Disclaimer: I do not own Boys Over Flowers or the characters

A line of people were shuffling out of the tiny apartment space and happily waved goodnight to their good friend, Geum Jan Di, who gratefully thanked them and bid them farewell; her broad grin stretched from ear to ear at seeing the joyful faces of her friends and the freshly-decorated interior of her new home. She stood outside by the stairway to see each of them off; Joon Pyo and Jae Kyung had left about an hour earlier due to a date they planned, so it was only the five of them, not including young Kang San. It somewhat irked her that she would always feel hurt whenever she saw Joon Pyo with his fiancée, but she didn't let it ruin her time with her friends. With or without the couple's presence, everyone still had an enjoyable time telling jokes, stories, or just plain laughing.

"I'll see you later" Woo Bin smirked as he descended down the stairs and disappeared into his expensive sports car, the yellow Lotus Elise SC. He flashed the taillights twice as another gesture of his departure and started down the hill.

"I'm looking forward to the surprises you'll bring for us" Yi Jung chuckled as he gave a slight nod. He felt a particular pair of eyes on him and turned to see that the other lady present, Ga Eul, was trying hard not to appear like she was staring at him. The man flashed his half-grin that melted the hearts of many and coolly offered his arm to her.

"Would you like me to take you home?"

"O-Oh thank you, but it's okay, I'll walk home. It's not too far from here anyway"

"Ga Eul ah, it's late; at this hour, something bad will happen to you. Take Yi Jung sunbae's offer and let him drive you home" Jan Di encouraged, nudging her hesitant friend towards him.

"Y-You're right, I should do that" she said under her breath. "T-Thank you"

"No need to thank me; I am escorting a beautiful young lady home" he playfully winked.

Ga Eul averted her gaze in attempt to hide her flushed face and coughed to clear her throat. Yi Jung's smile widened another inch at seeing her become embarrassed at hearing him purr a line he put no effort in creating. The two walked down the steps and also disappeared into another ridiculously expensive vehicle, Yi Jung's prized, orange Lotus Exige S240. The car's engine revved a couple times before it too rolled down the hill.

Lastly, it was Ji Hoo's turn to leave. He stood at the top of the steps with his hands deep inside his pockets, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. A plume of air escaped from his lips as he breathed in the chilly night air.

"It's windy tonight" he stated. "You should go inside quickly before you catch a cold"

"Ah, but I must see you off first" she replied through her poorly-suppressed shivering.

He silently chuckled to himself, but it was brief, for his face suddenly turned serious.

"Are you okay?"

"Eh? Of course! I had a fun time with everyone today, so I'm really thankful you all came over even if it was a little cramped"

"I meant Joon Pyo"

"Oh" she trailed off. "I-I'll be fine, Sunbae. Don't worry so much about me"

Her smile didn't reach her eyes and her laugh wavered; it was more than obvious that she was trying to reassure him—he had been through this more than he'd like, but as always, he let it slide. There was no use in prying any further—it would only serve to hurt her.

"Okay then, I'll be leaving now"

"Drive safely" the girl chirped.

Ji Hoo nodded and started to be on his way when he was stopped by a rather loud sneeze by a trembling Jan Di.

"Aaahh!" came a squeal when the wind picked up speed and almost toppled her over. Ji Hoo observed her for a moment longer until he decided to ascend the steps. He approached the unaware girl and encircled her with his long arms. He felt her head sink into his chest and could have sworn that she leaned into him. Although he would have liked to think differently, he managed to convince himself it was only because she was cold and nothing more.

"Have a good night's rest" he soft spoke over her.

"You too, Sunbae. Don't stay up too long"

Ji Hoo reluctantly released the thin body in his arms and returned on his way home. The motorcycle engine started up and thundered out of sight, leaving Jan Di alone in the cold.

The girl shuffled back inside and quickly shut the door, turned off the lights, and fell fast asleep next to her brother. She breathed deeply in her peaceful slumber, glad that things were now starting to look up for her, but was unaware of what she was to wake up to in the morning.
-

"All aboard! The train will leave in 5 minutes" a uniformed man bellowed as he motioned for the guests to hurry inside.

Standing on the platform were a young lady and an even younger boy. The boy, with a saddened look on his face, lifted his gaze from the floor. His head swung upwards to make eye contact with the woman standing less than a foot from him.

"I guess that's the signal for me to go"

She smiled sweetly in return and tousled his mop of jet-black hair. She handed him his bag and offered him his train ticket. The boy weaved his arms through the arm straps and reached out to retrieve the small slip of paper. His thumb and index finger grabbed hold, but were unable to get it out of his sister's strong grip.

He glanced up at her questioningly while still having a hand on the ticket.

"Noona, are you sure you're going to be okay by yourself? I can stay with you"

She shook her head side to side and her grin widened.

"Kang San ah, remember that your sister is Geum Jan Di. I'll be okay; I don't want you to suffer anymore because of me"

"But Noona!" he protested, clearly conflicted after hearing her resolve.

"Go and hurry up. They're going to leave you and you'll be stuck with me forever" she joked. She let out a forlorn sigh and stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets.

"Ah, you're lucky"

"Huh?"

"When you'll get there, you will be able to see mom and dad every day and eat with them each morning. At night, you'll be able to talk with them and sleep beside them. How lucky of you"

Kang San motioned to speak, but a loud whistle cut him off.

"Last call! The train is leaving now"

The two hastily looked at each other before they ran towards the train doors. Adding onto the boy's fortune, he had slipped in between the sliding doors just in time and was now settling in his seat. He peered out the window and found his sister waving happily at him.

"Take care of yourself!" he shouted through the glass, waving back at her.

Her face contorted in confusion.

"Take care of yourself!" he repeated. "Eat good food!"

She seemed just as confused, clearly not getting his message. He exhaled in slight annoyance at his sister's density, but persisted on.

"Eat" pretending he was scooping something into his mouth, "Good" flashing a thumbs up, "Food" chewing on an invisible chunk of meat.

A certain glow came about her when she realized what he was trying to tell her. She laughed it off, telling him that she will and that he should greet their parents for her.

He gave a nod and cupped his hands around his mouth.

"I think Ji Hoo hyungnim likes you!"

Again, that look of confusion was stuck on her face and again, he had to act out his words. The whistle blew and the train started rolling. He knew he had little time to do much else and so waved goodbye for the last time before plopping onto his seat. Jan Di weakly held her hand up to do the same, but her brother's words still lingered in her mind.

Sunbae likes me?

She furiously shook her head, dismissing the thought and gathered her own suitcase and exited the station.
-

Geum Jan Di set off to the streets in search of a place to sleep, dragging her single suitcase along the uneven roads. She had come from visiting her best friend, Ga Eul, in hopes that her offer to reside in her house was still valid, but to her dismay, it wasn't. Her aunt had arrived the day before and wanted to stay with them for a couple weeks or so. What rotten luck she had sometimes.

"I'm really sorry" Ga Eul apologized as she bowed her head.

Ga Eul straightened from her bow and smiled.

"I know! We can share my room" she exclaimed. "It became a lot smaller since my aunt moved some of her belongings into it, but we can fit right in"

"Ah no no, it's ok" she tried to reassure her. "It can't be helped and I don't want to bother your family"

The pouting girl lunged at her friend with her arms spread wide and engulfed in her in a tight embrace.

"Our poor Jan Di is going through so many troubles. It's heartbreaking to watch"

Jan Di sighed deeply into her friend's shoulder and patted her back.

"Yeah, it's been getting really tough now. I'm not sure how much more I can take"

Ga Eul pulled away from the embrace and stared straight into her friend's eyes. With her brows slightly furrowed and eyes bulging, she seemed angry.

"Don't say that" she stated. "You are Geum Jan Di, the toughest girl in all of Korea. You had the guts to stand up to those snobby, stuck up F4 guys and even tamed them. If you survived that, you can survive anything!"

"Thank you" she grinned as she hugged her.

"I know, why not ask one of them to let you stay at their house? With the amount of money they have, they could house a dozen of people"

"Them? Who are you talking about?"

"F4!" she nearly shouted. "I'm sure they won't say no to you"

"No, I've already bothered them enough with my problems"

"Hm? Are you sure?"

"Mm" she nodded. "Ah, it's getting late. I should be leaving"

"Oh alright. Goodnight—be safe!" she called out to her departing friend.

And that was that. With a house that was too expensive to continue renting, the demolition of the apartment she just adjusted herself to, and the high-occupancy of her best friend's home, she had nowhere else to go. To the side, she spotted a man wearing a weathered, patched coat enter an underground subway station. She decided to follow him and saw newspapers and other trash litter the floor.

A few bodies lied here and there, sleeping or getting drunk with friends. Their laugh echoed in the small space and a certain stench wafted up her nose. She definitely didn't want to sleep here, especially out in the open with men surrounding her, but she didn't have much of a choice. She strolled farther down and spotted a vacant spot with sheets of discarded newspaper already strewn out.

She set her suitcase down and started to straighten out the newspaper to make a makeshift bed. She was just about finished when she heard thundering footsteps approach her. Her head turned towards the man and saw that he was heavily intoxicated. He took another swig from the soju bottle in his stubby fingers and tossed it to the side, releasing a loud and less-than-pleasant belch while tipping sideways. He stared down at her with his glazed eyes and frowned.

"What *hiccup* are you doing here?"

"I don't have anywhere to sleep, so I came down here" she replied nervously.

"That's my bed" he growled. "I sleep here"

"Ah, really? Ahjusshi, there's a lot of space around here" she pointed out "You can sleep anywhere, so please find another area and make yourself comfortable there"

"No, get out" he demanded as he pushed her out of the way and stretched out on the pile of newspapers.

"Ahjussi!"

"Go away, you're too noisy" he grumbled.

"Ahjussi, I was—"

"Didn't I tell you to go away? I *hiccup* am going to sleep"

She huffed and daringly grabbed onto the back of his coat. With both hands latched onto the old cloth, she furiously shook him in attempt to get him to move.

"Ah, this girl!" he exclaimed as he shoved her back. She fell on her tailbone and softly groaned from the impact. The man struggled to get on his feet and towered over her, his nostrils flaring and his mouth twitching.

"You're really bothersome! If you don't stop pestering me, you'll really get it"

"Eh? Ahjussi, don't you know? I am not the one at fault; you were the one who took my bed from me when I spent so long arranging it"

"What?"

"That's right, I was here first, so that makes it mine, not yours"

"This girl really wants a beating!" he fumed as he raised his hand high above his head.

When Jan Di saw his hand quickly falling towards her, she tightly shut her eyes and curled up within herself, waiting to feel the pain shoot through her body. A moment passed and another; she was now wondering why he hadn't hit her yet. She opened her eyes and saw that the man's hand was stopped by another. The man's face was full of surprise and he was frozen in his place.

Jan Di slowly turned to her savior and what she set her sights on nearly had her eyes bulge out of their sockets. Standing in front of her was a young, good-looking man wearing what seemed like expensive clothing and a thick helmet over his head. Strands of golden-brown hair spilled out from the inside of the helmet and she knew immediately who had come to save her.

"Sunbae" she whispered, still in shock at his sudden presence.

He faced her with concerned eyes and let go of the older man's arm, not before, of course, shooting an icy glare at him.

"Let's go"

"E-Eh?" answered the still stunned girl.

Ji Hoo didn't bother repeating his words, for he grabbed her suitcase in one hand and caught her hand in the other. He didn't give her time to respond, for they were already climbing the stairs. He continued leading her until they stood in front of his stark-white motorcycle and only then did he stop to load the suitcase on the seat.

"Hop on. I'll help you up" he motioned while handing her a helmet.

By now, Jan Di had regained her senses and was able to speak.

"S-Sunbae!"

"Yes? Is there something wrong?"

A new wave of concern filled his softened eyes; she noticed it and shied away, automatically feeling guilty that she had gotten herself into another mess and that he had once again gone out of his way to rescue her.

"I'm sorry I keep bothering you" she mumbled. "You must be tired"

In response, he merely smiled at her, to which she anxiously smiled back.

"Geum Jan Di's firefighter can't be tired" he grinned. "He has to act fast whenever he hears the emergency bell and be ready to put out the fire"

His tender gaze and sweet, boyish smile sent her heart racing. She tried to ignore her rapidly beating heart, but to no avail. It was just about impossible to ignore how this man, who was as generous as he was handsome, made her feel sometimes.

"Are you ready?" he asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Eh?" she replied as she snapped out of it. "Ready for what?"

Again, he just smiled at her and didn't say another word. He held the helmet with both hands and gently slipped it over her head. She peered up at him with a question playing on her lips, but he instead hoisted her on the motorcycle before swinging his own leg over the side. The engine roared alive and before Jan Di had the chance to ask her question, the motorcycle lurched forward and the two were speeding down the vacant streets.

Jan Di squeaked at the sudden jerk and attached herself to Ji Hoo's broad back. She could feel him tense and gradually relax under her fingertips and wondered whether he was okay with her doing that. He didn't seem to have any complaints—not that he ever really voiced them out anyway, but she drew back her arms just in case.

To her surprise, as soon as she retracted her arms from his sides, he sped up and revved the powerful engine even more, prompting her to return to latching onto him.

"We're almost there; I'm going to go a little faster, so hold onto me"

Jan Di's eyes blinked rapidly in confusion, but did as he asked. She nestled her helmet into his back and hesitantly laid her palms flat against his abdomen.

Ji Hoo seemed very pleased and couldn't seem to contain his happiness; an ecstatic chuckle rumbled in the back of his throat and his heart was doing somersaults. The sensation was foreign to him; he was a bit scared, but most of him was more or less content. After all, he was in no rush to end the night; he wanted to further explore these feelings he was experiencing, especially when he finally has the opportunity to spend time alone with a certain clumsy girl by his side.
-

"Ah~" Jan Di sighed happily as she strolled out of a restaurant with Ji Hoo following closely behind. He watched her spin in full circle while gazing up at the night sky and giggling at how good she felt at the moment. She stopped without warning and took a step towards him. This caught him off guard and he immediately stopped in his tracks.

"Sunbae, thank you for treating me to dinner" she beamed. "Let me repay you somehow"

"It's alright. All I ask is for you to continue being yourself" he said as he patted the top of her head.

The two basked in the comfortable silence that they shared and played out an entire conversation through their eyes. A multitude of emotions fleeted across their faces and teasing smiles pulled at their lips. After a while, Ji Hoo remembered that the girl had to report to work early tomorrow. Despite his wish to continue being in her company, he knew that he couldn't afford to let her neglect her responsibilities. Even though the owner of the porridge shop was a dear friend of hers, a workplace was still a workplace.

"Are you ready to go home?"

"Mm, let's go" she replied, oblivious to his deflated mood.

Ji Hoo fastened his helmet and did the same for her. The two hopped onto the bike and made their way back to the tiny apartment. With Jan Di's arms around him in an embrace, he couldn't help but feel warm all over. The ride there was much longer than intended; Ji Hoo had his mind elsewhere and barely noticed that they had arrived in front of the ruins of what was once the rundown apartment. His dark brown eyes wandered up the unrecognizable mess and immediately turned to the girl behind him in hopes of an explanation.

"What happened here?"

"U-Um, that is, our home was scheduled to be demolished this morning" she whimpered.

She didn't dare go on; she didn't want him to worry over her. He, however, knew better. He cleared his throat and snapped his head towards the front. He didn't look it, but he was actually irritated. He knew from the start who was behind the whole thing and the thought of it boiled his blood, but he couldn't let her know. He remained to appear clueless of the situation and let her believe in that notion.

"You don't have anyone to stay with?" he asked, trying to retain his cool.

"N-No" she laughed nervously. "Everyone has helped me with so much; I don't want to bother them anymore than I should"

"I see. Geum Jan Di, in that case, do you want to stay over?"

"Ah thank you Sun—EH?" she exclaimed, her jaw dropping and her eyes popping out. "S-Stay over?"

"Mm" he nodded. "Do you want to? I have plenty of spare rooms you can use"

"Ah but…" she paused, mulling over the possible consequences.

- Goo Joon Pyo will be angry if he finds out I slept over Sunbae's house instead of consulting him

- No, stop it! He's engaged to Jae Kyung unnie; he has no reason to involve himself in my affairs anymore. He's the successor to Shinhwa Group and he must focus on - maintaining the business. It's what was decided for him

- Goo Joon Pyo still likes me though. Does he expect me to wait for him after all the times I've been pushed away? Should I? What should I do?

Jan Di pursed her lips together and nodded vigorously. Ji Hoo looked at her in slight disbelief, but was overall elated. As if his prayer had been answered, he was unexpectedly given more time to cherish with her—indeed a rarity, seeing as how he mostly took on the role as her honorary firefighter just as he had done not too long ago.

"Okay, hold on" he called back to her as he restarted the engine.
-

Moments later, the motorcycle swerved into a wide driveway that led to a luxurious, traditional-styled house. The engine was cut off and the two stumbled into the spacious house, the statuesque man lugging her suitcase along. Jan Di's big, doe eyes wandered back and forth to marvel at the beautiful home her sunbae lived in. She cautiously stepped into the living room and took a seat on the white couch. Not long after, a head of golden-brown hair appeared from around the corner. The man had shed off his jacket and walked to take his own seat beside her.

"Your room is to the right, next to mine" he stated casually. "I've left your belongings beside the bed. Is there anything else you'd like?"

"No, I'm alright" she bowed in gratitude.

"Would you like some tea?" he motioned for the porcelain teapot.

"Oh no, that's fine" she stopped him. "If I drink tea, I won't be able to get any sleep and I'll need all I can get for tomorrow's shift"

He gave an understanding nod and proceeded to place the teapot back in its place. He then eased into the couch and let his hands fall in between his legs. Beside him, the pale-faced girl fidgeted in her seat. She didn't seem to be comfortable with the idea that she was going to sleep in a house alone with a man. Given, that that man was none other than Yoon Ji Hoo, the sweetest, most caring gentleman she's ever known, but he was still a man and she was a woman.

"T-Thank you again for letting me stay here for the night, Sunbae" she stuttered while trying to avert her gaze elsewhere.

"Anything for our Jan Di" his lips curving into a gentle smile.

"I'll do my best not to bother you! I'll leave as soon as I wake up and clean the house after I get back"

The man snorted a laugh and leaned forward to meet her shifting gaze.

"You don't have to do that; I'm glad to have you here. It's funny, I'm usually uncomfortable being with other people other than the F4, but for some reason, I'm not when I'm with you. I find myself wanting to be with you each day"

A tanned hand extended out to her and brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her eyes. The girl instantly became flustered and buried her face into her arm with a forced cough. She shot up from her seat, surprising him as well, and cleared her throat.

"I should be getting ready to go to bed" she shyly stated before she shuffled out of the room.

Ji Hoo heard her footsteps fade and disappear behind a door; he was now sitting alone on his couch, surrounded by various photographs and the cold silence. He was indeed a bit dejected that she had shrugged off his advancements and so let his head fall back onto the couch. He heaved a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, wondering if he had come on too strong or if he should back off for some time.

Dark brown irises peered out from underneath and eyed the large photo of his former love, Min Seo-Hyun. Her eyes blankly stared down at him, her famous smile plastered on her face boring into him. Without another moment's hesitation, he got up from his place and headed towards his own bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he hurriedly put on his pajamas and landed face-down onto his pillow. Wounding himself in his king-size blanket, Ji Hoo thought back at today's events, from start to end. Gulping and feeling the warm saliva trickle down his throat, he half-hoped, half-dreaded the coming of morning. Grunting into his pillow, he rolled over and slowly drifted to sleep, praying for the best.
-

And that's the end of the first chapter! I just recently finished this beautiful drama and I was hurt all over at the fact that Ji Hoo was the one for Jan Di, but let her go because his friend liked her too. :'(

Sadly, I also discovered that despite the hundreds of fan fics in this archive, only about 50 or so were Ji Hoo/Jan Di stories.

Oh and I know this was told in third person, but I will probably switch over to first person. Well, let me know what you think of the story so far and I'll see you all later!