A/N: Here's another chapter for you all. This time focusing on Woo Bin. ^^ Enjoy!
"What do you mean she said no?" Song Woo Bin asked in a carefully controlled voice that hid the irritation he really felt. From the other end of the phone, he could almost hear the hesitancy in his man's voice and Woo Bin, who rarely displayed his anger waited patiently for him to speak. Or at least as much as he could before prompting with a "Well...?"
"Miss Yue refuses any sort of bodyguard as she wants to plan her birthday in secret...even from you, boss."
The expression on Woo Bin's face could only be described as astonishment before he roughly cleared his throat and with all the dignity he could muster:
"Very well. You know what to do Mr. Lee. Do as she says, but follow her discreetly. Who knows what trouble my sister could attract especially with her twin."
As soon as he got the affirmative from his man, Woo Bin cut the call and leaned back against the couch of the F4 lounge. He had taken to working here ever since he discovered it does take a while before the main office manages to track him down and force him to sit through countless board meetings. It wasn't because they were boring, (though of course, some of them are), Woo Bin really wasn't like Jun Pyo who revelled in these things. He enjoyed going to the field sites themselves, and assessing everything needed to be done.
So far, his father had not allowed him that access, seeing as how he was still an incompetent son who had to be introduced to these things slowly. Of course his father completely ignored the fact that since he had become the Head of Operations, there had been visible increase in profit and a significant decrease in expense. Of course his father completely did not see that. On top of that, his mother was not really the person to talk to when it came to business affairs, seeing as how she delighted only in "pretty" things. Even after 15 years of marriage, his mother refused to believe that his father controlled the largest underground business. Sttill, there was affection between his parents that up until now, Woo Bin could not fully understand.
His sisters on the other hand...Whereas before they were the sweetest angels he could possibly ever think off, lately they have been growing to be quite a handful. Yue especially. Ji Hoo had teased him about being old and not letting the young people have fun, but Woo Bin knew his sister. She was very much like him and because of that, he knew she was going to be reckless until she would unexpectedly pay for the consequences. It was not easy being a part of this family and that lesson had been a hard one on Woo Bin. He did not wish the same for his sisters.
Still, it was hard to talk sense to his sister when she wouldn't sit still enough to be talked to. Lately she had been gallivanting around Seoul, though she seemed to be serious with her studies, Yue had taken to bringing her new friend Hyun Jae around all the places that the latter hadn't been able to go yet. Woo Bin was not a snob, he understood the reasons or as much as Yue had explained to him why she was doing so, it was just difficult to get a tail on her because she insisted to not tell her brother exactly where they were going. The only concession that Yue allowed him was she was to text him whenever she got back to her dormitory after whatever adventure she had, and even that was given grudgingly.
Another sigh escaped his mouth as he massaged the bridge of his nose. How lucky were his friends they didn't have errant sisters like he did. He closed his eyes, allowing the tiredness to seep in. He had had a busy week and having to deal with Yue on top of that, added even more stress. He had shut his eyes in order to fix his thoughts only to open them an hour later to discover her had fallen alseep.
Looking at the time, Woo Bin figured Yue would be back at the dormitory. True to her rebellious streak, she did not text him, earning yet another sigh from him. Perhaps he had been going about this the wrong way. He himself did not like being cajoled to do things, he remembered how he prefered being wooed by people before he would actually agree to anything, so perhaps the same thing would work on his sister. After all, Yue did want her and Tsuki's party to be a success and perhaps he could provide something to that effect, with a certain price of course. Woo Bin smiled to himself now. The key was the offer should be irresistable.
Shaking his head at the thought of going through to such lengths in order to placate his sister, Woo Bin headed for Shinwa University Dormitory.
Woo Bin declared his sister was sneakier than a fox when it came to avoiding him. Somehow, Woo Bin had been in Shinwa for an hour already searching for Yue, or at least, asking his men to look for her, and they hadn't been successful. He had resisted calling her because that would mean she wouldn't pick up either. Deciding that it was high time he looked for himself, Woo Bin stood up from the F4 lounge that was still available to them in Shinwa High and ignoring the stares and screams of more or less the majority of the female population of the school, strolled towards the dormitory he knew where his sister was staying.
He got as far as her floor when those staying there informed him they didn't know where Yue was. In as much as he wanted to lose his temper on the frightened freshman whom he had asked, Woo Bin managed to keep his temper in check and politely ask whom who could possibly give him Yue's location. Eun So Hee, who knew perfectly well who he was but had no idea of his relation to Yue could only gape before recovering herself and reluctantly saying Hyun Jae might know where she was. Honestly, she could not really fathom how those two could possibly be friends but then again, So Hee really didn't care. Now Song Woo Bin from the F4 was looking for Yue? he must not have very good taste, So Hee concluded to herself as she watched the handsome man go. It was a pity. The way he was dressed, stylish yet suggesting he did not spend hours in front of the mirror trying to groom himself was just the kind of man So Hee wanted.
Woo Bin thanked the girl who seemed as reluctant to talk to him and yet still awed by him that he quickly made his excuses and went towards the direction she indicated. Really, he loved the ladies as much as Yi Jeong previously did, and he had no problems handling admirers, but he would not deny that they made him uncomfortable at times. Not that he would ever admit that out loud of course.
Woo Bin found himself walking towards the Music Department Practice Room looking for Kim Hyun Jae. At least that girl was right, Hyun Jae would most likely know where Yue was. He was contemplating on where exactly would his sister's friend be when he heard it. Soft piano keys drifted from the otherwise empty hallway of the Music Department. It wasn't any song he was familiar with, so Woo Bin assumed it was an original. Still, it was quite intriguing.
He was halfway down the corridor, walking towards the origin of the piano when he heard her voice, drifting from the slightly open door of the practice room:
See the far sky
Mom, where the stars live anyway
I see the lonely nightMe with my small flapUgly duckling, but the same
My song will reach the skyYou'll then be able to find me
The cloud stairways rising far
Dad will laugh and rejoice to see and hear
The day when I am alone, I will wait
Woo Bin frowned thoughtfully. It was a sad song to be sure, one that a nineteen-year old girl shouldn't be singing, he thought to himself as he spotted Hyun Jae inside the practice room. For it was indeed Hyun Jae. Though it was the first time Woo Bin had heard her sing, he could honestly say she was gifted. He watched as the rather bed-raggled looking girl stopped her playing, and with a frown on her own, picked up a pencil and started scratching something off from the music sheet in front of her.
So it's her own composition. Woo Bin thought to himself and he could admit to be slightly impressed. He was nowhere near as musical as Ji Hoo was, but he could see why she would have been chosen as the recepient of the summer extension program. It seemed the Music Department had been teaching her well.
"Woo Bin sunbae?" Her startled voice pulled Woo Bin out of his reverie and he looked back towards the piano where Hyun Jae had stood up from the seat now and was promptly turning the shade or a ripe tomato. Resisting the urge to laugh at the adorable look on her face, Woo Bin gave a polite bow, which he noted to see, Hyun Jae returned with a 90-degee bow of her own.
"I apologize for intruding," Woo Bin said now, a slight smile on his face as he watched Hyun Jae try to recall herself. "The door was open and I couldn't help but hear. It was nicely written."
Hyun Jae had the deceny to blush and she gave another bow. "T-thank you.I.." She hesitated, raising her eyes to look at his only to look away towards her music sheets. "It was just for fun." She mumbled before gesturing for him to sit at one of the many empty chairs inside the room. Why not? It would be a while for him to track Yue down, and it might be a good idea to find out a little bit more on the person whom Yue seemed to lately regard as her best friend with the exception of her twin. Woo Bin took a seat, his long legs stretched before him and watched as Hyun Jae became even more flustered as she started to gather her things.
"How can I help you sunbae?" Hyun Jae asked politely. Woo Bin gestured at the piano now. "Though I don't know much about music, it seems to me that you are quite talented at composing." He commented, preferring at the moment not to answer her question directly.
Hyun Jae's cheeks got even pinker and Woo Bin had to suppress a smile. It had been a while since he made an innocent girl blush. He had to admit it was quite amusing.
"T-thank you." She stuttered again, really embarrassed being caught composing something so trivial. She ducked her head, and mumbled something about Ji Hoo that Woo Bin almost could not catch.
"Ji Hoo? Nah. He's a good musician yes. He interprets music quite well, but to be honest, he knows diddle-squat about composing." Woo Bin said quite seriously but a smile was tugging at his lips. Surprised, Hyun Jae looked at him through her large black eyeglasses before she burst out laughing. Woo Bin soon joined her.
"He is your friend sunbae, isn't that a betrayal?" Hyun Jae asked curiously now, beginning to relax a bit more now that the atmosphere was quite light and Woo Bin sunbae was not criticising her work like that of her summer professors. Composing really was the only thing that apparently she was good at, but of course she would not say so in front of Woo Bin sunbae. Let him think she really was a talented person, that would help her own self-confidence.
Woo Bin shook his head now, still quite amused by this rather naive girl. Really, where did his sister meet such a naive girl? She remineded him of Jae Kyung sometimes, but none of the spunk the Monkey had. Startled that his thoughts had taken towards Ha Jae Kyung of all people, he shook his head mentally and turned to why he had sought Hyun Jae out in the first place.
"I was looking for my sister. It seemed that nobody knows where she is exactly. She texted me two hours ago saying she was "out". I thought you might know where."
Hyun Jae chewed her lip thoughtfully trying to remember if Yue told her where she was going today before she shook her head. "I'm sorry sunbae, but no. She did not tell me. To be honest I have been holed up in here for the last couple of days. I should be practicing this piece for my advancement class but..." This time, Hyun Jae's cheeks were reddening from consternation at confessing of a crime. Woo Bin had to chuckle at that.
"Don't worry, getting out of schoolwork has always been a specialty of mine. I won't tell." He winked conspiratorially now at her and Hyun Jae smiled a smile that reached her eyes. Surely this kind girl wasn't the same person composing such a sad song a while ago?
"I wish I could remember..." Hyun Jae started before her expression cleared. "Oh! I remember now. Yue mentioned she was going to visit Jan Di unnie today. Something about her party. She seems quite eager to plan it, and I'm afraid I really have no idea how to plan one of those things, let alone what to do in them." She shrugged her shoulders helplessly.
That was enough for Woo Bin to regard her with curiosity before he made a split-second decision. "Okay then, if she is with Jan Di, then I am sure she would be fine. It looks like you could use a break. When was the last time you have eaten?"
As if to answer him, their conversation was interrupted by the loud growling of Hyun Jae's stomach that promptly led them to laughing again, after Hyun Jae reddened once more and apologizing.
"I don't really remember sunbae." Hyun Jae confessed, piano sheets close to her chest. "I've been practicing quite hard that I don't really remember to be hungry." Again, she shrugged helplessly."I ended up making a song instead." She gave a timid laugh but Woo Bin did not return it and instead looked at her as if reassing his first opinion of her.
Interesting. He told himself before standing up and offering his hand to her with a smile that marked him as the Don Juan of the F4. "Well come on then, you have given me far more information about my sister than my men today, and that requires a special thanks. The least I can do is buy you dinner."
"What?" Hyun Jae sputtered, looking up at him as if he had grown two heads. Was she really this naive when it comes to men too? Or even gestures of friendship? She looked at him as if it was such a rare thing for her to be offered something nice. Hmmm. There really seemed to be something different with this girl, that intrigued Woo Bin to solve the mystery.
"It's just dinner, Hyun Jae-sshi," He said with a kind smile and Hyun Jae blushed again before looking down on her appearance and gesturing helplessly at his own. Woo Bin laughed at that, but shook his head. "Don't worry, our attire won't really matter where we're going to eat."
"It won't?" Hyun Jae asked curiously now as she placed her hand on his offered one and watched, eyes wide as he gallantly threaded her arm through his.
Woo Bin merely smiled as they left the practice room and towards his yellow Lotus. Their exit earned them a few stares from those people still at school but Woo Bin paid them no attention. To his relief, Hyun Jae seemed oblivious to the attention and instead was asking him several questions about where they would be going. She really was a curious thing. She reminded him of Jun Pyo at times, it was actually endearing.
"Perhaps you could ask Ji Hoo to help you with your piano. He is a skilled pianist." Woo Bin commented halfway through their dinner which true to his word, did not matter what clothes they were wearing. They were in the F4 lounge again and Woo Bin had had food delivered there earlier, thinking Ji Hoo might join him, but since there was no text from the med student, Woo Bin assumed he could not make it, thus offering the food to Hyun Jae. At first, he was embarrassed by the fact that he would be serving her take-out food, but it seemed Hyun Jae was again oblivious to it all and had profusely thanked him for the food.
She was now currently coughing up some of the dumpling she had taken a bite out of when he spoke his suggestion.
"I'm sorry?" She spluttered, reaching for the glass of soda to calm her throat. "Ji Hoo-sunbae is a very busy man..."
"Who misses his music." Woo Bin muttered into his own food before looking up and was suprised to see Hyun Jae looking at him. "It wasn't easy for him, to move to medical school after pursuing Music. I'm telling you this because you seem to be a trustworthy girl, Hyun Jae-sshi."
Hyun Jae could only nod seriously, as she swallowed. Woo Bin had to shake his head mentally. Again, that look in her eyes reminded him too much of Monkey who hadn't bothered to contact them when she reached the States. Then again, why would she? Woo Bin thought a bit bitterly.
"Woo Bin sunbae?" Hyun Jae asked tentatively noticing the slight furrow in his brow. Woo Bin forced himself to focus on the topic at hand and smiled a bit at Hyun Jae. "Please Hyun Jae-sshi? As a favor for me? I know I don't have the right to ask but it would help you also.."
"Okay." Hyun Jae interrupted suprised by her own acquiescence. "I will do it, if Ji Hoo sunbae agrees."
Woo Bin smiled to himself now. "Oh he will."
YAY! Another chapter down! This really doesn't have Jae Kyung in it, it is much too early to suddenly make her appearance, but she is there, in Woo Bin's thoughts. I love Woo Bin! Next to Ji Hoo, Woo BIn is the most interesting F4 member for me. ;D Come on, you have to admit, Woo BIn is the coolest one with his Mafia background and affinity for leather gloves. :D And yes, I did this deliberately. This chapter was to establish the relationship between Hyun Jae and Woo Bin. Almost all of my thoughts of Hyun Jae seeking for advice, Woo Bin was the one I always pictured her with. But of course, it is yet to be seen if there would be romantic thing between Woo Bin and her. Wouldn't that make Ji Hoo all flustered? :D And now, you get to also see how Hyun Jae is percieved by other people. She is quite naive about a lot of things, it will lead her to a lot of mistakes later on. bwahahaha!
SO! Tell me what you think! It would be nice to hear from people, I love discussing characters and plot lines with my readers, so please do so. :D Oh, and before I forget, the song that Hyun Jae is playing, is none other than IU's Ugly Duckling. It seemed appropriate because Hyun Jae talks a lot about feeling lost and misplaced. :D Please review? 3 Comet