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He used to be so smooth. He used to be charming and suave and everything a girl wished her boyfriend could (never) be.
So what was it about a pretty girl with bright eyes and an even brighter smile that turned him into an awkward, pimply teenager?
So Yi Jeong inwardly cringed. He was neither awkward nor pimply (as a matter of fact, his skin was clearer than most girls), but something about Chu Ga Eul made his throat close up not unlike his peanut allergy and made him stutter his way through their first date.
If one could call a raucous engagement party (Jan Di refused to have the celebrations Chairwoman Kang's way and brought her own stash of soju) that ended in having the two of them drag a drunk Ji Hoo home a date.
Maybe it was the fact that she actually waited for him to come back from Sweden.
Maybe it was how her eyes lit up in that familiar, adorable way (that made him want to ravish her in the most inappropriate manner in front of five-year-olds) when he went to find her first.
Or maybe it was how she just believed in him; that he would come back, that he would be an even better potter, that he would change.
And somehow, that made Ga Eul even more amazing than Yi Jeong could ever imagine.
He's not sure if he ever really deserved amazing.
They walk side by side in the chilly streets of Seoul (his car decided to act up again, that lousy piece of Italian craftsmanship), his fingertips brushing hers in a completely innocent way. Her cheeks are flushed and she's biting her lip as if she's holding back everything she wants to say (I missed you, don't leave me again, I'm in love with you sunbae) and all he wants to do is kiss her senseless in the middle of the crowd. It's never been like this between them before. Four years ago was a lot simpler, a lot more innocent, and had a heck of lot less sexual tension.
"H-how have you been, Yi Jeong-sunbae?" Ga Eul is nervous and she's stuttering, everything he should find unattractive but simply thinks it's the cutest thing in the world when she does it.
A flirty smirk curls on his lips out of habit. Teasing and witty banter were much familiar territory for the former Casanova.
"Ga Eul-yang, are you still blushing around me? I thought we were past this" Yi Jeong grins cheekily.
Ga Eul's cheek pink, but she manages to throw him a dirty glare. She stops walking, places her hands on her hips, and eyes him defiantly. Her dark hair billows in the wind like some kind of shampoo commercial, and Yi Jeong thinks he's gone mad because he never thinks about someone's hair that way, not even his.
Maybe Woo Bin was right about him being a pussywhipped coward.
"Yi Jeong-sunbae, are you still going to act like a five-year-old and tease me like one? I thought we were past this" she shoots back snappishly, but Yi Jeong catches the amused sparkle in her bright, bright eyes.
Yi Jeong laughs, his rich, husky voice making her shiver.
It's not from the cold.
He never realised how much he's missed Ga Eul until she's standing in front of him four years later, somehow changed and somehow not, making him laugh and breathe and feel, and he knows-he just knows- that someday he's going to marry this girl.
They're so consumed in each other, in what-used-to-be and what-could-will-be, that they barely notice the striking young man making their way towards them.
"Again and again…"
To say she was startled was an understatement. Ga Eul's dark eyes widen as she finds herself serenaded by Jaebeom of 2PM, grinning cheekily at her as he winks at her. An uncontrollable blush stains her face as he breaks out into a backflip sequence. She lets out a shy giggle and sneaks a glance at Yi Jeong.
He looks like he's torn between admiring the guy or calling up Woo Bin's men to 'take care of him'.
Jaebeom finishes his impromptu dance routine and bows politely to Ga Eul, his eyes twinkling. She claps enthusiastically, a wide grin spreading on her face and a fangirlish squeal on the tip of her tongue. Yi Jeong reluctantly claps, rolling his eyes.
He could've sang and danced if it meant Ga Eul was going to melt into a puddle of goo for him too!
"Jaebeom-sshi? From 2PM? I can't believe I'm really meeting you! And you were dancing and singing-oh my God, this just too cool!" Ga Eul knows she's gushing and Yi Jeong is standing right beside her, but it's Jaebeom from 2PM!
Jaebeom smiles sweetly, and brings her hand delicately up to his lips.
"Anything for a pretty lady" he croons out of one of 2PM's new songs.
Ga Eul is close to swooning, and Yi Jeong thinks his eyes are going to fall out from rolling them too much. Before he can make a snarky comment about 2PM, Korean boy bands and Korean entertainment in general, Jaebeom promptly moves on to the next pretty girl that walks by, bombarding her with the same treatment as he did to Ga Eul.
Ga Eul sighs, a dreamy smile still painted on her face. Yi Jeong folds his arms over his chest.
"You'd think 2PM were making enough money without resorting to busking on the streets. Is JYP not feeding them or something?" Yi Jeong tries to keep the resentment out of his voice, but fails miserably.
Ga Eul laughs, and something inside of her swells.
"Are you jealous?" she asks oh-so-innocently, nudging him with her elbow.
Yi Jeong scoffs too quickly, and brushes her off. He can feel a flush creeping up onto his cheeks, but he's a member of F4, goddammit! No woman should reduce him to blushing!
"Of course not! Why should I be jealous? I'm just saying, the way the music industry is working their singers is going to backfire on them when they collapse from exhaustion from over-promotion" he says in a lofty voice that makes him sound superior and all-knowing, but it's Ga Eul and Yi Jeong knows she sees right through him and is probably laughing at him on the inside right now.
But when he sneaks a glance at her, she's watching him with a soft smile that makes his heart flutter just once.
"What?"
Snow is just starting to fall, with flakes floating down and slowly blanketing the entire city. Everyone in Seoul looks up into the sky, enchanted by the simple beauty and the beautiful simplicity, and remembers everything that they ever loved, love and will love.
Everyone except the young couple in the middle of the streets, staring at each other like they could be (will be) everything.
"Did you ever think about me when you were in Sweden?" her voice is small, timid, as if she's afraid to know the answer.
Yi Jeong takes a step closer. He can see the flush of her cheeks and how cold her lips look.
"All the time" he whispers, and Ga Eul sucks in a breath.
"Why didn't you ever call me? Or email me? Or even try to contact me?" she still won't look at him, and he thinks it's adorable.
Yi Jeong gently tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, his breath mingling with hers, and Ga Eul trembles ever-so-slightly.
"Why didn't you? You could've contacted me just as easily, but you didn't"
She opens her mouth to retort, but the soft, almost-vulnerable expression on his face stops her in her tracks. Ga Eul looks away, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest. It's too much, too soon, as if he was trying to make up for all the years they'd lost. But fuck, she has to know.
"Did you ever-I mean, are you in lo-do you-"
"I love you"
Ga Eul freezes. All the air seemed to have disappeared and she's left hanging onto Yi Jeong like he was her lifeline. She searches his face for a sign, that he's lying, that he's playing with her, that's he's just toying her emotions.
But all she finds is a sincere smile and a look in his eyes that almost made her knees buckle.
"…Oh"
Yi Jeong raises an eyebrow. A declaration of love from a hardcore playboy (albeit reformed) and all he got was 'oh'?
"Oh? That's it? I thought you'd be crying or fainting or asking me to marry you by now"
Ga Eul looks at him as if he's grown another head and promptly bursts out laughing. Yi Jeong pouts childishly as the love of his life doubles over, giggling uncontrollably at him. That was the last time he was ever confessing his feelings, that's for sure! Yi Jeong harrumphs aristocratically, before stalking off. Heels click behind him as Ga Eul attempts to catch up.
"Sunbae! Wait for me! I was just kidding" she wails, tugging on his arm.
Yi Jeong refuses to look at her face, because if he does he knows he'll lose all his fight. Ga Eul sighs.
"Honestly, you're just like one of the kids I teach at school" she mumbles exasperatedly, knowing full well Yi Jeong could hear her.
He whips around to retort something about low-paying salaries and pedophilia before all thoughts rush out of his head as Ga Eul tiptoes and presses her lips against his in a searing kiss.
It's the beginning and the end and the years they desperately need to make up and the years they have to come and Yi Jeong doesn't think anything could ever top this moment-
"I love you too"
Never mind.
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