Doorway (1/1)

Author's Note: Hello everyone! How are you all doing? I know it's been a while since my last author's note, but I guess I just wanted everyone to really focus on the story. Hahaha anyway, as Should I draws to a close, I just wanted to make a simple request to you, my dearest readers. I hope that as the author of this fan fiction, you guys can trust me enough with its direction. All the characters and conflicts I've been making is for the story to become more interesting. I have been writing fan fiction for different fandoms and I know that in as much as most of you would like for the fic to always be lovey dovey, I think that we shouldn't forget the drama and angst that make it less boring and predictable. Again, just trust me. I know what I'm doing. Stay safe everyone and God bless you all!Love, Author-nim--I knew that Ye Jin was really affected after finding out that it was Hae In who had been sending her cryptic messages. It had already been three days since we had known of the truth from Sang Ri, but she was still in a state of shock and denial. She had completely lost her appetite, and was dodging all the offers to go on television to talk more about our relationship. I was really concerned, to the point that I suggested that we see Dr. Han for some remedies, but she was quick to respond that she was okay and that she only needed some time to process things. I kept my distance, but continued watching her from afar, making sure that it wouldn't get to the point where she would blame herself for all that has happened. When Ye Jin finally gave in to some shuteye after three nights without sleep, I decided that it was time for me to take this matter into my own hands. I could no longer bear seeing the love of my suffer simply because she made a choice, and that was to love the person she knew would fit her perfectly. Ye Jin was not at fault here, and I was going to prove that, no matter what it takes. The sun was slowly setting as I drove to Hae In's place. Surprisingly, it was just a 15 minute drive from Ye Jin's. This was the first time that I was visiting him, and was hoping that it would be the last. For some apparent reason, which we had discovered from Sang Ri a few days back, the guy gave me a heavy heart and some bad vibes, which was why I didn't want to be around him. But today, I really had no other choice. "Hyun Bin sunbaenim?" Hae In uttered, the moment he opened the door. To say that he was surprised was an understatement, but he was quite good at concealing his emotions. He was an actor, after all."Dureooseyo (Please come inside)." He said as he respectfully bowed, then moved to the side to let me into his apartment. "Kamsahamnida." I uttered. As Hae In left to get us some tea, I simply sat on the couch in the living room and waited. He did have a nice-looking apartment, one fit for a bachelor. Everything was in order, from his acting awards to his indoor plants, but the item that caught my attention the most was a polaroid photo that was put into a small frame. It was carefully placed on one his side tables, and if I wasn't mistaken, it was a photo of him and Ye Jin back when they were filming their drama. I wasn't going to deny that I felt jealous at the sight, but I was comforted by the fact that it was me that Ye Jin chose and not him. She loved me. She wanted to be with me. "I didn't know that the only tea I had left was barley." Hae In said as he placed the tray on the table. "Chosuhamnida, sunbaenim.""Animnida (No problem at all). Gweanchansumnikka (It's okay)." I replied, as he started pouring some tea into my cup. "And you don't have to use those honorifics on me. We're not working anyway." I added. "You can call me hyung." "Uh... neh." He nodded. After taking a quick sip from my cup of tea, I knew that now was the right time to open up the very reason why I had decided to come by, but it seemed as if Hae In had completely read my mind and started the conversation right in an instant. "Chosuhamnida." He apologized. "Jeongmal chosuhamnida." "I know why you're here, and I'm not going to deny anything anymore." Hae In begun. "Neh, I was the one who sent all those messages to Ye Jin."'Waeyo?" I asked, sounding as calm and composed as possible. Hae In seemed to be at a loss for words at the moment, but he knew that I needed an explanation for his actions. He was struggling, but he had to come up with something truthful and believable, or else, this cup of tea might just be flying across the room right now. "I know that what I did was wrong and there really is nothing that I can say to justify what I did. It's just that... I can't accept the fact that she chose you over me." Hae In admitted. "What we had... it was different, it was special... and I really thought that we had a chance to be something more than just colleagues. But then one day, she just stopped talking to me and the next thing I knew, you were already in the picture." He added. "I respected her so much, so I kept my distance. Even if it pained me a lot, I endured that heartbreak alone." Hae In said. "But I guess it just came to a point where I couldn't handle the pain anymore, so I decided to give in to my selfishness by doing all these stupid things." He added. "But I love her. I really, really love her."My fists balled up in reply."Are you really sure that you love her?" I asked. "Because the last time I checked, when you love someone, you don't deliberately do things to hurt them." I added. "Do you know how anxious Ye Jin has been because of your messages? Whenever we're out, she can't seem to focus anymore because she's so fearful of the people around her. All the more now that she's found out that you're the one who's been harrassing her all along. She's lost her appetite, been suffering from insomnia and I'm pretty sure, that she's got trust issues now.""What you shared in the past will always hold a special place in her heart, and that I know of because she herself told me during one of our conversations." I started. "She was happy with you, she trusted you so much, and although things didn't work out, she had always hoped that you'd stay in her life at least as one of her closest friends. But then, you surprise her with this. Don't you think she deserves so much better?" I could see that my words did hit home, when tears started falling from Hae In's eyes. He knew that he messed up really bad. He may have wanted to take back all that he had said, but there was nothing else that he could do but to suffer the consequences of his actions. There was no need for punches anymore. My words were painful enough. "Truth be told, I don't want you near her at all. But I understand that there are some things that only the both of you can settle." I said. "So I'm giving you one chance to apologize for what you did and to make things right. After that, just keep your distance and don't bother us anymore." I added. "Urineun jigeum haengbokhamnida (We are happy now). Mangchiji masibsio (Please don't ruin it)."As if on cue, Hae In's doorbell rang. We both looked at each other in confusion, then he stood up to get the door. "Naega olju araso (I knew you would come)." Hae In sighed. It was Ye Jin standing by the doorway.