Chapter 2
Three years ago
"Ga Eul," the manager addressed her. "Table twenty six."
The black-haired girl nodded and walked over to the said table where four men sat engrossed in a conversation. She approached them with her best professional smile, "Good evening gentlemen, my name is Chu Ga Eul and I'll be your server tonight. Can I get you started with something to drink?"
One of them looked up with a broad grin on his face. "Sure sweetheart, give us your best," he finished the sentence with a wink.
Something about the way it was said rubbed her in the wrong way and Ga Eul's smile faltered slightly but she hitched it back up, "Sure sir. I'll get you started on some alcohol. Beer is fine?"
The same man said in a suggestive voice, "Even water from your hands would taste like alcohol."
Ignoring him Ga Eul walked away. Short while later she walked back to the table to serve them the beer. "Here you go Gentlemen, your beers."
She started to put the beer on the table when she felt a hand rub up her thigh, moving inside her skirt. Instantly she straightened, slapping his hand away, "What do you think you're doing Sir?"
"Oh I'm sorry," he said in an apologetic tone. "I didn't mean that," but to Ga Eul's chagrin he finished the sentence with a meaningful once over.
Stepping aside slightly, Ga Eul ignored him and spoke to the others, "What can I get you to eat?"
The men quickly placed their orders and she walked away without another unpleasant incident. Neither she, nor the men at the table noticed a man from the adjacent table throwing a nasty look at the one who was bothering her.
Sometime later she walked over to the table with their food, "And there you go gentlemen, your food."
She was putting down the food when the man harassing her looked up and said, "You know I think I want something else to eat."
She hid her annoyance as she turned to face him, "What can I get for you to eat, Sir?"
"How about what you carry between your legs?" he asked in a whisper.
Blind rage filled Ga Eul as she raised her hand to slap him but the impact never occurred. She heard a thud, and found the man lying at her feet, clutching his jaw. Completely taken aback, she jumped back to see another man glowering at her tormentor. The man bent down and hoisted him from the floor by his collar, to his eye level.
"That is no way to talk to a woman," the taller man growled. "Apologize."
The pervert knocked off the newcomer's hands, "Who the fuck are you to dictate what I should or shouldn't say?"
"I asked you to apologize and so you will," the man ordered.
"Like hell I will," he snapped back and tried to punch the newcomer who neatly avoided it by sidestepping. In the same motion he socked the pervert on his jaw, making him teeter on his feet. Three chairs were pushed as his friends jumped to his defense. Instantly, few men in black suits came up to stand around Ga Eul's savior. The entire restaurant had grown silent as they watched the angry group staring daggers at each other.
The harried manager rushed over to the scene of disturbance to stop the imminent fight, "Please gentlemen, stop! Can we please not fight?"
One of the black suited men said in a polite but crisp voice, "Then ask that bastard to do as our master asks him to do."
"Like hell I'm apologizing to the bitch," the man spat. "She's a mere waitress, what the fuck does it matter what I tell her, she's merely a servant."
The beige-suited man was about to lunge at the offender when the manager stepped in between the two, facing the pervert, "Sir, I must ask you to leave."
"Why should I?" he screamed. "He was the one who hit me!"
"As the manager of this place, that's my decision, you have to leave."
The man opened his mouth to argue but then decided against it and stormed out of the restaurant, but not before glaring menacingly at Ga Eul. With no reason left to fight, his friends too walked out. The manager turned to the one who had saved his employee, "Thank you sir. Your intervention saved the honor of my employee. Although small, but as a repayment, your dinner is on the house."
As the group headed to their table, Ga Eul walked up to her beige-suited savior, "Sir, just a moment please!"
The man turned around and Ga Eul's heart skipped a beat. The man was phenomenally handsome with a face that was fit to grace the cover of a magazine. He smiled slightly and Ga Eul's breath quickened, "Yes?"
Ga Eul took a deep breath to steady herself and said, "Thank you Sir."
"It's Yi Jeong," he said holding out a hand. "Pleased to meet you Miss?"
"Ga Eul," she provided as she accepted his outstretched hand. She felt something sticky in her hands and she looked at it, her eyes widening, "Your hand, it's bleeding."
He looked down at it, seemingly surprised at the wound. "Oh, it's nothing," he said with a shrug. "I've had worse."
Ga Eul licked her lips, unsure of what to say and smiled uncertainly, "I … uh, I will take your leave then. Enjoy your dinner. Thank you again, bye."
Yi Jeong stood transfixed, watching her retreating back as he sucked the blood from wound on his hand. He had a feeling that this wasn't the last time that he was seeing her.
Subtlety was not a strong suit of the Gus. Anything that the Gu family did, they did it with aplomb. Therefore it wasn't surprising that the wedding preparations for the only son of the Gu family was over the top and extremely loud. Yi Jeong cringed when he saw that every single discernible surface was covered with gold, not all of them real thankfully. But it was all to be expected, the shameless flaunting of wealth, the overabundance of just about everything, the glitz, the glamor and the presence of Seoul's elite.
The only thing that was surprising was the bride, a girl from a very humble background who had stolen the modern day prince's heart. It was a Cinderella story, the way she had gone from rags to riches. She had entered their school due to a well-publicized scandal only to be bullied endlessly by the Gu heir's lackeys who hung on every word of the hot-headed heir. But not only had this chit of a girl withstood it all, she had given the Gu heir his just desserts by literally kicking him to kingdom come. What had followed was a colossal battle of wits in which somehow, defying all logic, the two had ended up falling for each other.
Initially Gu family had been extremely upset about their son's choice and had shown their displeasure in more than one way. After four years of prolonged and extremely long drawn battle, the Gu family had finally given in and today, nine years after the two had first met, they were finally getting married- Gu Jun Pyo and Geum Jan Di.
Yi Jeong slowly walked around the villa that had been hired for the occasion. The entire wedding party had been flown all the way to Scotland four days prior to the date and had been accommodated comfortably. A painting caught his eyes and he stood by to admire it when an unfamiliar feminine voice sounded from behind him.
"Yi Jeong, is that you?"
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to ward off the stab of irritation. He was tired, jetlagged and was in no mood to entertain one of the many fawning females that invariably seemed to crop up at every social gathering. Agreed he was a woman's man and definitely enjoyed flirting but at that moment he was just not up to it. Not even bothering to conceal his displeasure he whirled around and stared, "I'm not interested in…"
His rebuke died on his tongue upon realizing who stood in front of him, "Ga Eul?"
Her smile was warm, "What are you doing here?"
He felt his lips twitch involuntarily as he cordially answered, "I'm the best man. Or, I should say, one of them. You?"
"I'm the bridesmaid. Or, I should say, one of them."
He laughed, "Wow. What are the odds, huh?"
"I know right?" she agreed. "It's so weird."
"How long have you known Jan Di for?"
"All my life. Our mothers were best friends and we've shared cribs," she answered with a fond smile. "I can't believe my girl is getting married."
"I totally get it. I've been friends with Jun Pyo since we were two years old. I can't believe that idiot is getting married either."
Ga Eul voiced the question that was foremost on his mind as well, "How come we've never met before? I've met Jun Pyo Sunbae so many times!"
"I've been wondering the same actually," Yi Jeong replied. "But I guess knowing Jun Pyo, that's not a surprise at all."
She giggled, "Why?"
"He's wired strangely," he replied. "Surely you've noticed."
Before she could answer Jun Pyo's loud voice boomed across the hallway, "Oh wonderful, I see you both have met. Yi Jeong, keep your filthy paws off Ga Eul or Jan Di would skin you alive."
"I'm not doing anything," Yi Jeong answered automatically. "She's just someone I met earlier under some unpleasant circumstances and I was surprised to see her here."
"Unpleasant circumstances?" Jan Di screeched, appearing seemingly from nowhere. "What do you mean by 'unpleasant circumstances' Yi Jeong Sunbae?"
"Jan Di," Ga Eul interjected in placatory tones and Yi Jeong was thankful. Sometimes trying to talk to Jan Di was like pushing a bulldozer. "Before you jump to any conclusions, Yi Jeong is the person who saved me? Remember that pervert at the club, about two months ago?"
"That was him?" Jan Di's eyes grew wide as saucers. "That's so cool!"
Yi Jeong shook his head a little as Ga Eul laughed at her friend's histrionics. The laugh quickly turned into a yawn which she covered with her hand and said, "Anyway, I'm extremely tired so I'll go take a nap. See you all later."
"I'll join you," Jan Di said. "I could use some sleep. See you later guys."
The two men waved as the women bounded upstairs. Jun Pyo turned to face Yi Jeong, "I was serious when I said that Ga Eul is off limits."
"She's not my type Jun Pyo," Yi Jeong answered automatically.
"That maybe so," the soon-to-be groom said. "But I noticed the way you were smiling, you're obviously interested. Stay away. Leave this one alone."
Since when had Jun Pyo become this perceptive? Yi Jeong wondered. Was he really that transparent?
"So Yi Jeong is bad news Ga Eul," Jan Di said as the two girls settled on their beds.
"And why are you telling me that?"
Jan Di turned to her side, propping her head on her hand, "He's a handsome man. Physically he's exactly your type. But he's not the type for a committed relationship. He's a ladies man, the type who flits from one girl to another. You do realize that he is the most renowned Casanova of Korea, don't you?"
"Again, why are you telling me this? It's not like I'm interested in him or something," Ga Eul answered. "I mean yes, he's hot. But he's a player, I can see that. I know how to take care of myself Jan Di."
"I know Ga Eul," Jan Di answered. "But there's no harm warning you, right?"
Ga Eul smiled and shook her head slightly. She loved Jan Di to bits, but sometimes she was a little overprotective. Exhaustion took over and Ga Eul's eyes drifted shut without her realizing it.
Ga Eul was getting antsy. It was Jan Di's reception and she was sitting on a chair, thumbing the edge of her napkin as she eyed all the couples on the dance floor. At the center of the dance floor, her best friend looked completely in love, staring up at her new husband with starry eyes and a wide smile. All around her people were enjoying themselves and Ga Eul couldn't help but feel a little depressed and left out.
It wasn't that Ga Eul was unhappy, but the wedding was underlining a few things very clearly. One, that she didn't belong here. This was the world of the ultra-rich, where everything, probably even the napkin that she was playing with, cost more than her monthly income. The second thing that she understood clearly was that now Jan Di was going to be living a different life, a life in which Ga Eul was going to be a second or third priority, if that. The final and what was perhaps the most painful realization was that she was invisible to these people here. To them she was the bride's best friend and that's it.
She had been sitting on the chair ever since the reception began and not a single person had spoken to her. Sitting alone she had watched every single girl around her being asked to dance, courted and flirted by someone. The men had passed her by, as if she didn't exist. A couple of times when her eyes had met with someone, she had only seen thinly veiled disdain. She was tolerated only by association and it was being made abundantly clear. Ga Eul sat quietly, waiting for this excruciating and somewhat humiliating experience to be over.
"Any further and that napkin would be worn down to its last thread," a now familiar voice said from behind her.
Startled she turned to see Yi Jeong standing behind her with a smile. "Hi," she said in a small voice.
"Is this chair free?" he asked pointing at the empty chair next to her.
"No," Ga Eul answered. "I'm expecting the Queen of England soon."
Yi Jeong burst out laughing as he plopped himself on the chair. "I'll vacate when Her Highness shows up. Till then I'll give you company because you look like you could use some."
"Thanks," she said gratefully.
The two sat in companionable silence for a while before Ga Eul spoke again, "Shouldn't you be dancing? I mean, this is your best friend's wedding. You shouldn't miss out on all the fun."
"This is your best friend's wedding as well," he pointed out. "I don't see you dancing."
Ga Eul laughed, somehow managing to keep the bitterness out of her tone, "I don't really belong here."
Yi Jeong looked at her with a frown, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Ga Eul didn't look at him as she waved a hand around to show her surroundings, "This. This is an entirely different world. I'm sitting in its fringes, watching it unfurl in front of me. That's the maximum access that I'm allowed."
Yi Jeong stared at her for a moment and suddenly stood up, "Come on, let's dance."
She looked at him first in surprise and then with a smile, "You don't have to feel sorry for me Yi Jeong. I'm alright."
"I don't ask someone to dance with me because I'm feeling sorry for them," he answered with an easy smile. "I don't do sorry. I'm asking because I want to dance with you, as simple as that."
She didn't get a chance to protest as he dragged her to the dance floor by her wrist. She had often seen Jan Di being dragged by Jun Pyo but this was her first time experiencing the same. When Jun Pyo did it, it always looked like Jan Di's arm was about to come out of its socket. Yi Jeong was much gentler. It was a subtle pull, with a soft but firm grasp on her wrist. There was an air of authority as he led her to the dance floor, effortlessly parting the crowd. He was a man who was accustomed to getting his way and ordering people.
He held her at a proper distance, one hand on the waist and the other grasping her own, cold, trembling one. She rested her other hand on his shoulder tentatively. He chuckled, "Relax. You're dancing, not going into The Colosseum to battle hungry lions."
The analogy made her giggle and helped soothe her nerves. They twirled slowly and Yi Jeong took it upon himself to keep the conversation going. "So, what do you do, apart from waitressing that is?"
Ga Eul smiled, "I'm studying. I wait at clubs to fund my studies."
Yi Jeong's eyebrows rose, "Wow, you work really hard. Don't you get some help from your family?"
"I don't have anyone."
He blinked, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry."
She shrugged, "Its ok. You weren't prying."
An awkward silence descended on them and Ga Eul strove to fill it in, "What about you? What do you do?"
"I own the Woo Sung Museums. They sort of keep me busy," he answered.
Her eyes grew wide, "You own them?"
"Yes, why?"
"Then you must be, like, Ritchie Rich rich."
He laughed, "That's an interesting way to phrase it."
She shook her head, "Actually I should have known, given that you're Jun Pyo's friend."
With that the two lapsed into silence for a while and then he spoke, "So what're you studying?"
"I'm studying to become a journalist. I want to be a crime reporter."
"That's fantastic," he seemed genuinely pleased. "Good luck with that."
The music ended and he bowed and gently pecked her hand, "Thank you for the dance."
Ga Eul felt her heart flutter slightly and she shook her head. This was So Yi Jeong, way out of her league and playboy extraordinaire. This miniscule attraction had to be nipped at the bud.
