Chapter twenty four.
"Mr. pots!!"
A kindergartener pointed at Yi Jeong who was standing behind the glass door staring at his wife.
"What did you say?" He smirked, entering the room.
Ga Eul looked up at him and smiled.
"Mr. Pots!" The kindergartener exclaimed again.
"Ah...Didn't you have a better name for me than that?" Yi Jeong chuckled, taking a seat besides his wife, still grinning at them.
"Smiley?"
"Ani.. the other one.."
"Cheesy smiley ahjushshi?"
"Yah " Yi Jeong chuckled. "stop making new ones!"
"So Ah-joo-shshi ." Another girl smiled benevolently.
And unable to hold on any longer, Ga Eul burst into laughter.
Since the second day of his visits to the kindergarten Yi Jeong had asked her students to call him oppa, just the way they addressed the rest of the F4. He was once been addressed as saseongnim's wangjanim, but as it was said, it was only once, the rest of the time the children kept calling him ahjushshi—the addressing for the older married men.
"Ah.. you tacky little things... suits your saesangnim..." He let out another smirk looking away as if he did not care.
The bell then rang for the recess and the class dismissed to the play ground after receiving a hug from Ga Eul and only the most persistent ones receiving a hug from Yi Jeong. It only took minutes for the classroom to be empty, and the couple was left for themselves.
"So..?" Ga Eul cleared her throat. "So Ajushshi?"
"Yah.." Yi Jeong poke her forehead. " is that what Chu saseongnim teaches them?"
"Anniyo..." Ga Eul chuckled. "They made them themselves... Sunbae... they are a lot intelligent... sometimes... even more than some certain grown ups..."
Yi Jeong smirked. " Still..." he grinned wider "..they forgot my other name..."
"Mwo? Cold hearted Casanova? Sunbae.. they are still too young for that..."she chuckled as his face leaned in, closer to hers. " umm...close...Ga Eulyang...do you remember?" and he breathed to her lips.
"Sunbae!" Ga Eul placed her palm on his mouth right in time to pause his kiss. " behave yourself!" She hissed, " this is a school.."
Her flushed cheeks and nervous glances made him smirk again while backing off and removing her hand from his mouth.
"Arasso.." he chuckled. "can we go now? We are almost late.."
"oh.. ye..." Ga Eul stood after him and went to the cupboard to collect her things.
The largest Artist Gathering around Asia was held in Korea that year, and it was that evening it was to be held. Yi Jeong had long planned to introduce his wife in the event as it would silent the reporters along with a grand introduction for Ga Eul.
There were many colleagues he wanted her to meet, many people he admired and looked up as an idol will be participating the event tonight. It was an aspect of his life Ga Eul had yet to be known and that he was excited to show her, and which he believed that might lift the financial situation they were.
"Jagi?.."
"Hmm?.."
He didn't answer, so she looked back only to find his lips on hers. Ga Eul's cheeks flushed and her eyes immediately darted at the door. If the principal had seen them her job was done. She'd get fired.
But thankfully there was none.
And she returned back the kiss.
"Ga Eulshshi did you_"
The door slammed open, and the couple jerked back, finding themselves staring at another teacher who appeared behind the doors and stared back at them through her big round glasses.
" oh! Um... I-I'll come later ..umm.. Anyeong.." and awkwardly bowed before leaving the room.
"You!" Yi Jeong received a slap on his shoulder as Ga Eul glared at his uncontrollable laughter.
"cheesy smiley ajushshi!" she again hissed at the chuckling Yi Jeong, before grabbing her things and leaving the classroom first, allowing him to follow her, still grinning wide.
As always Yi Jeong had come to pick her up from work. Gladly for them, there weren't many reporters gathered at the gates—probably more busy at the gathering, after all Yi Jeong had informed the media about his plans earlier that week.
The evening was glamorous with various artists crowding the space of one of the most luxurious hotels in Seoul. Though dressed in an evening gown exclusively designed for her, Ga Eul couldn't help but feel nervous and anxious. It was an event far beyond the reach of a commoner like her, something she only saw in TV and never thought one day she might participate herself. It was her commoner instincts that raise her hand whenever a flasher of a camera lighted her face, right after the moment they got out of their car. Yet when her arm entwined around Yi Jeong's it felt less terrifying and was able to be conscious enough to keep her hand down. But with her dove eyes shining in the flashes, she looked nothing more than a deer caught in a stream of traffic in the busiest highway.
Yi Jeong's grin flashed back at the cameras, reflecting their light, standing there as calm as he could be compared to his wife. Most of the questions were answered by him, even if they were for Ga Eul, who barely managed to nod, or shake her head without fainting to the ground.
But the sudden tension eased a bit, once they entered the hall. Ga Eul was relieved to see that they were no more the centre of attraction —that most of the people at the gathering were engaged in their own little chats, too busy to turn around and look at them.
She let a small sigh escape. Yi Jeong chuckled recognising her act of relief.
"Hm.." he bent lower to her ear. " the hard part has passed...only surviving the night now that is left..."
Ga Eul chuckled, hearing the word 'surviving ', that it was not only her that was nervous but Yi Jeong as well, yet his nervousness neatly hid behind his mask. Her blush darkened, feeling a peck on her cheek that followed the whisper, yet she managed to nod and then look straight at the hall.
Waiters came and served them with wine, as few other guests stopped by for a chat. Formal and informal introductions were given as many of them congratulated the couple and only few tightened their smiles after hearing the news.
As for Yi Jeong, the night passed on, without any major incidents except for Ga Eul being slightly more nervous after returning back from the washroom. He asked why, but as always she just smiled and discarded his concerns.
His true worries began after the gathering ended, when after a long time his hurabeujji's secretary called him informing that So Yoon Hee had asked for him.
They didn't have much time to go home and change their cloths, as from the secretary's tone hurabeujji was either too sick or flaming with anger. And for the fortunate or for the unfortunate, they found it was the latter. It was the silence that told him though, when entering the living. That heavy silence before a storm.
Both Yi Jeong and Ga Eul sat across So Yoon Hee, at the low table, who unusually did not have his cup of tea. So Yoon Hee, with his eyes closed and arms crossed, sat perfectly calm in front of them.
After letting a considerable silence melt Ga Eul to her pillow seat, he awaked his voice.
"You..." he looked straight at Yi Jeong, "is it true that you are wishing to join the Saejeoung art institute as an academic member?"
"Hurabeujji I_"
A hand slammed the wooden table. Ga Eul gasped and widened her eyes. She had never seen Head Master So in that much rage.
"_I am asking did you or did you not?"
Yi Jeong stared down. "Ye hurabeujji I did."
"You lost your dignity and selling ours just because of a mere woman?!" His voice raised. " You pathetic idiot!"
It was not that Yi Jeong half expected that outcome, when he was filling the papers to join the institution, it was their rivalry company after all. But he never expected to handle the blow of rage around Ga Eul, he would have rather handled it alone, but now that it has started, it shall end the way if he was alone.
"I do not understand why this matters to you Hurabeujji, after all, I am not a part of the family now. Am I ?" Yi Jeong smirked.
So Yoon Hee kept staring at him—the neutral expression with the right end of his lips twisting upright, though it was even fierce than a glare of an average person.
"Sunbae.." Ga Eul squeezed his balled fist, but Yi Jeong kept still staring at the old man.
"Hurabeujji, for me, it is the most dignified thing to do...so that I can afford both of us in a dignified way.." Yi Jeong continued.
Yoon Hee smirked. " tsk, how much she had turned you into a slave? Tsk tsk tsk.." and waved his head in a disappointed manner.
"What did you say?" Yi Jeong's smile tightened.
" Reverse your actions. Immediately. Or_"
"_or what?" Yi Jeong snapped back.
"Or you may not see her again..." He blankly uttered as two servants came and grabbed Ga Eul from her arms.
She jerked, and Yi Jeong shot his fierce glares at them with a firm " let her go."
The servants looked at Head Master who simply smiled, as if Yi Jeong was a child playing with his toy that was to be snatched away, and nodded confirming his order.
"This foolishness must have its limits. " and uttered firmly as the servants grabbed her again.
"Hurabeujji, waeyo?" Ga Eul awoke her voice at last. "Why are you like this? What have we done wrong? Why can't you just let us_"
"_Those gold diggers like you annoys me the most! Afford your family you told?" he smirked. " ...as if being thrown to the streets, But still having enough to afford a designer dress. How pathetic!"
"Hurabeujji!"
" You may now tell me that it was not her who suggested you to buy such expensive clothing? " he silenced him with a simple glare as the servants again grabbed Ga Eul.
Power radiated from every corner of So Yoon Hee. His straight posture, still tone and firm words. If he said he had it enough, he had had it enough and that was So Yoon Hee who made it sure that there were no exceptions. Ga Eul had never faced someone as frightening as he was, not even Chairmen Kang, though she knew she had ten times more wealth than he did, there was a strange strength of power gleaming out from him, as if he was an emperor of the late kingdom of Goryeo. And Ga Eul had not felt anything more than a mere slave in front of him.
Yet at that moment the doors again opened.
"Hurabeujji!" another voice came to the room.
"Hyung?" Yi Jeong's eyes widened.
Of course Il Hyun had called him several times by then but he had never picked up the calls, as it had been a long time— since that day at the hospital, he had stop answering him. But now when he appeared just before him, in such a situation, Yi Jeong was surprised, indeed.
"Yi Jeong ah... I am glad that you are here too." He smiled—an act too calm for the situation—while seating at the table." Ga Eul Dongseongah..." and flashed another smile at Ga Eul. Along with him came Eun Jae, who sat besides her husband.
"Il Hyunah...what made you come here at this hour of night?" Head Master asked. His amaze was neatly kept under their family inherited mask.
"We...we wanted to inform hurabeujji as soon as we decided. And now that dongseong is here I thought it would be better ..." he glanced at Yi Jeong and chuckled, easing the tension still hung around the atmosphere, though the servants had already returned back to their positions.
"Hurabeujji, we, Eun Jae and I... we will be leaving Korea, from three days... to America..."
The room went silent.
"M-Mwo? " Yi Jeong shot him a look.
"Ye.." he smiled at him. " we are hoping to settle down in there..."
Except for Eun Jae, the whole table went stiff and silent.
"Hurabeujji..." Il Hyun bowed his head, as if for pleading. " I think it would be better if hurabeujji would return the rights of the museum back to Yi Jeong..."
...
...
Stunned— was not a word to describe any of the members at the table back then. Of course, except for Eun Jae though. And if So Yoon Hee had ever reconsidered his opinion about the girl named Chu Ga Eul, that moment was the very beginning of it.
A/N:
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