Lesson #8
Love Yourself
[ No, this is not about that song where he talks about his bitchy ex. Love yourself is literally about you loving yourself again. You may have lost the love (you think) of your life but your own life is still there. Open your eyes to the wonders of living. The world is bigger than what you think. ]
Ga Eul smiles at her reflection in the mirror. It never fails to amuse her how beautiful she looks with a make up on completed with an elegant dress. Jae Kyung did an amazing job. At least now she doesn't have to worry looking like a rug beside Yi Jeong.
"Thank you unnie." she smiles at her fairy godmother.
"You're welcome, Ga Eul-yang." Jae Kyung smiles at her. She's wearing a navy blue low v-cut dress matching with navy blue high heels. "I'm so happy that you are now healed. I take it that Yi Jeong has contributed to it tremendously."
Ga Eul smiles shyly at her. What she said is true. Yi Jeong had helped her throughout her zombie days. If it isn't for him she would have been dead by now. She hasn't thanked him yet but she's planning on doing it tonight.
"Please be careful of your heart next time, okay?" she says as she arranges Ga Eul's hair in one side.
Ga Eul nodded as Jan Di opens the curtains of the walk-in closet she's in.
"Wah! Ga Eul, you look so pretty!" Jan Di exclaims as she stood beside her best friend.
"Omo! Jan Di-ah, you look like a fairy!" She's wearing a beautiful white and purple cocktail dress. Simple yet classy.
Jae Kyung joined them in front of the mirror. She puts her arms around her friends. "Let's make their jaw drop, shall we?"
The two nodded and indeed jaws dropped when they started descending the palace-like stairs of Ha Mansion.
Jun Pyo's eyes never grew wider than right now as he stares at his fiancee approaching him. Woo Bin recovered after a minute and turned his gaping mouth into a smirk as his eyes focuses on Jae Kyung. Yi Jeong on the other hand had to hold his breath the moment he saw Ga Eul. She's elegantly going down the stairs in her red cocktail dress, it stopped not even in her mid-thigh, exposing her milky slender legs.
He had seen dozens of pretty girls in formal dresses but Ga Eul is the only one who made his heart skipped a beat. He needed to remind himself to breathe or else Ga Eul will not have a date tonight.
Ga Eul stops in front of him, smiling so beautifully but at the same time Yi Jeong can still sense her shyness and uneasiness. Probably from her dress that Yi Jeong was beginning to love as seconds pass by. When did Ga Eul-yang become this gorgeous?
No, Ga Eul had always been gorgeous, you just kept pushing it at the back of your mind. That loud annoying voice in his brain scolded him.
"Your carriage awaits." bowing to her as he held out his hand for her to take and he was rewarded by her adorable smile.
Yellow, red and orange sports cars left the Ha mansion. They arrived at the Woo Sung Museum in time for the party.
They were greeted by flashes of cameras. Yi Jeong felt Ga Eul tightens her hold on his arm. He smiles at her and squeezes her hand.
"My secret is going to be expose now." she said quietly as they walk inside the hall of the museum heading to the Great Hall where the party is being held.
"Secret?" Yi Jeong looks at her with a quizzical expression.
"That I'm friends with you. I'm sure those pictures are going to end up at the newspapers tomorrow." Ga Eul can only imagine her co-workers bombarding her with thousands of questions. One of which would be to know if she can arrange group dates with her 'secret friends'.
Yi Jeong chuckles. "You don't have to worry about the newspapers, Ga Eul-yang."
"Really, sunbae?!" her eyes widen, she stares at him in disbelieve. There's still hope?
"Those pictures will be in the news tonight, you don't need to wait for the newspaper tomorrow."
She sighed. So much for hoping for a miracle!
"Smile Ga Eul-yang, you don't want to look like you have more wrinkles than my grandfather on national television, would you?"
"Ah!" Yi Jeong winced in pain when Ga Eul pinched his side.
They entered the Great Hall and instantly, all the attention is on them. Well it can't be help, it is Yi Jeong sunbae's night after all, Ga Eul thought.
She stands beside him smiling at the people coming up to them as they congratulate him. At first it's kind of awkward for her but after a few handshakes and little chats, she got used to it and started to relax but then it continued and it feels like all the invited people wanted to talk to Yi Jeong. Her jaw had started to hurt from over smiling.
An old man came over to them but he didn't shake Yi Jeong's or Ga Eul's hands. He stood in front of them with his expensive-looking walking stick. He got this intimidating but playful aura in him. He smiles at Yi Jeong before turning his gaze on Ga Eul.
"Welcome to my museum miss …?"
"Ga Eul. Chu Ga Eul." It was Yi Jeong who answered.
Did he say my?
Ga Eul smiles back at So Woo Sung, Yi Jeong's halabeoji.
"Ahh Ms. Chu. Welcome." gesturing to his sides with his hands as he smiles at Ga Eul. "I don't think we've met. I'm So Woo Sung the Third." unlike the other guests, Mr. So didn't offer his hand to shake.
"Chu Ga Eul. Nice meeting you, sir." Ga Eul did a courtesy bow.
"I hope you and your family enjoys the party."
"Uhm, actually I didn't come with my family tonight, sir." she answered truthfully.
"They're not here? How come?" he raised an eyebrow.
"Ga Eul-yang's father works at an advertising company while her mother works as a grade school teacher, if that's what you wanted to know." despite of a bubbling anger inside of him, Yi Jeong was surprised that he sounded polite when he said that. He knew what his halabeojis doing and he has no intention of repeating their mistake when him and his friends covered up Jan Di's true identity from Jun Pyo's mother.
It's better that his halabeoji knows the whole truth now.
"Ahh." he said again. And this boy chooses to be honest on this one. Ha! That's a change! Master So smiles with amusement. He looks back at commoner. "I hope they're having a wonderful evening then." he turned around and left them after saying that.
Ga Eul saw Yi Jeong sighed. She can't blame him. She was holding her breath as well for the entire time they were talking to his grandfather.
"You were right."
Yi Jeong look down at her, giving her a questioning look. "He has lots of wrinkles."
They both started laughing before they know it. Give it to Ga Eul-yang to make the atmosphere lighter. He made the right choice of choosing her to be his date, not that he got others in mind.
Greetings, congratulations and small talks continues. There are some international artists that came as well. Ga Eul tries her best to keep up with the talks, she's also interested on what rich people talk about in these kind of parties.
It turns out it's all about business, matters about the museum or the other businesses of the So empire. Ga Eul only met one or two people who actually talked about other things than their businesses.
Ga Eul politely excused herself to get a drink. She went to the long table of food at the side of the venue. The food in there are all unfamiliar to her. Variety of small finger foods that looked so pleasing in the eyes. She took a plate of what looked like a pork bread, took a small bite and was rewarded by it's delicious flavor.
She ate three more before going to the beverages. Two different kinds of beverages are served at the table. One she strongly believes to be wine and the other that looks like a champagne. She take the glass of champagne, she's not really a fan of wine.
The taste is still too strong for her liking but it feels nice. She went back to the food corner and excitedly picked a different kind of food.
This one is not so bad, almost taste like mushroom soup.
She tried another one and it turns out to be spicy. Very spicy.
Ga Eul choked on it and had to gulp the whole thing down her throat with the help of the champagne. After drinking another glass of champagne, Ga Eul heard someone laughing behind her. She turns around, still gasping for air to comfort her burning mouth.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you. Here take this one." a man dressed in a good suit took a plate from the table and gave it to Ga Eul.
"It's a sweet custard cake. It will eliminate the spiciness."
Ga Eul scooped the whole thing and eats it.
He's right. It is sweet.Too sweet.
"Those two are suppose to be in one plate with correct labels. My apologies, it's my fault. I forgot to instruct the kitchen staff." he said with an apologetic smile.
The custard cake did the trick. Ga Eul's expecting her mouth to feel numb from the spiciness but surprisingly it didn't. It was back to normal. She swallowed everything first before speaking. "You made them?"
The man nodded. "So Yun Joong, Master Chef of the night." he did a bow.
"Did you say So Yun Joong?!"
So Yun Joong smiles at her crookedly. "Yes, I'm -"
Ga Eul gasped. "You're the celebrity chef from Master Chef Korea! Wah! You look taller in person."
The Chef laughs. So she doesn't seem to know who I really am. "Yeah, lots of people said that. Why? Do I look like a dwarf on T.V.?"
"It's okay, you're taller in real life anyway."
Yun Joong laughs again. "What's your name?"
"Chu Ga Eul, pleased meeting you Chef." she offered her hand and Yun Joong happily shakes it.
Two more guests approached the table. Ga Eul knows one of them from their small talk earlier with Yi Jeong, Madam Lee. If Ga Eul can remember perfectly she was the one who complemented her eyes are beautiful.
Madam Lee picked the same spicy food Ga Eul just ate.
"Madam Lee! That one is extremely spicy. Here eat this right after. It will balance the flavors." Ga Eul gave her the small plate of the custard cake.
Madam Lee took her advice and was pleased of the result. "You're right Ms. Chu. How thoughtful of you. Thank you." she said with a motherly smile then went back to her husband, introducing the food to him.
"Phew! That was close. Come on Chef, help me." Ga Eul faced the table and had started arranging the plates of the spicy ones next to the plates of custard cake.
Yun Joong didn't need to be told twice, it was the purpose why he went to the food table in the first place. He brought out the labels he had prepared and with the help of Ga Eul they managed to correct the placing of the foods.
Yun Joong can't help but be mesmerized by the beautiful, thoughtful lady beside him.
"Is there something wrong in my face?"
Ga Eul had noticed his stares.
Yun Joong chuckles lightly. "I was just amazed how a beautiful lady ended up helping me arrange these plates. Again my apologies." he said then flashing her the so called 'So signature smirk'
The smirk triggered something in Ga Eul's mind. Omo! Is he flirting with me?
Ga Eul gets rid of her shock and refocused her mind. Eyes. Look into his eyes and see if he's sincere. Ga Eul did what her brain told her.
I can't read anything! Why is his eyes difficult to read? How come I can easily read Woo Bin sunbae'sand Jun Pyo sunbae's eyes but not Chef Yun Joong's?! Ugh! I need more practice!
Ga Eul shook her head and turn her attention back to the food. "Are these all there is, Chef?"
"Yes. I didn't make too much of these since Halabeoji doesn't really approve of spicy food." he answered.
"Halabeoji?"
"Yep. The wrinkly old man over there." Chef Yun Joong pointed over at the crowd. Ga Eul followed her eyes to the man he is pointing.
"Your halabeoji is Mr. So Woo Sung?!" Ga Eul exclaimed with wide eyes as the said man is chatting to his business partners, Ga Eul assumes. He had the same smile he had earlier when he was talking to her. And to her surprise, Yi Jeong is one of that crowd.
"Nice! My cousin has done it again." Yun Joong said quietly. His eyes are focused not to his grandfather but to the young man beside him.
Ga Eul already know it was Yi Jeong the Chef was talking about.
"Look at his date." says Yun Joong, pointing at the beautiful lady beside Yi Jeong. "That's Kwon Doo Na, heiress of the Kwon Telecommunications. My cousin really has good eyes when it comes to picking ladies. He's a smooth operator, but I could have sworn Ms. Kwon is not his date earlier. It was a beautiful maiden as well but I don't think I've seen her before, probably one of his flings."
Ga Eul watch as Yi Jeong and this Ms. Kwon laughs together.
Something inside of her doesn't feel right. She turn to Chef Yun Joong and smiles at him then bows politely. "Nice meeting you Chef."
Ga Eul walks away from the table. Her first thought is to find her friends but the crowd has really gone thicker it became hard to locate them. She saw a poster standing at the side of the main glass door leading inside the artifacts collection. The poster intrigues her and she follows the instruction.
It lead her to the latest attraction of the Museum - Remnants of the Jung Dynasty.
Ga Eul absentmindedly walks through the new displays. The Woo Sung Museum had always been interesting for her since the very first time she step foot here as a child but no matter how the displays are fascinating, Ga Eul's mind keeps coming back to that moment she just witnessed back at the party.
There was pain. She felt it. She knew the feeling since she had recently experienced it. But why? Why does she feel pain?
Ga Eul stopped in front of a well lighted display. It was a dagger encased on a glass box. It says in the description it was dated back in the 4th century but the blade still looks sharp.
She sighed. Yi Jeong sunbae is just your friend Ga Eul, she reminds herself. Whatever it is you're feeling, kill it. Don't do this to yourself. You've been through this before. Don't you love yourself anymore?
Yi Jeong sunbae is nice enough to help you be a better Ga Eul and it would be put into waste if you fall for him again. It's like you didn't learn at all.
She sighed again. Arguing with her own thoughts makes her head dizzy.
"I was wondering where did my date run off to."
Ga Eul heard the voice of the very person her mind is thinking of. "Sunbae." she responded softly.
"Am I that boring, you chose the company of artifacts over me?" he said jokingly as he joins her in front of the dagger.
"It says at the poster, the museum had discovered some remnants of the Jung Dynasty. And it was rumored that they got the Jung Dagger." Ga Eul explains.
"You're looking at it." says Yi Jeong.
"Is it true that it was rumored to be the Dagger of Love?"
"If you look closer, this dagger is just an ordinary weapon from that era but what makes it different is because it was found at the remnants of the Jung Place …in the Kingdom of Silla"
Ga Eul looks up at him, still puzzled. "This is a Goguryeon dagger. History says it was made specifically for the family of Goguryeo Generals passed along to it's predecessors. The greatest question is how did a Goguryeon General's weapon ended up on the enemy territory."
"Could be during one of the wars." she said.
"Possible."
"Then how come they called it the Dagger of Love?"
"It was this dagger that the Princess of Silla used to protect herself and her unborn child against a criminal. It says in the rumor it belonged to the father of the child - a Goguryeon general."
Ga Eul's lips forms a soft curve as she stares at the dagger admiringly. Yi Jeong smiled as well. He's glad that the old Ga Eul is still there. The Ga Eul who still believes in love.
He got worried when Ga Eul had suddenly went missing at the party. He got occupied when his grandfather brought another heiress to him. It was a little difficult to excuse himself from the crowd especially right under his halabeoji's nose. Luckily, one of the guards saw Ga Eul enter the new exhibit displays and he immediately followed.
"Did you ever think of yourself in the future, sunbae? Have you always saw yourself working for the Museum?"
Yi Jeong was surprised at her random questions but nonetheless answers. "Yes. Ever since my young mind had grasped the fact that my family owns the Museum."
"Didn't you think of any possible future aside from this?"
"Even before I was born, my name is already listed in the family's legacy." he said, his eyes shifted down to his right hand. "And I guess my hand had sealed that future for me."
Ga Eul looks up at him. "That's the answer of So Yi Jeong, the heir of So empire but I'm asking your answer, Yi Jeong sunbae."
He can't help but smile at this. Ga Eul is a constant reminder of his other self- his true self. The one she didn't fail to know. "I did, actually." now answering truthfully. "When I first tried playing the saxophone, I never thought there's anything more interesting than pottery but I was wrong. I love the emotions flowing through me as I hear the music I'm creating. How magical it felt whenever my fingertips play those keys."
"You fell in love with music." Ga Eul said softly, admiration can be seen in her eyes.
Yi Jeong wants to cringe at her choice of words but then again Ga Eul had easily summed up how he felt.
"You should have seen how I took revenge on Woo Bin's nintendo when he used my very first saxophone as a baseball bat."
Ga Eul gasped with wide eyes. "Why did he do that?!"
The memory's making Yi Jeong chuckle. "Jun Pyo wanted to play ball but Woo Bin refuses because Jun Pyo's not really a good sport even at the young age. And also, he's more interested in playing his new virtual game so when Jun Pyo throws the ball at him, he grabbed the first thing his hands could get and swings my saxophone, hitting the ball back to Jun Pyo."
"I'm guessing the nintendo was shredded to pieces?"
With a playful smirk he answered. "Into dust."
"Oh my god." she said, clapping her hand to her mouth. Yi Jeong is now laughing. He remembered he had tried kicking Woo Bin's butt but the kid is so damn good at fighting, being a Mafia prince.
"I bought him a new one though and he bought me a new saxophone."
"I think you would be the most famous saxophone player if you had chosen that path, sunbae." she said after their laughter died down.
He flash her a grin that she knew too well. "Because the ladies would love me before I even deliver music?" he said, wiggling his brows.
"No." she said straight to his face, rolling her eyes. "Because you play with your heart. Just like how you do pottery. You always pour your heart into every art you make that's why they turn to wonderful masterpieces."
Yi Jeong thought he was good at sweet talking but he's wrong. Ga Eul is even better. She's always better.
"But I'm really happy you're taking over the Museum now, sunbae."
"More work for me. Yay." he said sarcastically. He's already busy as a ceramist then there's the management of the So enterprise, not to mention his best friend's wedding preparation.
Ga Eul laughed.
At least there's something good Yi Jeong's getting from these and that is to hear Ga Eul's melodious laughs.
"Sunbae, I was talking about the future. The Museum will continue to nurture the minds of the new generation. With you as the head, history and art still lives."
Yi Jeong had lost count of how Ga Eul had managed to amaze him this day alone.
She started walking towards the next display, Yi Jeong happily follows. "It was this Museum that has awaken my interest in art, you know."
"I thought it was me."
Ga Eul chuckles, looking sideways to him. "Yi Jeong sunbae, let's not make that head of yours bigger than it already is, okay."
Now it's his turn to laugh out loud. It echoes through the empty halls of the Museum.
"Anyway, as I was saying, I'm really happy for your decision."
There are still ghosts of his laughter but Yi Jeong came back to being serious. "It's not like I have a choice." he doesn't have to hide his feelings. This is Ga Eul he was talking to anyway.
Ga Eul reached out for his hand on his side and caress it tenderly as she looks at him with a smile. "And the So Empire is lucky to have you as it's head. That is if that head is still in it's normal size." she said jokingly.
Their joined laughter echoes at the hall.
They decided to explore the displays more. They got to the pottery section- Yi Jeong's favorite section of the Museum. He can tell a story of every artifacts displayed here but chooses not to bore Ga Eul's night with more history.
"I can still remember the first time I set foot here." she said as she roam her eyes at the displays.
Okay, Ga Eul-yang's history it is then.
"It was a rainy school field trip day. I can remember it perfectly because Jan Di can't get inside. She got a cold and the Museum refuses to let her in." The memory flashes to her mind like it happened yesterday instead of years ago.
If Jun Pyo heard about this, Yi Jeong's certain his friend will burst out laughing, imagining young Geum Jan Di complaining in front of the Museum.
"It was in this section that I got bullied by some of the students from the other schools. You know what they say, wolves strikes the weak first. Without Jan Di to defend me, those naughty boys managed to make me cry."
Ga Eul looks up to see his expression. Yi Jeong's brows formed a frown. "Not a very good memory of the museum, right?" she chuckles at how cute Yi Jeong looks as he nodded his head.
"Don't worry, it's not so bad after that. A boy maybe a little older than me told those bullies to stop teasing me. He single-handedly scares those boys away. But you know what's funny?"
Yi Jeong shook his head.
"That brave boy told me I look ugly crying." she said then started laughing.
Strangely, Yi Jeong didn't find it funny. Weird. The scenario she just told him seems so familiar. He was trying to remember where he had seen it when his grandfather's assistant came.
He bows to Ga Eul and then to Yi Jeong. "Master Yi Jeong. Your grandfather said it is time."
"Time for what sunbae?" Ga Eul asks him.
He turn to smile at her, took her hand and locks it in his arm. "Time to be a grown up man, Ga Eul-yang."
*89*
