Swapped by fate

Chapter 19

Bang Chan's POV

So, I was chillin’ in my office, going over some last-minute stuff for my own company when my phone buzzed. It was a message from Hyunjin, something about meeting up later. I smirked. That dude, man. I swear, every time we hang out, I’m more and more surprised by how much he's done. Like, he’s running this whole operation, taking down Mr. Kato, and handling all this crazy drama, and I’m over here like, “Damn, bro. How the hell are you doing this?”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of him. We’ve both been through a lot to get where we are. But sometimes, it’s hard to believe how much Hyunjin’s got on his plate. Running his own thing while keeping his cool? That’s some next-level stuff.

Anyway, I hit him back like, *“Yo, you still good to meet tonight? Or you busy being a crime boss?”*

Not even five minutes later, he texts back, *“Shut up, I’ll be there. 7.”*

I laughed to myself, tossing my phone on the desk. He can act all tough, but I know Hyunjin. He’s got a soft side, even if he hides it behind that icy-ass exterior. Especially when it comes to… well, certain people.

And yeah, I’m talking about Nami.

Bro has been weird about her ever since the whole Kato mess. I swear, every time her name comes up, he gets all quiet and moody, like he’s too *proud* to admit he’s thinking about her. I don’t get it. Like, just hit her up, man. What’s the worst that could happen?

But nah, he’s too stubborn for that. I think he's kinda… nervous? Which is wild, ‘cause Hyunjin doesn’t get nervous about anything. But I’ve seen it. I’ll catch him staring at his phone, like he’s about to message her, then he stops himself. Every. Single. Time. It’s actually hilarious.

Anyway, I pulled up to our usual spot later that night—a quiet little bar we always hit up when we needed to chill and talk. Hyunjin was already there, sitting in the corner, looking all serious like he wasn’t about to drop some deep life thoughts on me or something.

“Yo, you good?” I asked, sliding into the seat across from him.

“Yeah,” he said, but there was something in his tone. I could tell he wasn’t exactly *good*.

“Sure, man. You look like you’ve got some heavy shit on your mind.”

He shrugged, sipping his drink. “Just work stuff.”

“Right, work,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “So... that ‘work stuff’ wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with a certain girl named Nami, would it?”

He shot me a look, like I’d just said something out of line. But come on, we both knew I was right.

“What about her?” he asked, trying to play it cool.

I chuckled. “Don’t ‘what about her’ me. You’ve been thinking about her, bro. It’s obvious.”

He rolled his eyes, clearly not in the mood to be called out. “I’ve got more important things to deal with.”

“Right, like how you keep staring at your phone, wondering if you should text her,” I teased. “Dude, just message her already. You’re acting like a high school kid with a crush.”

“I don’t have a crush,” he muttered, but his face said otherwise.

“Yeah, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night.” I leaned forward, grinning. “Look, if you want to talk to her, just do it. She helped you take down Kato. She’s not gonna bite.”

Hyunjin sighed, like he was *actually* thinking about it. But I could tell he wasn’t ready to admit he cared. Not yet.

“It’s complicated,” he finally said.

“Isn’t it always? But you’re overcomplicating it, man. Just hit her up, grab a coffee or something. You don’t have to overthink this.”

He was quiet for a minute, staring down at his drink. “I don’t want to get involved.”

“Too late for that,” I said, laughing. “You’re already involved. You’re just scared to admit it.”

He didn’t say anything, but I could tell I’d hit a nerve. That’s the thing with Hyunjin. He can act all cold and distant, but deep down, he cares more than he lets on. He’s just too proud to show it.

“So, what’s stopping you?” I asked after a moment.

He looked up at me, and for a second, I thought he might actually spill what he was thinking. But then, he shrugged it off again.

“It’s nothing.”

I sighed. “Bro, you’re gonna drive yourself crazy if you keep bottling this up.”

“I’m not bottling anything,” he snapped, but there was an edge to his voice. Like maybe I wasn’t completely wrong.

I raised my hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. Whatever you say, man. Just... don’t be too proud to go after what you actually want.”

He didn’t respond, but I knew he was thinking about it. Maybe he wouldn’t admit it now, but give him some time. Hyunjin’s the type to act all tough until he’s ready to face whatever’s really going on in his head.

After a while, the conversation shifted to other stuff—work, life, the usual. But I could tell Nami was still on his mind, even if he wasn’t saying it out loud. Hell, maybe one of these days, he’ll stop being so damn proud and actually text her.

Or maybe not. Who knows with him?

All I knew was that for someone who claimed he didn’t care, Hyunjin was way too quiet about a girl he *wasn’t* thinking about.

.....