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Warning: Alternative Universe

Summary: Convinced that Yi Jeong merely sees her as a substitute, Ga Eul vows to give up on him. However, Yi Jeong is not about to let her go without a fight. During a game of Truth or Dare, Ga Eul chooses an alternative option: a promise. To her dismay, she has to agree to fulfil five of Yi Jeong's fantasies.

Fleur de Fantaisie

I.

She hears nothing from him for days. He calls, once. She watches the phone as it rings, she watches until it falls silent. And then she cries. Every night she wipes tears away and tells herself to be strong. They are not meant to be, he is deceiving himself and she would be too if she accepts him.

Surely she has more pride than to be someone's substitute. He is nursing a broken heart, he will come to his senses sooner or later. She has to be the strong one now, for both their sakes.

And so it is a rude shock when she sees his car waiting on the opposite side of the road facing her school. Ga Eul hides behind a pillar, hoping he has not noticed her mad dash for cover. She bites her lip and wonders what it is that has brought him to her. Minutes pass. His car remains there. Obviously he is waiting for her. Luckily, she knows another way out of school. She would rather climb over the back gate in her uniform than meet him. If she does, she might lose her resolve and fall apart.

…………..

He waits patiently in the car, wondering how long she is going to remain hiding behind the pillar. He hopes she realises that a mad dash in broad daylight is terribly easy to spot. Plus, he can see her making the occasional peek. He would call her to tell her, except that he knows it would be a futile attempt.

He has thought long and hard, has picked up the pieces of his shattered pride. It is still fragile, but it is for the sake of his heart that he persists. He misses her terribly, and Yi Jeong knows that he cannot, he will not let her withdraw from his life. He needs her, whether he is ready for her or not. He wants her to wait for him. It is selfish perhaps. But he intends to fully show her that her faith in him is not wasted.

All that remains is to get her to meet him face to face so that he can tell her.

Minutes pass. His car remains there. Eventually, he comes to the conclusion that she has slipped out via another exit. And his annoyance rises. It is the first time that he has ever waited for a girl. It is a first for him to wait while experiencing such nervousness and anxiety. It is also a first time that a girl has gone out of her way to avoid him.

As he drives off, his lips are pressed in a thin line. He tells himself that she has a lot to learn if she thinks this is going to work.

……………...

Waiting for her after work turns out to be even less of a successful attempt. He makes the mistake of arriving early. His second mistake involves parking his car in clear view of all in the porridge shop. Ga Eul does not react. However, he doubts it is a coincidence when Ji Hoo pulls up in his chauffeured white SUV. As he expects, Jan Di and Ga Eul both hop into the vehicle with lightning speed. All he can do is imagine how he wants to wring her lovely neck and punish her for making him wait like an idiot.

What makes it even worse is that Ji Hoo sends him a message, chiding him for his ineffective and less than competent effort to get Ga Eul to meet him.

And so he sends her a message. It is simple and no more than one plain sentence. He tells her that they will meet. And when they do, she will have to answer his questions.

After that, he plans.

……………

Her heart skips more than a beat when he enters the shop. Looks like all gloves are off, he seems to be going for a more direct approach. Thank goodness for Jan Di and Woo Bin. Their presence should ward off any awkward confrontations with him.

That small relief vanishes the moment she hears Woo Bin's news. Yes, she is happy for Jan Di of course. She does not expect her best friend to remain in the shop to shield her from Yi Jeong. She also does not expect his best friend to stay in the shop and get in the way of Yi Jeong's plans, and Woo Bin promptly proves her right by taking his leave to send Jan Di to Jun Pyo's house.

She turns around, half hoping that Yi Jeong will leave. No such luck is to be had. He continues to sit there, smiling up at her, looking both smug and adorable. She wants to kick him out of the shop and lock the door. She wants to kiss him until they are both dizzy from the lack of air. Most of all, she is angry with herself for still thinking that they are a possibility. "Sunbae, aren't you leaving too?"

"I'm here to see you Ga Eul yang."

She tells him she thinks it is not a good idea. She is busy, she needs to man the shop. She is working. He tells her that they can speak here, that he will pay an entire day's earnings if it will mean that she can close the shop early. He needs to speak with her. Now.

And as with most things, he gets his way. He brings her to a kiln, he comes here to think sometimes, to have some peace and quiet. Maybe she will remember that one must endure the heat to have a strong heart, to find out what truly belongs to you. Maybe she will get back her courage.

So he gathers his and asks her why she has been avoiding him.

Her answer is unexpected. Both because of what she says and because of the wave of anger that comes over him.

"I'm not a substitute for Eun Jae. You're still in love with her, yet you tried to kiss me. The two of us, it's a bad idea."

She has made up her mind and nothing he says changes it. She is firm and patient, maddeningly so. She thinks she's right and she shows it with her gentle answers. He on the other hand, is becoming increasingly panicked and upset. It puts him in a bad light and at a disadvantage; he cannot think properly for his thoughts are all jumbled up while she is becomes increasingly sure that his lack of composure means she is right.

"I'm not in love with Eun Jae," he repeats shortly, an edge to his voice that they both cannot miss.

"You asked for a second chance with her. What else can that mean?"

He does not know how to answer that. "It was regret for chances that I had squandered. At that time I thought I had missed my only chance in this lifetime."

"And suddenly now you realise you have a chance with me?" There is a cynicism to her voice that they both cannot miss.

"Yes."

"That's what is known as a rebound sunbae."

"I've always liked you Ga Eul yang."

There is silence. The crackling of the fire as it consumes the wood is almost too loud. And then she sighs, her shoulders slump. Even though he has bared his heart to her, he has lost this round.

"I don't believe you. I believe that you believe this. But it's not true. And one day you'll wake up and you'll thank me for today."

"That's not fair. You can't assume that I don't know my own mind. You're afraid of getting hurt."

He says it like an accusation and in spite of her decision to be calm and composed, she bristles. "Is that supposed to make me feel guilty? You are not the best person to be telling that to me."

She's just called him a hypocrite. As angry as he is, he does not want to walk away. How can she not see that his feelings are genuine? "I think I deserve that," he says quietly. "But I should know a thing or two about running away because of fear. I ought to be able to recognise the signs."

She cannot think of anything to say to that and they arrive at what she believes is called an impasse.

"Give us a chance," he says, hoping to change her mind. "If this is not meant to be, we'll both know for sure."

It sounds like a sensible solution. The only problem is that she cannot afford to take that risk. She has already lost her heart to him. If things do not work out, she might not be able to ever get it back.

"No. I'm sorry sunbae. I just can't do this anymore. I meant it when I said I'm done waiting for you."

She thinks that he is going to give up, that silence means he agrees with her. She is relieved yet disappointed. He drives her back to the shop without a word. She is in the process of closing the door when he stuns her with an abruptly spoken statement.

"This is not over."

She stops, unsure if he intends for her to respond. "What?"

"You're not getting rid of me that easily."

There is a dark, determined glint in those eyes that causes her to hurriedly slam the door shut and scoot into the sanctuary of the shop. Behind her, the roar of his sports car indicates that he has left. Good. She can breathe again.