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 10 - The Disastrous Double-Date, Part 1
Location: Gu Family Mansion, Saturday, 12pm
"Butler Lee, is Jun Pyo around?" So Yi Jeong inquires as he stepped over the threshold of the Gu Family Mansion with the Don Juan of F4 in tow.
"Yes, Young Master Jun Pyo is in his own room." Butler Lee responded politely as he greeted the duo at the doorway of the Gu Family Mansion.
"Come on, Woo Bin. Let's go and check in on that idiot." The Korean Casanova commented as he led the way towards the direction where he knew the bedroom of the Shinhwa heir is located.
Upon arriving at a stop in front of the doorway that leads to their friend's room, neither So Yi Jeong nor Song Woo Bin dare to simply barge into the room without knowing for certain the state of condition the room was in. So, the Korean Casanova opens up the doorway slightly and gives the room a quick scan through the gap of the door. Satisfied that the room didn't appear trashed or upheaved; the Casanova of F4 took that as a sign that his friend - Jun Pyo wasn't upset. Then again, considering how it has been Jun Pyo that rendered their earlier competition null and void, to begin with... his friend likely had cool off in terms of temper as compared to earlier on in the week.
Pushing the door wider to allow them both entry into the room, the duo entered the room just in time to witness their friend playing with a robot toy while murmuring something about a debt repaid. Sharing a look of bewilderment with one another, the Korean Casanova and the Don Juan of F4 approached the Shinhwa heir with a bemused smile on their face as they greet the owner of the bedroom jovially.
"Jun Pyo, do you know that talking to oneself is the first sign of insanity?" So Yi Jeong started, addressing the Shinhwa heir with a bemused expression on his face.
"Do you remember the time when I broke Ji Hoo's robot toy back in our kindergarten days?" Gu Jun Pyo inquires, causing the two playboys of F4 to appear stumped for a second. While the Korean Casanova had difficulty recalling the event to which the Shinhwa heir is referring, it seems like the Don Juan of F4 had no such issues.
It took a while since the incident took place ages ago. But eventually, Song Woo Bin was able to find a trace of that particular memory and pull it to the forefront of his mind as he turns towards the Shinhwa heir and inquires. "Are you referring to the robot made out of wood? The hand-made toy?"
"Yes, that's the one. I remember snatching it off from Ji Hoo that day, but he refuses to let me have it. Not even when I offered the rest of my toys to him in exchange. We were chasing one another around when I fell with the robot falling out from my grasp landing right in the pathway of an approaching car. The robot ended up being run over by the car, and in the process, damaging it to an irreparable state. Ji Hoo cried over the remains of that robot for hours, because that toy was a handmade gift left to him by his late father. Ever since then I've always felt as though I owe him a debt." Gu Jun Pyo commented, he'd considered it a debt because if their positions were reversed… the Shinhwa heir is certain that he wouldn't have forgiven Ji Hoo for breaking something this sentimental. Yet, Ji Hoo had simply cried over the loss of the toy but forgave him soon after. Granted, it took a bit of convincing work combined with coaxing from Min Seo Hyun to do the job but Ji Hoo did forgive him for what he did only hours after the incident took place.
"...And now, you considered the debt repaid?" The Korean Casanova prompted then, resulting in a wistful sigh from the Shinhwa heir.
"But Geum Jan Di…?" The Don Juan of F4 prompted if Jun Pyo is letting Ji Hoo off the hook as a means to repay the debt owed over that robot toy incident back when they were kids… what about the matter of Geum Jan Di getting off the hook?
"Well… what to do? Geum Jan Di that woman, since I can't bear the idea to destroy her completely so to not let any other man have her…"
"..." The two playboys of F4 shared a look among themselves before turning back to the Shinhwa heir with mirroring expressions of joy. Song Woo Bin was so relieved and happy that the friendship of F4 isn't breaking apart, leaped forth at the Shinhwa heir to capture his friend in a friendly hug causing the Shinhwa heir to complain of his heavyweight.
The Korean Casanova watched on and broke out into laughter when Jun Pyo tried repeatedly to get Woo Bin to remove from his person to no avail. It wasn't until the chair Jun Pyo was seated upon was about to overturn that Woo Bin finally stop fooling around and messing with the Shinhwa heir.
Outside the room, the Shinhwa heiress heaved a sigh of relief - glad to hear that her little brother was fine. Deciding to leave her brother in the capable hands of his two friends, the Shinhwa heiress decided to take it upon herself to side-track their mother for yet another evening.
Location: Myeong-Dong, Saturday, 1pm
Chu Ga Eul was out shopping with Kim Nari in a mall situated within the Myeong-Dong shopping belt when she heard the designated ringtone, she had allocated for her childhood friend sounded from the inside of her tote bag.
"Nari, hold these for me - will you? I need to answer this call." Ga Eul commented, handing over the few pieces of dresses she had intended to try on in the fitting room over to her shopping companion while she dug her hands into the inside of her tote bag to retrieve her mobile phone.
"Hello, Jan Di ah… what's the matter?" Ga Eul greeted politely through the receiver only to receive a panicky response from her childhood friend.
"Ga Eul! What to do, what should I do?" Geum Jan Di asks in a panicky tone of voice, causing Chu Ga Eul to straighten up in alarm.
"Jan Di… calm down. What happen?" Chu Ga Eul asks, inwardly she was wondering what was wrong with her friend now. With the expulsion order retracted, and Yoon Ji Hoo remained on the group F4. her friend can't be bullied by the rest of the school population either, and therefore, she couldn't for the life of her fathom out the reason behind her childhood friend's sudden panicky mood.
"I…I have a date with Ji Hoo-Sunbae tomorrow, and I don't know what to do?!" Geum Jan Di responded as she started pacing anxiously in her bedroom. Unknowingly, her little brother was eavesdropping on her conversation with Ga Eul from the outside of her room. And that was legitimately how her entire family knew of her date with Yoon Ji Hoo, the following morning.
"... Wait, are you seriously telling me that you are panicking over the idea of going on a date with your prince charming?" For a while, Chu Ga Eul didn't respond and when she did respond, it was in a tone of incredulity.
"Yes, Ga Eul! I mean, it's Ji Hoo-Sunbae! And... this is the first time I've been asked to go out on a date." Geum Jan Di responded, sounding quite agitated over the phone.
"Are you trying to tell me the dates you went on with Jun Pyo-Sunbae doesn't count? I'm under the impression that he had asked you out on a date before, or did I remember it wrong?" Chu Ga Eul commented somewhat dryly to her childhood friend.
"... Gu Jun Pyo didn't ask me, he either kidnapped me, ordered me to show up somewhere, or forcibly dragged me off on those outings he planned." There was considerably a longer pause this time before Ga Eul heard her childhood friend's response coming through the line.
"Anyway, Ga Eul... I'm asking you what I should do for a date with Ji Hoo-Sunbae. Why are you bringing up the name of that idiot with me?" Geum Jan Di sounded slightly annoyed on the other end of the line, while Ga Eul simply snorted in response.
"Haven't you figured it out yet? I'm trying to get you to relax and calm down. As for what you should do, well... there's nothing much you can do except for the following. First, ensure you get ample rest tonight, to avoid looking too haggled the next morning. Secondly, select a suitable outfit from your wardrobe – best to keep it smart casual. Seeing as it's Ji Hoo-Sunbae, he likely wouldn't pick anywhere too high-class when it comes down to dining venues. Of course, it wouldn't be anywhere on the low-end side too... so, he would probably stick to mid-end restaurants. As for the other possible activities, I'm afraid I've got no clues. Last but not least, it's a date and thus, feel free to take advantage of his goodwill and let him pay for the expenses." Chu Ga Eul responded, guiding her childhood friend through the preparation steps for a date.
"Right… thank you. I really don't know what I'll do without you, Ga Eul. By the way, I didn't interrupt you amid of anything important, did I?" Geum Jan Di responded, thanking her childhood friend before she actually found it in her to ask after her friend's plan this afternoon.
"Considering that you aren't interrupting me amid a multi-billion business deal, I would say you didn't interrupt me amid of anything important. I'm just out shopping with Nari for the moment, but seeing as I am indeed in the middle of something, albeit not very important… I would still appreciate it if I could finish up my shopping task first." Chu Ga Eul answered, somewhat sarcastically but uncertain if her childhood friend could actually tell the hint of sarcasm she has in her voice. After all, Geum Jan Di could be rather dense at times.
"...I see, I'll leave you to finish your shopping in peace then. Thank you for your advice. I will call you again tonight for a longer chat." Geum Jan Di responded while she didn't catch on to her friend's underlying sarcasm… she did get the point that her friend isn't in a mood for a lengthy conversation over the phone while amid a shopping trip.
"Is Geum Jan Di really panicking over the idea of going on a date?" Kim Nari asks, disbelievingly when Ga Eul ended the phone call and took back the dresses she had handed over to Kim Nari for safekeeping while she attended to the phone call from her childhood friend.
"Apparently." Ga Eul nodded in response to Kim Nari's inquiry. Not wanting to go into too many details of her childhood friend's upcoming date, she wasted no time in changing the subject. "Come on, Nari… let's head to the fitting rooms. After we are done here, I still want to check out the shoe store next door. Afterward, I'll treat you to high tea at the cafe located down the street."
An hour later, found Chu Ga Eul sitting in a cafe with Kim Nari enjoying a spot of tea with some cake slices recommended by the staff-on-duty at the cafe.
"Actually, I'm more interested to talk about your relationship with Soo Pyo-Oppa than to gossip about Geum Jan Di's love life. Especially since I do not have any knowledge about the guy she's going on a date with, unlike Soo Pyo-Oppa whom you are dating." Kim Nari said after their orders have been delivered over to their table by the staff-on-duty in the cafe.
"...What exactly do you wish to know about my relationship with Soo Pyo-Oppa, now? And while on the subject, I thought he fills you in on the details every time after our date?" Chu Ga Eul raised an eyebrow up in a questioning manner, as she voices her words across to her former classmate from Seoul High School.
"Nah… he didn't chat with me this much, these days. Apparently, he must have taken your words to heart. But seeing as you are actually addressing him as Oppa, I take it as things between you two have been going smooth?" Kim Nari smiles at Ga Eul in response, while digging into her chocolate cake slice with the fork she had in hand.
"... Don't remind me, he basically threatens to break things off with me if I refuse to address him as Oppa. Can you believe it?! But then again, I supposed it wasn't that hard to get the word out subsequently after getting it out the first time." Chu Ga Eul rolls her eyes as the memory from her last date with Gong Soo Pyo came flooding to mind.
"What?! He really says that? And you obliged his request? That's surprising, I would have thought you would stalk off after being threatened like that." Kim Nari responded, a surprising look taking over her features as she digested the bit of information revealed to her by Chu Ga Eul.
"Oh… believe me when I said the thought did briefly cross my mind. But then he started talking about how he was always the one accommodating to my wishes and would prefer for me to accommodate him for once… I thought he does have a point to his words. So, I decided to put an effort in trying and thus…" Ga Eul shrugged, as she took a sip from her iced tea.
"I see… and how's life for you in the top elite school of Korea?" Kim Nari inquires next, shifting the topic of conversation towards Ga Eul's transfer into Shinhwa High.
"If I would have to pick a word to describe the environment of Shinhwa… I would say it's happening. There's not a single moment of boredom while studying in that school." Chu Ga Eul answered with a smiling expression, keeping her description vague since she didn't exactly wish to publicize the information of her childhood friend's connections to the F4 unnecessarily.
The chiming on the mobile informed Ga Eul that it's time for her to bid farewell to her former classmate, as she needs to get her way to the Su Am Cultural Center for her piano class which is due to begin in an hour.
"Alright, that's my cue to leave actually. My piano class starts in one hour, and I need to head home and drop these shopping bags off before I go for my piano class. So, I guess this is where I leave you… enjoy your cake. Feel free to order an extra serving for your family, if necessary, I will get the staff to charge it to my tab. See you around, bye." Chu Ga Eul told her former classmate - Kim Nari, as she stood to collect her shopping bags and prepare to leave the cafe for home.
"Wait… what do you mean by charging it to your tab?" Kim Nari asks in a wide-eyed manner.
"Hmm… didn't I mention it when I brought you in here? The cafe 'Miya's coffee' is a franchise chain of the coffee house under the management of the Miyazawa F&B Group in Korea. Although, there aren't as many stores in Korea as compared to Japan… but you can easily find the cafe in most of the CBD areas in Korea. Alright, I really have to go now… you can find the rest of the information through the means of an online search. Ciao~" Ga Eul responded, throwing over her shoulders at her former classmate one final wave of goodbye before rushing out of the cafe.
"Shunsuke, hold up! I need to rush home to drop these off before heading off for my piano class at Su Am, can you please give me a ride home?" Ga Eul calls out, seizing the window of opportunity to make her request known after an unknown young lady was dropped off at the sidewalk along the Myeong-Dong shopping belt.
"...Ga Eul-San, isn't it supposed to be Kazuki's turn to ferry you around today?" Saionji Shunsuke commented as he waited for the half-sibling of his childhood friend to climb into the back passenger seat of his blue Lexus before starting up the engine of his car.
"It is… but it's a bit of an impromptu shopping trip I'm taking. So, he had no idea that I'm not home at present. Anyway, you can just drop me off at my home. Kazuki would be picking me up from home and driving me to the Su Am Cultural Center for my piano class later." Ga Eul responded, cheerfully.
"...You're lucky I was in the area then. What would you have done if you didn't happen to notice me in time?" Saionji Shunsuke couldn't help but inquire out of curiosity.
"I guess, I would have to hail a cab home if that's the case." Ga Eul commented nonchalantly in response.
"..." Saionji Shunsuke says nothing but allow a snort of amusement to escape him as he swerved his blue Lexus onto the route that will bring them to the neighborhood where Chu Ga Eul resides.
Ga Eul didn't pry into the identity of the unknown young lady who was with Shunsuke earlier though, for she didn't know Shunsuke too well. Ga Eul didn't get to interact much with Shunsuke before, despite her yearly summer trips to Japan. After all, her main purpose for the annual summer visit to Japan is to bond with her family and relatives on the side of her biological father. The Saionji, though is a family friend of the Miyazawa family… they aren't considered relative to the family. As such, Ga Eul's interaction with the Saionji family is kept to the bare minimum. Therefore, to date - outside of the fact that Shunsuke is a childhood friend of Kazuki, and is the second-born son to the Saionji family. There is a lot of things about Saionji Shunsuke that Ga Eul isn't aware of, what she knows of the young man, she usually heard them off from Shuichi or Kazuki.
It goes without saying that out of all the friends of Kazuki's, Ga Eul is definitely closest to Sakuraba Shuichi. Especially, because the Sakuraba and the Miyazawa are related through Shuichi's mother who was formerly a Miyazawa before marrying out of the family. That means Ga Eul would get a chance to interact with Shuichi since he's considered a family relation. Moreover, because Shuichi's mother works in Korea full-time since the satellite office of the Miyazawa F&B Group was set up in Seoul… Shuichi literally split his time between Korea and Japan when he was at a younger age. Throw in the fact that Ga Eul's mother works for Shuichi's mother, which automatically translated to them being playmates to a certain extent, too. Therefore, Ga Eul dares say she knows Shuichi as well as she knows her own childhood friend - Geum Jan Di.
Henceforth, the entire ride home in the blue Lexus was taken in silence. After all, Ga Eul didn't know Shunsuke well enough to attempt striking up a conversation without either Kazuki or Shuichi around to act as a buffer.
Location: Su Am Arts Center, Level 2, Saturday early evening 4.30pm
"Good evening, Ga Eul-yang." Song Woo Bin greeted the girl as she passes him by in a hallway within the Su Am Arts center.
Chu Ga Eul blinked as she scanned her surrounding to see if she could pinpoint the person who had called out for her attention. It took a bit of time, but eventually, she managed to spot the figure of Song Woo Bin leaning against the wall outside the admin office of the arts center.
"Woo Bin-Sunbae. What are you doing here?" Chu Ga Eul inquires, looking relatively surprised. It wasn't common to see the Don Juan of F4 around in the arts center, if it was the Korean Casanova - it wouldn't be that much of a surprise since pottery is also a form of arts and this is the arts center. Though rare, there are occasions whereby pottery exhibitions would be held in the exhibition hall of the Su Am Arts Center as opposed to the exhibition hall in Woo Sung Museum.
"Yi Jeong has some errands to run for his grandfather that require him to pay a visit to the admin office of the arts center, which I didn't wish to be privy about… so, I thought to wait out here instead. Are you here for your lessons, Ga Eul-yang?" The Don Juan of F4 responded, casually.
"Yes. I'm here for my piano class which has just ended, but it seems my ride has yet to arrive. Would you like to join me for a cup of coffee at the cafe downstairs?" Chu Ga Eul didn't know what possessed her to invite the Don Juan of F4 to join her for a coffee session, but that is exactly what she did.
"Sure, lead the way. A coffee sounds way better than simply standing out here staring at the blank walls." Song Woo Bin grinned in response, as he gestured for Chu Ga Eul to lead him to the cafe that he didn't know existed in the arts center owned and was managed by the Su Am Group.
"Here we are, Woo Bin-Sunbae." Chu Ga Eul announced, coming to a stop in front of a bookshop located on the ground floor of the Su Am Arts Center.
"Huh? This is the cafe you are talking about? But isn't this a bookshop?" Song Woo Bin couldn't help but inquire, as he took in the exterior of the bookshop.
"It is a bookshop cafe. A place where people could drink coffee while reading a book." Chu Ga Eul responded, as she pushes open the door and dragged the somewhat stupefied Don Juan of F4 into the shop with her.
"Okay… so, this is what the interior looks like." Song Woo Bin commented, after spending a moment to inspect the interior of the shop.
It is indeed a cafe, but it is also a bookshop. There are shelving of books lining the walls of the cafe, from the outside - it does look like a typical bookshop. However, once you stepped through the doorway of the shop - you could easily smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. A look at the hanging menu on the wall behind the barista counter informed the Don Juan of F4 that the cafe offers a limited menu. There are only four items (Cappuccino, Latte, Espresso, and Mocha) on offer under the coffee selection, but even lesser options for tea (English Breakfast and Earl Grey). There are no cakes or snacks available in the cafe, likely to minimize the risk of their customers getting crumbs onto the books or in between the pages.
"Do you often spend time in here?" Song Woo Bin inquires, directing his words at the childhood friend of Geum Jan Di after having placed their coffee orders at the barista counter with the staff-on-duty.
"Recently, no… but a few years ago - yes." Chu Ga Eul responded, her tone matter-of-fact.
Before Ga Eul started working part-time at the porridge shop, she used to have her classes at Su Am Arts Center scheduled on the same day. However, since the office isn't able to schedule her class on a back-to-back arrangement… she often had to kill time in the cafe while waiting out the hours in between the classes she is attending at the arts center. These days though, Ga Eul has taken to come in thrice a week on separate days for her calligraphy, piano, and ballet lessons. Therefore, the occasions whereby she would need to patron the bookshop cafe as a means to kill time have lessened significantly.
They spend the next few minutes in silence while enjoying the moment of peace with their respective coffee order. Ga Eul had ordered Cappuccino for herself, whereas Woo Bin had opted to order himself a cup of Latte. Unlike his Casanova friend, Song Woo Bin does not care for black coffee finding the taste too bitter for his liking.
"So, what type of books do they have here?" Song Woo Bin started, kicking off another topic of conversation after a few minutes of silence. Unlike Yoon Ji Hoo, the Don Juan of F4 wasn't the type that could withstand long hours of silence without any forms of human interactions.
"They have quite a few genres of books available, but my favorite would be romance. You are welcome to browse through them if you like, but only for books that are unwrapped and made available for browsing. For books that are in sealed condition, you could only read them after making payment for the book. That is their only condition." Chu Ga Eul responded as she went through the ground rules of the bookshop cafe with the Don Juan of F4.
"I see…" Song Woo Bin nodded, before asking. "So, Ga Eul-yang… have you gotten used to the environment of Shinhwa yet?"
"More or less, I guess. Although, I have to say my classroom environment wasn't the best when it comes down to focusing on my academic studies. Luckily, I could rely on the use of the school's library when I need to get some actual studying done." Chu Ga Eul admitted, there never seem to be a moment of peace in her current class.
The classmates of her current class would immediately congregate together when a teacher leaves to start a gossiping session about the latest news concerning the F4 in between classes. That, or they would be shooting discreet looks in the general direction of Jan Di, mostly but occasionally in her direction as well. As for the annoying trio in her class, well… after that particular visit of Choi Hyo Rin to their classroom on her first day of school, the annoying trio has taken to avoid including her in their usual taunting antics focusing on Jan Di. Usually, when that happens… Ga Eul would stay out from the fire-line and not interfere in the situation as she knew Jan Di can handle the girls on her own.
The thought of Jan Di brought the memory of that panicky phone call from before to the forefront of Ga Eul's mind, and so, Chu Ga Eul found herself addressing the Don Juan of F4 out of the blue when the man has started to browse through the titles of the books available in the shelving near to their seated table. "Woo Bin-Sunbae, do you know that Ji Hoo-Sunbae has asked Jan Di out on a date, tomorrow?"
Song Woo Bin paused momentarily, turns around, and focus his surprised gaze upon the figure of Chu Ga Eul as he repeated in a questioning tone of voice. "Ji Hoo is taking Geum Jan Di out on a date tomorrow?"
"If the panicky phone call I received from Jan Di earlier is real, then I would say yes. It's true." Chu Ga Eul commented with a slight quirk of her lips, taking out her mobile phone and tapping into her latest call logs, turning the screen of her mobile phone towards the Don Juan of F4 as she nodded in affirmation. "Yep, the call logs don't lie."
"..." Suddenly, the books available in this little bookshop cafe don't seem appealing to the heir of the II-Shin Construction anymore. Instead, Song Woo Bin found himself mulling the information of Ji Hoo taking Geum Jan Di out on a date, the following day repeatedly in his mind wondering what he should do with the info.
Noticing that the Don Juan of F4 is now too deeply engrossed in his thoughts, Ga Eul didn't say anything when it's time for her to leave. Instead, she pulls out her memo notepad and pen to jot down a short message to the zoning-out figure of Song Woo Bin and promptly stood to leave. In the end, Song Woo Bin was jolted back to the living plane by the sound of an incoming call from his own mobile device.
"Hello." The mafia prince answered as he picked up the call without looking at the Caller-ID.
"Woo Bin, where on earth are you?" The voice of So Yi Jeong came through from the other end of the line, sounding a tad annoyed.
"...Yi Jeong ah, I'm still in Su Am Arts Center. There's this little quaint-looking bookshop cafe on the ground floor of the building, I'm there enjoying a cuppa while waiting for you to be done with your errand." Song Woo Bin responded, inwardly wondering how his friend would react if he were to come out with the fact that he was invited to join Chu Ga Eul for a coffee break while Yi Jeong was busy talking business in the admin office of Su Am Arts Center.
"...I'm done with my errand, don't move elsewhere. I'm on my way over." So Yi Jeong responded after a moment of silence, before hanging up the call on his end. There isn't a need for him to ask the staff about the location of that little quaint bookshop cafe, as he has been in there personally a few years ago, by chance.
Five minutes later, So Yi Jeong found his way to the bookshop cafe sitting on the ground floor of the Su Am Arts Center and the first thing he did upon meeting eyes with his friend was to comment. "To be honest, I'm quite surprised to find you in here. I would have thought you would be busy spending time flirting with the ladies working at the reception counter on the ground floor of the building."
"Nah… I'm not doing that again, the last time I flirted with the female receptionist on duty - Ji Hoo had specifically warned me against distracting his staff-on-duty. Says if I was caught doing the same on CCTV, he would ban me from entering the arts center in future." Song Woo Bin responded casually as he slid the book he has been browsing through moments before his friend's arrival back onto the shelving he took the book from.
"...And who were you with earlier?" The Korean Casanova inquires after a moment of silence, mostly because his friend wouldn't be caught dead killing time in a bookshop cafe voluntarily. Unlike Ji Hoo and himself, both Jun Pyo and Woo Bin share one similar trait – which is their reluctance to read for leisure purposes.
"Would you kill me if I say I was with Ga Eul-yang earlier?" Song Woo Bin commented, his lips quirking up in silent amusement as he observed his Casanova friend's reaction to his statement on the sly.
"...Woo Bin, how did you end up having coffee with Ga Eul-yang in here? And while on the subject, I won't kill you... but I'm not sure if Geum Jan Di wouldn't kick you in the shins when she hears of it." So Yi Jeong commented drily in response to his friend's words.
"It's a coincidence, I assured you. Ga Eul-yang was waiting for her ride to pick her up after the end of her piano class, and I was waiting for you outside the admin office. To kill time, I strike up a conversation with her, and she, in turn, brought me over to this little quaint cafe for a chat over coffee. As for Geum Jan Di's reaction... well, I'm not too concerned about that at present. If anything, I'm more curious about how her date with Ji Hoo will go tomorrow." Song Woo Bin responded, sharing the little titbit of information he had gotten from Ga Eul-yang with his Casanova friend.
"..."
Location: Gu Family Mansion, Sunday, 10am
"Ya, Jun Pyo… are you going to waste the entire day away in bed?" So Yi Jeong started, sharing a grinning look with Woo Bin, his best friend as they approached the Shinhwa heir who is still lazing around in bed.
"Shut up!" Gu Jun Pyo couldn't understand why these two just wouldn't leave him alone to mope in peace.
"Jun Pyo… it's such a beautiful day outside, don't waste it away by staying in bed. Come on, wake up already. We could go out and have fun together…we could go to the shooting range and do some shooting." Song Woo Bin started, joining his Casanova friend in the task of waking the Shinhwa heir up from bed.
"Get lost." The Shinhwa heir responded, pulling his blanket over his head to keep out the voices of his two friends.
Sharing a look that seems to say 'it's time to bring out the hidden card', the Korean Casanova promptly let out an audible sigh as he starts wondering aloud about what their auburn-haired friend would be doing today.
"Haven't you heard?" Song Woo Bin prompted his Casanova friend in return.
"Heard about what?" So Yi Jeong inquires, feigning ignorance.
"Ji Hoo is going on a date with Geum Jan Di today." Song Woo Bin allowed a grin to play on his lips as he noticed how the Shinhwa heir had twitched under the blanket cover when he mention their auburn-haired friend being out on a date with the Wonder Woman of Korea.
"Really? I wonder what Ji Hoo has in mind to do with Geum Jan Di today...?" The Korean Casanova shared another grin outside of the Shinhwa heir's sighting range, as he mused aloud.
"Whatever plans he has for the date, I'm sure he's going to enjoy himself. Who knows, maybe he will bring Geum Jan Di to the beach and lay down somewhere..." Song Woo Bin commented suggestively.
[This is so amusing...] The Korean Casanova thought as he took note of the number of times Jun Pyo had twitched under the covers of his blankets when they speculate on the things Ji Hoo would be doing with Geum Jan Di while those two were out on their date.
Finally, it seems their relentless chatters about Ji Hoo going out with Geum Jan Di on a date were getting too torturous for their friend to continue lazing around in bed. Because the next thing they know, the Shinhwa heir is finally out of his bed and stalking into the En-suite bathroom to start getting ready for the day ahead.
Inside the bathroom, the more Gu Jun Pyo dwells on the date between Yoon Ji Hoo and Geum Jan Di, the more concerned he felt about the situation. Despite knowing full well that whatever Geum Jan Di does in her free time is no longer his business, the Shinhwa heir just seems to have trouble switching off his concern for the girl. Thus, five minutes later he was calling up his bodyguard team to have them look into the whereabouts of Geum Jan Di.
Location: Shinhwa Jockey Club, Sunday, Late Morning
"Erm… Ji Hoo-Sunbae, why are we here again?" Geum Jan Di inquires, looking confused when the motorbike of Yoon Ji Hoo came to a stop in the parking facility of the Shinhwa Jockey Club.
The date has started off with a visit to a minimalist cafe that sells mainly pancakes breakfast sets, it was at the cafe that Geum Jan Di came to realize that her prince charming has a sweet tooth that rivals typical girls. Jan Di nearly went boggled eye when she notices the amount of maple syrup Yoon Ji Hoo had drenched his pancakes with before taking a bite of the breakfast served. Following this, instead of the expected cuppa… the auburn-haired member of F4 went on to order apple juice to go along with his pancake set.
Following the end of their breakfast date in the minimalist cafe, Yoon Ji Hoo brought Geum Jan Di to the second stop on his itinerary plan - the Shinhwa Jockey Club. And since he didn't exactly inform the girl about where they would be going, Yoon Ji Hoo wasn't in the least surprised to find a look of confusion on the face of Geum Jan Di.
"Well… I did promise you a ride on the back of Louis, didn't I?" The auburn-haired heir to the Su Am Group commented smilingly at the Wonder Woman of Korea.
"Oh… so, I'm going to get a turn in riding your horse today?" Geum Jan Di asks, her eyes lighting up in surprise and joy.
"Yes, of course." Yoon Ji Hoo nodded in affirmation, the intention to let Geum Jan Di ride on his horse has been on his mind since the horse racing competition day.
However, it didn't happen that day because Geum Jan Di has gotten distracted by the information of Chu Ga Eul leaving with Yi Jeong. And although he did eventually manage to calm Geum Jan Di down - Ji Hoo thought he should take a rain check on the idea of letting the girl onto the back of his beloved horse that day. Thus, when he had proposed the idea of taking the girl out on a date yesterday afternoon following the end of their swimming competition with Yi Jeong and Woo Bin, the idea of finally letting Geum Jan Di ride on the back of his beloved horse immediately sprang to mind.
On the way to the stable to visit Louis, Geum Jan Di brought up the question of how the horse came into his possession.
"It was a Christmas gift from Seo Hyun. Earlier that year, it was decided that Jun Pyo would be starting his horse-riding classes soon. Not wanting to be alone when it comes down to attending classes, Jun Pyo suggested for us to attend the horse-riding class together. Although all of us got the horses on the same day, I was relatively surprised to know that Louis would be my personal horse. I was under the impression that I would have to use a randomly picked out horse for the class since I didn't have doting parents who would gift me with a personal horse. Both Jun Pyo and Woo Bin got their horses gifted to them by their parents, Yi Jeong's horse was a birthday and Christmas present combined from his grandfather. So, Seo Hyun who happen to chance upon this little bit of information from Jun Hee-noona decided to gift me with my own personal horse - which I later named Louis." Yoon Ji Hoo responded, retelling the story to Geum Jan Di in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.
[It's funny… the mention of Seo Hyun's name doesn't seem as difficult as before… am I finally over her?] Yoon Ji Hoo thought half-distractedly to himself, as he keeps half of his focus and attention on Geum Jan Di, the girl he was out on a date with for the span of today.
"A horse for a Christmas gift?! Wow… that's incredible. I recall there's one time I went on a hunger strike for four days trying to get my parents to buy me a puppy." Geum Jan Di commented in response, sounding somewhat envious.
"And…?" Yoon Ji Hoo prompted when Geum Jan Di failed to finish her story.
"What?" Geum Jan Di blinked, turning towards the auburn-haired member of F4 with a confused look.
"Did you get the puppy that you want?" Yoon Ji Hoo inquires, rather curious to hear the answer despite knowing that it would likely be a negative response judging from the envious tone from the girl when he had mentioned about Louis was gifted to him as a Christmas gift by Seo Hyun.
"No, I didn't get the puppy in the end. What I got from my parents was a wallop instead." Geum Jan Di sighed in response as she finished up her tale.
"Well… it certainly isn't a puppy, but what do you think about going for a ride on a horse instead?" Yoon Ji Hoo began, assessing that his beloved horse is in top condition today and therefore they could afford to bring it out of the stable for some exercises.
[... Are we being followed…?] That was Yoon Ji Hoo's first thought when he noticed the presence of a black unknown vehicle following his motorbike from a safe distance through the side mirrors of his bike. Naturally, the auburn-haired young man was concerned initially… but when he recognized the driver of the black unknown vehicle as one of his long-time friend's bodyguards - his concern was instantly alleviated.
Not knowing why the Shinhwa heir would have someone following them from behind while they were on a date, Yoon Ji Hoo decided to ignore the bodyguard's presence and continue on with his planned itinerary. Lunch was taken in a quaint western diner within the Myeong-Dong shopping district, and afterward, they took a walk down the shopping belt for some window shopping.
Yoon Ji Hoo isn't Gu Jun Pyo and thus didn't mind being in the crowd and entering stores that Jun Pyo would consider beneath their level. Even if, most of the time he ended up coming out of the store empty-handed. But it is a new experience, which the auburn-haired member of F4 had found the entire process refreshing.
Passing by a candy store, Yoon Ji Hoo bought Geum Jan Di a lollipop to suck on as they continue the walk down the busy and crowding shopping belt of Myeong-Dong. During this time, Yoon Ji Hoo was able to forget about the bodyguard his friend had arranged to tail them from behind. When it was time for him to move on to the next destination on his itinerary plan, Yoon Ji Hoo's bemusement turns into blatant amusement when he noticed the presence of his long-time friend seated in the back passenger seat of that unknown black vehicle. That was the first sign that his friend was unable to give up on Geum Jan Di, why else would Jun Pyo not only send a bodyguard out to tail them on their date but to come by and observe the progress of their date in person?
Up until Myeong-Dong, Geum Jan Di is still in a relatively good mood. But as their date brought them closer towards the direction of Namsam tower, Geum Jan Di found her mind wandering towards a certain idiot by the name of Gu Jun Pyo. She couldn't help but remember the so-called first date between the Shinhwa heir and herself. That particular event took place in Namsam, and now that she thinks back on it… the images from that particular event stood out vividly in her mind.
Remembering how the Shinhwa heir had waited for her to show up in the freezing cold weather at the designated meeting spot he had decided upon, without thinking of the possibility that she might not show up. Geum Jan Di found herself staring at that same spot as her date with Yoon Ji Hoo brought her to this very same place, where she had finally arrived to find the Shinhwa heir freezing and shaking from the cold winter. It had been snowing that day, too. Needless to say, the Shinhwa heir ended up falling sick midway through the so-called date. Then again, it's that guy's fault for not checking if she's free on that day, to begin with.
"Is anything the matter?" Yoon Ji Hoo inquires, after noticing the frowning look on Geum Jan Di's face.
"No, just remember something that annoys me is all…" Geum Jan Di forced a smile onto her face, as she continues walking ahead.
"Hmm… shall we go for a cable car ride?" Yoon Ji Hoo suggested, pointing towards the cable car station situated ahead.
"...Sure." Geum Jan Di nodded her consent to the idea, although that just serves to bring her down another memory lane, she had of the Shinhwa heir.
Unknowingly, she wasn't the only one traveling down the memory lane of that particular event. A considerable distance away in the black unknown vehicle, the Shinhwa heir was remembering the same event to the extent that he actually sends one of his bodyguards to the cable car station to buy him a cheap cup of coffee from the vending machine that cost only 30 Korean Won.
"Would you like something to drink?" Yoon Ji Hoo asks as they stepped into the cable car station.
Glancing over at the vending machine, Geum Jan Di was reminded of the time she bought the Shinhwa heir a cup of coffee from that same vending machine and promptly shakes her head in response. "No, it's fine. I don't need anything."
If Geum Jan Di had thought being outside was bad, having stepped into the cable car was even worse. Especially, when she noticed the graffiti drawn onto a corner of the cable car by the Shinhwa heir when she wasn't looking.
[What the…?! Of all possible cable cars, why must it be the same one?!] Geum Jan Di thought as she stared at the spot where the graffiti of the umbrella sign with both the names 'Gu Jun Pyo' and 'Geum Jan Di' written underneath with disbelieving eyes. But the most unbelievable thing is that misleading message that reads 'our first night' written next to the umbrella graffiti.
While it is true that they did spend a night in the cable car, but that's only because the staff-on-duty at the cable car station has neglected to check if there are any more passengers in the cable car and ended up locking them in the station, overnight. And since the Shinhwa heir didn't have his mobile phone on him, while she didn't even own a phone at that point - calling for help is entirely out of the question. Needless to say, the next morning was a bit of an awkward situation when the staff on duty came in to report for work only to find them sleeping in the cable car. Geum Jan Di was so lost in her memories of her last visit to the Namsan tower that she actually fails to realize that Yoon Ji Hoo had just spoken to her.
"Honestly, this is my first time being here. Have you been here before?" Yoon Ji Hoo inquires as he glances out of the cable car and took in the beautiful view of the city of Seoul.
When the auburn-haired heir of the Su Am Group hears no response from Geum Jan Di, he decided to glance to his side and check on the reason why the girl was unresponsive. The first thing he noticed was the wide-eyed disbelieving look on the girl's face, so, Yoon Ji Hoo shifted his position and try to get a discreet look at what had caught the girl's attention. Upon the sight of the graffiti of a familiar sign, and even more familiar names… the auburn-haired member of F4 believed he had found the reason behind Geum Jan Di's distracted state of mind since their arrival at Namsam.
[No wonder she had been so distracted since arriving in Namsam… Jun Pyo picked Namsam for his first date with Geum Jan Di as well, it seems.] Yoon Ji Hoo thought ironically to himself, as he refocused his attention back to the beautiful views outside through the cable car windows and leave Geum Jan Di alone to her thoughts.
The ending point for the cable car ride is over at the Myeong-Dong district, and it's just as well since it's about time for them to get dinner. Although Yoon Ji Hoo had parked his motorbike at Namsam - it wouldn't be an issue as Myeong-Dong is within walking distance to Namsan. So, all they need to do is to walk their way back to where he had parked his vehicle. Of course, under the observant eyes of the Shinhwa heir the entire time.
Still unaware that his presence has been spotted by his auburn-haired friend, Gu Jun Pyo was half-tempted to put an end to his bizarre behavior. Why did he do this again? Hasn't he said that he's washing his hands off anything that concerns Geum Jan Di, the other night? So, why the hell is he so concerned about what Ji Hoo and Geum Jan Di would be doing on their date?
Yoon Ji Hoo's original intention was to send Geum Jan Di home, but the knowledge of his long-time friend tailing them from behind brought on another idea to the front of his mind. And thus, he decided to make some last-minute adjustments to his plan. Instead of sending Geum Jan Di home, he took her to his own family home. Of course, not wanting to freak the girl out - Yoon Ji Hoo made no mention of their destination until they had arrived at a stop at his family residence.
"Where is this place?" Geum Jan Di inquires out of curiosity.
"My home." Yoon Ji Hoo responded, inwardly enjoying the look of utter surprise that crosses the features of Geum Jan Di.
After leading Geum Jan Di into his humble abode, Yoon Ji Hoo left the girl alone in the living room of his family home while he headed off to prepare a tea service for themselves. As he didn't enjoy having a dozen housekeeping staff at his beck and call, the entire day… the housekeeping staff serving his family were mostly employed on a part-time basis. Thus, they are usually here during the day to tend to the housekeeping duties. Therefore, usually by sunset - Yoon Ji Hoo would have the entire house to himself.
Outside the gate of the Yoon family residence, Gu Jun Pyo could hardly believe his eyes. Was it a trick of his eyes or did Ji Hoo really bring Geum Jan Di back home?! This is something he would have expected from Woo Bin or Yi Jeong, but Ji Hoo?!
[Just what the hell is Ji Hoo thinking?! And Geum Jan Di - too! How could she not spare a thought of her chastity and followed a guy home this late in time?!] Gu Jun Pyo found pacing uneasily outside the gate of the family home of his long-time friend. For a while, he thought of heading in personally to check in on them… but then caught himself last-minute. Thinking what he might do if he had entered the place only to find them in a compromising position… and then promptly went back to pacing back and forth in front of his friend's home.
Yoon Ji Hoo was on his way back to the living room from the kitchen of his family home with the tea service prepared in hand when he noticed the sight of the Shinhwa heir pacing back and forth uneasily at the gate of his family residence and ended up snorting in amusement. Deciding to let his friend sweat for a while longer, Yoon Ji Hoo ignored the presence of Jun Pyo pacing outside his gate and headed back to his living room to attend to his guest
The Shinhwa heir stood waiting outside the family residence of his auburn-haired friend for about half an hour before finally giving up on the idea of waiting and taking his leave. Knowing that he was in no condition to head home and sleep, the Shinhwa heir pull out his mobile phone and demanded his two other friends from F4 who are likely clubbing somewhere to get themselves to the clubhouse immediately without delay.
Location: F4 Clubhouse in Shinhwa Country Club
"Took you guys long enough to get here." That was the greeting which the Don Juan and the Korean Casanova had received from their friend, upon their arrival at the clubhouse of F4 situated within the domain of the Shinhwa Country Club.
"... Jun Pyo, to be fair - it's 11pm now. I was half-ready to retire for the night… do you know how troublesome it was to explain to my lady companion that we would have to take a rain check on the last part of our itinerary plan?" Song Woo Bin pointed out in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.
"For your information, Jun Pyo. I was amid an important step in creating another masterpiece of mine in the pottery studio. So, I can't just drop everything upon receiving your message. I had to finish up what I was doing first, and then I had to get myself changed out into an outfit appropriate for an outing before I could come over and meet you." So Yi Jeong responded flatly to the obviously agitated Shinhwa heir, who seems rather restless for some unfathomable reasons.
"..."
Gu Jun Pyo was silent for the next few minutes, while a part of him feels like spilling the beans of what he had observed between Ji Hoo and Geum Jan Di to his two friends. There's also a part that reluctant to share such information, mostly because he knows Yi Jeong and Woo Bin would likely laugh in his face about how he had gone to the extent of tailing Ji Hoo on his date with the woman he swore to give up on. The truth is… he didn't know if he could give up on Geum Jan Di, the thought of the girl causes the Shinhwa heir to feel restless and uneasy again. Snatching off the darts he saw lying on the table, he stood and went to practice dart-throwing at the target in an attempt to distract his mind from whatever Ji Hoo is doing with Geum Jan Di at present.
"What is up with him, again?" Song Woo Bin couldn't help but ask aloud, not that he actually expects any response from the uptight Shinhwa heir.
"Damn if I know…" The Korean Casanova mutters aloud in response to his best friend.
What Gu Jun Pyo didn't know was that nothing had happened between Geum Jan Di and Yoon Ji Hoo at the Yoon family home. All the two of them did within the privacy of the Yoon family home was to talk things out. They basically had a heart-to-heart conversation in the living room of the Yoon residence. And if the Shinhwa heir had stayed behind for another 15 minutes, he would have seen Geum Jan Di leaving the family home of his auburn-haired friend.
Unfortunately, he didn't... and thus, he was completely unaware that Geum Jan Di didn't stay the night at his friend's house as he had assumed.
Back at the Yoon residence, Yoon Ji Hoo who has been feigning sleep finally straightens himself into a sitting position as he reopens his eyes following the sound of Geum Jan Di's departure from his home. Allowing his eyes to fall upon an enlarged photo of Min Seo Hyun that hangs on one of the walls in his living room. The auburn-haired young man murmurs to no one in particular.
"I might regret it later, but… I'm going to let her go. I have to let her go, that would be the correct thing to do - isn't it, Seo Hyun?"
Needless to say, Yoon Ji Hoo didn't get any response seeing as he was speaking to a picture of Min Seo Hyun instead of the actual person. As for his earlier comment to Geum Jan Di about Min Seo Hyun not marrying the Frenchman, that was a little white lie on his part. He hasn't been in contact with Seo Hyun since his return from France after he had given Seo Hyun his blessings for her impending engagement to Pierre. But what Geum Jan Di doesn't know wouldn't kill her, what's a little white lie in the face of getting her to admit her feelings for Jun Pyo? It would be selfish of him to tie Geum Jan Di down when it's apparent that his friend's feeling for the girl runs deeper than his feelings for Geum Jan Di at present.
[Now then… it's time to get Jun Pyo to admit that he wasn't ready to give up Geum Jan Di. Question is how to go about it?] Yoon Ji Hoo thought, mulling over the question in his mind as though he was trying to figure out a solution to a challenging puzzle.
Geum Jan Di was kind of relieved that her parents and her little brother were already asleep when she got home from her first, and likely only date with Yoon Ji Hoo. The sheer thought of how her family is going to react when she informed them that there is no chance of her becoming the granddaughter-in-law for the former president causes her to cringe momentarily. Thankfully, they are all asleep by now and she had until morning to work something out. And then, there's also the matter of her feelings for the Shinhwa heir…
[Aargh…why must things be so complicated?! Why couldn't she have figured out just exactly who she likes before things escalated to this point?!] Geum Jan Di fumed inwardly to herself, she had no one but herself to blame for the complicated situation at hand.
While Geum Jan Di sat in front of her study desk at home, dwelling on the troubles of her complicated love life... Yoon Ji Hoo dropped a text message to the other members of F4, requesting a meeting at the school's ice-hockey rink for an impromptu game.
It was easy for Yoon Ji Hoo to gain entry into the school compound near midnight, because all he has to do is to inform the security guard on duty at the guardhouse that Jun Pyo would be coming in shortly, and he was allowed entry into the school easily enough.
"Ji Hoo, what do you want with us at this hour?" So Yi Jeong began as he followed the silent Shinhwa heir into the ice-hockey rink of their school slightly after midnight.
"Yes... shouldn't you be with Geum Jan Di now?" Song Woo Bin added from his position beside his Casanova friend.
"Well... I guess I got weary of her. I thought she was a tomboy, but turns out – she's a typical girl as well. It was so easy to get her to follow me home..." Yoon Ji Hoo sprouting nonsensical words that only serve to tick off the already agitated Shinhwa heir.
"..." Sharing a look of bewilderment with So Yi Jeong behind the Shinhwa heir who is getting more upset by the second, Song Woo Bin threw a look that seems to be asking 'What the hell is wrong with Ji Hoo now?' to his Casanova friend.
"..." So Yi Jeong responded with a look that says 'How would I know? I'm as bewildered as you, under the present circumstances.'
Meanwhile, Gu Jun Pyo has finally had it with Yoon Ji Hoo slandering words against Geum Jan Di. With a curse under his breath, he started chasing after Yoon Ji Hoo on the ice. The suggested game of ice-hockey left forgotten as every cell in his body is telling him to plummet his long-time friend into pulp.
Immediately going on alerting mode, Song Woo Bin and So Yi Jeong started keeping a keen eye on the development between their two friends. When it became apparent that the Shinhwa heir has completely lost it, and that Ji Hoo is likely to get seriously injured if they do not interfere in the situation in the next few minutes. They promptly started forward and dragged the upset figure of Gu Jun Pyo off their auburn-haired friend.
"Yoon Ji Hoo, I'm warning you if you don't shut up and continue sprouting these nonsensical words about Geum Jan Di. Friend or not, I'll kill you." Gu Jun Pyo was heard shouting as the Korean Casanova and the Don Juan of F4 stepped in to put a stop to the plummeting action of the enraged Shinhwa heir.
"You should've said it earlier. Then I wouldn't have to resort to these measures." Yoon Ji Hoo managed to choke out with some difficulty.
"What?" Gu Jun Pyo snapped his head back towards Yoon Ji Hoo with a frowning expression, as the haze of anger clouding his mind starts receding bit by bit.
"You should have just come outright and admitted that you can't give up on Geum Jan Di. That would have made things a lot easier for me." Yoon Ji Hoo commented as he wiped the blood off his mouth, a sign of the harsh blows his enraged friend had directed towards him in their recent altercation.
"...Crazy fella!" Gu Jun Pyo hit Yoon Ji Hoo once more, this time in the stomach as he skated off the ice leaving behind Woo Bin and Yi Jeong to deal with the aftermath.
Back on the ice-hockey rink, So Yi Jeong and Song Woo Bin helped their auburn-haired friend up from the ice after being plummeted to a pulp by the enraged Shinhwa heir. Once ascertain that Yoon Ji Hoo was in no danger of collapsing on them, both the playboys of F4 turn towards their auburn-haired friend with a mirroring look of incredulity.
"Yoon Ji Hoo, what was that all about?" Song Woo Bin exclaimed; feeling very much out of his depth. Everything that his auburn-haired friend has done since New Caledonia was too confusing for him to comprehend.
So Yi Jeong, on the other hand, wasn't as confused as Woo Bin. Although, he couldn't say he completely understand the situation either. What he had gathered through the words exchanged between Ji Hoo and Jun Pyo earlier was that Ji Hoo was intentionally provoking Jun Pyo into admitting that the Shinhwa heir still has feelings for Geum Jan Di. What he fails to understand though, is why Ji Hoo feels the need to do this? Unless he was reading it wrong, Ji Hoo seems to have developed feelings for Geum Jan Di too… so, why the need to complicate things further?
"That was just me employing the use of provocation to get Jun Pyo to admit he still has feelings for Geum Jan Di, and that he isn't ready to give up on her." Yoon Ji Hoo answered, addressing the inquiry from the Don Juan of F4 after spending some time catching his breath, as he recovered from the earlier altercation with the Shinhwa heir.
"And what about you? Are you ready to give up on your feelings for Geum Jan Di then?" So Yi Jeong prompted, looking his auburn-haired friend in the eyes.
"Wait... wait a minute, Yi Jeong ah – what are you talking about?" Song Woo Bin feels like there's something he's missing, what did Yi Jeong meant by Ji Hoo giving up on his feelings for Geum Jan Di? Wasn't Ji Hoo simply using Geum Jan Di as a means to get over his feelings for Min Seo Hyun?
"...Woo Bin, seriously? You aren't being deliberately obtuse on the uptake, are you? I would have thought you would have realized by now that Ji Hoo has somehow developed feelings for Geum Jan Di over the past few weeks?" So Yi Jeong couldn't help but roll his eyes at his friend as he spelled things out for the Don Juan of F4 who's obviously very much confused at present.
"What?! Ji Hoo, is Yi Jeong saying the truth? You didn't really develop feelings for Geum Jan Di, did you?" A fearful look starts to form in the eyes of the mafia prince as he glanced towards the direction of Yoon Ji Hoo.
"And if I did develop feelings for Geum Jan Di? What are you going to do then?" Yoon Ji Hoo asks, deliberately keeping his face blank while meeting the eyes of the Don Juan of F4 with a serious look.
"..." A conflicted look formed itself on the face of Song Woo Bin, and honestly, the Don Juan of F4 had no idea what to say in response to his auburn-haired friend. Luckily, his reaction seems to have amused the auburn-haired member of F4, and thus, he was saved from the need to answer when Yoon Ji Hoo started to speak, again.
"Anyway, Woo Bin – no need to fret so much over the subject. I wouldn't have gone to the trouble of making Jun Pyo confess that he wasn't ready to give up on Geum Jan Di if I don't intend to give up my own feelings for her. Besides, compared to Jun Pyo... what I feel for her is still considered minuscule at this point, and thus making it easier for me to let her go. But most importantly, it wasn't me that Geum Jan Di really wants in her life. It might be true that I'm her first love, but Jun Pyo is the one that she truly loves. She just needs to come to terms with it." Yoon Ji Hoo responded as he too, skated off the ice while leaving the Korean Casanova and the Don Juan of F4 behind to their own thoughts on the matter.
"..."
"Ji Hoo, how certain are you about Geum Jan Di liking me?" Gu Jun Pyo asks uncertainly after they left the A&E department of Shinhwa Hospital where they have dragged Yoon Ji Hoo in for a medical check after he had plummeted his auburn-haired friend to a pulp on the ice-hockey rink.
"I'm 90% certain that she likes you." Yoon Ji Hoo answered with a grin.
"Why 90% and not 100%?" The Shinhwa heir demanded, zeroing in his eyes on his long-time friend who suffered under his wrath less than an hour ago.
"Nothing is 100% in life, Jun Pyo. I thought you would have realized it by now and besides... I would like to think that I still hold the 10% chance to her heart." Yoon Ji Hoo told his long-time friend in a hard tone of voice.
"Ya! Yoon Ji Hoo... I thought you weren't going to fight me on this?" Gu Jun Pyo started, hackles rising again.
"Of course, I'm not going to fight you for her at this point. But Jun Pyo marked my words... I had voluntarily let her go this time because it's you. However, should you end up hurting her in the future... I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of taking her out of your reach." Yoon Ji Hoo commented in a warning tone of voice, as his face took on a serious demeanor.
"..." Gu Jun Pyo glares, and if looks could kill - Ji Hoo would be dead many times over by now.
"Alright, that's enough. Coming back to the topic at hand, the Wonder Woman of Korea isn't going to admit her feelings for Jun Pyo this easily. Like Ji Hoo mentioned, she's probably still reeling from the realization... and taking into account her past interactions with Jun Pyo, it isn't going to be an easy task getting her to admit her feelings. So, is there anything we could do to speed things along? Because otherwise, this idiot here is going to be totally unbearable over the next few days." So Yi Jeong took it upon himself to put a halt to the interaction between Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo before another fight broke out between them over Geum Jan Di within an hour.
"Well… it's Geum Jan Di, and similar to Jun Pyo… she can be extremely stubborn at times. If provocation works for Jun Pyo, desperation might work for her." Yoon Ji Hoo began, as an idea started to form in his mind.
"Meaning?" Raising an eyebrow up in a questioning manner, Gu Jun Pyo prompted his friend for further elaboration of his earlier statement.
"Jun Pyo, pass your phone over to Yi Jeong." Yoon Ji Hoo instructed.
"Why?" The Shinhwa heir frowned as he inquires, directing his words to his auburn-haired friend.
"Don't ask, just do it." Yoon Ji Hoo responded and then turn towards the figure of So Yi Jeong and instructed the Korean Casanova to call up Geum Jan Di. At the same time, he took out his own mobile phone and use it to type out the words he wished for the Korean Casanova to convey to Geum Jan Di through Jun Pyo's phone.
'Yi Jeong, tell Geum Jan Di that Jun Pyo has an accident on the road and is now in critical condition in the hospital.' - Yoon Ji Hoo typed out, and turn it towards the direction of the Korean Casanova so the guy could proceed to relay the information across to Geum Jan Di as soon as the call was answered.
So Yi Jeong could hardly believe what he was seeing, and thus he was silent for some time after Geum Jan Di picked up the call on the other end. Taking a deep breath, he swallowed a couple of times before he was confident of conveying the message with a straight face. While he prided himself as someone with excellent acting skills, he has never tried pulling off an act without prior preparation. Therefore, he was quite thankful that Geum Jan Di didn't wait for him to speak before sprouting off her excuse about not being in the mood to speak with Jun Pyo. That few minutes allows him to finally put together a plan on how to go about conveying the message and to make the act convincing.
As the Korean Casanova busied himself with the task of convincing Geum Jan Di of the authenticity of Jun Pyo's accident, and the Shinhwa heir himself was too stunned to react. Yoon Ji Hoo took it upon himself to get the hospital staff to find them an empty VIP hospital room that they could use for a school film project. By the time the Korean Casanova got off the phone with Geum Jan Di, Yoon Ji Hoo has already gotten the details sorted out.
"Ya! Ji Hoo, damn you. Next time, give me a heads-up if you wish for me to put up an act - okay? I nearly had a heart attack earlier." So Yi Jeong lamented aloud as he threw the mobile device of the Shinhwa heir back to Jun Pyo, as he stalked towards Yoon Ji Hoo to slap the guy hard on the shoulder.
"Good job, Yi Jeong. I knew you could do it." Yoon Ji Hoo smirked, as he starts assigning roles to his three friends.
"Jun Pyo, lie down on the bed. No matter what happens later, you are not to move an inch. You are in a critical condition and unconscious, remember?!" Yoon Ji Hoo commented, putting the oxygen mask onto his friend with ease.
Turning towards Song Woo Bin, Yoon Ji Hoo instructed. "Woo Bin, your job is very easy. Once we give you the cue to start acting, just cry out Jun Pyo's name repeatedly in the most tragic way you could handle. Geum Jan Di has a very imaginative mind, so, as long as the mood and atmosphere are set right - she can do the imagining herself."
"Yi Jeong, you are the best in acting among us. So, later you would be the one misleading Geum Jan Di into thinking the worst with your expression. I have faith in you." Yoon Ji Hoo commented while he headed outside the room to laugh it out first lest he unintentionally gives his own game plan away when Geum Jan Di arrives.
While the F4 was in the hospital getting the stage for their little act set up and preparing for the arrival of the Wonder Woman of Korea. Geum Jan Di was in a frantic hurry to get to the hospital, so much so, that she didn't realize that her shoes didn't match. On one foot was a pink indoor slipper that she wore within the comfort of her own home, while on the other feet were her sneakers. Her hair wasn't combed, underneath her jacket is her sleepwear.
Yoon Ji Hoo makes sure to send the instructions about how to arrive at the VIP hospital room where they had staged up for their little act of performance to the mobile phone of Geum Jan Di, to avoid the girl asking the hospital staff for directions out of worry. Because Yoon Ji Hoo knows that should the staff was being approached, they aren't going to assist them in fooling Geum Jan Di. Therefore, the best thing to do is to provide Geum Jan Di with the full set of instructions about how to get to the hospital room Jun Pyo is in.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Geum Jan Di wasted no time in climbing up the escalator and dashing down the hallway of level 2 towards the intensive care unit. Her steps slowed down upon arriving at the mentioned room labeled with the name 'Gu Jun Pyo'. Inside the room, Yoon Ji Hoo signaled for the Shinhwa heir to get onto the bed and stop fooling around with Woo Bin because Geum Jan Di is here.
"Ji Hoo-Sunbae…Gu Jun Pyo…he… is he…?" Geum Jan Di started, looking towards Yoon Ji Hoo for reassurance. Only, Yoon Ji Hoo wasn't looking at her and instead simply told her to go inside and see for herself.
"Yi Jeong-Sunbae…how is he?" Geum Jan Di asks frantically upon entering the hospital room, and since the Korean Casanova was the closest to the doorway of the hospital room - he was the first person to be noticed by the worried-looking Geum Jan Di.
Taking Geum Jan Di's words as the cue to start his part of the act, Song Woo Bin began to wail aloud for his friend to wake up.
"What happened? How did he end up in an accident on the road?" Geum Jan Di upon noticing the motionless figure of Gu Jun Pyo lying on the hospital bed with an oxygen mask over his face turns ashen pale as she shifted her glance towards the equally distressed Don Juan of F4 and demanded to know how the Shinhwa heir had ended up involved in an accident on the road.
"He was rather upset today, especially after he had heard about the information of you and Ji Hoo going out on a date. So, I think he spends the bulk of the evening drinking away. I distinctively remember hearing him mutter something about regretting his decision to let you go, and is likely on his way over to find you. He must have drunk too much as he was a little wobbly on the legs, and because he wasn't paying enough attention to the traffic situation. Ultimately, he got himself run over by Ji Hoo's approaching motorbike and in the process, fell backward and hit his head on a curb by the side of the road. He hasn't woken up since then." Song Woo Bin scrambled to find a suitable backstory to explain how the Shinhwa heir ended up in such a state, and the above-mentioned story was the best he could come up with on short notice.
Luckily, Geum Jan Di was in too much of a worry to find the loopholes in Woo Bin's story, the Korean Casanova wouldn't have been confident of fooling Geum Jan Di if Chu Ga Eul had decided to join Geum Jan Di here in the hospital. Lucky, it's in the middle of the night and thus Geum Jan Di didn't even think of getting her friend to join her on this hospital trip. As the minutes passes them by, it became harder and harder for them to keep a straight face.
And after hearing the story Woo Bin has cooked up on the spot to explain how Jun Pyo ended up in a critical condition, the Korean Casanova really has to hand it to the Shinhwa heir for being able to remain motionless as Woo Bin fed that ridiculous backstory of the accident to Geum Jan Di. Well, on second thought, that just goes to show how much Jun Pyo had desired to hear a confession from Geum Jan Di even if he had to go to the extent of feigning his own death to hear them.
It was at the end of Woo Bin's story that Gu Jun Pyo finally moved his hand slightly, but the way he moves his hand bore a high resemblance to a dying patient's last moment shown on TV. And maybe that was the last straw that broke the camel's back, for that is precisely when Geum Jan Di started breaking down in tears and coming clean to the Shinhwa heir of her feelings for him.
"Ya! Gu Jun Pyo… wake up. Please, Gu Jun Pyo… you can't do this to me. The words that you wanted to hear from me so much the other day, I haven't gotten around to saying them to you yet. How am I going to tell you those words now that you're like this? Gu Jun Pyo…" Geum Jan Di cried out as she held the hand of the Shinhwa heir with her own, her tears staining the white sheets of the hospital bed.
"Really? So, you do like me - huh?" This was when the Shinhwa heir couldn't help but spoil the entire act, having gotten what he wants – Gu Jun Pyo promptly plucked the oxygen mask from his face, as he broke into a wide grinning expression and spoke.
Totally unprepared for the abrupt turn of events, Geum Jan Di found herself at a loss of words as she fell backward in shock and disbelief at the Shinhwa heir who suddenly return from the 'dead. And that was also when So Yi Jeong and Song Woo Bin of F4 started to guffaw in laughter.
Song Woo Bin went to the extent of quoting Geum Jan Di's speech in a word-for-word manner as he wheezes in laughter. "Oh God, that was really hilarious…" The Don Juan of F4 commented in between laughter and tears.
"Ya! Woo Bin-Sunbae! Stop quoting what I said in a word-for-word manner! God, I can't believe you guys." Geum Jan Di lamented aloud as she glares at the occupants in the hospital room with a blatant look of displeasure on her face.
"And you, Gu Jun Pyo! How dare you joke about such matters?!" Geum Jan Di zeroes in her glaring look onto the Shinhwa heir, as she starts berating the guy for scaring her unnecessarily.
"Oi, woman...don't blame me for this! This is entirely Ji Hoo's idea." Gu Jun Pyo wasted no time in throwing his auburn-haired friend under the bus when it became apparent that Geum Jan Di was tempted to give him a box on the ears.
Spluttering in disbelief, Geum Jan Di throws a look that's both accusing and disbelieving towards the direction of Yoon Ji Hoo and demanded. "Ji Hoo-Sunbae! How could you do this to me?!"
"I apologized… but that's the only way I could think of to get you to be honest with your feelings. After all, you can be as stubborn as Jun Pyo at times." Yoon Ji Hoo apologized to Geum Jan Di with an apologetic smile.
"Geum Jan Di, you can say them now - the words that you promise you would say to me when I woke up." Gu Jun Pyo started, from his position on the hospital bed causing Geum Jan Di to tackle him down to get him to shut up. She can't believe she got fooled into thinking that Gu Jun Pyo was dying.
Leaving his friends to fool around in the hospital room with Geum Jan Di, Yoon Ji Hoo kept the smiling expression on his face until he closes the door to the hospital room behind him. Outside the room, Yoon Ji Hoo wasted no time to put some distance between him and the hospital room where the rest of his friends and Geum Jan Di was in. The need to be alone brought him to the rooftop garden of the hospital.
Staring up at the dark skies, Yoon Ji Hoo tried his best to stamp down the spike of envy he had felt towards his long-time friend for finally getting together with Geum Jan Di. It took a while, but eventually, after spending 20 minutes or so staring up at the sky... the auburn-haired young man finally found it in him to return downstairs to his friends.
~TBC~
Chapter's notes: Okay, so, this is part 1 of the Disastrous double-date arc… but nothing about the double date is mentioned yet. This chapter is basically dedicated to episode 8 of the original drama, although, I did manage to squeeze in scenes for Ga Eul that are original and not part of the original drama.
The first scene is from the drama, F2 checking in on Jun Pyo. And then I have two original scenes featuring Ga Eul. The first portion is Ga Eul out on a shopping trip with Kim Nari, an OC and Jan Di calls her up in a panic about the date with Ji Hoo. Shunsuke gets a cameo flash in this portion as well. The second part turns out to be an interaction scene between Woo Bin and Ga Eul. I did toy with the idea of letting SoEul have some screen-time together, but then... I couldn't quite find any good timing and scenario for it. So, unfortunately for us all – we ended up having no SoEul scene in this chapter. ^^;
The second half of this chapter is mostly Jan Di, Jun Pyo, and Ji Hoo portion from the original drama with my own twist. The stable scene is more or less the same as the drama, with my own interpretation. I skipped the entire Ji Hoo and Jan Di conversation at his home and went directly to the part after Jan Di left, again… with my own twist. Honestly, I have no idea who came up with the idea to put on that little act in the hospital room… so I made Ji Hoo the mastermind for it. XD
And in the last part of this chapter, well... in the drama, Ji Hoo left the hospital room behind and walk around for a bit. Not quite sure what he was supposed to be doing in the drama since the next scene went straight to Jun Pyo and Jan Di. So, I thought to enhance it with my own interpretation.
So, what do you guys think of the chapter? Let me know, okay? ^_^ See you next time~