Secret of the Autumn

by xiaoj

[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,

22. Chapter 22

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 22 - To the Ski-Resort, Let's Go! Part 3

Location: Gu Family Mansion, 26th April 2009, Sunday, 7pm

True to his promise, So Yi Jeong waltz into the dining room of the Gu family mansion at exactly 7pm on the dot.

"Wow, Yi Jeong. I was wondering if you're going to be late." Song Woo Bin commented when his Casanova friend took up the empty seat next to him at the dining table of the Gu family in the dining room of the mansion.

"I thought I was going to be late as well… but it seems the traffic decided to cooperate with me, this evening. Either way, because the traffic from Woo Sung Museum to here runs smoothly, I was able to arrive exactly at 7pm, on the dot." So Yi Jeong responded, sounding absolutely relieved that he had dodged the bullet of having his ears talked off by the Shinhwa heir. Because Jun Pyo could literally criticize his ears off for being late, even when it wasn't an intentional act on his part.

"... Good, now that everyone's here. Butler Lee, you can get the kitchen to start serving dinner now." Gu Jun Pyo instructed his family butler in a demanding and authoritative tone of voice.

"Of course. Young Master." Butler Lee responded as he rings a bell to signal to the waiting maids around the corner to inform them that dinner is ready to be served.

"So, Jun Pyo… what's your plan for the skiing trip? I know you were planning for it to take place on the 1st of May, having heard this little bit of info from Woo Bin already. But have you decided where to go skiing yet?" So Yi Jeong inquires, taking it upon himself to break the silence when the Shinhwa heir seems to be in no hurry to announce his brilliant plans to them all.

"Yi Jeong, are you in a rush to go somewhere after this? Dinner isn't 3/4 through, and you're so eager to hear about my plans for the skiing trip, already? Surely, your routine clubbing activities can afford to wait for a little while. You don't see Woo Bin rushing me to share my plans, do you?" Gu Jun Pyo commented, throwing an odd look towards the Korean Casanova.

"...For your information, Jun Pyo, I'm in a rush to head back to my pottery studio. I have a batch of ceramics heating in the kiln, that needs to be retrieved out by 9pm tonight." The Korean Casanova deadpans at the Shinhwa heir, while blatantly ignoring the oddly disappointed look on his best friend's face.

Yi Jeong didn't even need to ask to know what was going through the mind of his best friend, no doubt - Woo Bin had assumed he was in a rush to leave because he had some prearranged appointment with a certain country bumpkin. Which might very well be the case, recently. Given how the girl had literally taken it upon herself to ensure he doesn't skip out on meals unnecessarily. So much so that he's able to see the country bumpkin in his pottery studio 4 evenings out of the 7 days in a week, with either homemade dinner meals or takeout from a nearby eatery for him.

For that reason alone, Yi Jeong finds himself pushing back his clubbing hours because he has to send the country bumpkin home before he could head off for his clubbing activities. Either way, today's Sunday – which just so happens to be a day that the country bumpkin is occupied with the E3; and thus, likely wouldn't show up at his pottery studio. Although, he reckons any minute now – the text reminder for him to take his dinner meal would be coming in from the girl.

Because nowadays that's exactly what Chu Ga Eul does, she would send him text reminders whenever mealtime approaches to remind him about eating on time. And if he responded that he's too busy to head out for dinner, the girl would show up on his doorstep with ready-made food in hand for him so, he needn't head out to grab something for his dinner meal when he's amid of some important tasks.

At the thought of Chu Ga Eul, the Korean Casanova promptly felt an incoming buzz on his mobile phone from the pocket of his suit informing him that he had just received a new text message. Taking out his mobile phone to get a good look at the home screen of his phone, So Yi Jeong was hardly surprised to find a text message coming from the country bumpkin reminding him to eat his dinner. Albeit, the message was a little late today - usually, the girl would text him 15 minutes before 7pm to remind him about taking his dinner meal.

So, when did this little routine of the country bumpkin reminding him to eat begins? Well, it would seem that his promise of trying to eat on the schedule wasn't quite enough for the girl. Therefore, after they parted ways on the girl's birthday - the potter of F4 found himself starting to receive daily text reminders from the girl at scheduled mealtime.

These days, the Korean Casanova found his morning beginning with a morning greeting message combined with the inquiry if he had eaten his breakfast, from the country bumpkin at 7am, on the dot. It's all good if he responded that he had taken his breakfast, but if he avoided answering the question... he would find the girl showing up with a sandwich at the private lounge of F4 in school, waiting for him upon his arrival. The first time she did that, the potter was subjected to an entire morning of teasing from both Ji Hoo and Woo Bin, which is saying a lot. Woo Bin's teasing, he had gotten accustomed to over the past months... but for Ji Hoo to join in the teasing antics, well – it did take a bit of time for Yi Jeong to learn to ignore the fact.

Lunch hour is alright, all the girl did was to remind him about taking his lunch via text. Only, he later discovers that his best friend tends to provide the country bumpkin the information about how much he had eaten during lunch or he didn't eat, at all. The end result – he ended up getting his ears nagged off by the girl, at a later point. In particular, those were the occasions whereby he would find Chu Ga Eul showing up at his pottery studio with food in hand for his dinner. And then, the girl would proceed to stare at him until he finishes off the food before she would leave his pottery studio.

On multiple occasions, especially, over the past one week - that was the exact scene his family driver had walked in upon when the guy came over to fetch him for a meeting with his grandfather either back at his family home, or at the museum. Usually, it tends to be at the museum - since, his habit of procrastinating on the paperwork tends to result in an overwhelming volume of backlogged paperwork. Thus, when it gets to the extent of his grandfather finding it impossible to overlook the matter anymore - he would get dragged over to the museum by force to sort through that long-overdue paperwork.

With how frequent Chu Ga Eul was dropping by his pottery studio, and then swinging by the museum with food for him. It goes without saying that her existence and constant presence around him had finally been noticed by his grandfather. And therefore, he had found himself summoned to his grandfather's office two days ago to explain the reason why there's always a girl coming around with food to visit him during dinner hours. Always one to quick thinking, So Yi Jeong managed to explain the situation away by providing his grandfather with a half-truth of Chu Ga Eul being a friend who took it upon herself to rectify his unhealthy habit of not taking his meals on schedule; after hearing about his tendency to skip meals when he's preoccupied with a pottery project from Woo Bin.

Initially, Yi Jeong was a bit worried about how his grandfather might react to Ga Eul's presence around him. Yet, it seems there isn't anything to worry about because his grandfather wasn't Jun Pyo's witch of a mother. If anything, his grandfather simply seems to be amused by the antics of Chu Ga Eul and thought it's good for him to have such a caring friend. And just like that, he was dismissed from the office of his grandfather... oh, and this took place about three days ago. And since it has already been three days, and the country bumpkin had mentioned nothing to him about having been invited to a meeting with his grandfather – Yi Jeong had come to the conclusion that nothing's going to happen to the country bumpkin.

Then again, when Yi Jeong explained to his grandfather about Ga Eul... all he said was that she was a close friend of his. He had completely hidden away the fact that there's some mutual underlying attraction between them to his grandfather. So, in hindsight, given that his grandfather isn't sharing the same mentality as Jun Pyo's witch of a mother – who thinks that friends aren't necessary for life, it's quite likely that his grandfather didn't think too much about Ga Eul's constant presence around him. Henceforth, it's only natural for his grandfather to leave things be – for now.

And Ga Eul's background of being the illegitimate daughter of Miyazawa Hideaki wouldn't have mattered much to his grandfather, at present. After all, his best friend – Woo Bin, is the Mafia Prince. As for whether his grandfather would take issues with Ga Eul's family background when it comes to the time, he decided to make things official between them, well... that's something he wouldn't know until the time actually arrives. But for now, it's good enough for him to know that the country bumpkin's constant presence around him wouldn't be an issue for his grandfather.

As for his parents, pardon him for not having it in him to care about what they think about the matter. As far as he knows, they are both too wrapped up with themselves to care about his social relationships.

A private message between Chu Ga Eul and So Yi Jeong, 26th April 2009, Sunday, 7.45pm

Ga Eul: Yi Jeong-sunbae, good evening. It's past dinner time already, I hope you've already eaten or are amid your dinner meal with the F4. (^_^)

PS: I'm making sushi for tomorrow; I'm still thinking about whether or not to include sashimi in the dinner menu. So, just in case – I thought it best to check. What is your tolerance level for wasabi? ^^;

Yi Jeong: Yes. I am indeed taking my dinner at Jun Pyo's place, out of curiosity - how did you know of my dinner plans with the F4, this evening? I didn't recall informing you of this little bit of information…prior.

PS: I thought Sashimi is best to serve fresh? On the subject of wasabi... I'm fine with the condiment, but maybe you should pack it separately?

Ga Eul: I have reliable sources. (^_^)

PS: Noted, I shall pack the wasabi in a separate container, so you can decide how much to use for the food on your own. And in response to your query, Sashimi is indeed best to serve fresh. However, as per the standard SOP for keeping food fresh – it's best to consume within two hours from the time it was prepared. I'll be utilizing the ice-cooler bag, so it would still be good for consumption by the time I reach your pottery studio. ^_^

Yi Jeong: Reliable sources…? Is it Woo Bin, again?

PS: In that case, I shall look forward to your homemade dinner for tomorrow. By the way, I'll be at Woo Sung if you are thinking of swinging by on Wed-Thurs, this week.

Ga Eul: Actually, it's Ji Hoo-sunbae, this time...that provided the information about your dinner plans with F4, this evening. ^_^;

PS: Noted. I'll update you ahead of time if I am bringing dinner over to you at the museum. So, you would know to inform the guard stationed at the entrance of the museum, in advance.

Yi Jeong: Of course.

"Yi Jeong, what are you doing? I thought you were urging me to share my plans earlier on? Yet, you are now busy playing with your phone." Gu Jun Pyo suddenly calls out, snapping the focus of the Korean Casanova away from his text conversation with Chu Ga Eul and back onto the Shinhwa heir.

"For your information, I wasn't playing with my phone. I was, in fact, replying to a message from my meal supervisor." So Yi Jeong deadpans at the Shinhwa heir, enjoying the look of befuddlement on his friend's face when he mentioned the term 'meal supervisor'. Meal supervisor is a new nickname he had bestowed on the country bumpkin, rather - it's a nickname given to the girl by Woo Bin in jest; the other day, and it kind of stuck with him. Although, between the two nicknames - Yi Jeong personally prefers to use the term 'country bumpkin' to describe the girl, as opposed to the nickname - meal supervisor.

"What the hell is a meal supervisor?" Gu Jun Pyo started, the absolutely clueless look on his face promptly causes his fellow friends to burst out laughing.

"Jun Pyo, a meal supervisor stands for someone who supervised Yi Jeong's mealtime to ensure he doesn't skip out on his meals unnecessarily." Yoon Ji Hoo began, cluing the oblivious Shinhwa heir in on the fact that someone had noticed the high frequency of their potter friend tendency to not eat on time, and decided to make it a point to remind their friend to eat - three times a day, seven days a week without fail.

"What?! Who the hell is so free to supervise Yi Jeong's mealtime? Don't tell me Yi Jeong's grandfather got so concerned about his untimely eating schedule that he decided to pay someone to supervise Yi Jeong's eating schedule, so to ensure Yi Jeong wouldn't end up with gastric problems before hitting 30s?" Gu Jun Pyo commented, sounding absolutely incredulous.

Song Woo Bin couldn't help it anymore, he promptly guffawed at the end of the Shinhwa heir's comments. Whereas the Korean Casanova had a look that's in between exasperation and hilarity, he really doesn't know whether he should laugh or cry at the imaginative mind of his childhood friend. As if his grandfather would go to the extent of paying someone to supervise his mealtime, for all he knows his grandfather might even toy with the idea of making the country bumpkin his personal assistant in the long run if she kept up with the routine of reminding him to eat every single day at the specific timing without fail. Because if she could remind him to eat on time without fail daily, she definitely would be able to take on the task of reminding him to do his paperwork on time - as well.

"Nah… Jun Pyo, Yi Jeong's grandfather doesn't need to pay someone to supervise Yi Jeong's mealtime. Ga Eul-yang had already volunteered herself for the role, and now… she doesn't even need a ticket to enter the Woo Sung Museum. Because Yi Jeong detested the idea of working out in the gym, so Ga Eul-yang makes sure to make him do a walk-through of the museum exhibition halls every single time she brought him dinner at the museum. Yi Jeong's grandfather seems to be quite amused by Ga Eul-yang's actions that he's turning a blind eye to how Ga Eul-yang was always seizing the opportunity of being on a stroll with Yi Jeong on the museum's grounds to explore the exhibition halls for free." Song Woo Bin explained after he was quite done with his laughing episode.

"In her defense, she does pay for the entry tickets to the exhibitions Woo Sung held in the Su Am Arts Centre. And based on my understanding, 25% of the ticket sales generated in the exhibitions held in the arts center would go to Woo Sung under the collaborative contract in place between the museum and the arts center." Yoon Ji Hoo interjected, in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"Thank you, Ji Hoo. While on the subject, since when did you follow in Woo Bin's example by supplying Ga Eul-yang of my dinner plans?" So Yi Jeong seized the opportunity to inquire of his auburn-haired friend.

"It's a recent development, I assured you. Besides, I didn't voluntarily tell her about your dinner plans… I was telling Geum Jan Di about it in passing, and she overheard is all." Yoon Ji Hoo commented nonchalantly in response to his Casanova friend.

"And why on earth are you telling Geum Jan Di about our dinner plans?" So Yi Jeong pressed on, finding the entire situation a tad outside of his comprehension level.

"Because Jun Pyo asks me to invite her for dinner… which she declined citing the need to work, by the way." Yoon Ji Hoo responded, turning towards the Shinhwa heir for the second half of his statement.

"It's fine. I kind of expected that she would reject the dinner invitation. I mean, I already asked her once on the phone and she turns me down, right away. I thought you might be able to get her to change her mind… since she always does have a soft spot for you. Regardless, since she insisted on working instead of coming over for dinner - I can't do anything to stop her. Coming back, I've decided - the skiing trip would be taking place in the Shinhwa Ski-Resort in Hokkaido, Japan." Gu Jun Pyo announced.

"I see… well, that does make sense. Given that the ski-resort in Korea has mostly ceased operations by this time of the year. Hokkaido, on the other hand, is well-known for its cool climate all year long. So, it figures that the ski-resorts over there can open until early May. So, are we going via your private jet?" Song Woo Bin inquires, bringing out the first question that pops into his mind.

"Of course. As per the norm, Yi Jeong - you're in charge of Chu Ga Eul during the trip. Woo Bin, you're free to invite anyone along for the trip… just remember to let me know the headcount, so I would know which private jet I would use for the trip. Ji Hoo, I'll leave you in charge to bring the woman to the airport on that day." Gu Jun Pyo commented, setting tasks for each of his friends again.

"And what about you?" Yoon Ji Hoo prompted, curious to see what his friend would be doing if he's been entrusted with the task of ensuring Geum Jan Di will turn up at the airport on the day of their departure for Hokkaido, Japan.

"Me…? I'll work on escaping from the radar of my mother… she's been tightening her scrutiny on me, again." Gu Jun Pyo sighed dramatically then.

"..."

Since the Shinhwa heir has decided on the destination of their skiing trip, So Yi Jeong thought he might as well update the country bumpkin while at it. Seeing as they are kind of in the middle of a text conversation, either way.

Continuation of the text conversation from before between Chu Ga Eul and So Yi Jeong.

Yi Jeong: By the way, Jun Pyo just announced his skiing plans to us. It will be taking place in Hokkaido, Japan, and is likely a weekend trip lasting from 1st May to 3rd May. [Friday to Sunday] … so, remember to pack enough for a 3D2Ns trip.

PS: What time should I swing by to pick you up on the 1st of May? Is 7am too early for you?

Ga Eul: 7am is fine. I wake up at 6am on most days, either way.

Yi Jeong: Good. I'll pick you up at 7am on the 1st of May then. I would love to let you sleep in for a while longer, but unfortunately - the flight from Incheon to New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido would take up to 7 hours 40minutes. Even with the private jet, we can't cut short the traveling time… so, I have to pick you up by 7am.

PS: I know you're hardworking, but don't stay up too late. I know you're concerned about the approaching year-end exams, but I doubt you would have any issues achieving a passing grade. Besides, we all know you're on a faux scholarship. Regardless of how you scored for the exam, your fees would still be paid for. Geum Jan Di's the one who really needs to burn the midnight oil to study for her exams, given how much time she's actually spending on her part-time jobs.

Ga Eul: Right… and you're all set for graduation, already?

PS: As I say, I wake up at 6am these days. So, 7am is perfectly fine for me. While on the subject, should I prepare breakfast for you on that day? It'll simply be a sandwich though since you kind of has to eat it on the go. I'll even throw in a can of warm Espresso coffee for you. ^_^;

Yi Jeong: More or less. I just need to turn in the final coursework and then clear the theory papers. After that, it's off to college for me.

PS: Ah… that sounds lovely. So, on the 1st of May at 7am - I'll swing by your place of residence to pick you up to leave for the airport.

Seeing as the Korean Casanova had a batch of ceramics waiting for him to retrieve from the kiln at the pottery studio, he was the first to depart from the family home of the Shinhwa heir. Shortly after he left, Gu Jun Pyo promptly zeroes in his gaze on his remaining two friends who weren't in a rush to leave and demanded to know what is up with the Korean Casanova?!

"... Jun Pyo, I'm afraid you are going to have to elaborate for me… because I have absolutely no idea what it was that you're inquiring." Song Woo Bin responded, looking confused as he glanced over to his auburn-haired friend to see if the guy had any inkling about what the Shinhwa heir is trying to say.

"... I meant, what the hell is wrong with Yi Jeong earlier? I put him in charge of Chu Ga Eul for the upcoming skiing trip, and he didn't complain? I was prepared to throw in another antique from my late grandfather's collection to get him to babysit Jan Di's friend, like the other time when we went to New Caledonia. Yet, it seems there isn't a need for me to bribe him into babysitting duties - this time? Why?" The Shinhwa heir finally elaborated the meaning behind his earlier over-simplified remark to his two friends.

"Are you for real? You mean, you haven't caught on yet?!" Song Woo Bin was literally gaping at the Shinhwa heir, is Jun Pyo that oblivious to Yi Jeong's obvious attraction towards Chu Ga Eul?

"Woo Bin, don't be too hard on Jun Pyo. Just like Geum Jan Di, Jun Pyo's too wrapped up in his own romantic life to pay attention to the underlying mutual attraction vibes between Ga Eul-yang and Yi Jeong. Especially, since those two are still pretty much dancing around the matter and pretending that nothing is going on between them. It wouldn't be able to fool us, but it would generally fool people who aren't paying much attention to them - such as Jun Pyo, and Geum Jan Di." Yoon Ji Hoo smirked in response to his Don Juan friend, while still keeping half his focus on his long-time friend who's busy frowning and trying to make sense of what they are talking about.

"Wait… certainly, you guys aren't insulating that Yi Jeong had something going on with Chu Ga Eul - are you?" When the Shinhwa heir finally caught on to the hidden meaning behind his friends' words, he was openly gaping.

"Well duh… Yi Jeong's been gravitating towards Ga Eul-yang ever since our trip to New Caledonia. Of course, he would vehemently deny it but his actions and behavior proved otherwise. Oh, by the way, do not let Geum Jan Di know of the situation between Yi Jeong and Ga Eul-yang. Yi Jeong's obviously not ready to admit his feelings for Ga Eul-yang and neither is he ready for the idea of committing to a relationship. Ga Eul-yang, on the other hand, is content to bide her time and wait things out. She didn't want to push Yi Jeong into committing to anything at present, but if Geum Jan Di were to know of the current situation between them… she would no doubt confront Yi Jeong about his intentions for Ga Eul-yang. That would only serve to send Yi Jeong fleeing from Ga Eul-yang, which would then ruin whatever plans Ga Eul-yang had in mind to capture the Casanova. So, please - do not tell Geum Jan Di anything about this so-called relationship between them." Song Woo Bin commented as he warned the Shinhwa heir to not relay anything they clued him in about Yi Jeong's attraction towards Chu Ga Eul to the Wonder Woman of Korea.

"Gees… so troublesome. Fine, I won't tell her anything. Damn, this is still too surreal for me to comprehend. Since when did Yi Jeong's taste in women change? I thought girls like Chu Ga Eul aren't his type?" Gu Jun Pyo couldn't help but comment aloud as the look of disbelief clouded his features.

"..."

"Well… ideal and reality are often two different things." Song Woo Bin eventually commented with a shrug, as he downed the glass of wine he had in his hands.

Location: Shinhwa Academy, High School Division, 27th April 2009, 10am

Choi Hyo Rin stood outside the classroom of class 2D, bowing to the teacher who had just stepped out politely before poking her head into the class in search of the figure of Chu Ga Eul. She found her conversing with the figure of Geum Jan Di and nodded, satisfied that the girl is in the class - saving her the hassle of having to search elsewhere.

"Ginger, isn't that your cousin? What's she doing here?" Park Sun-Ja (Sunny) inquires, whispering to her friend and leader - Choi Jin-Hee (Ginger).

"Looking for Chu Ga Eul, I reckon." Choi Jin-Hee (Ginger) rolls her eyes in response; this is becoming a common recurrence these days. Due to her cousin's chumminess with the members of the Japan Trio, they had, in turn, gotten her cousin to play messenger on multiple occasions now.

Geum Jan Di was the first to notice Choi Hyo Rin's arrival, and when she did - she wasted no time nudging her friend towards the direction of the classroom doorway.

"Hyo Rin, what can I do for you - today?" Chu Ga Eul began, when she landed her eyes upon the figure of Choi Hyo Rin, having no doubt that the girl must have been sent over by Kazuki and his friends to come in search for her.

"Words has it that the F4 are going off on a weekend skiing trip to Hokkaido, and Kazuki wanted to know if you would be tagging along with them on the trip." Choi Hyo Rin responded, cutting straight to the point since she knew that there's still another class before the lunch break comes around. And she needed to be done with her task before the next teacher for the class arrives.

"Yes. I'm joining them on the skiing trip to Hokkaido." Chu Ga Eul nodded in response.

"I thought so, too. Alright, he just wants me to confirm this little detail with you. I'm not sure what he intends to do with the information though… so, you'd best be on a lookout for his text or call - likely tonight." Choi Hyo Rin commented, bowed once towards Ga Eul and Geum Jan Di before turning on her heels to leave the classroom of 2D. In the process, she didn't even glance towards the direction where her cousin - Choi Jin-Hee (Ginger) was seated. Not even once.

Ultimately, Choi Hyo Rin's visit to the class 2D was exactly what clues the annoying trio comprising of the three girls Ginger, Miranda, and Sunny about the F4 trip to Hokkaido, Japan for skiing with Geum Jan Di and Chu Ga Eul, in tow. Needless to say, they would want to head over to the ski resort as well… but given how the F4 doesn't seem to have the patience to deal with them. Traveling together with the F4 is out of the question, thus, Choi Jin Hee decided to book tickets to Hokkaido, Japan for themselves via the commercial flights operated by the Shinhwa Airline. Before that though, she sends Park Sun-Ja (Sunny) to approach the figure of Song Woo Bin for some fishing - to get their hands on the ski-resort where the F4 would be visiting this weekend.

"Me? Why send me to do the fishing and not Miranda?" Park Sun-Ja (Sunny) was literally gaping at her friend, finding it hard to believe what she's hearing.

"Well duh… I'm not the one with business connections to the Ii-Shin Construction Group at present." Lee Mi-Sook (Miranda) shrugged her response at the stunned-looking figure of Park Sun-Ja (Sunny).

"... I've indeed sat down for tea with Song Woo Bin last Saturday, but we didn't speak to one another at all. The conversation and discussion are taking place between our fathers, we are just there to listen and learn the ropes of our family business. Besides, this business dealing between the Park Enterprise and the Ii-Shin Construction Group isn't going to be a long-standing contract but a single, one-off business deal. We need a construction company to handle the remodeling of the building our company had recently acquired and to convert it to a boutique hotel. The only construction company with enough experience under the belt for handling such projects is Ii-Shin Group, and thus the reason for my father to approach them for this particular business dealing. The only reason I'm there for tea is that my father isn't comfortable talking business with a Mafia lord." Park Sun-Ja (Sunny) hurried to clarify the situation with her friends, lest they think she had successfully nabbed the Don Juan of F4 in her bag, or something along the line which is ridiculous.

"Either way, it doesn't change the fact that you had more reasons to approach Song Woo Bin than us." Choi Jin-Hee (Ginger) surmised, and then promptly pushes Sunny towards the direction of the F4 without warning.

The push from Ginger causes Sunny to stumble for a while, luckily, she was good enough in her reflex to refrain from losing her balance and fell right in front of the F4. Still, she couldn't help but look annoyed momentarily at her friend's actions. Nevertheless, her sudden appearance in front of the F4 had caught the group's attention.

The Shinhwa heir was frowning at her, displeasure was clearly written on his face for all to see. Yoon Ji Hoo was still his usual uncaring self unless it's Geum Jan Di or Chu Ga Eul - the auburn-haired member of F4 wouldn't even bother to take a second look. So Yi Jeong simply appears bemused by Sunny's sudden appearance, before his attention was diverted elsewhere towards the corner where Chu Ga Eul appears to be conversing with the Miyazawa heir.

"Sunny, right? Do you need something from us…?" Song Woo Bin took one look around the surroundings and figured that it's up to him to handle the girl, given that none of his friends are paying attention to the awkward-looking girl standing in front of them, at present.

"Sorts of…? My friends… they wanted to know if the rumors of you guys heading for a skiing trip this weekend is true." Park Sun-Ja (Sunny) began, cringing momentarily as she spoke her mind. And then, in a hurry, she steered the conversation towards the color scheme for the boutique hotel interior. "Also, for the color of the lobby - my father wanted it to be cream-based."

Song Woo Bin blinked, finding the jump in the conversation topic a tad too abrupt. Deciding to handle the situation really quickly, hopefully before Jun Pyo loses his patience and snapped at everyone present on-site. The Don Juan of F4 plastered on a polite smile, as he responded.

"Yes, it's true that we are going on a skiing trip this weekend. The Shinhwa Group has just opened up a new ski resort in Hokkaido, Japan and we are off to give it a try. Now, coming to the color scheme of the hotel lobby - I will pass the message on to my father. But I thought - the first pressing issue now isn't the picking of the color scheme for the hotel's interior but the decision on the materials used for the building. After all, we need to have the walls, ceilings and flooring decided before the color scheme could come into play - isn't it?"

"...Right, I'll pass the info off to my father. Thank you for your time." Park Sun-Ja (Sunny) bowed towards the Don Juan of F4 with as much dignity as she could, before heading back to where her friends were standing around waiting for her return.

"There! I got you the info you seek, happy now?!" Park Sun-Ja (Sunny) gritted out at her two friends, before stalking off elsewhere to brood in silence.

"..."

On the other side of the cafeteria, Chu Ga Eul found herself coming face-to-face with her half-brother - Miyazawa Kazuki.

"Okay, so… you need me to get you the listed items from Japan - this weekend?" Chu Ga Eul raised an eyebrow up in a questioning manner as she scanned through the list of items her brother had just provided her with. Upon the sight of the various games' discs listed in the shopping list, Ga Eul couldn't help the twitch in her lips.

"You do know you can get these easily online as well?" Chu Ga Eul prompted, after giving the shopping list a good look.

"Yes, but online shopping requires me to pay an additional amount for the shipping. But if you were to bring it back in your luggage this weekend, I could save on the extra shipping costs." Miyazawa Kazuki answered in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"...Right, I'll try and get you all the titles listed in the list - but no guarantee. Since I'm going there to ski… not to shop till I drop." Chu Ga Eul deadpans at her half-brother, as she pocketed the shopping list before asking if her brother had anything else to add as she has another appointment to keep. Today's a day whereby she, alongside Jan Di has been invited to lunch with the F4 in celebration of the Shinhwa heir's return to school.

Location: So Yi Jeong's Pottery Studio, 27th April 2009, Monday, 7pm

"Yi Jeong-Sunbae, I'm here. Where are you?" Chu Ga Eul calls out as she stepped over the threshold of the pottery studio with the ice-cooler bag in hand.

"I'm in the storage room, just take whatever you need from the kitchenette cabinets. You have been here frequent enough to know the storage area for my cutlery sets and the kitchen wares. I'll be out in a jiffy." So Yi Jeong calls back to the newly arrived girl, as he allows Chu Ga Eul free rein to do as she pleased with his cutleries and utensils kept in the cabinetry of his kitchenette space.

The girl had been here far too often, that the Korean Casanova no longer sees the need to treat her as a typical guest visitor to his pottery studio. So far, aside from the kiln situated in the backyard of the pottery studio and places like the storage room, and his bedroom – he had pretty much allowed the country bumpkin to explore the areas of his pottery studio freely and without supervision.

Although, the country bumpkin was too polite to intrude and thus only kept to the washroom and his kitchenette space while she's here. Even then, the girl doesn't snoop around in his kitchenette area and only keeps to specific storage space after having observed where he had mostly kept his kitchen wares.

"Sure." Chu Ga Eul calls back in response, as she brought the ice-cooler bag she had with her into the kitchenette area of the pottery studio.

Setting down the cooler bag onto the empty counter-top space, the long-haired girl went on to look into the first drawer compartment of the bottom cabinetry space as that's where the Korean Casanova kept the eating utensils, e.g., chopsticks, fork, spoon, and knife. Upon locating two pairs of chopsticks, she went on to look for something that could be used to hold the wasabi and soy sauce. Knowing how the Korean Casanova doesn't really cook in this kitchenette space, Ga Eul thought it better to bring along the condiments needed for the dinner meal she had prepped up in her own home, herself.

As there's a ground rule that says that sushi is best to serve fresh and consumed within two hours from its' preparation time... Chu Ga Eul didn't bother to take her dinner at home before coming by, and instead, she had basically prepped up everything and then loaded them all into the ice-cooler bag to bring it over to the pottery studio without delay. So, what it basically meant is that she would be taking dinner with the Korean Casanova, this evening. Henceforth, she would need two sets of everything – from the cutlery set to the dishes.

The kitchenette of the pottery studio, though small and compact in size – is still a functional kitchen space. It is tucked into a corner of the pottery studio, taking up the entire wall space. The kitchenette is equipped with two electric stove-range on one end of the counter-top, and a single sink on the other end. Directly above the electric stove range is a custom-fitted range hood, while beneath the electric stove is a cube fridge. Spanning across the top wall across the remaining counter-top space is four full-size cabinets with doors, and directly atop the sink is a compact size hanging dish rack for the drying of the dishware.

The bottom of the counter-top space, excluding the space taken up by the cube fridge - includes four standard size drawers; and three cabinets storage space. In the four drawers, the top drawer stores the cutlery and dining utensils. Ga Eul has no ideas what is in the remaining drawers, given that she has never looked into them before. The cabinet directly beneath the sink hides the plumbing pipes from view and is also where the cleaning supplies are being kept. Granted, she only knows of this little detail when she came by the previous time to see the Korean Casanova extracting a bottle of dish-washing liquid from within.

As for the top cabinets of the kitchenette space, the second cabinet is the one that holds the ceramic dining wares, e.g., the plates and bowls which Ga Eul required to serve today's dinner. There weren't many kitchen appliances in the kitchenette of the pottery studio, and unless there are some appliances that have been stored away in the storage room gathering dust – it's apparent that the Korean Casanova only uses the kitchenette space of his studio for beverages means. Since Ga Eul could only see the presence of an electric water kettle and a coffee machine sitting next to the electric stove range that she suspects has not been utilized since the kitchenette space was established in the remodeled pottery studio.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." The owner of the pottery studio finally emerged from the storage room, 15 minutes after Ga Eul's arrival.

"It's fine. I've just gotten everything ready, either way. Go and wash your hands and then we can have dinner." Chu Ga Eul commented as she took the cutlery set and the ceramic plates, she had managed to locate from the cabinets over to the table she had decided to set up for their dining space – this evening.

"Hmm... So, I finally won't have to dine alone – this evening. I see." So Yi Jeong commented in a musing tone of voice.

"Yes, well... to keep everything fresh, I can't exactly take my dinner before coming by. So, I decided to prep up everything at home and then bring everything over and have dinner with you. Shall we dig in, then? I'm sorry to have utilized your handmade teacup saucer for the condiment sauce, but I can't find anything to hold the wasabi and the soy sauce... your teacup saucer is the only thing I could find in your kitchenette space that would suit the purpose. Don't worry, I'll make sure to wash them thoroughly after dinner so, you needn't worry about getting the smell of soy sauce and wasabi on your precious teacup saucer." Chu Ga Eul responded with a slightly sheepish look on her face.

"That's fine, it makes me feel less awkward to have a dining companion when I'm eating, to be honest. As for the saucer, yes – well... just make sure to clean them thoroughly and I'll forgive you for utilizing them for the wasabi and soy sauce." So Yi Jeong responded after regathering his wits about his precious teacup saucer being used for the soy sauce and wasabi, this evening.

Inwardly, the Korean Casanova was thinking perhaps he ought to go shopping for some additional kitchenware even if he seldom finds uses for them. But given how frequent the country bumpkin has been coming around with food, maybe he ought to keep some of those condiments used saucer or sauce cups around? After all, the saucer used for his teacups is mostly hand-made and crafted by himself at some point in the past and he wasn't quite sure if he wanted them to be used as a sauce container for the foreseeable future.

"So, what kept you in the storage room if you don't mind me asking? It's unlike you to keep me waiting around unattended for more than 10 minutes." Chu Ga Eul began, sounding curious as she voiced her words across to the Korean Casanova.

"I was trying to locate my skis, and I really ought to organize my storage room one of these days. Maybe during the upcoming Spring break, before college begins. It's getting too cluttered in the storage room..." The Korean Casanova commented nonchalantly as he picks up a sushi roll with his chopsticks and tried it without dipping into the condiment first to get a taste of its' original flavor.

In the end, instead of preparing sashimi... Chu Ga Eul ended up making sushi rolls. Sushi rolls are sushi made up of rice surrounding the main ingredients, with a layer of seaweed (Nori) on the outside. It is one of the commonly seen sushi sold in supermarkets and various sushi take-out places, worldwide. Naturally, it is also one of the easiest sushi to make at home. For the sushi rolls, Ga Eul had prepared a total of five flavors - using the fresh Maguro slice and Salmon belly slice she had gotten through express courier service from the seafood restaurant owned by her maternal aunt in Namhaedo, earlier this morning. Aside from the salmon and maguro flavored sushi rolls, Ga Eul has also prepared some eggs, cucumber, and tuna sushi rolls.

The last item on today's dinner menu is the California maki rolls. Unlike the sushi rolls that are wrapped with a layer of seaweed on the outside, the California maki rolls had the rice rolling up the ingredients with a layer of salmon roe and sesame seeds coating the surface of its' outside.

The types of sushi prepared might not be a lot, but given that the rice itself can be quite filling... Ga Eul dares not make too many of each type of sushi. When preparing the sushi rolls, Ga Eul made sure to cut them into evenly sized with four of each sushi rolls made. So, when Ga Eul served up the sushi rolls on the ceramic plates she got from the second cabinet of the pottery studio's kitchenette - each plate held two pieces of the maguro, salmon, eggs, cucumber, and tuna sushi rolls. The same to go for the California maki rolls, due to the variety of the ingredients used in the California maki rolls.

"I see, you decided to forgo the option of including sashimi in the dinner menu - after all." So Yi Jeong commented, after taking a moment to observe the items served on the ceramic plates, he had stashed away in one of the upper cabinets of his kitchenette space.

"Yes, well… good knife-work is necessary to prepare the sashimi. And apparently, I'm not that skillful in the knife-work department and so, I decided to go for the sushi rolls instead. It's easier to prepare and handle, as long as I have the necessary equipment on hand to prepare the dish." Chu Ga Eul admitted as she handed the Korean Casanova a pair of chopsticks after having realized that she still has the cutlery held in her hands.

"Thank you." The Korean Casanova accepted the chopsticks handed over to him by the country bumpkin with a pleasant smile on his lips, as he sat down at the table ready to savor the sushi rolls prepped up by the country bumpkin for dinner, this evening.

"So, how is it?" Chu Ga Eul asks, her eyes flicking between the sushi rolls and the Korean Casanova – appearing to be slightly apprehensive as she awaited the verdict from the potter of F4.

"Why are you so nervous? You should be more confident of yourself; I did mention on more than one occasion that you have culinary skills that are above average." So Yi Jeong commented, his lips quirking up in amusement upon noticing the apprehension in the eyes of the country bumpkin.

"I know... but so far, this is the first time I'm prepping Japanese food for you. You've given the stamp of approval for my Thai, Korean and Chinese cuisines... of course, I'm going to be nervous about what you think of my culinary skills in the Japanese cuisines department." Chu Ga Eul explained as a pink flush formed on her cheeks from the compliments she had just received from the Korean Casanova.

"I see... in that case, don't worry. Everything is up to par; this is as good as the sushi rolls served up by the chef employed in Jun Pyo's family service." So Yi Jeong responded as he directed a reassuring smile to the country bumpkin.

"That's relieving to know. How open are you to Vietnamese cuisines? I might be tempted to try out a Vietnamese food recipe on Wednesday." Chu Ga Eul heaved a sigh of relief inwardly, before bringing up her desire to try making Vietnamese food on her next culinary attempt.

"Well…Vietnamese cuisines are similar to Chinese cuisines, right? Since most of their dishes are prepped up either by steaming or stir-frying." So Yi Jeong cited the information he knew from the internet and from a recount of his auburn-haired friend's last visit to the country. Personally, he had never visited the country - Vietnam before and therefore doesn't really have much experience with the local food served there.

"Yes, the preparation method is similar. Although, the condiments used in Vietnamese cuisines differ from the Chinese cuisines." Chu Ga Eul nodded and was about to launch into a full recount of the similarities and differences between the two different types of Asian cuisines when she caught herself in time - recalling that the Korean Casanova is likely not going to comprehend the more complex details when it comes down to the preparation methods for the two types of cuisines. After all, the guy has no culinary background to make sense of what she was going to say.

"Hmm… you can go ahead and try whipping up those Vietnamese cuisines. Though I'm usually picky about what I eat - for you, I'm willing to make a concession and try out whatever food you put on my table. But given that I've never tried authentic Vietnamese food before, I probably wouldn't be able to provide you with much feedback on the subject." So Yi Jeong responded in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

It's a good thing that Woo Bin isn't around to hear his latest comment to the country bumpkin, or he's bound to get teased by his Don Juan friend again for his tendency to make concessions for the girl. Seriously though, how many times had he bent his rules for Chu Ga Eul, already? To be honest, Yi Jeong had lost count. He used to detest the idea of having uninvited guests barging into his pottery studio as and when they deem fits, and he still doesn't enjoy having uninvited guests over… but it seems that Chu Ga Eul is an exception to the rule. As long as the girl doesn't venture into the backyard of the pottery studio where the kiln is, or explore rooms that are considered off-limits to the girl… he's completely fine with the girl lingering around in his pottery studio while he works on the wheel with some pottery projects of his that's midway in creation.

The Korean Casanova found himself snapping out of his thoughts to focus on the present, when the country bumpkin begins to speak up, again.

"Ah… that's fine. Ultimately, my aim is to make sure you eat your dinner and to find out if the food prepared is to your liking. That's all it matters, as for whether it is on par with the authentic Vietnamese food… well, that part - I could always find someone else to provide me with feedback. After all, the Miyazawa family is in the F&B business… there are bound to be chefs working for the company-managed restaurants that are skilled and trained in Vietnamese cuisines that could provide me with professional feedback on this matter." Chu Ga Eul admitted, ultimately the reason why she's asking the Korean Casanova the question in the first place is to find out for certain if the guy is willing to give the Vietnamese food a try.

Uncertain of how to respond to Chu Ga Eul's latest comment, So Yi Jeong settles on the idea of smiling at the girl as he continues to ingest the sushi rolls on his plate. The quantity served on his dinner plate might not be a lot, but the rice from the sushi and maki rolls are indeed filling. By the time, he finishes up with the last sushi roll on his dinner plate - the potter of F4 found himself so full that he nearly burped in front of the girl. Thankfully, he managed to withhold the urge to burp. Deciding that some hot tea is to help with digestion, the Korean Casanova stood and made his way to his kitchenette space intending to make them some hot tea to enjoy.

When it comes down to tea that would help with digestion, it's mostly either green tea or Kombucha. Since Yi Jeong doesn't have any Kombucha in his possession, green tea - it shall have to be. Retrieving his teapot from the first top cabinet of his kitchenette space, and then moving on to the second drawer compartment of his kitchenette's bottom cabinetry storage space - the potter retrieve a tea bag from his tea collection and drop it into his teapot. Yi Jeong then went on to fill his electric water kettle up with water from the sink's tap and set it to boil by flicking on the power of the electric plug. All that's left to do is to wait for the water to be boiled, and pour it into the teapot, and allow the teabag to, steep in the boiling water for a few minutes. After which, the tea would be ready to serve.

While So Yi Jeong busied himself in the kitchenette area preparing up a tea service for him and his dinner companion this evening, Chu Ga Eul was busy packing things away in her ice cooler bag. Leaving the ceramic plates, saucer and chopsticks that's taken from the kitchenette on the table since those weren't her things, to begin with. Chu Ga Eul started cleaning up after the dinner session, the items she brought from home - she placed them all into the cooler bag she had brought along intending to have them clean up when she reaches home. As for the items she had borrowed from the potter's kitchenette, she would clean them up and dry them off before leaving the pottery studio for the day.

As Chu Ga Eul took up the position in front of the sink of the kitchenette space in the pottery studio to wash up the dishes used for their dinner session earlier, So Yi Jeong who was preparing up the tea service was suddenly hit by the thought of how domestic this entire scene appears to be. Unwittingly, he found his heart skipping a beat and had to take several deep breaths to prevent himself from losing his cool composure in front of the country bumpkin.

[So Yi Jeong, get a grip!] - The Korean Casanova silently willed himself, as he forced himself to ignore how close the girl is standing from him and focus on preparing up the tea service instead.

A few steps away from the potter of F4, Chu Ga Eul focused on the task of cleaning up the dishes in the sink. If there's any inkling about her discovery of the potter's odd behavior about her close proximity, she didn't comment on it.

True to Ga Eul's promise, she did show up at the Woo Sung Museum with her homemade Vietnamese food for the Korean Casanova at dinner time on Wednesday. As she had previously informed the potter about her impending visit, the guard stationed at the museum entrance allowed her entry into the building easily enough. And So Yi Jeong kept to his words of finishing up the food, even if he had never tried the Vietnamese cuisines before. Needless to say, he ended up having to take a stroll around the museum in the wake of finishing up the food brought over by the country bumpkin for his consumption as part of his after-meal exercise routine.

Unlike Monday evening, Yi Jeong was unable to send the girl home after dinner on Wednesday since he still had work to do at the museum. Nevertheless, he had instructed his family driver to send the girl home in his stead.

Location: Outside Chu Family Residence, Seoul, South Korea, 1st May 2009, Friday, 7am

When the Korean Casanova pulled up his orange lotus in front of the Chu family residence on Friday morning, Chu Ga Eul was already waiting for him on the doorstep of her family home with her recently purchased skis and a full-size suitcase in tow. Raising an eyebrow slightly at the sight of the full-size (20-inches) suitcase, So Yi Jeong couldn't help but inquire.

"Isn't that suitcase a tad too big for a 3D2Ns trip?"

"Under usual circumstances, yes. But considering the number of things Kazuki had instructed for me to assist him in procuring while in Japan for the weekend, I needed a suitcase at least this big in size to ensure that everything will fit." Chu Ga Eul sighed in response, as she proceeds to hand over her baggage for the Korean Casanova to load it into the car-boot of his orange lotus.

"I see… and when do you intend to go on this shopping trip of yours to get those items you have been entrusted to get during this skiing trip?" So Yi Jeong inquires, as he shifts the things around in the car-boot of his orange lotus to fit in Ga Eul's suitcase and skis.

"Well… I'll check out the stores at New Chitose Airport to see if they have everything. If not, I'll just get whatever is on the list provided from the airport store, and then have someone purchase the remaining in Tokyo and courier it over to Hokkaido, at the earliest possible timing." Chu Ga Eul shrugged, having already done her research the night before, and therefore knows that there's a store in the New Chitose Airport that sells video games.

"Ah… looks like you'd done your research beforehand. That's good, at least, that way Jun Pyo wouldn't complain much about spending too much time in the airport." So Yi Jeong commented, as he closes the lid to his car-boot and made his way back to the driver's seat.

Chu Ga Eul waited until they were both seated in the car, before handing over a nicely wrapped multigrain egg-mayo sandwich and a can of warm Espresso to the Casanova of F4. "Here, Yi Jeong-sunbae. The breakfast I promised you, the other day during our text conversation."

"Thank you, I'll eat it later… when we got to the airport." So Yi Jeong accepted the offered sandwich and Espresso coffee graciously and set them on the space atop the audio equipment of the vehicle for later consumption.

"Then, perhaps I should hold on to them for you until we reach the airport? I mean, you can place them atop the audio equipment as you did now… only the can of coffee might topple over and roll-off due to the motion of the car. It's not as though there's something to hold it up straight." Chu Ga Eul pointed out objectively to the Korean Casanova before the guy could even start the engine of the orange lotus.

"Fair point. In that case, please hold on to them for a little while longer." The Korean Casanova responded as he handed the sandwich and the coffee can back to the country bumpkin for safe-keeping.

As per the previous arrangement when they head off to New Caledonia, So Yi Jeong left his orange lotus parked in the parking lot facility of the airport and set off for the departure gate through the special clearance custom lanes reserved for the usage of the F4 members with the baggage and a certain country bumpkin in tow. And upon arriving at the designated meet-up point, So Yi Jeong was glad that he was the first to arrive as that means that he could eat his breakfast in peace without being teased by his fellow friends.

By the time his friends showed up at the meet-up point, he had already polished off the simple breakfast meal supplied to him by a certain country bumpkin and is occupying his time with the local news on the news-feed application he had installed on his mobile device. Seated next to him on the chair in the waiting area, Chu Ga Eul was busy with her phone as well. Only, Yi Jeong had no idea what the girl was busy doing on her phone.

So, what is Ga Eul busy doing while waiting for her childhood friend and the rest of the members from F4 to show up at the airport? She's busy messaging a certain playboy in Japan about her estimated time of arrival in the New Chitose Airport, servicing the Hokkaido metropolitan area of Sapporo. She owed that particular playboy a favor for the information of HAJE he had gotten for her some time ago, and it seems the guy is keen to collect the favor from her while she's on the skiing trip with the F4 and Jan Di this weekend in Hokkaido, Japan.

A private message between Chu Ga Eul and Isshiki Masashi, 1st May 2009, 7.50am

Ga Eul: Masashi, I'm due to take off for Hokkaido, New Chitose Airport in like 10minutes. Are you still not going to tell me what I have to do to return that favor I ask from you, the other time? In case, it escapes your notice - I'm on a skiing trip with my friends, so if I need to get away from them - I need to plan my time properly.

Isshiki Masashi: Sorry, didn't mean to ignore you. My manager called up, and I have to answer his call first. Right, about the favor you owe me - there's a party event at the Seasons Hokkaido Hotel in Sapporo that I needed to attend. And I would need a date for the party, given that Risa is currently away in Seoul for her violin competition. May I suggest for you to take her place and be my temporary date for the party event? Of course, it's going to be a one-off arrangement with no strings attached.

Ga Eul: … I'm not obliged to smile for the camera, am I? =_=;

Isshiki Masashi: Erm… I don't think there will be press and media people around. It's not a party organized by media-related personnel. It's not a product launch party either… it's actually the engagement party of a family friend from my maternal side of the family. ^^; Sorry, I wasn't clear before.

Ga Eul: O_O Engagement party of a family friend from your maternal side of the family…? I seem to recall that your mother's maiden name was Wakaba, right? Does that mean that there's going to be plenty of Yakuza around?

Isshiki Masashi: ^^; Sorts of…? It's my cousin's engagement party, after all. And he's supposedly the next in line to take over the Wakaba Group…

Ga Eul: You couldn't have told me earlier? I literally got nothing to wear for the party?!

Isshiki Masashi: That's not an issue, I've got your attire for the party event covered. It would be waiting for you at the Shinhwa Ski-Resort upon your arrival and check-in.

Ga Eul: … *Face-Palm Emoji* Fine, you win. =_=;

Isshiki Masashi: ^_~ Of course. See you later. ^_^

Ga Eul: …

With the arrival of her childhood friend, Chu Ga Eul managed to push the thought of needing to attend a party surrounded by Yakuza members as a date to the notorious playboy of Japan out of her mind to focus on the task of greeting her childhood friend.

"Good morning, Jan Di." Chu Ga Eul greeted, standing to hug her friend as the girl was led into the waiting area by the auburn-haired member of F4.

"Ga Eul! What are you doing here?" Geum Jan Di gaped, as she took in the sight of her childhood friend being present on-site.

"Well… I'm invited for the skiing trip as well. With how close the two of us are, do you think Jun Pyo-sunbae would dare to leave me out of any planned group trips of his? Granted, like the time in New Caledonia - I'm once again, the responsibility of Yi Jeong-sunbae. But also, unlike the time in New Caledonia, this time we are off to Hokkaido, Japan. While not exactly considered my home turf, it's still Japan - which means, he needn't tag along with me all the time as I could easily find my way around with no issues. Language isn't a barrier for me while in Japan… and I'm pretty much accustomed to the transport system in Japan to navigate my way around without the need for a guide." Chu Ga Eul shrugged as she responds to the inquiry of her childhood friend, inwardly she was thinking how her friend must be suffering from short-term memory symptoms seeing as she had literally admitted to Choi Hyo Rin about her going on the skiing trip with the F4 in their classroom with Jan Di, next to her - the other day. Yet, it seems her friend had completely forgotten about the fact and ended up asking her why she's here at the airport with them - this morning.

"Wait… does that means you wouldn't be with us throughout the entire skiing trip?" Geum Jan Di pressed on for more information from her childhood friend.

"I can guarantee you, 80% of the time - I'll be hanging out at the ski resort with you and the F4. it's only today, I have other plans. First of all, upon arriving at the airport - I need to do some shopping. I can do that alone, or with Yi Jeong-sunbae tagging along. Either is fine with me. And then, it's the check-in over at the Shinhwa ski-resort… after that, I would need to leave for a while. I have a party event to attend later, this evening." Chu Ga Eul then announced her plans for this evening to the gathered members, sans the Shinhwa heir who isn't here yet.

"You are attending a party tonight? With whom?" Without intention to, the Korean Casanova inquires sounding a tad too curious. Luckily, Geum Jan Di was as dense as ever that she didn't think too much about the overly-curious reaction coming from the potter of F4.

"...Remember that acquaintance of mine that assists me in getting the information of HAJE, the other time? Well… he's in Hokkaido for the event, but needed a date for the party. And since his female childhood friend isn't available to attend the event with him, given that she's in Seoul preparing for her violin competition at present - I was asked to stand-in for her, tonight at the party. Anyway, the Seasons Hotel and the Shinhwa Ski-Resort are just a 30-minutes drive away. I figured; I should be back at the ski-resort by 10.30pm at the latest." Chu Ga Eul commented, addressing her words to the Korean Casanova in a reassuring tone of voice.

"..."

Conversations revolving around Chu Ga Eul's solo actions to be taken amid the skiing trip were brought to a halt when the Shinhwa heir finally arrives. And though, the Korean Casanova was dying to continue the earlier conversation about the party event the country bumpkin would be attending with her acquaintance upon their arrival in Hokkaido, Japan… he didn't want to arouse the suspicion of Geum Jan Di either. Therefore, he told himself to be patient… in the meantime, he tapped into the WIFI service on the private jet to start looking into the information of the car rental service in Hokkaido.

Upon finding out that there's a car rental office within the vicinity of the airport itself, So Yi Jeong made the decision to rent himself the use of a vehicle immediately after arrival in Hokkaido, Japan. The idea of allowing Chu Ga Eul to go solo with some unknown guy irked him to no end, and while he couldn't do anything to stop the country bumpkin from attending the party with the guy. But he sure as hell could insist on ferrying the girl to and from the hotel and the ski resort.

Location: New Chitose Airport, Hokkaido, Japan. 1st May 2009, Friday, 3pm

It was 3pm in the afternoon by the time the private jet belonging to the Shinhwa Group landed in the New Chitose Airport of Japan. Unlike the time in New Caledonia, they had to go through the usual procedures when it comes down to custom clearance. After all, the name of F4 doesn't mean anything much in Japan... at least, not in the eyes of the authority. So, by the time they finished with the custom clearance procedures and the baggage collection from the luggage belt – literally an hour has passed them by.

"Alright, time to get going." Gu Jun Pyo announced as he declared in a jovial tone of voice.

"About that, you guys go on ahead. I've some personal errands to run in the airport still. I will catch up to you guys in a bit." So Yi Jeong started, while Chu Ga Eul nodded as she added on to his statement.

"Indeed, Jun Pyo-sunbae. Please go on ahead to proceed to the ski resort. Yi Jeong-sunbae and I, we will catch up with you guys shortly. I have some shopping to do in the airport, and since Yi Jeong-sunbae is supposed to keep me occupied during this skiing trip... he will be joining me on my personal shopping errand." Chu Ga Eul commented, directing her words to the Shinhwa heir in a polite manner.

"Fine, but Yi Jeong – don't delay too long." The Shinhwa heir responded and then promptly start directing the rest of the group towards the direction of the airport's exit. He has already arranged for vehicles to pick them up from the airport, before their arrival so the cars are likely already waiting for them outside at the airport's passenger pick-up point.

"Now then, shall we proceed to get your shopping errands done?" So Yi Jeong started, directing his words towards the long-haired girl. They had their baggage shipped off to the ski-resort with the rest of their friends, so they need not lug around their baggage with them while they shop in the airport stores.

"Are you going to tag along with me for my shopping spree? I was under the impression you had some other personal errands to run...while we're in the New Chitose Airport." Chu Ga Eul began; she didn't miss how the Korean Casanova had been researching on the car rental agency within the vicinity of the airport earlier on their flight from Seoul to Hokkaido.

"Well... I thought I could accompany you on your shopping errand first, and then you could join me on my errand in the airport." The Korean Casanova commented nonchalantly in response to the inquiry from the country bumpkin. He was hardly surprised by the girl's knowledge of him having some personal errands of his to run in the airport, given how astute the girl's observation skills were, to begin with.

Several minutes into Chu Ga Eul's shopping errand in the New Chitose Airport, So Yi Jeong finally found it in him to broach the subject of the party event the girl's due to attend this evening.

"So, about this party event, you're attending this evening... what kind of party is it?" The Korean Casanova inquires when what he really wishes to know is the name of the guy with whom the country bumpkin would be attending the party. However, given the fact that he wasn't dating the girl in any official sense – it doesn't seem like he has the right to pry into the matter. Henceforth, he tried to play it off as though he's simply inquiring out of sheer curiosity about the nature of the party event the girl is due to attend this particular evening, on the arms of another guy.

"Oh... well, I've been told it's an engagement party of my acquaintance's cousin. Because it's a family-related event, he didn't want to bring his casual flings around – he tends to attend such events with his female childhood friend when she's available. But since Risa isn't available to accompany him to the party this time around, and I did sort of, owe him a favor... he decided that I might as well return the favor by attending the party with him. Given that he had escorted me around as a party date before during the summers, it wouldn't be odd for us to be seen together during his cousin's engagement party." Chu Ga Eul explains the situation to the best of her capability while enjoying the conflicted look in the eyes of the Korean Casanova.

[Well... Woo Bin-sunbae is right. Yi Jeong-sunbae does like me, but somehow, he isn't willing to admit the fact aloud to me or anyone else for that matter. Oh well... maybe, attending the party with Masashi tonight might make him sweat a little if he thought he had some competition?] - Chu Ga Eul was thinking inwardly to herself, as she toys with the idea of allowing the notorious playboy of Japan to flirt with her for a while during the party event tonight.

The shopping errand trip of Ga Eul turns out to be a smooth-sailing event, for she had managed to get 85% of the game discs listed in the shopping list her half-brother had provided her with, before she left Seoul for Hokkaido, Japan. Since the game discs are items that the Miyazawa heir requested to get, So Yi Jeong didn't bother to fight for the right to make the payment for the purchases. He might be willing to pay for anything the country bumpkin desires to get her hands upon, but it's entirely another thing when it comes down to items that the girl is purchasing on behalf of the Miyazawa heir.

Following this, they went on to pay a visit to the car rental agency operating within the airport arrival hall. It's probably a good thing that Yi Jeong had invited Chu Ga Eul to join him on this particular errand trip because the form he needed to fill up for the renting of the vehicle turns out to be quite a chore. And though, he does have knowledge of the language itself – his understanding of the language in written form isn't all that great.

So, it's good that the girl is around to clarify his doubts when he was filling up the application form for the renting of a vehicle. Once the application form and the payment for the rental of the vehicle has been processed, he was handed a car key and told to visit the open-air parking lot of the New Chitose Airport to pick up his assigned vehicle.

Location: Shinhwa Ski-Resort, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. 1st May 2009, Friday 4.30pm

While Chu Ga Eul is assisting So Yi Jeong with the rental procedure for a car over at the car rental agency operating out from a shop space in the New Chitose Airport. The F4 sans a certain Casanova with Geum Jan Di in tow has arrived at the ski-resort owned by the Shinhwa Group in Hokkaido, Japan for their check-in procedures.

"Darn!" The Shinhwa heir cursed aloud, out of the blue - drawing curious eyes from his two friends and his girlfriend onto his person.

"What is it now, Jun Pyo?" Song Woo Bin prompted, feeling the corners of his lips twitching in amusement over the reaction of the Shinhwa heir.

Earlier on, when they were leaving the airport - that guy cursed aloud because he needs to use the washroom after climbing into the black sedan which had been arranged by the Shinhwa Ski-Resort to pick them up from the airport. Luckily, it was the manager of the ski-resort that came by to pick them up from the airport personally using the minivan. Otherwise, it might cause a bit of a problem for the driver to bring them back to the airport so his friend could use the toilet facility. But as it is, their driver who ferries them from the airport to the ski-resort is an employee of the Shinhwa Group - there wasn't too much of an issue.

"I forgot to get Yi Jeong's passport details from him earlier, so I can't proceed to check him in with the ski resort. Likewise, I can't check-in for Chu Ga Eul as well… since I don't have her personal details to complete the check-in procedures." The Shinhwa heir responded feeling very much like bashing his head with something now because he had forgotten that he would need the passport of everyone to complete the entire check-in process at the ski resort.

"I'm sure, Yi Jeong and Ga Eul-yang know this as well. They wouldn't mind checking in to the ski resort on their own at a later time. Moreover, I have a feeling that even if you had requested Yi Jeong's passport before leaving the airport, he probably wouldn't let you have it. The passport is his only form of identification while in Japan, and he would probably need it for his errand at the airport." Song Woo Bin deadpans at the Shinhwa heir, he wasn't so blind that he had missed out on all the little telling signs of his friend's uneasiness over the notion of Chu Ga Eul going solo during this skiing trip of theirs.

"Oh well… if you say so." Gu Jun Pyo shrugged, upon the words of his Don Juan friend - the Shinhwa heir went on to collect the passport of his two friends and his girlfriend. Together, he handed them over to the staff standing behind the reception counter of the ski-resort to proceed with their rooms check-in procedures.

The Shinhwa-owned ski-resort comes with a ski lodge, ski school, restaurants, cafes, and bars as well as stores where one could shop for gifts and souvenirs. Needless to say, there's also a sports store catering specifically to the skiing activity on-site providing equipment rental and retail sales to its' patrons. And since the ski-resort is operated and managed by the Shinhwa Group, the ski-lodge on-site providing accommodation for the skiers could only be luxurious.

The annoying trio from Geum Jan Di and Chu Ga Eul's class is also on their way over to the Shinhwa Ski-Resort, in Sapporo, Hokkaido at present - to speak. Only, they have yet to arrive… and thanks to the F4 presence in the ski-resort. They had booked up most of the available rooms at the ski-lodge managed by the Shinhwa Group, and thus the annoying trio found themselves having to share a single triple room as opposed to having individual rooms. But at least, they should be thankful that they still could get a room on-site.

Some skiers coming over from overseas, having to lodge elsewhere after coming over to find that there aren't any rooms available for them and that they should have booked the rooms online before traveling over to the ski resort.

"Oi, woman! Are you ready to go skiing or not?" Gu Jun Pyo calls out for the attention of his girlfriend, who still refuses to room with him and thus was given the room adjacent to the Shinhwa heir during check-in.

"Coming! I'm coming already, could you stop rushing me?! Gu Jun Pyo!" Geum Jan Di huffed as she zipped up the pale blue ski jacket her former prince charming had gifted her when he took her shopping for the skiing gears under the instruction of her boyfriend, collect her skis that's leaning against the wall of her assigned room, and open the door to meet up with her impatient boyfriend.

"Finally! What took you so long?" Gu Jun Pyo lamented aloud as he complained about having been forced to wait outside the room for more than fifteen minutes for Geum Jan Di to emerge.

"Ya! Gu Jun Pyo! Unlike you, I didn't get the chance to use the washroom facility at the airport earlier. So, of course, I have to empty my bladder first before getting changed for the skiing activity - isn't it?!" Geum Jan Di snapped back at the Shinhwa heir with mild annoyance coloring her tone.

"Are the two of you quite done with your routine bantering? Honestly, can't you two keep the volume of your lover's spat down? This isn't Korea, you know? I'm sure they aren't ogling us because we are the F4." Song Woo Bin deadpans as he butted in, reminding the couple who are still bickering with one another to pay some attention to their surrounding environment. Seriously, he kind of envied Yi Jeong for not being around for this particular scene now.

"Right… sorry, Woo Bin-sunbae." Geum Jan Di cringed upon noticing that her sharp tone while addressing her boyfriend had garnered them some curious looks from the onlookers. Taking a good look at the attire of the F3 present on-site, Geum Jan Di couldn't help but notice that her former prince charming wasn't dressed for skiing.

"Ji Hoo-sunbae, you aren't going to ski today?" Geum Jan Di inquires, looking rather surprised by the fact.

"Well… I'll leave the actual skiing to tomorrow. It's getting dark soon, and I have a book that I'm 3/4 through which I hoped I could finish reading by the end of today. So, I think I'll just enjoy a cuppa while reading my book and observing you guys from the lobby of the ski lodge this evening." Yoon Ji Hoo responded to the inquiry of Geum Jan Di with a small smile. Given that it's already approaching 5pm, it wouldn't be wrong to dub this hour as the evening… since the early evening is still considered evening.

"I see…" Geum Jan Di was about to say more but found herself being dragged off impatiently by her boyfriend - the heir to the infamous Shinhwa Group.

"Ya! Gu Jun Pyo, I have legs! I can walk on my own!" Geum Jan Di was heard complaining aloud to the Shinhwa heir as Jun Pyo drag her out of the ski-lodge by force.

"Woo Bin, keep an eye on them. Geum Jan Di is a newbie in skiing, and Jun Pyo has only just recovered from his broken leg. Don't let him try stunts out there that are too reckless." Yoon Ji Hoo reminded as he directed his words to the Don Juan of F4.

"Of course, I'll keep an eye on those two idiots out there. Ah… how I envied Yi Jeong now. He gets to spend his time with the lovely Ga Eul-yang, while I'm going to be out there babysitting those two idiots…" Song Woo Bin sighed dramatically as he set off to catch up to the Shinhwa heir and the Wonder Woman of Korea.

Over at the airport parking lot, So Yi Jeong had finally collected his rented vehicle and is now doing a test run of the car in the parking lot of the airport. He tried out a couple of vehicles recommended by the staff attending to him at the car rental agency, before ultimately deciding to rent the white Toyota Corolla Sedan. Mostly because that's the only vehicle with a good sounding engine in his opinion after testing several vehicles available for his rental.

"I'm surprised you decided to go with the white Toyota Corolla Sedan. I was half-expecting you to pick the red Honda Civic, to be honest. Since I figured you don't actually like the idea of owning a car that's white in color, even though you do prefer the color white for other things." Chu Ga Eul remarked innocently after the rental application went through and the payment for the car rental was settled for the next three days. Now, they are loading up the trunk of the Toyota Corolla with her shopping bags from her earlier shopping trip around the airport stores.

"I was tempted to rent the Red Honda Civic, to be honest. But I thought the sound of the engine for the Toyota Corolla is better. And you're right, for vehicles - I don't lean towards the option white because the maintenance can be a chore. Ji Hoo is fine with owning a white lotus because 95% of the time, that car of his is sitting untouched in the garage of his family home. He prefers to ride his motorbike around mostly, anyway. But for me, who tends to be out on the roads… having a white car is too much maintenance work. Especially, if one needs to constantly keep the vehicle in pristine and top condition. But since I'm renting and not buying the vehicle this time around, a white Toyota Corolla is fine. Come on, let's get going - you have a party to prepare for, and Jun Pyo would nag my ears off if we were to take too long to reach the ski resort." The Korean Casanova admitted to the long-haired girl, as he took his seat behind the steering wheel of the white Toyota Corolla preparing to start up the engine and set off for the Shinhwa Ski-Resort, using the GPS function on his phone.

Yes- GPS, that's how So Yi Jeong would be getting to the Shinhwa ski-resort in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. After all, this is the first time he would be visiting this particular ski resort given that the resort only open its door for business earlier in December, last year. And then, there is also the fact that they are now in Hokkaido, Japan… and he didn't know the roads in Japan well enough to forgo the use of the GPS system on his mobile device.

Granted, he can't rely entirely on the instructions of the GPS too… cause sometimes, the GPS might direct him to routes that are the long way instead of the fastest way. So, he had Chu Ga Eul assist by pouring over the hard copy of the local route maps provided by the car rental agency for a comparison of the routes suggested by his GPS and see which route is the fastest to arrive at the ski-resort location.

~TBC~

Chapter's notes: Okay, this is it! Chapter 22, after much consideration - is the final draft for this chapter. I'm sure in the drama, the ski resort they visited is in Korea… but because of the timeline of my story, it's way past the skiing season in Korea, so I had to improvise. Viola! I put them on a weekend trip to Hokkaido, come to think of it - Jun Pyo was finally able to go on the Hokkaido trip he wanted with Geum Jan Di. Albeit, not for crabs but for skiing this time around… *Shrugs*

I included that scene with the annoying trio in this chapter, with interaction with Woo Bin… because the original drama features them at the ski resort. So, I need to find some reason to make them be there… and thus, Sunny is being sent to fish information out from Woo Bin. And yes, the Park Enterprise mention a few chapters ago in passing by Ga Eul to Yi Jeong in the porridge shop when she relates the tale of Jan Di's experience in Euljiro-dong is owned by Sunny's family.

In my story, Sunny's family is in the boutique hotel line. Nothing comparable to the Shinhwa Group, Shinhwa dabbles like in absolutely everything and their hotels are likely 5-6 stars rating level. Boutique hotels are mostly bordering on 3-4 stars rating, mostly 3 stars rating since - these hotels caters to the mid-range/budget travelers but didn't wish to go overboard budget. The really budget travelers would opt for backpackers inn/capsule hotel type of accommodation.

Now, for the annoying trio - I haven't thought of their family background in detail. So far, the Choi family is involved in some business venture in Japan - I'm leaning towards the cosmetics/beauty products line or even the dermatology department for their family business. Sunny's family owned the Park Enterprise, a boutique hotel group in Korea. Now, it's only Miranda's family that I haven't had a clear idea about what kind of business her family is dealing with.^^; and it may or may not come up in the future, since if it has no linkage to the entire story - I wouldn't bother thinking of it.

Coming back, this entire chapter is full of original contents, with totally no scenes from the original drama in this chapter. But we are finally at the ski resort! XD, however - I hope, I did provide a plausible explanation about why the first skiing scene in the drama doesn't feature Chu Ga Eul or Yi Jeong. Ji Hoo was seen indoors with a book and drinking while observing Jun Pyo and Geum Jan Di who's outside having fun skiing, with Jun Pyo trying to teach Jan Di how to ski - I reckon. And I distinctively notice Woo Bin skiing out there as well but didn't see Yi Jeong anywhere. There's a guy dressed in a green ski jacket that's snowboarding though, but it seems like that same guy who nearly rammed into Ga Eul later on in the drama. ^^;

Either way, since that first skiing scene in the drama, didn't feature Yi Jeong or Ga Eul anywhere… I might as well have them elsewhere in this chapter :P

And then, in this chapter - I think I have plenty of SoEul moments :D What do you think of them? Like it, love it? Let me know~ ^_^

That's all for now, see you next update ^_^ and sorry for the delay in updating timing. Again, it's a hectic day at work, and thus I had limited time to edit/write during working hours. And when I'm home, I need to factor in my dinner and exercising time too… therefore the delay. Alright, I'm off for my shower, and then to continue brainstorming for the next chapter ^_^ Ciao~