Another Day, Another Shot

It was Nice Tonight

hello hello 👋🏼 I'm back with some Dooly best friends trope aka THE BEST TROPE EVER 😌 ENJOY ✨

PROMPT: Yoon Se-ri came home from yet another failed date.

IT WAS NICE TONIGHT

Yoon Se-ri just came home from yet another failed first date with some bachelor. She was frustrated, but more upset.

Time and time again, it was another failure.

Ri Jeong-hyeok heard the door as Se-ri unlocked it with her fingerprint. His fingerprint was there as well, because as her best friend, he had full access to her apartment whenever he wanted. It was mostly used for his escape from his one night stands. Do note that he lived just right across the hall, and yet, he loved spending his time at her apartment because her place had a better view of the Seoul skyline compared to his.

Se-ri's heels clattered on the floor, the gold metal chain of her bag strap rubbing on the leather couch as she dropped it.

A sigh escaped from Se-ri's lips. "How was it?" Jeong-hyeok asked, even if he already had an inkling of what transpired during her date.

"Don't even ask," Se-ri said, as she grabbed whatever Jeong-hyeok was munching on. It was ice cream. Perfect for sulking.

After a few spoonfuls, Se-ri grabbed the whole pint from Jeong-hyeok. He just laughed at her childish antics he knew too well. He didn't mind because he actually found it cute. Because as much as she was a grown and independent woman, she was still a little girl at heart. Especially when she's around him.

"Want to talk about it?" Jeong-hyeok tried to pry more information from Se-ri again.

Jeong-hyeok turned off Netflix, and adjusted the living room's heater. He grabbed the blanket, and put it on Se-ri. It was a cold winter night, so he wanted her warm. That's the least he could do after her shitty night.

"First, he was late. I almost thought I'd get stood up. Again," Se-ri started. Jeong-hyeok grabbed the spoon from Se-ri, scooped some ice cream, and continued listening to her.

"You could've called me. I could've been your replacement date instead. I'm way better than him for sure. Whoever that man was," Jeong-hyeok said. Se-ri smiled at his thoughtfulness. That was what she loved about her best friend. He was always ready to rescue her from potential embarrassment, regardless if it was a fancy event, a boring date, or all of her other activities. He'd always save her.

"And then he apologised. It was fine. We ordered. We talked. Until he talked and talked. He talked TOO MUCH! It was mostly bragging, to be honest. It was over the top, trying too hard to impress. It wasn't natural. The conversation didn't flow. There wasn't a spark," Se-ri sighed.

"Again, you could've called me. I could've saved your ears from bleeding," Jeong-hyeok reminded Se-ri. This time, she laughed at his hilarious remark. Count on him to make her laugh during those times.

"I just can't help but think about what's wrong. Why can't I have one nice date for once? They always suck," Se-ri said. "I dress up nice. I act nice. I listen. I talk. What am I NOT doing right? It's frustrating," she added.

To let out Se-ri's frustration, she tried to put her hair down, removing the hair pins that's hurting her head.

"The only thing nice about this was I get to pretend I'm normal. Even if only for a moment. No CEO responsibilities, no financials, no employees. Just me trying to enjoy my personal life," Se-ri said.

Jeong-hyeok noticed Se-ri's having a bit of a hard time with her hair. "Come here. Lean on me." Se-ri sat closer to him, her back to his chest. He gently removed the bobby pins holding up her hair, already an expert at it because of all the nights they spent together after her fancy company events.

Conveniently, there was a hairbrush on top of the coffee table. Jeong-hyeok brushed Se-ri's hair gently after removing all the pins. She had really nice, soft, silky, and long hair. She hummed in response, with her eyes closed. "That feels good."

"You're NOT doing anything wrong, Se Ri-ah. Maybe you just haven't found the right person yet," Jeong-hyeok said. "You're one to talk. What happened to Ari? Or was it Da-Eun?" Se-ri said, referring to his latest arm candy. "She walked out the door."

"You should look for a nice girl, Jeong Hyeok-ah. Stop your flirting ways already," Se-ri tried to convince Jeong-hyeok. "We were talking about you. Not me."

"Okay, okay. I'm just saying. Maybe we're meant to be single for the rest of our lives. I mean me more than you," Se-ri said. Jeong-hyeok laughed.

"Maybe we should try dating," Jeong-hyeok blurted out. "Weren't you listening? I've had enough of these failed dates," Se-ri replied. "I mean us. Maybe WE should try dating. Each other..."

There was a moment of silence.

"Okay," Se-ri simply said with a small smile on her face. Jeong-hyeok turned her around from their comfortable position on the couch, excited with her answer. "OKAY?"

"Okay," Se-ri laughed at Jeong-hyeok again. "You're like a teenage boy who's promised a date with his crush."

"Alright. I will set everything up for our date tomorrow night. Prepare to fall in love with me," Jeong-hyeok said, full of confidence and excitement.

"And if I don't," Se-ri challenged Jeong-hyeok. "You will," he said with finality.

"Daebak! You're so confident, Mr. Ri," Se-ri teased Jeong-hyeok. "I have a bunch of ideas up my sleeve, Ms. Yoon."

"I've read too many of your romance novels on the shelf. I think I know a thing or two about what women want," Jeong-hyeok added. Se-ri laughed once again. "Honestly, you know what women want, Jeong Hyeok-ah. You're good at making them feel good, telling them what they want to hear. All those sweet nothings. You're charming. The thing is, you just don't want a girlfriend."

"Contrary to what you think, Se Ri-ssi, I do want a girlfriend. Just not them," Jeong-hyeok told Se-ri, clearly referring to the other girls he spent time with. "Then who?" She asked.

"I just asked her on a date tonight," Jeong-hyeok replied smoothly. This time, instead of laughing, Se-ri blushed. He laughed at her shyness.

It was a nice night after all. Maybe dating your best friend wasn't that bad after all.