This story was written with reference to Episode 22, when Jihoo confesses his love for Jandi through a poetry reading.
What if it were Yi Jeong and Ga Eul in their place?
(Note: Even though the scene is referenced in this story, the timings and such are in no way the same. This is a stand-alone one-shot.)
All poem excerpts do not belong to me, they are by the great e.e. cummings:
.com/poem/i-carry-your-heart-with-me-2/
.com/poem/i-have-found-what-you-are-like/
.org/view_?poemID=407
(Note 2: The excerpts are used in their original formatting, so there are no mistakes in spacings etc.)
This story is © Ruby 2009. The characters, however, aren't mine. (sniff)
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It's such a good day to be alive, a contented Yi Jeong thought to himself.
And truly, it was. The sky was a dream of pure azure, and the sun illuminated everything in its path, enhancing the already enchanting reds and oranges of the fall leaves. A cool breeze lingered in the air, gently caressing skin. It was the kind of weather normally immortalized in photographs, but today, it was real.
Autumn would never fail – for the season was his lady's namesake, after all.
Yi Jeong and Ga Eul spent the greater Saturday afternoon having a picnic at the park, taking this rare opportunity to relax and enjoy each other's company. He had surprised her at her doorstep earlier in the day with a picnic basket full of food specially prepared for her (with a little assistance from his hired help, not that she needed to know). They happily tucked into a variety of finger food and delicately cut sandwiches, washing them down with sparkling grape juice.
"That was such a nice picnic, Yi Jeong sunbae," Ga Eul complimented after the scrumptious meal, as they strolled down the cobblestone path. "I didn't know you could make such a nice potato salad."
"Hey, these hands can do more than just make pottery, you know."
"I hope you at least washed your hands before you made it though," she teased, grinning cheekily, "I thought I could taste some clay in there…"
"Yah! Watch what you're saying, you…"
Yi Jeong reached out and tried to tickle his sassy miss, who managed to dodge the attack. Ga Eul stuck out her tongue at him in defiance. Grinning, she made her escape, running down the pathway. He ran after her a little awkwardly, with the picnic basket in tow.
He chased her to a park bench a few metres down the path, where she now sat, her eyes covered in anticipation of her 'punishment'. Yi Jeong slowed to a stop. As he walked towards Ga Eul, he couldn't help but smile at the sight of her, sitting pretty in her white blouse and red skirt ensemble, her long hair pinned loosely with a red rose clip. He magnanimously chose to let her off this time, simply seating himself next to her, and putting the basket down next to him.
Ga Eul peeked through the gaps of her fingers after a few moments to make sure her tormentor was appeased. When she was convinced he wasn't going to torture her with tickles, she scooted closer to him on the bench.
They sat in silence for a while, Ga Eul's right arm linked through his left snuggly. "I wish we could do this every day, sunbae," she murmured.
Yi Jeong stared into the deep blue sky thoughtfully. He wished for that too, to spend every single day with the girl that captured his heart… but not that he'd actually told her. Then again, it's not like she doesn't already know. Right? He'd kinda said it that night on their fake date at the club. But that didn't count. Did it? I didn't mean it then.
Really, how hard could it be to tell her how he felt? His Casanova self had once charmed many a female with his saccharine words and honey-coated tongue. He knew the right words to say to flip the right switches… but then this is different.
This is the woman I love.
As they continued to sit in a companionable silence, Yi Jeong decided to seize the moment. The day was golden, and there was no time like the present.
He carefully reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a small book he had brought to read. It was a compilation of his favourite poems, a gift from Jihoo on his birthday a few years ago. The words in this book meant the world to him, and there were some in particular that meant even more, especially now that the object of his affections was seated by his side.
Yi Jeong found it strange that Ga Eul hadn't asked him why he had taken out the book, but didn't think too much of it. He was glad she didn't, anyway. It shamed him that he had to hide behind the words of others to express how he felt, but it was a start.
He flipped to a page and began to read softly, to himself.
I carry your heart with me(I carry it in my heart)
He paused for a moment to contemplate. What Yi Jeong liked best about that line was that though it wasn't a direct, in your face declaration of love, it was beautiful enough. Heartfelt. But was it too abstract? A huff escaped his lips. She had to get the message.
He decided that it was necessary to take another course of action. He turned a few pages after his initial choice and settled on another of his favourites.
I have found what you are like
the rain
That started off nicely. Ga Eul is like the rain – she was refreshing, she refreshed him and gave him a new lease of life. Yi Jeong continued to read through the poem under his breath, and found that the final stanza was something that he could declare to her:
And the coolness of your smile is
stirringofbirds between my arms;but
i should rather than anything
have(almost when hugeness will shut
quietly)almost,
your kiss
He looked up from the page. Too desperate? Too forward? I don't want her to think that all I want to do is kiss her, Yi Jeong frowned. He turned a few more pages and finally settled on a poem that would definitely encapsulate all he wanted to say. And this time, he would say it out loud.
Yi Jeong drew in a breath and closed his eyes. He knew all the words by heart.
i love you much(most beautiful darling)
He paused, bracing for a response.
more than anyone on the earth and i
like you better than everything in the sky
-sunlight and singing welcome your coming
As he released those words into the open air, Yi Jeong felt a slight pressure on his left shoulder he hadn't felt previously. He looked down, and there Ga Eul's head was, resting lightly on his left shoulder. Just as suddenly as it rested on his shoulder however, her head jerked up. He watched as she blinked her eyes groggily, trying to re-orientate her vision to the sunlight. Removing her arm from his, she gently rubbed the side of her head and yawned.
"Sorry sunbae," she mumbled sleepily, "The weather's so nice and cool, I must've fallen asleep." She stood to stretch her limbs and straighten her crinkled skirt.
Yi Jeong remained rooted to the bench, amazed and annoyed that his literary confession had gone unnoticed. He stuffed the book back into the picnic basket and stood up abruptly. "I think we should go," he said in gruff voice, grabbing the picnic basket and walking briskly ahead of her.
"Yah! Yi Jeong sunbae! Wait for me!" He heard Ga Eul call out from behind, and heard the pad-pad-pad of her ballet flats as she caught up with him.
He felt her grab his right arm, and he turned to face a bewildered Ga Eul. "Hey, what's wrong with you?" she asked, her voice filled with confusion and concern, "We were just sitting there and then I fell asleep…"
"What? I can't believe you fell asleep! We weren't just 'sitting there', y'know!" Yi Jeong replied in exasperation, his voice beginning to break, "At least I wasn't! I was trying to…"
Ga Eul cut Yi Jeong's rant short by grabbing his coat and pulling his face closer to hers. When she put a finger to his lips, his expression immediately changed from one of frustration to one of curiosity.
"You know," Ga Eul said softly, a gentle smile lighting up her face, "I liked it better when you were poetic." She pulled him closer, and their lips met in a soft, gentle kiss.
The picnic basket dropped to the ground with a loud 'clunk'.
Yi Jeong's eyes widened in momentary surprise, but soon began to feel all the tension in his body melt away as they kissed. Closing his eyes, he drew her body closer to his with his free hands.
They stood in each other's embrace for what seemed like forever, till Ga Eul broke the kiss. He opened his eyes and met her smiling ones, as they fluttered open.
It took Yi Jeong a while to get his breath back. "Ga Eul-yang, y-you heard…"
"It wasn't hard, y'know," Ga Eul said, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Your whispers weren't very soft. So, of course I found out about how you carry my heart with you, and how you, mmm, should rather than anything have…"
She reached up and finished her sentence with yet another kiss on his lips.
Breaking away for the second time, Ga Eul giggled as she wiped away a lip-gloss smudge on Yi Jeong's lips. He laughed and pinched her nose lightly.
"There was something else though, did you hear it?"
Ga Eul smile waned slightly as she shook her head.
Yi Jeong gazed into her eyes deeply and smiled. As he pulled her closer, he felt her tremble slightly in his arms.
"I…" he began whispering, leaning forward till his lips were right next to her left ear, "…will race you to the car."
With that, Yi Jeong picked up the picnic basket and ran in the direction of the car park. Ga Eul, once realizing what he'd done, picked up the pace and followed closely behind, yelling out to him in mock protest. Ever the gentleman, he eventually slowed down, turned and held his hand out to her in a wordless apology. He even allowed her the obligatory indignant slap on his arm.
They continued their run back to the car hand in hand, laughter piercing the afternoon peace, the wind running its slender fingers through their hair. As Yi Jeong glanced at his beautiful autumn maiden, one line nestled comfortably on his tongue, waiting to reach the ears of his beloved:
I love you, Ga Eul-yang.