I Don't own Boys Before Flowers; only any charactors from this story not previously in BBF and also this plot line is mine.
At my own Hands
Chapter 1: Sweedish Berry
I stood at the gate to his plane awaiting his goodbye. He was saying goodbye to all of us.
"How long until you return?" I asked my stomache tied into knots.
"Four years, possibly longer," he told me. "But when I return, you will be the first one I come looking for. If you haven't found your soulmate up until then."
"Flight 2009 to Sweden now boarding." The intercom echoed through the airport. My heart jumped as the realization had dawned on me that he was really leaving.
Everyone was there waiting to see him off. Except Woo Bin. Which is odd. I thought they were best friends? Maybe they had gotten into an argument and he was mad with him. Stupid man. I would still see Jan Di off even if her and I had fought.
"Be seeing you," he told them all. Ji Hoo Sunbae stood there smiling his warm smile, Joon Pyo stood behind Jan Di, and I stood farther off. There was no use in moping, but I put on a happy smile as he was finishing his goodbyes with Joon Pyo and Jan Di.
"Ga Eul,"he looked at me and put his hands on my shoulders. "Take care of yourself, okay?"
I nodded still looking at him. He surprised me by wrapping me into a hug.
"Don't change..." he whispered into my ear. "Don't change from this Ga Eul..." I closed my eyes and breathed in. He smelt like burning wood and spices. I wanted to burn the scent into my nose so that was all I could smell. But he pulled away as I felt someone behind me. I looked around and it was Woo Bin Sunbae. "Ya, I thought you didn't want to see me go. You don't believe in goodbyes." Yi Jeong smiled.
"Hey, I figured why not? You'd do the same for me even if you believed the same way." Woo Bin Sunbae's smile lit up the whole gate. It was contageous as we all smiled even as Yi Jeong Sunbae was leaving us. I stood between the two as they talked, I was about to move away when Yi Jeong looked back to me. "Woo Bin," he said looking back to his friend.
"Hm,"
"Whatch over this one, keep her out of trouble." He smiled. I never got into trouble. I thought that was Jan Di who was always in trouble?
"But-" I started to say but Woo Bin's arms came around me. I froze. Yi Jeong just smiled as if there was nothing wrong with the way Woo Bin Sunbae was holding me. "She won't go anywhere or do anything!" he declared. Everyone laughed except me, I made a small smile and wiggled myself free.
"Last call for Flight 2009 to Sweden!" A flight attendant called from the gate. We all smiled and waved as Yi Jeong Sunbae bourded his plane and flew away.
I had completely forgotten that I rode to the airport with Yi Jeong Sunbae. "Jan Di-ah, I hadn't realized that I had rode here with Yi Jeong Sunbae, could I ride back with you and Joon Pyo Sunbae?"
Before Jan Di could answer Joon Pyo leaned in over Jan Di's shoulder, "Why don't you ride back with Woo Bin. He's watching over you now isn't he?" My face lit up bright red and Jan Di elbowed Joon Pyo in the chest. He faked a hurt expression.
"Ya, I'll take her back. I'll be a man of my word for Yi Jeong. Let's go Ga Eul, you're not leaving my sights." He smiled again.
I Was still hot in the cheeks when Woo Bin opened up his passenger door for me to get in. When I had he closed the door. I said to myself to keep things simple and make this ride home the littlest amount of awkward as possible, so I mentally decided just speak when spoken to.
"So," Woo Bin said as he started the car and drove out of the airport parking lot and onto the freeway. "Where to?" he asked. I looked at him confused.
"What do you mean Sunbae?"
"Well it is only nine o' clock on a Saturday night, you really want to go home?" He looked at me.
This was probably that moment when he was going to realize just how much of a babo I really was that I actually did want to go home even though it was a Saturday night.
"Well what is your suggestion?" I asked trying to sound cool.
He smirked a little and my stomache did a small flip. I am NOT going to fall for his charms too. It's bad enough that Yi Jeong had me wrapped around his finger I wasn't going to let it happen again.
"Well, would you like to get a drink with me?" he looked at me, and then back to the road.
I had to think about it. This actually wasn't pretend, or acting. That would be nice for a change. But I looked down at my clothes, I wasn't dressed to go to a club. " I can't Sunbae, I'm not dressed to go out."
He looked at me, and then my clothes. "What you're wearing doesn't look bad. It's just a drink. Not a date. You just look as though you need to relax. Yi Jeong does have a tendancy to stress women out. So do the other two."
"And you don't?" I remembered over hearing some girls from Jan Di's school at a cafe once going on and on how they had not heard back from Their dashing prince.
He smiled and looked out his window a second then over to me then back at the road, "Okay I guess we all do, But I don't want you to stress you're face looks ugly when you get stressed."
"Sunbae!" I said a little hurt.
He put a hand up in defense. "I said when you get stressed! When you're not stressed you're quite cute." he said a little quietly towards the end.
"Thanks Sunbae, I'm so thrilled you noticed." I said a bit aggitated now. I did want a drink. The past couple months dealing with my dad's job, then my mother worried wether or not I would get married. Then my decision to live on my own in my own apartment. Then Yi Jeong leaving.
"Okay. One drink as friends."
Three beers later...
What are you talking about Woo Bin Sunbae! There are Ten fingers on both hands!" I held up both of my hands so he could see.
"No Way, there are eight!" He held up his hands and stuck out both thumbs, "These are your thumbs! They are not fingers!"
We both laughed. We knew how stupid the argument was, but we both enjoyed the amusement of it.
"I think three is enough for me, time to go home now." I was reaching for my coat but he touched my hand. I looked up at him slowly. I didn't quite understand why my heart was racing, but as I looked at him, somthing stirred inside me. I didn't want to be used anymore! I don't want to be another one of the F4's playthings. I was a real person, with real feelings, "Sunbae-"
"Woo Bin... please, just call me Woo Bin."
"Woo Bin-ssi, I do have to go it's getting late."
"One more. And I promise to take you home myself." I looked at him and then smiled. Just one. "I'll be right back. Don't leave!" He went to the bartender. After he ordered he turned back and looked at me from across the bar. I turned back before he could see me watching him. He was so nice. He wasn't as cold and cool as Yi Jeong Sunbae. He was warm, light hearted and so easy going. He was right about being the one with the least amount of stressed involed. He ended up explaining it as girls liked stress, it seems to keep them going, keeping them busy. That's why they stick around. But with him, if he keeps the stress out of the situation, girls tend to not really stick around.
But I loved the no stress idea. It just makes the world go around much smoother. I smiled. It was as he thought too. He came back with two small glasses that had what seemed to be a red liquid in them.
"What on earth Sunba- Woo Bin-ssi," I corrected myself as he looked at me.
"It is called a 'Sweedish Berry'. It's fruity, you'll like it."
"Does this have anything to do with Yi Jeong Sunbae?" I didn't really like the idea, it made me set the small glass down and look at it with a sort of distaste.
"How about we look at it as, thanks to Yi Jeong going to Sweden, I wouldn't have had the chance to get to know you better tonight, and for him going to Sweden, and me getting the chance to keep you out of trouble," He winked at me.
I rolled my eyes. "I suppose." We lifted the glasses and both finished it...
When I went to bed that night, I fell asleep with mixed emotions. They were both completely opposite eachother, yet, they both had me in some sort of daze. I didn't really understand. I would call Jan Di tomorrow and hopefully figure out something to do with these feelings.