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If you had told him that he would be woken up in the middle of the night by a drunk Jae-hwan - the police detective stumbling into his living room and obviously upset about the fact that Eugene was considering taking a job back in America - then Joong-yeop probably wouldn't have...

...

...Actually, come to think of it, Joong-yeop probably would have believed that.

Alright, yes - maybe he hadn't expected everything that had happened in the time the detective arrived at his apartment. It didn't mean he was all that surprised, though.

Because as much as Joong-yeop loved his friends dearly - and he did, he really did - he truly didn't know how he managed to befriend two of the most oblivious beings in existence.

And he wasn't the only one frustrated by it.

Just the other week, both Gun-young and Ha-na had come over for drinks, and once they had gotten to talking, the two had bemoaned the fact that neither Eugene nor Jae-hwan had confessed their feelings for one another already.

"You should see sunbae at work, hyung," Gun-young had whined - gesturing with his can of beer. "He keeps staring at Eugene-noona and smiling like he doesn't even notice how big he's grinning. I don't get why he just won't tell her how he feels!"

"And Eugene-unnie," Ha-na added, pouting into her glass, "No one makes her laugh like sunbae does. I bet she feels the same way."

Joong-yeop hadn't known what to tell the youngest members of their group that night. After all, even he didn't understand why neither Eugene nor Jae-hwan had confessed their feelings. He had spoken to both of them separately about it already, but his efforts had been rewarded with either one of them quickly changing the subject.

He suspected that both Eugene and Jae-hwan had assumed that they could leave that discussion for another day - content to simply share in each other's company for the time being.

However, while Eugene had chosen to stay a little longer in South Korea once they had closed the Chimera case, she had told them a few days ago that she had received yet another job offer. This offer was different from the first one she had declined; it was more competitive and offered invaluable experience - and Eugene had quietly confessed that she was genuinely considering accepting it. They had all encouraged her to follow her heart, of course, but Joong-yeop hadn't missed the sadness that dimmed the light in Jae-hwan's eyes.

The surgeon supposed all of the detective's emotions were coming to a head now.

Placing a glass of water in front of the younger man on his sofa, Joong-yeop couldn't keep the sympathetic wince from his features as he watched Jae-hwan sniffle miserably.

Joong-yeop sat himself down next to the detective - taking a deep breath before beginning.

“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”

"It's nothing, I'm fine," came Jae-hwan's knee-jerk reply. His gaze shifted away from the surgeon - settling instead on his clasped hands, his fingers fidgeting restlessly.

Again, it wasn't anything Joong-yeop didn't already expect. Thankfully, he knew exactly what to do.

With practiced ease, Joong-yeop leaned back in his seat and let the silence drag on - making no effort to fill the quiet.

It would come any second now, he was certain.

In three...

Two...

One...

"I want Eugene-ssi to stay here in Korea."

There it was.

Angling himself so he could fully face the young detective, Joong-yeop listened patiently as the words began tumbling from Jae-hwan's mouth.

"I mean I know it's a big opportunity for her - and of course- of course I want her to take the chance to get all of that great experience. But I just..."

Jae-hwan paused - face crumpling in sorrowful confusion, as the emotions warred in his eyes.

"I don't know," he whispered. "Maybe it's selfish of me but I just... I want her to stay. Our group's weekly dinners - being able to ask her opinion about a case - my mom packing kimchi for me to bring to Eugene-ssi's house... I don't want to lose that."

Jae-hwan huffed out a strained laugh, then - humorless and self-depreciating. Joong-yeop could have sworn his heart cracked in two at the sound.

"It was probably naive of me, huh? Thinking things would stay like this forever. But I... I had hoped, you know? This... this family we have - I don't want to lose it. I don't want it all to change. I want her here - with us."

With me.

The unspoken words rang clear in the room.

A few heartbeats passed in fragile silence;

Then,

"You love her."

Joong-yeop's words held neither question nor uncertainty; it was a statement of what simply was - as true and as basic as the color of the sky.

In reply, Jae-hwan plastered a smile on his face - the grin far too plastic to be real. 

"Of course I do," the detective said, voice filled with false cheer. "We all love her don't we?"

Joong-yeop could only close his eyes in pained sympathy.

"You love her, Gun-young loves her-"

"Jae-hwan."

"-Ha-na definitely loves her-"

"Jae-hwan."

"-Heck, I bet even Captain Ko loves her too, don't you think so-"

"Jaehwan-ah."

The broken laugh that forced itself from the detective's throat made something in Joong-yeop’s chest shatter.

"What?" asked the younger man, feigning ignorance as best he could. Perhaps it would have been convincing to other people - Joong-yeop didn't know. All he could focus on were the tears slowly building in Jae-hwan's eyes.

His expression softening, Joong-yeop slowly inched closer to the young detective who was his little brother in all but blood. Ever so gently - so as not to spook the younger man - the doctor placed a warm hand on Jae-hwan's knee, before giving it a comforting squeeze.

"You know that's not what I meant, Jaehwan-ah," Joong-yeop whispered.

Jae-hwan swallowed thickly - swiping the tears from his eyes as he looked away from the older man. He shook his head.

"It doesn't matter," came the detective's pained whisper. "We all know she doesn't feel the same way."

To this, Joong-yeop straightened - his brow suddenly setting in determination. The same steel that shone in his eyes rang clear in his voice.

"I don't know that."

At the surgeon's firm declaration, Jae-hwan's gaze snapped to the older man. A small tentative hope shone in his eyes - childlike and fragile and precious beyond words - but to Joong-yeop's infinite heartbreak, not a second had passed before that flicker of hope was smothered by none other than the detective himself.

"It's too late," the young man whispered hollowly. "She's going to accept that offer and go back to America, anyway."

"Have you ever considered that she would stay here for you?"

Jae-hwan whined, then - a pained, lost sound.

"I don't- I don't want that though," he managed to choke out. His expression was twisted in pain - tortured and hurting and so, so confused. "I can't be the reason she misses that opportunity. I want her to stay- I want that more than anything - but- but she shouldn't choose to stay. Not for me."

Joong-yeop could only watch - his heart fracturing in his chest - as his dongsaeng buried his face into his hands with a shaky, tearful breath. 

The surgeon just couldn't understand it. Did... did Jae-hwan not see just how special he was? How he was someone worth staying and worth fighting for? Even after knowing him for months, Joong-yeop still couldn't wrap his head around the marvel that was Jae-hwan's compassion. How many people would have given Joong-yeop the benefit of the doubt? How many people would have risked their life to rescue the man who - at the time - was the prime suspect for the death of their father figure? Who else would have stood by Joong-yeop's side through everything like his dongsaeng had?

While he felt his heart twist at the realization that Jae-hwan truly didn't realize just how loved he was by those around him, it also spurred Joong-yeop into action.

He couldn't - he wouldn't let this stand for even a moment longer.

Moving closer to the younger man, Joong-yeop closed the distance between them and sat near enough that his knee knocked against the detective's. While it wasn't enough to make Jae-hwan raise his head from his hands, the point of contact did succeed in making the younger man pause.

The surgeon took a deep bracing breath. It was time his dongsaeng knew he didn't have to struggle with his warring emotions alone.

"Jaehwan-ah," he began, and the tone alone was enough to make the younger man suck in a sharp breath. Joong-yeop's voice was the kindest Jae-hwan had ever heard it. The doctor continued. “I know you don't want Eugene-ssi to lose that opportunity. I understand - really, I do."

The surgeon pressed his knee firmly against Jae-hwan's, then - a solid, steady weight.

"But Jaehwan-ah," Joong-yeop whispered. "I think you need to let her choose for herself. You need to let her make that decision; don't make it for her."

The doctor saw the moment Jae-hwan began to hear the truth in his words. Carefully - hesitantly - the detective raised his head from his hands, and slowly turned to face his hyung. Try as he might, Jae-hwan couldn’t help the tears that sprang in his eyes at the sight that met him.

In his friend’s expression, Jae-hwan found neither judgement nor anger - all he could find was quiet comfort, calm understanding, and impossibly warm affection.

His face softening at the sight of his dongsaeng’s watery gaze, Joong-yeop felt a small smile paint itself on his lips, before he gently placed a hand on Jae-hwan’s arm.

There was something he still had to say.

"Listen to me, alright, Jaehwan-ah?" Joong-yeop whispered. In that moment, he let every bit of affection he felt for his dongsaeng bleed into his voice - the same tenderness shining in his eyes. He squeezed Jae-hwan’s arm, willing him to listen.

"You are one of the most extraordinary people I have ever had the honor of knowing, Cha Jae-hwan - and I cannot think of anyone who would be more worthy of her than you.”

Joong-yeop smiled, then - the expression infinite in its fondness.

“I may not be a betting man, Jaehwan-ah - but if I were, I would bet that she feels the same. You both deserve to be happy. Just… please remember that.”

And at those words - filled with more honesty and more love than Jae-hwan knew what to do with - the younger man couldn’t help the tears that streamed down his face. They traced silent rivers down his cheeks - and for once, he was in no hurry to wipe them away. Instead, he turned to his hyung, gaze overflowing with gratitude and mutual affection.

All the while, Joong-yeop ran a comforting hand between the detective’s shoulders - a warm, grounding touch.

As the minutes slowly turned to hours - the moon continuing its quiet journey across the night sky - Joong-yeop stayed by his dongsaeng’s side, just as Jae-hwan had done for him so many times before.

And when he and Eugene walked in together hand-in-hand a few days later - announcing to their group that they were officially a couple - well…

Jae-hwan made sure to smile gratefully at his hyung then, too.