Chapter twenty seven.
SEVEN MONTHS LATER...
"Agasshi"
"Ah Ye, kamsamida..."
Switching off the stove, Ga Eul turned to the maid who was holding the bowl which she had asked for.
The maid chuckled. "Agasshi, gumawo is enough for me..."
Ga Eul shot her fake glare. "Until you stop calling me Agasshi, I am going to thank you just that way!..." The two girls chuckled once again.
It didn't take longer than a month for the three house maids to grow fond of Ga Eul. She had long asked them to stop calling her 'agasshi' despite how much they insisted on proper addressing.
The household staff was something that switched within the main houses of the So; the head Master's residence, the So mansion, where Han Manim or Manim So—as she preferred to be called—was, and lastly added to the list, Yi Jeong and Ga Eul's manor—named as, Young Master's residence.
The staff was not to stay in any of them—an act, much resulted by the behavioural effects of its young masters. Hence, they were to reside back to their quarters strictly by six and return back at seven in the morning. And non of them were ever to interact with any of their masters, nothing more than a word or two was allowed for them to speak. If they would, they'd be kicked out. No excuses.
Apparently, those rules and disciplines by So Yoon Hee never applied to Yu Na nor Yeo Jin nor Jin Joo; the three maids at Young Master's residence. They talked well and friendly with both of their masters and received appreciation for most of their work. They reported at seven alright, but departed when Ga Eul asked them to, or when they sensed intimacy growing between the young couple that they deserved some space for themselves.
Yi Jeong, on the other hand, thanks to his job at the museum, most likely to return between nine and ten. Sometimes he would come earlier and in rare cases, his work may stretch till midnight. Therefore, though he still manages to drop Ga Eul at the kindergarten almost every morning, he rarely comes to pick her up. His driver would be sent to collect Ga Eul, who would then go home and accompany the maids with the cooking and household chores.
Few months passed, Yi Jeong and Ga Eul found themselves settled in to this routine which was not to be interrupted unless for an auction or a party at one of the F4.
It was a rare night after all. Not the rarest though. Yet, in which, Yi Jeong would return home early, before nine.
Ga Eul, who was preparing the table for dinner, didn't feel the intense stare on her. Yi Jeong had to clear his throat in order to gain her attention towards his presence.
"Sunbae..." She turned around and smiled, being glad to see him. Yi Jeong returning the smile, received a peck on his cheek.
"palli, go and change into something else... dinner will be ready soon." She smiled and tried to dismiss herself, but was pulled to him and got caught in a hug.
"Bogoshipo..." he breathed in to her hair. His warm breath tickled Ga Eul for another chuckle. She understood his needs. The past few days would fall into the 'rarest' in their classification, yet repeated too often that it almost felt like forever. For the past few days, Yi Jeong returned home at late hours of night, only to find Ga Eul passed out on the sofa at the living room while waiting for him. It wasn't hard for Ga Eul to understand that he had returned early today to make up for their lost nights.
"Sunbae... not here..." her eyes darted towards the maids who giggled and retreated back to the kitchen.
"Then..." he chuckled. " would a bath sound better?"
Barely half an hour later, they found their teasing reduced to a soft moan as the friendly splashes of water became a rhythmic thumping that swallowed their heavy breaths and gasps. That continued for a while, till they reached their climax and the water, given a final splash, resided to its peaceful levels once again. Yi Jeong rested his forehead on her shoulder as his lungs tried to grab his breath.
A considerable silence passed before his breathing became regular. He looked up, and planted a kiss on her lips letting her to settle into a space besides him in their roomy jacuzzi.
Ga Eul rested her head on his chest, still slightly heaving from exhaustion, and closed her eyes.
The manor fell into silence. Again.
Yi Jeong examined her features. Her eyes were closed, not shut tight though, and her lips stayed slightly parted, breathing, as he figured it out. And her damped hair streamed down her neck and disappeared into the water. She seemed relaxed, and was enjoying his presence. That thought twisted the ends of his lips, and he placed them on her forehead.
He waited for her reaction.
She smiled, but didn't move, instead stayed still, in his embrace. She seemed contented, yet there was something about the way she smiled that twisted a cord in his belly.
Guilt crept in to his heart. Though she never complained, he knew how lonely she was, when he was away. He knew, unlike himself, Ga Eul was not used to deserted mansions. He had seen it himself, how... he searched for the word. ' Alive' it must have been.
Yi Jeong sighed.
Maybe it was all his fault.
"Sunbae?"
Unknown for him, his sigh had stirred her up.
"Hm?"
"What is it?"
"Mwo?" he gave her a confused look.
"isn't there something bothering you?"
Yi Jeong chuckled, seeing how sensitive his wife was, even for his slightest change.
"Anniyo."
"Is it hurabeujji?" Her head bolted up. "Or... is it_"
"_Ah! Can't we forget them at least for now?" he pulled her to a tight hug. So tight that it made her cheeks squeeze her eyes into a barely existing line, as her lips were forced into a pout.
"Ah... the Ga Eulyang exclusive hug... How much have I missed it..."
"Mhumhamhu?" He heard her mumbling.
"Mwo?"
Ga Eul took a loud inhale, first thing after being released from his suffocating hug.
"Mwo ra gu?" she asked.
"Mwo?" Yi Jeong giggled. Casually resting his elbow on the head rest as he reached for her cheek and pinched it. " Ga Eulyang exclusive?" he chuckled and raised an eyebrow. " It is exclusive..." he pinched her confused face even more and stretched her cheek.
"yah!" Ga Eul slapped his hand away and massaged her abused cheeks. Yi Jeong giggled. She looked like an angry teddy bear.
"Gaja..." he giggled even more. "Your precious dinner is probably getting cold..." He stepped out and dressed himself in a bathrobe.
" Ga ja..." he said, this time in a persuading tone and chuckled his way out from the bathroom, leaving the grumpy but confused Ga Eulyang inside.
By the time Ga Eul came to dine, Yi Jeong was the only one there was. Their previous acts had clearly chased away the maids. But his warm smile was somehow filling the lonely space—Ga Eul had to admit. Yi Jeong was waiting for her, yet he only waited till she took her seat.
"Ah.. I am starving..." Yi Jeong dug in to his dinner.
Ga Eul chuckled and placed the other dishes at his reach. "Sunbae, try these..."
"Arasso." He smiled and obeyed.
Ga Eul took a minute to study his way of dining. He wasn't lying, he should be starving, and tired too, both from his work and well, their work. But Unlike Junpyo Sunbae, whom she had seen stuffing his mouth in every possible dish he found to be delicious, Yi Jeong never exceeded his table manners, betraying his elegance for hunger. Maybe he would remain that way—dining as if he was in a banquet with the queen of England, even if he was starved hundred days in a desert—Ga Eul thought.
"Waeyo?" Yi Jeong smirked. "it's scary when you stare like that..."
Ga Eul chuckled. "Anniyo. Just remembered, Jandiya asked me to pay her a visit at the end of this week."
"Hm." Yi Jeong nodded. "But tell that punk I am out of Korea, if he would ever ask for me!"
Ga Eul giggled. "Arasso."
It was too evident for her to not to notice Yi Jeong's efforts to tolerate his boasting. Either it be about his excellence in his business or his 'success' of becoming the first person to be the going-to-be-a-father.
"Didn't you two always boast about your skills with girls?" Once Ga Eul overheard Junpyo Sunbae mockingly address the ex Casanova and Don Juan.
"Nope. Not related to me." Woo Bin slapped both of his palms on his leg and raised them in a defensive manner. " We just got engaged last week."
Ha Jaegyeong, turning down all her suitors at last, made herself settled onto the Prince Mafia, or rather, him on her. "We'll elope!" she had threatened her parents, and thus the engagement happened few weeks ago. After all, the Ha family had their reasons to be afraid, there were live examples for elopement among the F4.
And with Yoon JiHu gone to Paris for his further studies, there was only one F4 member left for Junpyo to throw his insult.
"Tsk..." Yi Jeong took a sip from his champagne. "With that nutshell of a brain, I knew he had no sense about birth control..."
Ga Eul both chuckled and blushed reminiscing his response. He was never to lose his cool.
"Guareado, Sunbae, aren't you really going to come?"
Yi Jeong hesitated. "The Baek Pa Sun event... is at the end of this month, so... there are few things I have to take care of, before that..." he shot her a weary smile.
A new section in honour for the Korean ceramic artist Baek Pa Sun was to be opened at Woo Sung.
Ga Eul's smile stiffened. It meant more lonely days are to come.
Yi Jeong reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. "We'll go together, some other time..."
Little did Ga Eul know, that most of Yi Jeong's behaviour around Junpyo was much because of his jealousy. Though he sometimes pitied himself for being jealous about ' someone like Junpyo', he couldn't help feel wronged when Junpyo got to hand everything to Junhee, as he misused the excuse of his wife being pregnant, to stay with her whole day, while Yi Jeong barely got a chance to see his wife awake.
A call interrupted their silence. Yi Jeong sighed and picked it up. It was from the museum.
"Mwo?!"
Ga Eul flinched at his sudden yell.
"Arasso. I'll be right there. Ye. I am."
He stood up ending the call, and hurried upstairs. Ga Eul waited for him to return, but he returned not in his pyjamas but in his plain white shirt and black trousers.
"I'll be right back." She received a peck on her cheek, as Yi Jeong ran out of the dining. Ga Eul waited till the front door slammed shut to let out a sigh. She blankly stared at his unfinished dinner, before she stood up collecting the plates and dumping them in the sink. The dishes could wait till morning to be cleaned up. Right now, she needed a pillow to cuddle into, and bed to lie down. The whole day seemed... tough.
Ga Eul slowy headed to their room and collapsed onto their large bed. She silently stared at the empty bed side. He was lying. He is NOT going to return soon. She knew it.
The manor became empty. Again.
She sighed, and again stared blankly. Till sleep took over her.
–to be continued.
A/N:
I will update 'Further into the other side' around this weekend. And I will try to update 'Lead me out to the light' by next weekend. I know it has been a long time since I have updated it. :(
For the guest( who asked about Ga Eul's family)-:
Things about Ga Eul's family will soon be taken back to discussion. I too think it is time to do so. Thanks for reminding.
:)