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: [AU] 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 4 - Trip to New Caledonia, Part 4
"Good morning, Ga Eul-yang. Did you sleep well last night?" So Yi Jeong started, greeting Chu Ga Eul with his ever-present charming smile as the girl stepped out from her assigned hotel room.
Chu Ga Eul blinked, before responding to the words of greeting from the Korean Casanova with a cordial smile. "Yes, sunbae. I did sleep well last night, thank you for asking."
"I thought so, too. Especially with the things that have been mentioned in the latest news article concerning your mother, the fact that you had finally come clean to Geum Jan Di about your family should have been a relief. At least, that way you wouldn't have to deal with her exaggerated reactions this morning." So Yi Jeong commented with a teasing smile at the country bumpkin of his eyes, even with the knowledge of the girl's background story did nothing to change his perspective regarding Chu Ga Eul.
"I supposed that's true. Now I could only hope that my confession didn't cause Jan Di to lose too much sleep over it." Chu Ga Eul responded, a look of worry crossing her features briefly as she thought about how shell-shocked her friend had been by the end of her entire confession session during the girls' talk, they had the night before in the privacy of her hotel room.
Little did they know, their vacationing mood would be taking a turn for the worst by the time afternoon comes around. At present, both of them are on their way to the hotel's restaurant for breakfast while still in the dark of the events that transpired between Geum Jan Di, the Shinhwa heir, and Yoon Ji Hoo of F4.
On the other hand, Geum Jan Di has woken up this morning feeling dreadful. A part of her dreaded heading to breakfast for fear of facing the ire of the Shinhwa heir, after what she had done last night with Yoon Ji Hoo of F4. Likewise, the mood of a certain auburn-haired member of F4 isn't all that different from what Geum Jan Di is feeling at present. The only thing that's different between them is that Yoon Ji Hoo didn't try to procrastinate on the idea of leaving the comfort of his bed, this morning. Moreover, he has a feeling that his long-time friend whom he had managed to piss off big-time last night probably wouldn't be showing up for breakfast later.
Sure enough, when Yoon Ji Hoo arrived at the restaurant for breakfast… it wasn't hard for him to notice the absence of the Shinhwa heir. A quick look around the restaurant informed him that only Woo Bin is present, and the Don Juan of F4 is now flirting away with the waitress on duty in the restaurant.
"Yo, Ji Hoo. Good morning." Song Woo Bin greeted the auburn-haired member of his group of friends cheerfully when he sighted the approach of Yoon Ji Hoo.
"Good morning, where are the others?" Yoon Ji Hoo inquires as he took a seat at the table where the Don Juan of F4 was seated.
"Yi Jeong's off to pick up Ga Eul-yang citing how the country bumpkin would likely lose her way around the place without an escort, as for Jun Pyo… I honestly have no idea of his whereabouts since I haven't seen him anywhere in the hotel, this morning." Song Woo Bin shrugged in response, as he handed his auburn-haired friend the copy of the breakfast menu which he was done browsing through.
"Hmm… "Yoon Ji Hoo made a humming sound under his breath in response to Woo Bin's chatter, while he studied the breakfast menu attentively to avoid the need for further conversation. Besides, he seriously doubts that his friend would still be in the mood for idle chit-chat upon finding out what he had done last night to Jun Pyo, unintentional or not.
When Geum Jan Di finally make an appearance in the restaurant, she was alone which caused the eyebrows of Song Woo Bin to shoot up in surprise. "This is rare, Jun Pyo actually allows you to leave his sight?"
"..." While Geum Jan Di's first thought was to throw a sharp retort towards the Don Juan of F4 about how she wasn't exactly a kid that require an escort to bring her around, which was exactly what she had said to the Shinhwa heir multiple times over the past few days. Upon the realization of that little detail and a very clear idea of what had transpired the night before between Yoon Ji Hoo, Gu Jun Pyo, and herself, Geum Jan Di ends up holding her tongue as she took a seat at the breakfast table wordlessly.
Too wrapped up in her own thoughts, Geum Jan Di didn't even notice her friend's arrival under the escort of the Korean Casanova until she heard the voice of Chu Ga Eul addressing her.
"Jan Di ah, you aren't mad at me, are you?" Chu Ga Eul asks as she took a seat next to her unresponsive friend, with a cautious tone in her voice.
"Huh? Oh… no, I apologized. I'm not ignoring you on purpose, I just had a few things on my mind is all." Geum Jan Di responded, somehow managing to direct a small smile at her friend even if her mood is still quite on the heavy side.
"Good. For a while, I thought you were actually mad at me for withholding crucial information about my family against you." Chu Ga Eul answered, sounding relieved that her childhood friend wasn't angry at her.
"It's fine, Ga Eul. I could understand why you choose not to tell me anything until it's inevitable for you to do so. As you'd probably noticed over the years of our acquaintance, I've always held some form of prejudiced outlook against the riches… which I gathered might have been my inferiority complex at work. And then… I'm also one who tends to leap to a conclusion without having all the facts. So, in hindsight, I supposed you have valid reasons for not letting me in on your secret." Geum Jan Di responded, obviously having spent the most part of the previous night reflecting on her own personality before everything went downhill.
"Woo Bin, where's Jun Pyo?" So Yi Jeong, on the other hand, upon noticing the absence of the Shinhwa heir then promptly calls out for the attention of his Don Juan friend and starts inquiring about the whereabouts of his missing friend.
"No idea, let's wait for a while longer. If he still didn't show up after 10am, I'm going to give him a call to check on his whereabouts." The Don Juan of F4 said in response to Yi Jeong's inquiry.
What the F2 failed to notice is how Yoon Ji Hoo and Geum Jan Di had shared a silent look at this point, but what Song Woo Bin and So Yi Jeong had failed to notice didn't escape the keenly observant eyes of Chu Ga Eul. Filing away that little bit of detail for later, Chu Ga Eul shifted her attention to the Don Juan of F4 and asks. "So, Woo Bin-sunbae... what's on today's itinerary?"
For a while, the Don Juan of F4 look surprised at being addressed by Chu Ga Eul. Seeing as Chu Ga Eul is supposed to be under Yi Jeong's supervision while they are in New Caledonia, so… isn't it more likely for such a question to be directed at his friend, instead? Thus, glancing briefly at his Casanova friend - Song Woo Bin responded to Chu Ga Eul with a question of his own.
"Don't mind me asking… but why aren't you bringing your queries about the itinerary plan up to Yi Jeong?"
"... Well, he claimed to not know anything about today's group activities when I ask him earlier while on our way over to the restaurant." Chu Ga Eul answered in a matter-of-fact tone of voice while looking at the Don Juan of F4 with an expectant look.
"I see... in that case, allow me to fill you in on the activities on our itinerary plan for today." Song Woo Bin said with a grin, before declaring jovially to the members gathered at the breakfast table. "We are going snorkeling today."
"Ah... I had to admit, I was wondering if snorkeling would be on the itinerary given that the activity has been highly promoted in the brochures made available for the hotel guests in the reception lobby." Ga Eul commented, smiling at the response provided by the Don Juan of F4.
"Of course, we would include the snorkeling experience in the itinerary. That's the biggest selling point for New Caledonia." Song Woo Bin laughed in response to Ga Eul's comment, before asking if the girl had had any previous experience in snorkeling.
"Erm... no, I've tried Scuba Diving at one point but not snorkeling." Ga Eul responded, somewhat bashfully.
"Really? That's rare, usually, it's the other way around. Mind sharing where did you go for your scuba diving adventure?" Song Woo Bin inquire out of curiosity.
"...I tried scuba diving in Okinawa." Chu Ga Eul answered, after a moment of silence as she needs to think back to that particular occasion since it wasn't a recent activity.
"Really? Was that in October? I've heard that the best time to do diving in Okinawa is in October, something about the water temperature being the most ideal in that period." The Don Juan of F4 asks, appearing to be rather curious on the subject of scuba diving in Okinawa.
"I think so… I can't recall exactly when it was, since that was at least two years ago." Ga Eul responded, slightly embarrassed that she wasn't able to provide the Don Juan of F4 with a precise account of what was entailed in her one and only diving experience.
"Ah... so, Ga Eul-yang…how many times in a year do you travel to Japan?" Song Woo Bin asks next, his continued effort in trying to engage Chu Ga Eul in a conversation was baffling to most of the breakfast attendants. Among them, including a certain Korean Casanova who is trying to stamp down a spark of annoyance that seems to have emerged from nowhere upon the sight of his Don Juan friend trying to chat up the country bumpkin.
"I would say the norm is once a year, but if there are special occasions to attend ... then perhaps twice or thrice in a year." Ga Eul answered with a polite smile while making sure that the eye contact between them doesn't last for long.
The last thing she needs now is for her friend - Jan Di to leap to some ridiculous notion, such as her falling for the Don Juan of F4. it is bad enough that her prolonged presence in the Korean Casanova had Jan Di overreacting at every little moment when she met eyes with So Yi Jeong, and she really doesn't need to add the Don Juan into the picture as well. Granted, with how abysmal her friend's attention is this morning - likely, Geum Jan Di wouldn't notice much, but Ga Eul figured there's no harm in being cautious.
"Woo Bin, stop trying to chat Ga Eul-yang up. Your breakfast plate is getting cold." Just then, the Korean Casanova butted in – putting a halt to the conversation between Chu Ga Eul and the Don Juan of F4.
Immediately, Song Woo Bin of F4 shifted his gaze towards his breakfast plate and have a good look at its content. Upon noticing the butter roll lying innocently on his plate… the Don Juan of F4 went on to throw a weird look at his Casanova friend. Inwardly, the Don Juan of F4 couldn't help but wonder if his friend had woken up on the wrong side of the bed - this morning. After all, his breakfast comprises of butter roll, jam, and bread which is meant to be served at room temperature. Therefore, his friend's earlier comment about how his breakfast is getting cold makes absolutely no sense to him.
The moment the words left his lips, So Yi Jeong felt like taking a hammer to his head. Luckily, aside from that weird look sent his way by his Don Juan friend… nobody else had reacted to his strange words, and to a lesser extent - the oddity in his behavior. Gees… what possessed him to do that? Why does it irk him so much when Woo Bin attempted to chat up the country bumpkin? What he just did was not the norm, he couldn't be attracted to the country bumpkin - could he? No…no way, girls like that are off-limits to him. Perhaps, he needs to get laid… yes, that's it. He must have gone too long without getting laid, all he needs is a good laid to get his mind back into functioning mode. So Yi Jeong thought, as he made the decision to get himself laid upon returning to Seoul – completely unaware that the myriad of expressions crossing his features was attracting the concerned gaze of his best friend.
"... Yi Jeong ah, is everything okay?" The Don Juan of F4 frowned in concern as he voiced his inquiry across to his Casanova friend. Of course, Song Woo Bin has no idea what was running through the mind of his friend. All the heir of II-Shin Construction knows was one minute his friend was insulating that he was attempting to chat up Chu Ga Eul, and the next minute his friend's expressions start changing so rapidly that Woo Bin had thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.
"Sorry, what was that again?" So Yi Jeong who was drawn out from his thoughts by the voice of Song Woo Bin then asks, directing a questioning look in the direction of the Don Juan of F4.
"I was asking you if everything is okay. You seem a little out of sort, as compared to the time when you'd just arrived at the restaurant with Ga Eul-yang in tow." Song Woo Bin repeated his question from before to his distracted friend, as he focused his full attention on the Korean Casanova with unbidden concern.
"... I'm fine, I just realized that I'd received a missed call alert from someone back home sometime in the middle of the night." The Korean Casanova shakes off his friend's concern and went on to put on his perfect mask of indifference in an attempt to dodge further inquiries from his concerned friend.
"..." Sure enough, Song Woo Bin stop trying to pry into the thoughts of his Casanova friend then; assuming that his friend is probably upset about the situation back home. After all, Woo Bin knows enough of his friend's family life to know that his Casanova friend would always be in a bad mood whenever his friend received a call from Seoul while on vacation. Since, that usually meant that either his friend's father is being featured on the tabloid news with a new scandal or that his friend's mother has tried to commit suicide, again.
When 10am comes by and there still isn't any sign of the Shinhwa heir, Song Woo Bin finally took it upon himself to call up his missing friend. But no matter how many times he called, his friend refuses to answer the call. So, in the end, Song Woo Bin has no choice but to call up the airport to check if anyone working in the airport had seen his friend. As the call wasn't put on speaker mode, all they managed to gather from the response on their side was that the Shinhwa heir has left New Caledonia.
"So, Woo Bin, where exactly is Jun Pyo now?" So Yi Jeong questioned as soon as the Don Juan of F4 ended the call with the airport staff.
"Jun Pyo…I supposed he's back in Seoul by this point." The Don Juan of F4 responded, still looking quite baffled about the abrupt departure of the Shinhwa heir from New Caledonia.
"... What?! First, he demanded us to clear our schedule for the entire week to come on this trip to New Caledonia... and now, he just decided to return to Seoul on a whim without leaving any words for us?! Just what on earth is he thinking, that idiot!" The Korean Casanova sounded exasperated, from Ga Eul's opinion when it was revealed that the missing Shinhwa heir is now back in Seoul.
Song Woo Bin shrugged, looking quite baffled by the sudden turn of events. Turning towards Geum Jan Di, the supposed girlfriend of the Shinhwa heir – the Don Juan of F4 asks. "Geum Jan Di...do you have any ideas about this?"
Not trusting herself to speak up without giving away what exactly had happened that causes Gu Jun Pyo to leave New Caledonia prematurely, Geum Jan Di simply maintains her silence on the subject when being addressed by the Don Juan of F4.
At the same point of time, So Yi Jeong decided to voice his next query across to his friend since he did recall hearing his friend making such an inquiry over the phone call with the airport staff earlier. "So, when exactly did Jun Pyo leave New Caledonia for Seoul?"
"According to the staff at the airport, the private jet of Shinhwa Group departs for Seoul around 1am local time." Song Woo Bin responded to the Korean Casanova before shifting his gaze onto the figure of Geum Jan Di.
"Crazy idiot..." So Yi Jeong muttered under his breath, while Geum Jan Di shifted somewhat uncomfortably in her seat under the scrutiny of Song Woo Bin of F4.
There was a moment of awkward silence following the revelations that Gu Jun Pyo has left them behind in New Caledonia, before Yoon Ji Hoo took it upon himself to break the silence without giving away the fact that he knew exactly why the Shinhwa heir had decided to leave New Caledonia, prematurely and abruptly.
"So, are we going to cut this vacation short or are we going to continue as planned? Regardless of which option we decided to go with, we would have to think of an alternative way to get home from New Caledonia since Jun Pyo has obviously taken his private jet with him when he decides to leave for Seoul early this morning." Yoon Ji Hoo started, drawing everyone's eyes upon his person.
Geum Jan Di heaved a sigh of relief that Yoon Ji Hoo didn't reveal to the other members of F4 about what had happened last night between the three of them. Her mind's already in turmoil thinking about what Gu Jun Pyo would do to her when the New Caledonia trip finally comes to an end, she hoped she didn't need to add the stares of disapproval from the Don Juan and the Korean Casanova of F4 before they even return to Seoul.
For a moment, the Don Juan of F4 look conflicted but eventually, he decided to proceed with their original plan for the snorkeling activity. No point in canceling the activity when the booking for the luxury yacht has already been made and fully paid for, by the Shinhwa heir on the previous day.
"In that case, I'll see to the matter of getting us the tickets for the return flights. If memory serves me right, I believe the Shinhwa Airlines operate two-ways commercial flights between New Caledonia and Seoul on a twice-a-day frequency." The Korean Casanova commented when his friend decided that they would proceed with their original planned itinerary instead of cutting short their vacation in New Caledonia despite Jun Pyo's abrupt return to Seoul, out of the blue.
"I'll go back to my room for a nap, let me know when you guys are ready to set off for the snorkeling experience." Yoon Ji Hoo declared as he stood to leave the restaurant.
"I think I'll head back to my room as well; I didn't sleep well last night. Give me a call when it's time to leave." Geum Jan Di waited for about a minute before she came up with a plausible excuse to leave the restaurant.
"..." Chu Ga Eul frowned, the more she observed the behavior and body language of her friend - the more she suspected that something is wrong.
"Ga Eul-yang, is anything the matter?" Song Woo Bin of F4 inquires, upon noting the frowning look on Ga Eul's face.
"Huh?" Looking over at the Don Juan of F4 in bewilderment, Chu Ga Eul couldn't help but ask back in return. "I beg your pardon?"
"There's this constant frowning look on your face, so, I was wondering if anything is bugging you." Song Woo Bin explained, sweating slightly under the pressure of his Casanova friend's warning look.
"... Oh, no... well, not exactly. The notion of returning to Seoul on a commercial flight just got me thinking is all..." Chu Ga Eul responded, bringing up the first thought that crossed her mind in response to the inquiry from the Don Juan of F4. After all, she is hardly going to share her suspicion with the members of F4 before she gets a chance to speak with her friend.
"About what, if you don't mind sharing? Who knows, we might just be able to provide you with some assistance to the issue bugging you." Song Woo Bin responded, flashing his own version of the charming smile at Chu Ga Eul.
"Woo Bin, stop trying to hit on Chu Ga Eul if you don't wish to be subjected to a castration from the Wonder Woman of Korea. Geum Jan Di would have your head if you were to put your hands on her precious friend." So Yi Jeong reminded his friend pointedly, trying his best to keep up with his mask of indifference.
"What?! That's what you think I'm doing? Flirting with Ga Eul-yang?" Song Woo Bin spluttered for a second, before turning incredulous eyes onto his Casanova friend.
"Aren't you?" The Korean Casanova raised an eyebrow up in a questioning manner while looking in his friend's direction.
"Of course, I'm not trying to flirt with Ga Eul-yang. I value my life a lot, thank you very much." Song Woo Bin declared a solemn look on his face and his tone no longer jovial.
So Yi Jeong stared unwaveringly at Song Woo Bin for a few seconds, trying to judge if his friend was serious about what was being said before nodding in acceptance of his friend's words. Shifting his attention back to the figure of Chu Ga Eul, the Korean Casanova spoke.
"My sincere apologies for going off-topic, but Woo Bin's right... whatever that might concern you about the return flight to Seoul, we might just be able to assist you. So, care to share with us what exactly is on your mind regarding the matter of returning to Seoul on a commercial operated flight?"
"It's fine, and to be honest, that was kind of amusing to witness. Is the castration threat from Jan Di really that daunting to the two of you?" Chu Ga Eul couldn't help but inquire out of curiosity.
At this, both the Casanova and Don Juan of F4 blanched as they thought back to the occasion whereby Geum Jan Di had stalked into the F4 private lounge in Shinhwa High and promptly delivered a flying kick that sends Jun Pyo crashing to the floor. Still ashen pale from the reminder of that particular event, the two playboys of F4 turn towards Chu Ga Eul and nod in unison.
"I see… anyway, coming back to the issues that are troubling me. I was just wondering if there's a possibility for the passenger's list for the flights operated by Shinhwa Airline being leaked to the media. Unlike you guys who are used to the attention, I would very much appreciate the idea of not getting mobbed upon returning to Seoul." The country bumpkin responded, looking quite troubled by the notion of being mobbed by the press at the airport back home in Seoul.
"Is that all that's bothering you, Ga Eul-yang?" The Korean Casanova couldn't help but double-check with Chu Ga Eul upon hearing the answer from the girl in regards to his earlier inquiry.
"Erm… yes? Why are the two of you looking so amused…?" Chu Ga Eul frowned as she took in the mirrored expression of mirth on both the face of the Korean Casanova and the Don Juan and promptly wondered if she had made the wrong decision to tell them what's on her mind.
Alright, maybe it wasn't exactly the first troubling thought on Ga Eul's mind but still… short of informing them of her suspicion about how her friend - Jan Di might be the direct cause behind the Shinhwa heir abrupt departure from New Caledonia, this is the only troubling thing she could come up with on short notice. So, even if it did sound a little too trivial in hindsight… it's not as if she could do anything about it.
"Sorry, Ga Eul-yang. I didn't mean to laugh at you. It's just…well, have you forgotten who we are? As members of the F4, I can guarantee you that you won't get mobbed by the press even if the passenger list for the flight we are traveling on has been leaked to the media. Especially, since we wouldn't be using the clearance lane meant for the members of the public." Song Woo Bin hurried to placate Chu Ga Eul, lest the girl really gets annoyed with him.
"Speaking of which, Ga Eul-yang… I should perhaps inform you ahead of time that the return flight tickets have been booked. The flight would depart at 10am on the day after tomorrow, we would be flying first-class." So Yi Jeong added as an afterthought, with a meaningful look directed at the country bumpkin.
"...That was fast, bro. When did you book the tickets?" Song Woo Bin zeroed in his gaze on his Casanova friend then, obviously surprised by the fact.
"While you're busy chatting up Ga Eul-yang, of course." So Yi Jeong deadpans at his best friend.
"... Right, I'll make sure to inform Jan Di about it so she won't overreact on the matter. Since we are leaving at 10am on the day after tomorrow, does that mean that I would have to complete my souvenirs shopping before then?" Chu Ga Eul then steered the topic of conversation onto her leftover shopping errand while in New Caledonia.
"Yes. Do you still have things to buy? I was under the impression that you're done with your souvenirs shopping, to be honest." So Yi Jeong began, seeing as he was practically the 'cash machine' for Chu Ga Eul when it comes down to the girl's shopping spree… he knew exactly how thorough the country bumpkin was when it comes down to buying souvenirs. In fact, the Korean Casanova distinctively recalls seeing a list filled up with names, and how Chu Ga Eul would proceed to cross out a name on the list each time something had been purchased.
"... I just recalled that I had forgotten to include a gift for my biological father, who's going to be in town for the issuance of the official statement about me being his illegitimate daughter. I didn't include him in the list before since I wasn't aware that he's coming over to Korea in person to deal with the matter. I had thought that he was going to issue that official statement remotely from Japan." Chu Ga Eul responded, not in the least surprised to hear the Korean Casanova mentioning her shopping list.
"I see…" So Yi Jeong commented, before turning towards his Don Juan friend as they look over the planned itinerary for the following day briefly. After a few minutes spend pouring over the original itinerary plan left behind by the Shinhwa heir, they reckoned that they might as well form their own plan for the following day. After all, neither of them is keen on the idea of partaking in a candlelit dinner with Geum Jan Di.
"Ga Eul-yang, would you prefer to do your shopping before the aquarium visit or after?" Song Woo Bin inquired, as he starts formulating an itinerary of his own in his mind.
"I would prefer to do it after the aquarium visit. After all, I had no idea what I would be getting for my biological father as of yet." Ga Eul answered frankly, as she took a sip of her breakfast juice.
Since they intend to discard the original itinerary plan for the following day, the two playboys of F4 ended up spending the time discussing details about their spontaneous itinerary plan through the means of bouncing ideas off one another.
Chu Ga Eul, on the other hand, opt to spend this time going through the unread message she had sitting away in her email account. Most of these unread messages were advertisements from the mailing list she was placed on after making purchases at certain merchants, but there are a couple that stands out to her that weren't considered advertisement mails. One of them happens to be from Gong Soo Pyo - the guy she had met during the speed-dating event which she had attended with a classmate of hers, two weeks ago.
Aside from that email from Gong Soo Pyo, there was another email - this time from her classmate, the very same classmate who had invited her to attend the speed-dating event. It was through the email sent to her by her classmate that she discovered the reason why Gong Soo Pyo would have her email address. According to her classmate, that guy has been turning up every day outside the gate of Seoul High School hoping to see her, again. However, as Ga Eul is on a leave of absence - being dragged off for an impromptu vacation trip to New Caledonia by the F4 forcibly… Gong Soo Pyo hasn't been able to meet up with her as planned. Short of giving out her contact details, her classmate has trouble getting Gong Soo Pyo to stop showing up at the gates of their school.
"..."
Not quite ready to deal with the email from Gong Soo Pyo just yet, Chu Ga Eul shifted her attention to compose a text message to her half-brother, Kazuki instead.
From Ga Eul: Kazuki, were you the one to apply for the leave of absence from school on my behalf? Because I definitely don't remember doing it myself.
From Kazuki: Not quite. I think your mom did it for you. She's the one that agrees to send you with the F4 to New Caledonia, right? So, she likely is the one who calls up your school to apply for the leave of absence on your behalf.
From Ga Eul: I see… BTW, Masa-Nii was in Korea over the weekend. Did you get to meet up with him?
From Kazuki: Of course, we met him for dinner at Shuichi's place. Since Masashi had cited not wishing to attract the attention of the public. *Roll-eyes Emoji*
From Ga Eul: Shuichi's place? Why though? The villa house is bigger, isn't it?
From Kazuki: The villa house of the Miyazawa family is indeed a tad more spacious than Shuichi's place, but... I wasn't allowed domestic help, remember? And Masashi is very picky about food... so, we figured it best to treat him to dinner over at Shuichi's place. After all, unlike the villa house – Shuichi's place of residence does have the domestic helper around to cook up a feast that would satisfy the taste buds of Masashi. *Shrugging Emoji*
From Ga Eul: I see... Alright, I'll text you again tonight. GTG, snorkeling experience awaits. *Smiley Emoji*
From Kazuki: TTYL, enjoy ~
Location: Seoul, South Korea, Shinhwa High School
"So, what did I miss?" Kazuki asks, tucking away his mobile phone to refocus his attention back to the discussion at hand.
"Nothing much, we are just making idle chit-chat while waiting for you to be done with your text conversation on the phone." Saionji Shunsuke responded, looking quite amused much to the bewilderment of Miyazawa Kazuki.
"And what precisely was the idle chit-chat about?" Raising an eyebrow up in a questioning manner, Kazuki turns towards his cousin and friend – Sakuraba Shuichi for an elaboration. Especially, since his other friend seems more content to tease him than to clue him in on the topic of discussion during that idle chit-chat session that has been going on while he's engrossed in a text conversation with his half-sister, Chu Ga Eul over the phone.
"... The lot of them were busy speculating on the topic of whether or not you have a girlfriend." Sakuraba Shuichi hesitated for a second, before shrugging as he proceeds to share the main topic that was being discussed during the idle chit-chat session with his childhood friend and cousin.
"And pray tell, what brought on this particular topic of discussion when it should be the class project that should be discussed?" Miyazawa Kazuki rolls his eyes momentarily, before demanding for his friend to clarify the matter.
"Well... whatever it was being corresponded in the text messages, you have been smiling a lot. And because you're always so serious in your demeanor while in school, it got our fellow project-mates curious." Finally, Shunsuke took pity on his friend and decide to clue the heir to the Miyazawa F&B Group onto the reason why the topic of his friend's non-existing love life was brought up to the discussion table.
Kazuki and his two friends have been placed in the top class of their level in Shinhwa High School, and so, their classmates comprise of the students in the top 25 ranking positions in the entire level, excluding the F4. The F4 are special, and this isn't subjected to the typical rules in place within the Shinhwa Academy. After all, they have their own private classroom catering to no one else but the members of their own group. It is quite the same case when it comes down to the grading of their academic achievements, the F4 is in a tier of their own, separated from the rest of the school population.
The class size of the Shinhwa Academy was capped at 25 per class, and there are a total of five classes at their level. Lesser than anticipated in Kazuki's opinion, then again, it's rare for an outsider to try for a place in Shinhwa High School unlike the situation in Japan, whereby public entrance exams to elite schools are held once a year for the general public to try for admittance into getting a prestige education as long as they could afford the price tag that comes with attending class with the elites. In the case of Shinhwa High School though, on the rare occasion whereby an outsider was admitted into the school, it's usually due to special reasons. Such as being offered a spot in the school under a scholarship scheme, which is exactly how Geum Jan Di was able to attend Shinhwa, or in the case of Kazuki and his two friends, who are attending Shinhwa High under the exchange students' program in place between the Shinhwa Academy and the Hyotei Academy.
Anyway, while Kazuki tends to keep to his own group of friends while in school... there are times they would need to expand their social circle to include the other students of their class. For instance – when a group project has been assigned to the class. Group projects are usually assigned out to the students by the teacher-in-charge with the stipulated condition that the project would need to be completed in a group of five. Since the project is to be completed in groups of five, Kazuki and his friends would be required to bring in two more people to form the project group.
And so, after careful consideration – Kazuki had decided to bring in two female classmates – Oh Ha Na, and Choi Hyo Rin. Granted, his first choice hasn't been Oh Ha Na but a guy named Park Jae In, whose father was a staff employed in the satellite office of the Miyazawa F&B Group in Seoul. Only, that guy was on a leave of absence due to some training camps involving his extra-curriculum commitments.
As for Kazuki's reason for picking Choi Hyo Rin as the other member of his ideal project group, well... the girl has previously attended a semester of classes in Hyotei Academy under the exchange program that was being trialed between Shinhwa and Hyotei, some years ago when it's still a pilot program. Back then, Choi Hyo Rin was often bullied by the girls in Hyotei because of her crush on his friend – Saionji Shunsuke.
Shunsuke is, and still is, by the way... quite a popular guy in Hyotei Academy. Partly because of his good looks, and athletic performances. Not that Shuichi and he didn't excel so much in the athletic department, it's simply a matter of them not standing out as much as Shunsuke did when it comes down to sports achievement. Either way, Shunsuke remembers Choi Hyo Rin as the exchange student who attended Hyotei briefly back in their middle school days, who didn't fawn all over him like the rest of their female schoolmates. That had led to Shunsuke suggesting the girl's name to Kazuki when they were discussing who to bring into their fold when they have been instructed by the teacher to form their own group for the project assignment.
"What the hell...?!" Miyazawa Kazuki spluttered momentarily, before shifting disbelieving eyes upon the docile girl in his memory as he deadpans to Choi Hyo Rin. "Seriously? I expected this sort of behavior from Oh Ha Na, but not from you. I thought gossips weren't exactly your thing, Hyo Rin-Chan!"
"... Sorry, but what makes you think that I'm above the habit of gossiping?" Choi Hyo Rin looks sheepish as she responded to Kazuki, with a tone of incredulity in her voice. Granted, she might not have gossiped much when she was on the exchange program to Hyotei Academy a few years back – but that's because she doesn't have things to gossip about as she hardly knows anyone in Japan.
"Yes, Kazuki... It's a typical habit for the ladies to gossip. I would have expected you to know that by now." Saionji Shunsuke snorted at the dumbfounded look on his friend's face after being snubbed in the face by the usually docile Choi Hyo Rin.
Rolling his eyes at the words of his childhood friend, Miyazawa Kazuki then zeroed in his gaze upon the figure of Oh Ha Na. Narrowing his eyes slightly at the girl that he had grudgingly agreed to take into his project group when it becomes apparent that nobody else in the class is willing to associate themselves with her, Kazuki said in a warning tone of voice. "Oh Ha Na, let it be known that I didn't pick you voluntarily for my group. The only reason I had agreed to let you join my project group is that Jae In is away on a training camp with his fellow soccer teammates. If you wish to gossip with Hyo Rin, do it outside of the classroom, and please, while at it – don't try to poke your nose into my business. My actions are my own and had absolutely nothing to do with you."
"..."
For a while, nobody spoke. Choi Hyo Rin wasn't in a position to tell Kazuki to drop the matter, since she knew the only reason, she was in the project group was due to Saionji Shunsuke's recommendation. Shunsuke, on the other hand, simply wishes to sit back and enjoy this rare show of his friend's domineering side. Usually, Kazuki reserved such treatment exclusively to the irrational fan-girls back in their home country, who tends to fawn over them in a manner that ticks them off. As much as Shuichi wish to remain on the sideline of things, when it became apparent that it is up to him alone to keep things calm within the project group... the teen sighed inwardly in resignation as he placed a hand on the chest of his cousin and friend.
"Maa...maa, Kazuki – take a chill pill. I'm sure Ha Na-San has effectively learned her lesson, and thus will not have a repeat of today's event, again." Shuichi said, planting himself in between his friend and the obviously shell-shocked figure of Oh Ha Na.
"She better make sure there isn't a repeat of today's event. After that stunt pulled by her cousin against Geum Jan Di, she's really lucky that she managed to escape unscathed – this time. Although, that didn't stop the majority of the class to shy away from her when they learn of her relationship with Oh Min Ji – the only girl who was literally expelled from Shinhwa under the direct orders of the F4, following the uncovering of her instigation in the setting up of Geum Jan Di. To date – if it hadn't been for my graciousness in accepting her into our project group, she would have trouble completing the project assignments, of that, I had no doubt." Kazuki huffed in annoyance, allowing his cousin to lead him away for a breath of fresh air.
"Maa...maa, I know. Kazuki, I know. Come on, let's head outside for a breather." Sakuraba Shuichi said as he dragged his upset cousin away from the classroom, leaving the two girls behind with Saionji Shunsuke to their own device.
"... That's really unfair of Kazuki-Kun to say that about Ha Na. It wasn't Ha Na that set-up Geum Jan Di in that scandalous fiasco, that was all her cousin's doing." Choi Hyo Rin spoke up then, shortly after Kazuki left the classroom with Shuichi to get a breath of fresh air.
"Yes, Kazuki shouldn't have lumped her together in the same category as Oh Min Ji, I agree. However, it didn't change the fact that she was in the knows of that particular ploy instigated and executed by her cousin and choose not to say anything in time to prevent that entire fiasco from happening. It wasn't until F4 started looking into the matter, that she finally said something about it. And that alone, was enough to leave a bad impression of her in Kazuki's book." Saionji Shunsuke pointed out flatly to the girl who was, at one point in time, his secret admirer.
"..."
Location: New Caledonia
Over in New Caledonia, Chu Ga Eul spends the majority of the time during the snorkeling experience observing her unusually silent friend from the corner of her eyes. The more she observed, the more she thought something must have happened between her friend and Yoon Ji Hoo of F4. First of all, her friend was no longer sneaking glances at the auburn-haired member of F4 and instead often had eye contact with the guy with an unreadable look in them.
Next, her friend seems exceptionally jumpy whenever the name of the Shinhwa heir was brought up in conversations between the two playboys of F4. Furthermore, there are a few times Ga Eul had thought her friend suddenly went teary-eyed while gazing out at the sea. Granted, Jan Di didn't actually start crying but still... that is enough to raise red flags in Ga Eul's book. So, when they finally arrived back at the hotel from their snorkeling experience - Ga Eul decided that it's time for her to have another session of girls' talk with her childhood friend.
"Jan Di ah, I would like to have a word with you in private." Chu Ga Eul started, causing Geum Jan Di to falter for a second before nodding her agreement.
Satisfied that her friend has not shied away from the idea of having another session of girls' talks with her, Chu Ga Eul shifted her eyes towards the F3 and seek affirmation. "We do have enough time for a girls' talk, right?"
"Of course. The main highlight for today's itinerary is the snorkeling experience, we are welcome to do our own things until dinner time rolls around." Song Woo Bin responded as he directed a nod in the direction of the girls.
"Good. We will see you guys later for dinner then." Chu Ga Eul responded in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, before turning on her heels to leave for the direction of the hotel rooms with her childhood friend - Geum Jan Di in tow.
"...What do you reckon they would talk about this time?" Song Woo Bin asks, glancing over to his Casanova friend with a curious look in his eyes.
"No idea. But Geum Jan Di has been unusually quiet today, maybe the country bumpkin simply wants to cheer her friend up? Who knows?!" The Korean Casanova shrugged in response, his babysitting duties don't entail prying into the details of the girls' talk between the country bumpkin and Geum Jan Di. He wasn't Gu Jun Pyo, for goodness' sake.
"Ya, Ji Hoo… where are you going?" The Don Juan of F4 calls out when he noticed the departing figure of his auburn-haired friend.
"I'm going for a nap." Yoon Ji Hoo calls back in response, without looking back.
"Huh? Since when was he back on the 15 hours sleep routine? I thought he already had his nap before we went snorkeling today?" Song Woo Bin commented, looking bemused as he shared a look with his Casanova friend.
"... Well, perhaps he had expended all his energy in the snorkeling experience earlier?" The Korean Casanova shrugged in response, before changing the subject of conversation - altogether. Figuring that they still had some time to spare until dinner time comes around, the Korean Casanova suggested for them to hit the pubs with the ladies' brought on the trip by his Don Juan friend to kill time.
"You know what, Yi Jeong? That's a good idea, come on babies - let's go party!" Song Woo Bin allowed a grin to form on his lips, before turning towards the two Caucasian women he had brought on this trip and announced.
In the meantime, over in the assigned hotel room for Chu Ga Eul. The owner of the room didn't bother making small conversation this time and instead decided to go straight into the core of the matter. "So, Jan Di ah... care to share what's on your mind for the entirety of today?"
"What makes you think that I have something on my mind?" Geum Jan Di originally tried to deflect the question coming from her friend, but unfortunately once Chu Ga Eul had her mind fixated upon something – nothing would be able to change her mind. And so, Geum Jan Di's effort in dodging the bullet was in vain.
"Jan Di ah... I have always known you as an energetic individual. And so, the fact that you had been so subdued since this morning is enough to tell me that you're not your usual self. Initially, I had thought it's a side-effect from our girls' talk last night... maybe you are still digesting the information which I decided to reveal to you yesterday. But then, I thought it can't be... since the conversation we had over breakfast this morning sounds like you had been reflecting on the matter and have come to peace with the entire issue. So, it must have been something else that is weighing on your mind. Would you care to share them with me voluntarily, or would you prefer me to extract them from you through the means of persuasion? I assured you, I can be rather persuasive when I put my mind to it." Chu Ga Eul started, taking a seat by the chair planted next to the entrance doorway to her hotel room.
For a while, there was silence. And then, Geum Jan Di sighed aloud as she turns to face her childhood friend as she commented in response. "... What do you want to know?"
"Good, I see that you've decided to come clean with me." Ga Eul commented smugly in response when Geum Jan Di finally decided to stop avoiding her eyes.
"Well... you aren't going to let me leave your room, otherwise. While I can't say I know you as much as you know me... but one thing I am certain of is that once you decided upon something – nothing could hinder your determination. Judging from your current disposition, you had your mind dead set on the idea of extracting information out of me. Until you get the information that you seek, you aren't going to let me leave." Geum Jan Di commented somewhat drily, glancing towards the sofa armchair where her friend is sitting at present that's being situated right by the door that separated the inside from the outside. The Wonder Woman of Korea has no doubt that if she attempted to escape through that door, her childhood friend wouldn't be above the idea of blocking her from leaving by employing physical means.
"Good. I'm glad you remembered that. Now, care to tell me just what exactly is going on? I have been very patient with you thus far...I wouldn't have waited this long if it weren't you." Chu Ga Eul told Geum Jan Di flatly in response. Seriously, if the person acting oddly in front of her all day long weren't her childhood friend but her half-sibling… Ga Eul would have snapped them out of it much earlier, and more violently without caring if there were any audiences around. So, in a way, her childhood friend is lucky in the sense that she didn't decide to start the interrogation session in front of the F3.
"It's a long story... where do you want me to begin?" Geum Jan Di sighed, taking a seat at the foot of her friend's bed figuring that she might as well make herself comfortable if she's going to reiterate the whole story to her friend.
"For starters, perhaps you can tell me what happen last night. Don't tell me that nothing has happened, with how Jun Pyo-sunbae has been behaving towards you since the beginning of this trip. I simply cannot imagine why he would leave New Caledonia ahead of schedule, without any valid reasons." Chu Ga Eul pointed out objectively, to her childhood friend – Geum Jan Di.
"... The short version is that Gu Jun Pyo fought with Ji Hoo-sunbae, and cut ties with me after witnessing us kissing on the beach." Seeing no way around it, the Wonder Woman of Korea decided to go straight to the point and drop the most crucial bit of information which resulted in the Shinhwa heir's abrupt departure from New Caledonia in the lap of her friend.
"Excuse me? What was that?! Jan Di ah... you don't just drop information like this without warning. So, rewind and do it again. This time, in chronological order, so I could understand better." Chu Ga Eul was shocked, but she recovered enough to press on for further information from her childhood friend.
With a brittle smile playing on her lips, Geum Jan Di obliged her friend's request to reiterate the account of what had transpired the previous night in chronological order. "As you probably would've expected, I had trouble falling asleep last night after your little confession. So, after tossing and turning for umpteen times – I decided to clear my head by taking a night stroll to the beach. Except, I had no idea that Gu Jun Pyo has seen me leaving and decided to follow me from behind."
"Okay... what happened next?" Ga Eul prompted when her friend fail to speak after some time.
"I chanced upon Ji Hoo-sunbae on the beach. Remembering the news about, Seo Hyun-unnie engagement to the Frenchman, I thought the least I should do was to apologize to Ji Hoo-sunbae. After all, I was the one to encourage him to go after Seo Hyun-unnie... if I haven't done that, he wouldn't have been this heartbroken. Although my original intention for approaching him was to simply offer an apology but with how sad he had seemed to be, I didn't have it in me to simply turn and leave. So, we started conversing... he shared with me how he feels while in France. The more he shared with me, the more terrible I felt. At some point, I must have started to cry because the next thing I know... he had me in an embrace. When he finally let go of me, we ended up staring into each other eyes unmoving for some time. I had no idea what possessed us to do what we did, maybe it's the mood... regardless, what happen is that he kissed me then and... I didn't stop him."
"I supposed that's when Jun Pyo-sunbae announced his presence to the two of you?" Chu Ga Eul commented, already having envisioned the scene in her mind.
Geum Jan Di nodded, wiping tears from her eyes as she answered. "Yes, and his reaction was unlike anything I had seen before. He didn't yell, he simply marched up to us and threw a punch in the face of Ji Hoo-sunbae. I tried to stop him, but he shrugged me off. And then, he looks at me with so much anguish and hurt in his eyes. He told me how patient he had been with me so far, and how he had tried so hard to please me all this time. He said he had shown me his heart, shown me his true self - something that he seldom shows to other people. That was how much he had valued me, and yet... this was what I did to repay him. Ga Eul ah... what should I do?"
"..." Ga Eul resisted the urge to face-palm at the end of her friend's reiteration about the events that led up to the early departure of the Shinhwa heir from New Caledonia and found herself at a loss of words. How on earth would she know what to do under these circumstances?! So, all Chu Ga Eul did was to look at her friend in sympathy while offering a shoulder for her friend to cry on.
Afterward, taking note of the approaching time for dinner - Chu Ga Eul sends her friend off to the en-suite bathroom to clean up for a bit. All the crying her friend has been doing earlier had resulted in a pair of puffy red eyes… and if they were to avoid drawing the attention of the F3 during dinner, her friend definitely needs to find somewhere to camouflage the fact that crying has been involved during their little session of heart-to-heart conversation.
"How is it, Ga Eul? Do I look like I've cried?" Geum Jan Di asks, directing her words at her childhood friend who seemed to be busy doing something on the IPAD device.
"It's still a little red… but that's okay, we can just say something along the line of sand getting into your eyes and while trying to get it out… you rubbed your eyes a little too hard." Chu Ga Eul glanced up from the email response she is trying to compose to a certain Gong Soo Pyo and responded to the question put forth by her childhood friend.
Yes, Chu Ga Eul is finally responding to the email sent to her by Gong Soo Pyo after putting it off for the majority part of the day. There wasn't anything of substance in the email she had received from the guy, all it is was simply another message from Gong Soo Pyo asking her out on a date. The message read:
'Miss. Chu Ga Eul, I really like you. Would you please give me a chance and go out on a date with me? From: Gong Soo Pyo'
Satisfied that the guy had at least dropped the use of cheesy pick-up lines this time, Ga Eul hesitated for a while before sending a response to Gong Soo Pyo with the message that she would, as he said - give him a chance and agree to go out on one date with him for a trial. They can talk about arranging future dates if his performance during the trial date is satisfactory. Hitting the send button on the email app before she could chicken out, the moment the message was sent out - Ga Eul set aside her IPAD by leaving it unattended on the bed of her assigned hotel room.
Turning towards her childhood friend, Ga Eul started. "Alright, Jan Di. I'm done with the sending of the email. Let's not keep the guys waiting any longer, I wouldn't put it past Yi Jeong-sunbae to come over and pick us up thinking we'd lost our way if we'd delay showing up at the restaurant any longer."
"..."
Dinner that day was uneventful, save for the few awkward moments when Yoon Ji Hoo received several sets of concerned gazes upon his person when the group seated some distance away started discussing the marriage union between Min Seo Hyun and the Frenchman who's on the political run to become the next president of France. And after dinner came to an end, Ga Eul allowed herself to be escorted to her room by the Korean Casanova while Yoon Ji Hoo did the same for Geum Jan Di.
On the 6th day of their New Caledonia trip, with the new itinerary planned between Song Woo Bin and So Yi Jeong of F4 - the girls visited the Lagoon Aquarium for the better half of the morning, before grabbing lunch at a dining place located in the market famous for their seafood dishes. After lunch is when the group split off for separate activities. For instance - Chu Ga Eul would be going on her last souvenirs shopping trip with So Yi Jeong as her personal escort, while Geum Jan Di was invited by Yoon Ji Hoo of F4 to go around exploring the local culture.
Later on, the group gathered once again in the hotel before setting off for dinner together. As they were being seated by the restaurant staff, Geum Jan Di took one look at the number of shopping bags gathered by the feet of her friend and promptly went jaw-slacken.
"Ga Eul ah, you didn't bankrupt Yi Jeong-sunbae in the process with your purchases… did you?" Geum Jan Di couldn't help but ask upon the sight of the shopping bags her friend had returned from the shopping spree with the Korean Casanova in tow.
So Yi Jeong was very thankful for the fact that he hasn't been drinking anything when Geum Jan Di reacted to the end result of the shopping trip he had the honor of escorting the country bumpkin on, if not… he might have ended up spitting in the face of his best friend. Turning towards Geum Jan Di, the Korean Casanova commented incredulously in response.
"Ya, Geum Jan Di, I assured you - it would take a lot more than buying out a store for your friend to bankrupt me."
"Yes, Jan Di. Just because I'm seldom this enthusiastic when out shopping with you, doesn't mean I'm as thrifty as you in the shopping department." Chu Ga Eul nodded at her childhood friend as she backed up the Korean Casanova with her honest response.
Turning towards Ga Eul with a wide-eyed look, Geum Jan Di gasped in horror. "Ga Eul ah... you aren't serious, are you? You mean to say, this is...the result of you being enthusiastic while out shopping?"
Glancing to the number of shopping bags gathered by the side of her feet as she took her seat at the dining table, Chu Ga Eul turns back to her gobsmacked childhood friend and nods. "Yep, though a seldom occurrence while on a shopping trip in Seoul... this is definitely a possible outcome if I'm out shopping in Ginza, Tokyo."
"..." Geum Jan Di felt the corner of her lips twitching and was about to say something else when she found herself being cut off by the Don Juan of F4.
"Alright, Geum Jan Di… you can satisfy your curiosity about what Ga Eul-yang had persuaded Yi Jeong into buying for her later. For now, why don't you tell me what you would like to eat for dinner so the orders could be placed." Song Woo Bin interrupted, breaking up the conversation between the two girls with a snort of amusement.
"..."
Time: Day 7 in New Caledonia, 6am in the morning.
The time difference between New Caledonia and Seoul, South Korea is two hours. So, 6 o'clock in the morning in New Caledonia time would translate to 4 o'clock in the morning in Seoul, South Korea. Which is early, way too early for someone to be awake and functional.
Still, seeing as their return flight to Seoul is scheduled to take off at 10am in the morning... and the fact that they would be returning via a commercial flight means that they would need to report to the airport for the check-in procedures two hours ahead the flight departure time. Thus, all of them need to be awake, and ready to leave for the airport by 7.25am - the latest.
It will take them about 34 minutes to arrive at the airport from where they are staying, and although the latest timing for them to reach the airport is 8am. Neither of them wants to appear at the airport in a rush, and so, it was decided that they would meet up in the hotel reception lobby by 6.30am this morning.
So Yi Jeong was waiting outside when Ga Eul finally emerged from the inside of her room with her suitcase in tow. Seeing as Ga Eul was terribly lacking in the sleep department, she didn't exactly notice the presence of the Korean Casanova until the man spoke up and startled her so much that she dropped her mobile phone in surprise.
"Tough night, Ga Eul-yang?" So Yi Jeong swears he didn't mean to startle Chu Ga Eul on purpose, he simply thought he should greet the girl whom he was supposed to play escort until they arrived back on Korean grounds.
"Oh, shit..." Jumping slightly after being startled by the Korean Casanova, Chu Ga Eul couldn't help but curse aloud when she noticed that she had lost her grip on her phone and it is now lying on the ground. Just a few more inches, it would have fallen right into the water.
"Ga Eul-yang, is your phone, okay? I apologized; I didn't mean to startle you." The Korean Casanova began, sounding apologetic as he addressed the girl.
"It's fine, Yi Jeong-sunbae. I'm simply too jumpy for my own good. Anyway, my phone's fine... it might end up functioning wonky for a while, but I can make do with it until the time comes for me to re-contract my mobile subscription plans. By that point, I would be able to get a new phone." Chu Ga Eul responded, waving off the words of apology from the Korean Casanova nonchalantly as she retrieved her fallen mobile phone from the ground.
"And when is the contract of your mobile subscription plan expiring?" So Yi Jeong inquires, wondering if he should get the country bumpkin a replacement phone as a form of apology. After all, if he hasn't startled the girl... the country bumpkin wouldn't have dropped her phone in shock.
"In April." Chu Ga Eul responded, not seeing the need to hide that little bit of information. Especially, since her phone contract is with the Shinhwa Telco which is owned by the Shinhwa Group... considering the Korean Casanova friendship with the Shinhwa heir, that guy would be able to get his hands on the information whether Ga Eul chooses to reveal anything of it.
"That's still another three months away! Are you sure your wonky phone could sustain until then?" The Korean Casanova sucked in a breath at Chu Ga Eul's response, stunned by the nonchalance reaction on the country bumpkin's part. Because really, if their positions were reversed, he knew he wouldn't be able to live with the idea of holding on to a malfunctioning mobile phone for another three months before he could get a replacement phone.
"I certainly hope it could hold out until then, but if it dies before my phone contract expires… well, worst-case scenario - I would have to resort to using an older model phone which I have been keeping around as a spare. Anyway, what was it that you were saying before we started getting worried over the state of my mobile phone?" Chu Ga Eul shrugged in response, before tucking her retrieved phone safely into her backpack, as she steered the topic of conversation away from her mobile phone to what the Korean Casanova was saying when she first emerged from her assigned hotel room.
"Oh…actually, it's nothing. I was just asking if you had a tough night, cause you looked kind of exhausted when you emerged from your room." The Korean Casanova paused for a second before he repeated his words from before. It did take him a second to recall what he had asked though since he was rather tired as well. Only, he was better at hiding his exhaustion than the country bumpkin due to his habit of being out partying till late night on most days than not.
"I see… well, I wouldn't go as far as calling it a tough night… but it is indeed tiring to deal with Jan Di's relentless questioning as she went through the purchases I've made yesterday afternoon. As such, I didn't get to finish packing until late into the night after Jan Di has left for her own room to do her own packing." Chu Ga Eul responded dryly, as she joined the Korean Casanova in the journey to the hotel lobby.
"That sounds tedious." The Korean Casanova winced as he tried to envision the scene with his mind.
"It is tedious, I assured you. I'm simply thankful that she didn't have the mindset to ask me how much those things cost in Korean Won. It would have given her a heart attack, I'm certain." Ga Eul deadpans to the Korean Casanova as they made their way towards the hotel reception lobby where they would be completing the process of room check-out, as well as waiting for the transport to bring them to the airport.
The first thing Ga Eul noticed upon stepping foot into the hotel lobby where the reception counter was located, was how her friend had gone back to being subdued. Aside from a small smile directed at her and Yoon Ji Hoo of F4 - Geum Jan Di makes no attempt to speak to anyone this morning.
Then again, consider how early it is… none of the members in the group seems to be in a mood for many conversations. The F3 are thinking of the same thing, to catch a nap in the Shinhwa lounge over at the airport until it's time for them to board the plane. Similarly, the girls were thinking of napping as well… only their idea was to nap on the plane instead of in the lounge operated by Shinhwa Airlines at the airport of New Caledonia.
Geum Jan Di was content to remain silent while relaxing in the Shinhwa Airlines lounge situated in the airport of New Caledonia, as they waited for the time to board the plane. Only, some time past 9am - she started to feel the pangs of hunger. Upon the realization that they hasn't eaten anything since leaving the hotel, Geum Jan Di found herself glancing around the lounge for the presence of the F4 members. However, one quick look around told Geum Jan Di that neither of the F4 members are awake for her to inquire if breakfast would be provided in the lounge. So, in the end, she shifted her eyes to her childhood friend and ask if the girl was also hungry.
"...Jan Di ah, you do know you can simply ask the staff on duty to bring you some food and beverage, right?"Chu Ga Eul felt the corner of her lips twitching as she responded to her friend's inquiry about whether or not they should head out for breakfast.
"...Wouldn't that be expensive though?" Geum Jan Di frowned, it's one thing if the members of F4 are awake. With them around, she doubt she would need to fret about the cost of dining in the lounge operated by the Shinhwa Airlines in the airport.
"As far as I know, the food and beverages offered in the airline lounges are complimentary." Chu Ga Eul found herself responding, despite this being her first time spending time in an airline lounge that's being offered by the airline to their guests. The pay-per-use lounges open to the public, and operated directly by the airport is another matter, altogether. However, not every airport comes with those types of lounges… thus far, Ga Eul only knows the Changi Airport in Singapore has them.
Shaking her head to rid her mind of unnecessary information, Chu Ga Eul calls out for the attention of staff on duty and requested a copy of the refreshments menu. Soon after, the staff on duty came back with a copy of the requested menu written in the language of Korean.
"Thank you." Ga Eul said, directing a smile of gratitude towards the staff-on-duty.
Scanning her eyes down the provided menu, Ga Eul noticed that there's only cakes and beverages being served in the lounge. Shrugging nonchalantly, Ga Eul went on to request a glass of orange juice and a slice of chocolate cake for both Jan Di and herself. Handing the menu back to the staff-on-duty, Ga Eul waited until the staff had left to process their orders before informing her friend.
"They only offer cakes and beverages here, so I took the liberty to order you a glass of orange juice along with a slice of chocolate cake. Make do with it, I'm sure those three napping over there would be able to persuade the air stewardess on duty to serve us our lunch at an earlier timing. Until then, just tide over your hunger pangs with the slice of cake I'd ordered for you." Ga Eul said, addressing her childhood friend who is now looking at her with gratitude.
"..."
True to Ga Eul's prediction, the F3 didn't wake until the announcement for the passengers of the first-class chartered cabin could start boarding came on over the broadcasting system. From there, using the private commuting lane between the lounge and the boarding gate - they made their way into the cabin where the first-class seats are located. The first-class cabin is situated at the very front end of the plane, and it has a total of 8 seats… but since they are flying chartered first-class, aside from the 5 of them; no one else would be seated in this particular cabin. Anyway, since the F3 hasn't eaten anything since early this morning - the moment after they boarded the plane, they started to request an early serving of the in-flight meals.
The return flight to Seoul, South Korea from New Caledonia clocked eight hours, just like before. This time around, the entire flight was taken in relative silence. Geum Jan Di spends her time looking out from the window of the plane and taking a nap. Yoon Ji Hoo was napping most of the time, while the two playboys of F4 had taken to explore the in-flight entertainment provided by the Shinhwa Airlines. Chu Ga Eul spends the first half of the flight napping to catch up on her much-desired rest since she hasn't quite gotten enough sleep the night before. For the second half of the flight, she was using her IPAD device hooked up to the free WIFI provided by the flight operator - Shinhwa Airlines, to check on a few things on the internet.
As the plane touches down on the runway of Incheon Airport, being the passengers of the first-class tier… they were among the first to disembark from the flight. Since the girls are with the F3, neither of them need to join the members of the public in queuing at the customs lines to clear immigration nor to wait with the crowd gathering near the luggage belt to collect their baggage. Instead, they were using the private immigration clearance lanes reserved for the members of F4 and their families. The baggage, on the other hand, was collected by the Shinhwa group staff on duty at the airport and sent straight to them from the luggage storage point of the plane.
"Come on, Ga Eul-yang. I'll send you home." So Yi Jeong declared, as soon as they got through the customs clearance checkpoint at the Incheon Airport.
"..." Geum Jan Di stared after the departing figure of her friend with an open-mouthed gaping expression. Turning towards the Don Juan of F4 with a menacing look, the Wonder Woman of Korea promptly demanded an explanation.
"Explain? What is there to explain?" Song Woo Bin couldn't help but ask Geum Jan Di back in return, his expression one of bafflement.
"Explain what that Casanova is doing with Ga Eul, of course. We are already back in Seoul, there isn't a need for So Yi Jeong to escort Ga Eul everywhere, anymore! So, why is he offering to send her home?!" Geum Jan Di exclaimed, looking quite displeased at the notion of having the Korean Casanova sending her friend home.
"... Geum Jan Di, have you been following the news lately? Yi Jeong is trying to prevent Ga Eul-yang from getting mobbed by the press waiting outside the airport to ambush her. Miyazawa Hideaki is in town, and he didn't deny the allegation about Ga Eul-yang being his daughter. Tonight, he would be releasing an official statement on the matter through the means of a press conference. Until then, your friend would be constantly stalked by the press. However, the press wouldn't dare to hinder Yi Jeong from leaving the airport… even with Ga Eul-yang in the same vehicle. Now, Geum Jan Di - do you understand why Yi Jeong offered to send your friend home?" Song Woo Bin sounded quite exasperated by the end of his explanation, so much so that he simply shook his head and left the site without a backward glance.
"..."
It was some time before Geum Jan Di managed to recover from the impact of the Don Juan words regarding the situation currently faced by her childhood friend. Too wrapped up in her own head about the complicated situation that now revolved around her, Gu Jun Pyo and Yoon Ji Hoo… Geum Jan Di hasn't been paying much attention to her childhood friend. Not just that, instead of spending time inquiring after her friend's mood on their return trip to Seoul… it had been Ga Eul who was sending her reassurance when she got overly concerned about the fates that awaited her in Seoul moments before the plane started to land on the runway of Incheon Airport.
"Ji Hoo-sunbae, I haven't been a very good friend to Ga Eul lately, have I?" Geum Jan Di commented out of the blue, sounding depressed to Yoon Ji Hoo of F4.
"If you want to compare notes on which one of us is worse in being someone's friend, I think I would outrank you in this area. After all, I basically betrayed Jun Pyo's trust by kissing his girlfriend. I think that's actually a lot worse than your actions or lack thereof when it comes down to keeping track of the media attention your friend would be garnering upon arriving back in Seoul. For you, it's simply a matter of oversight but for me, it's an act of betrayal. So, still, wish to compare notes with me on who's better at being a bad friend?" Yoon Ji Hoo started, trying to make light of the situation despite the gloom hovering on the horizon when he thought of a certain Shinhwa heir.
"Ji Hoo-sunbae! That wasn't your fault, alone. I'm equally to blame on this… I'm the one who didn't reject your kiss." Geum Jan Di hurried to say while adding wordlessly in her mind that she's also the one who actually hurt the Shinhwa heir.
"Alright, enough of that expression. Come on, I'll send you home. I don't know about you, but I have no intention to stay on in the airport thinking gloomy thoughts on what Jun Pyo would be doing to us upon our return to school." Yoon Ji Hoo announced, snapping the girl he had impulsively kissed in New Caledonia out of her thoughts.
~TBC~
Chapter notes: Okay, this is chapter 4. Edited the contents of this chapter twice before settling on this version of the events. Do let me know what you people think of it. It would be a great motivation for me, to receive words of encouragement for this chapter… because I think it kills quite a significant number of my brain cells ^^;
Once again, I have to say… I don't remember exactly the words that were exchanged between Ji Hoo and Jan Di in the drama. So, it wasn't quite the word-for-word account when Jan Di reveal to Ga Eul the events that happened which resulted in Gu Jun Pyo's early departure from New Caledonia. Another thing that I'd changed, unintentionally - I assured you. I've only just realized that in the drama, Jun Pyo left New Caledonia for Seoul at dawn… but because I wrote overnight flight in the previous chapter, I decided to roll along with what I'd already written, instead of going back to change that particular line in the last chapter ^^;
Last but not least, I had included an interlude to Seoul focusing on Kazuki's side of things in this chapter as well ^_^ More OCs introduced in this little interlude. As for the SoEul scenes, I tried my best to come up with my own original scenes since there isn't enough of them in the drama for me to take my own twist XD
Next chapter, the focus would be back on Seoul and Ga Eul's impending transfer into Shinhwa.