Lesson #10
Try New Things
[ On this stage, you're starting to break from that shell of grief the break up had wrapped around you. You can breathe more freely without thinking of unhappy thoughts. Now, this is the part where you can start again. As the saying goes, a chapter ended, it's time to open a new one. ]
Chu Ga Eul is not a sporty type of girl. She found out long ago that her body's not really made for sports of any kind but she's not a couch potato either. She can say that her body is in good shape and physically fit but her jerk ex-boyfriend feels that her figure's not good enough. She asked (more like demanded) that Ga Eul should do some sports just to have the right muscles at the right places and so she did.
She'd tried simple sports but never really enjoyed them. Her determination to please Su Pyo will not waver though. By the suggestion of her mom, Ga Eul had finally settled with a good exercise- running.
It doesn't seem much but it's better than nothing and after a couple of morning runs she finds it relaxing and even relieves her from stress. So for almost a year now, Ga Eul had been running mostly around their neighborhood and thanks to that her body got the muscles she needed. And also the stamina. Su Pyo kept talking about stamina, she doesn't know why.
After the break up she had skipped the exercise for several days during her zombie phase but now that she's brought back from the dead, her running routines are back.
Ga Eul's almost done with her two-hour running. She decided to grab some milk at the convenience store since they're almost out. With her headphones still in her ears, she turned right at the corner, not seeing the car coming, she continued and before she knows it, her body was thrown to the side street.
The driver immediately came out of his car and runs towards her. "I'm so sorry Miss. Are you okay? Let me take you to the hospital!"
Obviously she's not okay. Ga Eul was little bit dizzy but not entirely since she only got bumped on the side and not that hard but she can feel there's something wrong with her left hand. Despite that, the voice sounds familiar to her. She lifts up her face to see the convict.
She gasped.
"Chef?!"
Yi Jeong opens a book he had randomly picked from Ji Hoo's piles of medical books. Today is one of their scheduled billiard games at Woo Bin's pad but the game haven't started yet, one more member is missing. The head of Shinwha Empire is still tangled up with his last meeting of the afternoon.
"I don't see it as a problem." Ji Hoo commented after Woo Bin's long complaint about his recent dilemma. "Your dad's pretty lenient on who you date."
"Not this time, man. He's already dropping hints on me to get married." says Woo Bin.
"Take Jae Kyung to the party." Yi Jeong said, not really paying much attention to the conversation. Who knows medical stuff could be interesting.
"Are you crazy?! He's been pestering me about Monkey ever since he learned that she was my date at your party! The old man already went ahead and enlisted business possibilities if our families got tied with marriage."
"He's just probably messing with you." says Ji Hoo. He turned his laptop off, with his friends around he knew he won't be able to concentrate with work.
Woo Bin gave him a serious-as-hell look. "He showed it to me yesterday with a PowerPoint presentation."
Yi Jeong and Ji Hoo laughed, they can only imagine Woo Bin's dad grilling him to get married immediately to none other than their resident monkey.
Woo Bin sighed, somewhat disturbed that his friends find his predicament amusing. "I must admit, your strategy is ingenious, Yi Jeong-ah. Maybe I should bring a commoner friend as my date.
Yi Jeong wanted to correct him. He did not asked Ga Eul to be his date for that reason, but he hold his tongue because he can already predict the follow up questions for that matter and honestly he himself still doesn't know the answer.
"Do you mind if I borrow Ga Eul-yang to be my date?"
Yi Jeong feels like throwing the book at his friend's head. Yes! I do mind! Does he want to die? Learn the bro code, man!
Yes, Ga Eul is not really his girl but can't Woo Bin see he's already in constant battle with himself with this matter? He sees her as a friend but he also sees her as more than a friend even way back then. He doesn't want other guys having their pathetic ways on her, he doesn't even want them looking at her! She's been constantly in his mind and it's really making him worry about his mental state.
But before he can give Woo Bin his obvious answer, Ji Hoo beat him to it. "You're asking the wrong So." he said nonchalantly, eyes fixed on the medical book he had started reading.
"Pardon?" Yi Jeong didn't get what he mean.
"You shouldn't be asking for Yi Jeong's permission. You should be asking for his cousin's."
"Pardon?!" Yi Jeong must have heard it wrong. Did he say his cousin?
Woo Bin looked confused as well. "Cousin? You mean So Yun Joong?"
Ji Hoo nodded, closing the book, he can't read in peace as well with all these inquiries. "He's dating Ga Eul-yang."
"WHAT?!"
That stupid Yun Joong!
Who does he thinks he is? Why is he messing with Ga Eul now? How did they even meet?
The party.
Oh yeah, he's in charge with the food that night. Why did he came out of the kitchen anyway? He should have stayed there where he belongs! And what's he's up to dating Ga Eul? Doesn't he already had those celebrities totally swooned over him? Why bother sweet innocent Ga Eul-yang?
Dammit! Why am I even reacting this way?! Ga Eul is an adult with full consent of her actions. She can decide on her own. If she wants to date anyone, she's entitled to do so.
Maybe he's reacting like this because it's his cousin. Yeah, that must be it. He knew his cousin is as proud of a playboy he is as Yi Jeong does so that must be the reason behind this over-protectiveness he's feeling right now.
And here he was, worrying about his grandfather's weird actions at the party the other night towards Ga Eul when all he needs to worry about is his stupid cousin.
He cursed again, this time, in Swedish.
He reached her house in record time. He's surprised he got there without any traffic enforcer on his tail.
At the fifth doorbell, the door opens.
He gasped. "Ga Eul-yang!"
One look in her and he knows she's not okay. Her eyes shedding tears, her hair up messy even with a ponytail, blood in her hands and a small cut in her forehead which is also dripping blood at the side of her face.
He cupped her face immediately, worry washes over him, his frustrations all gone. He glances inside the house, looking for the culprit.
"Sunbae." she said weakly.
Goddammit! He knew he should not have trusted his grandfather. He probably sent his men to threaten Ga Eul and her family! How dare him harm her!
His mind is already formulating plans for her safety. He will call Woo Bin immediately after securing her. He needed his men.
"Ga Eul-yang, I'm so sorry. I didn't expect this will happen. I should have been more careful I'm terribly sorry. Don't worry, I'm here now, I'll protect you. They will never touch you again."
Ga Eul sniffed as she stares at him, confused. "S-sunbae?"
"Where's your parents? We need to transfer you and your family to a safer place. Away from halabeoji."
She can't take the confusion anymore. "Yi Jeong sunbae what are you talking about? Are you okay?" she stares at his eyes, looking if he's under the influence of alcohol but he seemed sober more or less.
He sighed. "I know it's hard to accept but it's happening again and I will make sure not to make the same mistakes Jun Pyo did." his thumbs caressing her wet cheeks, trying to give her comfort.
Ga Eul took a step back from him, wipes her tears covered face and stares at him with worry. "Sunbae, do you need a doctor?"
Yi Jeong took a step closer to her, cupping her face again. "It's you who needs a doctor Ga Eul-yang! Why didn't you call me when they attacked you?"
"Attacked? I wasn't attacked." frown forming in her forehead. Yi Jeong's state of mind is starting to scare her.
"You're not attacked?" his eyes going down to the blood in her hands and then to the wound on her forehead. "If you're not attacked, then why are you bleeding?"
"Oh!" Ga Eul now gets it. She didn't mean to laugh because her eyes still feels the sting as well as her head and fingers but the fits of laughter betrayed her.
"Why are you laughing?! Yi Jeong's not finding the situation hilarious.
"I wasn't attacked sunbae. I was cutting onions, hence my tears and since my vision is blurry from the tears, I cut my fingers and then I flinched when the doorbell rung and I hit my head at the sharp edge of the opened cabinet door."
Relief washes over him, it may sound sadistic but he's glad those were the reason of her injuries and not his halabeoji but then he noticed the bandage around her left wrist. "What happened to your hand?"
"Oh this?" looking down at her hand. "It's nothing. I got hit by a car the other day but it's good now, doesn't hurt anymore."
"You got what?!" he thinks his eyes had never grown this big before. What is he going to do with this woman?
"It's not that bad. I can move it now easily. See?" she raised her hand and gently twisting her wrist.
Yi Jeong sighed. This lady in front of him sure do know how to give someone a heart attack. "Do you have first aid kit?"
Ga Eul leads her to the house and they settle at the couch while Yi Jeong volunteers to attend to her wounds.
"Why are you cooking again? Is it for the kids? I thought you only do that once a month." he asked as he brings out what he needed from the medical kit.
"Yeah it's for the kids but not for the orphanage. It's for the patients at the hospital." she answers as she let the potter be a nurse.
"You sure do love kids, huh." he said. He noticed Ga Eul's eyes lit up and her broad smile is back on her face.
"Yes sunbae! Dearly! I love kids so much. They're fun to be with and sometimes when I'm with them, memories of my childhood flashes back in my mind. Some people find kids annoying and noisy but I don't. For me they're little bundles of joy and I just love spending time with them.' Ga Eul said with a dreamy expression.
Her enthusiasm is contagious. It's almost making him feel that way towards kids. Not that he hated children but he could categorized himself as one of those people that Ga Eul was talking about, people who see children as little rascals.
"Oh sunbae, how I wish I have a little sister or little brother like Jan Di. It's lonely being an only child, you know."
Don't worry Ga Eul-yang, we'll make plenty kids of our own so you can play with them.
Pause.
HOLY SHIT! Where did that come from?!
"Yi Jeong sunbae I thought you're going to clean my wound?" Ga Eul looks at him with worry. Yi Jeong's acting weird today.
That brought him back from his mental shock. He cleared his throat and proceeded on putting band-aid at her cut finger. "So uhm, what are you cooking?"
"French Onion Soup with homemade croutons and shredded cheese. This is my third try already but I can't seem to make it right." her face turned into a frown, lips pouting and Yi Jeong finds it so cute.
"Maybe you got it wrong. Just follow the recipe."
"I am but it still doesn't taste perfect like Yun Joongie's soup."
Yi Jeong dropped the bottle of alcohol at the floor. Ga Eul gasped and picked it up immediately.
"Yun Joongie?!"
"Yes." she nodded. There's really something wrong with Yi Jeong today, she can feel it. "Your cousin, So Yun Joong. Actually it was his car that got me then as an apology he offered free cooking lessons at his resto. By the way, his cooking is the best I had ever tasted. I guess your family were really gifted with skilled hands."
YUN JOONGIE?! How the fuck did he got to be Yun Joongie when Yi Jeong was stuck with the annoying sunbae title all these years?! There's no way that kitchen rat is closer to Ga Eul-yang than I am! No! This is unacceptable! He refuse to believe it!
"Aw sunbae! That stings!" Ga Eul cries, moving her head away from his hand. Yi Jeong didn't realized he was dubbing the cotton wet with alcohol in her open wound a little forcefully.
"Oh, um sorry Ga Eul-yang." he grabs her head gently, pulls it closer to him and softly blowing air at the wound.
Ga Eul had her eyes closed as he blows air. His eyes shifted to her features. Her cute nose and high cheeks scrunched up from the sting of the alcohol and she's biting the corner of her plump lower lip. She doesn't have any ounce of make up in her but even with her eyes closed, Yi Jeong can see her undeniable beauty. Inside and out.
Then Ga Eul suddenly opens her eyes. She didn't flinched at realizing his face is too close to hers. They stare at one another, lost in the depth of each others' eyes.
But she's the first one to look away. Yi Jeong is too close to her. She had long considered him 'out of her reach' even before she confessed to him the first time so him being this close to her is dangerous. Like a moth hovering over a fire.
She killed that fire long ago, it's not safe to ignite it back to life.
"S-so …what brings you here, sunbae?" She turned her attention at her apron. The drops of blood in there are good distraction.
Yi Jeong silently thanked her for bringing a topic, it will stop his mind from combusting with these weird emotions he's experiencing right now. He pulled a folded paper from the inside of his suit. With a playful smile he passed it to her.
"What's this?" she asked, expecting it would be wedding preparation related but the paper says it was from a school.
"Course Program. Your Music class will start tomorrow. I already checked with your work schedule at the hospital as well at the orphanage with the help of your co-workers. Try not to be late, the mentors in there are really strict."
Ga Eul can only stare at him in disbelieve. When it finally sunk in, her hand took over.
"Sunbae?!" she exclaims as his left thigh got a sharp slap.
"Aw! Ga Eul-yang that hurt!" he complained, rubbing the part she slapped. Again he got slapped by her but this time it's worse. Didn't she know better than to hit a guy in his thigh?! She can hit any part of him but not the thigh, it's dangerously close to his ….
"Why did you do that sunbae?!"
"I told you, you're going to perform at the wedding." after recovering from that slap, Yi Jeong can now relax. He felt proud to himself. Now that Ga Eul will take Music classes she won't have free time to continue these stupid cooking classes with his stupid cousin.
"I don't know sunbae." she said, eyeing the paper with doubt.
Yi Jeong places his hand on top of hers, ignoring the somersaulting of fireworks in his stomach from the contact, he said. "I know you can do this. I'll help you."
Ga Eul gave him a doubtful smile, she's excited for the new experience but more nervous on the prospect of singing in front of strangers. She closes her eyes, calming herself.
You can do this Chu Ga Eul. You can do this.
She opens her eyes and nodded at him with determination. Confidence, here she comes.
Yi Jeong offered to accompany her on her first day at Arts School but Ga Eul insisted to go alone.
It's part of her confidence building project. Little things to start her with her goal.
Her heart's pounding on her chest even before setting foot inside the luxurious school. So this is how it feels to be inside a prestigious school. She gulped down her nervousness.
She'd been to Shinwha before but this is totally different from that. The school screams art! Students dancing, singing, playing musical instruments, painting and sculpting around the campus, state of the art facilities and Ga Eul believes those statues at the lobby were made of pure gold.
Her mouth's wide open as she stares in amazement around her. She feels like she's in heaven instead of a school.
"You must be Ms. Chu Ga Eul."
A female voice brought her back to Earth. Ga Eul smiles at her and greets her formally which she only answered by a raised of eyebrow as she looks at her from head to toe.
Ga Eul suddenly felt self-conscious of her appearance. She's wearing her simple red coat over her simple clothes. She wondered if she's under dressed for this school.
"Madam Choi." she introduced herself without any hint of enthusiasm. "Follow me." she instructed.
Ga Eul follows her around as she give her straight from the books tour. She's a pretty lady, in Ga Eul's opinion. Dressed formally and elegantly. If she can guess, she's probably around her mid 40's. Her hair was tied in a neat bun giving her a very strict-teacher look and her rectangular spectacles completed the set.
They stopped in front a class room. She opens it and let Ga Eul in and in there her singing lessons begins.
Madam Choi saw the striking familiar orange sports car parked at the side of her classroom. She raised another brow at the sight of the dashing man who came out and leaned at the hood of his car, his phone glued to his ear.
The silence of the room broke out by the sound of a ringing phone. Ga Eul looks up from the papers she was studying. She looked at her teacher apologetically, repeatedly bowing her head. She canceled the call even without looking at the caller's name.
Madam Choi's perfect brow arced up again.
Ga Eul placed her phone back to her bag and returned on studying music notes.
Madam Choi saw the man outside bring his phone down but instead of putting it away like Ga Eul did, he dialed again. Her ringtone started interrupting her studies again. She killed it the second time and put it on vibrate mode.
As what Madam Choi expected, the caller didn't surrender. Three times in a row, Ga Eul's phone receives a call, though this time, it can only disturb the silence by it's vibrations.
"Answer it."
Ga Eul lifts up her face. "I'm sorry, Madam Choi.."
"In five minutes we're almost done. Pick up the call, it could be important."
Ga Eul hesitated at first. She didn't know if her mentor's really being lenient on phones during class or she's being kind. Ga Eul doesn't want to judge her but given that she haven't even smiled once throughout their lesson, she can take the hint that she's really a strict teacher, not just by the looks.
But the ringing will not stop if she didn't answer it. So she decided it would be best to follow her mentor.
"Yeoboseyo? Yi Jeong sunbae? I'm still in class, can you call 10 minutes later?" she said in a whisper, even covering her mouth not to disturb the Madam on her work.
The first thing she heard is his laugh. "Why are you whispering Ga Eul-yang?"
"I'm still in class, sunbae."
"Yeah, I can see that."
"Huh?"
"Look to your left."
Ga Eul did and she gasped upon seeing a beaming Yi Jeong, waving his signature three-finger wave.
"Sunbae! I told you not to pick me up!" she scream whispered at the phone.
Yi Jeong laughed again. "I'm hungry. There's a good restaurant around this area so I thought why not pick up on the way."
Ga Eul's about to answer when Madam Choi stood up. She went to her table and gave her a book. "Study the songs in there and on our next meeting, make sure you know how to read notes by then." she said then went back to her desk.
"I guess you're dismissed then." says Yi Jeong over the phone, sounding like Christmas came early.
Ga Eul stares at Madam Choi, waiting for more instructions but she doesn't appear to have any anymore. "Uhm, I guess so."
"I'll met you outside, sunbae." she said before cutting the line.
She gathered her things, carefully placing the book inside her back. She bowed to Madam Choi again. "Thank you for today, Madam Choi. I apologize about the call. See you next week and have a great day." she said with a grateful smile before leaving the room.
Madam Choi watched as Ga Eul came out of the building and walks towards the young man in the sports car.
She noticed his warm smile as he talks to her, one of the few surprises she got today.
It was a surprise when her nephew personally asked for her help with a student. Madam Choi knew that Yi Jeong enrolled this mysterious new student himself based from her looks. Her school is the most prestigious school of arts in the country and like Shinwha, only the rich can afford the privileged.
She had expected her to be an attention-seeking, gold-digger commoner, clinging onto her nephew like a pest but another surprise slapped her when she turned out to be completely the opposite. Ms. Chu's kindness and politeness erased that impression on her. And it was a shock to see her eagerness to learn. Not to mention that she can see potential in her.
She watches as Yi Jeong opens his car door for her. The young lady went inside and the two of them drove out of the parking lot.
Madam Choi smirked, she found herself already looking forward on her next lesson with the fascinating Chu Ga Eul.
*89*