Can you write Lee Dohyun’s character in The Glory??
no longer needed | yeo jeong
☆ word count: 2.3k words (oof)
☆ warning(s): not edited at all (sorry), angst, sadness all around
☆ synopsis: you were always yeo jeong's number one cheerleader, there for every high and low, always willing to comfort him or lend a hand, until you start to realize he doesn't need you anymore. harboring feelings for him ever since starting college, you are heartbroken to find he has met someone who means more to him than anyone else.
☆ author's note: sorry for taking so long with this. i wasn't sure what you wanted, so i kind of did whatever
first time meeting
It was a chilly autumn morning, and you were a mere few minutes from being late to your lecture. Despite how long you had been staring at the barista working at the coffee shop on campus, they would not move any faster.
You continued to stare as another minute passed, followed by another. Finally, they approached the counter with a single cup. You take a step forward, hoping it was your coffee. A few seconds later, your hope is met as they read out your order.
Only, as you step forward and extend your hand towards the cup, finally grasping it, someone interrupts you. Another hand comes very close to wrapping around yours, but finally retracts. You turn to look at that person.
He is tall and handsome, with kind eyes. He seems to be around your age and he must also attend the same university, you note, watching him adjust his book bag on his back.
He lets out an quiet chuckle before confronting you. "I'm sorry, I think you have my drink." He states, reaching out for it. You pull back, and he looks confused.
You repeat your coffee order to him in form of a question, and he nods. "Yes, that's my coffee order. You're holding--" His words are interrupted by the barista stepping forward with another drink, repeating the same exact same coffee order.
Instead of making a big deal of it, he chuckles again, takes the new coffee, and lets out a loud and playful, "I'm sorry about that," along with a dramatic bow in apology.
Uncomfortable with his loudness, you give him a small bow of your head back before rushing off to a lecture you were already late to.
Little did you know that ever since that day, your quiet life would become much brighter.
----
The next time you see him is a few days later at your part-time job. Yeo Jeong and a friend walk into the convenience store you work at. At first you don't recognize him, and don't even acknowledge his presence until he comes up to pay.
With one look at your face, he recognizes you. He lets out a surprised noise. "It's you. The girl from the coffee shop!"
He extends another loud apology, which prompts you to ring his items up faster. He leaves after paying, and you can only stare at him as he walks out the door.
From that night on, he becomes a regular at the convenience store. Sometimes he only gets some simple snacks, and other times he simply comes by to strike up a conversation with you. At first it was weird to have him show up out of nowhere and have long conversations with him, but you slowly got used to it.
He might have been a bit of nuisance at times, but he even helped you with smaller tasks around the store as you chatted.
You learned a lot about him, he was going to be a doctor like both of his parents, he liked very sweet coffee with a lot whipped cream, he was a genius at playing Go, and he was the loudest and jolliest person you had ever met. Despite this, you couldn't help but feel like something was off about him. Behind the jokes he cracked and the boisterous laughter, something seemed to bother him. You couldn't tell what, and you didn't want to drag his mood down by asking. All that you knew was that sometimes, his smile didn't reach his eyes.
----
After months of visits from him every night shift you had, you were surprised to look at the clock one night as your shift was about to end. Only twenty more minutes and your shift would be over. Your coworker was on their way to take over the next shift, and Yeo Jeong had failed to show up.
You were aware that he was a very busy person, so you didn't exactly expect him to show up every single night, although you did feel disappointed by his absence.
On the way home, you spot him nearby. He is hunched over on a nearby bench, completely silent. His usual bright aura is noticeably absent. You decide to figure out what is wrong with him.
He doesn't notice you as you sneak up. You see him reading a piece of folded paper, a letter. A silent tear drops down his face.
"Are you okay?" You ask, trying to be quiet so as not to scare him but loud enough for him to actually hear you.
He immediately adjusts his posture, quickly putting the letter away and wiping a few tears from his face.
"Huh?" He quickly tries to cover up his mood with a bright smile, although you notice it doesn't reach his eyes. "Oh! Oh, sorry y/n." He pauses for a moment, a look of realization crosses his eyes.
"Did you leave work early?" He asks jokingly. You shake your head.
"Oh, I must've been really distracted, then!" He lets out a light laugh to try to lighten the mood between the both of you.
You sit down beside him, "Are you okay?" You ask, your voice desperately begging for an answer. You reach your hand out, trying to comfort him. Unsure of what to do, you pull it right back.
He doesn't know why, but this question makes him crack. His smile is gone, replaced by a myriad of tears. He sobs, trying to wipe away the never ending flow of tears. You can only hug him and repeat comforting words as he continues crying.
---
After that night, you two had become almost inseparable. Apart from visiting you at work, Yeo Jeong would walk you home and you guys would always make time to meet while on campus. You had scheduled study times and long conversations over coffee.
You two became the closest friends, even going as far as meeting each other's parents and travelling together a few times.
Although he had been reluctant to tell you about his father's death, he found himself in your arms more than once over those letters. You knew the rage he felt, the pain he had endured every time one of them arrived.
You did the only thing you could do-- be there for him. Comfort him in times of need. Cheer him up in his lowest points. Keep him on track when he veered off. You were there for him.
Sooner rather than later, you realize you had developed feelings for him. The way your heart pounded whenever he go too close, how you constantly turned to look in his direction despite being busy, constantly thinking about him even though he wasn't close by. Looking out for him, wanting to know everything about him. Smiling every time your hands grazed while walking side by side. Purposely bumping shoulders with him while in the same space.
Although all of your friends teased you about your very obvious crush, he never seemed to notice how you were head over heels for him.
It is only after he fails to show up for your scheduled study time for the third time that you find him playing Go with a woman in a nearby park. She's beautiful, and only a few years older than you both.
Instead of confronting him, you warn him about staying on track with his studies, as you always have.
He asks that you guys temporarily stop your study times as he has to tutor someone. The days following that, you show up to that park, where he plays with that woman daily.
You couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous. Despite not having anything other than a friendship, your feelings for him could not be denied.
Sure, Yeo Jeong was still meeting you for coffee and walking you home, but something about his interactions with that woman made you feel uneasy.
When that short friendship ended, he came back to you. He was overwhelmingly sad about not seeing her again. He explained how he had been tutoring her, but those sessions were now over.
You thought he would forget her, but as years passed she seemed to stick in his mind like glue.
Every phone call from an unknown number had him jumping in hope. Every woman with a bob and dark clothes, every person who had a resemblance to her made his eyes sparkle in a way you had never seen. His eyes would sparkle the way they never did with you.
---
It had been years since his last meeting with Dong Eun that you had almost entirely forgotten about her.
You both had survived the rest of college and graduated side by side. You started your own business but still made sure to be there for everything Yeo Jeong needed whenever he needed it. More than once you had to stay over at his apartment to help keep him focused on his studies or just to hang out while he was in med school.
During his residency, you were there every step of the way, even going as far as making his home cooked meals every day to ensure he was eating well. You also made sure to bring them to the hospital every day to catch up for lunch no matter how busy both of you were.
Today, however, you were disappointed to find him gone.
"Good morning." You greeted the nurse at the reception.
"Good morning. That's for Yeo Jeong, right?" She asks, taking the lunch bag out of your hands and setting it down on the counter.
You nod, expecting her to call him as usual.
"I can't believe it," She says shaking her head in disbelief. "You come in here every day with a homemade meal for him, how has he not married you yet?"
You laugh her words off but can't help but internalize those words. How come in all these years of friendship, he has never noticed your feelings for him?
"Anyway, he's not here. He left earlier, I thought he was meeting you. He said something about a woman and left all giddy."
"A woman?" You wonder out loud. She nods. "Maybe it was his mom?" You add.
"No, I don't think so. She's still here."
"Alright, well. If he's not here just let him know that I stopped by, alright? Please make sure he eats this." You add, pushing the food closer to her.
"I will, don't you worry."
After finishing your own lunch, you receive a message from him.
yeo jeong 🩷:
Hey~~~
yeo jeong 🩷:
I have good newss 😁
yeo jeong 🩷:
You'll never guess who I met
yeo jeong 🩷:
Can we meet??
y/n:
Really? You missed our lunch
yeo jeong 🩷:
I promise it's really really important
y/n:
okay. just tell me when and where
You meet Yeo Jeong at the coffee shop where you first met. He looks so excited and almost looks like he's about to jump out of his seat.
"What is this good news you were talking about?"
"You'll never guess who I met." His eyes glimmer with a sparkle you had rarely seen before.
You are happy to see him so excited, so you can't help but mirror his wide smile and bright eyes. "MMmm." You take a few seconds to think, but the only thing you can come up with is a distant memory of a woman. Someone who felt so distant you don't even remember her name, despite the millions of times he has told you about her.
He can't contain his excitement as he lets out, "I'm getting married!"
You are so taken aback by his words that you feel your body physically shift back unconsciously. "What?"
"Well, I wanted you to be the first to know. So I am telling you before I tell my mom."
"Wait." You hold up your hand. "Wait," It takes you a full minute to process his words. "You're getting married. But you're not even in a relationship. What are you talking about?"
"Well, I am going to be in one soon. Do you remember Dong Eun?"
"The woman from the Go park? Who you never spoke to again."
He nods, his head bouncing up and down at such a high speed that you thought he was going to get whiplash.
"Yes! Well, I forgot to tell you this but we met again not too long ago on a train, when I left for that lecture. We had a small conversation, but I gave her my business card. And guess what? We met up! I'm moving to set up a practice where she lives. Isn't that great? Your best friend is getting married!"
The emotions hit you all at once, like a blade settling between your ribs. You can only sit in silence as he continues to talk about her.
He soon notices your mood change and immediately tries to find an answer. "What's wrong?"
You're devastated, but you can't tell him that. Instead, you choose think logically. Or, as logically as you can with a broken heart.
"Yeo Jeong, you're the smartest person I know, how can you be saying something as stupid as this?" His excitement immediately dies down, his eyes losing some of that brightness, and his smile dropping at your words.
"What?"
You sigh, "You barely know this woman. Why would you move somewhere else for her? Why would you announce a wedding so suddenly?"
He doesn't know what to say. He's no longer in the happy, giddy mood he once was.
"You don't understand. That's okay. I'm sure my mom will." With those final words, he leaves the coffee shop.
Later that night, you call to apologize. He doesn't pick up. You send him messages which he doesn't read.
The next day when you go to the hospital, you are met with the news that he had already cleared out his office.
When you get to his apartment, the movers are finishing up with moving his stuff.
You call his mom, and after a short conversation you find out he has already left town.
As much as it hurt for you to realize it, Yeo Jeong no longer needed you.
