there's gotta be some butterflies somewhere (wanna share?)
read on ao3 âą masterlist
summary: They were light and dark, yin and yang. Kang Dan and Kang Sol were a set, unbalanced without the other. Despite their differences, it was always clear that neither sister would leave the other.
Until one did.
aka: what would have happened if kang dan made her flight.
a/n: hello! and welcome back to me, being a clown for solhwi! this fic was inspired by a tumblr post by @yonikiyo-blog and idea from @steph0707! i really just needed sol pining and oblivious and some kang dan and joon hwi being partners in crime ! as always, enjoy and feel free to reach out if you have requests or ideas for some more solhwi content !! i'm @/chayenzo_sxfik on twitter !
Identical twins are supposed to be alike in all genetic characteristics and appearance. From first glance, the two sisters fit this description. Their mother often dressed them in identical sets of clothes, identical hairstyles and identical shoes.
The only way they could differentiate based on appearance was through their hair; coincidentally, their hair described just how dissimilar the two were. Kang Danâs midnight hair described her personality best: focused, calculating and enigmatic. Kang Solâs much lighter hair matched hers well: bubbly, expressive and honest. Kang Dan was quicker, smarter in ways that Kang Sol could never match. Many would say that the twins didnât fit the definition of identical twins very well.
But Kang Sol has always found an affinity for the alternate definition: twins are something containing or consisting of two matching or corresponding parts. While their facial features were matching, their personalities fit together like a puzzle. Kang Solâs bravery and loyalty in defending her sister during the times she would get bullied. Kang Danâs cunning and defensive nature when boys at her school found her sisterâs lack of grace hilarious. They were light and dark, yin and yang. Kang Dan and Kang Sol were a set, unbalanced without the other. Despite their differences, it was always clear that neither sister would leave the other.
Until one did.
Itâs been 4 years since Kang Dan left, but when Kang Sol saw her at the entrance of their hideout, it was clear nothing had changed. Her sisterâs expression was as guarded as ever, her posture straight and her movements with an air of grace that Kang Sol was never able to replicate. Yet as their eyes met across the room, it was like their twin senses clicked back into place, as if nothing had ever changed. As if she had never left.
âHello. My name is Kang Dan, and as you might be able to tell, I am Kang Solâs twin. Nice to meet you,â she stated with a curt nod in greeting, scanning the room. She did not smile, in typical Kang Dan fashion, but took a seat across from Sol, her sisterâs gaze boring into her.
For a moment, the whole room was silent, as if they were gazelleâs startled by a sound, wide eyed and curious. But as soon as Kang Dan reached for a file from across the table, they resumed their work.
Internally, Kang Sol sighed. This was a usual routine for her, of course. Despite all the love she carried for her sister, she knew that Kang Dan will always be the one she canât reach. It was no secret, the whole school knew as soon as Erica Shin was revealed as a guest lecturer at Hankuk Law School. As they grew up, it was clear that Kang Dan and Kang Sol were on two different levels.
Not that Kang Dan ever cared. For her, her twin was always at par with her, but Kang Sol knew that at some point, she would have to stop dragging Kang Dan behind. She just assumed that she would get a warning before Kang Dan decided to abandon her.
It was a common phenomena in her life, people always stepped over Kang Sol just to get closer to Kang Dan. Kang Sol was fiercely loyal to everyone in her life, and believed in everyoneâs ability to do good. As a result, Kang Sol always got her feelings hurt the easiest, despite her tough and brave exterior. As much as she protected Kang Dan from incessant bullying or jealousy from other classmates, Kang Dan protected Solâs feelings. Sheâd double check who Kang Sol decided to trust, always vetting out the groups she hung out with.
Of course, after Dan disappeared, she assumed that people would stop trying to get close to her to get close to her twin. And for some reason, she had thought she could exclude her study group, but of course they were no different. It wasnât apparent yet but she knew they would be clamoring to impress her in due time. Who wouldnât want to impress a Harvard Law School graduate? Sol couldnât even blame them for wanting her twin opinions and approval. Just as long as she still has Ye-Seul and Han Joon Hwi.
Someone cleared their throat then, shaking her out of her thoughts. âHello. My name is Han Joon Hwi, itâs nice to meet you,â Han Joon Hwi had spoken, facing her twin sister with an outstretched hand. His eyes flickered towards her just for a moment before he met Kang Danâs gaze head on, refusing to yield to her. Please donât tell me she caught that look.
But nothing escapes her twinâs eyes, especially when it concerns her twin sister. She pursed her lips as a silence stretched on and Kang Sol held in a breath. But Kang Dan offered a hand to him, and Kang Sol felt her shoulders relax. Why do I care so much? He informed her of the case at hand, the challenges theyâre facing and helping her sort through the documents. Watching them work in tandem made a green feeling arise within her.
To an outsider, he looks confident in himself, like heâs challenging her but Kang Sol knows better. Itâs clear to her heâs nervous, his weight slightly shifting on his feet, his other hand thumbing a repetitive pattern on his sweatpants. Seeing just how nervous he is in front of Dan made her want to scoff. Why did I think heâs different again? Of course, once he realizes how much more beneficial and less of a waste of time Kang Dan is, heâll go skirting to her, walking the halls with Dan, like he used to with her. Itâs only a matter of time. She shook off the feeling, shoving it into a deep corner of her mind where it wonât ever surface again.
Their group continued on working, slowly gaining confidence to speak in Kang Danâs presence. Their day concluded just as it started, with them sitting around the table speculating about how they can prove Prosecutor Seo and Assemblyman Koâs involvement in the hit-and-run case. Sol assumed that as the week progressed, the group's curiosity with her twin would only die down, but oh, how wrong she was.
Bok-gi and Ye-beom were obviously the first to bombard her with questions, trying to absorb as much information about her as possible. She would roll her eyes at every question, their curiosity only ever growing the more she answered. A few more questions and theyâd probably start asking about her social security number. Ye-Seul, ever the loyal one, only went as far as to make small talk with her. Ye-Seul was always the one who listened to her pains and troubles at home, often ranting about Kang Danâs departure left her scrambling, so it was safe to assume that her best friend was weary of her twin sister. Ji-ho, of course, was the least starstruck one. Figures considering that Kang Dan is in his league intellectually, so she often stumbled on them talking about the latest cases.
Her roommate was the oddest one out of her friends. The first day she met Sol B, she wouldnât even spare her a glance, let alone a few words. From the year they had spent together, it seemed nothing could ever shake the girl. She always sported a neutral expression, her voice never betraying her emotions. Yet, the calm, collected Sol B was somehow shaken at Solâs sisterâs presence. Most people couldnât tell, but Sol has been living with her long enough to recognize changes in her roommateâs behavior. She would watch as her eyes widened when Kang Dan approached her, and the shaking breath that would leave her after a short conversation with her twin. It was⊠odd.
Last but not least, it leaves⊠Han Joon Hwi. His reaction to her sister was the one that hurt the most. Han Joon Hwi was one of the smartest students at their University, with a sharp mind and a friendly demeanor. Mr. Second Round Judicial Exam was built to work in law so it came as a shock to the majority of students when they would spot the bottom-of-the-ranks Sol A hanging out with him. But when she was with him, it didnât matter what everyone else thought as they were too busy bickering and teasing.
But now, the boy who always waited for her in the halls, the one who spent his free time at her side, talking about nothing and everything was at Kang Danâs side instead. Every moment she saw him, he was accompanied by her twin. It seemed like he saw Dan more than she got to interact with her. Sol was definitely not jealous. It didnât bother her that his smiles were supposed to be reserved for her. She definitely did not mind that he sat next to Kang Dan and not her when they planned for the case in the hideout. She wasnât hurt, not at all, when she saw him huddling with her in the break room, his ramyeon in front of him as they spoke in hushed tones. It didnât matter right?
But watching Han Joon Hwi work with her sister, laughing together, only distracted her from her work. Soon, she spent more time watching them than reading her textbooks, stewing in the familiar feeling of that should be me. So she started finding her isolated desk at the library, opting to stay away from her study group. Itâs for the best, she convinced herself, as the small corner of her heart hoped that he would search for her.
âDo you know her favorite flower?â Kang Dan asked him, after a moment of silence as they worked through preparation for a separate case. The corners of his lips lifted, but he stifled his smile as he looked up at the girl he once thought was an enigma. Itâs been almost two weeks since Kang Dan had arrived at Hanguk Law School and it was obvious that the whole school was enamored with her. You couldnât expect any less from a school filled with some of the best and most competitive students from across the country.
When he first shook hands with Kang Dan, he could tell that she was the exact opposite from Sol. The warmth and bubbliness was a signature of Solâs that was nowhere to be found in Kang Dan. Sol had a specific way of speaking, often teasing towards him but with an underlying sense of care and trust. Instead, her twin was the exact opposite; her demeanor was cold, calm and efficient. Her voice held none of the speech intonation that Kang Solâs did. Her intelligence was admirable but the tenacity and passion that he was in Solâs eyes was nowhere to be seen with Kang Dan. In a lot of ways, she resembled Kang Sol B more than Sol A. He, of course, wasnât blind. From the moment that Kang Sol B and Kang Dan had shook hands he could tell that there was something between them.
The first time Kang Dan had approached him, it was in the cafeteria and asked about none other than Kang Sol B. They started off with small talk but, as collected as Kang Dan was, it didnât take a genius to see that she was more interested in Sol B than she ever was with him. Nevertheless, since this was Sol's twin, he had an impression to make, so he helped her out and played innocent, answering her questions. Kang Dan being an intelligent and sharp girl picked up on his feelings for her twin.
âAm I that obvious?â he had asked her, when Kang Dan confronted him about his (not-so-subtle-as-he-thought) feelings for Kang Sol.
She snorted. âI think everyone but her knows about it. Trust me, my sister will not know unless you put it right in front of her,â she had replied, eating some of her noodles in front of her. âIâll help you out with her, if you help me with Sol B.â she propositioned, and he, eager to know more about Sol, accepted.
âWhat will I get from telling you her favorite flower?â he quipped back, shaking away his thoughts and continuing to type away at his laptop, his eyes flicking up to her just for a moment.
âIâll give you some advice,â she replied, her voice calm. âIf you really want to impress my sister, you should consider spending more time with her instead of her twin.â Kang Dan shot him a look when he finally lifted his head from his laptop.
âI could say the same about you,â he replied back. She narrowed her eyes at him. âWhich is why⊠ah Sol B! Over here!â Joon Hwi held up his hand as he spotted Sol B across the cafeteria.
âWhat are you doing!â Kang Dan hissed at him, trying to reach for his outstretched hand.
âYou want to know about her favorite flower so badly? Ask her yourself,â he smirked at her as Sol B reached their table. âAh Kang Sol, do you think you can show Kang Dan around the botanical gardens on campus? She mentioned she never got to see them during her time on campus,â he smiled up at Sol B, and before she could respond in the affirmative, he started packing up his stuff. âGreat, thank you!â he exclaimed, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, âIâm going to check on Sol A, have fun!â
It was a quiet weekend at Hanguk Law School, as Sol entered the school library. It being a lovely day out, none of the students opted to stay inside the stuffy library.
Everyone except her, of course.
The past two weeks were harder on Sol and she could feel it more today, the sun and birds outside mocking her gloomy mind. She hated to admit it, but she was wrong. Not having Joon Hwi at her side was affecting her more than she ever wanted it to. She didnât know when the lack of his presence in her life became unnatural to her but his absence left a hole in her life. Wherever she turned, he was always there. He was a constant and unyielding presence in her life, helping her through the worst moments and laughing with her in her happiest moments.
There was no denying it anymore; Kang Sol A liked Han Joon Hwi. She didnât know when it started and despite the pang in her heart as she watched him interact with her sister, she didnât want it to end. She wanted to keep liking him, even if it was from afar, the happiness that bloomed in her heart at the sight of his face is something she clung to.
She dropped her head onto the desk in front of her, inwardly groaning about how she got into this situation. Until two weeks ago, she was content with every moment, every smile that she got from him but these couple days, she found herself craving more. Sigh. Sol A, you will just need to relearn to be content again.
âWhy the long sigh, sunbae?â his voice echoed out, and there he was, standing behind her desk as if nothing had happened. As if he hadnât ignored her for the past week, he casually strolled up to her, spinning her rolling chair to face him. She lifted her head to meet his towering gaze, a scowl spreading across her face as she faced him.
âItâs such a pretty day out, Sol. Why are you cooped up inside?â he asked her, his head in his signature tilt. Because you were too busy chasing after my sister to bother spending time with me.
She cleared her throat instead, trying to keep her face as neutral as possible. âI need to brush up on some of the older codes we learned. Not all of us have memorized Koreaâs laws, you know?â she almost winced at how bitter her voice sounded, but no matter. He deserved it for abandoning her so quickly when her sister arrived.
âAhh. Well, I think you deserve a break! Letâs take a walk around campus, hm?â he asked her, smiling softly, his bangs almost in his eyes as he brought his head closer to hers. Her heart rate spiked as she felt the soft pufts of his breath. No, no, no, you canât give in, Kang Sol. Stay strong.
âWhy donât you go with my sister, instead?â she asked, keeping her voice as casual as possible, as she shifted her head away from him, choosing to focus her eyes on the pillar.
âAhh,â he replied instead, and she closed her eyes, knowing that sheâd given herself away. Joon Hwi pulled the chair closer to him, bracing his hands on each arm of the chair, trapping her in. He leaned in closer to her, his proximity throwing out all her bitterness. âDo you think Iâm in love with Kang Dan, Sol-ah?â he asked, his voice overly sweet and she could tell that his face held that infuriating smirk.
She pursed her lips, partly because her mind couldnât think of a response. But no response came. Instead, Joon Hwi pressed his lips to the curve of her neck and she gasped. Just like his unrelenting presence, so were his kisses. He continued trailing the curve of her neck, and she swallowed as the pace of her breathing increased. All her thoughts of jealousy were replaced with the need for more from Joon Hwi.
âAnd what evidence do you have to prove this claim, hm, sunbae?â he taunted her, pulling away slightly, the smirk still not washed away from his face.
âHow do you explain the amount of time youâve spent trailing after her?â she questioned, cursing herself for how breathy her voice came out.
âHave you noticed that your sister has a particular affection for your roommate?â he asked in response, a slight smile spread across his face.
Sol B?Of course, she never acts like that⊠unless she likes her⊠Oh. Oh. The realization of her sisterâs feelings for her roommate slapped her. Joon Hwi laughed in response and she cringed at herself, for being so jealous this whole time when he had only been helping his sister. How could she have been so blind?
âSo you donâtâŠâ she trailed off, finally meeting his gaze as she felt her face heat up from embarrassment.
âNo, I donât like her,â he answered, âFor me, itâs only you Kang Sol-ah.â He kissed her softly then, their lips meeting for just a moment before he pulled away. He smiled brightly at her, his gaze softing as she relaxed, a small smile spreading across her face. âNow, will you come roam the campus with me? Or are you going to sit inside all day?â he challenged her, pulling away to grab her hands and pull her up from the chair.
The two left the library, hand in hand, identical grins spread across their faces. And if anyone at the school noticed, they showed no surprise, knowing that the school balance was finally restored with Kang Sol at Joon Hwiâs side.
The SUBTLETY of SolHwiâs ending just shows how POWERFUL this couple is!
The writers didnât need to confirm anything about their relationship.Personally, I never felt that there was any room for doubt or speculation about the strength and sincerity of their relationship (literally only about their âofficialâ status maybe). But their relationship was always one of unconditional support, unwavering confidence and mutually-assured peace + HEART EYES & SMILES. I donât think there was doubt in anyoneâs mind - even for those who shipped joon hwi and sol b - that,
Umm law school: the squad gets tired of watching solhwi dance around each other with joonhwi making heart eyes and an obliviously small-scale jealous sol who thinks he likes sol b, so they lock them inside the copyroom or something like that?
firstly, thanks for the prompt anon! and please enjoy this mostly yeseul-centric drabble, featuring some members of the squad and the good old fashioned trope of "locking them in a room to confess" with a bit of a twist.
word count: 888
After months of the two of them, Sol A and Joonhwi, dancing around each other, with Joonhwi making puppy dog eyes at her when her friend doesnât notice, and her friend visibly still stuck on how Sol B likes Joonhwi, Yeseul has had enough.
Normally, she doesnât like interference in matters of love. Especially with her realization that the issues she had werenât her fault, but rather her exâs she doesnât even know if she really understands love anymore.
Yeseul would think if it wasnât for how completely oblivious the two of them are. They act like a married couple sometimes, especially around her even though sheâs only two years younger than her. Whatâs even more infuriating, is that Sol A thinks Sol B still likes Joonhwi. Meanwhile, Yeseul can tell that that crush (the one Sol B had) has died a miserable death. Not that her friend would believe her if she said that.
No, Sol A will just keep quietly pining away, or potentially reject him for her roommate.
And Joonhwi, if he says anything, will accept whatever she says at face value.
And Yeseul will not have that occur. If she canât have the romance of her dreams, and doesn't even really want it anymore, sheâll make it happen for someone else. And who better than her close friend Sol A?
Of course, she needs to be careful about this. Yeseul doesnât want to make the situation worse after all. But with the aid of Bokgi and Jiho, Bokgi who wants to help and has reassured her about Joonhwiâs feelings for Sol A, and then Jiho who reconfirmed and promised them an alibi, if anything to pull one over his roommate, the three of them have a plan.
Which is why sheâs currently nudging Sol A in the direction of the copy room. âCome on,â she gives her a smile, like everythingâs fine. Sol A follows along, clearly deep in thought. Which is great, because that means sheâs not paying attention, and Yeseul can just shove her in there.
Gollumâs given them the key, so once the two of them are in there, they can just lock the door.
Yeseul does her best to sound as calm as possible.
Then in one movement, she swings her friend forward, shoving her inside, with the two jumping out to help her close the door. âSorry, unni,â she calls out, âhad to do this.â
Fumbling with the key, she manages to lock the door, turning to Bokgi and Jiho, who give her a high-five and a nod between the two of them.
âJoonhwi oppaâs in there?â
Jiho nods. Someone bangs on the door and Yeseul knows what that sounds like. Itâs the same knock Sol A does at her door.
âYeseul-ah?â Sol Aâs voice rings through the door. âWhatâs this?â
Yeseul puts a finger over her lips. âSay nothing,â she hisses. âIâll open the door in an hour, and Iâve let everyone know not to take their calls. That way, itâs just the two of them.â
âNoona, you really think this will work?â Bokgi responds, âI donât want Joonhwi hyung coming after me.â
âItâll be fine,â Yeseul says, though the confidence is mostly fake. âNow come on.â They sneak out, just as the banging on the copy room door stops.
~~
Kang Sol sighs, turning to face her new boyfriend, who cocks his head to one side.
âI told you we should have told them,â she huffs, ânow look. Locked in a copy room together, because they think we need a push or something.â
âBut Sol,â Joonhwi moves closer to her, and she just relaxes into his grip. âMaybe they have a point. Youâre not paying all that much attention to me right now.â
She sighs, bringing him in for a quick peck to his cheek. âStudy room date?â
âStudy room date,â he nods, and she sits in his lap, opening her books as he anchors his head over her shoulder.
~
Two hours have passed and Yeseul, along with Bokgi and Jiho flanking her, opens the door. Only to see Sol A sitting on Joonhwiâs lap. Her hand flies to her mouth in shock. Already?
Joohwi and Sol A look up, giving all three of them a look.
âYou-â Bokgi stutters.
âHave been dating for about a week.â Sol A responds, shooting them a grin. âThanks for the uninterrupted date, it was quite nice of you three to help us out. But next time, Joonhwi can give you a lecture as to what laws youâve broken by doing this.â
Yeseul shakes her head slightly. Of course they got themselves together. She sighs. âYes, unni.â
âBut nice try.â Sol A continues, resting her head on Joonhwiâs shoulder, as if it's the most natural thing in the world.
And while she may have been wrong about locking them in the room together, she was right. Joonhwi and Sol A together make Yeseul believe in love, and that it exists, again.
aw wait- i just realized that joon isnât that concerned with sol A being down like this from studying because he knows she can do it and that she is her own independent woman who can be successful (he just needs to give her a lil tease and push sometimes).
bonus: jealous joon when sol A ignores him and talks to SJ (this is the only time the whole scene he kinda acknowledges SJâs presence lmao).
you know what keeps me up at night. it's the fact that joonhwi's only real friend in law school is kang sol a.
seo jiho may be his roommate, but because of joonhwi's relationship with seo byungju, jiho has always kept him at a distance and somehow always regarded him with suspicion. now that they're past that, joonhwi is helping jiho with his dad's case, but it's still a case. it's still, in a way, a favor.
we can say that he's friends with yeseul but that doesn't necessarily mean that they treat each other as equals. maybe it's the age gap, maybe it's the perceived difference in intellect, but yeseul looks up to him so that usually stops her from being casual around him.
from kang sol b's personality alone, we know that she barely talks to anyone unless it's a snappy remark. when it comes to joonhwi, her feelings towards him can maybe tame her a bit, but it holds her back from being her true self precisely because she has a crush on him. around joonhwi, she gets shy.
for seungjae, we never actually see the two properly interact - actually makes me wonder how or why joonhwi accepted him into the study group in the first place.
bokgi, we can argue that they're friends, sure, but we don't see enough interactions or hints that would make me believe that they were actual close friends. usually, it's bokgi and yebeom who are the inseparable duo, and we all know yebeom likes to talk his shit. honestly, the way yebeom talked about joonhwi behind his back when he was accused for killing his uncle ticked me off. it didn't help that bokgi just sat there and took it, particularly in ep 3 when they were talking about where joonhwi could have hid evidence and literally no one defended his honor just because he wasn't there.
no one, except kang sol a.
sometimes it makes me wonder if people in hankuk law school only find interest in han joonhwi just because he's a second round judicial exam passer. and sure, at the beginning, kang sol a was a victim of this too. when he was being sued for defamation, i remember her saying, "if you leave the school, what about my studies?" so okay, sure, let's establish at the beginning that she also is interested in him for his utility.
but then she finds a reason to defend him - for defamation, she understood that he did it for the public interest. in fact, right after she successfully defended her answer in front of the class, she looked longingly at joonhwi's empty seat, as if she wished joonhwi could have been there to see it for himself.
and then when yebeom talked behind his back while the police were interrogating him, what did kang sol a say? "stop talking about a guy behind his back. if you're dying to know, ask him."
and that is the basic respect that everyone forgets to give joonhwi just because he stopped being useful to them. but kang sol a, whether unconsciously or not, "pays him back" by being useful to him as well.
after joonhwi was confronted by his aunt, telling him to sign a contract denouncing his name on seo byungju's will, there was a moment where he sits alone, sullen, and kang sol a stares at him from afar. she knows words won't do much for him, so she takes matters into her own hands. she was the one who discovered that joonhwi's aunt manipulated the autopsy, because deep inside, she knew that joonhwi was someone she could trust.
i think that's when the shift in their relationship started. what once was "two people in the same study group" turned into an actual, meaningful friendship, cultivated by a silent promise that one would help the other out even if they didn't ask for it. because they were no longer expecting anything from each other, they could actually talk about things other than school.
and true enough, we see sol a let joonhwi into a part of her life that no one else at school knew about â her family. her home. and then eventually, their shared past. that bond goes beyond study group obligations, which is more than we can say for everyone else joonhwi has interacted with so far.
and most importantly, even though sol a is completely oblivious to the not-so-subtle glances that joonhwi sends her way, it's not like she doesn't have her own way of showing her fondness to him: it's the fact that she can rant to him (and often does so) that makes me think she likes him a lot more than she's aware of.
think back to episode 8: who else would she be so comfortable enough with to admit that she actually thought about stealing exam papers? or in episode 6 where she opens up about having a twin sister? or in the same episode, when he asks her if she's okay and she can honestly answer that she isn't? or in episode 9, where she runs to him about an idea that she stayed up all night thinking about? you can only talk about stuff like that with someone you're close to, someone you share a connection with, someone you trust.
not to mention, they always go to the trials together. it's a small gesture, but the fact that they are in each other's presence, is enough to make me believe that one seeks the other out to invite them in the first place.
and that's why, whether there are romantic undertones or not, i'm happy that han joonhwi has found a friend in kang sol a. not only are they same-aged friends (which is i think a big deal in their culture), but they're lucky enough to be on the same wavelength that they can count on each other when it matters the most, when things are serious, but also have a little (or a lot) of fun when things aren't so serious, when they need to be reminded that they have a life outside of law school.
and when you get to share a part of your life with someone, a part of yourself that you wouldn't necessarily share with just anyone else, well, isn't that just the makings of a soulmate?
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