by his side, a "friend".

"Hae-I-ya" He whispered after a long pause lowering his head looking at the ground. "Do you also think like that?...Do I look fake?" He asked me slowly while he let go of my hand. "Joon-ah" I don't know why my voice sounds like a whisper too. His eyes widened shoot his head up to look at me. It's the first time I call him without his last name.

"Do I look like them? Yeo Joon-" "Joonirago bullo, seong ppaego." (Call me Joon, drop the last name.) He said with low voice, I just nod and continued "Joon-ah, I'm friends with you not because of what you have, I'm friends with you because of you. I have not known you for long, but I am friends with you because for me you are a good friend. I don't know what they see in you, but for me the Yeo Joon that I know now is a person who always makes me laugh with his tacky taunts." I said it with a teasing smile but ended up chuckling loudly and it's made him scoff but laugh with me when our eyes meet.

"Gomapda Hae-I-ya, (Thank you, Hae-I) I think... only in front of you, I can show who I really am. I'm also grateful to have you as a friend." Yeo Joon sighed in relief and smiled broadly. It was the widest and most genuine smile I've ever seen on his face.

-TBC-