Chapter 4

The next morning Izzie dressed quickly, managed to cobble together a breakfast sandwich from her room service and picked up two coffees just in time to beat Jun-pyo to his office. He walked in just as she set his coffee on his desk and jumped when he saw her standing by his chair.

"Aish, Izzie-Bear, you scared me!"

"Did I? Good. Then you're probably too high-strung for coffee, so I'll just drink yours too."

"Hey!" he cried as he closed the distance between them and snatched his coffee from her hand. He drank it defiantly as he set down his briefcase and took his seat. Izzie crossed her arms, pinning him with the look she reserved for when he had truly ruffled her feathers.

"What could I have possibly done in the last 6 hours to earn that glare?" he asked as he continued to sip his coffee.

"You know damn well what you've done."

"And now you're cursing me in English," he muttered.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out the story of Min Seo-hyun?"

"Ah. That."

"Yes, that! How could you be so cold to your best friend! And your fiancée for that matter. Putting her in that position like you did. You should be ashamed!"

"Hey! I was only –"

"Oh you were only what? Please, at least do me the courtesy of spending some time to think of a decent excuse for your actions, when, clearly, you are just trying to put Ji-hu in an uncomfortable position. Which is pretty low considering how, just yesterday morning, you told me Ji-hu was in love with Jan-di as if it was as serious as a bee sting!" She slammed her coffee on his desk for emphasis, too exasperated to stand still any longer. Jun-pyo eyed her warily for a moment as she paced, as if waiting for the next explosion.

"It's all right. I'm done now. Feel free to provide me with you pathetic excuse for why you are a terrible friend." She stopped pacing and crossed her arms over her chest again, practically tapping her foot in impatience for whatever he was going to say.

"I am not a terrible friend. I am trying to be a good friend and arrange for Ji-hu to be happy."

It was not the response Izzie had been expecting. Jun-pyo must have sensed her bewilderment as he took the opportunity to continue.

"I am not concerned that Ji-hu is in love with Jan-di. She has refused him and he has accepted that. I am concerned for Ji-hu that he has resigned himself to forever loving a woman that will not reciprocate his love the way he wishes. She may work by his side until the day he dies, but Jan-di will never help Ji-hu find the happiness he deserves."

"And so what? Your big plan is to bring back his first love and hope that his feelings will be rekindled?"

"Yes."

Izzie collapsed in a chair by his mantle and Jun-pyo swiveled his seat back and forth, waiting for her to respond. Her mind, meanwhile, was scrambling to process her boss' shortsighted plan. Finally, she leaned forward in her seat, a habitual posture she took when she was about to delve into a subject.

"Are you confident Ji-hu still has feelings for Seo-hyun? Because that is not the impression I got last night."

"No one can truly move on from their first love. There is too much history between them."

"Hm, that's some great wisdom, coming from a man who is marrying the only girl he's ever loved."

"Hey! That's how I know, right? There is too much between Jan-di and me to ever forget."

"Yes, but wasn't her first love Ji-hu?" Izzie waited for her point to land and when it did she was rewarded to a sulky glare. "Look, JP I know you want Ji-hu to be happy. And I know Jan-di would be happier if he was happy too. But I don't think this Seo-hyun is the answer. I think Ji-hu's happiness is out there, he just hasn't realized it yet."

"Hm. Maybe."

"Trust me, okay? Have I ever lead you wrong?"

"There was that time in – "

"Okay, we don't talk about the time in Brooklyn remember? It was an honest mistake!" She rose from her chair and grabbed her coffee from his desk, satisfied that she had made her point. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a wedding to plan and bridesmaids to hunt down."

"Hey, Izzie-Bear...you be a bridesmaid."

"Ex-excuse me?" She almost dropped her coffee as she gathered her purse from the floor, straightening instantly at his words.

"Yeah. Why didn't I think of it sooner? Jan-di likes you, you'll make sure everything runs smoothly – "

"I'm going to make sure it runs smoothly because I will be coordinating everything from the outside."

"A leader is better on the inside. Basic business. You and Seo-hyun will be the final bridesmaids."

Before Izzie could object his intercom buzzed and the receptionist announced his morning appointment had arrived.

"Why are you standing there? Go. Work hard." He dismissed her and Izzie bit her tongue, managing to only roll her eyes.

"I'll leave first," she growled as she turned on her heel and marched out of the office. She stepped into the waiting car as she pulled out her phone and typed in a quick search. She gave the driver the address and settled into her seat, stewing over what Jun-pyo had proclaimed.

Why do I always feel like you're up to something, she thought as the driver shifted through traffic. She took the time to review the photography portfolios she had been provided and narrow down the choices to two. Her frustration with her boss subsided as she was delivered to her destination. She got out of the car and happily dismissed the driver as she walked into the Kawasaki store.

~o~

Ji-hu was lost in his thoughts when he heard someone shout his name. He looked around the hospital entrance, scanning the nurses to see if any of them would have stopped him. He smiled when he finally saw a woman waving at him, leaning against a sport bike that was parked by his own.

"Did Jun-pyo make you angry?" he asked once he had crossed to her, burying his hands in his pocket as she nodded happily. He surveyed her and her purchase. She was dressed casually, with tight maroon jeans and black leather boots that ended just below her knee. The hem of a black and white striped shirt peeked out beneath a black leather jacket that Ji-hu suspected had been custom made to fit her so precisely. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and he was pleased to see her glasses had returned. Her eyes had been a bit too interesting without the shield of her eyewear.

Ji-hu quickly rerouted from that train of thought and extended his inspection to the bike. An icy blue Ninja would not have been his initial thought for her type of bike, but now that he saw it he realized it suited her perfectly. Light and quick, he suspected she would take advantage of the bike's full potential.

"I assume you want to go for a ride?" he asked, unable to stop smiling as she practically bubbled with excitement.

"Well, yes, but I was hoping you could help me with some wedding business as well. Are you free?"

Ji-hu considered her question. He had just completed his first kidney transplant, and there had been some complications from a nicked blood vessel (the error had been made by the lead surgeon, though Ji-hu had been the one to sew it up) and he was exhausted. Still, he felt that restlessness stir in him again and he offered her another smile.

"Where are we going?"

She almost bounced as she pulled her helmet off her handlebars. "Up to Goyang. Their annual flower show is happening and I thought it would be the best place to find a florist."

Ji-hu almost regretted agreeing to go. Though he enjoyed horticulture to a certain degree, the International Horticulture exhibition was more than he was willing to endure. Still, it was his own mistake for agreeing to go along without asking the destination first, so he put on his own helmet and zipped his jacket.

"I'll lead the way. Don't get lost," he called to her before he pulled out of the parking lot. She quickly moved into position beside him and Ji-hu understood her hint that she wanted to go faster. Ignoring the expressway, he chose roads he knew would be mostly deserted during the afternoon so that they could ride freely. They managed to remain side by side, and Ji-hu was impressed at her skill. She clearly loved speed, but she wasn't reckless or irresponsible. Though the winding path they were on should have taken twice as long, they arrived in Goyang in nearly the same amount of time as they would have had they taken a more conventional route.

They found their way through the cultural park and into the parking area for the exhibition. Mercifully, the place did not appear crowded and Ji-hu felt some relief as he realized that they would likely have much of the exhibition to themselves as it was the middle of the day on a workday.

"Oh God, that felt amazing! There are few things in this world more exhilarating than a good ride, right?" she asked as she pulled off her helmet. Ji-hu's breath caught as he watched her; her face was flushed, and some loose strands of hair had fallen around her face, making her look slightly disheveled. She half unzipped her jacket as she leaned her head back, closed her eyes and sighed. Ji-hu swallowed hard as she stretched, the lines of her body causing images to flash in his mind of some if his more intimate moments living in Paris with Seo-hyun, though the images started to shift as the imagined skin became paler and the half-lidded eyes that had looked at him with want were ringed with blue and flecked with gold.

Ji-hu turned his attention to securing his bike and the buried his hands in his pockets as he turned back to her, his mask of detachment firmly secured. "Ready to go?"

"One sec!" she called as she pulled a pack of pills and a bottle of water from her bag.

"What's wrong?" he asked, instantly slipping into his 'doctor mode' as Jan-di called it.

"Hm? Oh, nothing! It's just an antihistamine."

"An anti...are you allergic to flowers?"

She cringed and then shrugged. "Not all of them. Just some. Like lilies. Or roses. Or lilacs, or freesia, or...okay, so I'm allergic to most flowers." She started off toward the ticket booth and Ji-hu followed on her heels.

"So, you're allergic to flowers, but you wanted to come to an event with millions of them, just to find the right florist for Jun-pyo and Jan-di's wedding?"
"Mm, pretty much. Plus I wanted to get some inspiration on how we'll decorate for the ceremony. I want something magical, that won't make Jan-di feel uncomfortable or Jun-pyo feel embarrassed."

"Hm, I see." Ji-hu wondered how she could possibly achieve what she was attempting, but kept his thoughts to himself.

Despite his objection, she paid for the entrance to the exhibition, then immediately retrieved a pen and small hardcover notebook from her bag, scribbling notes as soon as they began to walk around the grounds. Though he initially just walked along with her, silently nodding or occasionally providing monosyllabic responses to her questions, he eventually found himself getting caught up in the plans she was making. Soon they were sitting on a bench, both hovering over the notebook and tweaking the designs she had roughly sketched, while sipping iced coffees they had found at one of the food stands.

"I don't know. Something just seems like it's missing, you know? It just seems so ordinary," she finally remarked with a sigh.

"Ordinary? You consider almost a quarter of a million dollars worth of flowers 'ordinary'?"

"No, that's not what I mean," she sighed again as she rubbed the back of her neck, pinching the trapezious muscle at the top of her shoulder. "Just look at this. It's beautiful, but is it any different that any other wedding where money is not an issue?"

Ji-hu took the notebook from her lap and began studying the plans they had written up. Tasteful, elegant, there was nothing out of place with their sketches. He could picture the understated opulence and knew it would be a beautiful composition when it was realized, but he frowned slightly as he began to understand her point. There was nothing special about the wedding. Stunning as it was, there was nothing that differentiated it from any other wedding, nothing that connected it to Jan-di and Jun-pyo.

"You're right. It should be more personal."

"The first kiss, the first date, the proposal – it should all be part of it." She nibbled her thumbnail, staring at the notebook and tapping the pen on her thigh as her foot bounced. Ji-hu began to wonder if she should have perhaps avoided the caffeine when she suddenly sighed in exasperation and looked to him.

"What would your wedding look like?"

"What – my what?"

"Your wedding. If you were marrying Jan-di, what would your wedding be like? How would you design it?"

Ji-hu's stomach dropped and he looked away from her, staring blankly at the topiary that had been shaped into characters from a children's cartoon. He had imagined over and over what it would be like to marry Jan-di. Every night he looked at the pictures that had been taken of them for that silly contest, where he had stood as the artificial groom to Jan-di so she could win a tray of fine meat cuts to send to her family. From those pictures his imagination had filled in every detail of their fantasy wedding, but actually saying them out loud made him feel like he was acknowledging that they were just pathetic dreams.

"It would be in the summer, on a warm, sunny day. It would be small, just her family and our friends, and I wouldn't worry about groomsmen or bridesmaids. It would just be us."

"That's it!" She bounced up from the bench and began pacing, jarring Ji-hu from his musings.

"What is?"

"You! You're the other side of the coin: Jun-pyo's exact opposite. You're the sunshine to his nighttime. Of course! It's perfect!" She snatched the notebook from him, flipping to a blank page and began furiously sketching. Ji-hu sat watching her, his brows slightly knitted as he tried to follow her muttering. Finally she flipped the notebook, revealing a sketch of a star, with a moon contained in its center. It was the design of the necklace Jun-pyo had created for Jan-di, showing his possession of her heart, and had been an important symbol each time their relationship had been torn apart and mended.

"Jun-pyo's star."

"Think about it: all those events I mentioned? Their first date, first kiss, the first time he told her he loved her – what do they have in common?"

They took her one step further away from me?

"They were all at night," he said quietly, his heart sinking despite the bright smile Izzie gave him.

"Exactly! Every major moment has been at night! That's why a daytime wedding feels so wrong! We need to plan an evening wedding!"

"Of course."

She started jotting down notes once again, listing aloud the twinkle lights, night blooming flowers and other details they would need while Ji-hu sank into his own feelings. He didn't understand why, when he accepted that Jan-di was marrying Jun-pyo, he still felt grief when he thought of how he was losing his soulmate. The woman he had grown to love, who had nestled so deeply in his heart that he felt her with every beat of his pulse. However, he also recalled the number of times Jun-pyo had laid him flat when he got a little too close to making her his own, and knew his best friend also lived for Jan-di. He felt a hand on his arm and looked up to find Izzie smiling at him sympathetically.

"I think that's enough wedding planning for today. Why don't we head out of here and get some dinner. My treat."

"I won't accept that. I will pay for dinner." He rose, stretching and searching for a trashcan to dispose of their empty drink cups. He tossed the cups in the nearest receptacle and slid his hands into his pockets. "Shall we go?" he asked, walking toward the entrance before she could respond.

"Thank you, for helping me, Ji-hu. I know this is that last thing you probably want to be doing, but...last night? You were right. Planning this wedding hasn't really been good for me." She mirrored his pose, slipping her hands in her pockets and looking forward with a mostly blank expression. He could see, however, the difficulty she was having making that confession to him. He stopped, and after a moment she paused, turning back and looking at his with her head cocked to the side slightly.

"Perhaps it is best we work together to plan the wedding – as a way to let go of our feelings."

She scoffed, shaking her head. "I don't think, at this point, I am ever going to stop having feelings for Jun-pyo."

"Of course not. However, this will be a swan song to that love. After this, we can put away our hope and dreams for good."

"I'm not sure I can do that," she said, biting her lips as tears appeared in her eyes. He took two steps and stood toe to toe with her, forcing her to bring her shining eyes up to his.

"You can. You accomplish anything you set your mind to."

"How can you be sure of that? You don't really know me, Doc."

He scoffed, a small smile forming on his lips as he stooped down to look her directly in the eye. "You claimed to know my friends and me just hours after meeting us. Your estimation of me was so thorough, but did you not realize that I, too, see right through people? Someday, Izzie, I will learn to read your thoughts too."

He straightened and walked away before she could respond. After a few paces he felt her fall into step beside him, but she didn't say anything as they walked out of the park and navigated through the people now pouring into the exhibition. They prepared their bikes in a silence that was the result of them both being lost in their own thoughts, and they soon were zipping out of the parking lot and onto the open road.

Once again, the ride seemed to bring Izzie back from her reverie and she was even more ambitious on their ride back, occasionally performing tricks as she pulled ahead of him slightly. Ji-hu laughed inside his helmet, charmed by her daredevil side that seemed so at odds with the professional demeanor she had when she was haggling with florists about their prices and negotiating fees for delivery and pick up. He watched her face grow cold and her lips purse when she sensed someone was trying to take advantage of her, but she would then turn around and deliver a sarcastic remark that would have him laughing. She was far too smart to love Jun-pyo, and Ji-hu was determined to help her realize that she didn't need to devote herself to a man that wouldn't love her in return.

You don't have to be like me, Izzie. He's not your soulmate.

An hour later they had returned to the city, and Ji-hu took the lead to guide them to one of his favorite restaurants. They parked their bikes and Izzie looked at him curiously when they stood in front of the family-run noodle shop.

"You eat here?" she asked as he fixed his helmet to his bike.

"Reserve your thoughts until you taste their noodles. This business has existed for over sixty years."

"Wow, seriously?"

"Yes." He led the way into the restaurant, which was packed. Immediately upon entering the diners hushed, all eyes following him as he walked to the back of the restaurant, claiming a booth that was set apart from the others. Instantly a middle-aged gentleman with a large smile appeared at their table, bowing to them.

"Good evening, Doctor."
"Good evening, Chef Oh. How's your health?"

"Oh, me, I'm as healthy as someone can be! Without his health a man is nothing. Would you like your usual?"

"Please."

"Okay, and what about your companion? Hello! How are you?" He waved at Izzie and Ji-hu bit back a smile.

"I'm very well, thank you for asking. Since I've never eaten here, why don't you bring the dish the kitchen is most proud of?"

The older man's eyes went wide as she spoke, and Ji-hu could no longer stifle his grin. Chef Oh looked to Ji-hu, then back to Izzie with a quick smile.

"Yes, of course. I'll be out shortly with your drinks." He bowed and took off to the kitchen, muttering about all the Americans speaking English.

"It never ceases to amaze me how surprised natives are when you can converse in their language. Not that I can blame them for being surprised an American doesn't only speak English."

"How many languages do you speak?"

"Four fluently. English, French, Korean and Japanese. I can get by in Italian, and know some very basic German."

"What made you decide to study languages?"

"I didn't, really. In college I studied Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs and Communications. Learning languages was just something that happened naturally. I studied French in high school and my freshman year of college my roommate was Korean. I became fascinated with her stories, so when I got into my D.F.A. program I decided to focus on East Asia."

"So you learned Korean and Japanese...why not Cantonese or Mandarin?" He nodded his thanks when a server dropped off bottles of water for them.

"Ugh, I can't do Chinese. I don't know if it's because it's tonal, or if it has to do with the fact that I can't stand the sound of either language, but I just cannot get my mouth to speak Chinese. My accent is so bad the professor at school just patted me on the shoulder and let me drop the class."

They sipped their waters as the older man brought over two trays of food, beaming nervously. They thanked them for the food and Chef Oh hovered while they tasted their meals. Ji-hu watched the surprised smile appear on Izzie's face and she immediately began showering the man with complements. Chef Oh looked ready to burst with pride and Ji-hu couldn't help but admire the girl sitting across from him. Her Korean was amazing, and on the rare occasions her accent slipped he found it rather charming. She sampled everything in front of her, asking the restraunteur to identify any foods she didn't recognize, even questioning where the recipes came from and his family history with the restaurant. When the owner had to leave them for other customers Ji-hu chuckled quietly.

"What are you laughing about?"

"You."

"Me? What did I do?"

"You just made his day, and you don't even realize it."

"Don't be silly."

"It's true. The beautiful, foreign girlfriend of an F4 complementing his food? He's thrilled."

"Stop teasing," she said with a playful glare before returning to her soup, but Ji-hu could see a little color was flooding into her cheeks.

"I wouldn't tease you. Surely you're aware of the attention you receive whenever you're with F4?"

"The attention, I assure you, is focused on the F4. Me, the companion, is just a shadow."

For some reason, the way she lowered her eyes into her soup irked him as she spoke so lowly of herself. She was not a woman lacking confidence, nor was she the type to fish for complements. Yet, for some reason, a self-deprecating smile appeared on her lips and made him set down his spoon.

"You could never be a shadow. Isadora Wagner is...a masterly faceted gem. You reflect others light, making it brighter, but there is a beautiful fire in you that is uniquely...Izzie."

A moment passed and Ji-hu swallowed hard as he wondered what had possessed him to speak such nonsense out loud. Izzie sat completely still, slowly raising her head to meet his eyes, an odd, hazy expression on her face. Ji-hu suddenly felt warm and had the overwhelming urge to squirm. He finally broke eye contact and returned his attention to his meal, but felt her eyes linger on him. He ignored her, letting her stew over his words as he continued to eat. She eventually lifted her chopsticks and finished her meal.

They left the restaurant several minutes later, pausing awkwardly outside next to their bikes.

"So I – "

"Well, that – "

They spoke simultaneously then stopped, chuckling and smiling at each other.

"Thank you, again, for coming with me today. And for dinner, but next time, you have to promise to let me pay, deal?"

"As you wish."

"Thank you. Well, I'll leave first!" she waived then grabbed her helmet, straddling her bike as she put it on. Ji-hu busied himself with his own when he heard her call his name.

"Yes?"

"Well, tomorrow afternoon I have to meet with the caterer to discuss possible menus. Would that count as buying your lunch?"

He grinned, nodding his head in agreement.

"Great! I'll text you the information. Good night!"

"Good night," he called as she sped off back towards her hotel. He was mildly impressed that she hadn't bothered to check for directions, and he had no doubt that she would find her way without getting lost. He expected she had probably spent part of her flight to Korea memorizing the streets of Seoul. He shook his head and took off towards his own home, surprised to find himself humming as he parked his bike and walked in the door.

Perhaps I have my own fireman to cheer me up and save me from myself. Perhaps...it may be nice to have a new friend.

He stood, lost in thought for a moment before a large yawn interrupted him. He tossed aside thoughts of Izzie and firemen as he prepared for bed, but just as he was fading into sleep an image appeared in his mind of a woman with pale curves and green eyes, wearing a uniform that would not be deemed safe for any fire company. She disappeared almost immediately as he fell into slumber, but still managed to bring a smile to his lips.

A/N: Some of you may have noticed the not-so-subtle nod I gave to another Kim Hyun-joong series: Playful/Naughty/Mischievous Kiss. I couldn't help myself, and I sort of like the idea that both of his characters end up as doctors in the same world and never, ever cross paths...