Chapter fifteen
The dress was the last thing Ga Eul had in her mind when waking up that morning to go work at the kindergarten. She was not much surprised nor that hesitant when she saw another black car with tinted windows waiting for her at the doorstep. As like before and all the times prior to before, So Yi Jeong stepped out of it wearing that signature dimpled grin.
As if Ga Eul had noted, Yi Jeong had never send any creepy men wearing suits and black glasses, to get her. Unlike Junpyo, he always preferred to come himself. Maybe it was by experience he knew that the reactions won't be much welcoming. Or maybe he was just that way for the others as well. But Ga Eul preferred to assume that it was just because she was special for him, and after all it was not just an assumption.
She was special , and she was about to know how much she was.
Maybe that's why that day, Yi Jeong repeated the things he had done on their first date, slightly changed though, it was better this time. And most of all they were not pretending anymore.
First hair and make up and then came the dress. As before he waited there, till they got her ready, but this time grinning widely when she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. It made both of them blush, she looked away and he gave a simple scratch on the top of his nose before returning his eyes back to her.
The dress – with an off-shoulder neckline, was a maroon and brownish velvet dress with a knee length skirt. It was decent and less exposed as there wasn't an ex-boyfriend waiting to be avenged.
Yet the real surprise came after they entered the art gallery where the exhibition was held.
The aristocratic guests, filling the warm and lavish atmosphere with waiters serving wine or champagne here and there for the ones who requested, and the humming sound of people chatting elegantly with each other, none of these were the first thing that hit Ga Eul when entering the hall, arm in arm with Yi Jeong. The first thing that caught her eye, was the lighting- a warm orange one, over every piece of pottery that were there as exhibits, the orangeness mingling with the distant white lights and darkness.
And unlike the usual sophisticated, the pottery was much closer to simplicity. Though most of them were porcelain with orange glaze or characteristic designs there were some earthenware pieces as well, few of them left non glazed. Yet all of them, porcelain or not, glazed or non glazed, had the same theme- the orange ness, a warmth radiating from them, contradicting with the sophisticated environment they were exhibiting but standing courageously, holding to their simplicity with pride.
It was obvious, the theme was autumn-For the rest,
but for the ones who knew,
it was,
Ga Eul...
The moment they entered in, the moment that light saw her eyes, every piece under the spotlights screamed out her name, and she was there just standing with tearing eyes and able to spell out no other word but,
" Sunbae..."
Yi Jeong smiled. Not grinned but smiled, he was too nervous himself to grin.
He then gestured in, " shall we?"
Ga Eul smiled and nodded. And with another scratch on the bridge of his nose Yi Jeong lead them in.
As many times before, as soon as they entered, the F4 came and greeted them, but there was some unknown glint of happiness and mischief in their eyes as they complimented Ga Eul for her looks or when they gave a friendly slap on Yi Jeong's shoulder with a wink and an assuring grin.
The night was still young and the event had just begun, though Yi Jeong did not want to leave Ga Eul alone in the middle of the crowd, and though there were the F4 and their girlfriends or for some their pretend girlfriends to make company for Ga Eul he was unsure to leave her alone. And as soon as he did, even worse than he was with her, he found himself to be the most anxious of all.
" Ga Eulyang... there's a special gift for you... try to find it, before midnight..." he whispered in her ear before leaving to greet the guests.
Ga Eul looked across the hall, curios about what it might be. Of course she had permission to stay till midnight as there were both Jandi and 'So saebong' to keep her company.
Her eyes searched every corner while she pretended to be interested in Jandi's reporting about her last trip to America with Junpyo. It was a request from the ever curious Jaegyeong who had been apparently successful in taming the F4's Don Juan, though he denied to admit it.
" Yoh.. monkey... " Woo Bin called her out. " leave her alone.. after all.. it's going to be a special day for her..." he gestured at Ga Eul.
" when are you going to stop calling me that? Are you going to call me monkey even after we get married?"
Junpyo choked in his wine and Jihoo simply chuckled.
" m-mwo?" Junpyo blinked and turned his head at them in turn. " is it true ?"
" Mwo? Are you going crazy? Aish !! Monkey, stop it!"
"what did I do wrong .." she pouted with a giggle and reached to pinch his cheek.
" She's already too drunk." Woo Bin assured "... Aish.. leave me alone..." and backened off.
But Jaegyeong was successful in grabbing his cheeks and pinching them making his head sway back and forth.
" ah.ah... a... that hurts..."
" oo... look at my blushing little prince mafia..." she said in a sing song way.
" Agh.. cut it off.." Woo Bin jerked back releasing his cheek from her claws. " That really hurts.. " he exercised his jaw, " where's that Yi Jeong any way.." and scanned the room, one- to avoid the teasing chuckles from his friends and two- because he was actually blushing himself. He could have felt the heat on his cheeks but pretended it was just because the brutal pinching. To tell the truth he was actually glad that Yi Jeong was nowhere nearer or he would have been teased to death by him.
" by the way..." Junpyo lifted another glass of wine after wiping his mouth with a napkin offered by a passing waiter." Aren't you going to introduce your date to us?" and turned at Jihoo.
" agh.. meet _"
" _Annyeonsayo.. my names is Oh Hani." The ever enthusiastic Hani bowed introducing herself.
" Anyeongsaeyo.." the others greeted her with the same warm smile.
When Ga Eul was released from the introductions and conversations and the typical kind of gossiping and teasing, she found herself exploring the exhibition.
There were vases of all kinds and she passed them with an appreciating smile dismissing each one of them as her instincts told her to go further more. She once stopped in front of a piece, ; a porcelain one long stretched like a crooked tree at the edge of a cold desert . Its upper part was pale from the original whiteness of porcelain while its lower part was coloured with an orange glaze. It was named as 'distance' and the smile widened on her face as it reminded her the silent four years they had spend continents apart.
She passed another few more, ones with flowery patterns or more shades along with the oranges ness, when the corner of her eye brushed through a certain piece of a vase. She immediately paused and turned around, and her feet senselessly carried her near.
The Vase;
First of all it was earthenware.. far more closer to simplicity and sincerity than any other.. and its design had maple leaves twirling around it, the ones at the bottom were small and just embed while the ones reached the end was larger and engraved. Its edge on the other hand, was not a continuous perimeter, a half or a part of a leaf was cut and its space left as an empty space for a puzzle piece. The leaves seemed to be twirling around the vase as if they were been carried by the wind, yet the authentic orangeness of earthenware, signifying autumn, sticked to the vase like air.
When staring at that vase Ga Eul felt as if it was singing every moment she had been with Yi Jeong;
The small leaves appearing at the bottom, slightly embed – like the earlier times they have been just a friend of a friend ...and as they reached higher they were embed more deeply in to the clay as how their relationship grew from complete strangers to lovers, and one or two not following the rest spreading here and there around the body of the vase- how they were unsure about each other at first.. The ones that left the vase leaving it hollow at the end – all the meaningless affairs he had back then, and the wind which left- Eun Jae the person whom he first loved but left him with a broken heart- that perimeter of the vase reminded her that dawn which she stood besides the wailing man, herself crying silently when he begged for a second chance from complete nothingness ... and most of all, the earthenware with maple leaves- Ga Eul who stood with him in his every tear and smile...
She was the air... silent but significant...
Ga Eul was his air...
And that was what it sang to her, loudly and clearly but it was only she who heard...
And it was named as,
Jagiya..
...that one person without whom none of this would ever exist...
A tear strolled down her cheek. A tear of happiness.
" it seems.. " she turned around to see him approach, " Ga Eulyang had found it..."
" Sunbae..."
They exchanged a smile though it didn't last for long.
" Young Master Yi Jeong..." a voice called from behind making them both turn around. Behind the middle aged owner of the voice, appeared So Yoon Hee accompanied with another older couple.
" Meet Mr. And Mrs. Lee..." the rustic voice introduced them. "Ji Ah' s parents..."
Though clutching his fists Yi Jeong bowed as for his manners.
" Lee Ji Ah.." An almost whisper escaped from Ga Eul's lips.
The old man's lips twisted into a crooked smile. " oh.. haven't uri Yi Jeong introduced his chingu.." he emphasized the word, " .. to his wife to be..."
" Hurabeujji..." Yi Jeong's limits were almost exceeding.
" Then let me introduce her to you.. " and turned around to call an assistant to ask Miss Lee to come.
Given the chance Yi Jeong grabbed Ga Eul's wrist and dragged her away...
So Yoon Hee slightly embarrassed about his grand son's act smiled in an apologetic way at the couple,
" kids these days... don't worry.. he'll be back soon..."
Though the tone was careless, So Yoon Hee meant the every single word he uttered.
"Sunbae... are you_"
" _ let's don't talk about it..."
Ga Eul again went silent. She was silent all the way to her home.
"Sunbae.. what are we_"
"_ first there are matters I want to discuss with Ga Eulyang's family... then. I'll..-
"_ Sunbae... what is_"
The car took a turn and stopped in front of Ga Eul's house. Yi Jeong stepped out and came around to open Ga Eul's door. He grinned wide and placed a kiss on her cheek.
" I'll ask you after they would approve..."
They both smiled again but their smile soon vanished when they entered her house.
There was a certain unwelcomingness hanging in the atmosphere.
And Ga Eul's appa, though a leg being stretched out sat at the table with her omma, looking across at Yi Jeong.
"So Yi Jeong... " it wasn't So saebong anymore, Yi Jeong gave a quizzical look at Ga Eul who was still-staring at the table.
And when Yi Jeong himself looked down at it, he found few dozens of photos with himself, in each one with a different playmate, in his arms in a not-so-appropriate way for his future father- in-law to see.
" it appears ... " the man was hesitant and looked heart broken, " We have got some serious matters to discuss..." he looked up at him. His eyes had the hints of hate buried under more prominent sorrow.
Yi Jeong felt suffocated.
That night was indeed filled with surprises for everyone.
Everyone except Head Master So Yoon Hee.
A/N:
Forgive me if it felt so depressing... . This plot was originally planned and I can't miss this scene. After all, Yi Jeong's grandfather had just warned him but didn't take any action on it, he was just waiting till the right time. And from the other hand Ga Eul's parents; I wanted to make them protective and loving, because at the drama I was so sick of Jandi's parents who were practically going to sell her out. ( especially her mother..)
With an over protective father and Yi Jeong's past reputation, this issue must occur in any sensible way...
I will be hooked in this story for while, till these storms would end for SoEul.
I hope you would stay curious...
And please note that , I am not that cruel to separate this lovely couple, just throwing the every obstacle that pops into my mind, at their face.. :) :)
Any reviews?
:) :)