Chapter 2
When Izzie awoke she immediately realized two things: one, she was finally rid of the headache that had been plaguing her for nearly a week and two, she was no longer on the exam table of a clinic. She quickly sat up, realizing she was still fully dressed, but lying in her hotel bed. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and fumbled for the light, knocking her glasses from the nightstand in the process. As soon as the lamp was on she retrieved her glasses, putting them on and looking quickly around the room. She was alone, but despite her best efforts, she could not remember how she had gotten there. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed something on her nightstand and quickly turned her attention to the glass of water and note. She took a long sip from the glass as she picked up the piece of paper, clearly taken from the hotel's stock.
'Miss Isadora Wagner,
It is wise of you to keep both an electronic and paper planner, with all of your travel and accommodations arrangements. The hotel staff is under strict instructions not to disturb you. There is a tray of cold food that I would encourage you to finish before you return to bed. I also urge you to eat the breakfast that will be delivered to your room promptly at 7:30 am.
Under no circumstances are you to check your phone prior to completing your breakfast.
If you have any questions or fall ill again, please call me…'
The note ended with his number, along with a scribbled signature that, despite her best efforts, Izzie could not decipher.
"Guess it really is a doctor thing," she muttered with a smile as she returned the note to the nightstand. She finished the glass of water and checked the time, surprised to find it was only eight o'clock. She rose and stretched, then began to change into her pajama shorts and oversized university shirt that she had stolen from an ex. She examined the tray of food that had been left on her table, surprised by how loudly her stomach growled as soon as she lifted the cover from one of the plates. She sat and quickly devoured the sandwiches, salad and fruit that had been left for dessert. Once every plate was cleared she sighed, sitting back in her chair as she stifled a yawn. After a moment Izzie rose and completed her nighttime routine of teeth brushing and face washing before she crawled back into bed, staying awake just long enough to turn off the bedside lamp.
When she next woke, sunlight was streaming into her hotel room and there was an impatient pounding on her door. Rubbing her eyes, she groggily rose and shuffled over the plush carpet of her suite, not bothering to check the peephole before she released the deadbolt and opened the door.
"Good morning, boss," she greeted as the tall man burst into her room, a terrified looking bellhop on his heels with a cart of what she assumed was her breakfast. She tipped the man who practically ran out of the room and ignored the fuming Korean now pacing her suite.
"Is that all you have to say to me? After shirking your duties and abandoning me with barely a word?"
She blinked at him for a moment before gesturing to her table. "Would you like some breakfast?"
Izzie bit her cheeks to prevent the smile from tilting her lips as she watched the great Chairman Gu Jun-pyo stammer and seethe. She sat at her table and was pleasantly surprised to find a plate of pancakes under one of the covers next to a dispenser that looked to be full of maple syrup. She started to reach for another lid when suddenly a large hand closed around her wrist and she was pulled from her chair and into a tight embrace.
Her breathing stopped and she froze, her heart hammering against her ribs as Jun-pyo's arms tightened around her, one hand cradling her head to his chest.
"JP,"
"Don't worry me like that ever again, do you understand? Seoul may have less crime than New York, but there are plenty of dangerous places. And if you get into trouble, you should call me. Not run off with some country doctor."
Izzie's pulse was almost returning to normal as she relished in the feel of him holding her. His words caught her attention though, and she found herself pulling away slightly to defend her doctor.
"He was a surgical resident and a highly skilled doctor from one of Seoul's best hospitals." Though she didn't know if the last part was true, she had no doubt in the veracity of her assumption. She simply could not imagine Dr. McGleam-y working anywhere but the very best and most important hospital.
"I don't care who he was, Bear, you should not have just gone off with some strange doctor! He could have murdered you!" Izzie felt her usual mix of irritation and delight as he called her by her pet name: even though she knew he was calling her dumb when he used it, he at least softened the blow by always saying it in English.
"Oh, now, don't be so dramatic. I'm not some naïve foreign exchange student that can barely order a bowl of noodles. I've traveled nearly as much as you have in your adult life and I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
"Really? Is that why you fainted and caused this whole mess in the first place?"
"I – shit." He had cornered her on that one. Izzie returned to her seat at the breakfast table, but this time Jun-pyo joined her in the seat opposite. While he had blown through his initial irritation, his dark eyes were still boring through her and Izzie knew he was still in his over-reaction mode.
"You should take today off."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous."
"Ridic – you collapsed yesterday!"
"Yes, and I had a lovely IV and several hours of sleep and am now more than ready to get back to work. It's only 62 days until your wedding and we have barely scratched the surface on the planning."
"Geum Jan-di and I can handle – "
"Geum Jan-di needs to devote her attention to her studies so she can become a talented doctor and I won't have to rely on a complete stranger for my healthcare. And you don't know the first thing about planning a wedding. Especially not one that would satisfy your mother."
"Nothing about this wedding is going to satisfy the Witch," he murmured, looking away to the window as Izzie began to dig into her pancakes.
"She may still be displeased about your choice of bride, but I guarantee she will not be able to voice one criticism about the wedding itself. It will be flawless," she said around large bites of syrup soaked flapjacks. Jun-pyo chuckled, his attention returning from the dark place it always wandered when his mother was mentioned. Izzie had difficulty swallowing her food as she felt her throat close. Somehow, she was always startled by how attractive he was when he smiled. It was like witnessing the sun bursting from behind dark storm clouds and causing rainbows to appear everywhere. She reveled in the moments that she could bring about that smile that lit up the room and exalted the rare occasions she was able to make him truly laugh.
"Always my confident Bear. I suppose you have a plan, then, for the bridesmaid situation?"
She eyed him suspiciously, familiar with the smug smile that indicated he was setting her up.
"Care to enlighten me, boss?"
"Well, the other F4 will obviously be my groomsmen…but Geum Jan-di only has one friend."
"You said everyone loves Jan-di."
"They do. But that 'everyone' does not include any women that can act as bridesmaids."
He continued to smirk as Izzie abandoned her plate and began to sip her orange juice, thinking over her options.
"So we need two more women. Okay,,,Yi-jeong is dating Chu Ga-eul…don't the other F4 have any girlfriends?"
"Woo-bin has several, but I don't know how you'll decide which to pick." He was sincerely amused now and Izzie speared a piece of melon in frustration.
"Fine. What about Yun Ji-hu?" At the mention of the name Jun-pyo instantly sobered and Izzie watched his demeanor change carefully.
"The woman Ji-hu loves will already be in the wedding. She cannot be a bridesmaid."
Izzie processed his words, her eyebrow raising as she set down her fork.
"You mean…Geum Jan-di?"
"Mm." His affirmation almost made her jaw drop. In all of their years together, in all of their many conversations about Jan-di and Ji-hu, he had never mentioned that he and his best friend were in love with the same girl.
"Isn't that going to be awkward?"
"Not as awkward as Jan-di being a bridesmaid in my wedding to another woman," he argued and while Izzie had to concede his point, she still felt ill-at-ease.
Hypocrite. It's no stranger than planning the wedding of the man you love, a sardonic voice sneered in her head and Izzie took a sip of juice to compose herself. Luckily, at that moment Jun-pyo's phone began to chime. She waived for him to take the call and busied herself with finishing her breakfast, the words of her doctor echoing in the back of her mind as she cleaned every plate. When Jun-pyo ended the call all merriment was gone from his face, replaced by a look that was all business.
"I need you to rearrange my schedule tonight. There's a charity event sponsored by the Foundation and a possible investor from Japan will be attending."
"Oh the ballet at the center? I saw the posters yesterday in the lobby. How many seats should I reserve?"
"No, those are taken care of. Just take care of my schedule. Oh. And you'll need something to wear."
"Me?"
"You know my Japanese isn't as good as yours." She grinned, but shook her head.
"You just like showing off that you have an American that speaks so many languages." He shrugged, the smirk returning to his face. Izzie sighed and lifted her juice glass. "Afternoon shopping it is."
"You should probably also pick up something for Jan-di. She has some sort of clinic for the poor today, and she's so bad at shopping." His demeanor shifted, his smile becoming a little more genuine as his thoughts turned to his fiancée.
Izzie rose from the table, her own mood sobering. She stretched and glanced around the room, finally locating her purse on a table by the door. She retrieved her phone and immediately began rearranging meetings and appointments, before pulling out her leather-bound planner to do the same. A strange lump in the binding caused her to pause, and she carefully let the book fall open to the marked page. Nestled in the binding was a small thumb drive that she did not recall, and certainly had never used as a bookmark. She lifted it, turning it over in her palm when unfamiliar writing caught her attention. Notes had been added to yesterday's date, crossing out her appointments and writing the word 'rest' next to the date, as well as times added to her schedule for the day for 'lunch' and 'dinner'.
Very thorough, Doctor, she thought, nibbling her lip to keep from grinning as she wondered what was on the thumb drive.
"Hey! Izzie-Bear, are you listening to me?"
"All ears, boss," she replied as she turned back to him, cradling the planner to her chest. For some reason, she didn't want to share her doctor's attention with Jun-pyo, suspecting that he would not appreciate the small invasion of her privacy he had committed.
"Well, make sure you find Geum Jan-di early enough that she can be ready before dinner. And don't work too hard! If you faint in front of President Akiyama tonight I may have to fire you."
"Understood, Chairman." She bowed slightly and clearly heard him scoff before he rose from his chair and crossed to the door, pausing briefly beside her. She held her breath waiting for him to speak, but he seemed to think better of it as he then walked out of the room.
Izzie sighed, her heart aching for a moment as she looked down at the carpet by her toes.
He's getting married to the woman he loves in 62 days. It's time you start letting go, don't you think?
She shook her head and abandoned the jump drive and planner, launching herself toward the bathroom so she could prepare for yet another busy day.
~o~
Ji-hu could not shake the feeling of restlessness that had plagued him since he had woken. He had the day off from the hospital, considering the event at the Center that evening, but he really had no involvement in the day of preparations and, therefore, nothing to occupy his time until the ballet. He considered whether his fitfulness was caused by his anticipation for the performance that evening; he was thrilled that the famed Mariinsky Ballet was visiting his Foundation, and further pleased that the event was in support of one of his personal favorite charities, Save the Children, Korea.
Ji-hu checked his phone for want of anything else to occupy his hands and his heart skipped when he found he had a text from Jan-di. He opened the message and found a picture of her and a small girl frowning into the camera with the message: 'Sae-byul misses Doctor Prince. I do too'. He smiled as he slipped his phone in his pocket and grabbed his helmet, zipping his jacket as he stepped into the brisk spring.
The sun was shining again, but Ji-hu barely paid it heed as he strapped on his helmet and mounted his motorcycle. He sped off towards the university-run clinic, knowing they would welcome his assistance gladly as the doctors were always slightly overwhelmed treating the many issues of the children that appeared for their examinations and immunizations. He felt his restlessness subside slightly as he navigated the streets, feeling relieved that he had found something to occupy his time.
And see Jan-di, he thought, his pulse increasing again. Despite the fact that she had refused him when he had confessed his feelings for her, and though he had long ago accepted her choice of Jun-pyo, he still couldn't seem to quash his love for her. She made him feel like a whole person, something he hadn't experienced since his parents' deaths, and he reasoned that this was why he couldn't ignore his feelings for her. Still, tension crept through his shoulders as his thoughts dwelt on her impending nuptials and how things would invariably change in their relationship once she married his best friend.
I need to find some time for Rui, he thought. It had been weeks since he'd visited his prized horse, and Ji-hu suddenly craved a long ride.
Maybe Jan-di will have time after the clinic.
He approached the area where the makeshift tents were set up, surprised that the number of children seemed to have doubled since he had last volunteered. He parked his motorbike and took off his helmet, scanning the crowd of patients and doctors until he finally spotted Jan-di, who was getting one of her pigtails pulled by a small boy with a devilish grin.
"Hey! That's not very nice," he called to the child as he walked through the crowd, everyone instantly parting as he approached.
"Seonbae," Jan-di smiled brightly, and Ji-hu had to ignore her to maintain his glare at the boy, who still held her hair.
"Apologize."
The boy looked terrified, but instantly nodded and released Jan-di's hair.
"Sorry," he whispered, before sprinting away from them.
"Hey, you still need your shot!" Jan-di called after him, but the boy had already disappeared in the crowd of children by the swing set.
"I see you're still a favorite with the patients," Ji-hu quipped and Jan-di laughed, the sound making Ji-hu feel warm despite the chilly breeze that was cutting through his jacket.
"They've all been like that today. The weather's changing, so all they want to do is play." Ji-hu nodded in agreement, wondering if that was why he was suffering as well.
"Doctor Prince!" a young voice squealed and Ji-hu's eyes widened as a skinny pair of arms suddenly latched around his thighs. He looked down at the beaming face of one of the orphans.
"Hello, Sae-byul."
"Doctor Prince I thought you forgot us. We've been waiting for you, but you never come anymore." The five year-old's eyes were dark and her little lip was drawn into a pout.
"Sae-byul, we talked about this, remember? Seonbae works at the hospital now," Jan-di knelt beside the girl, but Sae-byul paid her no heed.
"But hospitals are sad! That's where people die. Why would you want to be there, Doctor Prince?" She finally released him so that he could also kneel, taking her arms and smiling warmly at her.
"Because I have to be there to try and make sure people don't die, Sae-byul."
She seemed to consider his words gravely for a moment before her face immediately split into a bright smile.
"Come push me on the swings!" she cried, grabbing his hand and pulling him off towards the playground.
"Jan-di – "
"Have fun! I have work to do!" she called after him, waving and laughing as Sae-byul forced her way through the other children until she was seated on a swing. He resigned himself to the following hours of pushing the kids on the swings, laughing as they constantly begged to go higher. By the time Jan-di found her way back over to him his arms were exhausted, but the odd tension had finally been released.
"You look happy, seonbae," Jan-di commented, taking a seat on one of the abandoned swings as the last group of children took off for the slides.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know. Sometimes I think...nevermind." She shook her head and turned her attention to the sky, squinting at the sun.
"What is it?" Ji-hu asked, curious what it was that she didn't feel comfortable telling him.
"I just...sometimes I think you won't let yourself be happy. Like you don't deserve it. You forget when you're around children, though. Each of the F4 does. Honestly, sometimes I want to surround you all with children all the time, just to keep you all smiling honest smiles."
Ji-hu was relieved Jan-di wouldn't look at him as he took in her words. Everything she said was absolutely true, but he hadn't expected her to so bluntly make such an astute observation. She finally glanced his direction then bowed her head.
"I'm sorry, seonbae. I shouldn't have said – "
"You wouldn't be Geum Jan-di if you weren't nosy," he interrupted with a smile to let her know he wasn't offended. After so many years of friendship he would have thought she would have grown completely comfortable speaking honestly with him. Of course, being engaged to someone as temperamental as Jun-pyo would make anyone hesitant to speak her mind candidly.
"How are your studies?" he asked, mostly to turn the subject off of himself and his inability to find happiness. Jan-di groaned and kicked the dirt at her feet.
"Not good. It's harder to study when I don't have you around to tutor and quiz me."
"I can still do that. I haven't –"
"Oh no, Ji-hu-seonbae. You have enough to worry about. Besides, I should prove that I can do this on my own. Otherwise I can never have any confidence in my ability as a doctor."
"As you wish," Ji-hu acquiesced. In truth, he felt she had a point; if she didn't pass the exams on her own she would always have lingering doubt as to her qualifications to practice medicine. Ji-hu had little doubt, however, that she would pass. She was clumsy, and not the brightest pupil, but she cared more than other person he had met and that quality alone was enough to make her an excellent doctor in his book. He was anxious for her to finally be done with school so that he could reopen his grandfather's clinic for her, though of course he would be working there as well. It was her dream, however, to become a doctor, and Ji-hu knew that she would be the favorite of every patient when they did have the clinic operational again.
Well, perhaps not every patient, he thought with a smile as he recalled the pretty American he had treated the day before. He remembered her bright smile, and the way her pupils had dilated when he had cupped her cheek to distract her from the shot. Perhaps it was arrogance on his part, but he had the strong suspicion that the lovely personal assistant would favor him as her doctor over sweet Jan-di.
"Oh, what does he want now!" Jan-di's exclamation cut through Ji-hu's reverie and he looked to her quickly, following her line of sight to an expensive silver sedan that had pulled off the road and idled near them. Ji-hu recognized it immediately as one of the Gu family's vehicles, as clearly Jan-di had as well. Ji-hu watched as she retrieved her phone, reading her messages with a scowl.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"No," she sighed. "But unfortunately I have to go. Apparently I have to get ready for some event tonight."
"Oh the ballet? You'll love it. They're performing Sleeping Beauty."
Despite her ferocity, Ji-hu knew Jan-di had a soft spot for fairytales. Personally, he had hoped they would perform Swan Lake, but realized the tragic tale was perhaps not the best choice for a children's charity event.
"I just hope Jun-pyo doesn't spend the whole evening working. He never relaxes anymore."
Ji-hu wished he could relieve her concern, but he knew Jun-pyo: the man had never enjoyed ballet, opera or any other classical art form. He was confident his friend was only attending because there was the possibility of business to be conducted while giving the appearance of generosity.
"Aish, I better go before they come and drag me," she muttered as she glared at the car that sat waiting for her. "I'm sorry we didn't have a chance to talk, seonbae. Perhaps tonight?"
"Of course." He gave her a smile that he knew would assuage her guilt and watched her trudge toward the car, a man in a suit appearing in time to let her in the vehicle. Ji-hu stood for a moment, surveying the now empty playground and wondered what he should do with himself for the next few hours.
I suppose I have time to take that ride afterall, he thought as he walked back towards his motorcycle, fastening his helmet before taking off in the direction of his stables.
By the time Ji-hu had showered, dressed and reached the Foundation, his restlessness had been completely cured. He was almost giddy to see the dancers perform, and practically rushed through his greetings of important patrons in his hurry to reach his private box.
"Hey! Ji-hu!"
Ji-hu stifled a sigh as he stopped, turning in the direction of the familiar voice. He found Yi-jeong and Woo-bin smiling and waving at him, each with champagne and dates in tow. Ji-hu quickly crossed to them, grabbing a flute of champagne along the way.
"Yo, yo my man, what is up?" Woo-bin greeted him as he nodded to his friend, Chu Ga-eul, and the tall, attractive woman hanging on Woo-bin's arm.
"Good evening."
"How've you been? I've barely seen you since I got back," Yi-jeong greeted him, his arm sliding around Ga-eul's waist naturally, though the girl immediately blushed. Since Yi-jeong had returned from Sweden the two had been very seriously dating, but the young schoolteacher still seemed in awe that she was truly the F4 Casanova's only girlfriend.
"You've been occupied yourself. How's the new exhibit?"
"Should be opening in a month. I'm still not satisfied with the layout and we have to change a great deal of the lighting, but it should be brilliant when it's finished."
"So modest, this one. He spends time in Europe and thinks he's God's gift to pottery!" Woo-bin chimed in with a laugh.
"He thought he was God's gift before he went to Europe," Ji-hu returned, causing both of his friends to laugh.
"All right, all right, don't embarrass me in front of my lady. But what have you been up to Ji-hu? Woo-bin mentioned you were working at a hospital?"
"I'm completing a surgical residency, yes."
"But I thought you became a doctor so you could run your grandfather's clinic?"
Ji-hu hesitated in his answer to Yi-jeong's question. Thankfully, he was saved from answering by Woo-bin.
"Oh, hey, there's Jun-pyo and Jan-di!" The group followed his gaze and quickly found their tall friend, surrounded by a crowd of people that simply stared at him, admiring one of the most powerful men in the country. Ji-hu was more interested, however, in admiring Jun-pyo's companion. Jan-di was dressed in a simple pale pink gown with a frothy tea-length skirt decorated with large organza rosettes. She tried to conceal her boredom, but when she met eyes with Ji-hu her face lit up into a bright smile and she tugged on Jun-pyo's arm to get his attention. He looked in their direction, excused himself from conversation and led his fiancée to their circle.
"Good evening, seonbaes. Hi Ga-eul," Jan-di greeted them cheerfully before hugging her best friend.
"You look beautiful! That dress is so pretty!" Ga-eul admired the dress and Jan-di's smile grew wider.
"Isn't it? Izzie found it for me. She's so sweet, she even found matching shoes."
"Is she here? I haven't seen her."
Ji-hu checked out of the conversations as the women began to talk about clothing and his friends began to discuss the latest football news. Ji-hu nursed his champagne, choosing to watch the activity of the room, taking a mental attendance of who among the elite were attending and what new faces were appearing in the crowd. After a moment the lobby lights flashed, indicating that the curtain time was approaching.
"Ji-hu, will you be joining us in our box?" Jun-pyo asked, Jan-di reappearing on his arm.
"Of course you are, aren't you?" she asked, and Ji-hu felt the refusal die on his lips.
"Of course," he agreed, then followed the group upstairs and to the door numbered for Shinhwa Group's private box. He paused outside the door, allowing the other's to enter.
"Just a moment," he excused himself as he spotted a server approaching through the thinning crowd. He placed his empty glass on the young woman's tray and reached for another flute. He was surprised, however, when his fingers landed not on glass, but on soft flesh. He looked up from the hand and found himself staring into a pair of large hazel eyes he hadn't expected to see again.
"You," he whispered, too stunned to realize he was still holding her hand on the flute.
"D-doctor! What are you – "
"Hey, Ji-hu they're start-oh. Izzie. There you are." Ji-hu quickly snatched his hand away at the sound of Jun-pyo's voice and the woman blushed slightly as she took the champagne.
"Sorry, boss, I got caught in conversation with a British businessman that didn't understand 'get lost' in his own language."
"Boss?" Ji-hu muttered and Izzie quickly shot him a look.
"Well, no matter. I see you've already met Ji-hu."
"Ji-hu. Ji...you mean...Yun Ji-hu? You're Yun Ji-hu?"
"Were you expecting someone else?" Jun-pyo muttered as the woman stammered.
"No, I just-"
"Jun-pyo! It's starting!" a voice called from inside the box and Jun-pyo rolled his eyes.
"We'll do introductions later. Oh. Thank you," he said as he took the champagne from her hand and returned into the box.
Ji-hu couldn't resist chuckling at the bewildered look on her face, finding his equilibrium in her unbalance. He held open the door of the box and offered her a hint of a smile as the lobby lights dimmed.
"Shall we?"
She looked at him almost blankly for a moment before she finally nodded and proceeded into the box. He followed her, and they took their places in the final two seats at the back of the box. The view was, of course, impeccable, but the position of their seats in the booth was slightly separated from the others, allowing Ji-hu the freedom to lean towards her and whisper: "So that's the idiot boss?"
Despite the low lights he could see another blush was spreading over her cheeks and down her neck. As he followed the path, he took the opportunity to appreciate her appearance. Her light brown waves were loosely pinned so that they were pulled up, but still framed her face, which was expertly decorated with natural-looking makeup. His gaze wandered down and his breath hitched as he examined her gown. Light blue chiffon was gathered like a Grecian tunic in a 'v' from her shoulders, over her breasts to her waist. Though an modesty panel embroidered with silk and crystals covered her chest to her clavicle, ample cleavage was still visible through the sheer fabric, and Ji-hu was well aware of his mouth suddenly becoming dry. He also noted there was a flesh-colored satin slip with a sweetheart neckline under the chiffon to maintain the illusion that the sheer fabric alone was covering her body. The design was immaculate, but the model was what made the garment stunning. Still, Ji-hu managed to force his eyes to the stage, suddenly concerned that the ventilation system was not working properly to adequately cool the packed house.
"I didn't realize he was also your friend," she whispered as the curtain speech began.
"Oh, don't worry about that. I am well aware he is an idiot."
He heard her laugh softly, though he didn't dare try to look at her again.
"Thank you, by the way, for the little gift. I suppose I know now why you have such excellent taste in classical music, Chairman Yun."
He smiled softly as the overture began and the first dancers took their places.
"The music seemed very effective in helping you relax, so I thought it would be a better prescription than a sleep aid or anti-anxiety."
"Indeed. I've been listening to it most of the..." she trailed off as the orchestra swelled and the fairies appeared to offer their gifts to the baby princess. "God, I love Tchaikovsky," she breathed and Ji-hu couldn't help but agree.
They sat in silence until the intermission, captivated by the dance and music, though part of Ji-hu's mind also made note of all of Izzie's reactions, particularly as she held her breath through the entire Rose Adagio. When the lights rose in the theatre, she gave a sigh of contentment that made him smile.
"They truly have earned their reputation," he commented and she grinned.
"Indeed. I just wish they were doing Swan Lake. Although, I think I would embarrass myself by sobbing through the final act."
"Hey now, there's no reason for such a beautiful woman to ever shed tears," Woo-bin suddenly interjected, giving Izzie a smile that instantly caused Ji-hu's spine to straighten. The F4's Don Juan held out his hand to Izzie, kissing both the back of her hand and inside of her wrist as he introduced himself. Ji-hu glanced away and noticed Woo-bin's date was tolerantly gazing into the crowd below, ignoring the attention her boyfriend for the evening was paying to another woman.
"So pleased to meet you. Jun-pyo has shared so many stories, I feel as though I already know you well." Izzie's tone caught Ji-hu's attention, and though she smiled pleasantly, her body language made it clear that she was not interested in appearing on Woo-bin's list of conquests. Ji-hu hid a smile behind a cough, but Woo-bin laughed out loud, joined by Yi-jeong.
"Well, she's beautiful and smart. However did you manage to convince her to work for you, Jun-pyo?"
"What convincing? She begged to work for me!" Jun-pyo bragged from his seat in the front of the box, and Jan-di gave him a light smack on his arm as she admonished him.
"No, it's true. Apparently there's not a high demand for polyglot academics with no work experience." She shrugged and watched the men exchange surprised looks before a wicked grin tilted her lips. "Of course, once I became his personal assistant he begged me to never look for another job and to follow him back to Korea."
Woo-bin and Yi-jeong laughed again, but Ji-hu caught a glimpse of something in the look Izzie gave Jun-pyo: a small glimmer of emotion that was very familiar to him.
"And so how do you like Korea so far?" Ga-eul asked.
"I like it very much. It's been very hospitable and...relaxing." She grinned directly at Ji-hu and he stifled a smile.
"Pleased to hear that you are being so well cared for," he responded and felt a small tremble near his heart when her eyes twinkled with mirth at their shared joke.
The rest of the group engaged Izzie in conversation, asking her questions about her travels and how she had learned Korean. Ji-hu half listened, taking in the information to process later. Currently he was more interested in mulling over the way her eyes had softened when she looked at Jun-pyo and the smallest hint of sadness that hid behind her smile. He watched her closely as she talked, noting that she never looked directly at Jan-di, and always had that same touch of dolor whenever she spoke of Jun-pyo. By the time the lights were flashing to urge patrons back to their seats, Ji-hu was confident that Izzie Wagner was in love with Gu Jun-pyo.
Though he watched the second half of the ballet, something about his discovery kept him from immersing himself in the performance. The music seemed slightly muted as his thoughts dwelt on the extent of his friend's relationship with his personal assistant. Did he realize that Izzie had feelings for him? Ji-hu doubted that his friend even had an inkling that the young woman cared for him beyond a mild friendship; the man assumed all women worshipped him, but would never notice the small signs that one close to him had truly fallen for him.
Ji-hu shifted in his seat and cast a look toward Izzie. Her lips were slightly parted as she watched the dancers, her breath rising and falling in time with the music. For some reason, Ji-hu felt irritated that she would have feelings for Jun-pyo. He wondered if his irritation stemmed from a sense of empathy; he was pathetic enough pining for Jan-di while serving as a groomsman in her wedding, they certainly didn't need the wedding planner to be yearning for the groom. He also wondered how wise it was to have Izzie be the person arranging the wedding.
Not that he suspected she would try to sabotage the ceremony. Ji-hu had always been proud of his ability to sense someone's nature and he knew there was nothing about Isadora Wagner that was conniving or treacherous. Still, no person was immune to his or her own feelings, and Ji-hu was confident Izzie would, at some point over the next two months, reach a snapping point. He turned his attention back to the stage, resolved that he would be prepared for when that breakdown occurred. He was, after all, still Jan-di's protector, and he knew she would be hurt if she knew her wedding was causing someone else to suffer.
I just have to get close enough for her to confide in me. I have to protect Jan-di, he thought as he once again could focus on the music and the battle that was being depicted on the stage, the nagging feeling fading as he resolved to take the situation in hand.