Chapter Text
It was a chilly, brisk morning. The sun was out and the birds were singing a gleeful song.
A tall, lanky body moved about the kitchen, pulling various items out of the refrigerator. He set them on the counter before heading over to the shelves above the sink where he saw numerous dirty dishes. Soo Ha sighed, hanging his head in slight annoyance. He tapped his fingers on the counter before turning his head toward the room of his one and only…
“Jang Hye Sung!” Soo Ha called out. After receiving no response, he walked over to her bedroom door and knocked loudly on her door three times. “Hey, Jang Hye Sung!”
On the other side of the door, Hye Sung squinted her eyes open and groaned loudly, “What?!”
“There are dirty dishes in the sink.”
Hye Sung stretched her arms above her head. “Dishes…?” She rolled onto her side and looked at the clock sitting on her nightstand. She had to leave for work in one hour. Hye Sung slowly sat up, her hair in disarray.
“You said you were going to do them last night.” Soo Ha complained.
Hye Sung didn’t respond, instead, her eyes slowly fluttered closed and she slowly drifted back to sleep.
“Hye Sung.” Soo Ha said.
No answer.
“Hye Sung?”
“...”
Soo Ha opened the door and his eyes immediately fell on the feminine figure that laid in bed, wearing sweatpants and a baggy sweatshirt. Soo Ha walked over to where Hye Sung laid, he crouched down and stared at her face. Soo Ha couldn’t help but crack a smile at how adorable and innocent she looked.
When she was conscious, Hye Sung was direct, honest, and blunt. She kept her emotions neutral, especially with her thoughts. Soo Ha thought it was nice for a change to see Hye Sung with her guard down. Even though her mouth was agape and she was letting out a slight unpleasant morning breath, and her limbs were sprawled in every which way, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He soon forgot about the pile of dirty dishes in the sink and reveled in her beauty. He couldn’t stay mad at her. She had that kind of effect on him.
He patted the side of her head, in hopes to gently wake her up. He cupped the side of her face, the pad of his thumb gently brushing her cheek.
“Hye Sung.” Soo Ha pressed his lips against her forehead.
Hye Sung’s eyes gradually fluttered open and she saw Soo Ha leaning over her body, his face merely inches away from her own. Her heart went into overdrive and she immediately shut her eyes before he could hear what she was thinking. “W-w-what are you doing?!” Hye Sung cried out, she didn’t want him to know how flustered and excited he made her feel.
Only Soo Ha could make her feel like some female heroine in those romance-comedy movies that she loves to hate and she only wished that she could scream at the top of her lungs about how she wanted him to hold her tightly in those safe arms of his and never let her go, but she didn’t want him to see that side of her. He would probably laugh in her face for being a foolish woman in her 30’s with fairy-tale kind of fantasies.
“Just admiring you.” Soo Ha softly smiled, gently pushing her hair out of her face. He chuckled when she remained there with her eyes tightly shut, unmoving.”Fine, I can take a hint. I’ll prepare breakfast.” Soo Ha gave her one last peck on her forehead and took his leave.
When she heard her door close, she propped herself in bed. She placed her hands on her cheeks, checking to see if they were as warm as fresh apple pie. Hye Sung’s heart sang tunes of love as she touched the area where his lips were a moment ago.
Hye Sung sighed happily and she began to get ready for another day at work.
(-)
Hye Sung stepped out of her room in a simple black pencil skirt and a rosy red button-up. She quickly noticed Soo Ha. He was wearing black trousers and a white button-up long sleeve.
“Oh, no uniform today?” Hye Sung asked, referring to his outfit.
It had been almost a year since Soo Ha started working as a police officer. His goal was to be a detective, but until he could take the test, he had to do basic officer duties, such as patrolling, taking phone calls, responding to emergencies, etc. all the while wearing a police uniform.
Soo Ha nodded his head. “My supervisors are wanting me to shadow a few detectives this week.”
Hye Sung’s eyes widened. “Shadow? Are they preparing you for detective work?”
Soo Ha nonchalantly answered, “It seems that way.”
“That’s so incredible!: Hye Sung cheered with a bright smile. “They must see that you have loads of potential.”
Soo Ha shrugged in response. “My ability to read people’s thoughts helps me a lot and maybe that is why they’re noticing me.”
Hye Sung shook her head in disagreement, “No, it’s not because of your ability, it’s because of you being you.”
Soo Ha smiled. “Let’s eat and I’ll walk you to work.”
Hye Sung heard nothing after the mention of food.
(-)
As the pair walked to the Public Defender's Office, Hye Sung’s negative thoughts began to fill her mind. She hated how comfortable it felt to be at Soo Ha’s side, her hand in his larger hand. She hated how she loved to see his smile directed toward her, his eyes bright and full of love. As she was engulfed in her thoughts, Soo Ha noticed how limp her hand went in his. He glanced over at her and he was dismayed to hear what she was thinking.
He immediately came to a stop, catching Hye Sung by surprise. They had about a block left and Soo Ha usually walked her all the way to the entrance.
Before Hye Sung could ask what was wrong, Soo Ha immediately asked, “Why do you think like that?” He was a mix of frustration and concern.
It clicked in Hye Sung’s mind and she instantly turned away from him, averting her eyes from his longing ones. “What did I say about you reading my thoughts?” Hye Sung sighed in annoyance. “It’s irritating to have someone hear about my personal feelings.”
Soo Ha apologized, “I’m sorry for eavesdropping on your thoughts, but what did I say about you thinking like this? I will never leave you and I will never stop loving you so please, quit thinking like that.”
Normally after hearing Soo Ha declare his feelings out loud, Hye Sung would apologize for being negative, but she wasn’t in the mood to be so compliant. She pulled her hand from his firm hold and she folded her arms. “Nothing stays the same. What if one day you no longer feel the same and—” She didn’t dare finish her sentence out loud, but her mind finished it for her instead.
And you want to be with someone who’s younger and is able to give you the things that I cannot?
Soo Ha stood stunned before her. Hye Sung quickly realized that there was no doubt about it, he definitely heard that. As Soo Ha reached for Hye Sung’s hand, Hye Sung swiftly spun around and practically dashed the rest of the way to her office.
And Soo Ha let Hye Sung go. He had to think of a way to dispel all of Hye Sung’s worries. It seemed as though the more he tried to convince her, the more she argued with him.
“There has to be a way…” Soo Ha mumbled after taking one more look at her figure disappearing among the hoards of people who were also shuffling their way to work.