[048] Love or Friendship?

theme: o48. That Girl.
pair: Eeteuk/Hankyung
rate: G
words: 1880
#: 50/100


They were good friends, both members of Super Junior, two of the top three eldest members. One the leader, the other Chinese. They had trained together, lived together, debuted together, toured together - for years they were united under the name of Super Junior; united until one day…

It was a hot summer day when Eeteuk and Hankyung were out grabbing frozen yogurt from a stall as they were browsing small shops by the university. Hankyung was dressed in black and white plaid shorts hat hit just bellow his knee with a fitted white shirt; he took his yogurt in a cup, eating with one of those blue plastic spoons they handed out. Eeteuk was clad in slightly baggy, dark jeans and a red long-sleeved shirt; easily the more jejune of the two, he on eating his yogurt in a waffle cone with sprinkles.

Within steps from the stall, a dribble of his chocolate frozen yogurt fell onto the collar of his shirt.

“I told you to just get it in a cup,” Hankyung sighed with a roll of his eyes as he pulled out some serviettes from his pocket,

However, Eeteuk swiped away at his hand, staring into the small shop they stood in front of. He pointed at the window. Hankyung followed his gaze, his jaw dropping and his serviettes fluttering to the ground from his suddenly limp fingers.

There standing in the shop - which was a second-hand bookstore - with a book open in her hands was a girl who looked very much like Jeon Ji Hyun. Her hair tumbled down to the middle of her back in soft waves; she wore a fitted, light pink t-shirt and a jean skirt that came to her knees, a slit four-inches long at the back. They watched as she closed the book, tucked it between her chin and chest so her hands were free. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail, revealing a creamy, slender neck. The urge to drool was almost too much for them.

They nearly died with embarrassment when she turned her head suddenly, looking at them. With nothing else to do and nothing to save their dignity, they raised their free hands and slowly waved at her. She blinked a moment before disappearing beyond the shelves of books. They let out sighs of relief, slowly regaining their composure when that girl reappeared, holding a plastic bag with her new old book inside. She approached the two and they grew silent, she looked identical to Jeon Ji Hyun.

“I’m sorry, is there a problem?” She asked them, her voice like that of a nightingale.

“You’re so beautiful,” Eeteuk muttered, barely comprehendible,

“Had to stop…” Hankyung added, his frozen yogurt suddenly forgotten,

“Oh,” she said shyly, her cheeks pinking. She offered her hand hesitantly, “My name is Ji Hyun,” the two blinked at her, startled as they shook her hand; “Lee Ji Hyun.”

They let out a subtle breath of relief; if she wasn’t Jeon Ji Hyun, then if some kind of… relationship… were to occur, then there would be less scandal.

“Eeteuk,”

“Hankyung,”

She cocked her head, regarding them silently before her eyes widened with realization, “Super Junior,” she said quietly and they nodded in silent confirmation. She looked down at her wrist watch suddenly and took out a pen from her purse. She took their hands and, one by one, wrote down a phone number on their hands, “I have to get going, but give me a call sometime. It’d be nice if could talk more,” with that, she walked off, waving goodbye as she disappeared from their sight around a corner.

“I’m going to marry her,” they both said in unison. Hearing each other’s words, they turned and glared at one another.

“I’m setting my ways, I should get to marry her,” Eeteuk stated, swiping at Hankyung’s yogurt cup, knocking the frozen treat to the ground.

“I’m far from home, I need some love and companionship,” Hankyung argued, hitting Eeteuk’s cone to the ground as well.

“Love and companionship? Then hook up with Shiwon,” Eeteuk said, crossing his arms over his chest,

“Oh yeah? What about Kangin?” Hankyung countered, also crossing his arms over his chest,

“Kangin is out of town,” Eeteuk replied, “I need someone to fill my lonely nights with.”

“Well, Shiwon is also out of town,” Hankyung defended, “I need someone to fill… fill… I’m not even with Shiwon…”

A tense silence fell between them. They narrowed their eyes at one another before stating in unison, “It’s war.”

Over the course of just one week, Eeteuk and Hankyung both talked more to Ji Hyun on their own time without the other truly knowing, just suspecting. However, when they did find out about each other contacting Ji Hyun (by a comment from Ryeowook who inquired about their new friend) it became blatant that they were against each other.

One day Hankyung was sitting in the dorm on the computer when the phone rang. He picked it up,

“Hello?” He heard another voice echo his greeting,

“Hankyung? Or Eeteuk?” Ji Hyun’s voice came from the other end,

“Hankyung.” “Eeteuk.”

Hankyung blinked and looked up just as Eeteuk appeared from the hallway with a cordless phone in his hand. He sat down at the dining table,

“Ah, sorry Eeteuk, I was calling for Hankyung,” Ji Hyun said apologetically,

“Oh, that’s fine,” Eeteuk insisted happily, but Hankyung only eyed him all the more suspiciously. He knew he had right to when Eeteuk continued, “By the way Hankyung, the pharmacy called for you earlier, the medication for your rash is ready.”

“I… I don’t have a rash!” Hankyung insisted into the phone, eyes narrowing at Eeteuk who sat at the dining table, a grin on his face and his single dimple making an appearance,

“Just because it’s hidden by your pants, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” Eeteuk sighed as he said seriously into the phone, “Really Ji Hyun, I try to be a good hyung, but I can only do so much if my dongsaengs don’t accept my advice,”

“That’s right,” Ji Hyun agreed, “Hankyung, listen to Eeteuk! I was going to say lets go grab some lunch, but you just go and get your medicine!”

“No- Ji Hyun, he’s lying!” Hankyung stated, approaching Eeteuk threateningly,

“Hankyung, it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Eeteuk replied innocently as he got up from his chair and back away from Hankyung,

“He’s right,” Ji Hyun added from the other side of the phone, “Take care of the rash, okay Hankyung? Call me when you feel better! Bye Hankyung! Bye Eeteuk!”

Silence fell between the two Super Junior members as they heard Ji Hyun hang up the phone. Eeteuk calmly turned off the phone he had and laid it on the table. Hankyung turned off his phone and tossed it to the couch as he approached Eeteuk. He leapt forwards, hands ready to grab Eeteuk, but his hyung was too fast. Narrowly escaping Hankyung’s wrath, Eeteuk bolted to the door, swiped up his shoes with a hand and slipped out the dorm’s door before paying the consequences.

It was a few days later when Eeteuk was out at the movies with Ji Hyun. They were standing in line to buy food when suddenly, they heard a voice,

“I didn’t know you two would be here!” Hankyung laughed as he approached them,

“I’m sure you didn’t,” Eeteuk muttered as Ji Hyun asked about his health,

“How’s the rash? Not painful or burning or anything?” She looked at him with concerned eyes as Eeteuk barely stifled a laugh,

“No, no,” Hankyung grounded out with a plastered smile, “It’s all better,”

“That’s good,” Ji Hyun gave him a brilliant smile that almost made him faint and made Eeteuk red with anger,

“What movie are you watching?” Hankyung asked,

“The new movie that came out with the panda that does kung-fu,” Ji Hyun explained, her eyes dancing, “I heard it was good; what are you seeing?”

“Oh, the same thing,” Hankyung answered easily,

Eeteuk gave him a slanted look, “Really? Can I see your ticket?”

Hankyung gave him an icy look above a bright smile, “You don’t work here… and I happened to have thrown it out just now,”

Ji Hyun watched them confusedly before suggesting, “If you’re watching the same movie, why don’t we all watch it together?”

Eeteuk was close to murder when Hankyung took a moment to appear as if he were considering otherwise before answering with an inevitable, “Of course, I will! This’ll be fun!”

Eeteuk glared, “Fun indeed…”

After the movie, Eeteuk insisted he walk Ji Hyun home. Naturally, Hankyung insisted he walk her home as well. Not sensing the tension between the two friends, Ji Hyun happily allowed both of them to walk her home. However, as they were walking, an awkward silence fell upon the three and Ji Hyun was the only one oblivious as to why.

Finally as they reached her house, she turned around and looked at them silently before saying goodbye. “Is… something wrong?” She asked finally, glancing back and forth between the two,

Eeteuk and Hankyung glanced at one another before looking at Ji Hyun and stating in unison, “We need to know.”

Ji Hyun blinked at them confusedly, “Know what?”

“Who you like better,” Eeteuk answered,

“Eeteuk-sshi or me?” Hankyung added,

Ji Hyun’s mouth opened slightly in surprise before she let out a nervous laugh, her pale cheeks pinking at the question, “I… I really hate to tell you this, but I don’t like either of you. Well, I do, but just as friends,” she looked at them hesitantly, “I thought you knew that…”

“So you don’t like either of us?” Eeteuk repeated,

“Just as… friends?” Hankyung echoed,

She shook her head slowly, “No, I’m sorry… But…” she looked down at the ground, her voice suddenly small and shy, “there is someone I do like…”

They watched her carefully, and both of their jaws dropped when she revealed a name.

Later when Eeteuk and Hankyung got home, they entered quietly, shuffling, eyes glued to the ground. Their other dorm mates, Donghae, Shindong and Heechul were eating dinner when they arrived.

“How was your date, Eeteuk hyung?” Donghae asked as he put down his chopsticks,

“Did you manage to spoil it, Hankyung-sshi?” Shindong added with a grin,

They looked up after taking off their shoes.

“She doesn’t like either of us,” Eeteuk muttered resentfully stuffing his fists into his pockets,

“She likes someone else,” Hankyung mumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest,

The other three members looked at each other before looking at the other two,

“Who?” Heechul prompted.

Instead of answering, however, Eeteuk and Hankyung glared at him darkly.

“I’m going to call Kangin,” Eeteuk said bitterly as he retreated to his room,

“I’m going to email Shiwon,” Hankyung decided as he went to his own room.

The three were silent as two consecutive doors slammed. Silently, Donghae and Shindong glanced at Heechul who had continued eating his meal despite the dark glares sent his way. As if feeling their stare, he looked up at them.

With wide, innocent eyes, he tossed his head causing his hair to flip back as he stated smugly, “Can you blame her?”