Gu Junpyo and Geum Jandi: Gu Seong Min (age7), Gu Seong Hee ( age5)

Yoon Jihoo and Oh Hani: Yoon Eun Hee ( age7), Yoon Jun soo ( age 1)

So Yi Jeong and Chu Ga Eul: So Dae Jeong ( age7), So Ha Neul ( age 3)

Song Woo Bin and Ha Jaegyeong: Song Hae Ryung ( age 6 )

Chapter three: The different and the extraordinary.

I was thinking... what might other people think of us... what do you think? My omma says that I am too active for my age.. but of course I don't want to be like Eun Hee, polite and boring... but when compared to other kids around us , even she is different... I am talking about that kind of kids who cried all day when they were first left in the school... I can remember almost clear as yesterday.. that after all, none of us cried on our first day at school...

That day of course.. it was more like a funeral.. girls and boys crying and crying.. their omma's trying to soothe them and even worse, some of the adults were crying too.. I mean aren't they supposed to be grown ups? And when growing up, you should be fearless.. because you become stronger and taller.. so there's nothing they should be afraid of .. my appa isn't afraid of anything or anyone and so isn't my omma.. then why are they?

I remember...how they clutched on to their parent's arm and begged them not to leave.. me? on the other hand was doing the right opposite. I ... was begging my appa to leave ... he denied to leave my side.. as if he was babysitting me... and of course I am not a baby to be babysitted. Even Chen was there with me... what if people had thought that I was helpless and hopeless like the other kids? That was my worst fear... So I tried to push him... no luck.. he didn't even move a muscle though I gave my whole weight on him, suppressing my head on his leg... but it didn't help... so I tried to drag him out by his arm... but it didn't turn out to be helpful as well. There stood appa , his legs at ease and arms crossed while I was dying of embarrassment.

It was after few minutes that I understood that, appa had two purposes waiting with me..

one,

To embarrass me in front of everyone else.

two,

To have another hanging out together with the F4.

At least the hang out was held after we were put into the class, or else we would have to listen to their lame jokes...

Secondly, it was Seong Min who came with Junpyo samchan,( that's the exact moment I realised the second purpose). Rather than crying he looked as if he would fall asleep to the ground the next moment . After all his life spending like a Koala bear always sleeping or eating whenever he'd seen, it was probably the first time he had woken up before noon. It was more likely he was dragged along by his appa, as he half ran, half tripped and a little bit walked. And believe me ... during all that running and walking , he, managed to keep his eyes closed... as if his appa made him sleep walk ( more likely run) to school. The moment he blinked open his eyes and saw me and appa, he turned back to leave.

" Appa... I told you... we are too early..." and tried to head back to the car. I later came to know, that he had a pillow in there so he could sleep on the way... its probably one of Noonaoni's tricks...

But, unfortunately Junpyo samchan grabbed him by his fur collar and made him stop and turn around. My appa smiled for the act and there stood two of the excited F4 and two highly annoyed F4 juniors.

After few moments there came Eun Hee and Jihoo samchan. She seemed as if she had cried all night and all along the way as her eyes and nose were red as an apple, but I have to appreciate it... that though she sniffed, she never cried joining the unofficial 'funeral'. She was holding back her tears and I guess that's the best you could expect from such a hopeless case... Her grip on her appa's wrist was tight and so was his on hers and all she did was sniffing and blankly staring at the sleepy Seong Min and the annoyed myself. It was as if she was going to be sold off to a one eyed pirate the next moment and now that she's trying to harden her heart, cursing the life's cruelties..

After about ten long minutes ... came So Dae Jeong, one hand in the grip of his appa and the other identically as his appa, in the pocket. They seemed like the biggest and the smallest dolls of a Russian doll set coming towards us hand in hand...He, as usually was calm and quiet.. eyes widely opened to notice every bit of detail that surrounded him. He, as for his politeness, shared a smile with each one of us ,but it was only Eun Hee who returned it. Seong Min had probably fallen asleep by then ( though in the standing position.. after all, the position never mattered to him) and me? I was too annoyed to smile.

We were then guided to this private classroom our appa's had learned. There still was their toys and things till the day before and when the time we arrived they were all put away and we were allowed to keep our things on its place. It was like the official handing- it -over ceremony. For the too much imaginative and creative people it was kind of like the coronation of us; the F4 juniors. There after our class teacher was introduced. She was a polite lady in her mid thirties who was overjoyed to be selected as the teacher for the F4 juniors. Maybe its because she had the rare chance to talk with our appas who gave a brief informal introduction about us before handing us over to her. They ( our appas) exchanged a bow with her ( which was another rare thing.. especially seeing Junpyo samchan bow..) when handing us over to her, slightly because of politeness and mostly because, the whole base of our primary education depended on her... ( and so they think!)

Well, as for our saseongnim... I think her whole excitement vanished away when Seong Min opened his mouth with his first question:

" What are your qualifications?"

" deh?"

" I mean... how are you going to make us aspiring citizens and outstanding leaders to our companies?" Seong Min asked while leaning back as if he was a superintendent came to inspect her.

" Deh?... I... I..mean..umm..." ye.. she was babbling; not going to be a good first impression.

" how about saseongnimae.. starts us teaching about... 'cooper...ation' and mi yo thual ... reas pect?" Eun Hee suggested smiling benevolently as usual.

" Boh?" saseongnim was even more confused. And Eun Hee quickly reached for the brick like book right in front of her and turned the pages as fast as she could before it reached almost the middle of the book. She snapped her finger, before with a grunt turning the book at saseongnim.

School ( noun)

A place where people ( mostly young ) learn.

Usually categorized according to their age and set into classes where they learn varied subject matters while cooperating with the others and sharing mutual respect..

" Oh!" saseongnim gasped and nodded in realisation.

" Or maybe we could start learning from Sen Kiyo chin?" I gave my suggestion as well.. of course why should I be silent?

" Deh?" she turned at me, again confused. Seriously? she didn't know ninja martial arts?... how lame... suites Eun Hee...

As it was no use telling her about ninjutsu...I thought as if she knows anything else...

" then... what about Kung fu? Could saseongnim teach us that?"

" Ani..." she scoffed... ye ... she scoffed! " Song Hae Ryungshshi... don't you think it's better you'd first learn the alphabet?" ..ye... definitely.. Eun Hee 's type...

" Saseongnim... " and she lastly turned at Dae Jeong who was grinning widely at her. " I think... saseongnim 's dress's colour suits your complexion. "

" oh!" she gasped and blushed at the unexpected compliment. ( rolling my eyes..)

" gumao..."

Of course it was obvious, that So Dae Jeong was fishing the opportunity... and there after began him effortlessly flirting ( I guess it is what it's called, complimenting the unlikely things...) with our saseongnim... which made him the teacher's pet and allowed him go out of the class anytime he wanted and get out of any trouble with his mere smile...

To think about it... even right at this moment uri saseongnim was giving her full attention to him... after all Seong Min is asleep and Eun Hee is noting down something and I.. What am I actually doing?.. oh! Ye... taking down a note... and glaring at saseongnim who was too concerned about Dae Jeong... I am totally done with this favouritism...

On the other hand Dae Jeong...wait.. he isn't grinning.. he looks more ..pale... ani.. his lips are pale but in contrast ...his whole face was burning red... saseongnim was dialling a number on her phone and... wait.. does that mean that he is sick?

Maybe.. he is far more than sick ... he looks like...oh my goodness! Didn't he just COLLAPSED?...

...

( not in Song Hae Ryung 's perspective )

The potter's wheel was spinning and a lump of clay was moulded in to a shape of a vase. Yi Jeong was highly concerned on it and even the tiniest sound of a rubber toy falling to the ground made his hands flinch. He looked up and saw the three year old Ha Neul reaching for his bumblebee which Ga Eul had just picked up from the floor. As Ga Eul cared a lot about hygiene she stood up to wash it before handing it back to Ha Neul. His little eyes were following her and Yi Jeong let himself stare at his youngest son. Ha Neul, unlike Dae Jeong wasn't exactly like his appa more likely he had a blend of their features, eyes like omma face like omma and the one thing no one could ever go unnoticed ; The dimpled smile. Yi Jeong had successfully handed it over to both of his sons and a smile drew on his face when he saw how happy the little toddler was when he got back his toy. Then his eyes switched to Ga Eul, who was smiling and playing with Ha Neul . His smile grew into a grin. Before meeting her, never once he'd thought that he would have a family like this.. once he even dreaded the word abeoujj but now Ga Eul, had managed to make him one ... He remembered how happy yet afraid he was, back when he first came to know about Dae Jeong. After all, it wasn't that smooth and calm type of announcement that Ga Eul herself had expected it to be...

The dawn in which Dae Jeong was born... that was another different story... the moment Yi Jeong saw the little pink creature wrapped in white blankets.. he felt a wave of emotions hit him in a second... first was that uncertainty fear that made him hard to breath and then once he got the baby on his arms... there was love... that type of love in which that he gets the urge to both laugh and cry as loudly as he could... the thought that he was his and that it was he and Ga Eul that had made it... together and that it was his and Ga Eul 's blood that ran in his veins... Yi Jeong would have even collapsed to the floor with that emotional outburst. Though Ga Eul had many times tried to convince him that he would not be like his father, Yi Jeong still had the fear... till the moment he got Dae Jeong to his arms.. and all those words from Ga Eul was confirmed when he saw a small dimpled smile forming on the little baby face... he knew he couldn't ever leave him and not even the thought of not loving him... it felt as if the curse that had weighed on his shoulders longer than he could remember himself... slowly blurring away... the curse of his parents' failed marriage. He had to admit that it took two ; a soulmate and a symbol of love they made together.. to make him understand that he was nothing like his abeoujji.

Ha Neul, was more normal.. than compared to Dae Jeong... even the pregnancy was calm unlike Dae Jeong's, it wasn't a rocky ride. Maybe because they knew more about babies then than when they were having their first and they had more support from their families than when having Dae Jeong. Even Master So was concerned about Ga Eul's health and all... and Ga Eul as she had already miscarried a child two years prior to the pregnancy as for slipping in kindergarten, became much more careful of herself and the baby she had. She spent every moment in the eyes of Yi Jeong or her parents as she had already resigned from the kindergarten. Of course Yi Jeong had big hopes for the baby to be a girl and as for Ga Eul's suggestions they never took the gender test. But once again when Ha Neul was born though he was a boy, Yi Jeong found himself loving him... again.. Junpyo had then cracked a joke that they might have to keep trying till they would have a girl...

Having two sons.. had made Yi Jeong recall about the relationship between him and his hyung. He was worried if a competition would arise among his sons as well like it was between him and his hyung. And as an answer : Ga Eul had suggested to keep them always even... and Dae Jeong on the other hand.. was much pleased to have a baby brother and volunteered to babysit his dongseong... their mutual bond had kept Yi Jeong 's worries away...

Now when Yi Jeong kept staring at his wife and Ha Neul, it was only calmness and happiness he had. Though his hand ached after hours of moulding.. when he looked at them, it was only a smile that drew on his face.. he was at last.. contented about his life.. and happy to return home... most of all.. he was more than glad.. to have ..a place called home...

" sunbae... shall I go and light up the kiln?...those pots seemed dried enough to be glazed and baked..." Ga Eul asked with a smile.

"Arasso..." Yi Jeong answered with returning the smile. And he bended back to work on the moulding. Ga Eul stood up and stroked Ha Neul 's silky hair before she headed to the kiln. Just as she passed by Yi Jeong those words hit his mind.. the words he was hearing since about two weeks...

Appa ... say omma to stay away.. from the kiln...

Ga Eul let out a gasp, as a muddy hand grabbed her wrist stopping her from leaving.

" Sunbae... what is it?" Ga Eul sounded feared and Yi Jeong smiled easing her from the shock of his sudden reaction. Fear wasn't good for Ga Eul's state so he said in a pretence of a calm voice.

" second thoughts... jagiya..don't you think it's better if you'd stay with adal... what if he would fall off from the bench?"

Ga Eul smiled and obeyed. A servant was asked to light up the kiln while Yi Jeong ,Ga Eul and their adal Ha Neul remained inside the studio..

After about an hour had passed, Ga Eul stood up to have a glass of water... it was then they all heard the loud sound of a blast, and even the earth shook for the shock. Ga Eul and Yi Jeong exchanged a horrified look and as Ha Neul started crying Ga Eul went to his side and hugged the crying baby. A servant came running to Yi Jeong and bowed,

" Master Yi Jeong ... the.. kiln... it had exploded.."

" Boh?"

Surprised or terrified would be an understatement to explain Yi Jeong 's expression. He stood up and ran towards the kiln without sparing a moment to switch off the wheel nor to clean his hands. Ga Eul on the other hand, who had knew nothing about Dae Jeong 's words was very much confused and of course terrified, but she was glad that none of them was at the kiln when the accident happened.

Yi Jeong ran to see the kiln and made sure none of his staff was hurt... The kiln was blazing in fire and the fire brigade was called to extinguish it. Just when Yi Jeong turned around to head back to the studio that he saw that the little wall where Ga Eul used to sit while the pots baked in the kiln... that ... was completely covered in flame... It was then that the thought occurred to his mind... what would have happened if he hadn't stopped Ga Eul.

It was with that same horror he stepped in to the studio and Ga Eul stood up seeing his return.

" Sunbae... is everyone alright?"

" Boh?...ah! ... ye..ye..." Ga Eul was confused to see her husband that shocked. She gave him a glass of water and sat beside him massaging his swollen hand. Yi Jeong kept staring blankly at Ha Neul and Ga Eul looked at him with concerned eyes. Yi Jeong took a few moments to gather up himself and look at the concerned Ga Eul He smiled and quickly place a kiss on her lips.

" Sunbae... baby is looking at us..."

" and so what..." he said in a teasing statement and switched on the wheel again. Even before the fear completely drain away.. he heard his phone ring... Yi Jeong again switched off the wheel and wiped his hands in the towel with a sigh, before looking at the caller. It was Dae Jeong 's saseongnim and he answered the call. His face again clouded with horror and he looked at Ga Eul with widened eyes...

A/N:

I don't know if the pace is okay or if I am describing the scenes enough, so you could easily imagine them... if anything is not right... always feel free to comment about it... :)