Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are not the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, events or places is entirely coincidental. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 9

"What's up?" Woo Bin asked as soon as he came and took a seat across Eun Jae. "Where's Yi Jung?"

"He's probably busy in the museum." Eun Jae softly said as she put down her cup of tea. She was about to ask for the waiter to take Woo Bin's order but Woo Bin beat her to it. After the waiter took Woo Bin's order, Woo Bin spoke once again, "So, what's up?"

"Yi Jung…" Eun Jae murmured, barely audible but Woo Bin was keen enough to hear her and read her lips as they moved. He let her take her time to continue as he felt that something must have been bothering Eun Jae. Woo Bin knew what it was about; he already had an idea when Eun Jae asked if they could meet today but he stayed quiet and let her say it herself. "…he seemed a little out of himself lately." Eun Jae paused again and took a deep breath, then continued a few moments after. "I understand the fact that he's busy with a lot of stuff in the museum… but lately, it's been too much. I don't know what's with him…"

This time, Woo Bin cut her off and directly asked, "So, you want me to tell you what's going on?"

"I thought you might know something." Eun Jae said quite desperately as she lifted her head and looked at Woo Bin.

"Eun Jae…" Woo Bin paused, thinking of the right words to say. Thank god he was good with dealing with women. "Women's instincts are quite reliable sometimes. However…" he quickly added, "it doesn't mean that you should always rely on them." Woo Bin was smacking himself in his head for somewhat lying to Eun Jae but he thought that it would be better if Yi Jung would be the one to tell her about it. He knows that he is not in the right position to do so and Woo Bin also knows that Yi Jung would not appreciate it if he tells to Eun Jae. Woo Bin is sure, that somehow, Yi Jung would want himself to be the one to explain everything to Eun Jae, if he ever will.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that you should just trust Yi Jung."

"I've already talked to him about it a few days ago… but up until now, he hasn't contacted me." Eun Jae confessed, sounding depressed when she said it. "It's only a few days before the opening of the exhibit… and right now, I don't know if the announcement will be made."

"I bet Yi Jung is sorting out things first. He isn't like a guy who would want to talk unprepared. I'm sure he's thinking things over. Just for now, trust Yi Jung, Eun Jae. That's all I could tell you."

"So they're on a quarrel now? Great news!" Jae Kyung exclaimed as she sat on the couch beside Woo Bin, her smile widening.

"It's not great news, Jae Kyung."

"Yes it is!" Jae Kyung said, still with that same freaky smile on her face. "Then that would mean that Yi Jung would cancel the engagement. No engagement, no marriage and then Yi Jung and Ga Eul could get back together!" Jae Kyung clapped her hands in excitement, as if everything is going well according to what she wanted.

"It doesn't seem like it." Woo Bin argued as he slouched back to the couch and folded his arms in front of him.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think Yi Jung would cancel the engagement."

"Why not?! Sure, Yi Jung is not that dumb to marry just someone"

"And he's not that dumb either to cancel the engagement, Jae Kyung." Woo Bin turned to look at Jae Kyung, trying to send the message across her. "Cancelling the engagement would anger the hell out of his grandfather and it wouldn't result to anything positive. I bet his grandfather would think that Ga Eul would have something to do with the cancellation of the engagement even if it was Yi Jung's own decision. I think Yi Jung have already thought of that so I don't think he would be cancelling the engagement. I bet he doesn't want his grandfather to do anything to Ga Eul."

"But… why would he continue the marriage if he doesn't love Eun Jae at all? He would just be ruining his life by doing that."

"Yi Jung would rather ruin his life… than ruin someone else's." Woo Bin looked at Jae Kyung directly in the eyes as he added, "He'd rather ruin his own life… than ruin Ga Eul's,"

"Ms. Cha has just called and cancelled your meeting for today. She said that she was sick and couldn't come out of the house." Lin informed Ga Eul who was busy sketching on her desk.

Ga Eul put down her pencil and looked at Lin. "I hope she gets well soon." Ga Eul smiled sincerely and then grabbed her pencil again to start sketching.

"It seems that you are almost done designing the clothes." Lin observed as she looked at the piece that Ga Eul was sketching, as well as the other ones that are piled up on her desk.

"Yes." Ga Eul replied without removing her eyes from her sketch. "I only need Ms. Cha's approval and her fiancé's as well." Ga Eul then paused and realized, "Speaking of her fiancé, I haven't met him, right?"

"Yes. Ms. Cha would always be the one to come here a few weeks ago. She was always alone with the wedding planner."

"I'd need to see her fiancé to know if this suits him." Ga Eul said as she grabbed a sketch from the pile and looked at it carefully. "And he would need to approve this too. You know how grooms can sometimes be pickier than the brides." Ga Eul said with a smile.

"I know, Ms. Chu." Lin agreed. She then excused herself a few moments later to give Ga Eul the time to continue doing her sketches.

As soon as Lin exited her room, Ga Eul put down her pencil and looked at the men's clothes that she had designed for the groom. She could already picture the finished product in her mind… with Yi Jung wearing them. Ga Eul sighed as she put down her sketch to the side. It has been a habit of hers since college to imagine Yi Jung while she was sketching some men's clothes.

"Ga Eul- yang…" Yi Jung sighed. Here goes his girlfriend again, dressing him like a Barbie doll. Well, not really a Barbie doll but he just simply doesn't get it why Ga Eul loves to make him wear this and that.

"Don't move!" Ga Eul said out loud as she finished buttoning Yi Jung's polo. She then adjusted his collar and picked the necktie from the side and started doing it as well.

"I really don't get it why you love dressing me up. You could ask Jan Di or Jae Kyung to do it for you." Yi Jung reasoned out as he tried his best not to move.

"Jan Di and Jae Kyung can't wear men's clothes." Ga Eul reasoned out as she continued doing his necktie. "And I suppose you wouldn't like it if I would dress up your F4 friends, instead." Ga Eul said playfully as she looked at Yi Jung in the eyes, flashing him a winning smile.

Yi Jung can only sigh at what she just said. Of course, he'd rather let Ga Eul dress him up than look for some other guys. He then looked at Ga Eul who was still busy fixing his clothes and he'd have to admit, this whole thing that they are doing is making him smile. He really finds Ga Eul cute whenever she's sketching and fixing clothes. Yi Jung could see how much she loves what she's doing and he couldn't do anything but to support her. So, as her supportive boyfriend, he obediently stayed put and let her play with him.

"Anything really suits him." Ga Eul said out loud as she reminisced those moments in the past when she used to make him wear or creations or when she simply played with his wardrobe. Those moments were some of the most unforgettable she had with him in the past. And it was one thing out of the hundred more reasons why she loved Yi Jung, because unlike other men, Yi Jung would endure being her model and… well, entirely anything else just to show his support to her. Yi Jung had always been supportive of her dreams and aspirations, as much as she was supportive with his pottery. And for that, she had loved Yi Jung more.

"Eun Jae… I'm sorry." Yi Jung apologized for the second time since he came over to Eun Jae's house. "A lot of things have been going on lately and I wasn't able to process them all since everything passed like a blur. I truly am sorry."

"Yi Jung…" Eun Jae mouthed his name as Yi Jung's words sunk in. This is the first time, in the year and a half that they've been together that they actually fought or something like that. There have been numerous times in the past that Yi Jung would be very busy about work but like what Eun Jae had said before, she had always endured it and she knew at that time that everything Yi Jung was doing was plain work and not anything else. But recently, Eun Jae felt that there's something more than just work that has been bothering Yi Jung. She doesn't know what it is; she doesn't have any idea what it is. But her gut feeling tells her that it is something that she should be afraid of; something that she should be cautious of. But, as Woo Bin had put it a few days ago, Eun Jae told herself to let it go and just trust Yi Jung. She knew she should, since they're getting married in a few months time and she's sure that this is not the first time that something like this would happen. "I'm sorry, too." Eun Jae said. Yes, she's taking Woo Bin's advice.

"I'm the one who should say sorry. Not you." Yi Jung argued. He had been thinking the past few days about what his next move should be. He knew that he ought to apologize to Eun Jae for being such a jerk to her. The girl has done nothing wrong. Yi Jung knew that it was his entire fault. It was him who has been acting weird and out of himself lately. It was him who has been always preoccupied with something. It was him who hasn't treated Eun Jae the way she was supposed to be treated. It is a given fact to him that she can't love the girl, but it doesn't really mean that he should not respect her and treat her properly. As a gentleman, Yi Jung knew that he ought to treat her well- not just because she's his fiancée, but above anything else, she is a woman. "I'm really sorry."

"Apology accepted." Eun Jae said with a smile. "I thought that maybe I was just thinking too much, too. So really, don't think that this is entirely your fault." Yi Jung nodded his head in response. The girl's really too nice to him. "Just…" Eun Jae paused, as she grabbed Yi Jung's hand and made him look at her in the eyes. "…promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"Tell me everything… and I mean everything, that I need to know." Eun Jae said, making herself clear to Yi Jung. "I understand that there are some things that you can't say to me; that there are some things that you'd rather keep to yourself. But Yi Jung…" she paused again, thinking of her next words. "…let me remind that I'm just here. I'm always beside you, to hear you out. And… to avoid something like this to happen again, please tell me what I need to know, so that I won't assume anything. Please promise me that, Yi Jung. Please."

"Can't you do a bomb threat or something?" A desperate Jae Kyung turned to the guy on her side who was busy looking at the relics inside the glass cases.

The exhibit has already opened and a lot of people gathered inside the huge So museum. Some pieces have already been unveiled and so, guests are checking them out as they were waiting for the program and the unveiling of the other pieces to start. More than the program itself, there were speculations about an important announcement that the head of the So clan would make. People can't definitely miss that.

"Won't you give up?" Woo Bin asked as he straightened his back and took a look at Jae Kyung who was so beautiful in her red off- shoulder dress.

"I'm just asking." Jae Kyung said shyly as she turned her back at Woo Bin. Really, she's becoming more desperate now that the announcement is just a few minutes away. She heaved a sigh then looked around to see if their other friends have already arrived.

"We'll be lucky if Master So won't arrive… which, I highly doubt."

"I just hope Ga Eul won't…" Jae Kyung started but paused upon mentioning Ga Eul's name. She closed and opened her eyes several times to check if she was just hallucinating or not but…

"Good evening, Jae Kyung, Woo Bin." Ga Eul greeted them with a smile as she walked towards the couple, together with Jun Pyo, Ji Hoo and Jan Di on the side. She's looking very pretty in an aquamarine empire cut dress and a pair of heels.

"Ga Eul…" Woo Bin and Jae Kyung said her name at the same time. Both were surprised to see Ga Eul here tonight. No one expected that she'll be coming here.

"What are you doing here?" Woo Bin then asked as he was the one who first recovered from shock.

"I told you guys, didn't I, that I would be coming back?" Ga Eul said with a smile as she held onto her purse. "I got an invitation from my client a few days ago to attend this event. She told me that I'll be meeting her fiancé here." Ga Eul said, quite oblivious to what is going to happen. She did, however, notice the tense look on her friends' faces. "I know it's quite odd for me to be here. It's… I'm inside the famous So museum and looking at the event, I'm sure Yi Jung and his grandfather would be around. But just to set things straight, I didn't come here to meet him or anything. I'm clarifying this so in case his grandfather comes, I have people to defend me." Ga Eul added jokingly.

"You know that we'll defend you, no matter what." Jun Pyo said as he stood next to Jan Di. However, they all can't tell if they'll be able to defend her from the announcement that is about to take place. All the F4, add Jan Di and Jae Kyung, are not oblivious to what Grandfather So is planning to announce in tonight's event. Yi Jung has relayed to them that his engagement would be publicized tonight so they can't help but worry about Ga Eul's presence here. There's certainly nothing that they could do to stop what's going to happen or to stop Ga Eul from knowing the truth.