Into His Arms
Yi Jeong sighed softly and leant against the doorframe, watching Ga Eul clean up her students and classroom. He'd been back in Korea for just over two months and things between himself and her were not going as he had planned. While he knew it was unrealistic for him to have believed that everything would be just as he left it, he was still a little put out at how easily she had created a life without him.
Gone was the girl he knew, instead she had been replaced with a confident young woman, who knew exactly what she wanted and was determined to get it. Not that she hadn't been determined when he had first met her, but now her focus was a little different. Determined to be a meaningful teacher, she spent time, every day, preparing for her classes, time which he was reluctant to intrude on since it was obviously so important for her.
His dark eyes followed her every movement as she pulled one of her tiny learners towards her, to wipe off the smear of clay that run along the kid's cheek. If only she was so free with her affections with him as well.
Shocked at the irrational jealousy that had sprung up on him, he chuckled bitterly. His frustration with their halting relationship was turning him into a desperate fool. He wasn't really bitter about her success or determination, it was just that they had not yet been able to find a balance in their lives. His family demands as well as his desire to re-establish himself in the Korean art market, hadn't slipped nicely into her after-school activities. It was nothing that time wouldn't fix, but he didn't want to waste time, when there was already 4 years between them.
Also, a series of inopportune interruptions had prevented him from really progressing their relationship in the manner which he had expected. The "ex-Casanova" was finding it hard to get his soul-mate into his arms. It was starting to make him feel more than a little frustrated and desperate. So desperate that he had turned to Woo Bin for advice.
Woo Bin had responded in typical gangster fashion. He had shaken his head at Yi Jeong before saying: "Just scare her into your arms." Yi Jeong had scoffed at that suggestion. He found it odd that Woo Bin still considered it a good solution considering how badly it had backfired on him the last time he had used it.
His thoughts returned to the present as a small body brushed past him, shrieking towards Ga Eul.
"Look look!" The girl held up a small glazed piece of "pottery" in both her hands. "It's just like in the story."
Ga Eul bent down, a patient smile on her face. "What's just like the story, sweetie?"
"My carriage."
Yi Jeong was pretty sure that the look on his face, mirrored the one of confusion on Ga Eul's. The "carriage" in the child's hand looked nothing like one.
Seeing the look of confusion on her teacher's face, the child rolled her eyes dramatically before explaining. "It's the carriage from Cinderella, only it's after midnight so that's why it looks like a pumpkin. The wheels fell off in the kiln."
Yi Jeong snorted in laughter and ducked into the passageway, lest he hurt the child's feelings. Children had the most amazing ability to see the potential in every situation.
A few minutes later, a small herd of children exited the classroom and he peeked into the class, relieved to see that Ga Eul was finally alone.
"I don't know how you do it." He said as he came up to her, shaking his head lightly. He wanted to reach out and hug her in greeting, but her arms were already full with school books.
"Do what?" She asked, tilting her head in enquiry.
"Keep a straight face around them."
"I won't lie, sometimes it's hard, but sometimes a smile is all they need."
Taking the majority of her books from her, Yi Jeong allowed his fingers to trail lightly over her hands. "So are you ready to go?"
Ga Eul nodded. "Thanks for doing this by the way. You know you didn't have to."
He frowned at her words. "Of course I do. What sort of boyfriend would I be if I didn't help you prepare for the function that I invited you to?"
Ga Eul strolled down the clothing racks, her hand running lightly down the brightly coloured clothing, taking in the textures and weight of each costume. She threw a grin over her shoulder at the potter who strolled along behind her. "How on earth did you get access to all of these?"
Yi Jeong shrugged. "I know people who are in the film industry. It's not that hard to call in a favour. Besides once the dramas are completed, most outfits are either sold to auction or stored here until the next drama. No one will miss them for a night." Brushing off her wide-eyed amazement, he blithely continued, "So do you have any idea what you want to go as?"
Ga Eul allowed her gaze to drift around, scanning the potential outfits. "Not really."
When Yi Jeong had invited her to attend a Halloween themed charity cocktail party, she had panicked at the idea of finding something suitable to wear. Knowing that she would be among South Korea's wealthiest had nearly undone her. She remembered quite clearly what happened to Jan Di when she had attended a Shinwa party.
Thankfully Yi Jeong had realised her plight and offered her access to the wealth of film costumes before her.
A wisp of silver faux fur caught her eye, and she made her way towards a tightly packed rack. Carefully pulling the red and white outfit from the rack, she held it up against herself for Yi Jeong to see. "What do you think?"
Yi Jeong looked at her quizzically for a long moment. "I don't know, a traditional hanbokdoesn't really seem like a Halloween costume."
Ga Eul smiled mischievously, and reached into the folds of the dress. "Oh, I think it's perfect. Look." With a flourish she held out nine shimmering silver tails.
Yi Jeong smiled in response. "A man-eating Gumiho. It's perfect."
Her eyebrows rose at that comment. "How is that perfect, exactly?" She asked dryly.
"It's perfect because all the other men will stay away from you, or at least they will if they know what's good for them."
"So where does that leave you?" She said coyly.
"Oh I think I can handle a few love bites from you." His voice was husky and sent a wave of pink across her cheeks.
Flushing at the intense look in his eyes, Ga Eul looked away, her eyes roving the clothing racks next to her. After a moment, a wicked smile spread across her lips. "I think I just found the perfect costume for you."
"I've already got one prepared." He said as he approached her.
"You might want to reconsider when you see this one."
Curious, he stepped forward just as Ga Eul pulled out a green, fake silk costume. His face contorted in horror and he leapt back as though it was poisonous. "No ways." He spluttered. "Not in a million years."
Ga Eul burst out into a peal of laughter. "It's perfect. It's right out of every man's nightmare. Especially someone formally known as Cassanova."
Straightening his jacket self-consciously, Yi Jeong replied forcefully. "I will not dress up as a palace eunuch!"
Twisting awkwardly in front of the full length mirror, Ga Eul tried to reach the clip that hung off the top of her red chima1, just between her shoulder blades. No matter how she contorted herself she could not attach the tails to the elusive clip. Whenever she came close to it, her arms would weaken from the weight.
Although the tails themselves did not actually start so high on her back - there was a small string that they were attached to which gave them appearance of starting at the base of her spin. Her hair, which would be braided into a long plait, would help hide the attachment.
However the more Ga Eul contorted herself, the harder it was for her to even reach her upper back. After one last desperate attempt, she was ready to admit defeat. This outfit was clearly designed for actresses who had assistants to help prevent wardrobe malfunctions. There was no way that she would be able to attach the tails by herself.
Sighing to herself, she debated throwing a shawl over her bare shoulders, before deciding against it. The chima was modest enough for a quick foray into the hall to find one of Yi Jeong's numerous servants to help her.
Once they had found her costume for the evening, they had gone to Yi Jeong's house to prepare for the evening's function. He had escorted her to one of the guest rooms and left to get changed himself a short while ago. As such she was completely surprised to see Yi Jeong striding down the passageway towards her room, clad in a pair of dark pants and shirt. "Do you need help?"He asked catching sight of her.
Ga Eul nodded. "I need some help attaching my tails. I can't reach the clip."
"It will be my pleasure to help you." Yi Jeong said, winking as he followed her into the room.
Leading the way, she made her way back to the mirror where she had placed the tails. Stooping down slightly she picked up the tails and was just about to turn to Yi Jeong when he stepped behind her, his reflection joining hers in the mirror.
A glint in his eyes made her breath catch when they made eye contact through the mirror.
Expecting him to reach for the tails that she held against her side, it came as a surprise when his fingers brushed against her neck, sweeping her long dark hair over her bare shoulder. She shivered slightly at the fleeting contact.
"I can't see the clip," he said quietly.
Her voice gone, Ga Eul nodded. She tilted her head to one side and reached up with her free hand to hold her hair out of the way. The pose however, gave her a clearer view of the man who stood behind her.
She felt his fingers touch hers, gently taking the bundle of tails from her. Her free hand reached up to lightly touch the butterfly pendant that hung from a silver chain around her neck. It had been a gift from Yi Jeong upon his return to Korea, and she had developed a habit of touching it whenever she felt uneasy.
Catching the action, Yi Jeong grinned.
Keeping eye contact with Ga Eul, through the mirror, Yi Jeong slowly trailed a knuckle along the bare skin of her spine, just before clipping her tails to the top of her chima. He watched a blush rise on her face and her eyes dilate, as a surge of heat rushed through him.
As he released the clip, Yi Jeong leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Ga Eul's bare shoulder.
Ga Eul gasped softly when she felt his warm lips on her back. Unable to move through the shocked pleasure, she watched him place a kiss on her exposed neck, before moving up to her ear and whispering huskily, "I think I've been ensnared in your gumiho spell."
His hot breath against her ear, sent a shiver through her, raising the hairs on her arms. Turning so she could look at him directly, a flutter of butterflies erupted in her stomach as she realised just how close he was to her.
Caught up in the moment, Ga Eul looked up at Yi Jeong and placed her hand on his chest. Softly, she murmured "Just be careful, if you carry on like this, I might end up with your heart."
Gently, Yi Jeong placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "Ga Eul-yang, you already have it."
Ga Eul swayed as Yi Jeong slowly pulled back, the reluctance clear on his face. "I have to get ready for the ball." He whispered, he trailed a hand over her bare shoulder. "And you, need to get dressed."
Pausing at the entrance to the large hall, Yi Jeong glanced over at Ga Eul, gauging her reaction to the splendor within.
In accordance to the cocktail party's theme, the room had been decked out to match an American Halloween party. Artificial cobwebs hung from silver candelabras on the small tables scattered around the hall. Glowing orange pumpkins with diabolical grins, leered across the room from the buffet table and bar. The eerie atmosphere was aided by party's attendees who mingled around the room, their costumes adding to the impression that they were about to enter the spirit world.
Curious, Yi Jeong watched Ga Eul scan the room before smiling broadly.
Catching his gaze, she turned to him and happily said, "Our costumes are unique. No one else is wearing what we're wearing."
He chuckled. Just like a girl to be more concerned with her outfit than anything else. He would have been highly surprised if somebody had come dressed like him. After all his costume was custom made, by him.
He was dressed as one of China's famous terracotta soldiers brought to life. The "armour" that he wore was made of thin hardened strips of clay. He had even gone so far as to lightly dust his face and hair in reddish clay dust to add to his appearance.
Smiling devilishly, Yi Jeong said, "Are you ready to join me in the Spirit World, my foxy lady?"
Grinning at his playfulness, Ga Eul responded in kind. "Only as long as you are there to protect me, my general, for you are more familiar with this world than I."
"Of course." He placed his hand on her lower back and gently propelled her into the room. "Let's go see who else is here."
As Ga Eul had anticipated, the room was filled with the rich and famous. A few famous actors and singers mingled among some of the people that Ga Eul remembered seeing at the few Shinwa functions she had attended.
Almost immediately, they were surrounded by people who were "desperate" to re establish contact with the recently returned and wealthy So heir.
"Welcome back to Korea, So Yi Jeong ssi. I heard that you were overseas studying in Switzerland, right?" gushed a skimpily clad Cleopatra.
"Sweden, actually." He corrected.
"Oh." Cleopatra flushed slightly, before turning to Ga Eul. "So what do you do?"
Taken aback at the sudden question, Ga Eul replied, "I'm a primary school teacher."
"Oh that's such a cute little hobby." Cleopatra tittered.
Ga Eul frowned. She had always been proud in her choice of occupation and it was distressing to hear her career demeaned. "It's not a hobby. It's my job."
"They pay you enough to be invited to functions like this?" Cleopatra asked incredulously.
Yi Jeong chose that moment to step in. "What she earns is of no concern to you. She is here as my guest."
Having said his piece, he turned away, ignoring the woman who spluttered an apology and disappeared. However, her disappearance was barely noticed as someone else stepped forward to talk to Yi Jeong.
Before long, he had been dragged off to meet someone or other, leaving Ga Eul to stand awkwardly by herself. While she didn't think that he had meant to leave her, it stung a little at how easily she was pushed aside in favour of creating new social contacts. While she knew that he ran in very different social circles, she had hoped that he would make an attempt to include her, especially since this was her first time attending a function like this with him, since they had started dating.
Aimlessly she headed in the general direction of the buffet table, hoping that no one would notice her awkwardness and comment on it. She kept glancing around the room, hoping to see someone that she might know, just so she wouldn't end up being a wallflower. She wished she had had the foresight to ask Yi Jeong if any of the F4 would be attending. What she wouldn't give to see Jun Pyo's frown or Ji Hoo's smile if it meant that she wouldn't have to stand around and wait awkwardly for Yi Jeong to finish his business.
She could have begrudged the fact that Yi Jeong's attention had be captured elsewhere, but she knew that this evening was important to him. It was, afterall his first social function that he had attended since returning to Korea.
She had just reached the table and was filling her plate with the array of delicacies on offer, when Yi Jeong stepped up next to her.
"Why am I not surprised to find you here?" He said smiling as he saw her plate.
"It's not like I had anywhere else to be." She said bitterly.
"Actually, I thought that you'd be next to me." He said frowning.
She looked down nervously. "I didn't think you noticed."
Ducking slightly to meet her downcast eyes, he said, "Of course I would. I missed you the minute you were gone. I left them as soon as I realised you were over here."
"But don't you need to re establish connections with the people here, or something?" She forced a smile on her face. "You don't need to worry about me. I don't want to be a nuisance."
"What are you talking about, you silly girl?" Yi Jeong scoffed. "I didn't come back to Korea for them, I came back for you. As much as I need the connections, if they can't accept you, then I have no need for them. "
The surprise was clear in Ga Eul's eyes when she replied. "Why would you do that for me?"
He shrugged. "Because their unwillingness to accept you, shows me that they are unable to accept new ideas which could benefit business." He smiled when he saw the beginnings of a frown on her face. Angling his head closer to her ear, he said softly. "Besides we had to wait 4 years for each other. I am not going to waste that because of a snob."
Ga Eul grinned. "'Cause you were never one, right?"
"Of course I was. I just had the good taste to fall for you, didn't I?" He placed his arm around her waist and stole one of the pastries off her plate. "The auction will start soon, let's go see if anything catches our attention."
"You know what I loved about this evening?" Ga Eul said as they climbed the stairs to her apartment, later that evening.
"No, what was it?" Yi Jeong replied as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"The fact that all the funds that went to the children, were taken from people dressed up as the monsters that children are usually frightened of."
He chuckled. "That and the fact that the auctioneer kept saying things like "Sold to the Swamp Thing"."
"Thank you for taking me tonight." Ga Eul said when they reached her door. "I really enjoyed myself."
"I wouldn't have enjoyed myself as much without you." He replied as he stepped closer and leaned down towards her. He raised his hand to her face and gently stroked her cheek. His face was now so close that Ga Eul could feel his hot breath on her face.
Suddenly Yi Jeong pulled back and rubbed vigorously at his cheek. "Damnit." He bit out.
"What's wrong?" Ga Eul asked, startled by his change in behaviour.
"Do you mind if I quickly use your bathroom?" Yi Jeong asked irritably. "I need to wash off this gunk on my face and hair. It's starting to itch."
"Of course." Ga Eul said, swinging her apartment door open as disappointment flooded her. "I'll wait for you inside."
He nodded his thanks, and handed her the small bag containing a bubble wrapped box that they had bought at the auction. While the piece was nothing outstanding, the fact that the creator had specifically requested that the proceeds go towards setting up a children's clinic had touched Ga Eul's heart. Yi Jeong, the sweetheart that he was, had immediately noticed her interest and bought it at an outrageous price for her.
Rather than wait awkwardly for Yi Jeong to return from the bathroom, Ga Eul made her way to her lounge, turned on the TV and sat down on the couch. As if the universe was continuing the Halloween themed evening, the channel opened up to a horror movie.
Knowing that it would take Yi Jeong a while to get himself clean properly, she settled down to watch. She curled her legs under her and reached for one of her scatter cushions to cuddle against her stomach while she watched.
A solid thump behind her, startled her and caused her to twist around quickly, her pillow raised in her hand like a weapon. Half expecting to see one of the creatures from the movie, she laughed shakily when she realised that it was only Yi Jeong dumping his armour in the corner.
"Sorry." Yi Jeong said, smiling sheepishly. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay. I just got a little involved, that's all."
"Is it that good?" He asked as he came over. Quickly, Ga Eul picked up a stack of marking that had been left on her couch and moved it out of the way for him. She gestured for him to sit down next to her.
"Well?" He prodded as he plopped down next to her.
She shrugged. "It depends if you like horror movies. I enjoy them so I think it's quite good."
"I haven't really watched horror movies." Yi Jeong admitted. "My imagination always gets the better of me. It doesn't help that Woo Bin gets stupid about it and tries to scare everyone during the movie. Do you have any idea how scary it is when your phone starts screaming in your pocket after watching one? You lose years of your life."
Ga Eul giggled.
Yi Jeong frowned at her. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing." She was quick to respond, unable to hide her grin. "I was just thinking about why I like watching scary movies. I like trying to figure out who is going to die next. It kinda breaks away from the intensity and makes it less scary."
"I didn't realise that you were quite so blood thirsty." He replied as he kicked off his slippers and settled himself back on the couch.
She shrugged and winked. "It must be my gumiho side coming through." She gathered the pillow back onto her lap and curled her legs underneath her.
Silence settled down between them as they were caught up in the horror of the movie. The story was straightforward enough, two teens had wandered into a haunted house, where they found a diary of a girl who had begun to lose touch with reality as her family was brutally killed around her.
It was at a particularly nerve racking part of the movie that Yi Jeong felt Ga Eul shift on the couch next to him. Out of the corner of his eye, Yi Jeong caught Ga Eul lifting her cushion from her lap to cover her face.
He smiled faintly to himself, pleased at the diversion as he reached over and grabbed her clenched hand. Yanking slightly, he pulled her across the couch and into his arms.
He tucked her head into his shoulder, just as one of the on screen characters screamed and was killed.
Ga Eul flinched in his arms at the sound and wrapped her arms around his waist, which gave him the incentive he needed to stroke the back of her head.
"I thought you said that you enjoyed horror movies?" He murmured as he fiddled with her braid, slowly loosening it. "How can you be scared if you enjoy them?"
He felt her take a deep breath, before she lifted her head to look up at him. The heavy lidded gaze that met his, combined with the pink blush that graced her cheeks, caused his breath to catch.
"Who said I was scared?" She whispered. "Maybe I just wanted to..." She trailed off as her courage failed her. Instead she glanced at his arms before looking back at him meaningfully.
"To be in my arms?" He asked, a smile on his face.
Ga Eul nodded. "You've been so careful since you got back, that I was starting to think that you didn't... like me."
Yi Jeong burst into a shocked laugh. "Oh you silly girl. That was the last thing on my mind. I was actually getting frustrated by it too." He gathered her more closely into his arms. "So is this what you want?" He murmured, brushing a soft kiss behind her ear.
She nodded, her arms sliding up to curl around his neck, so she could look at him directly. "It's a start." Ga Eul whispered just before she placed her lips on his.
Gumiho - A nine tailed fox from Chinese and Korean folklore. Occasionally able to turn into a woman, who is known (in some stories) to eat the hearts of unfaithful men.
Chima - The long skirt that makes up the Korean hanbok (traditional clothing).
Author's (lovely) note: Yes, I know that this is not an update for Something New, but it I swear the next chapter is in the works. Life is just getting a little hectic at the moment with my students heading into exams and me having to prepare next years curriculum. So I am kind of impressed with the fact that I managed to get this out.
Please review. I love to hear from you and I am contemplating completing this as a M rating, so please let me know if you are keen to see more. :)