Disclaimer: I do not own this show or any of the characters in it. This is just a product of my imagination as I am a big fan of the show.
Chapter twenty-one: the heart in A-Z
Ga eul stared at Yi Jung expectantly. She wondered what his reply could be. A part of her wanted it to be what she thought it to be and it made her smile. But that smile soon dropped when she heard him say
"because I want you to be near me so I can keep troubling you. If you get hurt, who would I trouble?"
"oh" she managed to say, struggling to pull off a smile
Yi Jung smacked his head a million times over in his mind. Why did he say that? But he felt it was the best thing for them both. Telling her about his confused feelings wasn't exactly what their relationship needed. What if he lost her due to it? No, he'd rather bottle it up deep inside himself and just be happy with the moments he gets to spend with her.
He wanted to say something but Ga eul beat him to it
"I am hungry, let's go eat"
"foodie" he muttered with a smile
"what did you say?" she asked menacingly
"I said you spoke my mind" he said with a shaky laugh and Ga eul laughed too. But really, he had to admit, Ga eul could be so intimidating when she wanted to be.
They ate a local store which Ga eul dragged him to. Their meal was full of banters and jokes as well. After their meal, they hitched a ride back to the resort with a local bus which was quite crowded, much to Yi Jung's horror
"ok then bunny, see you tomorrow" she said, ready to skip to the direction of her cabin. But Yi Jung stopped her by linking their hands
"what_" she started
"I can't leave my girlfriend alone without walking her to her cabin" he said with a wink and she chuckled
"did you have fun today?"
He suddenly smiled brightly and said "you bet I did. I can't wait to take a picture of you wearing the octopus hat. That'd be comedy gold"
She huffed and said "so you are only happy about that?"
"well, I am also happy I got to spend time with you"
"really?" she asked with a happy smile to which he nodded
"really, how else would I have figured out that I should never allow you to take more than five selfies"
Ga eul could not help herself from laughing
"hey, you were in like half of those pictures you know"
"yeah and I nearly died when we were in the 600th selfie"
"well thanks for telling me this. I would make sure we take more next time" she said with an evil grin leaving Yi Jung looking horrified
They spent the next few minutes walking while laughing over their day. She felt a bit disappointed when they arrived at her cabin.
"you know we are going to the beach tomorrow, right?"
"yeah?" she responded, her answer coming out as more of a question
He smiled and kissed her forehead before whispering "wear something hot"
He winked and left, leaving her mouth hanging open
"perv" she said with a fond smile even though he couldn't hear her. She headed inside her cabin and let out a scream when she saw three figures on her bed. Laughs soon resonated through the room as Jan Di, So Eun and Jae Kyung were doubled over in laughter.
When she finally regained herself, she joined them as well
"you girls would be the death of me" she said with a smile as she went to join them on the bed
"we used the extra key you gave me" So eun said
"oh" she replied, grabbing a pillow
"so_" Jae Kyung started
"yeah" she replied trying to hide her smile. She knew what her friends wanted to say but she just chose to play dumb
"ok I can't keep it in anymore. What's up with you and Yi Jung and don't give me that whole fun training story. We need real answers, complete with the full story"
She chuckled as she looked at Jan Di
"ok fine" and that was how she proceeded to tell them all about her conversation with Yi Jung last night.
"wow" was all Jae Kyung said
"now that's a lot to process" Jan Di added. So Eun however, was awfully silent before saying
"would you be able to let go after a week?"
How could she forget that So Eun has known her for half her life? Even when she says nothing, So Eun could still understand her.
"I will. I have to, I need to" she said, her voice dropping with every word
"Ga eul-ah, why don't you just tell him how you feel?" Jan Di asked
"I can't risk it. what if he doesn't feel the same way? I have tried giving him like a lot of opportunities to tell me how he feels but he doesn't. I have tried given him a gazillion signs but he doesn't see it"
"that's because he is not a traffic warder, he understands words not signs"
Despite herself, Ga eul could not help but laugh at Jae Kyung's comment
"you need to tell him Ga Eul, he deserves to know" Jan Di said with a reassuring smile
"and what if he doesn't feel the same way? I'd mess up our friendship and it'd be horrible"
Jan Di slid and arm around Ga eul and said "I have known that rascal for a long time now and I have never seen him as happy as he is when he is around you. Yi Jung is just too much of a knucklehead to realize that he loves you"
Ga eul gave an incredulous laugh before saying "if he really does, he'd have figured it out by now"
She saw Jae Kyung open her mouth to say something so, she quickly added
"anyway, forget about that. I am fine. Now, So eun-ah, tell us about your outing with Ji Hoo"
She playfully nudged So eun's side and the latter blushed furiously before saying
"it was ok"
"come on So eun-ah, don't be a spoilsport. It's obvious he is crazy about you and you like him just as much" Jan di chirped with a playful wink
"well I don't know. I like him a lot. But I just feel like he is one of the most eligible bachelors in the country and I am just me. What if he gets tired of me and goes" So eun answered, her voice dropping to a whisper at her last sentence.
Ga eul rolled her eyes and this time, she really smacked So eun's head
"ouch, what was that for?" So eun asked, rubbing her head
"for being silly. How many times do I have to tell you that you are an awesome girl and anyone would be fortunate to have you"
"really?"
She smiled and responded "really. I know because I feel like the luckiest girl alive because you are my best friend"
So Eun looked at her with tear-filled eyes before engulfing her in a hug
"what would I do when you leave?" So Eun asked, still hugging Ga eul
"well you'd have a great time with Ji Hoo" Ga eul replied, making all of them laugh
"you both get in here" Ga eul said gesturing to Jan Di and Jae Kyung for them to share a group hug
"I love you all" she said
"aww don't go cheesy on us because we would call you 24/7 if we have to" Jan di said, making them laugh.
"but just so you know, we love you too" Jae Kyung added, earning a chuckle from everyone.
She knew she'd miss them terribly, her besties.
Yi Jung tried his best to ignore the girls who were hovering over around him at the beach. In the past, he'd have made his move but now he just didn't care.
He arrived at where his friends were and found Ga eul reading a book while resting on a beach chair
"hey cupcake" he greeted with a smile
"oh, look who is here. Our very own Yi Jung. Aren't you supposed to be with your fan club who just keeps ogling over you?"
He oohed and said "seems like someone is jealous?"
She scoffed and retorted "you wish. I am just saying"
"really? Because you sure sound jealous"
She looked at him and huffed and he chuckled. He really loved teasing her
"you are jealous that other girls are ogling around me"
She gave an incredulous laugh before saying "what? Why would I? Besides, I also have tons of guys?"
"really? who?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips
She opened and closed her mouth before saying "well just people"
"who? Your imaginary friends?" he asked, earning a glare from her
"just shut it. I have more boys fawning over me than your little fan club over there"
He pretended to nod in agreement before grinning wickedly and saying "ok, but if you ever find out who they are, come tell me. Until then, I am off for a swim"
He winked and took off his shirt, smirking when he saw her gulp hard before looking away with a cute shade of pink on her cheeks
"see you later cupcake" he said before heading to the water.
Ga eul watched Yi Jung as he left. Again, why was this guy so hot? How could one person be so damn handsome and also well built. She suddenly felt so hot, so she reached for her coconut drink.
"Ga eul-ah, I would be going for a swim with Ji Hoo, want to join us?" So eun asked
She shook her head and said "nah, you both go have fun" she added a suggestive wink and So eun blushed while Ji Hoo chuckled before giving Ga eul a thumb up. She smiled as she watched them go, with So eun in her pretty one- piece pink swimsuit.
She looked over to Yi Jung who came out of the water exaggeratedly. He threw her a wink before talking to some girls who had gathered around him. Was it bad that she wanted to claw their eyes out?
She needed to teach him a lesson and she knew just how to do so. She smirked as she took off the light jacket she was wearing.
Yi Jung didn't know how to escape these girls. He was talking to them to tease Ga eul but now, he was fed up. They kept talking non-stop about silly things and he was getting tired of faking a smile.
But he suddenly saw that the girls stopped talking and rather eyed something behind them. He looked at some guys at his side and saw them looking wowed at something behind them. Ok, he guessed it was someone because most of them were practically drooling.
Thankfully, the blonde -haired girl in front of him moved, granting him access to see what everyone was looking at. And man, was it a sight. He felt his eyes bulge as he looked at the sight in front of him.
Ga Eul was walking in a black two-piece bikini and damn was she hot. She winked at him before using her hands to ruffle her hair which made her seem even more inviting.
So, when he saw the guys from earlier run to her side, he felt like breaking their legs. Ga eul had to make it worse by smiling at one of the guys who was telling her something.
He had had enough. He excused himself from the girls despite their protest and stormed to Ga eul and her fan club.
"can I have_" but before the dude could finish the sentence, he wrapped his hand around Ga eul's waist
"hey cupcake, missed me?" he asked with a smile
Ga eul let out an amused smile but said nothing. The guy who wanted to ask for her number said
"are you_"
"yeah, I am her boyfriend" Yi Jung so badly wanted to take this guy somewhere isolated and break his bones.
Ga eul wanted to just laugh over the whole situation but she chose to be quiet and watch how things play out. Yi Jung seemed to want to strangle the guy with brown hair and honestly, she also wanted to do the same.
The annoying guy looked at her with a smirk which to him was sexy but she just wanted to roll her eyes
"baby, is he really your_"
"sorry guys, you were great company. But my boyfriend is here now. Let's go bunny" she said linking hands with a grinning Yi Jung
"you know if you grin anymore, your teeth might get dirty" she said as they walked away from the sulking guys
Yi Jung just chuckled before pulling her into the water, earning a squeal from her. She hopped on his back, making him laugh. He bent his body as though to make her fall off, leaving her screaming
"So Yi Jung! Don't you dare drop me in the water" and he just laughed some more
He splashed water on her and said "shut up circus monkey"
"it's on bunny" she said, hopping off his back and splashing water all over him, their laughter resonating everywhere.
Ga Eul lay in her room that night with a smile on a face. Just before she drifted into sleep, So Eun's words rang in her ears
'would you be able to let go after a week?'
She chose to ignore it and drifted into sleep.
Yi Jung sighed in frustration at yet another balloon that popped and to make things worse, Ga eul was laughing at his expense
His eyes caught hers and he whined "you did this on purpose. You asked us to set up balloons too so I would suffer"
"dummy, was I the one who said 'balloons are no big deal, give them to me, I'd handle them'" she said in her best masculine voice
"I sound nothing like that" he retorted
"you do"
"do not" he retorted
"do too" she retorted back
"do not"
"ok you two, shut up" Ji Hoo said making them flinch
"he sure can be scary" Ga eul whispered to him making him chuckle. About an hour later, they were done setting everything up. Jan Di and Jae Kyung's job was to take So Eun out under the excuse of 'last day of the trip outing'
They all hi-fived one another as they looked at their job in satisfaction
Evening came and according to plan, they all hid in the bushes as they watched Ji oo ask So eun to be his girlfriend
"are you crying?" Yi Jung asked with an amused smile
"I am not" she retorted quickly, too quickly
He raised a brow and she sighed
"it's just, I am so happy for So eun. she is finally getting the love she deserves, I am just happy that's all"
He brushed some of her hair off her face and she stared at him.
"you look ugly when you cry" he commented earning a hit on the shoulder from her before she chuckled.
But he knew he lied, she looked beautiful in any mood. He stared at her until he heard her say
"come on bunny, it's time to step in" as she dragged him out of their hiding place
They went over to the blushing couple with teases and congratulatory words for and some threats on the part of the guys for Ji Hoo.
They spent the rest of the evening dancing away. He and Ga eul had danced their hearts away and it was so much fun. He watched as she danced with the girls. Her hair bouncing as she danced, sometimes covering her face. But she didn't mind, she and So Eun would make silly brake dance moves, making them laugh. She looked so beautiful, so free.
How could he live without her? He felt angry at himself then, angry at not being able to tell her the three words she deserved to hear. Why could he not say it? If he was able to say it like Ji Hoo did with So eun, then she wouldn't slip out of his fingers like this. Why could he not love?
He downed his drink and stepped away from the party. He headed to the beach and just plopped himself on the sand, watching the waves.
"so, you prefer nature to the party? Well that's new, boyfriend"
He didn't have to look up to know it's her. The smile that graced his face could not be missed as he looked at her
"I thought you were dancing with the girls" he said
"yeah, but then I saw my boyfriend wasn't there anymore. You know tonight is our last night as a couple, you can't just break up with me like that"
He chuckled, an action she soon joined in. She sat on his legs and he gulped hard. She giggled and said
"we are still dating, remember?"
He smirked and huskily said "how could I forget?" which made her hit his shoulder playfully. He stared at her, her body was pressed against his
'why do you do this cupcake? Don't you know how hard it is to keep my self-control when you are this close?'
She played with his hair before saying "why do you look so down?"
He smiled at her ability to see through him
"it's nothing" he responded with a smile
"it's your dad, isn't it?"
Not knowing a better cover up, he simply nodded. She cupped his face as she said
"Yi Jung-ah, I have no right to tell you to forgive him. But I think you should not completely shut him out. Everyone deserves a second chance, and besides, a very smart bunny once told me that parents are complicated, but at the end of the day they always have only our best interests at heart"
He chuckled and placed a strand of hair behind her ear
"that bunny sure is smart" he murmured and she smiled
"I would miss you" she suddenly said
He felt his eyes grow wet but he quickly smiled and said "me too"
"you know this situation reminds me of Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania"
"what's that?" she asked with an amused smile
"it's a hindi romantic movie. You know, the type Yoo Na likes. It means Humpty Sharma's bride"
"what's it about?" he heard her ask
"it's about an engaged girl named Kavya who goes to the city a month before her wedding to shop for the expensive wedding dress of her dreams. Then she meets a playful boy named Humpty Sharma and they fall in love. But she was engaged to a doctor from the states so she had to leave him and return back to her town in preparation for her wedding. Do you want to hear the poem Humpty told her on their last night together before she left the city?"
She looked at him and nodded with a smile so he began
"tomorrow you will go
My life will again become slow
In wedding finery you will glow
And Like Shakespeare my beard will grow"
Yi Jung said the last part in a rush so she would not notice the crack in his voice
"that's so sweet" she said, staring at him and he smiled
"did they end up together?" she added, her eyes hopeful
"no" he lied between his teeth
"she left and soon married the other guy and then went to the states"
"that's so sad" she commented with a sad look in her eyes
"I guess" he said, feeling the uncomfortable silence that hung above them
Ga eul felt like crying on hearing Yi Jung's story. This was just a summary of her life, unless in her case, Yi Jung doesn't even love her.
"was Kavya happy with the new guy?" she asked
"yeah" he said and she nodded, willing herself not to cry
"want to play a game?" she asked, in the best excited voice she could muster
"sure"
"ok. It's called A-Z game. If I say a sentence that starts with A, you would reply with a sentence that starts with B, then me with C, then you with D, till we get to Z"
"ok boss" he said with a mock salute, which made her chuckle
"ok you start" she said looking at him with a smile
"are you happy?" he asked, clearing more strands of hair on her face
"but why did you choose to ask that?" she responded
"cupcake, my happiness lies in yours" he responded, meaning every word
She chuckled and said "dude, when did you get so cheesy"
"ever since I met a girl who turned me into her photographer the first time she saw me and after all my efforts, she still called me pea face" he said, making both of them laugh
"for the record, you called her a circus monkey too"
"glad I did because that led to me seeing her enchanting laugh for the first time"
Ga eul didn't know what to do. Did Yi Jung really mean that? But the way he was staring at her now made her believe he did
"how come you never told her before now that you find her laugh enchanting"
"I was an idiot. But now, I can tell her. Ga Eul-yang, your laugh is enchanting and your angry face is so cute"
She chuckled and said
"just please put that on record because I'd love to hear it all over again"
"keep that for later because for now, I just want to hold you close to me"
She felt her breath hitch on hearing his words but she still managed to say
"later, really? Well that makes two of us because I also want to be here with you"
Yi Jung felt his heart rate accelerate on hearing Ga eul's reply
"maybe it's because I am so awesome" he replied, earning a laugh from her
"nah, you are just fortunate that out of all the guys, you are my number one"
'where did that come from?' Ga eul thought mentally smacking he head
"only number one? To me you are my number one and my favorite, now and always"
Ga eul felt herself tear up but she quickly smiled and said
"please, I don't believe that. Once I leave, you would forget all about me"
"ques of girls might be in front of me, but if I were to choose, I'd only choose you, only you"
Yi Jung didn't know how those words just slipped naturally out of his lips but they did
"really?" she responded
"silly, really"
"to be honest, you are my favorite too, now and always bunny. That's why I want you to be happy even when I am not around to trouble you"
He could feel his eyes grow wet but he still chuckled
"university life won't be the same without you around"
"very well then. Anytime you feel it's going different, call me and I'll come running back" she said playfully, despite her heart which was in a frenzy. Yi Jung just laughed.
"well how can I be sure?" he said with a smile
She responded by hugging him tight and he held on tighter
Then puling away, she looked at his eyes which were darkened with something she had never seen before. Something which mirrored her eyes at the moment. He used his finger to caress her face and thinking be damned, she crashed her lips on his.
The kiss wasn't slow at all, it was fast paced as though they felt they were running out of time and they wanted to make the best out of it. She grabbed a handful of his hair as he traced kisses on her neck.
She didn't realize when he placed her on the sand and was now hovering over her, gently kissing trailing kisses down her stomach which was left exposed by her crop top. She moaned under his touch, under his kisses.
Yi Jung felt his brain forget everything. The only thing he knew was her. She pulled him down and kissed him, running her hands through his chest. She flipped him over and she was now on top him.
She took off his shirt and he helped her, eager to get rid of the article of clothing. She traced kisses down his chest and he felt a throaty sound escape his lips before his brain even registered it. He grabbed her and kissed her again, their tongues battling for supremacy.
He liked her, he liked her more than he has ever liked any other girl before. But liking her wasn't enough for someone like her. It wasn't. They finally pulled away for want of air, with Ga Eul still on top him.
He missed her warmth the moment she stood up from him and positioned herself on the sand. She faced him with a smile before saying "Xoxo. It means hugs and kisses"
He just smiled. He knew that kiss they shared was more than just acting out what Xoxo meant. But he didn't know where that left them now until he remembered that Ga eul said they were still fake dating.
So, he smiled as well and said "you are a cool player"
"zest for the game made me so" she replied before getting up
"goodnight bunny" she said
"goodnight cupcake" he replied.
Ga Eul tried to hold in her tears as she smiled at him. As she walked away she thought 'letting go isn't easy So eun-ah'
"hello South Korea" Jae Kyung said making the others laugh
They had just arrived back. Ga eul had sat with Woo Bin through the ride back. She knew a lot of thoughts were running in Woo Bin's head concerning her relationship with Yi Jung but she was glad he didn't voice them and rather joked about silly things with her.
She was still laughing at Jae Kyung's enthusiasm when she saw one of her Chauffeurs standing in front of a black Mercedes and four bodyguards standing in front of another Mercedes. They all bowed as they saw her and she smiled at them in reply.
"the master wants us to escort you back home after your flight" one of the guards said and she nodded. Her dad and his overprotectiveness. Why couldn't he just send only the chauffeur? Buts she was used to him.
So, she hugged her friends, exchanging goodbyes. She made sure Yi Jung was last. He smiled and outstretched his arms and she smiled before hugging him tight.
She felt her heart beat accelerate as she lifted herself and whispered in his ears
"I love you Yi Jung-ah. and knowing how much of a dumbass you are, I doubt you'll be able to figure out on your own that I am not talking best friend love here. I love you So Yi Jung. I love you"
She pulled away and looked at him, his eyes were wide, she didn't wait to hear his reply. Maybe it was because the moment she said it, she already knew that she would be telling someone who doesn't believe in love.
So, she turned and headed to the car, which was held open by her chauffeur. She could feel his eyes on her as she was in the car but she didn't look out the window, she looked straight ahead
'in the end So eun-ah, I had to let him go' she thought before breaking down into tears.
A/N: hey guys. Aww, my poor Ga eul. Anyway, this chapter marks the beginning of the climax of this story. So yeah, we are on our final chapters.
Also, thanks for all the reads, reviews and follows, really thanks. Y'all have a great day.