A/N: Here's the long awaited Chapter Twelve! I haven't updated in over a week, and I'm sorry about that. It's been very busy for me, and I've been really exhausted from this week. Although, hopefully I'll be able to update more regularly by next week. Overall, I've been debating on how this should go. You see, I had an idea, but I'm planning on altering it so you (the readers) could enjoy it more.

But wow, sorry for being late, and sorry if this update wasn't worth the wait. I hope you all enjoy it though, and yes, I feel like I've probably underestimated F4; I forget they're very powerful. But here you go!

"Geum Jan Di!"

Ji Hoo's arms wrapped around her small body as he pulled her closer to his chest to offer her what heat he possibly could. At any rate, she would grow ill if she did not receive proper warmth. With her resting against his lap, he removed his expensive jacket and wrapped it around her body; hoping to provide her with the warmth necessary. She always took things to an overwhelming extent—it was a surprise she was capable of such. But then again, Ji Hoo would probably never understand how hard it was to grow up a poor commoner. He would never have the experience Jan Di did, and he knew that was what made her strong. Never demanding for help, always completing work on her own, studying her hardest, and despite her hard work, she was still treated beneath others because of her background. From day one, he thought he pitied her, the way she was treated by others, when in reality he admired her courage and strength. That was what made her the great Geum Jan Di.

"Ji Hoo!"

He heard someone call his name.

Ji Hoo's gaze lifted as he met the gaze of his friend, Gu Jun Pyo. He was clearly concerned; Ji Hoo could tell by the way he raced over to them, kneeling beside the fainted Jan Di. "What happened?!" He was growing furious. An expression was exchanged with Ji Hoo that made him believe Jun Pyo was ready to punch him for allowing this to happen. But he didn't. At least, he wouldn't until things were settled.

"She fainted," responded Ji Hoo, who—with Geum Jan Di resting in his arms—stood up. "And she's freezing. We need to get her home.."

"Home?" Jun Pyo repeated, bewildered practically. "Did you just forget that a crime just occurred there?!"

"You didn't let me finish." Ji Hoo sighed lightly, beginning to walk back to where they initially started their search. "She needs to go to one of our homes."

"I'll take her—" began Jun Pyo, before Ji Hoo interrupted him.

"Would that be wise?" questioned Ji Hoo, keeping his fast pace in order to be able to return quicker. "With your mother home, would that really be the best decision? If she even allowed it, do you think she'd allow this debt to go unpaid?" Jun Pyo remained silent, seeing as though he knew his mother better than anyone else. "I will take her to my home. It'll be safe there, and not only that, but she'll have someone to look over her."

"How do you plan on getting there, then?" challenged Jun Pyo, following immediately behind his friend. "You didn't drive your car.."

"That's why you need to help me." Despite the fact she was wearing the expensive coat, she coughed very softly, groaning a little bit in her 'sleep'. It was going to get worse. Ji Hoo picked up his pace by jogging, being careful with the sleeping Jan Di in his arms. "We need to hurry. I need you to drive us to my place."

"I'm not some chauffeur!"

"Don't think of it as that." Ji Hoo glanced over his shoulder at his friend. "Think of it as helping Geum Jan Di. The only safe place is at one of our homes. Woo Bin and Yi-Jeong aren't here, and she can't go to your home so freely without a price."

Perhaps it was jealousy that caused Jun Pyo to refuse at first. Maybe he didn't like the idea of Jan Di being at another man's home other than his own. But he knew it was best if she did remain in Ji Hoo's care; his father was a licensed doctor after all. If anything, that should have been all the more reason to allow it. Finally Jun Pyo nodded, reluctantly, but he did so. "Fine. I'll drive you both to your house."

Suddenly a ringtone played out of the blue. The phone in Ji Hoo's pocket vibrated, although he couldn't reach for it himself since he was holding someone. "Jun Pyo, could you grab that? It might be important."

"What could be so important now?" mumbled Jun Pyo, but he reluctantly obeyed the request and snatched out Ji Hoo's cellphone. Then he unlocked it, and turned it on speaker. "Jun Pyo speaking.."

"Jun Pyo!"

Ji Hoo noticed the voice was awfully familiar. Song Woo Bin.

"Woo Bin?" asked Jun Pyo suddenly. "Did you find out something?"

"Yes," replied Woo Bin. "I went back to Jan Di's place to do a little investigation of my own, and I found a ransom note."

"A ransom note?" repeated Jun Pyo, blinking. "For Kang San?"

"Yes." Woo Bin continued, "It's demanding a large sum, Ji Hoo.."

It was a little surprising. Didn't they know that Geum Jan Di was poor? That she purchased the cheapest apartment available because she could not afford anything better? The apartment she rented out with her younger brother didn't even have proper heating. That should have said enough about her financially.

"How much?" asked Jun Pyo.

"It doesn't matter how much," began Ji Hoo before Woo Bin could respond. He didn't care to know the ransom money, or how much was requested. "Kidnapping a child.. They wouldn't do it for Geum Jan Di's earnings."

"What the heck!" Jun Pyo sounded angry, Ji Hoo almost believed he'd shatter his phone at this rate. "Are they that stupid?!"

It only took a moment before Ji Hoo realized something.

' It's not meant for her to pay.. It's for one of us. '

"..Don't worry about it." Ji Hoo sighed lightly. "I'll take care of it."

"You Ji Hoo?" repeated Woo Bin, a little surprised. "..What happened to Geum Jan Di? I expected she'd be with the two of you.."

"She fainted, but don't worry. Woo Bin, we'll call you back in a little bit. We're heading to my place at the moment. You and Yi-Jeong should also return home for the night. We'll talk in the morning."

Jun Pyo hung up once Ji Hoo finished speaking. Finally, the two reached Jun Pyo's vehicle, and Jun Pyo went first; unlocking and opening the doors for Ji Hoo and Jan Di. Ji Hoo, with Jan Di in his arms, got inside the vehicle, holding her cold body closely against him to provide her with warmth she needed. Jun Pyo joined them in the vehicle seconds after closing the passenger door. But from the look in his eyes, Ji Hoo could tell he was filled with jealousy. However, there was no time for any jealousy, nor any lingering feelings. Geum Jan Di needed help. Finally, Jun Pyo started the car, and turned up the heat.

"She's lucky," mumbled Jun Pyo.

Ji Hoo's gaze lifted from Geum Jan Di, eyeing his friend. "Lucky?"

"You've been generous to her since day one. Ever since she arrived to our school.." Jun Pyo mumbled once more. "..You've been the one to help her, haven't you?"

"Jun Pyo," began Ji Hoo, trying to prevent him from speaking further, but was immediately interrupted.

"Just listen to me, Ji Hoo." Jun Pyo glanced away momentarily, inhaling heavily. It was clear to Ji Hoo that Jun Pyo was struggling confessing to these thoughts. "The first week she arrived, you were the first to meet her. Not only that, but.. something about you, made her fall in love with you. I don't.. know what you did. But you helped her when no one else did in that school. She was bullied because of me, and I enjoyed it. But you did something. I bet your generosity encouraged her to keep coming, didn't it?"

Ji Hoo didn't reply.

"And when you kissed her that time.. You came back for that, didn't you?" Gu Jun Pyo finally looked his friend in the eye. "You returned from Seo Hyun's side to be with her because you loved her this entire time. And that time you were willing to get expelled. You didn't care. But you fought back against me, because of her.."

Geum Jan Di, who was still passed out, stirred in Ji Hoo's arms. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his jacket, and she almost looked to be in distress. The silence only continued for a few more seconds before Gu Jun Pyo finished.

"This is why I gave her to you. If I couldn't have her, or keep her safe, then I at least wanted her to have someone who would never hurt her intentionally, or make her cry unnecessarily. I didn't want to think about it, but I knew that if.. my 'mother', persisted in ruining the first love of her son's life, then I would have to consider who should be the one right for her. I shouldn't be allowed to take control of her life like that, but it's hard.. you know? Letting go of your first love because you know they deserve better. So I wanted it to be someone she could smile around, and be happy with. Not someone who initially bullied her when she first arrived at school.."

Then there was a short pause.

"That person is you, Ji Hoo. Don't lose her to anyone else."

Yoon Ji Hoo, dressed all in white as usual, parked his motorcycle outside the abandoned warehouse. The neighborhood was a typical commoner one, however, this one was unlike the rest. It was like a dump; filthier, with trash littered all around. The crime rate in such a neighborhood, Ji Hoo assumed, would be high. It was only presumable since on his way here, he discovered a few fist fights taking place. It was early in the morning, yet the skies were dark and gloomy. A storm would occur soon, and Ji Hoo knew it by the way storm clouds came in. He removed his helmet and hung it loosely on the handles of his bike. In the messenger bag over his shoulder was a large sum of money.

The ransom.

According to their plans, Ji Hoo was going to enter the warehouse, alone, with the fee in his bag. The rest of F4 would come a little later, after receiving the signal. While F4 planned to deal with this situation the easy way, Woo Bin, Yi-Jeong, and Jun Pyo planned to bring at least a few of their assistants with them. Only under certain circumstances would they be allowed to enter. Overall, with Geum Jan Di safe at his home, Ji Hoo doubted such a trade could go wrong. It was also thanks to the woman he met the other night that he was able to retrieve information; such as the license plate number of the vehicle parked behind the warehouse. And with a little digging around throughout the night while Geum Jan Di slept, Ji Hoo managed to find out the location of where the vehicle was at.

He wasn't worried. His grandfather was watching over Geum Jan Di, and knowing his grandfather, he'd never allow her out of his sight. She would have to deal with his lectures, and it was something Ji Hoo would've enjoyed watching. However, all of it would have to wait until Kang San was safe. He waited a few more seconds before entering the warehouse. It was dark, with barely any light seeping through the broken and dirtied windows. It was a complete mess - Ji Hoo never really saw anything like it up close. It was also had a musty scent. Ji Hoo glanced around at his surroundings, noticing that it was empty.

Apart from the room at the far end. A few men in somewhat decent yet cheap suits walked out. Nothing impressive to Ji Hoo, really. He watched as they approached him, glancing at the messenger bag strapped over his shoulder.

Finally, one spoke up; the 'leader' of the group, specifically. "You.. brought the money? Where's the girl?"

Ji Hoo raised an eyebrow. "The girl?"

"He means that Jan—" began a male next to him, before he was elbowed in the chest.

"Idiot, shut the hell up!" yelled the leader, who seemingly had a short temper.

"I'm sorry, boss.."

There was a short pause before the 'leader' of the group of four began once more. "You're not the sister of the little kid. So why're you here?"

"Let's get this over with, and not play around," murmured Ji Hoo, who began to approach them until he met them halfway. He removed his messenger bag and dropped it in front of him. "You planned this very well."

"Boss, could this be the Shinhwa heir..?"

"No, dummy." Their leader took a quick glance at the messenger bag before meeting Ji Hoo's gaze. "He looks nothing like that curly-haired bastard. Who are you?"

"Yoon Ji Hoo." His voice remained calm and cool. It was unshaken; never did he stutter. Ji Hoo was clearly confident. "I see.. You caught her with Gu Jun Pyo, then?" When they didn't reply, Ji Hoo gave a small tilt of the head. It was getting a tad bit suspicious, although he remained silent. "You have your money. Where's the kid?"

The leader scoffed before he glanced over his shoulder at the room in the far corner. "Bring out that Geum brat!"

Geum brat? Do they know Jan Di?

Suddenly, another male exited the room, leading Kang San to the center of the room where they would begin the exchange. To Ji Hoo's relief, Kang San wasn't harmed. He looked frightened, but overall no physical harm was done.

"Release him." Ji Hoo glanced at the leader of the group, who sent out one of his members to check out the bag.

"It's all here, boss!"

"Except for one thing," mumbled the leader as he eyed Ji Hoo. "That girl."

"That girl?" His heart practically skipped a beat, knowing who they meant.

"That Geum Jan Di! Don't make our boss say it again!" yelled the male beside the bag.

"Moron! Shut the freakin' hell up!" The leader kicked his comrade in the leg before he pressed his fingers against his own forehead in utter annoyance. "..I'm surrounded by morons.. Can't learn to keep your fuckin' mouths shut." He then cocked his head to the side.

The other male that remained quiet spoke up. "We expected her to tag along. We heard she was a persistent one.."

Heard?

"She's not here. Just take the money," responded Ji Hoo.

"That's now how this works, buddy!" The leader frowned visibly as he pointed to the doors. "Leave, and bring her here. Otherwise, she'll never see this kid again."

"Don't call me buddy." Ji Hoo gave him an ice-cold glare as he snapped his fingers. At that signal, the doors were flung open and the remainder of F4 came storming in. Woo Bin was the first to react.

"Hey, hey now," spoke Woo Bin cooley in his English as he made a gesture with both his hands as if to say that everything should remain calm. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Ji Hoo said to either take the money, and release Kang San, or take nothing in return."

"What the hell is this? A set up? Do you know who the fuck we are?!" shouted their leader. "I'll kill this fuckin' brat if any of you think about doing some crazy shit!"

Before anyone knew it, Woo Bin lunged forward— thanks to Kang San's height—and threw his fist against the male's jaw who held Kang San hostage in his grasp. The hit was strong enough to knock him back a few paces as Kang San was released. Woo Bin backed up, holding onto Kang San's wrist as he led him away towards the entrance. "Ha Jae Kyung is waiting outside. Once you get out there, she'll take you away, okay little bro?"

Kang San nodded, and with the release of his wrist, he sprinted out the doors to where Ji Hoo knew he'd meet with Ha Jae Kyung. She agreed to take him to a safe place in the plan, and be sure to have protective care over him in the meantime.

"You bastards!" The leader of the entire group lunged out at Ji Hoo immediately. Gu Jun Pyo came in at the right moment and rammed his elbow against his head before he could attack Ji Hoo.

"This is the best you can do?" muttered Jun Pyo as he stepped back, glaring down at the male who collapsed onto the ground. "You should've accepted our offer in the first place. Now, I'm going to make sure none of you can come near Geum Jan Di again!"

Ji Hoo adjusted the white, leather gloves on his hands. The whole reason each member of F4 wore gloves was because of this. It was to avoid getting any actual blood on their hands, and not leave behind any evidence whatsoever, if anything did occur. However, in the end it didn't even matter. They were practically the most powerful group in Korea - almost.

"Gu Jun Pyo," murmured Ji Hoo as he exchanged a glance with his friend. "We're not here to kill anyone. We're here to provide them with a message."

"A warning, rather," interrupted Yi-Jeong as he made his place beside Ji Hoo.

"Does it matter, bros!" Woo Bin now stood beside Yi-Jeong with his cocky grin. "We're here to teach them a lesson!"

"I will kill them if I have to," muttered Jun Pyo. "Hopefully I won't. But if they pull anything, I'll be the last thing they see."

She could hear loud noises come from the abandoned warehouse. Geum Jan Di parked her bicycle against a nearby fence, noticing all three empty cars of the F4 members, and Ji Hoo's motorcycle parked behind the warehouse. She was able to arrive on time, thanks to a certain someone. Quickly, she ran towards the warehouse and peeked inside. It was total chaos, and she was concerned for her fellow friends. From where she stood, she could make out all four of her friends, who were each taking on a guy. It was almost as if she had nothing to worry about, but from the corner of her eye, she saw a fifth male; one that was certainly not a friend of Ji Hoo, or any of the F4 members for that matter. Woo Bin was busy pummeling a guy in the gut near the entrance, as he pinned him against a wall. Yi-Jeong was taking on another member by throwing his fist against the male's jaw. Jun Pyo was on the far side of the room, shoving another male into a pillar. Ji Hoo was only a few feet away from Woo Bin, busy kneeing his opponent in the gut; clearly succeeding. However, the fifth male who had no opponent whatsoever, was starting to approach Woo Bin from behind, who clearly wasn't aware of his presence.

Her heartbeat quickened, and she was suddenly terrified for Woo Bin who wasn't expecting anything. She couldn't let harm come to either of the males, who were helping her. Without thinking, she picked up a heavy stone and stepped inside the battlefield. "Hey!" She tried catching his attention. Perhaps her bravery was only going to get her in trouble, but she wasn't going to stand by and do nothing. That was not how 'Wonder Girl' worked. Luckily, she did manage to grab the attention of the male who was about to attack Woo Bin. However, she also grabbed the attention of everyone else, especially Ji Hoo who shoved the male he was dealing with away as he turned to look at her.

"Geum Jan Di!" His voice was filled with obvious panic. "Get out of here!"

Again, without thinking a second time, she flung the heavy stone to the man who had suddenly spun around to face her. The stone collided against his forehead, knocking him to the ground as blood began to drip down the side of his head.

"Boss!" cried out a male who was dealing with Gu Jun Pyo. Jun Pyo was stunned, which was a disadvantage to him. Suddenly, a fist was thrown directly at his jaw; knocking him into a nearby wall.

"Gu Jun Pyo!" Jan Di was too focused on the F4 leader, watching as the other attacked him. She wanted to help him—until she heard a sudden click.

"You bitch!" another male cried out. This male was the sixth member it seemed. He had stepped out from the room on the far side of the room where he had been hiding, and was now approaching Jan Di. Currently, Yi-Jeong was dealing with his opponent, as Jun Pyo received another punch from his. The male who suddenly appeared aimed a gun at Jan Di. "You're a fuckin' bitch! If you killed him.. I'm going to kill you if it's the last thing I do!"

He pulled the trigger, and a loud gunshot echoed throughout the warehouse. It was only then that a loud shout of panic followed immediately after.

"Geum Jan Di!"

A/N: Your thoughts?