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Chapter Two
Disclaimer: I do not own Hana Yori Dango or Boys Over Flowers and all characters of HYD and the Korean / Japanese drama belong to the respective owners except the original characters that belong to me.
Jo An had been mingling with the other guests for about 20 minutes when she noticed him entering out of the corner of her eye. She casually turned with the pretense of putting down her half empty wine glass on the tray of a passing waiter.
Hmm…he looked very distinguished in his white dinner jacket.
Yoon Ji Hoo.
She knew he preferred white.
She knew a lot about him.
She also knew that if she didn't approach this situation carefully, there was a 10% chance of things going wrong… beyond repair.
Not an option at this point.
Jo An mentally shook her head and then with ease honed by years of practice, moved over to where he was standing, chatting animatedly with his friends. She stopped a little distance from them. She could eavesdrop on their conversation if she wished but she was more interested in observing their interactions. She knew from experience that it is much harder to lie with body language than with words. She needed her own data on Ji Hoo before she met him. That is one of the main reasons she was attending this party even though she was extremely tired.
Elaine will be so pissed at her.
Ji Hoo found the party to be already in full swing when he finally arrived 40 minutes later than the designated time.
Knowing that he could only stay for about an hour tops, his eyes immediately sought to find his friends.
He had missed them.
Oh, there they were!
He could see them all smiling and chatting with each other, standing across the room from where he was. With quick, strident steps, Ji Hoo approached them and swooped down to pick up Jung Woo, his god son, in his arms. With a wide smile he turned to face his friends.
"Yo! How have you guys been doing?"
What followed was a cacophony of "Ji Hoo!", "Hey man!", "Sunbae!", "Uncle Hoo!" and of course a round of hugging from his three friends.
The four men temporarily forgot they were the heads of four most powerful families in Korea and you could easily see how deep their friendship really was. In the society that they lived in, such bonds of friendship were rare if not nonexistent and they each knew that very well.
Jan Di and Ga Eul stood in the side and watched them with fond smiles on their faces while each keeping an eye on Jung Woo who was trying his best to pretend he was also a part of the group of four men. After a few minutes of futile attempt at getting their attention to his satisfaction, he tried to pry his way into their circle by trying to wedge himself between Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo's legs. This got the attention of the men who were busy catching up and caused a round of laughter and Jung Woo getting picked up by Ji Hoo once again. Goo Jung Woo quite hated being carried round like he was a kid, especially in parties like this but he had missed his Uncle Hoo and so he will let it pass just this once.
Many of the guests noticed the happy group that night that could not help but stand out, and not just because of its distinguished and good looking members but also due to the genuine air of love and friendship that seemed to surround them, separating them from the rest. In a world where money and power was abundant and the means to almost any end, they shared something immensely more valuable. And although many of the onlookers eyed them with jealousy and calculated consideration, thinking of ways to break up that happiness or use it to gain something or other, there was one pair of eyes that held an entirely different set of emotions.
These eyes belonged to one young woman named Lee Jo An, who was finding it increasingly difficult to remain objective and complete her self-appointed mission. If anyone looked carefully at her now, they would be staggered at the amount pain and self-loathing visible in her eyes.
The fatigue of cross-Atlantic journey has finally succeeded at getting to her and her impeccable armor of self-control was slipping, or was it this wave of unconcealed happiness that was coming from that little group? She could no longer be sure. She knew she should leave immediately, before anyone noticed her slip. She was already pushing her deadline. Even if she left now, she would still be five minutes late and she did not want to be in the vicinity of anyone when that happened. And yet her eyes won't listen to her brain.
It was official, she was a masochist!
With almost physical effort, she wrenched her eyes away and quickly weaved her way through the milling guests towards the exit. She had enough data. Now it was time to retreat and regroup.
That night, long after all the guests had departed and everyone was fast asleep, Ji Hoo sat awake in his room, looking out the open window towards the dark night sky. It was a cloudless night and he could see what seemed like millions of stars. As a gentle breeze whispered past him, stirring his hairs, his thoughts went back to the conversation he and his Grandfather had had the day after he came back.
They had talked about his marriage.
Actually it was more like an argument where Yoon Seok Young had insisted Ji Hoo meet the daughter of one his longtime friend and patient. Lee Won Ho or bring him to meet Ji Hoo's girlfriend, if he had any that is!
Yoon Seok Young knew perfectly well that Ji Hoo did not have a steady girlfriend. In fact he had not dated anyone in the past two years. He had been simply too busy with his work and studies.
So that meant he was not being given any choice in the matter. This incensed Ji Hoo and the two had had a row where his grandfather had said that he was old and frail and would not live too long and wanted to see his grandson happily married and with a next generation of Yoons on the way before he died.
Ji Hoo had countered by saying, his Grandfather was still quite healthy and will live a long life and not to try to guilt him into an arranged marriage with such clichéd lines.
They had both ended up walking away in a huff and slamming the doors to their respective rooms. Their silent treatment of each other had ended earlier that afternoon when grandfather had suddenly collapsed during tea.
Ji Hoo now could not help but rethink his argument.
May be it would not hurt to meet this woman just once.
A meeting was not the same as getting married. He could always say he did not find her suitable and who knows…may be…
With his decision made, Ji Hoo got up from the window seat and headed for the bed.
He will tell his grandfather tomorrow and ask him to set up a date.
A few miles away, another person was staring at the night sky in much the same manner.
With a little wince, Jo An, let out a sigh and averted her eyes from the stars. It was at times like these that she wished that the curse would just get it over with.
She was cold. Even though it was summer, she was always cold.
Gingerly easing down from her perch on the window seat, she slowly moved towards the bed. Sleep would be hard to find, she knew. But she had to try.
The medications barely worked anymore. After years of use, her body had grown a resistance to most sleeping pills. Besides, even if she slept, there are sure to be nightmares tonight. Her mental defenses were in tatters and she had neither the energy nor the will to go through the meditative routine tonight.
She would just have to endure. She was good at that. She would endure and survive.
As she slipped between the sheets and drew the comforter close to her chin she thought she could see the silhouette of a man in the corner where the dim light of the stars barely touched.
Ah, so he would be with her tonight. That was kind of him.
With a barely whispered "Thank you." Jo An closed her eyes.