Song Woo Bin looked up as a not so often-heard sound came from the corner where Ji Hoo was sitting. Eyebrow raised in curiosity, Woo Bin studied Ji Hoo, who had let out a kind of snort of laughter, that was more reminiscent of Yi Jeong or Jun Pyo, and no where near Ji Hoo. That enough made Woo Bin curious as to what exactly Ji Hoo was looking at in his laptop.
"Something funny bro?" Woo Bin asked casually, even as he turned to glance briefly at his paperwork spread across the coffee table. The two remaining members of the F4 had met up at the lounge with the intent of doing their weekly dinner, but Woo Bin had an emergency business matter he had to finish. It was Ji Hoo who suggested it was all right for him to stay at the lounge and order out instead. And because it was a rather cold night that night, Woo Bin suggested they order from Seoul Food, Jan Di and Ga Eul's jjuk shop, and consequently invite them over as well. After all, Woo BIn did promise Yi Jeong and Jun Pyo, he would look after the two girls.(Though Yi Jeong was still vehemently denying there was anything between them and Ga Eul, and Jun Pyo had Ji Hoo to look after Jan Di, Woo Bin knew an extra pair of eyes never hurt.)
While the two of them were waiting for the girls to come over, Woo Bin had decided to get started on the paperwork he apparently had to do. It wasn't long though before Ji Hoo's strangled laugh interrupted whatever concentration the real estate heir had. Thus the question.
Ji Hoo, apparently, had been far too absorbed in what he was reading to properly merit Woo Bin a reply, and his friend had to repeat the question before Ji Hoo started and looked about guiltily, which was even stranger behavior. Woo Bin made a point to tell him so.
"It's nothing," Ji Hoo was quick to add, a little bit more forced calm used than what was necessary. "How is Yue doing?" The once musician asked, seemingly picking that topic out of thin air. "I saw her last week." Short sentences, but Woo Bin understood what he meant. Woo Bin might have not noticed, but there was a slight easing of tension in Ji Hoo's eyes as Woo Bin's attention was diverted.
"After that recital by her friend?" Woo Bin asked, still not looking up from his paperwork, a frown on his face as he detected an inconsitency that should have been avoided. "Hmmm. She seems okay. She's not asking for extra money as much as she used to." Woo Bin mused. "It seemed going to the dorms really did help." Woo Bin looked up now and there was a relieved look on his face.
"I honestly thought I couldn't leave her alone in that place even if it was Shinwa."
Ji Hoo's eyebrow rose at that. "I thought you sent guards to look out for her? I know I saw some during the times I checked up on her."
The look on Woo Bin's face could only be described as dark. "That girl, honestly. She found out where my guys were posted and gave them a telling too. You should have seen their faces when they came home, tail between their legs!"
Ji Hoo's lips turned up lightly at that. It was of course quite amusing to imagine Woo Bin's own personal men, who Ji Hoo could remember as a bunch of bulky guys that could only be called thugs. To be handed their butts by such a slight thing like Yue was rather amusing.
Woo Bin had caught the mirth in Ji Hoo's face even though to some it would be quite lost.
"It's not funny! I would not have my own sister countermand my orders. Doesn't she understand this is about her own safety? I don't have the same problems with Tsuki, why must Yue be so difficult?" Woo Bin ranted, completely forgetting he was the first one to ask questions to Ji Hoo. A fact that Ji Hoo was glad not to remind him.
"Well,"He spoke now, looking up from his laptop, as if he was not the one who started this conversation. "She is your sister. What more can you expect from her? As stubborn as she is, she learned all of it from you. I'm suprised Tsuki managed to survive the two of you."Ji Hoo added now, still that small smile on his face.
Woo Bin, who had been looking quite distressed during his rant, turned thoughtful now. "True. But then..." Woo Bin's eyes strayed over to his paperwork as if determined to find the answer to the problems with his sister. "If I don't watch out for her, she would get into all sorts of trouble by herself. Goodness how she managed to get away unscathed the past few months. She always got into trouble before." A frown decorated his lips and Ji Hoo had to shake his head in amusement.
Out of all the F4, Ji Hoo and Woo Bin were the most observant. If not, they complemented each other's ability to read people. Where Ji Hoo actually was more cynical, Woo Bin was surprisingly optimistic about a lot of things. The two of them balanced each other out, and with friends like Jun Pyo and Yi Jeong who constantly got themselves into all sorts of trouble, F4 needed at least two sane people. Therefore it was kind of surprising for Woo Bin to be the cynical at the moment, when even people like Seo Hyun, said his kindness was a fault.
"You worry too much." Ji Hoo commented lightl now, returning towards his laptop once more. "Yue is your sister, and you raised her well. Much better than those people you call your parents." There was a bite in Ji Hoo's tone now and Woo Bin's frown became even more permanent.
"Yah." Was all Woo Bin said, knowing Ji Hoo would get the hint. They all had problems with parents. Where Jun Pyo had a mother who had suffocated him as much as abandoned him, Yi Jeong had a father who was a philanderer and a mother who had been on the brink of suicide several times because of unrequited love, Ji Hoo was an orphan, and Woo Bin had parents who loved each other but could care nothing about their children. Still though, the four had agreed a long time ago, it wasn't each of their place to meddle with their issues with parents and Ji Hoo had somewhat crossed that line.
Ji Hoo did not look up at Woo Bin's silent admonishment but instead preferred to look at his laptop once more. He knew he had been more than a bit tactless with that remark, and it was not like him to say something like that. Were they really missing Jun Pyo and Yi Jeong that the two of them were beginning to act like them in their absence?
It was possible, but Ji Hoo knew he couldn't blame his behavior on Jun Pyo anymore. He was his own silent mess, one that he hadn't really had a chance to acknowledge with all the drama that the past three years has been. He heard Woo Bin give a sigh and he knew his friend had decided to drop it for now. For that he was thankful. Woo Bin was the most decent one among the four of them really.
"Woo Bin-ah." Ji Hoo said after the guilt had finally bullied him to speaking. Woo Bin did not look up from his reading but his hands stilled, so he was sure the Il Shin heir was listening. "Sorry." Ji Hoo muttered before looking back at his laptop. He was not used to apologizing, probably because there were hardly any moments to apologize to. Jun Pyo had pretty much topped every mistake any of them could make with his antics, so Ji Hoo never much had practice apologizing.
Judging Woo Bin's surprised look, he knew exactly how Ji Hoo felt and pretty soon, he was laughing. "Yah, Ji Hoo." He raised his voice a bit, trying to make it stern though laughter was in his eyes. "I forgive you. If you tell me what the hell were you laughing about earlier?"
Woo Bin wasn't really that serious, he just wanted to put Ji Hoo on the spot for a change and for a moment, Woo Bin thought he suceeded, because there was a flash of something in the medical student's eyes before it quickly returned to its stoic face.
"What do you mean?" Ji Hoo's voice was perfectly calm, but his hands were deftly trying to push the laptop away.
That alone was sneaky behavior, and Woo Bin pounced.
"Yah!" It was kind of rare to hear Ji Hoo raise his voice that loud, but whatever was in his laptop it seemed to be very important because quick as a flash, Ji Hoo had managed to grab the laptop back, but not before Woo Bin glimpsed the window that was open.
"Musical sheets?" He asked Ji Hoo incredulously. "Why would you hide that bro? It's not wrong to still like music even when you're studying to be a doctor." He rolled his eyes even as Ji Hoo peered at his laptop as if Woo Bin had seen his secret porn stash.
"Well." Was the all thing that came out of the copper-haired young man. "Why do you hide you know how to cook well?"
Woo Bin matched Ji Hoo's smirk with his own. "Cause bro. It's a good surprise for ladies." He laughed as Ji Hoo merely rolled his eyes, meaning he really couldn't say much about that.
"So.." Woo Bin continued as the two returned to their earlier spots on the couch. "What did you compose?"
Ji Hoo looked at him surprised which Woo Bin answered by rolling his eyes now. "Come on bro. Just because you're the musical prodigy, don't mean I don't know a thing about music. I could tell that was an original composition."
A ghost of a smile danced across Ji Hoo's face before he shrugged. A moment of silence passed between the two of them before Woo Bin gave a rough sigh. "Fine." Shaking his head at Ji Hoo he turned back towards his work for the moment.
Ji Hoo waited before Woo Bin was absorbed in his work again before he turned to look at his laptop screen on'ce more. It wasn't because Hyun Jae's work was particularly awful, in fact for an amateur, it showed a lot of emotion. It was just that Ji Hoo had no idea how to explain to his friend why on earth would her work be on his laptop. It wasn't a secret, really, just that Ji Hoo wasn't feeling particularly generous of sharing Hyun Jae's music with anyone.
Catching himself at that thought, Ji Hoo had to mentally shake his head. His thinking was ridiculous, it wasn't as if Hyun Jae had any idea who he was. He could remember the recital very well, and their introduction. She seemed quite relaxed and at ease, despite whatever it was she said on her last email. In fact, Ji Hoo looked up at Woo Bin now, even as he was listening to the recording of her recital.
"Yue's friend." He began, and left it at that, knowing Woo Bin didn't need any explanations.
"Hmmm?" Woo Bin answered, still a bit distracted. Whatever mess Il Shin Enterprises was in, it was enough to keep the heir occupied. At least for a time before Ji Hoo's words seem to hit him.
"She seems like a good kid." Woo Bin commented. "I so no reason to do a background check on her, since my guys had seen her before around the campus, before Yue chased them away that is." He added darkly making Ji Hoo smirk. The smirk quickly disapperaed at Woo Bin's next words. "Hyun Jae seems cute too. Talented at the piano, but of course not like you bro." Woo Bin's smile disappeared at the look on Ji Hoo's face.
"Ji Hoo yah?"
Ji Hoo had not picked up the last words Woo Bin said, just those that spoke of Hyun Jae being cute. Knowing Woo Bin, his tastes were not easily pleased, and Ji Hoo knew that the words "she's cute" coming from Woo Bin would either be trouble or just more trouble. The medical student opened his mouth to say a warning, or something, when the loud banging of the door interrupted whatever it was he was about to say.
"Sunbae!" Jan Di's voice was easily discernible but was enough to break whatever tension there was. At least that was Woo Bin noticed before he looked up at the sudden "Oppa!" that came after Jan Di.
For the banging of the door announced the arrival of not just Jan Di and Ga Eul but Yue and the very person Ji Hoo and Woo Bin were talking about.
Kim Hyun Jae was in the doorway, face red and eyes wide, frozen behind Ga Eul,as her friend raced inside the lounge to say hello to her brother. However, her eyes were not on Woo Bin and Yue, but rather on Ji Hoo himself who discovered belatedly that his laptop was still open and was playing her recording.
A/N: And here's a new chapter! :D It's sort of a filler chapter, but I really thought it was important to introduce the dynamics of Woo Bin and Ji Hoo's relationship. After all we always see Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo, or Woo Bin and Yi Jeong, I think Ji Hoo and Woo Bin's relationship has a lot of unfinished sentences. Heeheee I don't know, I adore the two of them. And what could Ji Hoo be possibly be thinking with Woo Bin's comment? And Hyun Jae is there! Oh no! Would she know Ji Hoo is Daddy Long Legs already? Drama! :)