"Maybe you don't need the whole world to love you. Maybe you just need one person." - Kermit the Frog

Chapter 6:

The flight was long and boring. Jun Pyo tried to pass the time by reading some magazines that he brought along but found himself stealing glances at Jae Kyung, who was sitting in front of him, ignoring him the entire flight. It annoyed him because he knew she was doing it on purpose to annoy him.

Frustrated, he tried to lie down to get some sleep but found he couldn't. So many thoughts were running through his head. It had been over a year since he was last home. His mother and sister had been delighted to hear of his visit (his mother even happier he was coming with Jae Kyung). His father was busy trying to slowly get back into the swing of things (he'd been seeing numerous specialists to ensure things got back to "normal"). His friends...

He frowned.

Did his friends know he was coming back?

He glanced at the top of Jae Kyung's head, which was all he could see of her. She would have told them, he was sure of it. He was sure they'd be at the airport waiting for him when they landed.

He smiled smugly to himself. His friends had texted and called him quite regularly the past year. Most of the time he missed their calls and forgot to text back.

But he knew them well. They grew up together, after all.

They'd be there.

…

As soon as their flight landed, Jun Pyo breathed a sigh of relief. He stretched his arms and legs and ran his hand quickly through his hair. He put on his trademark scowl and got off the plane. Jae Kyung just gave him an amused smirk, as she walked in front of him.

He got onto the terminal, his eyes discreetly sweeping around in search of his friends. When he got near the exit, his scowl deepened. He was expecting them to be casually standing by, waiting for him to appear.

Where were they?

Ah, they must be waiting outside the terminal.

They exited the terminal and he saw Jae Kyung step into a black car parked right outside. She beckoned him to come in. He couldn't hide his annoyance as he sat inside the car. His friends weren't there either. Did they not know he was coming home? Didn't they want to see him?

"Welcome back, Young Master, Young Miss." The driver of the car, someone Jun Pyo didn't recognize, greeted them. Another guy in a black suit got into the passenger side.

Jun Pyo had gotten so used to his men-in-black he barely noticed they were there anymore. Jae Kyung seemed the same. Jun Pyo knew there was a car in front and another behind them that were filled with their personal guards. It was the price they paid for being uber-rich. What did the media call them again? They said he and Jae Kyung were part of the top 2% in Korea.

"So, did you enjoy your flight?" Jae Kyung asked, smiling widely. It was the first time she spoke to him since he got on the plane in New York.

Oh, now you want to talk to me, huh?

He decided not to answer her back. He looked outside his window, scowling.

"You know, if you keep making that face, it's going to freeze permanently into place." She gasped when he didn't move. "Or maybe it already has! Oh, you poor thing! Good thing we have the best plastic surgeons that money can buy right here!"

"You're hilarious." He said, dryly. "Just freaking hilarious."

He was too busy glaring at her he didn't notice they'd arrived at his house.

Was Jae Kyung just dropping him off?

"We're here," she said, as she got off the car, unknowingly answering his question. She waltzed into his house, greeting the servants that waited outside.

How come she knows them by name and I don't? This is MY house, not hers!

He shook his head, annoyance growing. He was so focused on her he didn't notice the three exotic cars that were parked on his driveway.

And the three young men that were leaning on those cars.

…

"You look like you just ate something sour," Woo Bin greeted, as he clapped a hand on Jun Pyo's back. "Welcome back, bro!"

Yi Jung was smiling from ear to ear as he shook Jun Pyo's hand. "And the F4 is complete again!"

Jun Pyo glanced at Ji Hoo, who was walking slowly towards him, hands in his pockets. He tried to summon up his anger and tell Ji Hoo to get lost.

What are you doing here? How dare you show your face!

But none of those came out.

He knew he wasn't angry at Ji Hoo. In fact, he felt guilty at the way he treated Ji Hoo when he visited him in New York.

Ji Hoo… who was his best friend, who was closest to him out of them all, who flew thousands of miles just to apologize to him, to see how he was doing and to make sure he was alright. And all Jun Pyo did was utter a few brusque words and then sent him back to Korea.

He was sure Woo Bin and Yi Jung would welcome him back, but he was quite doubtful about Ji Hoo showing up after New York.

Yet here he was, standing in front of him, looking quite unsure himself. He recalled what Ji Hoo said to him in New York. He told him he'd be waiting for him to come back, no matter how long it took.

It didn't take him very long to come back, but still. Here Ji Hoo was, true to his word.

How could I possibly hate this guy? Jun Pyo thought, a little infuriated with himself. Darn you, Ji Hoo! Darn you!

Deep down, he knew that the real test of his feelings would come when he saw Jan Di again in person. He was sure of it.

"Welcome back, Gu Jun Pyo." Ji Hoo greeted, a nervous smile on his face.

They were there. All three of them. His friends since Kindergarten. His partners in crime.

Welcoming him back.

Jun Pyo was so relieved to see that his friends hadn't forgotten him he forgot he was supposed to scowl. His mouth quirked at the corner and he gave them each an acknowledging nod.

"Where were you guys?" He blurted, forgetting also that he wasn't supposed to care.

"Jae Kyung said we should just wait here for you," Yi Jung answered.

That woman! She was certainly getting to be a pro at knowing how to annoy him the most.

"Master Gu Jun Pyo, your mother is waiting for you and your friends inside," one of the servants who stood by the door called out to him.

Jun Pyo looked at his friends and gestured inside.

"You guys coming?"

"Of course we are." Woo Bin replied, as he and the others followed Jun Pyo inside the house.

…

After dinner, the four of them sat in his living room trying to catch up on things.

"So, I heard you're also going out with a commoner?" Jun Pyo asked Woo Bin.

Woo Bin gave an impish grin. "Yup. You'll get to meet her soon. She's pretty excited to meet you."

"How long are you here for?" Yi Jung asked him.

"A week or so." He answered. Truth be told, he had no idea when he was supposed to come back. Jae Kyung just gave him the ticket to get to Seoul. She hadn't mentioned an exact date of return. He made a mental note to ask her later.

"We should do something fun together, then." Yi Jung suggested. "Just like old times!"

Jun Pyo had to admit he really missed his friends. Sitting around his living room with them felt like old times.

"Sure," was all he said. "I don't really have anything planned. We can go rent an island somewhere for a few days."

Up until the day before, his plan was to sleep, eat, and play until he was scheduled back to work.

The other three exchanged looks.

"We can't get away for that long." Woo Bin explained. "Work, you know." Plus, they didn't know if the girls could get away for that long in such short notice.

"Right." Jun Pyo said.

"Oooh... we should take you to one of those Karaoke bars. Those things are fun!" Yi Jung, face bright with excitement, proposed.

"That sounds more like a punishment," Jun Pyo commented.

Ji Hoo and Woo Bin laughed.

"Trust me, if we wanted to punish you, we'd just send you off on a weekend camping trip with Yi Jung," Ji Hoo said.

Yi Jung rolled his eyes. "Oh, are we still upset about that? You guys should get over it. That was SO last month!"

"Yi Jung, that WAS last month. Literally." Woo Bin argued.

Yi Jung stuck his lower lip out. "You make ONE mistake and they won't let you forget about it."

Jun Pyo looked at the other three, confusion written on his face.

"What are you guys talking about?" he asked.

"We'll tell you about it some other time," Ji Hoo said, grinning widely.

Jun Pyo WAS perplexed.

Karaoke bars? Camping trips?

What happened to his friends?

They'd changed.

…

Woo Bin and Yi Jung left two hours later, and only Ji Hoo stayed behind. Jun Pyo had thought Ji Hoo would be the first to leave, but his friend just stood outside, leaning on his car, as they watched the other two drive away.

"You not leaving yet?" He asked.

"Do you want me to go now?" Ji Hoo replied.

"Nah. I was just wondering. Don't you have somewhere to get to?"

He didn't want to ask if Jan Di might be waiting for him.

Ji Hoo shook his head. "Jan Di's at work and I'm working nights right now so I still have time before I have to go."

Jun Pyo simply nodded. He stood beside Ji Hoo and they both stared ahead.

"How's the hospital life?"

"Oh, you know. Hectic. It's like a never-ending sprint. There's no finish line."

"Do you like it?"

"Yes. Even though it could get quite stressful at times, it's pretty rewarding too. I really enjoy it. I've met some of the most interesting people the last few years."

"I thought you didn't like people? And yet, you find a profession where you have to deal with them constantly."

Ji Hoo shrugged. "It's not that bad. I guess you get used to it."

Jun Pyo looked at Ji Hoo – the guy who used to disappear for hours hiding somewhere just so he could avoid the crowd. He felt renewed respect and admiration for his friend. (Though he dared not show it.)

"I'll come visit you at the hospital one day."

Ji Hoo looked at him, trying to see if he was serious. "I'd like that."

Jun Pyo took a long, deep breath in. "How's Jan Di?"

There. He said her name. He'd asked. Was that why Ji Hoo stayed behind?

"She's good. She also loves the hospital life." Ji Hoo paused for a moment before adding, "She knows you're here."

He said nothing in response.

"She'd want to know how you're doing."

"Oh?" Was all Jun Pyo said at first. "And what will you tell her?"

Ji Hoo turned to face Jun Pyo. "I was hoping you'd tell her yourself."

Jun Pyo arched an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting Ji Hoo to suggest that. He was actually going to ask him if he could talk to her.

After all the times he tried taking Jan Di back from him, shouldn't Ji Hoo be... a little possessive of her? Shouldn't he be worried?

"Are you sure you want me to?"

"I think you need to."

Ji Hoo had changed. He was different somehow... did he seem more confident?

Jun Pyo looked away. "You sound like Jae Kyung," he muttered. Then he sighed heavily. "If she wants to talk to me."

"I can ask her. I won't force her to do anything she doesn't want to do...but knowing her, I think she'd want to."

"So, you'd let me take her out on a date?" He joked, and was surprised when Ji Hoo nodded.

"As long as she's okay with it."

Jun Pyo couldn't believe what he was hearing. He decided to tease Ji Hoo a little.

"Aren't you worried she'd change her mind and come back to me?"

Ji Hoo looked at him. "Should I be?"

His eyes were unreadable. Jun Pyo wasn't sure if what he said had any effect on him. He shook his head in disbelief. There was definitely something different about Ji Hoo. He noticed it when he came to visit him in New York too.

"So, what happened to you? You've changed. And don't tell me you fell in love. You were in love with Min So Hyun for a very long time and you didn't change like this."

Ji Hoo gave him a lopsided smile. "This time I was loved back."

It was true. Though Min So Hyun loved him, it wasn't the way Jan Di loved him now. So Hyun loved him mostly like a sister would.

"How about you? How are things going with you?" Ji Hoo asked him, his voice sincere.

Jun Pyo shrugged. "As well as can be expected."

"How are things with Jae Kyung?"

Jun Pyo expected questions like that, considering the amount of time he'd been hanging out with her.

"That brat? She's incorrigible." He looked back at the house. No doubt Jae Kyung was telling his mother and sister stories about him. Embarrassing ones. He was certain he could hear laughter coming out of the sitting area. "She knows just how to push my buttons. She's arrogant, hard headed, ridiculously stubborn. She's just like..." He paused as something dawned on him.

Me.

She's just like me.

The revelation shook him. How had he not noticed it before?

Wait, is that a good thing?

He wasn't sure.

Ji Hoo laughed, as though he read Jun Pyo's mind.

I need to learn how to stop being so transparent. I might as well wear a sign!

"Took you long enough to figure it out." Ji Hoo quipped.

He shook his head. "I don't know, Ji Hoo..." He was so torn. He knew he felt something for Jae Kyung. Exactly what it was terrified him to find out. "Do I really want to make my mother THAT happy?" His mother would throw a grand ball if he ever pursued a relationship with Jae Kyung. Assuming she still felt something for him. He tried to push those thoughts aside.

One relationship issue at a time, Jun Pyo.

"Congratulations, by the way." He said, and he meant it. Ji Hoo had won, fair and square.

"Thanks. But it wasn't a competition."

"Still."

"It feels nice when the second lead gets the girl though. That doesn't normally happen."

"What second lead? What are you talking about?"

Ji Hoo chuckled. "The girls got us to watch a KDrama once. You know, where you have a main lead who's the star of the show and who always gets the girl. Then there's the second lead who also likes the girl but is tossed aside and everyone just ends up feeling sorry for him."

Jun Pyo raised an eyebrow. "Who said you were second lead?"

"Come on now, Gu Jun Pyo. You were the leader of the F4. You always called the shots. I was just in the sidelines."

"That doesn't make you second lead. It could be Woo Bin. Or Yi Jung."

"It could be." Ji Hoo nodded. "But we both know that in this story, it's definitely me." Ji Hoo looked up at the sky and grinned. "Someone up there must like me."

"Nonsense." Jun Pyo commented, but he couldn't help but smile. This Ji Hoo who he'd known since they were 4 was talking nonsense about KDramas and second leads and what-nots. "Then they must really hate me."

Ji Hoo's face turned serious. "Why's that?"

"Because try as I might, I can't bring myself to hate either of you."

...