Author's notes: Okay, I have to admit - I started this new document on a spur of a moment. I'm not even sure if I would persevere to the end with this new idea. Either way, I was reading English Fics on the SoEul couple from the TV show Boys Over Flowers [Korean Version] and thought, perhaps I should try my hands in writing something on the couple. I had my fair share of dabbling in the ship with the Chinese language but I have never tried writing it in English before.
Summary: Chu Ga Eul has always been a country bumpkin in the eyes of the F4. Especially so, in the case of So Yi Jeong, the renowned Korean Casanova. But what if… Chu Ga Eul wasn't really a country bumpkin, nor was she the ordinary commoner friend of Geum Jan Di that everyone thought her out to be? And this secret side of hers was revealed unintentionally to the Korean Casanova of F4, how would that affect the entire story flow in the Boys over Flowers universe?
Title: Secret of the Autumn
Chapter 2 – Trip to New Caledonia, Part 2
Seated next to Jan Di in the restaurant serving Fusion Cuisines, Chu Ga Eul makes it a point to avoid looking in the direction of So Yi Jeong. No, it wasn't because that the sight of the Korean Casanova would send her into a state of blushing hot mess. Sure, the Korean Casanova is charming but Ga Eul would like to think she has built up a resistance to guys with handsome looks. Although Chu Ga Eul had to admit the first time she found herself face-to-face with So Yi Jeong, she was charmed. Luckily though, all that worshipping behavior was thrown out of the window when the guy started speaking about wishing for her to speak to Jan Di about the dangers of dating the Shinhwa heir.
Anyway, the reason why Ga Eul was trying to avoid looking at the Korean Casanova has nothing to do with the man's charming looks. Instead, it was more because of the fact that she knew what the guy is thinking about that has her frantically trying to avoid any form of interaction with the potter. Seriously, she felt like a specimen under scrutiny when she didn't reject the waiter from serving her red wine when the food orders are being served to their table. The same feeling arises again when she started to dig into her food, she knew the guy is trying to observe her table manners discreetly but still… it only serve to make her feel self-conscious about her mannerism.
So Yi Jeong was assigned two tasks while babysitting Chu Ga Eul on this vacation trip to New Caledonia. The first task is to keep Chu Ga Eul occupied so that Jun Pyo's private time with Geum Jan Di would not be disturbed. The second task was to find out as much information as possible about Geum Jan Di from the country bumpkin during this period. Only now, he had assigned himself the third task and that is to find out for certain, just how much of this country bumpkin personality of Chu Ga Eul was true and how much of it was simply a mask.
Thus far, So Yi Jeong has established the fact that sharp-tongued is indeed a trait of Chu Ga Eul. Unlike Geum Jan Di who has the tendency to react in violence when pissed off, Chu Ga Eul tends to rely on her sharp-tongued when provoked. This has been proven true a few weeks ago when he approached Chu Ga Eul with the intention for her to speak to Geum Jan Di about the dangers of entering into a relationship with the Shinhwa heir.
The Korean Casanova was drawn out from his thoughts when he heard a sudden yelp from the seat opposite him in the restaurant. Looking up from his plate of food towards the person seated opposite from him, he was met by the sight of Chu Ga Eul being tackled by a kid. And that the expression on Chu Ga Eul's face is a mixture of alarming surprise.
"Nee-chan!" The 10-years-old Miyazawa Tsubasa beams as he leaps forward in a tackling manner in the direction of Chu Ga Eul.
That was the only warning Ga Eul had gotten before she found herself catching hold of her youngest half-brother lest the boy injured himself by pulling such a reckless stunt. "Honestly, Tsubasa… you shouldn't have done that. You could've injured yourself badly with that stunt you just pulled."
"Oops…" Miyazawa Tsubasa stuck out his tongue briefly in a cheeky manner before burrowing his head in the skirt of Ga Eul.
"... Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what on earth are you doing here in New Caledonia? I was under the impression that you should be in Japan at this point in time." Chu Ga Eul asks her youngest half-sibling with a stern expression on her face, knowing full well that she's garnering a lot of attention from her traveling companion at present.
"We are on a school trip." Miyazawa Tsubasa declared proudly as he informed Ga Eul of the reason behind his presence in New Caledonia.
"... A school trip to New Caledonia?! Just how filthy rich is your school?!" Chu Ga Eul couldn't help but mutter aloud under her breath in sarcasm.
"Well… Teiko Academy and Hyotei Academy have always been competing against one another in various areas. Considering how the Teiko Academy has made the Jeju Island of Korea the destination of their annual school trip this year, it only makes sense for the Hyotei to do something better and hence a school trip to New Caledonia." Miyazawa Tsubasa answered with a nonchalant shrug to his half-sister's sarcastic comment about his school being filthy rich.
"Right… and where are the rest of your schoolmates? You didn't wander off by yourself, did you?" Chu Ga Eul didn't look impressed in the least, as she voiced her next question across to the youngest child of Miyazawa Hideaki and Miyazawa nee Takahashi Midori.
"Of course not, I'm not an idiot. My group is dining in the restaurant next door, I was on my way back from the washroom when I noticed you through the window and thus decided to swing by for a greeting." Miyazawa Tsubasa responded in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.
"Fine. Now that you had greeted me as per your original intention, kindly head back to where you are supposed to be… or do you need me to escort you back to your group?" Ga Eul responded then, patting Tsubasa twice on the head.
"... Nope, I'll go back on my own. They're just next door, after all. See you around, Ja~" Miyazawa Tsubasa responded, waving a cheerful and cheeky goodbye to Ga Eul and promptly rushes back out of the restaurant.
Following the departure of Miyazawa Tsubasa, Chu Ga Eul was made aware of the fact that most of her traveling companions are now staring at her in a new light (mainly the F4) and curiosity. Closing her eyes momentarily to brace herself for the onslaught of questions to come her way, Chu Ga Eul was relatively surprised to find that her friend hasn't been the first to address her in the wake of the recent event. Instead, it was Song Woo Bin - the Don Juan of F4 that has taken to break the silence and start addressing her.
"Ga Eul-yang, your Japanese is really fluent. How long have you been learning the language?" Song Woo Bin took it upon himself to break the silence following the departure of that Japanese boy.
Of course, being members of the F4 - all of them has been taught various languages since a very young age. However, due to certain shady business aspects in his family who often had dealings with their counterpart in Japan - his Japanese is likely the most fluent among the F4. Henceforth, Song Woo Bin is probably the only one who could easily keep up with the pace of the conversation flow between Chu Ga Eul and Miyazawa Tsubasa earlier on. As such, that makes him the best candidate to break the awkward silence hanging in the air at present.
Yes - Japanese, throughout the entire interaction with Miyazawa Tsubasa - Ga Eul was speaking Japanese. Part of the reason why she had opted to converse in Japanese with her youngest half-sibling is that Tsubasa had limited knowledge of the language Korean at his present age, another reason would be that she didn't want her friend - Jan Di to know just what exactly she was talking about with Tsubasa. As for the members of F4, well… Ga Eul had no doubt there would be someone amid them that knows enough Japanese to follow the conversation flow, but she also thought that the members of F4 aren't gossips that would share whatever information they had overheard with her childhood friend. Perhaps except for Gu Jun Pyo, if her friend decided to ask the Shinhwa heir in private.
"Thank you, Woo Bin-sunbae. I have been taking classes of the language since my elementary school days, these days - I have been taking the class as an official third language in school." Ga Eul directed a tight-lipped smile towards the Don Juan of F4, before redirecting her attention onto her half-finished plate of food.
"Ga Eul, who is that boy?" Geum Jan Di then turn towards Chu Ga Eul with a look of confusion clouding her features, she had gotten some information from the Shinhwa heir during the time whereby Ga Eul is responding to Woo Bin-sunbae's questions… but the information she had gotten from Gu Jun Pyo only brought on more confusion.
"... He's a relative of my mother's boss." Eventually, Chu Ga Eul decided to settle for a half-truth. She wasn't exactly lying, since her mother's direct boss just so happen to be a cousin of her biological father. She figured that might go over easier with Jan Di than the information of the boy being her half-sibling. Especially, when she has no inclinations to go into the story of her entire complicated background with her friend at this point in time.
"Right… I almost forgot that your mom works for a Japanese company." Geum Jan Di murmured under her breath, before smiling at Ga Eul and dropped the entire subject altogether.
Under usual circumstances, it wouldn't be this easy to fend off Jan Di's curiosity. However, in this case, due to the conversation being carried out in a language not known to Jan Di, to begin with, and the little help Ga Eul had received from So Yi Jeong halting the Shinhwa heir from quoting the entire conversation word for word to Jan Di… Chu Ga Eul was able to escape from the fate of being interrogated by her friend following the departure of Tsubasa.
Aside from the part whereby the 10-year-old Miyazawa Tsubasa attempt to gate-crash their dinner session, the rest of the dinner progresses uneventfully. They were onto their last dish - the dessert when Geum Jan Di's energy finally hit the level of depletion. After Jan Di has started to nod off for the umpteen times since dessert was served, Gu Jun Pyo finally declared that it's time for them to leave for the hotel.
"Thank god, I thought he was going to chat my ears off." Geum Jan Di whispered to her friend - Ga Eul when they headed off to visit the washroom to refresh themselves before making their way back to the hotel.
"Jun Pyo-sunbae is just a tad enthusiastic to go on this vacation trip with you." Chu Ga Eul commented in response to her friend's remark about the Shinhwa heir being too talkative.
"Too enthusiastic I would say." Geum Jan Di lamented with a complicated look crossing her features briefly.
It was during this brief visit to the washroom that Geum Jan Di shared with her friend about her conflicted feelings for the two members of F4. On one hand, Jan Di is really flattered by the way the Shinhwa heir is showering his affections on her… but on the other hand, Jan Di still finds herself concerned about the recent behavior of Yoon Ji Hoo. The auburn-haired senior hasn't been quite right ever since his return from France.
For a while, Ga Eul was worried that her friend might seek out her advice. Luckily, all Jan Di did was to share with her the conflicted feelings swimming around in her mind and not really expecting any form of assistance from Ga Eul. Because really… Ga Eul doesn't think she's in any position to give any form of romantic advice to her friend. One of the most practical reasons would be that Ga Eul has no romantic experience of her own to provide any form of reference to her friend.
True - Ga Eul does have her own charms and beauty, but she never has a boyfriend before. Seeing as her friend has taken it to heart to act as her protector in school before Jan Di's transfer into the Shinhwa Academy. By acting as her protector meant fending off all her potential suitors, both in the class and outside the school. And considering how they are always together, save for the occasions whereby Ga Eul is out of town... when on earth is Ga Eul able to get a boyfriend of her own? It was only recently that Jan Di's attention has been focused on dealing with the F4 that Ga Eul finally had some freedom in expanding her social circle.
At the thought of the recent freedom in expanding her social circle, Ga Eul was reminded of a recent speed-dating event she had attended at the behest of a classmate. During the speed-dating event, there's this guy named Gong Soo Pyo, a recent graduate from their school who had expressed interest in courting Ga Eul. Of course, Ga Eul being Ga Eul, while sheltered isn't exactly naive even though she does believe in the concept of soulmate. Still, things like 'love at first sight' sounded too cheesy for her to believe, and therefore, to date – she has yet to agree to go on a date with Soo Pyo.
Under usual circumstances, Ga Eul would have sought out her friend's advice on her next course of action concerning Soo Pyo's courting attempts. However, judging by the current complicated love life of her friend... she thought, she should perhaps try to make her own decisions, this time. And so, Ga Eul mentioned nothing about the speed-dating event and Soo Pyo to Jan Di and instead simply offer a listening ear to her friend's troubling thoughts.
Upon returning to the hotel lodging, Geum Jan Di promptly retired to her own room for bed. She could hardly keep her eyes open, after all. It seems like the jet-lag effect had set in a tad too late for her, seeing as it has been hours since they had landed in New Caledonia. With Jan Di's retirement to her assigned room, Ga Eul went on to do the same since she's still not very comfortable being alone in the presence of the F4 members.
The members of F4, on the other hand, were in no hurry to retire for the night. As such, they decided to visit the hotel's VIP lounge to hang out for a while. Immediately after their entrance to the private lounge, the Shinhwa heir dropped his jovial behavior and allow a dark look to cloud his features.
In the ideal itinerary plan of Gu Jun Pyo, there should have been a buffet party arranged by the pool of the hotel complete with a fireworks display. But that didn't happen because of some mistake made by the staff on duty when he first made his request known. Apparently, his date of arrival was input wrongly into the hotel facility booking system resulting in a mix-up of the buffet party date. So, instead of having the party today... the buffet arrangement is scheduled for the evening on the following day. To say the Shinhwa heir was displeased was an understatement, but he didn't want to let his temper get the best of him in front of the girl he loves and so, he managed to suppress his rising temper until now.
Seated in the VIP lounge of the Shinhwa Hotel in New Caledonia, the first thing Gu Jun Pyo did was to call in the manager of the hotel and give the man a piece of his mind. It's probably a good thing that the manager has limited knowledge of the Korean language and thus was able to maintain a pleasant disposition while being subjected to a lecture from the Shinhwa heir. Eventually, Gu Jun Pyo must have caught on to the fact that the manager likely has no inkling about what he's droning on and on about that he finally let the man off the hook. Only after the manager-in-charge of the hotel in New Caledonia left the lounge, did the other members of F4 finally spoke up.
"Seriously, Jun Pyo… I know you're upset about your plans being derailed due to human error. However, things like this do happen every now and then. Besides, I thought the mistake made was a good one." So Yi Jeong commented then, drawing a look of incredulity from the Shinhwa heir as Jun Pyo started glancing his way.
"Care to explain what you mean by that, Yi Jeong?" The Shinhwa heir started, an underlying warning tone in his words.
"Well... I did some fishing earlier on while you guys were involved in a heated discussion about where to go for dinner in the mall. As it turns out, Geum Jan Di does not care for escargots and blue cheese. While I had no idea what was on the menu for the buffet dinner exactly, I had enough past experiences with buffets organized by the Shinhwa group to gather those escargots are definitely part of the catering menu." So Yi Jeong explained in a dry tone of voice, as he smirked at the dumbfounded look on the face of the Shinhwa heir.
"Huh? Why would Geum Jan Di had an aversion to the escargots when she has never eaten it before?" Gu Jun Pyo started bewilderedly as he looks over to the heir of the Woo Sung Museum for further elaboration.
"According to Ga Eul-yang, apparently Geum Jan Di developed an aversion to the escargots after being told the dish contains edible snails. As for the blue cheese, it's simply a matter of the pungent smell that bothers Geum Jan Di to no end." The Korean Casanova responded nonchalantly, as he sat back in his seat to enjoy the baffling look on his friend's face.
For a while, Gu Jun Pyo didn't say anything, and then he suddenly took out his mobile phone to start calling up the staff working in the hotel, again. Only this time, instead of the manager-in-charge... the Shinhwa heir is calling up the staff who is in charge of the arranging of events taking place in the hotel for some last-minute adjustment to the buffet dinner menu.
"Yi Jeong, bro – you did good today getting me such information. I expect you to keep up the good work in the next few days to follow. Oh, for tomorrow I have plans to bring Geum Jan Di out for a helicopter ride, followed by a romantic lunch date. So, you'd better make sure to keep her friend occupied elsewhere." After relaying the instructions for the staff-in-charge for the buffet menu planning to make the relevant adjustments to the menu, Gu Jun Pyo turns his attention upon Korean Casanova and spoke.
"...Remind me again, why did I agree to play babysitter to that country bumpkin friend of Geum Jan Di?" So Yi Jeong stamped down the urge to groan aloud as he inquire of his friends.
Song Woo Bin snorted at the look on his potter friend's face, as he gleefully reminded. "Well… you were bribed by Jun Pyo with that antique China vase which he promised to donate to your family museum if you agreed to babysit Ga Eul-yang while in New Caledonia."
"Right… the antique vase." So Yi Jeong sighed aloud in resignation, as he flopped back lazily onto the sofa armchair he had been sitting on all this while.
While the members of F4 were killing time in the VIP lounge of the hotel, Chu Ga Eul finally took some time to explore her assigned room in detail. Although, Ga Eul knows her assigned room is probably nothing compared to the room assigned to her friend and is definitely incomparable to the suites the members of F4 are staying in. She has to agree that it is a comfortable room. The room comes complete with a queen-size bed, built-in closet, a balcony with a scenic water view, and a fairly moderate size en-suite bathroom that comes with a tub.
Reminding herself to take some pictures of the water view from the balcony of her assigned room the following morning, since it's too dark out to take any decent pictures of the view at present. Chu Ga Eul turns away from the balcony to head into the en-suite bathroom for a quick shower to unwind. While the idea of taking a soak in the tub is rather tempting, Ga Eul decides to hold it off for the time being. After all, she had something more pressing in mind to tackle after the shower.
The time following their arrival in New Caledonia has taken up the bulk of her focus and attention, and thus she hasn't really had the time to fret over the possible situation back in Seoul until now. And although, she is quite weary and tired out from the sight-seeing activities with Jan Di and the members of F4… Ga Eul knew she wouldn't be able to sleep well until she had found out for certain about the situation back home. Even though, finding out what had happened in Seoul would probably bring on another set of problems… so, either way, she's still likely to lose hours of sleep tonight.
Sitting up in bed with her IPAD device in hand, Chu Ga Eul connected the device to the free WIFI network provided by the hotel and repeated the process of checking out all the news platforms she knew of in search of any mention of her mother's name. The search didn't last for long, since Ga Eul did manage to find what she was searching for on the second news platform she was accessing. In the article, the reporter claimed that an informant had come forward with the information that Chu Mi Young, a manager from the Korean branch office of the Miyazawa F&B Group was promoted to her position today through the means of sleeping with members of the management board.
Needless to say, the contents of the news article infuriated Ga Eul to the core. The thought of how her parents would feel upon sighting this article only causes further frustration. Nevertheless, Ga Eul supposed she could understand why her parents had wanted her out of the country when the news broke. For now, it's only the name of her mother being mentioned in a bad light… but then, this is only day 1 of the entire fiasco. Eventually, the name of her biological father would be mentioned in the article followed by her mother's current husband. And then, finally, her existence would be brought into scrutiny by the members of the public… once the wave of speculations is over, her biological father would strike out with an official press release on his part. Likely, that would be when the story of her existence as the illegitimate daughter of Miyazawa Hideaki start making headlines in all the local media newspapers.
When that happens, well… let's just say that Ga Eul can wave goodbye to her routine and peaceful school life. Still, Ga Eul knows… if she wasn't out of town at this moment, her phone would have exploded with the numbers of calls from her fellow classmates poking their nose into the scandalous news involving her mother and the supposed member of the management board whom her mother had slept through to get her position in the company today. So, in a way, her mother's decision to ship her off on a vacation trip with Jan Di and the F4 sounds logical in every sense.
A vibration buzz from her mobile phone alerted Ga Eul to the fact that she has just received a text message.
From Kazuki: The shit has officially hit the fan… not sure if you can get access to local news while in New Caledonia. Anyway, someone accused your mother of sleeping her way to the top. A police report has been filed officially against the reporter and the so-called informant for slander by your mother, and our father - combined. Of course, since our father isn't in Korea at present, it's Aunt Shinobu that actually files the police report with your mother.
PS: I'll be keeping track of the news development and would fill you in over the next few days so you wouldn't be caught off-guard by the press upon your return to Seoul. Until then, enjoy your vacation in New Caledonia. Good night. ^_~
From Ga Eul: Thanks for your info. Keep me updated on the story development. Oh, and I saw Tsubasa earlier today. Apparently, his class is in New Caledonia for a school trip. =_=;
From Kazuki: Really? Tell him I say 'Hi' if you get to see him, again.
From Ga Eul: Would do. Good Night.
When morning comes around, Chu Ga Eul was roused from her sleep by the repeated pounding on the door of her assigned room. Blinking blearily, she was barely out of the bed when the door to her assigned room swing open with her still looking out of sort.
"Ga Eul, are you alright?" Her friend Jan Di then rushes over to her and captured her in a hug, looking incredibly upset.
"..." Still looking rather out of it, Chu Ga Eul glances towards the direction of the doorway to see Gu Jun Pyo signaling for the housekeeping staff who had helped to open the door to Ga Eul's assigned hotel room with the master key to return to their original tasks at hand. Lingering a few steps behind the Shinhwa heir was the remaining members of F4.
"Jan Di, do you mind letting go of me now so I could go and freshen myself up?" Chu Ga Eul sighed aloud as she addressed her friend, before turning towards the direction of the F4 members and asks. "May I inquire on the reason why you guys deem it fit to get a member of the hotel staff to open my room's door with the master key?"
"What time do you think it is, right now?" Gu Jun Pyo rolls his eyes at the words of Geum Jan Di's friend, obviously upset. Thankfully, despite his sharp tone when addressing Chu Ga Eul… there is nothing else in his body language that indicates blatant rudeness. Otherwise, the Shinhwa heir might find himself being hit by Geum Jan Di, again.
"...Ga Eul, are you really okay?" Jan Di continue to fret over Ga Eul, obviously not giving up unless a satisfied response was given.
Chu Ga Eul sighed, as she reached for her mobile device sitting on the bedside table to check on the time. A quick look at the timing reflected on her phone screen - she knew, it was way over the agreed meeting time decided upon the previous day. No wonder the Shinhwa heir looks upset, likely her oversleeping has caused Jan Di to refuse to go anywhere with the Shinhwa heir.
"Jan Di, I'm fine. No, I didn't take any sleeping pills. There isn't a need to, and yes, I know just exactly what was going on in Seoul. Of course, I know my mother didn't sleep her way to the top… there isn't a need for you to assure me of this. That's my mother, of course, I trusted her." Chu Ga Eul then turns to address her worried friend, cutting off her friend's words every single time with a ready response on her tongue.
"Guys, please wait outside and take Jan Di with you." Chu Ga Eul then turns her attention upon the members of F4, she needn't be a genius to figure out that the reason why all of them were gathered in her room was due to her friend's overreacting state of mind. They likely didn't think much of the scandalous news involving her mother initially, but Jan Di probably overheard their comment and demanded a copy of the local news to see for herself. Upon determining that the image featured in the article is indeed her mother, Jan Di likely thought she was too upset to join them for breakfast when the meet-up time came and passes by without her making an entrance. And that ultimately lead to the earlier scene with the F4 gathering in her assigned room with Jan Di in the lead.
"Ga Eul ah… are you sure you're fine?" Jan Di asks yet again, this time causing Ga Eul to roll her eyes in response openly.
"Jan Di, how many times must I assure you that I'm fine. It's not the end of the world just because my mother was involved in scandalous news, and being accused of sleeping her way to the top. It's bad enough that I have the entire class messaging me since late last night to verify the matter with me, I didn't need you doing the same as well." Chu Ga Eul turns to regard her childhood friend with a stern look on her face, gritting out each and every word while stamping down the urge to snap at her friend.
"Right… we'll just wait for you outside then." Probably the stern look in Ga Eul's eyes did it, but Geum Jan Di finally stop making a big fuss about the issue.
"Good. I'll meet you and the guys outside in 20 minutes." Chu Ga Eul stated flatly, as she promptly collect the clothes she had picked out for today's activities and stalked into the en-suite bathroom, shutting the door in the face of her childhood friend to get her point across. Standing in the bathroom and staring at her reflection in the mirror, Chu Ga Eul took a moment to observe her appearance. Satisfied that despite the lack of sleep, she didn't have the effect of the Panda Eyes on her person just yet… Chu Ga Eul figured that she didn't need to apply too much makeup this morning.
When Chu Ga Eul finally emerged from her assigned room about 20-minutes later, she had with her the Nikon camera from the professional series which her mother had taken the liberty to pack for her use. A quick look around notified her that only the Korean Casanova remain behind in the corridor way outside her assigned room, the rest of the group has taken their leave.
"Where's Jan Di?" Ga Eul then directed her question towards the only person around - the infamous Casanova of F4, So Yi Jeong.
"Drag off by Jun Pyo for their helicopter ride." So Yi Jeong answered casually as he gave Chu Ga Eul's attire a once-over.
"I apologized for Jan Di's overreaction this morning." Ga Eul sighed in response, directing an apology at the Korean Casanova.
"It's fine, it's nothing but a mere inconvenience. While at it, I should probably apologize for Jun Pyo's behavior as well. But all that pounding on the door that Geum Jan Di was doing earlier has been getting us some strange looks, and that was why Jun Pyo decided to get the housekeeping staff on duty to open the door to your assigned room." After a moment of silence, So Yi Jeong went on to provide an explanation for the earlier situation that involves them barging into the assigned room for Chu Ga Eul as well.
"Fair enough. Let's just leave it like that. So, are there any plans you had in mind to keep me entertained, or should we get brunch instead?" Chu Ga Eul then asks, turning towards the Korean Casanova with an expectant look.
"Why do you assume I would have plans for keeping you entertained?" So Yi Jeong couldn't help but respond to the girl with a question of his own.
"Well… I assumed that since you're the one to collect me for this vacation trip, you would also be the one solely in charge of keeping me entertained. Besides, you stayed behind while the others left ahead… all the more for me to believe that I'm your responsibility for the duration of this trip." Chu Ga Eul shrugged in response, giving the Korean Casanova a cheeky look as she state her mind.
"Ga Eul-yang, you're very clever. That's quite an astute observation on your part. Alright then, are you hungry? If you are, we can go for brunch. Otherwise, there are a few spots on the island that I would like to bring you around before breaking for lunch." So Yi Jeong smile as he voiced his suggestions across to the country bumpkin friend of Geum Jan Di.
"Thank you. In that case, why don't we visit the places where you wish for me to see before breaking for lunch? Honestly, I'm not too hungry as of yet." Chu Ga Eul nodded, as she indicated for the Korean Casanova to lead the way.
A Casanova always has a plan in mind when bringing girls out, so even though Chu Ga Eul isn't exactly his type. So Yi Jeong had a very clear idea in mind on how to keep the friend of Geum Jan Di occupied. For starters, he brought the girl to a few popular tourists spot. For instance - the Place des Cocotiers, otherwise known as the Coconut Tree Square. As there isn't a tour guide on hand, So Yi Jeong took it upon himself to educate Chu Ga Eul on the history of the place.
The Coconut Tree Square has over a surface area of 4 hectares, and its vast esplanade with a slight slope is a place of meetings, tranquility, and festivities all year long. Therefore, it isn't really a surprise to find a crowd of people hanging about the place. The Korean Casanova knew he had made the right choice when Chu Ga Eul practically beams at the sight that meet her eyes. Almost immediately, the girl had started to go around taking pictures of the entire place. At first, it was just landscapes pictures being taken on the phone but somewhere along the line, Chu Ga Eul started putting that Nikon camera of hers to use.
So Yi Jeong was content enough to follow Chu Ga Eul around, acting as a translator for the girl every now and then if she chanced upon something interesting or when she wish to chat with the locals. This place is nothing new to the potter since he has been here plenty of times in the past with the members of F4. His surprise comes in the form of the Nikon camera being dropped into his hands, while he was on a water break.
"Ga Eul-yang, may I inquire just what exactly are you doing?" So Yi Jeong prompted, raising his eyebrow up in a questioning manner as he glances down to the Nikon camera now held in his hands.
"Hmm… trying to rope you into playing photographer for me?" Chu Ga Eul responded in a teasing manner.
"And why should I go along on your whims?" So Yi Jeong continues to ask, flicking his gaze between the figure of Chu Ga Eul and the Nikon camera in his hands.
"I simply thought that since you're going to be following me around, either way, you might as well make yourself useful by taking up the role of my personal photographer." Ga Eul commented rather cheekily as she answered the Korean Casanova.
"..." So Yi Jeong was rendered speechless by the thick-skinned response from Chu Ga Eul, but eventually he caved into the girl's request and started playing 'photographer' for the girl. Still, all this walking around tires out his legs after some time, as he wonders inwardly about just where exactly is Chu Ga Eul getting all her energy from. Especially, since he knew for certain that the girl had yet to take her breakfast.
"Yi Jeong-sunbae, what are you doing standing there like a wooden block? Come on, I want to head up there to have a look." Chu Ga Eul calls out impatiently while making her way up the slope.
So Yi Jeong who was rudely drawn out from his thoughts stared in the direction where the country bumpkin was heading for and promptly allow an undignified groan to escape from his lips. "What the hell…?! Where does her energy come from, seriously?! How is it that she still has the energy to climb up a slope?"
"Yi Jeong-sunbae, hurry up!" Chu Ga Eul calls out again for the Korean Casanova's attention, causing the man to sigh in resignation.
"Alright, stop rushing me… I'm coming!" So Yi Jeong responded with a call of his own to the country bumpkin ahead. Muttering under his breath about how unsophisticated this entire situation is, the Korean Casanova consoles his inner self that everything would be worth it in the end. "Never mind, bear with it. Think about the pottery…" So Yi Jeong murmurs to himself as he picked up his steps to catch up with Chu Ga Eul.
Never would So Yi Jeong admitted that he was very relieved to hear the sound of stomach rumbling coming from the direction of Chu Ga Eul slightly before noon hours approached. Seeing that as the perfect opportunity to end this particular sight-seeing tour at this part of the island, So Yi Jeong wasted no time in suggesting an early lunch break session for the two of them.
Lunch was taken at a cozy cafe under the insistence of Chu Ga Eul, and while So Yi Jeong would prefer to dine in a restaurant setting. At this point, he's just glad that he could rest his sore and tired feet for the hour. While waiting for their lunch to be served, Chu Ga Eul was busy looking through the photographs taken this morning on the Nikon Camera with a bright smile playing on her lips.
On the other side of the island, Geum Jan Di who has just ended the romantic helicopter ride arranged by the Shinhwa heir was treated to a nice romantic fine-dining lunch in a restaurant situated right by the beautiful seaside. Of course, the menu served is the typical French menu… only Gu Jun Pyo has taken the effort to request the change in the appetizers after knowing about Geum Jan Di's aversion to the escargots.
"Ya, Gu Jun Pyo… lend me your phone." Geum Jan Di had demanded as soon as they had sat down at the table where they are going to be served lunch.
"Why on earth would you need my phone for?" The Shinhwa heir looks bewildered by Geum Jan Di's request, especially since he had already gifted the girl with a phone of her own ever since that disastrous first date where he had to spend hours in the cold waiting for Geum Jan Di to make an appearance.
"Either you lend me your phone, or you give me the contact number to So Yi Jeong's mobile." Geum Jan Di demanded of the Shinhwa heir.
"And why would you need Yi Jeong's number?" Gu Jun Pyo questions his girlfriend, looking more puzzled by the second.
"To warn him about keeping his hands to himself, of course." Geum Jan Di declared in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, her demeanor one of complete seriousness.
"... Pass me your phone." In the end, the Shinhwa heir decided to input his friends' contact number into the phone he had gifted Geum Jan Di instead of lending his girlfriend his mobile device. He figured if Geum Jan Di wanted to send warning text to his friends, the girl better do it on her own mobile instead of using his to pass on the message.
When Geum Jan Di received her phone back from the Shinhwa heir, she had to admit that she's pleased to find the contact number of every member from F4 alphabetically sitting in her contact list. Pressing on the text logo next to the contact number of So Yi Jeong, Geum Jan Di went on to compose a warning text message to the Korean Casanova without delay.
From Geum Jan Di: So Yi Jeong, if you know what's good for you. Please ensure that you keep your hands to yourself, I wouldn't oppose the idea of castrating you if I find out that you had made any forms of advance on Ga Eul.
Back at the cafe where Ga Eul is having lunch in the companionship of the Korean Casanova, So Yi Jeong was fiddling around with his mobile device when it suddenly buzzed with an incoming message from a certain Korean Wonder Woman. Raising his eyebrow slightly at the content of the text message received, So Yi Jeong couldn't help but sweat-dropped at the underlying threat in the message. Castration - seriously, isn't that too much of an overkill? In the first place, it hasn't been him who had voluntarily placed himself in charge of Chu Ga Eul on this trip. In fact, he was bribed to do so by the Shinhwa heir. And now, he's being threatened by Geum Jan Di on the matter?!
"Sunbae, is anything the matter?" Chu Ga Eul didn't miss the odd look that cross the features of the Korean Casanova briefly after the former's mobile phone buzzed with an incoming message. Although, she could have chosen to remain silent… Ga Eul decided to ask anyway.
"... What makes you think something is wrong?" So Yi Jeong plastered on a look of indifference as he regarded the girl.
"I didn't mean to imply anything is wrong, I only thought to inquire because of that odd look on your face following the receiving of that earlier text message." Chu Ga Eul rolls her eyes at the Korean Casanova in response, leave it to the man to get defensive out of the blue.
"... Well, if you really must know… that was Geum Jan Di threatening me not to lay a hand on her precious friend." So Yi Jeong finally said, after realizing that he had overreacted.
"Ah… I see. Don't take her words to heart, she tends to leap to a conclusion without getting all the facts. So, what do you have planned for me to do after lunch?" Chu Ga Eul commented in response before steering the subject away to another topic.
"What do you think about visiting the museum?" So Yi Jeong suggested after a brief moment of consideration, originally he was thinking of bringing Chu Ga Eul to the cultural center but he thought he had quite enough experience mingling with the locals this morning. Thus, he decided to opt for a visit to the World War two museum instead.
"You aren't referring to the World War two museum, are you?" Chu Ga Eul felt the corners of her lips starting to twitch when So Yi Jeong nodded in response. At first, she thought of pointing out the fact that she didn't need a history lesson on the events of World War Two. But then, she thought there isn't any harm done by visiting the museum and learn about how world war two affects the people living on this island. For all she knows, it could offer her a new insight into the historical event. And so, she didn't argue and gracefully allowed the Korean Casanova to lead her towards the direction of the museum.
It was about 4pm in the late afternoon when everyone gathered once again in the lobby of the Shinhwa hotel in New Caledonia. The moment Ga Eul walk through the hotel's entrance into the lobby with the Korean Casanova, she was engulfed in a hug by her friend - Geum Jan Di.
"Ga Eul ah, are you alright? He didn't do anything weird with you, did he?" Jan Di blurted out as she gave her Ga Eul a once-over check while ignoring the indignant cry coming from the Casanova of F4.
"Ya, Geum Jan Di… how many times must I tell you that I do not hold any ulterior motive against your country bumpkin friend." So Yi Jeong started, an indignant look visibly displayed on his face.
"... Jan Di ah, I assured you that Yi Jeong-sunbae has been nothing but a gentleman. Anyway, enough about me… how did your day go?" In an attempt to get her friend to drop the smothering act, Chu Ga Eul wasted no time in diverting her friend's attention by bringing up her friend's morning activities with the Shinhwa heir.
[Diversion tactic success!] - Ga Eul thought to herself, as Geum Jan Di promptly went on to launch into an elaborated account of the helicopter ride with the Shinhwa heir.
Song Woo Bin, meanwhile, patted the indignant So Yi Jeong comfortingly on the shoulder as he remarked. "Take a chill pill, bro~ Mind telling me how was your day out with Ga Eul-yang?"
"... One word - exhausting." The Korean Casanova answered as he shrugged off Woo Bin's comforting pat on his shoulder.
"Surely, it can't be that bad?" The Don Juan of F4 frowned, glancing towards the direction of Chu Ga Eul with a raise of an eyebrow.
"... By exhausting, I meant it on a literal level. I brought her to Coconut Tree Square whereby she went on to explore every little corner of that infamous tourist spot while making me her personal photographer. Following this, we spend two hours in a quaint little cozy cafe where she insisted upon having lunch at. Finally, I brought her on a trip to the World War two museum before coming back here to meet up with you guys." So Yi Jeong then proceeds to give a summary recount of his day out with the country bumpkin, after being subjected to multiple questioning looks from his friends.
"How on earth are you able to spend two hours in a cozy little cafe for lunch?" Song Woo Bin repeated incredulously as he digested the piece of information.
"Believe me when I said that wasn't my choice, but my feet are too sore and tired. Moreover, I didn't feel like arguing with her over the choice of dining venues out on the streets so I caved in to her demands." So Yi Jeong deadpans upon the look of incredulity directed towards him by the Don Juan of F4.
"Woah… that was… unexpected. I was surprised you didn't stomp off when that happens." Song Woo Bin remarked, still sounding awe by the events of his friend's activities involving that commoner friend of Geum Jan Di.
"Trust me, the thought did briefly crossed my mind. But then I thought about Geum Jan Di's possible reaction upon finding out that I left her friend behind on a street in a foreign country… I decided to simply grind my teeth and endure the experience." So Yi Jeong stated flatly while shooting the Shinhwa heir a look that says 'you'd better keep your promise and gift me that antique vase when we get back to Seoul'.
Gu Jun Pyo seemed a tad sheepish upon receiving that look from his potter friend, now that he thought about it… perhaps, it would have been better to sic Chu Ga Eul on Woo Bin than Yi Jeong. After all, between Yi Jeong and Woo Bin… it's always Woo Bin who has more patience. Still, when he thought of extending the invitation for Jan Di's commoner friend to join them on their vacation trip to New Caledonia… the first person that pops into his mind who could keep the girl occupied was the Casanova, and thus he decided to put Yi Jeong in charge of Chu Ga Eul. Of course, his suggestion was rejected outright when it was first brought up. It wasn't until he decided to bring out the promise of gifting Yi Jeong that antique China vase from his late grandfather's pottery collection did Yi Jeong finally agreed to take responsibility for Chu Ga Eul's well-being during the vacation trip to New Caledonia.
Shaking his head to rid his mind of how he had ended up putting the Korean Casanova in charge of his girlfriend's commoner lady friend, Gu Jun Pyo clapped his hands to garner the attention of the members in his vacationing group. "Ladies and gentlemen, please listen up. There would be a buffet party by the pool-side this evening at 7pm, so kindly make use of the next few hours to get ready for the party event."
As Gu Jun Pyo wishes to check in with the hotel's events team with regards to the buffet party scheduled for this evening, Geum Jan Di was left to her own device. The end result - instead of heading back to her assigned room for the hot bubble bath she had in mind to do, Chu Ga Eul was brought over to the room assigned for her friend to help Jan Di out find a suitable outfit for the party tonight.
Since Ga Eul has already established the fact that Gu Jun Pyo's fashion sense in picking out clothes for Jan Di is a little on the lacking side… Ga Eul ultimately decided to pick the outfit that was borderline bearable in her opinion for her friend.
"This would do. Go on and rest for a bit, take a bath to relax, and unwind if necessary. I will come back for you in 1.5 hours to fix up your hairstyle for tonight's party. For now, I need to head back to my own room to prepare my own outfit for tonight's party." Chu Ga Eul told her friend, after spending about half an hour in her friend's room.
Unlike her friend who basically has an entirely new wardrobe to choose an outfit from, Ga Eul's wardrobe is still pretty much familiar to her. The only new outfit in her current wardrobe is a gift from the Casanova the day before, and that's mostly because her original outfit wasn't suitable for the tropical climate in New Caledonia. Anyway, since her mother had the insight to pack plenty of summerwear for her in the suitcase… Ga Eul has no need for a new wardrobe. Now, there isn't a need for Ga Eul to fret over what to wear for the party as well since there is only one single attire in her suitcase that fits the bill. That would be the navy blue one-piece dress which she had purchased to attend a family friend's wedding banquet dinner, several months ago.
Picking out the dress from the rest of her summer wear, Ga Eul draped the dress over the back of the chair in front of the dresser table and then promptly made her way into the en-suite bathroom for her long-overdue bubble bath session. Keeping to her promise made to Jan Di, Ga Eul return to her friend's room after 1.5 hours to help her friend with the hairstyle. There weren't a lot of hairstyles that could be tried on Jan Di due to her friend's short hair-length, still, Ga Eul tried her best to come up with a hairstyle arrangement that would go along with the attire she had help to pick out earlier.
"Thank you, Ga Eul. What am I going to do without you?" Jan Di beams at Ga Eul through the mirror while admiring her friend's handiwork.
"You're welcome." Ga Eul managed a small smile even though her mood is still rather heavy, only she had stamped it all down to keep her friend from blowing things out of proportions, again. The last thing she needed was for her friend to demand the Shinhwa heir to do something about the issue faced by her mother, because really… that would be going too far. Especially, since the matter doesn't concern the Shinhwa group, to begin with.
Chu Ga Eul was over at the buffet table getting food for her own consumption when So Yi Jeong wandered over to her side without any warning.
"Are you going to eat all that?" So Yi Jeong questioned as he flicked his gaze over to the plate full of food with no gaps in between that's sitting in the hands of the country bumpkin. To say he was surprised is an understatement, as most of the girls he had known in the past often had a small appetite or tends to be on a diet plan. This is the first time he had seen a girl with such a huge appetite, even Geum Jan Di didn't take this much food from the buffet spread earlier.
"..." Not knowing how to respond without sounding like a glutton, Chu Ga Eul opted to maintain silence in the wake of So Yi Jeong's question.
"Jun Pyo doesn't like girls that are too chubby." The Korean Casanova suddenly commented, out of the blue.
"I beg your pardon? What was that again?" Ga Eul was thankful that she wasn't drinking anything else she would likely have choked at the Casanova's latest remarks.
"I said Jun Pyo doesn't like chubby girls." So Yi Jeong repeated, enjoying the sight of the usually sharp-tongued Chu Ga Eul being rendered speechless.
"What the heck are you talking about?!" Chu Ga Eul finally reacted, shooting the Korean Casanova a look that says 'are you crazy?'
"Aren't you interested in Jun Pyo? With how sensitive you are when it comes down to matters that concern Jan Di and Jun Pyo… I assumed…" Leaving the rest of his words unspoken, So Yi Jeong continues his latest attempt at fishing for information from the country bumpkin friend of Geum Jan Di. After a while, a look of shock cloud his features as he glances towards Ga Eul with a fearful look. "Don't tell me it's Jan Di that you're in love with…"
At this, Chu Ga Eul allowed a look of incredulity to form on her face as she spluttered in response. "Unbelievable. I do not know how you came to arrive at this ridiculous notion, but I assured you I have high standards. Moreover, Gu Jun Pyo isn't exactly my type and neither am I in love with Jan Di. I'm quite straight in my sexual orientation, thank you very much."
"Then why do you always cringed on reflex when I brought up the subject of Jan Di and Jun Pyo together in the same statement?" So Yi Jeong prompted, deciding that it's time to get the information that he needs.
"That's because Jan Di's romantic interest lies elsewhere." The moment Ga Eul blurted out the above statement, she promptly caught on to what the Korean Casanova was doing and thus clam up like a shell soon after. Still, the damage was done - now Ga Eul's only thankful that she didn't out-right blurted out the fact the Jan Di likes Yoon Ji Hoo to the Korean Casanova.
Throwing a dirty look in the direction of So Yi Jeong, Chu Ga Eul promptly shifted her position to the furthest end from where the potter was standing. The Korean Casanova, on the other hand, had an unreadable look on his face when he heard the statement about Geum Jan Di liking someone else. Something tells him he should stop prying into the identity of Geum Jan Di's love interest because that would only serve to complicate things further. And so, he didn't make a move to follow the country bumpkin when Chu Ga Eul decide to remove herself from his side.
"Ga Eul ah, what are you doing standing so far away?" When Geum Jan Di started to look around the pool area in search of her friend, she was pointed in the direction where the beverage bar was situated.
"Ah… it's getting a tad too stuffy by the buffet table, so I thought to move to somewhere that's cooler in temperature." Chu Ga Eul said in response to her friend's inquiry.
"Oh… is that why you're standing next to the ice bucket?" Geum Jan Di took one look at where Ga Eul was standing with her plate of food and commented in a questioning tone of voice.
"...Yeah, the cool air emitting from the ice-bucket is quite satisfying." Ga Eul answered a tad sheepishly, not even batting an eyelid as the little piece of white lie left her lips.
"Liar." So Yi Jeong whispered, keeping his voice low that it wasn't audible to anyone but the country bumpkin as he approached the beverage bar to pick up a flute of champagne for his own consumption.
"Shut up." Chu Ga Eul shot back at the Korean Casanova in a fierce whisper, still avoiding to look in the potter's direction.
"Ga Eul-yang, please look up at the sky." So Yi Jeong started after a moment of silence, having noticed the signal for the fireworks to be set off when the Shinhwa heir started to dial a number on his mobile phone.
"What?" Chu Ga Eul was baffled but still heeded the words of the Korean Casanova. Upon the sight of the first firework exploding in the air and lighting up the dark sky, Chu Ga Eul couldn't help but allow a bright smile to play on her lips.
After the fireworks display, the party came to an end with everyone heading back to their assigned rooms in a fairly good mood. The good mood of Ga Eul lasted until she arrived back in her assigned room to find a screenshot of an article claiming her mother cheating on her father with someone from the top management board of the Miyazawa F&B Group, using a picture from last summer featuring her mother dining in the company of her biological father as the so-called proof.
[What the hell…?! Cheating? What's next on the accusation list?] - Chu Ga Eul stared at the screenshot of the article with an incensed expression on her face before she finally thought to reply to the sender of the screenshot on her messaging app via her IPAD device.
Line Messenger Chat with Miyazawa Kazuki
Ga Eul: Saw your screenshot of today's evening news… seriously, they are accusing my mother of cheating on my father?! And they are using a picture of Chichiue dining with her to state the point?! What's next on the list? Are they going to claim her as Chichiue's mistress?! *Angry Emoji*
Kazuki: Maa… please calm down. There's no need to get so agitated, we are still waiting for your name to be mentioned in the article before Chichiue could issue an official statement. He can't do it before your existence is exposed to the public because that would only serve to complicate things in the long run. After all, he can't deny the accusations of your mother cheating on your father now and then later came out to acknowledge you as his illegitimate daughter. That would paint your mother in a bad light, the best option is to wait until your existence is uncovered by the press. Only then, he could release the official press release about how you came to exist. So, until then… just bear with the articles.
PS: On the subject of your transfer into Shinhwa, it's a done deal. The administrative portion involved in the transfer procedures has been completed. All that's left to determine is the timing of your transfer…
Ga Eul: O_O … That was fast.
Kazuki: Yes, well… the paperwork involving the transfer is a bit of a chore, so father says it's best to get it over and done with ASAP. So… *Shrugging emoji*
Ga Eul: Right… and how much time do I have before I need to come clean with Jan Di about my impending transfer into Shinhwa?
Kazuki: *Emoji with an eyebrow raised* Are you seriously asking me this? Geum Jan Di is your friend, not mine… shouldn't you have a better idea of her possible reactions? Speaking of, what's the feeling of going on a trip with the F4? *Curious Emoji*
Ga Eul: *Sighing Emoji* Fine, I'll speak to Jan Di on the matter before heading back to Seoul. As for the feeling of going on a trip with the F4, all I can say is… it's refreshing. Even if I have to spend 85% of my time out exploring in the company of the Korean Casanova. Apparently, he's been assigned as my primary caretaker while on this vacation trip by the Shinhwa heir. *Roll Eyes Emoji*
Kazuki: LOL~ the Shinhwa heir assigned the Korean Casanova as your chaperon?! Just what is it with you and the playboys?
Ga Eul: … What are you on about now? *Frowning Emoji*
Kazuki: Gees… have you forgotten who has been your escort to the birthday party of my cousin last summer? =_=;
Ga Eul: Oh… you're talking about Masa-nii. Right, he's the notorious playboy in his school. I almost forgot…
Kazuki: Yes, well… his reputation is on par with the Korean Casanova. If the Korean Casanova has the habit of dumping girls in 2 weeks… his dating policy is changing girlfriends every 7 days. While on the subject, he didn't attempt to hit on you - did he?
Ga Eul: Nay… I think Ichiro-nii had given him ample warning before he was entrusted with the task of being my escort at your cousin's birthday party.
Kazuki: Good. Do let me know if he tries anything on you, I'll get Ichiro-nii to bash him up. Unfortunately, I won't be able to do anything if the Korean Casanova tries any funny business with you. The actions of F4 are out of my control…
Ga Eul: =_=; I doubt you have any need to worry about this because Jan Di would have beaten you to the task.
Kazuki: That's reassuring to know. Alright, it's getting late so I'll leave you in peace to get your beauty sleep. Good Night.
Ga Eul: Night.
It wasn't until Ga Eul had set aside the IPAD device did she realized that her bad mood had dispersed throughout the idle chit-chat session she had with her half-brother.
[Looks like Kazuki has gotten better at his distraction skills… oh well, to repay him for his efforts in lightening up my mood. Perhaps, I should get him something better as a souvenir from New Caledonia.] - Chu Ga Eul thought as she made her way into the en-suite bathroom to finish up with her nightly routines, before retiring for bed.
~TBC~
Chapter notes: Alright, Chapter 2 is done. XD I took the description of the Coconut Tree Square in this chapter from the tourism website of New Caledonia. And I did some tweaks to the New Caledonia scenes in the drama to fit in with my plot.
Now coming to the mention of the Teiko and Hyotei in this chapter, I did get the inspirations from the manga - Kuroko no Basket and Prince of Tennis, respectively. However, except for the school… the characters from that two series would not be appearing in this story at any point. I simply borrow the names of the school to be used in this fiction of mine.
That's all for now, see you in the next update.