YB Fanfic, Ch. 8
Previously:
Chapter 1: Hello I Love You
Chapter 2: My Brave Face
Chapter 3: Temperamental
Chapter 4: Million Dollar Smile
Chapter 5: Heart Messenger
Chapter 6: Somewhere in Between
Chapter 7: Still
Disclaimer: The A.N.JELL-verse belongs to the Hong sisters, creators of You're Beautiful.
Author's Notes: Thank you to dawnfarie for reviewing!
Chapter Eight - Constant Craving (k.d. lang)
"Will you please stand up straight? I don't want this hem to be crooked."
"I'm sorry." Ha-neul straightened obligingly, and the seamstress kneeling at her feet began to re-pin the hem.
She was standing on a stool in Nang Eun-hee's Jongno district workroom, fitting one of the gowns she was to wear at the designer's runway show, which was only a few weeks away. Even though she wasn't an expert, Ha-neul knew that the column of fuchsia silk she was wearing was a work of art, but that day she was unable to appreciate its beauty.
"What is it with you today?" Ms. Nang asked, peering up at her.
The older woman didn't look angry, but Ha-neul looked guilty nonetheless. "I just have a lot on my mind," she mumbled.
(It was true, she did have quite a few things to think about; besides the fashion show, there were the basketball practices and photo shoots this week and the charity game that weekend... as well as quite a few matters that she really shouldn't be thinking about, but were on her mind anyway.)
"Is your boyfriend giving you trouble? Because if he is, I shall have to give him a good scolding for affecting your work."
She blushed. "I don't have a boyfriend."
"Really? Hmph! Then the boys you know are all stupid. What's wrong with them?!"
"What?" Ha-neul had to laugh at that. It was a mean thing to say, but also sort of a compliment to her at the expense of others.
"With your personality and looks, they should be killing each other for the chance to date you," the seamstress remarked as she checked the re-pinned hem once again.
"That's right! At the same time, though," Ms. Nang added, with a dismissive wave of a beringed hand, "it's not much of a loss for you. Whatever you call them these days - boys, friends, boys who are friends - they're not worth stressing over."
The swift about-face made Ha-neul's head spin. "I-I'm not stressing over anyone," she insisted feebly.
But the older woman had warmed to her topic. "There are so many other important things in life that need your attention!" she went on. "For instance, there's your career - with all these opportunities coming in, you wouldn't want to waste them, would you?"
"No, of course not." Ha-neul and her father had been working towards this ever since her dream to become a professional basketball player had ended in Beijing. Even though she could no longer be one of the best basketball players in the country, Ha-neul could be one of the most successful models. At the very least, they agreed, it was a good living.
"I'm not saying that you should give up dating altogether," the designer explained, "but you should know how to keep boyfriends in their place. You should be able take care of yourself first - work hard, save your money, discover who your true friends are, that sort of thing."
"You're building a foundation for the rest of your life," the seamstress added, moving on to check the straps of the gown. "Shoulders back, dear."
Ha-neul dutifully straightened her posture. "That's what I'm doing," she said. "I mean, my dad's helping me with my career and he always tells me to be careful with my money. He knows what can happen when people are given more money than they can handle."
"Good." Ms. Nang gave her an approving nod (and so did the seamstress). "That means I don't have to worry about you as far as career is concerned. Now, boyfriends, if they're too demanding, can take you away from this path that you must take."
"They can cost a lot of money, too," the seamstress grumbled. Ha-neul bit back a laugh and tried to keep still.
"Who needs that kind of aggravation?" Ms. Nang demanded. "Certainly not you."
"I guess not," Ha-neul agreed as the seamstress finished working on the gown straps.
Both seamstress and designer stepped back to inspect the gown, and Ms. Nang made a noise of approval. "That's much better. Ms. Gwok, you can finish the sewing on that piece already. Are there any other pieces that Ha-neul needs to fit?"
"No, sunbae."
"That's all for today, then, Ha-neul," Ms. Nang said, holding out a hand to help her off the stool. "The next time I see you will be at the first rehearsal for the fashion show."
She smiled and sketched a bow as Seamstress Gwok unzipped the back of the gown. "Thank you, Ms. Nang."
"Do you have any more appointments today?"
"No, just meeting my friends at the gym. We're playing in a charity basketball game on Saturday."
Instead of looking impressed, the designer scowled at her. "Basketball? You had better be careful. I don't want any bruises or injuries! It would totally ruin the show."
Despite her sharp tone, Ha-neul gave the older woman a warm smile. Ms. Nang came off as demanding and abrasive most of the time, but the older woman set the same high standards for herself, and clearly cared about the people whom she selected to work with her. "I'll be careful," she promised.
The charity basketball game for the benefit of the Pan Chung-ae Memorial Children's Foundation took place on a crisp Saturday afternoon at one of the largest orphanages supported by the foundation. The game, between members of Korea's Olympic women's basketball team and the men's team from Dankook University, was actually part of a whole day of festivities, including exhibits, games, a picnic lunch, and a program with song and dance numbers by the children.
The women's team was definitely not the same one that had played in the Olympics, and was competing against players who were younger, stronger and better-conditioned. However, experience eventually prevailed and the women squeaked by with a two-point victory, thanks to a couple of clutch free throws scored by a forward who had given birth to her first child just a few months before.
After the game, the players were swamped with kids begging for pictures, basketball lessons and piggyback rides. The winning team was a particular object of wonder for the children. "Unni, can girls really play basketball?" asked a wide-eyed munchkin.
"Of course we can," Ha-neul told her firmly. "And we can beat the boys, too."
"Do you have to rub it in?" asked Kim Byung-hyeon, captain and star center of the Dankook University team, as he walked by with two little boys perched high up on his shoulders.
"I'm afraid so," she teased. It was just a friendly game, but a win was always sweet. "How are these girls going to remember that women can do things just as well as men, if you don't tell them again and again?"
"They could always watch the video," Byung-hyeon said. He gave her a pained, but still good-natured, smile. "Then they can watch all those baskets you scored against me. Which were very good shots, by the way," he added magnanimously.
"Thanks."
"Too bad you didn't go on to the pros. I'm sure you would've been awesome."
"Perhaps," Ha-neul said modestly.
"But you can still play basketball, right?"
She nodded. "Yes, I play light games, for fun."
He smiled. "Cool. Maybe we can play sometime."
Just then, a photographer approached and asked to take a picture. Ha-neul smiled obligingly as she and a large group of children posed with Byung-hyeon and his passengers. One of them kicked his feet impatiently when the photographer was done. "Hyung, let's go!" he cried. "I want to get some ice cream!"
"All right, all right, we're going," Byung-hyeon laughed, reaching up a hand to steady the boy. He smiled at Ha-neul. "Excuse me, but duty calls. I'll talk to you later, OK?"
"Sure," she replied. "Bye."
"Nice game," someone behind her said. Startled, Ha-neul let out a little squeak and turned around.
Shin-woo stood behind her, casually dressed and disguised with a baseball cap and glasses. "Hi, Ha-neul," he greeted her cheerfully.
"Shin-woo!" she blurted out. "You're here!"
"I was invited, wasn't I?" he said with an amused smile. "You were great out there."
She blushed and managed a smile in reply. "Thanks."
"The kids seem to really like you, too." He nodded towards a little girl who had latched on to Ha-neul during the picture taking, and hadn't let go of her hand since.
Sensing that she was being talked about, the child looked up at Shin-woo. "Of course we like her!" she said, renewing her grip on Ha-neul's hand. "Unni can play basketball and she's pretty. Don't you think so, sunbaenim?"
Shin-woo laughed, but was prevented from giving his opinion by Su-jin's arrival. "Shin-woo, you're here!" the smaller girl exclaimed, walking up to him with a smile. "We're so glad you could make it! Are you here by yourself?"
"I'm afraid so," he replied. "The others had busy schedules today, so I'm here representing the whole band." He gave Su-jin an apologetic look. "I'm sorry Jeremy couldn't be here, Su-jin. I promise I'll tell him that you played really well."
She sniffed and waved a dismissive hand. "You can if you want to, but it's not necessary. I've already dumped him."
"What?" Ha-neul gasped. "When did this happen?"
"Very, very recently" was the curt answer.
"I'm so sorry," she said, sounding genuinely disappointed. "Are you OK?"
"I'm fine."
"Is there anything we can do?" Shin-woo asked, trading concerned looks with Ha-neul. But Su-jin just shook her head, staring at the ground and scowling.
The awkward silence that followed was broken by the little girl who was still holding Ha-neul's hand. "You know, unni," she advised, "people say that when you're sad, you should probably have some ice cream."
Su-jin laughed briefly. "That's a great idea. I should probably treat the kid to some ice cream for making such a good suggestion, huh?" she asked her friends. "What's your name, little girl?"
"Min-jung," the child answered, looking delighted at receiving so much attention from the adults, and at the prospect of ice cream.
"Hey!" Ha-neul protested as Min-jung let go of her hand in favor of Su-jin's. "What about us?"
The smaller girl looked at the pair and mustered a smile. "I'm afraid you'll have to fend for yourselves," she replied, starting towards the food booths with her new escort.
Shin-woo chuckled, glad that Su-jin seemed to be regaining some of her usual spirit. "Don't worry, Ha-neul; I'll treat you. Let's go."
Although they hadn't been able to attend, the other A.N.JELL members were still interested in hearing about the game. Fortunately, everyone was home for dinner that night, so Shin-woo's bandmates were able to press him for details.
"It was exciting." The guitarist grinned and helped himself to some rice. "The first thing Ha-neul did when she entered the game was to get whistled for an elbowing foul."
"I bet you really enjoyed that," Tae-kyung said with a smirk.
"I did," he laughed. "Besides that, though, she played quite well. She must have scored about ten points - and this was against guys who are practically in the KBL already!"
"Impressive," Mi-nam remarked, looking amused.
"Su-jin played well, too," Shin-woo remembered to add, then cleared his throat uneasily. "Or maybe I shouldn't have mentioned Su-jin. I'm sorry to hear that she broke up with you, Jeremy."
"WHAT?!" Mi-nam exclaimed. Tae-kyung, too, looked surprised.
Jeremy, though, turned bright red and said nothing. Instead, he scowled and stormed upstairs. In the tense silence following Mi-nam's outburst, they heard his footsteps thunder overhead and moments later, a door slammed.
The keyboardist rounded on Shin-woo. "They broke up?" he demanded.
He nodded. "It surprised me, too. Su-jin says it was very recent."
"And very bad, it looks like."
"What a shame," Tae-kyung remarked mildly as he blew on a spoonful of soup. "It was fun seeing someone annoying Jeremy for a change."
"At least it sounds like they're still talking to each other," Mi-nam observed. They could hear the blond boy's voice from upstairs, although it was hard to tell whether he was arguing with Su-jin or begging her to give their relationship one more chance. "Maybe they can still work it out."
"I hope so," Shin-woo agreed. "It's Jeremy's birthday on Friday. He shouldn't start the year like this."
"Then invite her to the party," Tae-kyung suggested. "Maybe she can jump out of the birthday cake or something."
Mi-nam wrinkled his nose. "I don't know about the cake. We might have a food fight instead of a reconciliation."
"I was being sarcastic about the cake," the vocalist informed him, rolling his eyes. "All right, no cake, then. She should still come to the party, though."
"That's a good idea, brother-in-law. If Jeremy sees that she wants to wish him well, maybe they'll get back together. At the very least, my sister will have company."
"We should invite her soon, before she makes other plans. Ha-neul will come, too, of course."
Shin-woo nodded and poured himself some tea. "I'll invite Ha-neul, and ask her to bring Su-jin along."
"I guess that's taken care of," Mi-nam said with a satisfied nod. "Tell us more about the game, Shin-woo. Who won?"
"Oh, the girls did, by two points. Someone made some free throws in the last minute of the game. Ha-neul said that player had a baby not too long ago."
"Whoa. I told you those women were scary." The keyboardist shuddered, and then he laughed. "Did the other team pout after they lost, the way you and Jeremy did after Su-jin and Ha-neul beat you?"
"We did not pout," Shin-woo insisted.
"He was too busy trying to get his breath back," Tae-kyung snickered.
The guitarist ignored that. "The other team didn't get mad, either. All the players were actually kind of friendly with each other once the game was over."
"I guess they know when to be aggressive. It's just a game, after all."
"I guess so." Shin-woo sipped his tea and remembered overhearing the tail end of Ha-neul's conversation with one of the Dankook University players. They had seemed to be really friendly.
A strange expression must have crossed his face, because the next thing he knew, his bandmates were peering at him curiously. "Are you OK, Shin-woo?" Mi-nam asked him.
Tae-kyung, who had just helped himself to some tea, eyed his cup with suspicion. "Is there something wrong with the tea?"
"There's nothing wrong with the tea," Shin-woo said, mustering a smile, "and there's nothing wrong with me. Everything's fine."
But the memory of what he had seen earlier that day continued to bother him for the rest of the night, hindering his attempts to work some more on his song.
I really shouldn't care about this, he thought, strumming idle chords on his guitar. Ha-neul isn't my girlfriend.
However, she was his friend. He had promised to watch out for her, and he hadn't liked the looks of that guy who had been talking to her. But then, Shin-woo thought reasonably, what did he really know about him? The basketball player was obviously a key part of his team, which would probably make him a little cocky, but maybe he was nicer off the court. If he wasn't, well, Ha-neul wasn't stupid. She could drop that guy like a stone with that elbow of hers.
I guess I'm taking my promise a bit too seriously.
Sighing, Shin-woo put down his guitar and decided to call it a night. He consoled himself with the thought that at least he was making some progress, however slow, on the song. He knew that he wanted to write one, and had an idea of how he wanted it to sound. The only thing left was to figure out what he wanted to say.
Chapter 1: Hello I Love You
Chapter 2: My Brave Face
Chapter 3: Temperamental
Chapter 4: Million Dollar Smile
Chapter 5: Heart Messenger
Chapter 6: Somewhere in Between
Chapter 7: Still
Disclaimer: The A.N.JELL-verse belongs to the Hong sisters, creators of You're Beautiful.
Author's Notes: Thank you to dawnfarie for reviewing!
Chapter Eight - Constant Craving (k.d. lang)
"Will you please stand up straight? I don't want this hem to be crooked."
"I'm sorry." Ha-neul straightened obligingly, and the seamstress kneeling at her feet began to re-pin the hem.
She was standing on a stool in Nang Eun-hee's Jongno district workroom, fitting one of the gowns she was to wear at the designer's runway show, which was only a few weeks away. Even though she wasn't an expert, Ha-neul knew that the column of fuchsia silk she was wearing was a work of art, but that day she was unable to appreciate its beauty.
"What is it with you today?" Ms. Nang asked, peering up at her.
The older woman didn't look angry, but Ha-neul looked guilty nonetheless. "I just have a lot on my mind," she mumbled.
(It was true, she did have quite a few things to think about; besides the fashion show, there were the basketball practices and photo shoots this week and the charity game that weekend... as well as quite a few matters that she really shouldn't be thinking about, but were on her mind anyway.)
"Is your boyfriend giving you trouble? Because if he is, I shall have to give him a good scolding for affecting your work."
She blushed. "I don't have a boyfriend."
"Really? Hmph! Then the boys you know are all stupid. What's wrong with them?!"
"What?" Ha-neul had to laugh at that. It was a mean thing to say, but also sort of a compliment to her at the expense of others.
"With your personality and looks, they should be killing each other for the chance to date you," the seamstress remarked as she checked the re-pinned hem once again.
"That's right! At the same time, though," Ms. Nang added, with a dismissive wave of a beringed hand, "it's not much of a loss for you. Whatever you call them these days - boys, friends, boys who are friends - they're not worth stressing over."
The swift about-face made Ha-neul's head spin. "I-I'm not stressing over anyone," she insisted feebly.
But the older woman had warmed to her topic. "There are so many other important things in life that need your attention!" she went on. "For instance, there's your career - with all these opportunities coming in, you wouldn't want to waste them, would you?"
"No, of course not." Ha-neul and her father had been working towards this ever since her dream to become a professional basketball player had ended in Beijing. Even though she could no longer be one of the best basketball players in the country, Ha-neul could be one of the most successful models. At the very least, they agreed, it was a good living.
"I'm not saying that you should give up dating altogether," the designer explained, "but you should know how to keep boyfriends in their place. You should be able take care of yourself first - work hard, save your money, discover who your true friends are, that sort of thing."
"You're building a foundation for the rest of your life," the seamstress added, moving on to check the straps of the gown. "Shoulders back, dear."
Ha-neul dutifully straightened her posture. "That's what I'm doing," she said. "I mean, my dad's helping me with my career and he always tells me to be careful with my money. He knows what can happen when people are given more money than they can handle."
"Good." Ms. Nang gave her an approving nod (and so did the seamstress). "That means I don't have to worry about you as far as career is concerned. Now, boyfriends, if they're too demanding, can take you away from this path that you must take."
"They can cost a lot of money, too," the seamstress grumbled. Ha-neul bit back a laugh and tried to keep still.
"Who needs that kind of aggravation?" Ms. Nang demanded. "Certainly not you."
"I guess not," Ha-neul agreed as the seamstress finished working on the gown straps.
Both seamstress and designer stepped back to inspect the gown, and Ms. Nang made a noise of approval. "That's much better. Ms. Gwok, you can finish the sewing on that piece already. Are there any other pieces that Ha-neul needs to fit?"
"No, sunbae."
"That's all for today, then, Ha-neul," Ms. Nang said, holding out a hand to help her off the stool. "The next time I see you will be at the first rehearsal for the fashion show."
She smiled and sketched a bow as Seamstress Gwok unzipped the back of the gown. "Thank you, Ms. Nang."
"Do you have any more appointments today?"
"No, just meeting my friends at the gym. We're playing in a charity basketball game on Saturday."
Instead of looking impressed, the designer scowled at her. "Basketball? You had better be careful. I don't want any bruises or injuries! It would totally ruin the show."
Despite her sharp tone, Ha-neul gave the older woman a warm smile. Ms. Nang came off as demanding and abrasive most of the time, but the older woman set the same high standards for herself, and clearly cared about the people whom she selected to work with her. "I'll be careful," she promised.
The charity basketball game for the benefit of the Pan Chung-ae Memorial Children's Foundation took place on a crisp Saturday afternoon at one of the largest orphanages supported by the foundation. The game, between members of Korea's Olympic women's basketball team and the men's team from Dankook University, was actually part of a whole day of festivities, including exhibits, games, a picnic lunch, and a program with song and dance numbers by the children.
The women's team was definitely not the same one that had played in the Olympics, and was competing against players who were younger, stronger and better-conditioned. However, experience eventually prevailed and the women squeaked by with a two-point victory, thanks to a couple of clutch free throws scored by a forward who had given birth to her first child just a few months before.
After the game, the players were swamped with kids begging for pictures, basketball lessons and piggyback rides. The winning team was a particular object of wonder for the children. "Unni, can girls really play basketball?" asked a wide-eyed munchkin.
"Of course we can," Ha-neul told her firmly. "And we can beat the boys, too."
"Do you have to rub it in?" asked Kim Byung-hyeon, captain and star center of the Dankook University team, as he walked by with two little boys perched high up on his shoulders.
"I'm afraid so," she teased. It was just a friendly game, but a win was always sweet. "How are these girls going to remember that women can do things just as well as men, if you don't tell them again and again?"
"They could always watch the video," Byung-hyeon said. He gave her a pained, but still good-natured, smile. "Then they can watch all those baskets you scored against me. Which were very good shots, by the way," he added magnanimously.
"Thanks."
"Too bad you didn't go on to the pros. I'm sure you would've been awesome."
"Perhaps," Ha-neul said modestly.
"But you can still play basketball, right?"
She nodded. "Yes, I play light games, for fun."
He smiled. "Cool. Maybe we can play sometime."
Just then, a photographer approached and asked to take a picture. Ha-neul smiled obligingly as she and a large group of children posed with Byung-hyeon and his passengers. One of them kicked his feet impatiently when the photographer was done. "Hyung, let's go!" he cried. "I want to get some ice cream!"
"All right, all right, we're going," Byung-hyeon laughed, reaching up a hand to steady the boy. He smiled at Ha-neul. "Excuse me, but duty calls. I'll talk to you later, OK?"
"Sure," she replied. "Bye."
"Nice game," someone behind her said. Startled, Ha-neul let out a little squeak and turned around.
Shin-woo stood behind her, casually dressed and disguised with a baseball cap and glasses. "Hi, Ha-neul," he greeted her cheerfully.
"Shin-woo!" she blurted out. "You're here!"
"I was invited, wasn't I?" he said with an amused smile. "You were great out there."
She blushed and managed a smile in reply. "Thanks."
"The kids seem to really like you, too." He nodded towards a little girl who had latched on to Ha-neul during the picture taking, and hadn't let go of her hand since.
Sensing that she was being talked about, the child looked up at Shin-woo. "Of course we like her!" she said, renewing her grip on Ha-neul's hand. "Unni can play basketball and she's pretty. Don't you think so, sunbaenim?"
Shin-woo laughed, but was prevented from giving his opinion by Su-jin's arrival. "Shin-woo, you're here!" the smaller girl exclaimed, walking up to him with a smile. "We're so glad you could make it! Are you here by yourself?"
"I'm afraid so," he replied. "The others had busy schedules today, so I'm here representing the whole band." He gave Su-jin an apologetic look. "I'm sorry Jeremy couldn't be here, Su-jin. I promise I'll tell him that you played really well."
She sniffed and waved a dismissive hand. "You can if you want to, but it's not necessary. I've already dumped him."
"What?" Ha-neul gasped. "When did this happen?"
"Very, very recently" was the curt answer.
"I'm so sorry," she said, sounding genuinely disappointed. "Are you OK?"
"I'm fine."
"Is there anything we can do?" Shin-woo asked, trading concerned looks with Ha-neul. But Su-jin just shook her head, staring at the ground and scowling.
The awkward silence that followed was broken by the little girl who was still holding Ha-neul's hand. "You know, unni," she advised, "people say that when you're sad, you should probably have some ice cream."
Su-jin laughed briefly. "That's a great idea. I should probably treat the kid to some ice cream for making such a good suggestion, huh?" she asked her friends. "What's your name, little girl?"
"Min-jung," the child answered, looking delighted at receiving so much attention from the adults, and at the prospect of ice cream.
"Hey!" Ha-neul protested as Min-jung let go of her hand in favor of Su-jin's. "What about us?"
The smaller girl looked at the pair and mustered a smile. "I'm afraid you'll have to fend for yourselves," she replied, starting towards the food booths with her new escort.
Shin-woo chuckled, glad that Su-jin seemed to be regaining some of her usual spirit. "Don't worry, Ha-neul; I'll treat you. Let's go."
Although they hadn't been able to attend, the other A.N.JELL members were still interested in hearing about the game. Fortunately, everyone was home for dinner that night, so Shin-woo's bandmates were able to press him for details.
"It was exciting." The guitarist grinned and helped himself to some rice. "The first thing Ha-neul did when she entered the game was to get whistled for an elbowing foul."
"I bet you really enjoyed that," Tae-kyung said with a smirk.
"I did," he laughed. "Besides that, though, she played quite well. She must have scored about ten points - and this was against guys who are practically in the KBL already!"
"Impressive," Mi-nam remarked, looking amused.
"Su-jin played well, too," Shin-woo remembered to add, then cleared his throat uneasily. "Or maybe I shouldn't have mentioned Su-jin. I'm sorry to hear that she broke up with you, Jeremy."
"WHAT?!" Mi-nam exclaimed. Tae-kyung, too, looked surprised.
Jeremy, though, turned bright red and said nothing. Instead, he scowled and stormed upstairs. In the tense silence following Mi-nam's outburst, they heard his footsteps thunder overhead and moments later, a door slammed.
The keyboardist rounded on Shin-woo. "They broke up?" he demanded.
He nodded. "It surprised me, too. Su-jin says it was very recent."
"And very bad, it looks like."
"What a shame," Tae-kyung remarked mildly as he blew on a spoonful of soup. "It was fun seeing someone annoying Jeremy for a change."
"At least it sounds like they're still talking to each other," Mi-nam observed. They could hear the blond boy's voice from upstairs, although it was hard to tell whether he was arguing with Su-jin or begging her to give their relationship one more chance. "Maybe they can still work it out."
"I hope so," Shin-woo agreed. "It's Jeremy's birthday on Friday. He shouldn't start the year like this."
"Then invite her to the party," Tae-kyung suggested. "Maybe she can jump out of the birthday cake or something."
Mi-nam wrinkled his nose. "I don't know about the cake. We might have a food fight instead of a reconciliation."
"I was being sarcastic about the cake," the vocalist informed him, rolling his eyes. "All right, no cake, then. She should still come to the party, though."
"That's a good idea, brother-in-law. If Jeremy sees that she wants to wish him well, maybe they'll get back together. At the very least, my sister will have company."
"We should invite her soon, before she makes other plans. Ha-neul will come, too, of course."
Shin-woo nodded and poured himself some tea. "I'll invite Ha-neul, and ask her to bring Su-jin along."
"I guess that's taken care of," Mi-nam said with a satisfied nod. "Tell us more about the game, Shin-woo. Who won?"
"Oh, the girls did, by two points. Someone made some free throws in the last minute of the game. Ha-neul said that player had a baby not too long ago."
"Whoa. I told you those women were scary." The keyboardist shuddered, and then he laughed. "Did the other team pout after they lost, the way you and Jeremy did after Su-jin and Ha-neul beat you?"
"We did not pout," Shin-woo insisted.
"He was too busy trying to get his breath back," Tae-kyung snickered.
The guitarist ignored that. "The other team didn't get mad, either. All the players were actually kind of friendly with each other once the game was over."
"I guess they know when to be aggressive. It's just a game, after all."
"I guess so." Shin-woo sipped his tea and remembered overhearing the tail end of Ha-neul's conversation with one of the Dankook University players. They had seemed to be really friendly.
A strange expression must have crossed his face, because the next thing he knew, his bandmates were peering at him curiously. "Are you OK, Shin-woo?" Mi-nam asked him.
Tae-kyung, who had just helped himself to some tea, eyed his cup with suspicion. "Is there something wrong with the tea?"
"There's nothing wrong with the tea," Shin-woo said, mustering a smile, "and there's nothing wrong with me. Everything's fine."
But the memory of what he had seen earlier that day continued to bother him for the rest of the night, hindering his attempts to work some more on his song.
I really shouldn't care about this, he thought, strumming idle chords on his guitar. Ha-neul isn't my girlfriend.
However, she was his friend. He had promised to watch out for her, and he hadn't liked the looks of that guy who had been talking to her. But then, Shin-woo thought reasonably, what did he really know about him? The basketball player was obviously a key part of his team, which would probably make him a little cocky, but maybe he was nicer off the court. If he wasn't, well, Ha-neul wasn't stupid. She could drop that guy like a stone with that elbow of hers.
I guess I'm taking my promise a bit too seriously.
Sighing, Shin-woo put down his guitar and decided to call it a night. He consoled himself with the thought that at least he was making some progress, however slow, on the song. He knew that he wanted to write one, and had an idea of how he wanted it to sound. The only thing left was to figure out what he wanted to say.