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 12 - The Disastrous Double-Date, Part 3
Location: Shinhwa Academy, Aquatic Center, Friday 10am
[...What am I doing here? Haven't I already know that there's a high possibility of Geum Jan Di not being present in the pool, today?] - Yoon Ji Hoo thought as he knelt down by the pool and play around with the water for a bit with his hands.
As he knelt by the side of the pool, the auburn-haired member of F4 found his mind drifting back to the memories he had of Geum Jan Di during the recent trip to New Caledonia. The one particular memory that stood out to him was the fishing trip they took on the sailboat, followed by their kiss at the beach whereby they ended up getting caught in the act by an enraged Jun Pyo.
[I wonder how Jun Pyo is doing at Geum Jan Di's place… was he able to adapt?] The auburn-haired young man couldn't help but wonder inwardly to himself. The thought of his long-time friend brought him to the phone-call session he had the honor to have with Jun Pyo's mother, early this morning.
Apparently, Kang Hee Soo - the mother of his long-time friend was in a mood to have breakfast with her two children this morning. Originally, Gu Jun Hee - his friend's elder sister had lied about his friend being in bed, whereby Butler Lee had gone on to claim that Jun Pyo was up late last night with them. Kang Hee Soo, not to be deter went searching for his friend in the bedroom only to find his friend completely missing from his own bed.
Having no choice, Butler Lee ended up claiming that Jun Pyo had trouble sleeping and decided to pop over to the Yoon family home in the wee hours of the morning and thus was still sleeping at his place. Thankfully, when the call came in on his mobile... he was already awake. And thus, managed to catch on to the situation fast enough to vouch for his absent friend to the witch of the Gu family. Immediately, afterward, Yoon Ji Hoo had wasted no time in sending a text message to both Yi Jeong and Woo Bin seeking their assistance in aligning the statements just in case Jun Pyo's witch of a mother decided to call them up and get their version of the event.
While the F3 was busy covering up for the Shinhwa heir, Gu Jun Pyo has only just come to awareness in the family home of his girlfriend – Geum Jan Di. The Shinhwa heir was woken up by the morning commotion taking place in the family home of Geum Jan Di, mostly due to the loud whispering between the parents of his girlfriend talking about where to sit him for the breakfast meal, etc.
It took the Shinhwa heir calling out for his family butler thrice and receiving no response to finally wake up and see for himself what the commotion is all about. Upon opening his eyes, it took only a quick scan of the surroundings to remind him of the fact that he wasn't anywhere near his bedroom at home.
[Where is this place...? Right... I spend the night at Geum Jan Di's home, didn't I? Why did I do that, again?] The Shinhwa heir found himself questioning his logical sense of mind, now that he was fully awake and at a loss of what to do next. It took a bit of time for him to decide to check out the source of the commotion outside the room, and in the process, save Geum Jan Di from the necessity to check in on him under the orders of her parents.
Taking breakfast in the company of the Geum family was an odd experience for the Shinhwa heir, given that he had never had a meal in such a rowdy environment before. So, it was quite a refreshing experience for him but at the same time also considered a challenge for him. The challenge presented to him exists in the form of being served food by the mother of his girlfriend without the use of proper cutlery but bare hands. The sight of his girlfriend's mother pulling apart the pan-fried fish with bare hands and later dropping a portion of it atop his bowl of rice presented quite a bit of challenge to him when it comes down to ingesting the meat of the fish. Following this, his girlfriend's mother went on to serve him the chicken meat from the drumstick in the same manner.
If it weren't for the courtesy training that his elder sister had thoroughly drilled into him through the form of violent treatment under the bamboo sword - Gu Jun Pyo was certain that he would have gagged right there and then. Of course, the casual comment from the younger brother of his girlfriend commenting that they seldom get a breakfast meal this splendid unless it's the new year might have also played a significant part in the Shinhwa heir decision to sit through the entire meal in silent endurance. Once breakfast was over though, the Shinhwa heir wasted no time in pulling his girlfriend aside.
"What do you want?" Geum Jan Di whispered harshly to the Shinhwa heir, not daring to raise her volume lest it got her another wallop from her parents outside of the sighting range of Gu Jun Pyo.
"I need to wash up." Gu Jun Pyo told Geum Jan Di, pointedly.
"The bathroom is over there. Help yourself to the use of the facility." Geum Jan Di rolls her eyes and promptly jabbed a finger towards the direction of the only bathroom facility in her family home.
"... What I meant is – do you have a new toothbrush which I can use?" The Shinhwa heir took a deep breath, before voicing his words across to his girlfriend. It was one thing to wear the clothes belonging to another as temporary sleepwear for a night, but the Shinhwa heir drew the line at using someone's toothbrush for his morning routine. He could make do with the cheap brand toothpaste, but the toothbrush needed to be a new piece.
"...Wait here!" Geum Jan Di huffed in annoyance as she stormed into her own bedroom in search of those dental kits she had gotten from the dentist as samples for their new products when she goes in for her routine dental appointment. Picking out one of those dental kits from its storage place in a drawer of her study desk, Geum Jan Di headed back outside and threw the package over to the Shinhwa heir before shooing the guy into the bathroom facility for his long-overdue morning routine.
While the Shinhwa heir's original intention was to leave after washing up, he found himself staying in the company of the Geum family for another three hours. In the first hour, the Shinhwa heir found himself willingly participating in the Kimjang process with the Geum family after finding the way they throw the cabbage from one end to another end interesting. The next hour, after all the vegetables has been processed and marinated in the sauce to set aside for the fermentation procedures... he was invited to a public bathhouse by the father and younger brother of his girlfriend. Following this, he was brought to a cart bar and treated to some very delicious fishcake snacks served on sticks.
Due to the additional three hours spend in the companionship of his girlfriend's family members, it was well after noon-time that Gu Jun Pyo finally shows up in the clubhouse of F4 situated within the Shinhwa Country Club.
When the two playboys of F4 finally make a re-appearance in the clubhouse, they were greeted by the sight of a giggling Shinhwa heir. Because the Shinhwa heir wasn't around when they first arrived at the clubhouse, they decided to kill time elsewhere while waiting for their friends to show up. So, they had visited the bistro bar for a quick bite first. It wasn't until they receive the summoning text message from the Shinhwa heir that they finally made their way back to the clubhouse. Still, they have to say – they weren't quite expecting to see the sight of their friend, zoning out while giggling like a little boy with a silly look on the face.
"Was it a trick of my eyes or is Jun Pyo really giggling in front of me?" Song Woo Bin asks in a bemused tone of voice to no one in particular.
"...Considering that I'm seeing the same thing, I would think that the sight of Jun Pyo giggling wasn't a hallucination image cooked up by your imaginary mind." So Yi Jeong commented, directing his words to his bemused friend with an underlying tone of amusement in his tone.
"And what do you think is wrong with him, this time?" Song Woo Bin inquires, grinning at the sight of a giggling Shinhwa heir as he turns questioning eyes upon the figure of his Casanova friend.
"No idea… but if I had to make an educated guess, I'll say his current state of mind had a lot to do with his visit to Geum Jan Di house last night." So Yi Jeong remarked, smirking at the giggling Shinhwa heir who had yet to notice their arrival at present.
"Yo, Jun Pyo! Surely, you didn't call us here to see how you're giggling like a little kid - did you?" Song Woo Bin shakes his head momentarily and decided to take the opportunity to snap his friend out from whatever thoughts had the guy giggling like a little child.
"Jun Pyo, did you really stay the night at Geum Jan Di's place?" So Yi Jeong asks, purely out of curiosity.
As much as the Korean Casanova had trouble believing the notion, it would appear that his friend did exactly just that. Otherwise, he wouldn't have received a text message from Ji Hoo earlier this morning about getting them to align their statements so, if Jun Pyo's witch of a mother decided to sound them out individually - they wouldn't accidentally say something that can't match up and, in the process, giving away the fact that Jun Pyo wasn't with them the previous night.
"Have either of you tried participating in Kimjang before?" Instead of acknowledging the questions put forth to him by his two friends, the Shinhwa heir ended up responding with a bizarre question of his own.
"What?!" The Don Juan and the Korean Casanova shared a look of bewilderment among themselves, as they tried to make sense of what it was that they are hearing. Inwardly, they were both thinking what on earth is a 'Kimjang'? Pardon their ignorance when it comes down to the procedure name for the fermentation process involved in the production of the preserved vegetable dish - Kimchi. But considering their upbringing, unless their family had dealings in the F&B industry - it's only natural for them to not know of the procedure name of producing Kimchi.
"I bet you two don't even have an idea what is Kimjang? What about a visit to the public bathhouse? Did you guys ever have your back scrubbed in the public bathhouse? Oh, and not to forget the fish cake. Have you guys ever eaten fishcakes from a cart bar?" The Shinhwa heir continues to throw out bizarre statements and questions to the two confused friends of his, before proceeding to claim that they had no idea of how life should be and slink off elsewhere to continue reminiscing on the events of this morning.
"... I think I missed seeing the Jun Pyo who tends to mess up on his proverbs more than this version of him, right now." So Yi Jeong commented, looking complicated as he stared after the departing back figure of the Shinhwa heir.
"Why do I get the feeling that Geum Jan Di is scarier than his mother?" Song Woo Bin commented with a twitch of his lips, shuddering at the changes Geum Jan Di has brought on in his friend.
While the two of them were busy digesting the changes brought on by the Wonder Woman of Korea in the Shinhwa heir, Yoon Ji Hoo was folding a paper boat with a grading form he found on one of the poolside lounges chairs. Setting the folded paper boat onto the surface of the pool, Yoon Ji Hoo allows it to float off on its own as he turns on his heels to leave the aquatic center.
Location: Porridge Shop, 12.45pm, Friday
Chu Ga Eul was quite bemused when she received an incoming message from the Korean Casanova, while she was having lunch in the company of her childhood friend in the pantry of the porridge shop. The first time she saw the incoming message notification, Ga Eul thought she had misread the name of the sender. Seeing as she's quite certain that she didn't have the contact number of the Korean Casanova stored away in her mobile sim card. It took her tapping into the phone directory of her mobile gadget to locate the contact details of So Yi Jeong to ascertain the fact that the number was stored directly in the phone storage instead of her mobile sim-card to confirm her suspicion about how the number came to exist in her contact list.
The message read:
'Ga Eul-yang, sorry if this is a little bizarre but what exactly is a Kimjang?'
Still, somewhat bemused - Chu Ga Eul was quick to send a reply back with the following message:
'Yi Jeong-Sunbae, you're right. This message of yours is rather bizarre, and I'm not even talking about how you gained access to my contact information. I'm sure as a member of F4, you had your ways in attaining such info. Anyway, in response to your bizarre question - Kimjang is the fermentation process involved in the production of the preserved vegetable dish - Kimchi. Why do you ask? While on the subject, care to explain why you had conveniently stored your phone number in the phone directory before gifting me with the gadget? Because I'm quite certain I didn't have your contact number before I started using this new phone of mine.'
'I see… thanks for your prompt reply, Ga Eul-yang. By the way, do you know that Jun Pyo spends the night over at your friend's house? Apparently, her family allows him to participate in the Kimjang process and now he simply refuses to shut up about it. Is the process of making Kimchi that enjoyable? He has been giggling non-stop since he arrived at the clubhouse, and honestly, it's disturbing.' - So Yi Jeong threw another look towards the direction of his giggling friend in the clubhouse of F4, before sending off the message to the country bumpkin. It took him another minute of consideration to come up with a response to Chu Ga Eul's inquiry about why he had stored his contact number in the phone before gifting the gadget over to the girl.
'As to the reason why I thought to store my contact details in your new phone, well… I thought you might appreciate having one of our contact details on hand. It might come in handy if you find yourself needing assistance from a member of F4.'
'I see. Coming back to your original inquiry, I wouldn't know if the Kimjang procedure is enjoyable since my family doesn't have the habit of making Kimchi ourselves. And while on the subject, thank you for letting me know that Jun Pyo-Sunbae stay the night at Jan Di's place because she mentioned absolutely nothing to me on this.'
"Jan Di ah… when are you going to tell me that Jun Pyo-Sunbae spends the night over at your place?" Chu Ga Eul started, directing her words to her childhood friend in a demanding tone of voice after sending out a quick reply to the latest message she had received from the Korean Casanova.
"Wait… how did you come across that piece of information?" Geum Jan Di look horror-struck as she raised her eyes up from her own lunchbox to stare at her childhood friend.
"Apparently, Jun Pyo-Sunbae was sharing his experience with his friends and now Yi Jeong-Sunbae is getting a headache from all that boasting Jun Pyo-Sunbae is doing." Ga Eul responded cheekily, holding up her mobile phone in response to her friend's inquiry.
"...Ga Eul ah, how often do you exchange text messages with Yi Jeong-Sunbae?" Geum Jan Di swallowed nervously as she inquires her friend, almost fearful for the answer.
"...Jan Di, how many times must I emphasize that we're not dating one another?! For your info, today's the first time we are exchanging text messages and that's only because Jun Pyo-Sunbae is getting on his nerves constantly spouting off terms he had no idea about, and thus decided to check with me for an explanation of those terms." Chu Ga Eul raised a hand to the side of her temple as she once again, took on the task to reassure her uneasy friend that she's not involved in a romantic relationship with the Korean Casanova of F4.
"Really?" Geum Jan Di started, still sounding a tad unconvinced.
"Yes." Chu Ga Eul nodded in affirmation.
"Alright then… but if you aren't dating Yi Jeong-Sunbae, then who are you dating at present? Don't lie to me, Ga Eul… you have been on the phone with text correspondence far too often, recently. And then, just yesterday - I've overheard you calling someone Oppa on the phone. As far as I know, you do not have an older brother. Your half-brother currently in Korea is of the same age as you, and 6 months younger, and thus the term doesn't apply to him. So, out with it - who was it on the line with you yesterday?" Geum Jan Di pressed on, finally deciding to get to the bottom of things about the recent happenings in her friend's life.
"... Fine, I do have a boyfriend. There, I admitted it - are you happy now?" Chu Ga Eul sighed audibly in response as she come clean to her childhood friend about the existence of a boyfriend in her life. Honestly, Ga Eul still isn't quite sure if Gong Soo Pyo is the right guy for her…but seeing as this is her first relationship, she has been putting in quite an amount of effort in maintaining the relationship. While she wouldn't go as far as claiming undying love towards Gong Soo Pyo, she could easily say that she found herself coming to like the guy. Mostly, because Soo Pyo isn't pressuring her to do things that she wasn't comfortable doing at present. E.g., kissing.
For some reason, Ga Eul always found herself shying away when Soo Pyo tried to instigate a kiss between them. Thus far, due to her continued resistance in engaging in the kissing act; the furthest they went in terms of intimacy is a peck on the cheeks. The long-haired girl found her focus snapping out from her thoughts and back onto the figure of Geum Jan Di when her friend began to speak, again.
"And it's not Yi Jeong-Sunbae?" Geum Jan Di pressed on the subject once more, as she seeks reaffirmation from Ga Eul.
"Yes, I assured you - it isn't Yi Jeong-Sunbae that I'm dating. And no, before you ask… it's not Woo Bin-Sunbae either." This time around, Chu Ga Eul didn't bother hiding her exasperation from her friend. Inwardly, she couldn't help but wonder if her interactions with the two playboys of F4 were a tad too chummy for her friend's liking. Why else would her childhood friend always leap to the same ridiculous conclusions between her and the Don Juan and Casanova of F4?
"Alright, do I get to meet this boyfriend of yours then?" Geum Jan Di nodded, finally accepting the fact that her friend isn't dating any of the playboys from F4. Although, the sheer idea of the Korean Casanova constantly being in contact with her friend still puts her on edge… Geum Jan Di thought she could rest easy as long as her friend was logical enough to say no to the Casanova.
"...Well, I supposed I could get him to agree to the idea of going on a double date with you and Jun Pyo-Sunbae." Ga Eul started, before asking Geum Jan Di about when the Shinhwa heir is going to take her out on a date, again.
"...No, Ga Eul. Let's do it the other way around, instead. I will get Gu Jun Pyo to go on a double-date with you and your boyfriend, we will accommodate you and your boyfriend rather than the two of you accommodating to Gu Jun Pyo's standard of a date." Geum Jan Di responded she thought this is a good chance to test whether the Shinhwa heir could really meet her in the middle.
"Are you sure that's wise, Jan Di?" Chu Ga Eul couldn't help but double-check on her friend's intention. Somehow, she had trouble believing that the Shinhwa heir would be able to accommodate to the style of a commoner's date.
"... It's fine, just go ahead and arrange the double-date with your boyfriend." Geum Jan Di insisted, despite the lack of confidence on her part to get the Shinhwa heir cooperation on the matter.
"Well… if you say so." Chu Ga Eul relented, as she took out her phone to compose a text message to Gong Soo Pyo with the request to make some last-minute amendments to their original plan for the date scheduled for this Saturday.
Location: Shinhwa Academy, Aquatic Center, Friday late afternoon.
Despite telling her childhood friend to go ahead and arrange for a double-date with Gong Soo Pyo, and that she will be in charge of persuading the Shinhwa heir into agreeing on the idea of a double-date on her part. Geum Jan Di didn't really have an inkling of how to go about it, and thus, she found herself heading to the pool in the school's aquatic center for a swim to sort out her thoughts.
Yoon Ji Hoo was arriving at the clubhouse of F4 in the Shinhwa Country Club when he received words that Geum Jan Di was back at the pool. Thus, he promptly took a U-turn on his motorbike and headed back towards the direction of the Shinhwa Academy.
Yoon Ji Hoo had no idea what possessed him to utilize the use of his own bodyguard to keep tabs on Geum Jan Di, but this was exactly what he had done. Only, he was a tad more discreet in doing it than his long-time friend; who is practically having someone track Geum Jan Di movements through the nationwide security system under the management of the Shinhwa Group.
Yoon Ji Hoo choose to get his bodyguard to become a regular customer at the 'Jan Di Dry Cleaners' operated by Geum Jan Di's parents. Through the interactions with the parents of Geum Jan Di, his bodyguard gets to know the whereabouts of the girl and later reports to him through the means of text messages. And thus, Geum Jan Di absolutely has no idea that there was someone constantly reporting her whereabouts to Yoon Ji Hoo on the sly when she goes about her day-to-day routines, recently.
"Ji Hoo-Sunbae!" Geum Jan Di blurted out in surprise, as she exited the aquatic center to find the figure of Yoon Ji Hoo standing outside; obviously waiting for her.
"Good afternoon, I see you have a lot of things weighing on your mind recently. Was Jun Pyo the cause of these troubling thoughts on your mind?" Yoon Ji Hoo began, making light of the conversation while making sure to keep his own feelings for the girl at bay.
"..."
"Whatever it is, don't avoid. Weren't you the one who claims that avoidance is the cowardly way?" Yoon Ji Hoo continues when Geum Jan Di didn't respond the first time around.
"It's not that I wanted to avoid him, but it's just… sometimes it feels like a burden to be dragged into his world." Geum Jan Di eventually said, sharing with the auburn-haired member of F4 about the thoughts nagging at her ever since that official date she had with the Shinhwa heir where she was dragged off to multiple high-end venues that made her all the more self-conscious about her commoner's status.
"Do you trust me?" Yoon Ji Hoo started, out of the blue, and continued his speech only when he received a tentative nod from the girl he had grown to care about greatly over the past few weeks. "Then listen to me, there's nothing like Jun Pyo's world nor Jan Di's world that exists in this universe. We are all living in the same world if you feel intimidated in the environment of Jun Pyo. Then, all you had to do is to drag him out of his environment and pull him into yours by force. Aren't you good at doing just that? So, trust me on this, and give him a chance." Yoon Ji Hoo commented, looking Geum Jan Di earnestly in the eyes as he speaks his mind on the subject.
"Thank you, Ji Hoo-Sunbae. I think I'll take your advice on this." Geum Jan Di responded before she promptly let out a sneeze in front of the auburn-haired member of F4.
"... You are going to get sick." Yoon Ji Hoo remarked and started removing his winter cap from the top of his head and putting it atop Geum Jan Di instead.
"Thank you, this is really warm." Geum Jan Di responded with a smile of gratitude.
"Good. Now, don't loiter around and go straight home. The moment you reach home, drink some hot ginger tea. Hopefully, that will get rid of the potential onset of flu symptoms." Yoon Ji Hoo advised, patting Geum Jan Di twice on the head before sending off the girl from where he stood.
[Alright… time to head over to the clubhouse. I've dallied long enough.] Yoon Ji Hoo thought as he headed towards the parking facility for his motorbike.
Geum Jan Di, on the other hand, received the text message from her childhood friend informing her that the double-date has been arranged and that it would be taking place the following day, a Saturday at 11am in the morning.
Text Exchange between Geum Jan Di and Chu Ga Eul, Friday, 5.30pm
Ga Eul: Jan Di, I have gone ahead to arrange the double-date for tomorrow. Details as follows: We will meet up in front of the Mcdonalds burger joint near the Myeong-Dong train station at 11am.
Jan Di: That was fast… but I thought you are busy this weekend? That's why you reschedule your working hours to weekdays this week, isn't it?
Ga Eul: I was originally scheduled to go on a date with Soo Pyo-Oppa tomorrow, to begin with, I'm just tweaking the plans a little. The competition event for Kazuki and Shuichi is scheduled to take place on Sunday.
Jan Di: I see. Noted. I'll be sure to convey the message to Gu Jun Pyo in a while.
Ga Eul: Good luck persuading him…
"What's this? A double-date? Ga Eul ah, when were you going to tell me that you have a boyfriend?" Miyazawa Kazuki started, his voice startling Ga Eul into dropping her phone. Luckily for her, this time she was seated on the sofa couch in the living room of her family home and thus, her phone landed on the couch instead of the hard floor saving it from suffering a similar fate as its predecessor.
"Goodness! Kazuki, are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" Ga Eul slapped her half-brother hard on the arms, as she retrieved her mobile phone from its position on the couch.
"Sorry, but you're really too jumpy. Anyway, out with it - were you ever going to tell me that you've got yourself a boyfriend?" Miyazawa Kazuki continues to press on the subject.
"... I don't know, would you tell me if you had gotten a girlfriend? "Chu Ga Eul asks her half-brother back in return.
"Of course, I would tell you. I wouldn't go about dating someone you didn't approve of." Miyazawa Kazuki was quick to respond, he didn't even stop to think about it.
"Seriously? You wouldn't date anyone I don't approve of? Need I remind you that I'm not your mother?" Chu Ga Eul commented in an amusing tone of voice.
"Well… I'll have you know; I valued the opinions of my entire family and that includes you. Anyway, Ga Eul… stop trying to divert my attention away from the topic of your boyfriend. Because it's not working." Miyazawa Kazuki deadpans.
"... Have you ever stopped to think about how I didn't inform you because I wasn't sure if he's the right one for me?" Chu Ga Eul inquires Kazuki back in return.
"Why are you even dating him if you aren't sure if he's the right guy for you?" Kazuki asks, sounding baffled by the words of his half-sister.
"For experience, if nothing else… I can't always be this naive in the department of love, can I?" Chu Ga Eul pointed out subjectively to Kazuki.
"..." Kazuki had no words to offer in response to Ga Eul's latest comment. On one hand, Kazuki knew there's no way of actually stopping Ga Eul from going on dates with someone of the opposite gender. On the other hand, he's worried about Ga Eul getting hurt in the process.
"Kazuki-Hyung! Noona! Dinner's ready!" Just then, the 13-years-old Chu Jung Min flounced into the living room and announced to the conversing duo, before turning on his heels to rush back towards the direction of the dining area.
"... Kazuki? What's with that dumbfounded look on your face?" Ga Eul couldn't help but inquire when she noticed the silly expression on the face of Miyazawa Kazuki.
"Your brother... he called me Hyung!" Miyazawa Kazuki responded somewhat dumbly as he turns to meet eyes with his half-sister.
"Well duh... of course, he's going to call you Hyung. I mean, look at us... he's related to me, and I'm related to you. Come on, let's go. I don't know about you, but I'm famished." With that said, Chu Ga Eul promptly starts dragging Miyazawa Kazuki towards the direction of the dining area in her family home.
Location: Shinhwa Country Club, F4 Clubhouse, Friday evening
The moment Yoon Ji Hoo entered the clubhouse, he was met by the sight of his anxious friend pacing back and forth while Yi Jeong and Woo Bin were shaking their heads on the sideline while observing Jun Pyo's behavior on the sly.
"...What did I miss?" Yoon Ji Hoo inquires, shifting his questioning eyes upon the two playboys of F4 for an answer.
"Other than him spending the better part of the day giggling like a little boy and how he was constantly boasting about his one-day experience in a commoner household… there wasn't much that you'd missed." Song Woo Bin declared with a casual shrug, as he addressed the newcomer.
So Yi Jeong, meanwhile, handed the newly arrived Yoon Ji Hoo a cue stick as he invited the auburn-haired young man to join him and Woo Bin in a new game of pool while leaving Jun Pyo alone to pace around the room. The Korean Casanova really doesn't get why Jun Pyo is behaving in this manner, why is it so important for Geum Jan Di to call first? In his opinion, Jun Pyo could take the initiative in calling up the girl, if his friend is so anxious to speak with Geum Jan Di.
"Seriously, Jun Pyo… all your pacing around is giving us a migraine. Can't you just call her up yourself?" Song Woo Bin finally getting tired of all those mutterings about 'She will call… she's definitely going to call me up soon…' coming from the Shinhwa heir, that he actually spoke up while waiting for his turn to take the cue stick to the pool table.
"No way, there's no way I am going to take the initiative in calling her - this time. I've already spent the night over at her place and sat through a meal with her parents. Do you know how challenging it was for me to eat something that her mother had served with bare hands?! It took all my self-control to not gag on reflex when her mother deboned the fish using her bare hands and later serve it to me by placing it directly on my share of rice? Why couldn't her mother utilize the use of the chopsticks to do such things is beyond my comprehension level? After all that sacrifice, I'd made an effort in doing, the least she could do is to call me up on her own, this once." The Shinhwa heir responded as he went back to his pacing routine.
"..."
"So, now you're complaining… weren't you just boasting to us about your one-day experience in a commoner's household earlier on in the day?" So Yi Jeong deadpans at the Shinhwa heir, a look of exasperation clouding his features as he regarded his pacing friend.
"And what are you going to do if Geum Jan Di does take the initiative in calling you?" Yoon Ji Hoo couldn't help but inquires, knowing full well that the girl would call after their little chat outside the aquatic center. The question now is when Geum Jan Di would be calling up Jun Pyo?
Just then, the mobile phone held in the hands of the Shinhwa heir starts to come alive with a melodious tune.
"See… she called, that's definitely her on the line. What are you going to do now?" Song Woo Bin commented as he shot a look towards the Shinhwa heir's direction, trying to see if his friend would choose to ignore the call or to answer the call.
In the end, the Shinhwa heir chooses to answer the call. However, the words coming out from his lips upon picking up the call were so ridiculous that the F3 had problems maintaining a straight face.
When So Yi Jeong heard the words 'What's this Geum Jan Di?' coming out from the lips of the Shinhwa heir, he cringed momentarily while the other two members of F4 rolls their eyes in exasperation. Whispering to the duo - Yoon Ji Hoo and Song Woo Bin, the Korean Casanova commented. "I feel so embarrassed to call him my friend now. What on earth is he saying?!"
"I could just imagine Geum Jan Di's reaction on the other end." Song Woo Bin had to fight against the urge to snort as he tried to envision the reaction of Geum Jan Di following Jun Pyo's denial about knowing who she is from this end.
"She likely reminded Jun Pyo about that kick she bestowed upon him in the F4 lounge in school." Yoon Ji Hoo commented from the other side of Woo Bin, as he too enjoyed the sight of Jun Pyo's expression going through several shades of color before hurrying to rectify the mistake of denying to know Geum Jan Di from their end.
"Oh... now I remember... so, what can I do for you?" Gu Jun Pyo was heard saying on the phone, while the F3 rolls their eyes in unison.
"What?! No, I'm not going. Why should I even go out with someone I didn't know? Either way, I'm not going. Bye!" The Shinhwa heir suddenly raised his voice a few minutes later and cut off the phone connection from his end. And then, turning towards his friends - Gu Jun Pyo promptly grinned and boast to his fellow friends that he didn't let Geum Jan Di call the shots, this time.
"Did you guys see it? I totally call the shots there, and I even hung up before she did." Gu Jun Pyo grinned as he addressed his fellow friends.
"Yeah… we did see it." So Yi Jeong rolls his eyes as he commented, forgoing the idea of informing his friend how lame his friend has been throughout the entire phone call.
"Right… and what did she say on the other end of the line that got you this mad?" Yoon Ji Hoo prompted, asking the question that's on everyone's mind.
"The nerves of that woman. She wanted me to go with her on some double-date! What on earth is a double-date even?! Aren't dates supposed to be kept exclusively to the couple? Why includes other people in such outing?" Gu Jun Pyo huffed in annoyance as he informed his fellow friends about the reason behind his agitation mid-conversation with Geum Jan Di on the phone.
"A double-date? With whom?" Song Woo Bin asks, sounding somewhat curious as he glances towards the agitated Shinhwa heir for a response.
"No idea. I didn't ask." Gu Jun Pyo admitted, in his opinion, a date should just comprise of the couple and should be kept personal and private. What the hell is a double date? How could it be fun to have two tag-along on a date?
"Could it be Ga Eul? Well… that girl is really something then." So Yi Jeong commented with a complicated look on his face, his mind going automatically back to the conversation he had with the girl in New Caledonia revolving around the topic of soulmates.
[Has she found her soulmate already? If so, then she's really something.] The Korean Casanova thought inwardly while trying to stamp down the bout of irritation he felt over the idea of the country bumpkin having found a boyfriend, mere weeks after their return from New Caledonia.
"As I say, I didn't ask. Anyway, I'm not going." The Shinhwa heir responded, sounding a tad forceful.
"Well… if you aren't going, maybe I ought to go in your stead." So Yi Jeong remarked out of the blue, causing multiple sets of eyes to land upon his person.
"Come again? Why on earth would you want to go?" Gu Jun Pyo demanded, of course, he wouldn't think that the Korean Casanova would have designs on Geum Jan Di. Since the Shinhwa heir isn't aware of the fact that his Casanova friend is attracted towards Chu Ga Eul - Gu Jun Pyo was genuinely confused by the act of his Casanova friend offering to go to the double-date on his behalf.
Song Woo Bin, on the other hand, had a look that says 'Hah! There… the same look he has when he accused me of chatting Ga Eul-yang up! I knew it, Yi Jeong does feel something for Ga Eul-yang but is consistently denying it.'
"I'm curious to see how commoners' dates, I guess." So Yi Jeong shrugged casually in response, trying to make him sound as though he was simply curious about how the commoner's idea of the date goes. Inwardly, the Korean Casanova was trying to stamp down the irrational bout of irritation over the idea of the country bumpkin being out on a date with some random guy, he has no idea about.
"Yes, that sounds like it'll be fun." Song Woo Bin added from his position, with a grinning expression on his face. Unlike Yi Jeong, his input mainly serves as a form of goading to the Shinhwa heir.
"Whatever. I expect you guys to be at the shooting range tomorrow at 10am sharp!" With that said, the Shinhwa heir promptly stalked out of the clubhouse leaving behind his three friends to speculate on the matter of whether or not he's going to show up at the shooting range tomorrow.
"Want to bet if he's going to be at the range tomorrow?" Yoon Ji Hoo suggested, throwing the two playboys of F4 a challenging look.
"50,000 Korean Won that Jun Pyo would show up at the range." So Yi Jeong responded, using the bet proposed by his auburn-haired friend to distract himself from the tempting thought to message Chu Ga Eul and check on the girl's plan for the next day. Especially, since he didn't have any particular reasons to be messaging the girl at this point.
"Deal. I'm betting that Jun Pyo would show up for the double-date instead of being at the range." Yoon Ji Hoo grinned in response, he dares say that after what Yi Jeong and Woo Bin commented earlier about finding out how a commoner does on a date - Jun Pyo is definitely going to go on that double-date.
"...You guys are seriously betting on this?" Song Woo Bin raised an eyebrow up at his two friends with a look of incredulity.
"Come on, Woo Bin. Don't you think it's fun to watch Jun Pyo fret over the matter?" So Yi Jeong commented with a smiling expression that's obviously half-hearted, only seems to raise some eyebrows from his friends.
[Come on, So Yi Jeong, get a grip! Why does it matter to you that Ga Eul-yang has a boyfriend? It's not as though you have any right to interfere with the personal choices of Chu Ga Eul! Just because you took her out for lunch the other day, doesn't automatically make you, her keeper! Moreover, girls like her are off-limits, remember?!] - The Korean Casanova thought inwardly to himself as he continues to joke around with his friends, on the outside.
In comparison to the level of self-control, the Korean Casanova was able to exercise his impulsive reactions upon the discovery of Chu Ga Eul having a boyfriend, it wasn't quite the same for Miyazawa Kazuki. Ever since the discovery that his half-sister, Chu Ga Eul is going out on a date with some guy he didn't know of, the heir to the Miyazawa F&B Group was unable to sit still and had taken to start pacing the room.
"Gees… Kazuki, can you stop pacing? It's making me dizzy just by watching." Sakuraba Shuichi remarked from his spot on the sofa couch in the living room of the apartment unit that his family owns in Seoul, South Korea.
"I know… but I just can't sit still, you know? The sheer idea of some unknown guys being around Ga Eul was really hard for me to stomach, and the thought of them putting their hands on her was enough to make me see red." Miyazawa Kazuki paused mid-act to respond to his cousin's words, before resuming his pacing activity, again.
"...Seeing red is a little extreme, isn't it? I mean, you're just her brother, not her boyfriend." Sakuraba Shuichi wisely pointed out to his agitated friend who has been pacing non-stop since the guy arrived at the doorstep of his family residence in Korea.
"I guess I'm just uneasy. If only, I had gotten hold of the information earlier… I would have someone investigated in the guy's background thoroughly before even allowing a first date to occur between them." Miyazawa Kazuki admitted on an eventuality, that he's just feeling uneasy about the guy Ga Eul is dating because he has absolutely no clues about the background of Ga Eul's boyfriend.
"Look, Kazuki. I get that you're concerned about Ga Eul's well-being, but they are just dating not getting married. If the guy wasn't good for Ga Eul, they are bound to break up, eventually. Sure, Ga Eul would be hurt then… but she's a strong girl just like her mom. A little heartbreak wouldn't kill her, you know?" Shuichi sighed audibly as he willed himself to be patient before addressing his concerned and uptight friend, for the third time in the past hour.
"But…but Ga Eul seems to have an affinity with playboys! Look at the guys swarming around her, these days! What if her boyfriend turns out to be a playboy as well?" Kazuki argued, his frown deepening upon recalling the type of guys that congregates around his half-sister these days.
"...Kazuki, seriously… stop letting your imagination runs wild. I'm sure Masashi has nothing but pure intentions toward Ga Eul. Besides, he did nothing more than drop a few texts message on the Line messenger app. Surely, that doesn't count towards the idea of swarming around Ga Eul?" Sakuraba Shuichi tried his best to reason with his overreacting childhood friend, although he has to say… this is already the result of his friend being restrained. There's one time his friend went to threaten a male classmate of Miyazawa Miyuki simply because of a school play, whereby a friendly peck on the cheeks was involved during the act.
"And what of the Don Juan and the Korean Casanova of F4?" Miyazawa Kazuki pointed out objectively to his childhood friend and cousin.
Rolling his eyes momentarily, Sakuraba Shuichi deadpans in return. "Kazuki, have you forgotten how Ga Eul and Geum Jan Di come in a packaged deal? Considering the nature of Geum Jan Di's relationship with the Shinhwa heir, isn't it natural for the Don Juan and the Korean Casanova to come into contact with Ga Eul regularly?"
"...Shuichi, what do you say to the suggestion of tailing them on their date tomorrow?" Miyazawa Kazuki then suggested out of desperation and causing Sakuraba Shuichi to roll his eyes in exasperation.
"They are on a double-date tomorrow. And one of the members involved in the double-date, is the Shinhwa heir… how far do you think we can tail them and end up not catching the Shinhwa heir's attention? Besides, you are supposed to remain under the radar of F4 - remember?" Shuichi pointed out objectively to his desperate friend.
"... Why don't you gate-crash their little party of four in that case? That way you can play chaperon to Ga Eul's date with her boyfriend." Kazuki suggested, his eyes lighting up as a new idea presented itself to him.
"No way. That would be damn awkward. If you need someone to play chaperon, get Shunsuke instead. He had a ready pool of girls at his beck and call, always ready to be of service to him. He could easily transform the double-date into a triple-date with no issues. Of course, Ga Eul would definitely pick up on the fact that he wasn't there by his own will. Your sister's smart, so, don't take her as a fool." Shuichi sighed and offered up his own suggestion for his friend's consideration.
[Sorry, Shunsuke… didn't mean to throw you under the bus… but I really do not wish to be a third wheel tomorrow.] - Sakuraba Shuichi thought inwardly to himself, as he watched his agitated childhood friend call up their other friend on the mobile.
Saionji Shunsuke was just coming out of his shower when he heard the sound of his mobile phone ringing. A look at the Caller ID has his eyebrows raised in a questioning manner, and since he's busy toweling dry his hair. He answered the call from his friend and put it on speaker mode so he could be able to handle both tasks at once.
"Yes, Kazuki. What can I do for you this evening?" Shunsuke greeted his childhood friend casually as he continues to towel dry his hair.
"Shunsuke, you're free tomorrow - right?" Miyazawa Kazuki began.
"Yes, what about it?"
"Good. Hyo Rin-chan is also available tomorrow, go pick her up for a date." Miyazawa Kazuki practically ordered, causing Saionji Shunsuke to gape disbelievingly at his mobile phone gadget.
"Excuse me? Did I just hear you order me to go on a date with my not-so-secret admirer?" Shunsuke sounded rather incredulous, while Kazuki winced on the other end of the line.
"Well… if you don't wish to cause any misunderstandings on Hyo Rin's part, you can always find another date on your own. I don't care how you go about it and who you took on the date… but I want you to bring a date to join Ga Eul tomorrow in Myeong-Dong at 11am on the dot." Miyazawa Kazuki ordered.
"... What's Ga Eul doing in Myeong-Dong tomorrow, if you don't mind me asking?" Saionji Shunsuke sighed inwardly as he resigned himself to the whims of his childhood friend. There's no stopping Kazuki when he gets this stubborn about something.
"She's going out on a double date with Geum Jan Di and the Shinhwa heir, her boyfriend will be there. I need you to keep an eye on him. I would love to do it myself, but unlike you - I do not have a ready bunch of girls willing to pose as my date to impose my presence on the two couples." Miyazawa Kazuki responded, in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.
"...What happens to the need to stay under the radar of F4?" Saionji Shunsuke deadpans to his childhood friend from his end of the line.
"As far as I know, the rules only apply to me and not the two of you. Besides, Geum Jan Di has been constantly yapping about her desire to meet us - the Elite 3 in person. Hopefully, after meeting one of us, she would stop trying to pressure Ga Eul into introducing us to her." Miyazawa Kazuki commented, pointing out the fact that the 'staying under the radar of F4' rule doesn't exactly apply to Shunsuke and Shuichi.
"... Does Ga Eul have any idea about your plan to turn her double-date into a triple-date?" Shunsuke was silent for some time before inquiring.
"No. I didn't tell her, but I think she would take it in stride." Miyazawa Kazuki eventually said in response.
"I'll see what I can do on my end." With that said, Saionji Shunsuke promptly proceed to end the call with his childhood friend and started stewing over what he's about to do, and hoped he wouldn't regret it by the end of the day.
Location: Myeong-Dong, 11am, in front of the burger joint - MCDONALDS
"Ga Eul ah… maybe we shouldn't wait anymore? Gu Jun Pyo likely wouldn't show up… it's fine, you can go on and have your date with your boyfriend. I'll just go home after meeting him." Geum Jan Di told Ga Eul, after having arrived at the meet-up point only finding her childhood friend being present on site.
"Jan Di, just wait for another few minutes. Who knows? Maybe Jun Pyo-Sunbae would show up?" Chu Ga Eul responded, keeping an eye out on the surrounding in search of the figure of her own boyfriend - Gong Soo Pyo.
Only before she spotted her boyfriend, Ga Eul sighted the approaching figure of Saionji Shunsuke first. And her eyes continue to widen when the guy came to a stop in front of her, inwardly she was thinking 'what the hell is going on?'
"Ga Eul… is this your boyfriend? He's quite good-looking." It was the curious inquiry on Geum Jan Di's part that snap Chu Ga Eul back into focus.
"What?!" Chu Ga Eul turns towards Geum Jan Di with a gaping look and was continuously shaking her head at her childhood friend. "No…no, Jan Di… he's not my boyfriend."
At the same time, Saionji Shunsuke plastered on a pleasant smile as he greeted the two girls cordially. "Good morning, ladies."
"Don't 'good morning' me! Shunsuke-Kun, what the hell are you doing here?!" Chu Ga Eul whirled around and demanded in Japanese, as she glared at the handsome young man with a killing look so intense that Shunsuke thought he would probably be dead if looks can kill.
"Ga Eul-San, it's not my intention to be a third wheel. But… your brother is quite concerned about this date of yours and decided to send me in as a chaperon. Oh, but don't worry… I'm not going to obstruct your date in any way. In fact, Hyo Rin-Chan would be coming soon. I was wondering if we could join you, and make this date of yours a triple-date instead of a double-date?" Saionji Shunsuke didn't care that he was practically throwing Kazuki under the bus, considering that he actually had to instigate a fake date with Choi Hyo Rin - his not-so-secret admirer, last night.
While Shunsuke does have a ready pool of girls to pick his date from, the sheer notion of it being a triple-date means he cannot pick anyone that Ga Eul doesn't know. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a point to make it a triple-date… and thus, after much deliberate consideration on his part - he decided to invite Hyo Rin-Chan along for this triple-date outing. Of course, he makes sure to inform the girl well ahead of time that it will be a fake date.
"Sorry, Shunsuke-Kun. I'm not late, am I?" Just then, the figure of Choi Hyo Rin appears on-site.
"No worries, Hyo Rin-Chan. You aren't late, in fact, you are right on time." Saionji Shunsuke turns toward his not-so-secret admirer and responded with a cordial smile playing on his lips.
"Erm… Ga Eul ah, I'm a little lost here. What exactly is going on?" Geum Jan Di asks with a frowning expression. Originally, she had thought that the handsome young man that appears on-site is the boyfriend of her childhood friend, but judging from the way her friend was glaring at the young man - it kind of make her reconsider her opinions. And then, now there's another girl that arrives… and upon a closer look, it bore an eerily resemblance to the cousin of Ginger from her class in school.
"Right… Jan Di, change of plans. Instead of a double-date, we are doing a triple-date. Anyway, weren't you curious about the Elite 3? You're in luck because standing in front of you is Saionji Shunsuke - a member of the Elite 3 from Japan. Oh, he's also ranked second in our year at Shinhwa High. Beside him, is Choi Hyo Rin and his date for today. And yes, Jan Di… Hyo Rin-chan is the cousin to the Ginger from our class." Chu Ga Eul let out an audible sigh as she threw the figure of Saionji Shunsuke another look of annoyance before turning back to her confused childhood friend and explaining.
Given the fact that the earlier conversation that was had between Ga Eul and Shunsuke was in the tongue of Japanese, it's only natural for Geum Jan Di to not understand a single word from it.
Shortly after the arrival of the 'third couple', the Shinhwa heir finally appears on site. Although, he had feigned surprise at the sight of seeing Geum Jan Di, claiming their meeting here in Myeong-Dong was purely coincidental.
"Really? If you are so busy, you can just leave - you know? I'm just staying around to meet Ga Eul's boyfriend." Geum Jan Di shot back at the Shinhwa heir in annoyance.
"Why the hell would you want to meet someone else boyfriend?!" Gu Jun Pyo shot back in response to his girlfriend's words.
"Well… Geum Jan Di has always put herself in the position of being Ga Eul's protector, so, I would think she wouldn't rest easy until she sees for herself what kind of guy, her best friend is dating." Saionji Shunsuke interjected, immediately drawing the wary eyes of the Shinhwa heir onto his person.
"You're…?" Raising an eyebrow up in a questioning manner, Gu Jun Pyo prompted as he directed his words toward the young man who had just spoken in a cold tone of voice.
"Saionji Shunsuke at your service, a member of the Elite 3, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. Gu Jun Pyo." Saionji Shunsuke responded, holding out his hand to the Shinhwa heir for a shake, out of politeness.
"Pleasure to meet your acquaintance." Gu Jun Pyo responded, gripping the extended hand of Saionji Shunsuke in a firm shake. Under usual circumstances, the Shinhwa heir likely would have ignored the extended hand from someone he didn't know. The only reason why he had shaken the young man's hand is likely because of the familiarity he found in the surname of Saionji. If memory serves him correctly, the Shinhwa Group does have some business dealings with the Saionji Corporation in Japan.
[Why do I feel like I'm at a social function for a corporate organization when we are in Myeong-Dong?] - Choi Hyo Rin found herself wondering as she starts to zone out shortly after the self-introduction took place between Saionji Shunsuke and the Shinhwa heir.
While the two rich boys are meeting each other in person for the first time, and Choi Hyo Rin was busy zoning out. Chu Ga Eul was busy dialing up the number of her boyfriend, who is already 20 minutes late for the appointment. They are supposed to meet up at 11am, but it's already 11.20am and Gong Soo Pyo is still not yet in sight.
"Soo Pyo-Oppa, are you reaching? All of us are here and waiting for you!" Chu Ga Eul started, as soon as the call was picked up on the other end.
"Apologies, my morning lecture in college overruns for a bit. I'm on my way over, reaching in another 5 minutes." Gong Soo Pyo's response came over the line, the fact that he was arriving was a relief to Ga Eul on the whole.
In the meantime, over at the shooting range at the Shinhwa Country Club. The F3 waited for an hour for the Shinhwa heir to show up to no avail.
"That settles it, I won the bet." Yoon Ji Hoo commented smugly to the two playboys of F4.
"... Ji Hoo, did you instigate the bet knowing full well that Jun Pyo isn't going to show up this morning?" So Yi Jeong couldn't help but remark as he took aim at the target with his rifle in hand.
"Well... although, Jun Pyo fails to show up here at the range. We could still have fun on our own." Yoon Ji Hoo commented, as he too, took aim at the target with the rifle he held in his hands.
Back in Myeong-Dong at the designated meeting spot in front of the burger joint – Mcdonalds, Gong Soo Pyo finally arrived thirty minutes after the stipulated meeting time had passed. The three girls were, on the whole, relieved at his arrival because this means that the boring business talks between Gu Jun Pyo and Saionji Shunsuke could finally be put to an end.
Mostly, because Geum Jan Di could understand practically nothing that was being discussed between the two guys earlier, she was being kept entertained by Ga Eul and Hyo Rin while waiting for the last member for this little triple-date outing to show up. But considering the different upbringing between the three girls, it was quite difficult to find a common topic that they could indulge in without moments of awkward silence in between them. Since Ga Eul was able to relate to both Jan Di and Hyo Rin, she has been acting as an in-between throughout the conversation, but she was steadily running out of conversational topics to keep the conversation flow going. So, it could be said that she's the most relieved when her fashionably late boyfriend finally shows up on-site.
Still, Ga Eul found herself being too optimistic about this entire arrangement. As soon as her boyfriend show up and spoke his first words, she knew that this outing is off to a bad start. Mostly because Soo Pyo didn't even offer a word of apology for being late to the two guys. Yes, he apologizes to her but that was on the phone. He didn't say it again when he arrives at the meet-up spot. Not only that, when Ga Eul introduce the Shinhwa heir to him - he had dared to insult Gu Jun Pyo's hairstyle by comparing it to a croissant.
"But what a coincidence. Our names are so similar, Soo Pyo and Jun Pyo. We could easily be brothers to people who didn't know our family names. Come on, let's go. You can call me Hyung if you want." Gong Soo Pyo commented, giving the Shinhwa heir a friendly pat on the shoulder before leading the way to the game center - the first stop of today's date.
"...Come on, Oppa… let's go!" Under Geum Jan Di's signal, Chu Ga Eul hurried forward to drag her boyfriend off while leaving her friend behind to deal with a black-faced Shinhwa heir. She didn't need to be a genius to figure out that her boyfriend had insulted the Shinhwa heir twice in a row. First the comment about the hairstyle, and then trying to act friendly with the Shinhwa heir.
Saionji Shunsuke, on the other hand, could hardly care if the Shinhwa heir and Geum Jan Di are going to follow them. His purpose today was to chaperon Ga Eul on the date, and if he had to bring Hyo Rin along as a fake date to fit in with the theme - he would do it. Otherwise, he would never hear the end of it from Kazuki at the end of the day.
"I think this is a bad idea. Why don't we just go home?" Geum Jan Di started, her purpose of meeting Ga Eul's boyfriend was already fulfilled in a sense. But right now, she just has a bad feeling in her guts… it seems like a bad move to let Gu Jun Pyo meet her friend's boyfriend. So, now all she wanted was to leave. Unfortunately for her, Gu Jun Pyo has changed his mind.
"No. We are not leaving. I find myself getting curious about how commoners usually do on dates, so we are continuing with the plan for the double-date." Gu Jun Pyo responded, reaching out to link his arm with his girlfriend as they move forward to catch up to the couples ahead.
"Actually, it's now a triple-date." Geum Jan Di pointed out this glaring little detail to the Shinhwa heir.
"Doesn't matter, at least, that way I wouldn't burst a vein during conversation time." Gu Jun Pyo mutters in response, the presence of Saionji Shunsuke actually makes this little outing a tad easier to endure.
"Would you like one as well?" Saionji Shunsuke inquires his date for today's triple-date outing, shooting a look towards the UFO machine where Gong Soo Pyo was busy catching plush toys for the sister of his childhood friend. Seriously, Shunsuke had no idea why Gong Soo Pyo was so enthusiastic about catching plush toys for Ga Eul on the UFO machine… is he trying to empty out the UFO machine on his own?
"How good are you at UFO machine?" Choi Hyo Rin found herself asking back in return, as she threw a look towards the direction of the still empty-handed Shinhwa heir.
"I'm adequate at the game. One thing I'm sure you have noticed in Japan is the mass amount of UFO machines in the Akihabara area. And Akihabara happens to be where I usually spend my weekends back in Japan." Saionji Shunsuke responded as he split his attention between his fake date for today, and the figure of Gong Soo Pyo.
"In that case, I'll gladly accept a plush toy as a form of compensation for having to burn the entirety of my Saturday on a fake date with you." Choi Hyo Rin answered while she did yearn for an opportunity to go on an actual date with the guy standing next to her at present. She knows, certain things can't be forced. The fact that Shunsuke is willing to take her out on a fake date is already surprising enough, thus, she ought to be grateful.
"Alright. Is there a specific plush you want from the UFO machine, or anything would do?" Saionji Shunsuke asks, as he stepped towards the machine located on the other side of the Shinhwa heir and inserted the game tokens he had exchanged earlier from the token machines but hasn't actually utilized them for any games yet.
"The Eeyore, if possible, otherwise… anything is acceptable." Choi Hyo Rin took a good look at the plush toys available inside the UFO machine and promptly responded.
"Really? The Eeyore? That's an odd choice, most would prefer Winnie the Pooh." Saionji Shunsuke commented drily but didn't argue otherwise, and promptly send the claws of the UFO machine towards the direction of the Eeyore plush in the machine.
"Yes, well… what can I say? My taste is just different from the typical girls." Choi Hyo Rin responded with a beaming smile, inwardly thinking of how the entire school is fawning over the F4 but she only has her eyes set upon the Elite 3, or rather Saionji Shunsuke from the Elite 3.
It took Shunsuke three attempts to get the Eeyore plush toy that Choi Hyo Rin had expressed her desires to get her hands upon. By then, Gong Soo Pyo has already gotten ten over plush toys for Ga Eul and Gu Jun Pyo is still empty-handed. Whenever Ga Eul tried to offer one of her toys over to Geum Jan Di, the Shinhwa heir would just push the offered toy away and continue to wrestle with the UFO machine.
"You know if you want to get a plush toy for Geum Jan Di through your own efforts. The UFO machine isn't the only way to go about it." Saionji Shunsuke started, drawing the attention of the anxious Shinhwa heir onto his person.
"What do you mean?" Gu Jun Pyo asks in a demanding tone of voice.
"The UFO machine requires skills and techniques, even I can't reach to his level. So, I reckon he must have years of experience with the UFO machine to be able to succeed every single time. So, instead of trying to beat him in his area of forte… why not get something for Geum Jan Di another way? See that vintage basketball game over there in that corner? If you can get the basketball into the hoop 10 times in a row, you would be able to pick a prize from the prize collection counter." Saionji Shunsuke then pointed the Shinhwa heir towards another corner of the game center, he thought that might be something more suited to the Shinhwa heir's capability.
And then turning towards Geum Jan Di, Saionji Shunsuke flashes at the girl his version of the charming smile and inquires. "You wouldn't have minded your plush toy not being part of the Disney series, would you?"
"Huh?" Geum Jan Di blinked, not quite understanding the point until her childhood friend nudged her towards the direction of the prize exchange counter where a series of Kakao Friends plush toys sat neatly at the display shelf behind the staff manning the counter. The plush toys are available in different sizing, the bigger the toy plush - the more winning tickets from the games would be needed.
In the end, the game center visit lasted two hours in total. The Shinhwa heir was determined to get the larger size toy plush for Geum Jan Di, and that means he require a total of 150 tickets to get the Ryan (the bear character from Kakao Friends) toy plush. To get the required amount of the tickets, not only did the Shinhwa heir try out the vintage basketball game but also played several rounds of the car racing game - Daytona USA. By the time, they emerged out from the game center - it's already time for lunch.
"Alright, where shall we go next?" Saionji Shunsuke prompted, given that he wasn't the person in charge of the dating plan today. He decides to leave it up to Ga Eul to decide.
"...We go for lunch, but first things first. Where did you park your car, Shunsuke-Kun?" Ga Eul inquires, there is no way she's going to lug this entire bag of plush toys to lunch.
"Surely, you aren't thinking of unloading those plush toys into my car boot - are you?" Saionji Shunsuke felt the corners of his lips twitching in response to Ga Eul's words.
"And if I am?" Chu Ga Eul throws back in response.
"... Fine." Saionji Shunsuke sighed in resignation, as he began to lead them towards the shopping mall where he had parked his blue Lexus to unload the cargo of plush toys into his car boot. Inwardly, he was blaming Gong Soo Pyo for getting so many plush toys for Ga Eul simply because he wanted to show off his skills in front of the girls.
Given that the theme for today's outing was a commoners' date, thus the venue for lunch was picked out by Gong Soo Pyo. Standing inside the eatery that looks not just run-down in appearance, but also full of middle-aged diners with smoke and beer. Both Saionji Shunsuke and Gu Jun Pyo felt a tad out of place, as they took a seat at the largest size round table the eatery owner could find for them in the shop.
Needless to say, in eateries of this scale - there isn't a proper booklet menu being provided to the diners. Everything they have on the menu is written out and plastered to the back of the ordering counter, and thus - most diners are usually regulars and don't really require a copy of a menu to reference while placing their orders. Having heard the orders sprouted off by Gong Soo Pyo to the lady boss of the place fully comprised of innards food, Saionji Shunsuke found himself taking a deep breath before ordering something for himself and his fake-date that is a little easy to eat.
"Ahjumma, one large serving of the Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes)." Saionji Shunsuke was quick to call out before the lady boss could leave with only the orders from Gong Soo Pyo.
Across the table from Shunsuke, Chu Ga Eul wordlessly held out a thumbs up to him. That, at least, is edible in the eyes of rich boys…way better than the Gopchang (Beef and Pork Tripe) and Makchang (Entrails)ordered by Gong Soo Pyo for their lunch.
The seating arrangement in a clockwise direction is Gong Soo Pyo, Saionji Shunsuke, Choi Hyo Rin, Gu Jun Pyo, Geum Jan Di, and Chu Ga Eul. Putting Gong Soo Pyo in between Ga Eul and Shunsuke, mostly because Shunsuke could sense the discomfit of Hyo Rin when near the guy Ga Eul is dating. Choi Hyo Rin didn't mention to anyone, but she is indeed uncomfortable when near the boyfriend of Chu Ga Eul. Mostly, because she kept on getting the feeling that the guy is checking her out with the corner of his eyes when he thinks nobody is watching.
Under usual circumstances, Ga Eul would have noticed it right away. However, today her attention was split between Jan Di and trying to keep the peace between the Shinhwa heir and Gong Soo Pyo that she hasn't really paid attention to what her supposed boyfriend was doing. Thankfully, what she failed to notice, Shunsuke had noticed. After all, his main job today is to keep an eye on the guy Ga Eul is dating… and thus far, he wasn't sure if he enjoys the idea of such a guy dating the sister of his childhood friend.
Seriously, who the hell with enough common sense would insult the hairstyle of someone they had just met for the first time? Yet, that is exactly what Gong Soo Pyo has done. Not only that, he had shown up late for the outing and fail to offer them a word of apology. Because it hasn't been Shunsuke who had been insulted, he didn't care to comment. Still, that didn't make a very good impression in Shunsuke's book.
When the food ordered by Gong Soo Pyo arrived at their table, the Shinhwa heir who has never seen such innards food before in his life naturally frowned at the sight.
"Are you serious? You've never eaten innards food before? Are you still considered a man without having tried innards food at least once?" Gong Soo Pyo commented, and his words causes Chu Ga Eul to frown once again.
[Is Soo Pyo-Oppa being deliberately antagonizing towards Jun Pyo-Sunbae?] Chu Ga Eul couldn't help but think, because really… including now, this has been the fifth time today Gong Soo Pyo had said something that displeased the Shinhwa heir.
"What exactly are innards' food?" Gu Jun Pyo couldn't help but ask, it was an innocent question that only require an honest response from either one seated at the table.
"What? You don't even know what is innards food? Innards food refers to food made out of the insides of the pig and cow, mostly comprising of the intestines both big and small." Gong Soo Pyo scoffed at the Shinhwa heir, unknowingly offending the Shinhwa heir, again. And as though that wasn't enough, he had to turn towards Geum Jan Di and commented a tad too casually.
"Jan Di-Ssi, why are you even dating someone who can't stomach the idea of eating innards food? I'm sure you can find better guys out there in the market." Gong Soo Pyo was remarking to Jan Di, and the sight naturally pissed off the Shinhwa heir further.
"You… I've been very patient with you thus far. I advise you to keep your mouth shut if you don't know how to talk properly." Gu Jun Pyo gritted out, throwing a glaring look at the boyfriend of Chu Ga Eul. He had been very patient with the guy thus far, but now he found himself having trouble controlling his temper.
"Gong Soo Pyo! Do me a favor and shut up. What Jun Pyo-Sunbae eat or not eat isn't anything of your concern, and why Jan Di is dating someone like Jun Pyo-sunbae is also none of your business. While on the subject, you can go on and finish this innards food yourself because I find myself no longer in the mood to accommodate these eating habits of yours." Chu Ga Eul interjected a tad forcefully, before scooping some of the spicy rice cakes from Shunsuke's order and placing them onto an empty plate.
Handing the plate filled with a portion of the spicy rice cakes over to the irate Shinhwa heir, Chu Ga Eul started in an apologetic tone of voice.
"Jun Pyo-sunbae, I apologize for my boyfriend's lack of manners and tact. Here, you can try these instead. Shunsuke ordered them, these are spicy rice cakes. And there's also the Jokbal (Pork Trotter), ordered by Jan Di. I think these two dishes are relatively safe for you to try out. The pork trotter might be a tad greasy but they are really good in taste. They are both famous Korean street food in Myeong-Dong." Ga Eul said, trying her best to diffuse the tense mood and atmosphere at the table following her boyfriend's tactless remarks.
Saionji Shunsuke, who had pretty much remained silent since the food has arrived was silently observing Ga Eul's reactions to Gong Soo Pyo's actions throughout lunch. Inwardly, he was thinking that if Gong Soo Pyo were to keep up with his current behavior towards the Shinhwa heir, there is a very high chance of Ga Eul breaking up with that guy when the day came to an end. If that really does happen, Kazuki would be immensely relieved for certain.
"By the way, Ga Eul… have you reschedule your piano class with the arts center? You are originally scheduled for the piano lesson at 3pm, isn't it?" Saionji Shunsuke inquires, the thought of Ga Eul's piano lesson suddenly coming to mind.
"Of course, I rescheduled it to tomorrow morning. I'll head over to the ice rink immediately after. That's where the national tournament for this year is taking place, right?" Ga Eul commented, shifting her attention away from the Shinhwa heir to address the friend of her half-brother.
"Yes. Shuichi's performance is at 1pm, whereas Kazuki would be competing at 5pm in the early evening. The figure skating program is always ahead of the speed-skating program…" Saionji Shunsuke nodded in affirmation of Ga Eul's words.
"Talking about skating… shall we go ice skating later?" Choi Hyo Rin interjected, expressing her desire to visit the ice-skating rink after lunch.
"..." Gong Soo Pyo's initial idea was to go bowling, but considering how he had just offended Ga Eul. He wisely kept his mouth shut on the subject, in his quest to challenge Gu Jun Pyo in a contest of who's a better boyfriend. It seems he had unknowingly forgotten about the sheer fact that not everyone finds innards food tasty. Though rare, there are indeed guys who don't eat innard food… in particular, this trend is commonly found in the riches. And the one thing he had conveniently forgotten was the fact that everyone seated at this table except for him goes to Shinhwa Academy, and that literally meant outside of him - everyone seated at this table is rich.
The visit to the ice-skating rink was uneventful, and Ga Eul had the intention to ignore her boyfriend for a while. So, it actually took Gong Soo Pyo spending the better half of the first hour at the rink begging for forgiveness before Ga Eul finally soften up her stance on the matter. The time at the rink is the part Gu Jun Pyo enjoyed the most since he was able to be apart from the other two couples for most of the time. As Geum Jan Di has no idea how to skate properly on the ice, the Shinhwa heir was the one guiding them all over the rink.
Chu Ga Eul, on the other hand, allowed herself to be dragged around on the ice by Gong Soo Pyo willingly feigning ignorance of the activity. Even though she's probably better in terms of skating skills when it comes down to skating on ice. After all, she had received professional instructions under a proper ice-skating coach before.
Saionji Shunsuke, meanwhile, was busy showing off his skating skills by skating all over the place with Choi Hyo Rin admiring his every move. Granted, he isn't a figure skater like his friend - Shuichi, and can't pull off all those fanciful stunts on the ice. There's one thing he could do, which is skating at high speed on the ice. After all, he's a speed-skater.
Although, he would prefer to do high-speed skating on the rink in Shinhwa Academy as it's only utilized by members of the skating clubs. High-speed skating isn't advisable at public ice-skating rinks such as this place, because not everyone visiting the rink knows how to skate properly. So, an accident might occur if one is not careful. Thankfully, the people patronizing the ice-skating rink at this hour aren't as many and thus, Shunsuke was able to show off his prowess in speed skating for a while before the crowd starts flocking in.
"Shunsuke quit it. It's about time for the crowd to start flocking in." Chu Ga Eul reminded when the guy breezes past her on the ice at high speed.
Shunsuke didn't bother to deigns Ga Eul with a response, only waving and saluting the girl in a wordless response as he made his way back towards where he had left his date for the day waiting. Over at the other side of the rink, Gu Jun Pyo frowned as he took in the sight of Geum Jan Di rubbing her hands together every now and then and promptly commented. "Ya! Why are you without gloves? Are you trying to give yourself frostbites in your hands? We are still amid winter, have you forgotten that little detail?"
"Ya! Of course, I have my gloves." Geum Jan Di snapped back at the Shinhwa heir in annoyance as she started patting all over her body in search of her gloves only to find the pockets of her coat empty. With a frown, she wondered where she had left her gloves if it hasn't been in the pockets of her coat. Unknowingly to Jan Di, her pair of warm pink gloves are currently sitting in the home of Yoon Ji Hoo of F4. Apparently, she had left it behind on the day of her visit to the Yoon family residence.
"Stupid woman. Give me your hand." Gu Jun Pyo instructed, and then promptly grabbed the right hand of his girlfriend and put his own glove onto the girl's hands. After which, the Shinhwa heir went on to grab his girlfriend's left hand in his right hand in a tight grip before stuffing their bare hands into the pocket of his coat. "There, is it warmer now?"
"Thank you. It is warmer now." Geum Jan Di smile a beaming smile in response to the Shinhwa heir, causing a big smile of content to form on the lips of Gu Jun Pyo as well.
The atmosphere was good, and the Shinhwa heir would be happy to continue staying in this position. Unfortunately, Gong Soo Pyo decided to impose his presence on him once again. Gliding to a stop in front of the Shinhwa heir and Geum Jan Di, with Ga Eul in tow. Gong Soo Pyo suggested for the Shinhwa heir to join him in the task of getting some warm coffee for the ladies outside.
Honestly, the Shinhwa heir's original intention was to turn down the suggestion, but upon remembering how cold the hands of his girlfriend felt to him - he obliged the suggestion from Gong Soo Pyo as they left the rink for the outside to get some warm refreshments for the girls. That turns out to be a mistake on his part, he should have known that the boyfriend of Chu Ga Eul was a scumbag. How someone as smart as Chu Ga Eul would end up with such a guy as her boyfriend, was beyond his comprehension level.
The moment they stepped out from the ice-skating rink, Gong Soo Pyo had picked up a call that's obviously from some other girls. Not only that, Gong Soo Pyo had openly insulated the fact that he's just killing time in the ice-skating rink with a bunch of kids when being asked about his whereabouts. That was the first sign that Gong Soo Pyo wasn't serious about dating Chu Ga Eul. However, that isn't anything he ought to concern himself with and thus, Gu Jun Pyo was still able to rein in his bubbling temper. The turnaround point came when Gong Soo Pyo actually suggested bringing him to some clubs and finding better catches there, citing that there is a better woman out there that would put his girlfriend to shame.
Upon hearing such words from the lips of that scumbag, Gu Jun Pyo felt the restraint on his logical sense of mind snapped and promptly delivered a kick to the guy sending Gong Soo Pyo down to the ground. His rage still not receding after that first kick, he went on to kick Gong Soo Pyo another few times before resorting to the use of his fists. Back inside the rink, Chu Ga Eul felt a sense of dread creeping up on her. In particular, when Shunsuke brought Hyo Rin over to them and went off in search of the two guys. The sense of dread multiplies its fold when Hyo Rin shared with her in a whispering tone of voice how Gong Soo Pyo has been behaving in the game center outside of Ga Eul's sighting range.
"Aren't they taking a tad too long in getting some warm drinks? Maybe, we ought to go out and check in on them." Choi Hyo Rin suggested after ten minutes have gone by and neither of the guys have returned.
"Indeed. Let's go and check things out." Chu Ga Eul nodded in agreement to Hyo Rin's suggestion, together they both assisted Jan Di out of the rink and swap the rental skates for their own shoes.
~TBC~
Chapter's notes: Wee~ Chapter 12 is done, and the double-date becomes a triple-date under machinations of one very over-protective brother - Miyazawa Kazuki. XD, needless to say, the scenes for the double-date were extended slightly with new scenes being utilized. ^_^
What do you people think of this new version of the events? SoEul scenes alert for the next chapter XD how it plays out might differ a bit, but it's still happening.
I removed the part whereby Gu Jun Pyo got goaded into trying out the innards' food and almost gagged while doing so, because before that could even happen - Ga Eul had interjected and gotten him to try something else. Because of Ga Eul's forceful intervention, Jun Pyo didn't stalk out of the eatery too ^_^
Sorry for cutting things off here, but it's getting a tad too long. There aren't many SoEul moments in here unless you count that brief text exchange between them in the earlier half of the chapter. By this point, Jun Pyo is probably the only one still oblivious to his Casanova friend's attraction towards Ga Eul.
That's all for now, Ciao~