Chapter twenty three.
Yi Jeong was wondering,... why his arm felt that cold...
Unlike his chest that was rubbing against her exposed warmth—his arm felt cold in every bit of it.
His eyelids lifted lazily, the sleepiness hasn't left them yet. And of course the weariness from their activities the night before.
His arm was on the cover, and Ga Eul was asleep... underneath it. A small smile drew on his face as he slipped his arm inside it, pulling her closer, embracing her in to a tighter hug, as his face searched and found a more cosy position in between her chin and neck.
His eyes shut again tight, as he drifted to sleep— even happier.
But the happiness didn't last long, as he flinched and was awaken by the loud sound of a ringing bell...
Ga Eul's alarm.
"Ah..."
Yi Jeong sighed, and leaned to the bedside cabinet to swipe it off, before returning back to his cosy sleep. His hand drew a lazy circle on whatever thing that it was on, which happened to be somewhere near her abdomen. Ga Eul stirred a bit, and Yi Jeong received a little slap on his hand, indicating him to stop.
He forgot—Ga Eul had told him not to do so. It felt ticklish for her.
The slap made him chuckle, sleepily though, as he obeyed by stopping his circles.
Five minutes passed—felt to be only few seconds in his sleep.
Another alarm rang, this time with a different tone.
"AAish!.."
Yi Jeong again leaned, but instead of just swiping it off he took the phone and checked the time.
3.35 am...
Yi Jeong first blinked his eyes.
What was she thinking? Ah!...
...and then with much annoyance than rage tossed the phone away. He did not care where it fell, to the bed or to the cabinet... maybe it was to the bed, as it made no significant sound... And as if for avenging the person who was responsible for the disturbances, he pulled her even closer, tightly, as an angry toddler cuddling their teddy bear, and glad for him, Ga Eul did not resist.
Another few seconds—in his dreamland passed, before again an alarm rang loud.
"AAGH!!" He tossed the covers aside pulling himself up to a sitting position. And then came the time for him to worry about the phone's whereabouts. Of course—not on the cabinet.
And the startled Yi Jeong, began searching the phone, kicking the covers aside and tossing the pillows to the ground, making a whole fuss just to find that offensive... thing, which rang nonstop.
Funny how it increased the rage even more—the supposed to be 'happy' tune of it, which he saw Ga Eul herself choosing few nights ago, stating that it would make them wake up ' as fresh as a bird'.
While, being reminded about that stupid bird which only made him even more ferocious, as he fiercely tossed everything that caught in his hand searching for the horrific alarm which rang Ga Eul's 'happy' tune. It felt like that moment in a horror movie, when the ghost was singing a lullaby with its rustic horrific voice, as Yi Jeong searched for the phone, vowing himself that he would bury it alive as soon as he found it.
"HAHH!..." he fell back, banging his head on the headboard, the alarm still ringing as if teasing him to find it.
He spared a look at Ga Eul, who just happened to turn one eighty degrees, undisturbed, in her beauty sleep, only murmuring that it was cold as her breasts were uncovered after the sheets being kicked away by Yi Jeong, during his search.
Yi Jeong stared at her in pure amazement and disbelief. How could she sleep that tightly when an alarm was crying its lungs out?
He waved his head.
He did not know...
The alarms—that one thing So Yi Jeong was regretting about being married to Chu Ga Eul.
"HA..." He sighed again... " Think of the better times... the better times and things...when she's awake..." and reminded himself.
"Ha..." and sighed, which was more of a loud exhale...again...
His eye caught a glint of light, just as his head turned to spare another glance at the sleeping beauty.
"Chajahs seo!!"
He jumped to reach the phone and muted the alarm with pride. But not long before another one started ringing.
"AAAGHHH!!!!!.. what is it now??!!!"
He again glanced at his wife who happened to not even sense the situation, the 'unhappiness ' that hung around. And as if for experimenting, he held the phone near her ear, as if to see whether that sound even reached her eardrums.
"MMhmm..." Ga Eul just stirred and turned around, another one eighty degrees returning to her previous position.
"Hah?... Andwae!!" Yi Jeong scoffed seeing her unbelievable reaction,.." .. how could you?_agh...how this is even possible??..." and muted the alarm and all the others that were to be rung after.
"Agh!... Ga Eul! You little _"
And paused abruptly in his unheard insult, as he was reminded to check the time again.
4.30am...
"AH..." he sighed again. It was definitely the time to wake up—this time for real.
With another glance and a sigh, in order to calm himself down, he turned to his wife,
" Ga Eul ... it's time to wake up..."
No response.
He chuckled, " Jagiya... wake up.. or the reporters will flood around the kindergarten..."
"Tsk... huramoni... just another five minutes..." a drowsy Ga Eul pleaded.
"Huramoni?... Yah! GA EUL!! Wake up ... or you'll be late aro?!!"
"Tsk..." and the scream only annoyed her as she turned again, cuddling him and pressing her chest onto his, drifting into sleep.
"Are you sure you want to take a leave?" Yi Jeong chuckled, fully awake—after his sleep being murdered by the stupid Happy tunes.
"Or maybe..." his hand again drowned under the covers.
"Tsk.. " and received another slap, but he continued, after all she deserved a little torment after what she had made him go through.
"tsk...sunbae.. stop it..."
Yi Jeong chuckled, " and now you are calling me Sunbae?... " his grin growing mischievous as the circles became even more lighter and lighter in each of its round.
"Sunbae... stop it... " A sleepy hand tried to reach his, which was caught by his other one. And another, again caught in the same grip.
Ga Eul was too sleepy to fight over his grip.
But the sleepiness was draining away... little by little...
"Sunbae.. stop it... Jaebal... " she had started giggling, still her eyes closed.
Yi Jeong chuckled. She looked like a baby, grinning in his sleep.
" Sunbae..." the giggle grew to laughter, as her eyelids snapped open unable to bear the tickling any more.
"Sunbae.. stop it now... enough... arasso... I am already awake..." she pleaded amidst the giggling.
"Anniyo... you deserve more than this for your stupid alarms!!"
"Mwo? Ah..ahrasso.. stop it now.. sunbae.. enough!..." she giggled even more, now fully awake to fight her hands free from his grip and to grab a pillow to slap him in face.
"There!! I said enough!"
Yi Jeong chuckled even more, grabbing another pillow to fire back.
The tickling and the pillow fight ended, himself landing on her as they both broke into uncontrollable laughter.
"Arasso! We are even now..." Ga Eul declared amidst the laughter.
"Anniyo!" and received a poke on her forehead by Yi Jeong who objected.
"What was that for?" she asked with a pout.
"For setting up all those alarms! What's the need to set up an alarm on 3.30am. When it is at five you actually want to wake up?"
"What if I don't hear it?"
"I DO hear it... and I can wake you up?"
"tsk...Sunbae... this is the cruellest way to wake someone up..."
"Mwo? Tickling? Wae?... do you have any other suggestions?" he asked with a mischievous smile.
"Suggestions?.."
"Hmm... maybe... something like..." his hand again dipped inside the cover, but Ga Eul caught it immediately.
"Waeyo?... don't you want to show me?..." he chuckled leaning for a kiss.
"Anniyo!" Ga Eul stopped him by plastering her other hand over his lips.
"Maybe...some other time... later..." she chuckled embarrassed. " palli... we are getting late now.." and patted him to get off from her, before searching the bedside drawers for a night robe...
"I thought Jagiya would take a leave today... will you? ."
"Anniyo!"
"Please...?"
"ANNIYO!"
"Please...?"
"Ah.. just don't be so Childish!... now get up!" she tossed the night robe at him. "And get dressed!"
"HA..."
And Yi Jeong let out a final sigh.
It wasn't that late as Ga Eul stated. As it was barely four or five reporters gathered, even at the front , but only two at the back door, which they entered, with the help of the security. The early morning did not give enough light for their cameras, and the pictures they shot were either blurred or too dark to be recognized.
After he made sure, Ga Eul was safely inside the building, Yi Jeong drove off to the early morning heading to the studio.
The reporter—for which most of Ga Eul's leaves were wasted on, and the reason for both of them to wear sunglasses even in pitch black darkness. It wasn't that there were times that Ga Eul complained, or more precisely, cursed out, when she tripped her foot as for not seeing the obstacles through the shaded glasses, but it was another thing that came with the package, and another thing that was to overcome.
Yi Jeong sighed tossing another magazine with blurred pictures of them, Ga Eul circled in red, as if she was a criminal breaking into the blue house at night. He was more than annoyed of the news reports and the public request to uncover his wife. Not to mention his fan girl clubs, accusing Ga Eul for gold digging, Yi Jeong even once lost his cool on them, which received much criticism though. He only needed some space till everything settled down, and he obviously had more things to care about than the wailing of his fan girls.
For an example, leaving the studio...
It felt a lot hurt, when packing up his things, and when telling himself that he was not to come there again. There were so much memories for him, between those walls, the memories of his childhood, his pottery, friendship and even the memories with Ga Eul... it was where he first brought her, the place where she gave him the lectures and the place where he first, indirectly told her how he felt... so much memories... that place was filled with them. And as he packed his things, the vases, the equipment, the apron, the warmers...
Some allowed to take, and the rest to be left...
He packed that vase with the autumn leaves though, the vase which he was going to use as his proposal... he was to take it home and he was sure that Ga Eul would love to see it.
"Yigo?!"
He heard a voice from behind,
It was Woo Bin, and Yi Jeong greeted him with his grin.
"So... what do you want? A tea? Or a coffee?"
Yi Jeong asked.
"Waeyo?" and grinned wider at the Woo Bin who just kept staring at him.
"Mwo?"
"Tsk ani..." Woo Bin shook his head. " You have changed a lot..."
"Mwo?" Yi Jeong chuckled.
" I mean... your cloths and all...ssss... just out of your style..."
"Mwo? Yigo?" Yi Jeong grinned wider looking at his own grey t-shirt and the black jacket over it.
"Is it another Ga Eul thing?"
"Mwo?" He laughed. " Ani... just that I am getting poor..."
"Tsk... then, shall I pay you for the coffee?" Woo Bin answered with the same grin, but simply received a playful punch instead.
"Agh!.."
"_for insulting me..." Yi Jeong chuckled. "better go and pay Hurabeujji... it is all his after all..."
And the joke grew more serious.
"So... it is not going to end with just cleaning up the Kiln this time?" there were hints of worry in Woo Bin's tone.
"tsk..Ani... looks like it doesn't..."
They took a seat continuing the discussion.
"So... how is everything?" Woo Bin asked.
"Good...alright... I guess..." Yi Jeong answered having a sip from his coffee. "I will have a job in Saejong art institute... and will try to keep the house..." he chuckled again.
"Yoh... Yi Jeong?..." But Woo Bin had grown worried. "What do you mean by trying to keep the house? It is all yours ...isn't it?"
"Tsk.. ye... but it takes a lot to maintain it ours..."and he spared a look at his friend, " Yah, don't do anything stupid aro?" and grinned shooting a glare at him. "tsk... that look ... I don't like it much..." and had another sip from his coffee.
"Ahrasso!I won't..." Woo Bin chuckled. "so... what about Ga Eul and the reporters?"
"Same... will much decrease after the event and the talk to the magazine ..."
"And Ga Eul?.."
"Mwo?"
"Aaish... those wrinkles around your eyes... Yi Jeongyah... " Woo Bin winked.
"Agh! Just get lost! ..." Yi Jeong broke into laughter." Its not what you think!..."
"Then what?" Woo Bin smirked.
"Agh!... don't get me started about that..." and they both laughed even more, Woo Bin, seeing how his friend was visibly blushing, and Yi Jeong reminiscing about that very morning.
He was glad that his phone rang then, and even more glad to see that it was Ga Eul.
"Mwo?... ahrasso..."
With a grin at Woo Bin and receiving a pat on his shoulder,
"Ahrasso... let's go then..."
They departed from the studio.
Yi Jeong to pick up Ga Eul, and Woo Bin to whatever business he had on his list after that.
And with the busy routine Yi Jeong was sure not able to call his hyung...
Of course, it can not be something important... could it?
A/N:
Sorry for the late update... I will try to update this sooner next time... :)
Any reviews?:)