Chapter twenty one.
At the airport, they were one of the oddest and the most matching couples. Ga Eul's long sleeved plaid maroon dress, matched perfectly with the maroon shirt and cream trousers that Yi Jeong wore, though their behaviours were contrasting with each other's. Yi Jeong was, as always easy-going with his gradient smile, while Ga Eul was clutching to his hand, blushing to the faintest look the strangers had on them. At least after they had boarded on to the plane the atmosphere became more relaxed for Ga Eul as she was still not used for people staring at her. The flight was calm, and it was all because of Junpyo, who had managed the plane to be passenger-less if not for the newly wed couple.
Ga Eul got to have a window seat and stared outside for most of the flight after the plane took off, while Yi Jeong sat beside her, allowing himself to have a nap as it was going to be a twelve and a half an hour nonstop flight to Paris from Seoul. It was silent, if not for the usual buzzing sound that every flight had. And for Ga Eul's dismay, there wasn't anything interesting on the TV so she could get engaged in. She looked around hoping to find something to get interested, to get her out of boredom. But there was none, apart from the So Yi Jeong of course, who sat besides her, his head partly supported by his arm and partly on her shoulder, so by leaning a bit forward his hair would touch her chin. It was even more ticklish though, when she turned to find herself staring at his relaxed features. And the next thing that she found was her finger tracing those features, starting from his eye brows trailing down along the bridge of his aristocratic nose to stop at his lips. She smiled, slightly, reminiscing their wedding, the way they kissed at the end and wished if she could kiss them again as then.
"Jagiya... don't we better wait till we get to our hotel..." Yi Jeong murmured, pausing Ga Eul only few inches away from his lips. Her cheeks immediately took a bright shade of red as she jerked back. She looked away sticking a strand of hair at back of her ear.
Though his eyes were closed, her acts of embarrassment did not go unnoticed for him. A smile drew on his face, his eyes still closed as he leaned back to her shoulder dropping the hand which supported his sleep into a grip on hers.
"Till then..." he chuckled. " We can stay like this..." and went back to sleep. After she made sure that he was asleep, Ga Eul hesitantly rested her chin on the black mess of his hair, but did not fell asleep, not before noticing the equal pair of glint their rings gave out on the sunlight, while resting around their entwined fingers.
It was almost night when they had reached their hotel. It was a luxurious bedroom suit with a small living area connected to it. The floor was carpeted with thick blue carpets as the rest of the room was illuminated with equally warm and lavish lighting. The balcony was what caught her attention first. She slid open the glass door allowing herself to step out. There under her, was the city stretching to eternity. A cold breeze rushed through her hair as she smelled the foreign ness in it.
She was alone in a country that was new to her with Yi Jeong.
The thought gave her a shiver.
She shook her head.
Ani, it's not something to be worried about, that now he's her husband.
And that made her smile. It sure will take much longer time for her mind to wrap around that thought, the fact that now they are married.
"Ah... isn' it cold out here?" Yi Jeong stepped out with a grin.
"But isn't it nice from up here, the city?" Ga Eul returned the smile.
"Hmm.." Yi Jeong nodded. " doesn't it remind Ga Eulyang's sky lounge ?..." they chuckled again but it reduced to a grin and then to a smile as they both looked away, Ga Eul still smiling but Yi Jeong pursing his lips in an embarrassed manner.
He had wronged the addressing.
" Sunbae I... am not .." she paused.
And they both let out another chuckle.
It will sure take some time for them to get used with the addressing.
With another grin Yi Jeong ushered her back in to the room, but her cheeks painted again when she saw the bed with rose petals on it.
It was the first time after the flight that it hit her mind.
That this was her honeymoon with So Yi Jeong.
Everything was happening so fast. A week ago she was not even allowed to talk to him. She was planning to leave Seoul. She should have been at her village with her parents by now, filling the papers to register as a teacher for the rural school...
But ani... she's now in Paris standing with Yi Jeong, staring at a bed covered in rose petals.
It made her wonder how it turned out to be like this, the sight before her eyes...
It was too much contrasting with everything that should have happened.
The time he asked her to marry him...
Ga Eulyang.. would you take care of this child?...
It was what it changed. She was too shocked to say no. She could not. She was about to let go of everything when he gave her an opportunity, though it didn't end as they'd planned, still if she was given the chance to reconsider her decision she would have made the same...
Ye.. it was hard... but it was the best thing she could have done at that moment. That moment when she was about to leave Seoul forever, that moment she knew that his engagement would be announced to the public from another week, and that moment amidst all of them he asked,
Ga Eulyang, will you marry me...
Ye, that was the right thing to do.
She recited inside her mind for the hundredth time.
Still, when her vision regained from the blurredness of thoughts, there she was standing in a hotel room away from Seoul and away from everything she knew.
Everything except one.
Yi Jeong sunbae.
Ye. He sure is now her husband but she needed more time to get used to that thought, that expression, that addressing and everything that comes with marriage...
She needed some time to get used to everything that happened...
"Ga Eul, you'd better get ready too.."
His voice called her back to the present.
"M-M-Mwo?"
Yi Jeong chuckled, seeing her turning completely red.
"The dinner would have been served by now..." and smirked looking at the bed. " What else was Ga Eulyang thinking?"
He wronged the addressing again.
Maybe it was better that way, so they could continue from where they had stopped.
Ga Eul looked away, to hide her blushing cheeks. That day had been the most embarrassing day in her life.
The dinner was served in a private dining room. After all it seemed that everything was planned to give them the maximum of privacy.
But they had not been this much long alone before. So it was indeed awkward, that passing every moment. Though they grinned and smiled and laughed with each other sharing complimentary looks at the other in the candle light, after all the dinner could have been told as the least awkward time when compared the time they headed back to their room. When it again hit her mind that they had to sleep together.
"Its alright.. I can sleep on the couch... " Yi Jeong sensed her uneasy ness.
"E-Eh?... A-Anniyo... the bed is really big.. so we can share it..." she managed to blurt out.
She was blushing again. And she had blushed enough for a whole life time, when she opened the luggage to find a pyjama.
The luggage which was packed by Jaegyeong and Jandi.
She tossed every piece of cloth onto the carpet and searched for her pyjamas as if she was digging a hole in the pile of cloths.
"Anniyo... it can't be.." she murmured to herself.
"What is it ?" Yi Jeong looked at his startled wife.
"My pyjamas! They have forgot to pack them!" she blurted out.
Yi Jeong smirked but instantly pursed his lips back again.
Ga Eul had enough teasing and blushing and uneasiness for a day, he wasn't going to give her more.
But it wasn't that he was not expecting it.
He would have rather been surprised if they had packed anything else other than those silky red night dresses.
But he chose to remain silent as Ga Eul made a fuss running here and there all around the room to find anything decent to wear as a night cloth.
She opened the wardrobe. But there was nothing of her tastes. And at last she had nothing to do but again come to the luggage and shove it off to the floor in an attempt to search for her pyjamas if in any case she had missed them in her previous search.
But she was left with broken hope, as she collapsed to the bed with a loud sigh. She looked at Yi Jeong who had wrapped himself in the covers and seemed to be fallen asleep already.
At least he was pretending to sleep. So it would make her easier.
Ga Eul spared another final glance between the seemingly fallen fast asleep Yi Jeong and the offensive piece of cloth that hung on her finger, before letting out a sigh and deciding to wear it.
It was only a bedside lamp that was on when she slipped under the cover, glad to be under covered by something after the few seconds of wearing that too much exposed dress.
"It's ok to come nearer to the middle.. of course I won't eat you..."
And that whisper made her blush for the thousandth yet gladly for the last time for that day.
...
...
...
In space, it is because of gravity but on earth it is mostly because of warmth, that people who slept far from each other wake up, finding themselves snuggling together. And when they slowly open their eyes that would only take few blinks for them to register the surroundings bathed in sunlight and jerk backward and look away avoiding the others sight till they grab enough courage to clear their throat and dismiss themselves to the bathroom to do the morning essentials.
And Ga Eul looked away, again till Yi Jeong disappeared into the bathroom, adjusting her too much exposed night dress. Poor Ga Eul, that day again began with her cheeks painted pink.
After the breakfast though, Ga Eul grew more comfortable with everything as there were fewer eyes stared at them compared to when they were back in Korea. The early hours of the day was spent along the galleries of the Louvre Museum and Ga Eul was mostly gasping at its exhibits while Yi Jeong was able to give a short description about most of them. And in some pieces of art, Yi Jeong found Ga Eul staring at, which he tried to explain but ended up chuckling and admitting that he didn't know about them. And there she found the boundaries and limits of knowledge of the greatest artist among the F4 and the heir to the largest art gallery in Korea. Though the thing about the museum and the studio back at home was better left for later discussions-Ga Eul thought, as they explored the largest art museum in the world. The casual stroll around Paris let the day pass by unaware for them. As the night lighted the street lamps and called the cold breeze again to blow pass them, they decided to retreat back to their hotel.
They arrived in time for dinner and it was after that they went back to their room. Ga Eul took the bathroom first to have a wash and slid past Yi Jeong in the bathrobe with a shade slightly lighter than the previous night. She wore the pyjamas they had bought back in their casual stroll and settled on the couch feeling more comfortable in it than what she had worn the night before. As Yi Jeong was still in the bathroom probably having a bath she took out her phone to make a call to her parents.
It took her best of courage to hit the button dial. But not as she expected the call was never answered. She dialled again and again and again, every time with more frustration than fear. But the calls were never answered. She let out a sigh and buried her face in her palms to calm down herself and looked up brushing away a tear that strolled down her cheek.
She dialled that number again.
Again there were the rings but the call was never answered. She tossed the phone to a side of the couch and again buried her face in her palms but this time unable to hold back her tears.
When Yi Jeong came out, refreshed, he found her sobbing loudly, her face hidden in her palms. He first felt alarmed but then saw her mobile which laid at a side of the couch.
He silently sat besides her making her aware of his presence by the movement.
"Ah.. sunbae you came?" she asked fiercely trying to wipe every trace of her tears out from her face and forcing a smile at him.
He caught her hand and stopped.
" Ga Eulyang, you don't have to pretend, I know..." but an unexpected smile escaped his lips again.
Again he had addressed her wrong.
" Ga Eul..." but nonetheless he continued. " remember the day you asked me for a date?"
Ga Eul nodded confused of why he was so suddenly reminding that.
"I haven't been with any other woman ever since then..." he confessed. " Though I am not going to lie you, that.. " he swallowed " That I haven't been with anyone since the day I fell in love ..." and sighed.
"Ga Eul.." he turned to meet her eyes those were unbearably shining with tears. "and as you already know I have loved someone... before you...and...All those girls, though I haven't loved them.. at least not that attracted to call it something as love... I have been with them... in other ways.." his voice went low almost inaudible. But Ga Eul turned away, tightening her eyes even more.
" I have seen Sunbae with other girls.. it's not something I don't know.."
Yi Jeong went thoughtful and chuckled remembering that Valentine's day, and how much shaken that 'nice girl' was. If it was what she meant when she said that she knew him, then that was what made him chuckle. That he knew it was the slightest of the bad person he was. But somewhere in his mind told him that Ga Eul knew about that too. How couldn't she when she read him that easily the day she came to his studio to discuss about Jandi and Junpyo.
"Ga Eul.." he regained his voice." But none of those, even the things that I felt for Eun Jae... feel as the slightest of what I feel for you..."
"Sunbae..." Ga Eul's eyes widened.
" Ga Eul.. I won't destroy your life..."
"I know.." she sniffed.
"No matter whatever happens I will keep you happy as much as I can..."
"..."
"Because it is Ga Eulyang that I love , the only person that I love ..."
"sunabe..."
"Mianhae... for taking this long to understand it, for if I would have understood it before you wouldn't have to suffer this much..." He practically bowed back then surprising Ga Eul who stopped him and chuckled in return.
" I was always curios about it..."
"Mwo?" Yi Jeong asked confused.
"When did Sunbae fell in love with me?"
He smirked at the unexpected question.
" umm let's see..." he went thoughtful biting his lip. " You... really touched my nerve back when you told that .." he smirked again reminiscing, " that my pretty face and sweet talk won't make you fall for me...but it really did work after all didn't it?"
"Anniyo.. that wasn't the slightest of the reasons!" Ga Eul gave him a playful punch.
"And... I was taken back with your strong believes... And.. maybe when Junpyo said that you were going on a double date... maybe I was..."
"sunbae was?"
"Jealous maybe.. anniyo.. it can't be..." he chuckled receiving another punch and went thoughtful again." Its hard to tell when... but it was probably after you show that message.. that my brain cleared out... to finally understand that I have..."
"mwo?"
"Mwo? Ah!... Do I really have to spell it out?!"
"Sunbae!" Ga Eul demanded chuckling even louder.
"Ah!Arasso ! Fallen for your charms.."
"Mwo? Ah! You little_"she again tried to punch but was dodged by his hand.
And around his wrist, she again noticed that familiar bracelet.
"Sunbae... do you still...?" her voice lowered in a questioning expression.
"Ah.. didn't Ga Eulyang _ Ah again..." he shook his head and looked in her eyes." Ga Eul isn't it time that we change the way we address each other?"
"Ga Eul's chuckle reduced to a smile." Sunbae... I sure can't be called as yang anymore... but Sunbae... can I keep calling you Sunbae?"
"Waeyo?" Yi Jeong flashed a quizzical grin.
" Because... I don't know him.. " she looked straight into his eyes. " The So Yi Jeong..."
"Mwo?" a whisper escaped his lips.
" Sunbae... i don't know him... the So Yi Jeong... The heir to Woo Seong... " the clarity of her voice was shading every passing moment. "...or that So Yi Jeong... the infamous Casanova..."
Yi Jeong's head dropped for the unexpected accusation.
"But I do know him very well ...more than anyone else... That child who is afraid of love..." they again met the other's eyes. " Sunbae... you are my Yi Jeong sunabe..." she uttered ultimately her hand reaching for that bracelet unwinding it from his wrist.
Yi Jeong swallowed seeing it fell to the ground. And looked up at Ga Eul. " Waeyo?"
"Sunbae don't need to wear it anymore..." tears were again forming in her eyes." I know that Sunbae won't run away... "
And that moment Yi Jeong felt a knot tightening in his heart. It was as if she had freed him from a bond, a leash unbounded that he would have rather chosen to be bounded forever.
Why?
That was what chanted in his mind...
Why was she that way?
Why did she free him?
Ani...
Why does she trust him?... that much... he surely does not worth to be trusted that much...
With the questions unanswered, chanting in his mind, he was leaning forward, to her lips claiming them in his. The kiss did not stop but deepened and deepened in a breathless and a desperate manner. As if It was a hunger they had starved so long or a thirst they had suffered too long to give up.
They probably did not know how they stood up or made their way to the bed. And not even the slightest of ideas how they fell on to each other, their bare skin being exposed. On the way to the bed, the path trailed from their cloths lost on the floor, she was made eligible enough for the final encounters. Though laying on her bare figure Yi Jeong did not forget to ask permission. "Ga Eul, ... are you sure about this..." He was answered with a nod, a shy but a confident one, which made him smile before he looked into her eyes and kissing each of those eyelids, sliding them down to enclose her sight, then moving down on her face he claimed her lips. That kiss lasted long, till an unknown pain made her gasp. She began to whimper. A tear escaped from her concealed eyes, rolled down her cheek. " Ga Eul ... you are going to be fine..." she felt a warmness on her sweated forehead, a kiss with assurance. But her whimpering continued till it reduced to a moan, as her head lolled to a side, once the unknown pain was replaced with a pleasure that was too foreign for her to explain.
...
...
...
The next morning, the first morning for Yi Jeong to wake up first, he found his arms embracing her bare figure tightly to his as their chests rubbed the together with no interruption in between. He recalled the last night. It was the first time that they had done that. The thought made him chuckle as he kept staring at his still fast asleep wife. In sleep she looked nothing but innocent which reminded him how easily she would blush even for the slightest of acts. And now for what had happened between them, he did not want her to wake up blushing and embarrassed again. So he first stepped out from the bed.
When Ga Eul woke up at last, about an hour later, there was no evidence of what happened last night, if not for herself lying under the covers without even a silky exposed night dress around her. Her cheeks flushed again when the memories from the last night came to her mind, as she lifted herself in to a seating position holding the covers to wrap around her and letting her fingers clutch tightly to them.
"You woke up?" Yi Jeong appeared out from the bathroom, all dressed even his face with a wide grin, while she was there beneath the covers wearing nothing. She lifted it higher to her neck and pressed them even more to herself not to feel the nudeness underneath them.
Yi Jeong chuckled and took a seat at the corner of the bed.
"I thought Ga Eul ya_ I mean Ga Eul would like a bath so ... " he gestured at the bathroom. " I prepared one for you..." and kept a bathrobe near her, standing up. " I'll be waiting downstairs..." and let himself out from the room to give her some space to get adjusted for everything that happened.
After the bath she headed down stairs to find him waiting for her as he said. They had the breakfast together still in a bit awkward nature but Yi Jeong found the awkward and embarrassed Ga Eul was better than the excited one.
As the excitement appeared from nowhere when a package was delivered to their room.
Good luck with that! So Yi Jeong ... hehe he...
A Note referred to him said as the package was opened by Ga Eul.
"Omo !" she gasped in delight. The package was a gift from Geum Jandi- a DSLR camera.
He didn't know how much torture that the gift was about to give him until he found himself being dragged to every corner of the city by a Ga Eul with a camera hanging around her neck. He was forced to take picture of her near the Champs Elysées. Not only her and then himself posing in varied ways that she asked. He paid off for that every bit of blush that painted in Ga Eul's cheeks for the past few days by posing in weird ways as said by Ga Eul.
If once was told, when his picture was to be taken at the infamous French gardens at the palace of Versailles:
He was first asked to stand in front of a triangular tree. And then,
"Ani.. move aside... ani that side Anniyo a bit to the right... arasso.. smile.."
And when he was standing grinning widely in front of that tree, the camera did not flashed.
"What is it now?" Yi Jeong asked annoyed more than embarrassed of the eyes laughing at them.
" the lake can't be seen from this angle..." Ga Eul was not a bit concerned about how much embarrassed her husband was. " maybe this side... Ah Arasso.. sunbae, stand there!"
And Yi Jeon had no choice but to obey her as an obedient boy to his mother. With a sigh he went near an exact same tree and plastered another grin on his face. It was the same when it was out of the palace. Even the slightest thing that caught her eye as artistic, she made him stand near it and took a photo as well as made him take one of hers. The most embarrassing part was that when he was made to ask the foreigners to take a picture of both of them and when Ga Eul made weird faces right in front of that passer-by and made him to ask him or her take another and translate every bit of instruction that Ga Eul gave them, in to French. Yi Jeong felt as if a rollercoaster ride had ended once they reached back to their room.
Yet her intentions were cleared when a night after he found her pasting the printed photos in order to make an album.
"..oh!...What do we have here?" he sat besides her with a grin.
"Sunbae .. what do you think?" she showed him her work turning the pages one by one.
"Where's that one we took at the summit of the Eiffel?" he asked inspecting the photos one by one.
"That one is a bit blurred and in the other it is all hair that Sunbae had caught!"
"Oh, can't be , I took another too..." he chuckled searching in the pictures.
"Ye and that was mostly my shoes!"
"Ani, there's Ga Eul's two strong legs too!" he pointed out chuckling and was slapped from another album.
"Aish you pervert!"
"Mwo?.." and received another and another for his grin. Eventually they both broke into laughter.
Yi Jeong was happy to see her carefree laughter returned.
So he made a mental note that after this dream would end he was not going to bring Ga Eul to that probably-going -to -be- a -nightmare of meeting his hurabeujji...
And it was better said later, the Artists' Gathering going to be held few weeks later, where he was going to introduce her as his wife. ...
It was better said later... he thought as he received another slap from a pillow from a giggling Ga Eul...yang...
A/N:
It was a long chapter...
Now, review!
ps. the story will be continued, but the updates will be a bit erratic from now on...