A/N: Chapter Twenty-Nine! Due to issues with viewing reviews, I am unable to respond in this A/N, but once I get to see them, I will respond privately to those of you who reviewed.

I hope this chapter went well. I have my doubts, like any other time. But let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts/interpretations/ideas! So don't hesitate, and above all else, enjoy!


Ji Hoo arrived at the banquet within good time. He was sitting in a chair at the hall it was held at, resting his chin on his fist as he closed his eyes to rest a bit. Though it was clear that he wouldn't be able to go home alone, he would be grateful for any help he received that day. Not many people were actually aware of Ji Hoo's condition; he did his best to keep it a secret because the last thing he needed was someone unnecessarily provoking him or taunting him about his injuries. Not that many would.. But to those who dared to be bold, he didn't want to waste his time on those annoyances. He was certain that people held long-lasting grudges towards the likes of him. Ji Hoo's eyes opened at the sound of his friend's voice.

"Yo, Ji Hoo; are you thirsty? Do you need anything in particular?" Woo Bin asked, approaching his sitting friend.

Ji Hoo shifted in his seat and shook his head. "No. Do you know where Yi-Jeong is?"

Woo Bin simply grinned at his question, giving the expression that he knew what Ji Hoo was "getting" at. "He should be here already. But let's face it, Ji Hoo; you don't want to know Yi-Jeong's whereabouts, but Jan Di's. C'mon, admit it."

He didn't waver under Woo Bin's teasings. Instead, he offered his friend a small smile as if to confirm his answer. "You know, this is going to be the first time in a while that we've gotten together as a group." By group, he meant F4 of course; the friends that once hung out every chance they got. But now...they were all busy with their own lives and troubles. It was somewhat a saddening thought that their highschool days were officially over and that they all had to go their own ways eventually. Despite the fact that they all faced different futures, though, Ji Hoo didn't have a doubt in his mind that they would remain friends.

"You're right," commented Woo Bin, nodding his head and suddenly taking a seat beside Ji Hoo. The thought also seemed to cause Woo Bin to grin a bit. "Last time we all got together was weeks ago, when you were in the hospital."

That was around the time Jun Pyo distanced himself.

Ji Hoo couldn't help but feel a pang of regret—not for winning the heart of Jan Di, but for not making amends with his friend. He regretted not trying to remedy their friendship. That was the regret.

"Where's Jun Pyo?" Ji Hoo suddenly asked, not bothering to glance at his friend.

"He hasn't appeared yet."

"Not yet?" Ji Hoo was a bit surprised, though he soon realized it was somewhat like his friend to arrive late to places he didn't find important. "I see.."

"Ji Hoo," began Woo Bin suddenly, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned closer to his friend, trying to get a good look at his facial expression. "Is something on your mind? You seem outta it.."

A few seconds passed without a response. Clearing his throat, Ji Hoo turned his head to Woo Bin with a calm expression on his features—like always—before responding with a simple, "I'm fine."

While he was confident in his plans for the night, he couldn't help but feel the uneasy feeling that settled in the pit of his stomach. It was something that had been bothering him the second he got in Woo Bin's vehicle, however he couldn't put a finger on it. What was 'it' and why couldn't he figure out the reason it caused his uneasiness? Despite having a resolution to solve things—or rather, simplify Jan Di's life—he couldn't help but feel like something was going to go wrong. That of all days, and of all things planned, this would be the night everything went wrong.

Why do I feel this way..?


Arriving at the banquet some time later than expected, Yi-Jeong got out of his vehicle first to examine the dent and scratch marks on his car. The ride to the banquet had been silent and tense between the three of them ever since the incident, and it was an uncomfortable silence at that. Before Yi-Jeong could object, Jan Di and Ga Eul got out of the car immediately to examine the wreckage as well. From the looks of it, it was an intentional hit since the dent was rather large. Jan Di felt bad for Yi-Jeong, since he had to pay for the damages to his car, though that was obviously the least of his worries.

"Who.." muttered Yi-Jeong under his breath. He closed his eyes momentarily, taking a moment to relax before glancing over at Jan Di and Ga Eul who huddled up together like two lost puppies. Clearly, this had struck fear in the two. "Don't worry about it." A fake smile was forced onto his features as he gestured to the hall the banquet was held at. "Go on inside. We came to enjoy ourselves, didn't we? Don't let a crazy driver get to you like that. Whoever they are, they are not here. So, please." He once again, politely, gestured up to the hall as if to convince them to make their entry first. Jan Di was ready to make her way into the hall, when she glanced back at Ga Eul who urged her to go on ahead. From the looks of her expression, it seemed Ga Eul wanted to stay behind with Yi-Jeong. Jan Di nodded her head to show she understood and turned back toward the hall. Inhaling deeply, Jan Di slowly made her way up the stairs of the hall, both nervous and tense about entering alone. Mostly, whenever she arrived at certain events, she turned out to be a complete mess. And it was mostly when she was alone.

Deep breaths, Jan Di.. You've done this a million times already. Nothing could be any worse, compared to what you've been through.

After regaining her composure, she hesitantly strolled into the hall where the banquet was being held at. Upon entering, she glanced around nervously; making sure to keep a confident stride as she made her way through the large hall. It was a lot more frightening up close. There were many people of all kinds, none of which she recognized personally, but considering they all dressed in fine clothing of which she couldn't even begin to afford, she could only assume that they were certainly important people attending the banquet held by none other than Madam Kang. It was to be expected since Shinhwa was very popular and well known.

Deeps breaths, Jan Di.

She kept repeating those words to herself in an attempt to calm herself. But she recognized no one. No one familiar. She was beginning to feel like she didn't belong. She was almost ready to wait by the entrance for Ga Eul and Yi-Jeong. Just as she began to turn around to make her way back, she felt someone grab onto her wrist.


Ji Hoo felt like it was taking forever for her arrival. He was about ready to give in and try to call Jan Di. His worries were really overwhelming him, it was almost impossible to keep them at bay with his calm facade. Woo Bin had gone off to speak with several women who caught his eye, but he promised to return to Ji Hoo as soon as he was done with a small chitchat. However, Ji Hoo was glad he left to have some fun. He didn't want anyone to witness his growing concern or anxiety.

Why should he be concerned, though?

Earlier, he was confident in the upcoming night of the banquet. He was ready to spend a wonderful night away with the love of his life. Seeing that ominous figure, however, sent chills up his spine. That is where his concerns first appeared. During the ride with Woo Bin, Ji Hoo told himself constantly that it was all inside his mind; it was the dark playing tricks on him. But he couldn't help but feel as though that figure did exist, and it wasn't a good sign. It seemed as though many bad things were to come; when and where were the only questions remaining.

There's nothing to worry about. She's okay, and she'll be here, he reminded himself, You're overthinking this whole situation.

His concerns weren't dying away. They remained, haunting his mind every minute for longer than necessary. He was about ready to call her when something cause his eye. He shifted his gaze over to a woman—a lovely woman dressed in a fine, cherry-blossom dress—strolling on into the banquet confidently. His gaze followed her every movement; her bravery could almost be seen with every step she took. He almost found himself questioning who it was that entered the banquet, but his body took action before his mind could confirm it. Instead, he found himself getting up from his seat, making his way towards the woman in pink while maneuvering past people who were in his way or crossing his path. At first, he started off slow, but he began to increase his pace steadily as he almost practically rushed to reach the woman with magnificent beauty. It was almost as if she lured him in..

Finally, he managed to reach her, and just as she was about to turn away to leave, he grasped a firm hold onto her wrist. "..You're late."

She turned her head slowly to glance over at him. And there were those eyes; beautiful eyes, filled with uncertainty about where she belonged. Those were the eyes that belonged to Jan Di. "Ji Hoo sunbae.."

She was nervous. Despite the confidence and bravery she expressed, he could see that she was nervous and anxious. Her hand began to tremble in his grasp, due to her anxiety. It seemed as though she had felt the same way as he all along. But to be at the banquet, dressed so stunningly.. he was proud of her. She could have stayed away, without bothering to come, but she did come to the banquet bravely. He stepped closer to her so that they were not that far apart anymore. A small smile was given to her and he squeezed her hand reassuringly as their fingers tangled together.

"It's okay," he told her gently, "You're doing well. I'm here now, though. So you don't need to worry anymore."

Those words seemed enough to calm her down, seeing as her hand began to stop shaking. Instead, she nodded, with eyes no longer full of uncertainty, but trust instead. He knew she never had good experiences with this type of lifestyle, but he was willing to give her a wonderful night. He wanted nothing more than to make this night one she couldn't possibly forget.

"Come on."

"Where are we going?" she asked quickly, tilting her head to the side.

"I'm going to put our practices to the test. Tonight, it's going to be you and me, Geum Jan Di. I'll make sure you're smiling before we leave."

"Are you going to guarantee that?" questioned Jan Di, raising an eyebrow as he led her away from the entrance.

"It's a promise, Jan Di."


Did he make a mistake in not telling Ji Hoo of the confrontation with his mother? Ever since that day, Jun Pyo found himself distancing himself further from his friends; ignoring their messages and calls, avoiding their presence at school whenever he could. He even forced himself to be around Ha Jae Kyung to excuse himself from seeing them. Those words from his mother stuck to Jun Pyo, and it was annoying him; to choose between F4 and Jan Di. She was basically telling him to cut off all ties with his friends, who would remain in contact with Jan Di, or get Jan Di out of the picture and keep his friends. Those were the options given to him from his mother, or else she would plan to take matters into her own hands.

Damn! Damn it all!

It was as if he couldn't hate her anymore than he already did. Hate was a strong word, he was once told, but it was exactly how he felt towards his mother for her interference in his life. This was her plan all along, to get rid of F4 from his life. Because there was no way in hell that they'd give up their friendship with Jan Di, especially Ji Hoo who was in love with her. He didn't know what to do.

"Joon!" called a familiar voice from behind.

Jun Pyo inhaled sharply, rubbing his forehead in utter annoyance as he didn't even bother to look at Ha Jae Kyung. "What, monkey?"

"Yi-Jeong's here!" responded Jae Kyung as she prodded at his shoulder. "He was supposed to arrive with Ga Eul and Jan Di."

Jun Pyo's body tensed up. So she came after all..

"And? I don't really care who arrived," he replied coldly, hoping this would scare her off for the remainder of the night.

"Don't be that way! Everyone has been looking forward to this day, and you're not about to ruin it. I'm tired of this attitude you have."

Without any warning, Jun Pyo felt her grab onto his hand and yank him down to where Yi-Jeong and Ga Eul were standing, arms intertwined with one another as if they were a couple. This came off as a surprise to Jun Pyo, who never imagined that Yi-Jeong would actually make an appearance like that with Jan Di's friend.. Though he didn't know where Jan Di was. He blinked slowly as he glanced around.

"Jun Pyo," greeted Yi-Jeong, peering over at his friend with curiosity while he released Ga Eul and allowed her to go off to chat with Jae Kyung. "..Are you looking for someone?"

"Jan Di. Did she not come?" responded Jun Pyo, scoffing a bit as he finally focused his gaze back on Yi-Jeong.

Yi-Jeong simply stared at Jun Pyo before taking a quick scan around the banquet. Jun Pyo watched him, until finally the two met with each other's gaze. "She came. Did you expect her not to come, after receiving an invite? She's currently sitting with Ji Hoo over there." He nodded off to where a female in a light-pink dress sat at a table across from a male who Jun Pyo could easily recognize; Ji Hoo. Jun Pyo squinted, trying to make out the woman with his friend. It...looked absolutely nothing like Jan Di, yet at the same time, it was clearly her. His body tensed up once more.

"That.. that idiot," muttered Jun Pyo under his breath, though he obviously caught Yi-Jeong's attention unintentionally. The dancing, chatting, and movements all around Jun Pyo stopped as everyone turned their gazes to a woman who easily caught their attention: the host, and Jun Pyo's infamous mother, Madam Kang.

That wench..

Though while she shot her son a brief glance, her eyes were glued to the female sitting at the table across from Ji Hoo.