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 11 - The Disastrous Double-Date, Part 2
Location: Porridge Shop, Monday morning, 11am
"Wait, hold up one second. What do you mean by you are back together with Gu Jun Pyo?" Chu Ga Eul started, sounding confused as she turns around to look at her childhood friend with a look of bewilderment.
"Oh right, between all the chaos… I haven't given you an update about how my date with Ji Hoo-Sunbae has gone, right?" Geum Jan Di started, upon the look of confusion on the face of her childhood friend.
"Indeed. That's what I fail to understand. How did a date with Ji Hoo-Sunbae end up with you getting back together with Jun Pyo-Sunbae?" Chu Ga Eul commented in a tone of utter bewilderment, as she zeroes in her earnest eyes upon the figure of Geum Jan Di demanding for her friend to share with her the entire story that led up to the present development of her friend getting back together with the Shinhwa heir.
The entire explanation from Geum Jan Di took 15 minutes to complete, of course, the version of events that was reiterated to Ga Eul was a diluted narration of the previous day's happenings. In the narrated version of the event, Geum Jan Di told her friend about how the date had started out with breakfast at a minimalist cafe selling pancakes followed by a visit to the stable at the Shinhwa Jockey Club where Yoon Ji Hoo took her on a ride on his beloved horse - Louis.
Geum Jan Di also told Ga Eul about the Myeong-Dong trip, before moving on to the trip to Namsan whereby things start getting south in the sense of her mind kept drifting towards the Shinhwa heir. And that - it was at that point that she finally realized that although she cared greatly for Yoon Ji Hoo, the one that she was longing for is actually the Shinhwa heir. Finally, Geum Jan Di went on to share with her friend how the date came to an end with Yoon Ji Hoo bringing her to his family home.
"...Ji Hoo-Sunbae brought you over to his place of residence? And what did the two of you do in his family home?" Chu Ga Eul raised an eyebrow up in curiosity, as she inquires. She knew it cannot be anything too intimate, else her friend wouldn't be telling her this.
"Nothing much, we simply talk. Rather, we had a heart-to-heart session in his living room." Geum Jan Di responded; keeping the details of her visit to the Yoon family home vague as she didn't think the conversation is to be shared with her friend since the contents is a tad too private in her opinion.
"Right… but that still doesn't explain how you got back together with Jun Pyo-Sunbae though?" Chu Ga Eul pointed out objectively.
"That's what I'm getting to… I think it was sometime around 1am, I was too troubled to sleep. So, I was still sitting at the desk in my room staring out of my window when I received a call from Gu Jun Pyo. Only, after I picked up the call and heard Yi Jeong-Sunbae's voice coming from the other end that I realized it wasn't Gu Jun Pyo who was calling me on his mobile. Naturally, I got curious about why Yi Jeong-Sunbae would be calling me on Gu Jun Pyo's number… imagine my shock and disbelief when Yi Jeong-Sunbae proceed to inform me that Gu Jun Pyo was involved in an accident and is now in the hospital fighting for his life." Geum Jan Di told her childhood friend in an agitated manner, as the tone of annoyance started leaking into her voice as she thought back to the events of last night, or was it early this morning since it's already after midnight?
(A few minutes later…)
"Okay, basically what you're saying is that after going out on a date with your prince charming - you came to realize that somewhere along the line you had fallen in love with Gu Jun Pyo. Thus, you decided that it's finally time for you to let go of your first love a.k.a. your prince charming. Apparently, your feelings for Jun Pyo-Sunbae were detected ahead of time by Ji Hoo-Sunbae, and together, on the whole, the F4 decided to trick you into confessing your feelings for Jun Pyo-Sunbae by fooling you into thinking that Jun Pyo-Sunbae is on his dying breath in the hospital. And that in turn ends up with you confessing your feelings for him on his 'deathbed' which ultimately resulted in you getting back together with Jun Pyo-Sunbae. Did I get everything right?" Chu Ga Eul commented, listing out the main points she had gathered from the entire narration of the previous day's event shared with her by her childhood friend, to see if she had missed anything from Jan Di's reiteration.
"Yes, Ga Eul. You got that right, that's exactly what happened." Geum Jan Di nodded, responding to her friend's statement in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.
"...Sounds like yesterday was quite an eventful day for you." Chu Ga Eul commented, sounding quite amused by the part of how the F4 had tricked her friend into confessing her feelings for the Shinhwa heir. Too bad, no videos have been captured during that little act - it would have been amusing to witness it in person. Oh well, she would have to live with the idea of listening to the account in the verbal form then. Deciding to get the full version of that particular scene from one of the playboys from F4 at a later timing, Chu Ga Eul didn't object to her friend - Geum Jan Di's change of topic shortly afterward.
"What about you, Ga Eul? How did your day go, yesterday?" Geum Jan Di inquires, completely forgetting about the fact that her childhood friend had to work full shift here at the porridge shop the day before.
"...Uneventful. I spend literally the bulk of my time here working yesterday, what do you think would happen to me?" Chu Ga Eul commented a tad drily to her childhood friend.
"Oh… right, sorry. I forgot." Geum Jan Di answered a little meekly upon the realization that her friend didn't really have much planned for the day before, since most of her friend's time was spent at work. So, unless their employer dozes off and wakes up with some weird dreams… there wouldn't be much entertainment taking place at their workplace.
The two girls are working away in the porridge shop on a Monday morning, but it wasn't because they had both decided to skip school for the day. Instead, it was more of the fact, they are currently amid the winter break from school. The winter break session in Shinhwa High differs slightly from the regular government-funded public high schools, most high school tends have scheduled their winter break around the Christmas holidays. Shinhwa High went for the opposite, their winter break is scheduled to take place on the first two weeks of February. And then, during the Christmas season - students get the Christmas day off, while school is still in session for half day on Christmas eve.
"Anyway, Ga Eul - what brings you in here for work so early today? You aren't the type that would increase working hours during school term breaks, based on my understanding." Geum Jan Di inquires, finally recalling the moment of surprise when she entered the porridge shop an hour ago to find her friend already present. Usually, Ga Eul tends to come in for work in the late afternoon hours, as that's when the peak hours for the porridge shop begin. After all, unlike her - Ga Eul doesn't actually need to work for an extra pocket allowance.
"Oh, I'll be on leave this weekend. So, I thought to reschedule my hours from the weekends to weekdays for this week. But seeing as I have ballet lessons on Thursday evening, and calligraphy lessons tomorrow afternoon. The only days I could fit in the extra hours to free up my weekends would be today, and Wednesday." Chu Ga Eul responded informing Jan Di of the reason behind her earlier presence in the porridge shop today.
"I see… and what plans do you have for this weekend that you have to go to the extent of rescheduling your work hours?" Geum Jan Di tilted her head to the side as she voiced her query across to her childhood friend.
"... This Sunday is the national tournament for figure-skating and speed skating event, Kazuki and Shuichi would be participating in the tournament. And I had promised them that I'm going to support them in person on the competition day. As for Saturday... I have other plans schedule and thus I need to take the entire weekends off for this week…" Chu Ga Eul responded deciding to come clean at least half of her weekend plan to her friend, lest Jan Di has it in mind to keep harassing her for details. After all, it wasn't common for her to take the entire weekend off work.
"Oh, before you start leaping to any ridiculous conclusion about Shuichi being my boyfriend or something along the line. Let me clarify that Shuichi is a friend of Kazuki and also our cousin. We are related through the Miyazawa side of the family; his mother is also my mother's direct superior at work." Ga Eul added as an afterthought, just in case, her friend decided without any proof of evidence that Shuichi and her are dating.
Knowing Jan Di, it wasn't too far-fetched for such notions to occur… Especially, after her friend was to come to the realization that Shuichi is the owner of the white Lexus which she was often seen traveling in, recently.
Thus far, Ga Eul hasn't gone about arranging a meeting between her childhood friend with the members of Elite 3. Not because she didn't want to, but it's more of the matter of the members of E3 being reluctant to meet her friend in person, going as far as to label her childhood friend as a trouble magnet. This could be seen from the way they acted in school, should they need to communicate something to her. They either drop her a text message via the phone, or they would send someone to look for her when she's in the company of Jan Di or when she's surrounded by the members of F4. And the person who was usually sent over by the Elite 3 to look for Ga Eul is none other than a certain female by the name of Choi Hyo Rin.
[Poor Hyo Rin… the girl's been reduced to the lowly status of a mere runner for the Elite 3 on the whims of Kazuki. Maybe I ought to buy her a drink or a meal one of these days to compensate her for the troubles of playing runner for the E3, recently.] - Chu Ga Eul thought inwardly to herself, as she returned her focus to the task of folding up cloth napkins for the customers' use.
Location: F4 Clubhouse in Shinhwa Country Club, Monday, 12pm
"Ya! What's with all that constant staring?" Gu Jun Pyo finally had it with the behavior of his two friends - the Don Juan and Korean Casanova of F4, as he snapped at them both. Those two have been staring unwaveringly at him as though as he was an alien since he walked into the clubhouse minutes ago. And honestly, it was starting to creep him out.
So Yi Jeong and Song Woo Bin quirked their lips at his response, before sharing a look of bemusement among themselves. Turning their focus back onto the fidgeting Shinhwa heir, they took turns sharing their thoughts behind the Shinhwa heir's appearance in the clubhouse this afternoon.
"Nothing… we are just surprised to see you here is all." So Yi Jeong commented with a shrug of his shoulders.
"What is there to be surprised about? And on the subject, what are you two doing here? Shouldn't you guys be off frolicking somewhere or something?" Gu Jun Pyo asks his two friends back in return.
"...We are surprised because we have assumed that you would be taking Geum Jan Di out for a date in the wake of yesterday's event. As for the reason why we're here… well, Yi Jeong here wanted to look over some documents his grandfather insisted on him to go over and he didn't want to do it back in his pottery studio, claiming that he would get distracted by his unfinished pottery work and thus he decided to bring the documents over to the clubhouse and work here this morning, instead. As for me, I'm mainly here to kill some time until I could head out and pick up my date for the day." Song Woo Bin responded with an amused glint in his eyes.
"... And what about Ji Hoo? He isn't here with you guys?" Gu Jun Pyo inquires next, as a glance around the room informed him that his auburn-haired friend was nowhere in sight.
"I reckon he would be home sleeping, have you forgotten how we had fooled around until the wee hours of the morning before calling it a day? Unlike Yi Jeong and me here, Ji Hoo isn't the type that could exactly function without ample hours of sleep." Song Woo Bin pointed out objectively to the Shinhwa heir.
The Shinhwa heir nodded wordlessly in response to the comment of the Don Juan of F4, as he proceeds to take a seat on the sofa couch in the clubhouse with a pondering look on his face. He did hear his friends' remark about him bringing Geum Jan Di out on a date, and that's exactly what he was mulling over at present.
Location: Neighbourhood of Geum Jan Di's family home, Tuesday Morning, 9am
[Was it just me or am I being followed?] Geum Jan Di couldn't help but thought when she heard the sound of multiple sets of footsteps behind her. Warily, she turns around and checks on the happenings behind her. The sight that met her eyes was three grown men dressed up in black suits and pants, who promptly turn their backs on her and pretended to be busy with something.
"..."
Several times, Geum Jan Di repeated this motion of hers. And every single time, when she turns around, the three men in suits were always five steps behind. Something about this particular scene was giving her a sense of the Deja vu feeling, it reminded her oddly of the first time Gu Jun Pyo had forcibly brought her to his family mansion and subjected her to a makeover process.
So, stopping mid-walk and going into a stretching routine in the middle of the pavement of her residential neighborhood… Geum Jan Di bide her time to look for a window of opportunity to run. Only she didn't manage to get too far on her foot when a familiar black Mercedes Benz pulls up in front of her.
[I should've known...!] Geum Jan Di thought as the familiar figure of Gu Jun Pyo emerged from the back passenger seat of the black Mercedes Benz.
"What are you doing out in this cold weather instead of being at home?" Gu Jun Pyo demanded the moment he landed his sight on the figure of Geum Jan Di.
"And what are you doing in someone else residential neighborhood this early in the morning?" Geum Jan Di asks defensively back in response.
"What I'm doing here is none of your concern. What I want to know is what are you doing being out in such cold weather, instead of staying home where it's warm?" Gu Jun Pyo throws back in a voice that offers no room for argument.
"... I'm exercising, what else could I be doing?" Geum Jan Di commented, deciding to leave out the fact that she was going to report for work. The Shinhwa heir would no doubt ordered her to take leave from work or something along that line. Still, even with her offered excuse of being out exercising - it seems like Gu Jun Pyo already has plans to take her out and thus couldn't be deterred with any excuses she came up with.
"Exercising…? As expected of the commoners' standards of living, even the choice of exercise is cheap. Come on, get in." The Shinhwa heir practically demanded Geum Jan Di, to join him in the back passenger seat of the black Mercedes Benz owned by his family.
"What?" Geum Jan Di gaped, wondering what the Shinhwa heir is up to now.
"Stop dallying and just get in." Gu Jun Pyo responded and promptly dragged the unwilling Geum Jan Di in with him as he instructed for his driver to proceed to the Shinhwa mall situated in the Gangnam district, without delay.
Over at the mall, Gu Jun Pyo doesn't even need to care for the fact that it wasn't quite the official opening hours for the mall since the Shinhwa Group owns the entire building. The Shinhwa heir doesn't like to shop under outsiders' scrutiny, and thus he mostly visited before or after the routine operating hours of the mall. Of course, he would always call up the mall management office several hours in advance, so, they wouldn't be caught off-guard by his sudden visit.
"What are we doing here?" Geum Jan Di demanded when the Shinhwa heir dragged her into the departmental store owned by the Shinhwa Group situated within the Gangnam shopping district.
"Getting you some new outfit." Gu Jun Pyo answered in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.
"What?!" Geum Jan Di gaped, the idea of protesting against the idea was on the tips of her tongue before she remembers how the Shinhwa heir never take 'No' for an answer. What Gu Jun Pyo wants, what he usually gets. And thus, Geum Jan Di resigned herself to the idea of being dragged off for an impromptu shopping trip. Luckily for her, this time around, the Shinhwa heir didn't attempt to buy out an entire store for her. Instead, the Shinhwa heir only requested for the staff-on-duty at the departmental store to find her a set of suitable sportswear.
"Sportswear? Why are you getting me fitted for sportswear?" Geum Jan Di asked, looking bewildered.
"Didn't you just say that you are on the way to do some exercise? I'm bringing you to see how I usually exercise, and hence the need for new attire." Gu Jun Pyo responded with a grinning expression; he had gone over to Geum Jan Di's residential neighborhood earlier to bring the woman out on a date. But since Geum Jan Di has expressed the intention to exercise, he thought he could let the woman try out a sports activity that he thinks is more befitting for someone of his status.
"Where are we going?" Fully garbed in her new sportswear, Geum Jan Di directed a quizzical look towards the Shinhwa heir as she inquires.
"You'll see." Gu Jun Pyo commented smugly, as he beckoned for his driver to bring them to the next destination of his planned itinerary for the day.
"..."
Meanwhile, over at the porridge shop where Geum Jan Di and Chu Ga Eul works on a part-time basis. The owner – Bom Choon-Sik was just opening up his shop for business, the fact that Geum Jan Di didn't report in for work as schedule didn't even make the man, bat an eyelid. Instead, the man simply took out his mobile phone to drop his other part-timer a text message reminding Ga Eul to report in by 4pm, today.
Text exchange between Bom Choon-Sik and Chu Ga Eul, Tuesday 10.45am
Bom Choon-Sik: Ga Eul, I expect you to be in by 4pm today. Jan Di didn't show up, so you are not allowed to skip out on your evening shift.
Ga Eul: Noted. I'll be in by 3pm.
Bom Choon-Sik: Nah... not possible, you will only be able to reach by 4pm. BTW, say hi to the Andromeda Prince for me.
Ga Eul: ... Right... -_-;
Location: Golf Course at Shinhwa Country Club, Tuesday 11am
"What are you waiting for? Hop on." Gu Jun Pyo started, directing his words at the stumped figure of Geum Jan Di who was eyeing the golf cart as though it's something that would bite.
"..." With a sigh of resignation, Geum Jan Di trudged over to the golf cart in front of her and directed an awkward smile towards the female staff behind the steering wheel of the cart as she took a seat stiffly in the passenger seat.
Upon arriving at the first hole of the golf course, Gu Jun Pyo decided to show Geum Jan Di how the sports are being played by giving a demonstration of the sports, personally. Needless to say, his execution could only be flawless since golf happens to be an activity that he enjoys. While the rest of his friends do have adequate knowledge of the sports, they aren't a fan of the activity.
For instance, Woo Bin would pick the shooting range any day over the golf course; while Yi Jeong and Ji Hoo are a tad more easy-going in terms of sports activities. The Shinhwa heir reckons that's because those two didn't exactly have a preferred sports activity in mind, given that their passion lies in the cultural and artistic aspects.
Geum Jan Di was very content with the idea of staying on the sideline while waiting for the Shinhwa heir to put up a show showcasing his prowess in golf sports for all to see when that guy had all but pressed a golf club into her hands.
"What?" Looking down at the golf club in her hand with a look of confusion, Geum Jan Di couldn't help but shift questioning eyes onto the figure of Gu Jun Pyo.
"Come on, give it a try. Don't worry, I'll guide you through it the first time around." Gu Jun Pyo said, addressing his suddenly stiffed-looking girlfriend with assurance in his tone.
"..."
It took several tries for Geum Jan Di to make a successful swing of the golf club on her own without the Shinhwa heir guiding her. The first time she swings the club, she didn't hit the golf ball but the grass instead. Under the encouraging gaze of the Shinhwa heir, Geum Jan Di made a second attempt at swinging the club. This time, the club ended up flying out from her hands when she accidentally swings a bit too hard and lose her grip on the equipment itself. The third time she swings the golf club, it not only flew out from her grasp but also hit one of the bodyguards who's standing somewhere behind her.
"..." There was a moment of awkward silence following the misfortune of the bodyguard who got hit by the golf club which has been held by Geum Jan Di minutes before. Needless to say, the force of the golf club hitting someone can be quite painful, and thus, the bodyguard collapse on the spot promptly after being hit on the head.
[I hope that guy didn't get a concussion from that hit…] Another bodyguard who was standing next to the misfortune co-worker thought.
Clapping his hands twice, the Shinhwa heir remained unfazed by the incident suffered by a member of his bodyguard team. Instead, he had calmly instructed for a trio from his remaining guard team to attend to their unfortunate colleague. Once done, he returns his focus to the front and signals for his girlfriend to continue trying her hands out on the sports.
Thankfully, by the fourth try - Geum Jan Di finally managed to send the ball flying instead of the golf club. Albeit, it didn't fly too far out… but at least, it's a vast improvement to what she has been doing before.
Location: Su Am Cultural & Arts Center, Monday, 2pm
So Yi Jeong was at the Su Am Cultural & Arts Center visiting the admin office to follow up on the status of a matter regarding the use of an exhibition hall in the arts center to showcase a time-limit pottery collection that would be shipped in from Egypt sometime next month. While the Woo Sung Museum has its own exhibition halls available, most of its halls are being utilized for long-term and permanent exhibitions.
The only two seasonal exhibition halls are currently being used for a pottery collection shipped in from the Philippines and a porcelain collection from China a few days ago, and are here to stay for the next 6 months. Therefore, when his grandfather received words from a contact that the collection currently on display in Europe is going to make Korea the next destination for the showcase, they need to find somewhere else to host the exhibition for the Egypt collection. Needless to say, the exhibition halls in the Su Am Cultural & Arts Center were the first to come into mind and thus, the reason for So Yi Jeong's frequent visit to the venue over the past few days.
Due to the full name of the building being too much of a mouthful, the members of the public usually refer to it as either the Arts Center or the Cultural Center. So Yi Jeong, personally, tends to use whichever pops into his mind first. His friends though, typically refer to the building as the arts center.
The first time around, Yi Jeong had foolishly allowed his friend - Song Woo Bin to tag along with him on the trip. And the end result was for his best friend to meet up with the country bumpkin unintentionally and then go on to enjoy a coffee break with the girl, while he was stuck talking business in the admin office of the Su Am Arts Centre. Not caring for a repeat occurrence of the same event, the Korean Casanova had since taken to the idea of leaving his best friend behind on his recent few visit trips to the arts center.
So Yi Jeong was just exiting from the office when he chanced upon the figure of Chu Ga Eul turning down the hallway. Unlike his Don Juan friend though, the Korean Casanova didn't call out for the attention of the girl. Instead, he was stumped rooted to his spot for a few minutes as he tried to recall the reason why the girl would be at Su Am Arts Center on a weekday afternoon.
It wasn't until he recalls a particular conversation, taking place between Geum Jan Di and Yoon Ji Hoo speaking about the costs of attending classes in Su Am Arts Center that he found the reason behind the country bumpkin's presence in the arts center, this afternoon. If his memory serves him accurately, it would appear that Chu Ga Eul was enrolled in more than one class hosted by the Su Am Arts Center. Only, Geum Jan Di didn't reveal the exact classes her friend is enrolled in during the entire course of the conversation she had with Yoon Ji Hoo of F4 on the subject and thus to date, So Yi Jeong only know that the country bumpkin attended classes regularly at the art center but don't exactly know what classes the girl is enrolled in.
Geum Jan Di would know, but knowing how the Wonder Woman of Korea tends to overreact when it comes down to his interaction with Chu Ga Eul - he wasn't too keen on the idea of getting Geum Jan Di to satisfy his personal curiosity. And while there is still the option of getting his friend - Ji Hoo, to access the information on his behalf… Yi Jeong didn't wish to spark a controversial topic of whether Ji Hoo is interested in Chu Ga Eul among the staff working for the Su Am Arts Center. So, no… he is going to have to gain access to this information that would help to satisfy his personal curiosity about the country bumpkin on his own.
Coming back to the present, So Yi Jeong turns back to the admin office and checks with the staff on duty about the ongoing classes in the arts center at the present point in time. Flashing a charming smile at the lady that sits behind the work desk who handles course inquiries from time to time on the office landline, the Korean Casanova makes his move.
"Excuse me, miss. Could you do me a favor and help me check on the classes that are ongoing in the arts center at present? An acquaintance of mine left something behind in my car, and I would like to return the item to my acquaintance before the class came to an end." So Yi Jeong began, randomly pulling out an excuse to get the lady staff stationed behind the work desk to assist him in his personal quest for information.
"Hmm… according to the system, currently the rooms that are being occupied included 3 music rooms for Guitar, Vocal and Piano classes respectively. Dance studio 1 is also being occupied for a kids' ballet class. Oh, and classroom 2 is being used for a calligraphy session at present." The lady staff stationed at the admin office manning classes management system on her computer system responded, providing the Korean Casanova with the information he seeks without questions.
"Thank you." So Yi Jeong said as he flashes his charming smile at the lady staff who had assisted him in procuring the information that he needs.
"You are very much welcome, Young Master Yi Jeong." The staff responded with flushed-looking cheeks.
Having heard from Woo Bin that Chu Ga Eul had her piano class on Saturday afternoon, the Korean Casanova was quick to rule out the music room as a possible spot to find the country bumpkin. Bylaws of elimination, the dance studio is out as well. Since the class in session is a kids ballet group class, the country bumpkin is way over the age limits to attend. Therefore, there is only one option left - which is the classroom where the calligraphy session is in progress.
[Still… calligraphy class? That's an odd choice…for an extra-curriculum program at her age.] The Korean Casanova thought as he made his way towards the direction of the calligraphy classroom without hesitation in his steps.
There isn't a lot of students in the classroom, but Chu Ga Eul is definitely one of the few students practicing away on the calligraphy under the watchful eye of the instructor. Initially, So Yi Jeong was standing outside the classroom by the window while he observed the country bumpkin working away on her calligraphy writing. But when his presence was noticed by the person in charge of mentoring the class, he was invited to join in as an observer.
"Young Master Yi Jeong, what a surprise to see you here today. What can I do for you today? Or was it one of my students that caught your interest?" The instructor of the calligraphy class stepped out into the hallway to greet the heir to the Woo Sung Museum without disrupting his ongoing class.
"...Why must it be one or the other? Can't I simply be in a mood to observe a class of yours?" So Yi Jeong wasn't quite willing to admit to the instructor of the calligraphy class that he was indeed here this afternoon because one of the students from the class had lured him over. Thus, he found himself cooking up some kind of excuse for wanting to observe a calligraphy class without actually participating in the art.
"Well… in that case, why don't you come in and have a look instead of observing the class in session from the outside. You can't exactly examine the handiwork of my students if you remained out here." The instructor had a knowing glint in his eyes as he invited the heir to the Woo Sung Museum into his classroom for a better observation experience.
"..."
Calligraphy is something the members of F4 had once tried in their childhood, but it would appear none of them have the patience for the art. Korean Calligraphy comprises both the Hanja (Chinese logo-graph) and the Hangul (Korean native alphabet). Derived from the Chinese Calligraphy, Korean calligraphy has a total of 5 major types: Jeonseo (Seal Script); Choseo (Cursive or Grass Script); Haeseo (Block Script); Haengseo (Semi-Cursive Script), and Yeseo (Official Script). Currently, Chu Ga Eul is working on her Haengseo.
Since the Korean Casanova has been invited in to observe the class as an observer, naturally, he went around surveying the students' handiwork. But at the end of his study of the students' handiwork, the Korean Casanova found himself returning to the table where a certain country bumpkin stood practicing her calligraphy art.
Chu Ga Eul has just finished her last stroke on the Han-ja she was working on and set aside her brush laying it down to rest on the inkstone when she felt someone standing next to her. Initially, she had thought it was her calligraphy mentor observing her handiwork and was about to ask for her mentor's opinions in regards to her performance today. However, before she could voice her words across - she realized her calligraphy mentor was speaking to the student positioned two tables away from her. The realization that it wasn't her mentor but someone else who is standing next to her causes Chu Ga Eul to put some space between her and her silent observer, without delay.
"My apologies, Ga Eul-yang. Did I make you uncomfortable with my close proximity?" So Yi Jeong inquires with his ever-present charming smile.
"...Yi Jeong-Sunbae, what are you doing here? And no, you didn't make me uncomfortable… I simply wasn't aware that it's you standing next to me." Chu Ga Eul felt herself flushing pink in response.
"Ah… I apologize. I was visiting the admin office of the arts center for an errand on behalf of my grandfather, and then I got invited to be an observer for this particular calligraphy class session. Originally, I had wanted to notify you of my arrival… but you seem so focused on your practicing that I didn't want to startle you lest it ruins a perfectly well piece of calligraphy art." So Yi Jeong commented with a smile, as he went about explaining the reason behind his presence in the calligraphy classroom to the blushing figure of Chu Ga Eul.
"I see…well, I supposed I do have to thank you for not startling me while I was working on my semi-cursive script. My performance in this particular area wasn't always stable, there are times I could write it well... but there are times I would really struggle. It might seem easy for a lot of people to attempt semi-cursive script but for me, I've always found writing in block script easier when it comes down to writing with a brush." Chu Ga Eul responded as she glances down at her handiwork this afternoon.
"To be honest, I'm sure you would do better than me in this area. While I could learn to appreciate the calligraphy art on a theoretical level, I never quite seem to have the talent for the art itself." The Korean Casanova admitted, before changing the subject and asking if the girl would like to join him for lunch.
"Sure, I'll join you for lunch. Just give me a moment to clean up here, shall I meet you downstairs?" Chu Ga Eul agreed to the lunch invitation without hesitation, mostly because there's a part of her that was dying to hear the undiluted version of the trick the F4, on the whole, had pulled on her childhood friend in the wee hours of yesterday.
Half an hour later found them sitting in an Italian restaurant situated some walking distance away from the Su Am Arts Center. Of course, none of them had actually walked their way over - although, Ga Eul did find it a tad overkill to utilize the use of the orange lotus when their dining venue is only a 3-minutes drive from the arts center. Still, she isn't complaining.
"So, Ga Eul-yang… don't mind me asking, but what are the classes you are attending at the arts center?" So Yi Jeong inquires out of curiosity, after having placed their orders with the waitress.
"Currently, it's just ballet, calligraphy, and piano. Previously, I had taken painting classes there as well… but I prefer taking photos as opposed to drawing landscape and so, I dropped the painting class after a while." Chu Ga Eul responded with ease, not seeing any point to hide away this information since they aren't exactly a matter of privacy.
"Ah… and how long have you been attending the above-mentioned classes?" The Korean Casanova continues to ask, mostly to satisfy his personal curiosity.
"Since I started kindergarten for piano and ballet, as for calligraphy… I think I started picking it up when I was 7-years-old after I decided that painting isn't my cup of tea." Ga Eul answered in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.
"Interesting… but why calligraphy and not something else?" So Yi Jeong couldn't help but press for further details, having sat through several lessons of Korean calligraphy at a younger age - he knew how tedious it could be for a kid. So, there must be a reason why Chu Ga Eul had taken to pick up calligraphy art at the age of 7.
"Well… I was told that I need to pick an art-related class to attend. The options given are painting; calligraphy; tea art; and flora art. I had tried out painting first and ruled it out after trial for a month, and calligraphy seems like the easiest out of the remaining three options." Ga Eul shrugged as she come out to the Korean Casanova about the reason why she had picked out calligraphy art for her third extra-curriculum program to attend in the arts center.
"I see… given the options, calligraphy does seem like the easiest out of them all. But don't you find the lessons tedious? I remember a time whereby the four of us were enrolled in the calligraphy class for a one-month trial. Jun Pyo and Woo Bin had trouble sitting through the class without zoning out or falling asleep. Although, I managed to remain focused on the class till the end… I just didn't quite have the knack for the calligraphy art, it would seem. Ji Hoo performed the best out of us all, but even he expressed his lack of interest in continuing the lessons following the end of the one-month trial." The Korean Casanova willingly shared the F4 experience in attending the Korean calligraphy class with the country bumpkin, after the conversation with the girl on the subject brought him down the memory lane of his childhood days.
"Of course, I do find the lessons tedious. Who wouldn't be? But I know I can't quit, if I did - I would have to try the tea art or the flora art next, and neither of those sounded attractive to me as an option when I was 7. So, I gritted my teeth and endure the classes. After a while, I found that practicing calligraphy allows me to build up my patience level which comes in really handy when it comes down to dealing with Jan Di's overreactions from time to time. And lately, I have come to realize that calligraphy has a calming effect on me, and thus, I have taken to practice calligraphy at home when I feel troubled." Chu Ga Eul admitted in response to the Korean Casanova's prying questions about her calligraphy classes.
The arrival of their food orders brought a temporary halt to their conversations, as they shifted their focus to the task of savoring the lovely food served by the restaurant. Unlike the time in New Caledonia, this time around, Ga Eul was able to do the food ordering for herself instead of relying on the Casanova of F4 to do the job.
Both of them went for the pasta option for their main dish, and Ga Eul tried out the Minestrone soup recommended by the Korean Casanova instead of opting for the soup of the day. They ended the lunch meal with Tiramisu for Ga Eul and the chocolate and pistachio biscotti that So Yi Jeong ordered for his own consumption. And it was during the time waiting for their dessert to be served that Ga Eul finally found the perfect opportunity to get the entire story of how the F4 managed to trick her friend into revealing her feelings for the Shinhwa heir out from the Korean Casanova.
"I would have thought Geum Jan Di would have told you about the story, by now." So Yi Jeong commented, sounding surprised by the request from Chu Ga Eul asking him to recount the story of that trick that brought Jun Pyo back together with the Wonder Woman of Korea.
"She did… but I think she left out quite a bit of the story. For instance - how did she confess her feelings to Jun Pyo-Sunbae? That part, she definitely didn't go into details but since she kept on stressing on the part of how you guys were practically roaring with laughter at her reaction. I gathered it must have been quite comical and thus I wanted to hear the story from you." Chu Ga Eul explained, citing her reasons for requesting another reiteration of the same story after having already heard it once from her childhood friend.
"Ah… I see. So, basically, you want to hear the uncensored version. In that case, I think we ought to leave the conversation until after we finished our dessert. I'm sure you wouldn't wish to choke yourself on your tiramisu mid-story. Are you heading back to the porridge shop after this? If so, I could give you a lift and fill you in on the uncensored version of the story along the way." So Yi Jeong suggested in response, after understanding the reason why Chu Ga Eul had wanted to hear the same story from him despite having heard it from her Wonder Woman friend at an earlier timing.
"That'll be great! Thank you, Yi Jeong-Sunbae." Chu Ga Eul beams in response, glad that her request would be obliged.
"You're welcome. Thank you for obligating my request for lunch as well." The Korean Casanova responded in kind, flashing his own charming smile at the country bumpkin of his eyes.
"Did you have a good time with the Andromeda Prince?" Bom Choon-Sik, the owner of the porridge shop asks the moment Chu Ga Eul report in for work.
"... Yes, I did have a lovely lunch session with him earlier." Chu Ga Eul nodded in response, leaving out the fact that she didn't exactly say hello to the Korean Casanova on behalf of her boss. She didn't even recall the message from her boss until she heard the words of greeting from Bom Choon-Sik following her entry into the porridge shop.
On the other hand, after dropping off Chu Ga Eul at the porridge shop for work... So Yi Jeong found himself in a relatively good mood for the rest of the day.
Location: Porridge Shop, Wednesday, 3pm
"Ga Eul ah… have you ever played golf before?" Geum Jan Di inquires, out of the blue – breaking the silence in the shop.
"Why the sudden question that has completely no relevance to our earlier topic of conversation?" Chu Ga Eul asks her childhood friend in return, with a look of utter bewilderment on her face.
"Weren't you asking about what I was doing after failing to show up for work yesterday, before?" Geum Jan Di asks her friend back in return.
"...That was last night over the phone if my memory serves me correctly. And I distinctively recall you getting snappy with me asking me not to pry into the matter, when I pressed for the details of your date with Jun Pyo-Sunbae. Thinking that you aren't comfortable letting me in on the details, I stopped prying… are you going to tell me on your own now?" Chu Ga Eul raised an eyebrow up in a questioning manner, as she glances over to her friend for an answer.
Upon the mention of her snappy tone last night, Geum Jan Di hurried to apologize to her childhood friend. "Sorry, Ga Eul… I didn't mean to get snappy with you last night. It's just… my family were singing praises of Gu Jun Pyo so much that it was grating on my nerves, and thus when you call me to ask me about why I wasn't at work - I kind of lost it."
"...Why were they singing praises of him?" Throwing a questioning glance at Geum Jan Di, Chu Ga Eul inquires out of curiosity.
"He had someone delivered a set of high-end Japanese cuisines to the front steps of my family home surprising my family members without my knowledge. Seeing as none of my family members has gotten a chance to eat such delicacy before, it's only natural for them to sing praises of him all night long." Geum Jan Di responded, her tone flat.
"I see… so, your failure to show up at work yesterday did have something to do with Jun Pyo-Sunbae. And going by your earlier question… did he by any chance bring you to a golf course, yesterday?" Chu Ga Eul made an educated guess after putting two and two together.
"Yes. He did. Not only did he bring me to the golf course to witness his prowess in the sports, he even tried to make me learn the sport. Only, it seems I didn't have the knack for it… given that I've let loose of my grip on the golf club on multiple occasions instead of hitting the ball. I think I knocked out one of his bodyguards when the golf club happens to fly out of my grip and hit that poor bodyguard of his on the head at one time. Finally, he must have arrived at the conclusion that golf isn't for me and ended up carting me off the area when my latest hit ends up with the ball dropping into the water. I had just taken off my socks and shoes, thinking of venturing into the water for the next hit when he abruptly grabbed me and carried me off from the golf course for a lunch session." Geum Jan Di then proceed to reiterate the story of her morning half of the date with the Shinhwa heir, that took place yesterday.
Ga Eul winced at the part about someone being hit on the head by the golf club, having been hit in the arms once by a golf club at one point in the past. Of course, it hasn't been on purpose - the person simply didn't notice she was nearby with her being a kid at that point. Either way, because of that particular experience of being hit in the arms by the golf club. Ga Eul supposed she could sympathize with that poor guy who got hit on the head by her friend's careless handling of the equipment.
"To answer your previous inquiry about whether or not I have previous experience in playing golf. I have to say, no. I didn't play it, but I did observe the game being played when I was younger. Aunt Shinobu was babysitting me when my parents were off to the hospital awaiting the birth of Jung Min. It was a bit of a frenzied rush, so, dad carted me off to Aunt Shinobu as he couldn't get into contact with an available babysitter at that point. The end result is Aunt Shinobu bringing me along on her socializing trip to the golf course with a business client of the company. That was my one and only time visiting the golf course." Chu Ga Eul then commented, responding to a previous inquiry from her childhood friend, minutes ago.
The next few minutes lapsed by in silence between the girls, as they work on finishing up with their respective tasks at hand. And when the employer sends them both off to the pantry for their tea-break session, Chu Ga Eul decided to inquire after her friend's earlier reaction to an incoming call from the Shinhwa heir.
"So, Jan Di ah… care to tell me what brought on your decision to avoid speaking with Jun Pyo-Sunbae on the phone when he calls you earlier?" Ga Eul prompted, as she took out the sandwich, she had packed for her own consumption earlier on in the day from her locker and set it down on the table in the pantry room that doubles up as a changing room for the staff in the porridge shop.
"It's nothing… I'm just not in the mood to speak with him is all." Geum Jan Di hurried to dismiss her friend's concern on the subject, not wishing to go into details of how the later part of the date with the Shinhwa heir has unnerved her to the extent of wishing to avoid interacting with that guy for a while.
"..." Sensing that her childhood friend wasn't ready to share whatever was on her mind, Chu Ga Eul didn't pry. It wasn't in her nature to get to the bottom of things in a rush, that's something her friend would do, not her. Instead, she would bide her time and wait things out on her end. Knowing Jan Di, there's a high chance of the girl broaching the subject on her own at a later point in time.
Location: Shinhwa Academy, Thursday morning
It was an impromptu decision on Yoon Ji Hoo's part to visit the school's aquatic center this morning. The auburn-haired member of F4 didn't usually make it a habit to return to school during term breaks, and he wouldn't have done so this morning if it weren't for the fact that he realized he had accidentally left behind a particular set of his music scores in the private lounge of F4 that brought him back to the grounds of the Shinhwa Academy today.
And since figuring that he's in school already, there wouldn't be any harm in checking out the school's aquatic center. Who knows, if he's lucky - he might be able to meet up with the girl that he had grown to care a great deal for? Sure enough, the girl was practicing her strokes in the pool just like he had expected.
Geum Jan Di, on the other hand, was really surprised to find the auburn-haired member of F4 standing in front of the pool when she finished up with her laps this morning. Removing her goggles from her person, the girl sounded surprised as she greeted the auburn-haired member of F4. "Ji Hoo-Sunbae?!"
"Good morning, would you like to join me for a cup of coffee?" Yoon Ji Hoo started, addressing Geum Jan Di with an inviting smile.
"Of course, please wait while I get myself changed." Geum Jan Di smiled at the auburn-haired member of F4, as she climbed out from the pool and headed for the direction of the changing room.
It wasn't until they were halfway across the lawn heading for the direction of the school's cafeteria that Yoon Ji Hoo recalled that they are in the middle of the school's term break, and so, the cafeteria wasn't exactly open for business.
"Sorry, I guess I forgot that the students' cafeteria is closed during breaks." Yoon Ji Hoo responded, apologizing to the girl who he had invited to join him for coffee for his oversight.
"That's fine… there's always the coffee from the vending machine. Those are definitely in operations, as long as you have adequate coins on your person. We can still enjoy the coffee out here on the bench." Geum Jan Di responded, pointing the auburn-haired young man towards the direction of the vending machine stationed outside of the school cafeteria.
"Ah… nice idea. So, what would you like to have? Milk coffee?" Yoon Ji Hoo inquires, as he searched the pockets of his coat for the coins, he would need for the vending machine. Luckily, he did manage to find some small changes in his pocket. It would have been mortifying if he had to resort to exchanging notes for coins with Geum Jan Di just to buy them coffee from the vending machine.
"Milk coffee would do. Thank you, Ji Hoo-Sunbae." Geum Jan Di responded as she took a seat on the bench and waited for the auburn-haired member of F4 to return with their coffees from the vending machine.
"Here." Yoon Ji Hoo offered the Styrofoam cup of coffee dispensed by the vending machine over to Geum Jan Di, upon his return to the bench situated out in the schoolyard.
"Thanks. So, what brings you back to school today?" Geum Jan Di inquires as she received the offered cup of coffee from the guy who was once a romantic interest of hers at one point.
"I came back for a set of music scores which I had unintentionally left behind in the lounge. You? I'm surprised that you came back to practice even during break time." Yoon Ji Hoo commented, taking a sip of his own coffee from the Styrofoam cup.
"Well… swimming has a calming effect on me, and thus I often found myself taking a dip into the pool when I have troubling thoughts on my mind." Geum Jan Di responded as she finally took a sip of the coffee beverage held in her hands, she has been holding on to the cup to warm her hands rather than drinking it since Yoon Ji Hoo brought her the coffee from the vending machine.
Upon hearing those words from the girl, Yoon Ji Hoo was going to ask if the girl had anything troubling her at present when he heard the chime of an incoming phone call on his mobile device. Retrieving the gadget from the pocket of his coat, Yoon Ji Hoo promptly picks up the call on its third ring.
"Jun Pyo? My whereabouts? Well… I'm in school, and currently Geum…" The auburn-haired member of F4 cut off the rest of his words when he caught sight of the frantic behavior of Geum Jan Di requesting for him to not reveal her presence to his long-time friend via the phone. And although finding it odd, he didn't question the girl's motive for wishing to hide this particular knowledge from his friend. Assuming that Geum Jan Di was concerned that his friend would leap to the wrong conclusions about their meeting since Jun Pyo can be oddly similar to Geum Jan Di at times.
"Oh… okay, I'll wait for you." With that, the call was ended between Yoon Ji Hoo and the Shinhwa heir.
"Jun Pyo's on his way over now to speak, so, if you wish to see him… you can stay behind for a little while longer." Yoon Ji Hoo started, directing his words towards the figure of Geum Jan Di only to receive a wide-eyed look from the girl.
"Ji Hoo-Sunbae, I just remembered I have some errands to run for my mother today. So, I can't stay… here, you can have this back. Oh, and please do not tell Gu Jun Pyo about you have seen me in school today. I'll be forever grateful to you." Geum Jan Di commented in a rush, as she pressed her own cup of coffee into the hands of a stumped-looking Yoon Ji Hoo before frantically rushing off the school grounds.
"..." Yoon Ji Hoo stared after the departing back figure of Geum Jan Di with a baffled look on his face, as he inwardly wonders what on earth is wrong between the girl and his long-time friend now? It couldn't be that they are amid an argument, since he didn't hear his friend complaining about it. So, what could it be - this time?
"Ya! Ji Hoo, what are you doing standing there like an idiot?" Gu Jun Pyo calls out to his obviously zoning-out friend, as he landed his eyes on the two Styrofoam cups of coffee held in his friend's hands. "While on the subject, were you with anyone just now?"
"Huh? No… I wasn't with anyone earlier." Yoon Ji Hoo, coming back to his senses, went on to respond - conveniently leaving out the fact that he was with Geum Jan Di moments ago. Mostly because the girl had asked for him to not reveal her presence on school grounds to his friend; and though he had no idea why he decided to oblige Geum Jan Di's request with no questions asked.
Assuming that his friend had bought him a cup of coffee following the end of their earlier phone call, the Shinhwa heir didn't think too much on the subject and promptly remove one of the cups from his friend and took a sip out of the cup without delay. Scrunching up his face in a grimacing expression, Gu Jun Pyo complained aloud. "… The coffee got cold from the chilly temperature. Ji Hoo, next time don't buy the coffee before I'm here. Especially, when it's in the middle of the winter."
"..." Yoon Ji Hoo had no words to describe his current feelings on the subject. Since he had hidden the fact that Geum Jan Di was here earlier, he couldn't exactly explain to his long-time friend that the coffee wasn't bought with his friend in mind. Moreover, now that his friend had taken a sip from the cup of coffee that belongs to him - he can't exactly reveal to his friend that he had already drunk a sip from that beverage earlier. If he did mention anything of that sort, Jun Pyo would no doubt over-react on the matter complaining about something along the line of an indirect kiss between them before gagging.
So, deciding to simply shrug off the matter to make things easier for himself, Yoon Ji Hoo plastered on a nonchalant look onto his face as he follows his friend towards the direction of the aquatic center (?)
"..."
"Where the hell is that woman now?" The Shinhwa heir finally exploded, when he found the aquatic center to be empty of any signs of life.
"Jun Pyo… what are you going on about now?" Yoon Ji Hoo started, a frowning expression on his face. Of course, by now he had realized that his friend is looking for Geum Jan Di… whereas Geum Jan Di, on the other hand, seems to be avoiding his friend.
"I don't know what's her problem?! I took her out on a date on Tuesday, and then she started avoiding me for no reason. When I call her up for a chat, she told me she's busy at work. I went to the porridge shop to look for her, only to be informed by the owner that she's on leave today. So, I popped over to the laundry shop operated by her family and was told by her parents that she came to the school's aquatic center to practice her swimming. And now, it turns out that she isn't here…?!" Gu Jun Pyo lamented aloud to his auburn-haired friend, completely unaware that his girlfriend is indeed trying to avoid him.
"... Jun Pyo, I'm not trying to pry into your business with Geum Jan Di. But… what exactly happened during the date on Tuesday? Did you do anything that might have made her uncomfortable?" Yoon Ji Hoo finally thought to ask, he reckoned Geum Jan Di is simply feeling out of her depth since the girl didn't appear to be pissed off by his friend's antics. Thus, the only explanation would be that at some point of the date - his friend must have done something to make her feel uncomfortable.
"..." The Shinhwa heir fell silent at the words of Yoon Ji Hoo as he started thinking back on the events of Tuesday. The only instance he could think of that would make Geum Jan Di uncomfortable would be that near-kiss between them that got interrupted by a phone call from her parents, towards the end of the private movie session.
"And what do you think I ought to do to make her stop avoiding me?" Gu Jun Pyo asks, detesting the fact that he had to resort to making such inquiry of his friend. If it weren't for the fact that none of the advice from Yi Jeong and Woo Bin would work for a woman like Geum Jan Di, he wouldn't have resorted to asking Ji Hoo for advice. Especially since Ji Hoo had held the heart to the woman, he loves at one point and would likely continue to have a special place in the heart of Geum Jan Di in the future, too.
"You can try trapping her where she couldn't escape, but this time - don't tell her I give you the idea." Yoon Ji Hoo deadpans at his long-time friend in response.
"Of course." The Shinhwa heir agreed readily this time.
And it was this particular conversation with Yoon Ji Hoo that leads to the Shinhwa heir showing up on the front steps of the family home of Geum Jan Di at 10pm, that very night with the request for the Geum family to take him in for the night.
Granted, the Shinhwa heir wasn't quite sure he had appreciated the treatment of having the door shut in his face the first time the door was answered though. But, in hindsight, he supposed he could understand the actions taken by the little brother of his girlfriend. It must have been shocking to find the great Gu Jun Pyo visiting them in person from the point of view of a mere commoner.
Meanwhile, over at the private clubhouse of F4 situated within the Shinhwa Country Club; the remaining members of F4 were left speculating on the whereabouts of their missing leader.
"Where do you think Jun Pyo took off to?" Song Woo Bin asks, directing his words to his Casanova friend.
"...How would I know? Ask Ji Hoo instead." So Yi Jeong rolls his eyes in response to the words of his best friend - the Don Juan of F4.
"Well… he's saying the Geum Jan Di is avoiding him, so… he's going to try and catch her somewhere that she wouldn't be able to run." Yoon Ji Hoo responded with a mischievous grin.
"..." The Don Juan and the Casanova of F4 shared a look among themselves before turning towards their auburn-haired friend in unison. "Surely, you don't mean that Jun Pyo went over to Geum Jan Di's house?"
"Hmm… that's highly possible, Geum Jan Di could try and avoid him at a lot of places but the only one place she wouldn't be able to avoid is her own home. So, yes - I think that's exactly where Jun Pyo went." Yoon Ji Hoo nodded thoughtfully in response, before changing the topic of conversation by fixating his questioning eyes upon the figure of the Korean Casanova.
"By the way, Yi Jeong, I heard from the manager at the arts center that you flirted with a female staff at the admin office this morning, in an attempt to get access to the class schedule of Ga Eul-yang?" Yoon Ji Hoo started, directing a questioning look towards the direction of So Yi Jeong in a casual tone of voice.
"... Is there a need for your staff to report such trivial matters to you? You aren't even the one running the business at present." So Yi Jeong deadpans at the auburn-haired heir of the Su Am Group, while his best friend raised an eyebrow up in a surprising manner upon receiving this little titbit of information.
"I may not be the one responsible for the running of the business at present, but the manager thought I ought to know given that it's a member of F4 who was attempting to access the information concerning a student at the arts center." Yoon Ji Hoo addressed the complaint coming from his Casanova friend in a flat tone of voice.
"You went to the arts center this morning, again? What are you doing there? I thought you are already done with the errand your grandfather assigned you, a couple of days ago?" Song Woo Bin started, turning towards the Korean Casanova with unbidden interest in his eyes.
"Woo Bin, haven't I mentioned it earlier? According to the manager of the arts center, Yi Jeong here was trying to gain access to the class schedules of Chu Ga Eul through the means of flirting with a female staff employed at the admin office of the arts center." Yoon Ji Hoo stated in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.
"... Seriously? Why bother to flirt the information out from a third party? Couldn't you simply ask Ga Eul-yang about her class schedules at the arts center directly through the means of a phone call if not in person? I'm quite sure you have the contact number of Ga Eul-yang stored somewhere in your phone by this point in time." Song Woo Bin commented, his tone incredulous as he zeroes in his gaze on his Casanova friend.
"..." So Yi Jeong had no words because he can't even figure out the reason why he would want to gain access to such information. The thought just came out from nowhere, and before he knows it - he's already at the admin office of the arts center flirting away with the staff stationed behind the work desk attempting to get his hands on that information he seeks.
Thankfully, it was precisely at this moment that the Korean Casanova receives an incoming call from his family home. Despite knowing that it's probably something about his mother's hysterical fits, that would put him in a bad mood afterward. For the first time, he was actually glad to take this call because it will allow him to avoid his friends' questions concerning his strange behavior towards a certain country bumpkin.
[Interesting...] Yoon Ji Hoo found himself thinking, as he noted the behavior of his Casanova friend.
"..." Song Woo Bin, meanwhile, simply shakes his head in defeat. inwardly, the Don Juan of F4 couldn't help but wonder how long his Casanova friend intend to be in denial of his own attraction towards the childhood friend of Geum Jan Di.
~TBC~
Chapter's notes: Okay, this chapter completed the coverage of the events that took place in episode 8. in this chapter, there's a 50-50 of the original scenes mixed in with the drama scenes of episode 8. The original scenes mostly involved Ga Eul, after all, she didn't get much screen-time in the original drama of episode 8.
And finally, we have a SoEul interaction scene in this chapter. What do you think of my original scene for them in here? Do let me know, okay? ^_^
I added the scene of Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo's conversation after they met up in school. I thought someone has to say something that would trigger Jun Pyo's sudden visit to Jan Di's home at 10pm at night… after Jan Di had gone to the extreme in trying to avoid him. I didn't cover what happens at the Geum family home though, you guys can go and refresh the last few minutes of episode 8 in the drama to get the idea.
I didn't want to go into the full extent of Jun Pyo and Jan Di's date, so I skipped out on the Japanese restaurant scene… and simply skimmed the surface of the activities they went about doing in the episode. The only part I touch upon is the golf course portion, with my original scene of the Gu Jun Pyo dragging Jan Di off to get fitted for a new outfit at the mall.
The last bit in this chapter that took place in the clubhouse is also my original scene. What do you think of it?
Last but not least, I apologized for the shorter chapter… but well, I want to dedicate the entire next chapter to the double-date, so… ^^; Yep, the double-date is coming next chapter. That's all for now, see you next update. ^_^