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,

28. Chapter 28

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 28 - An Interlude, Part 1: Sunny New Friends & the JK Group heiress exploration trip in South-East Asia.

Location: Lim Areum's family home in Myeong-Dong district, Seoul, South Korea. 10th May 2009, Sunday, 10am

Standing outside the door that leads to the family home of Areum, Sunny took a deep breath before raising her hand to press on the doorbell. It didn't take her too long to find her way to Areum's home, because it's exactly like what her new friend had told her over their chat on the Kakao-Talk messenger last night. Their place of residence is too close to one another, it's literally just the next building over.

Inside the apartment, Areum is busy getting the dining space of her family home ready to receive visitors. The dining table is the only table big enough to seat five people at one time, and thus she has always made the dining space of her family home - the designated study group activity area. Outside of the stack of extra-curriculum assessment books ready at hand, and her textbooks as well as reference materials ready on the dining table of her family home.

Areum had also made sure to ready a pot of tea as well as some Ritz crackers to be served to her invited friends for the study group as snacks.

"Areum, is there a reason why you're so shifty today?" Kim Nari, a fellow student from the Seoul High School who used to be a former classmate of Geum Jan Di and Chu Ga Eul before their transfer into Shinhwa Academy inquires.

"I have invited a new friend over to the study group today, but she didn't have a good reputation in school before… so, I guess I was just worried about how Jessica might react," Areum admitted eventually to her childhood friend, Kim Nari.

"Ah... I see, but is Jessica aware of you becoming friends with that girl?" Kim Nari inquires, glancing towards her childhood friend for an answer while she sorts through her own class notes that she had brought with her to the study group, she has a couple of questions lined up to ask the 'tutor' of their little study group.

Kim Nari and Areum are childhood friends who grew up together, despite studying in different schools. Their mothers were high-school friends, who later went on to pursue different careers in life. While Areum's mother went for a medical degree discipline under the dermatology in college, Nari's mother chooses to pursue a general vocational qualification in administration instead.

When Areum's mother went on to co-found Lim's Aesthetic & Family clinic with her husband who works as a general physician, Nari's mother who wasn't working after getting married, volunteers to assist Areum's mother with the administrative work without being paid. Of course, Areum's mother wouldn't stand for it and thus went on to pay Nari's mother a salary that's slightly below market rate since the business is still in budding stages then. But once the business had stabilized and flourished, Areum's mother went on to increase the salary for Nari's mother and retain her as one of the full-time staff at the clinic.

Today, Nari's mother is still working at the clinic handling the administrative paperwork for Areum's parents. Either way, because their mothers are friends - it's only natural for Areum and Nari to become friends as well. But because Nari's parents aren't rich enough to send Nari into Shinhwa like Areum's parents, Nari has always been a student at government-funded public schools. Regardless, the different schooling environments didn't drive a rift through Nari and Areum, instead - it makes them bond closer because Areum finds that it's hard to find true friends in a school like Shinhwa Academy.

Outside of Nari, Areum only has one other female friend before Sunny comes along. And that female friend is a girl going by the name Jessica, in Shinhwa Academy. Jessica Sim Ae-Ri is a girl from her class 2C and her only friend in school, but the girl isn't native-born. In fact, Jessica was born and raised in Orange County. She only moved to Seoul, South Korea about five years ago after her parents divorced… so, she's a Korean-American, holding dual citizenship at present. Being an outsider, it's only natural for Jessica to encounter bullying scenarios while attending Shinhwa Academy.

Throw in the fact that the Sim family aren't any big-shot in Korea, they are just a middle-income family, putting them slightly above the rank of the commoner. So, it goes without saying that Jessica was subjected to her fair share of being a victim to the bullying treatment taking place in the school outside of the teaching staff's knowledge. Although, Jessica didn't broadcast the fact to Areum - Areum had an inkling that Jessica had been bullied by members of the annoying trio, at one point. Hence, the reason why she's so shifty right now… after all, Sunny with all her redeemable qualities doesn't change the fact that she's part of the infamous annoying trio in Shinhwa High.

The last member of their little study group is a guy going by the name - Baek Dong-Jun. Dong-Jun is a former classmate of Areum back in the middle-school days, now the guy is a student from class 2B. Being a member of class 2B, basically meant that he had better academic grades as compared to Areum since Shinhwa Academy grouped the students into each class accordingly to their grades as reflected in the mid-year and year-end examinations. Therefore, he's also the 'mock-tutor' for their little study group on most occasions.

The sound of the doorbell ringing jarred Areum out from her dazed-like manner, as she hurried over to answer the door for her newly arrived guest. Flashing a welcoming smile at the figure of Sunny, Areum wasted no time inviting the girl in.

"Sunny! Welcome to my humble abode! Oh, and you can remove your coat from your person - I have the heater on, in here." Areum greeted, as she dragged the hesitant Sunny through the door and into her family home.

Naturally, Sunny obliged her new friend's advice and removed her dark gray trench coat from her person. Unsure of where to leave her trench coat, she chose to drape it over her arm for the moment as she followed her new friend deeper into the apartment unit.

"Nari, meet my new friend - Sunny." Areum then calls out for the attention of her childhood friend as she starts off the first round of the ice-breaking introduction phase of today. Turning towards Sunny, Areum begins. "Sunny, this is Kim Nari. A childhood friend of mine, who's an existing student at the Seoul High School."

"Hello, Sunny. You can just address me by my given name - Nari. Don't worry, I don't bite." Kim Nari greeted the girl dressed up fashionably with a playful wink.

"Hi, I'm Sunny." Flicking a gaze towards the casual dress attire of Kim Nari, Sunny somehow wondered if she had overdressed for the occasion. But seeing as she had never attended a study group session before, Sunny literally had no idea what to wear… and thus, ended up picking out an attire that screams 'smart-casual'.

Only, it seems t-shirts and jeans that scream outright casual is the correct dress attire for a study group since not only Kim Nari was dressed in this manner, the host for the study group session - Areum is also dressed similarly. Yet, what Sunny had on her person now is a gray turtleneck sweater dress with a sleek belt around her waistline. She had with her a dark gray trench coat on her hands, having removed the coat from her person after stepping indoor.

As per the norm, Sunny had obviously doll-up her face with make-up as well. Because well, she isn't really comfortable with the idea of leaving her home without putting on any make-up. The make-up on her face is something akin to the armor for her, without it - she feels unnecessarily exposed.

"Don't worry about being overdressed for the occasion, someone else is bound to turn up at the study group dressed similarly like you in a while, going all smart-casual for the occasion." Kim Nari commented cheekily upon noticing the look of apprehension in Sunny's eyes.

Jessica Sim was the next to arrive, and she froze mid-step upon landing her eyes on the figure of Sunny. Almost instantly, she flicked her eyes over to where Areum stood with a look that demand an explanation.

"Sorry, Jessica… I forgot to inform you that I'd invited Sunny to the study group as well." Areum begins in a sheepish tone of voice under the demanding gaze of her friend and classmate.

"...At times like this, it makes me wonder just what exactly happens in the week that I was out sick from school. I thought you told me that you would stay away from the annoying trio? But now I came to learn that you'd befriended a member from that annoying trio while I was indisposed at home? Not only that, you went on to invite her to our study group without giving me a heads-up warning in advance? I thought we were friends, Areum!" Jessica Sim Ae-Ri, a girl with shoulder-length honey-blonde hair styled up in a single ponytail deadpans at the figure of Lim Areum, with an unreadable look on her face.

"Jessica…please, give me some face and don't cause a scene in my own home? Honestly, just give her a chance - Sunny's not that bad, really!" Areum responded while throwing awkward looks towards the figure of Sunny, as she addressed her classmate and friend in school. In hindsight, maybe she ought to give Jessica a heads-up beforehand but it's too late to turn back the time to change things for the better.

"It's fine, Areum. Your friend is just concerned for your well-being, after all, indeed, my friends and I didn't exactly have a stellar reputation in school. Either way, I thanked you for your attempt in defending me to your friend but I think I ought to handle this myself." Sunny Park Sun Ja told her newfound friend in school, as she shifted her eyes onto the Korean-American girl who's still looking at her in an assessing manner.

"Really? Are you sure about this, Sunny?" Areum glances towards Sunny hesitantly, while Sunny simply shoots Areum a look of reassurance. After being on the receiving end of Chu Ga Eul's cold-blown anger, even if the bulk of that anger was directed towards Ginger… Sunny didn't think Jessica could do any worse than what Chu Ga Eul had dealt them during their skiing trip to Sapporo, Japan.

So, turning towards the girl with honey-blonde hair - Sunny started, bowing at the girl with utmost sincerity. "Jessica, I apologize for the troubles my friends and I have been causing you over the past few years if any."

The reason why Sunny had emphasized the term 'if any' is mostly because she didn't recall ever bullying the Korean-American girl in person. So, if the girl was ever subjected to the bullying antics under the hands of the members of the annoying trio, it's likely to be when the annoying trio is still the annoying duo. After all, Jessica Sim has been attending Shinhwa Academy for five years now… whereas Sunny has only attended the school for three years in total.

"...I wouldn't say it's troubling, it's just annoying. Please tell that friend of yours to stop commenting on the color of my hair, every single time I pass by her in the school's hallway. For the last time - I must emphasize, I didn't dye my hair. My hair's just naturally honey-blonde, I can't possibly change the fact that my mother's gene is stronger in me when it comes down to my appearance, could I?" Jessica Sim commented flatly at Sunny, while still looking unimpressed on the overall - at least, she isn't glaring daggers at Sunny being present in the family home of her friend now.

"I'll be sure to pass your message along to Miranda." Sunny responded, thinking that it has to be Miranda who was mouthing off such things. After all, her family's the one running a beauty salon; Ginger wouldn't have commented on the hairstyle and hair color of the students' bodies in Shinhwa Academy this randomly.

With that said, the atmosphere in the living room of the Lim family home loosens considerably. At least, Jessica Sim is no longer glaring daggers at Sunny. Still, that didn't mean Sunny has passed the girl's inspection - it just means that Jessica is willing to give Sunny a chance to prove herself worthy for being a friend to the introverted, soft-spoken, and kind girl going by the name of Lim Areum.

The last person to arrive for the study group is Baek Dong-Jun, and he's the one that appears in an outfit that's similar to what Sunny is wearing this morning. Instead of a t-shirt or even a polo-tee, the guy is wearing a navy-blue button-down shirt, with black dress pants complete with a matching belt securing it in place. The only thing missing is a suit and a tie, and he would be ready to attend a social event. The first thing the guy said upon his arrival at Areum's family home was to apologize for being late.

"Sorry, I'm late. My previous appointment overruns. Ah… I see a new face among us, anyone cares to introduce us before we get the study group session started?" Baek Dong-Jun begins as he surveyed the group of girls gathered in the living room of the Lim family residence.

"Dong-Jun, this is Sunny from Class 2D." Areum, once again, took up the responsibility to handle the ice-breaking introduction between her friends. Turning towards Sunny, she gestured towards the figure of Baek Dong-Jun and introduced the guy to her newfound friend. "Sunny, this is Baek Dong-Jun from class 2B."

"Excellent. Now, let's move on to the dining area for the official commencement of the study group session." Baek Dong-Jun beams in response, as he leads his way towards the dining room area of the Lim family home. He has been here frequently enough that he no longer needs a guide to bring him over to where the family dining area was in the apartment unit.

After all, this study group has been formed and held in the Lim family home over the past four years. Previously, they had the study group in an abandoned classroom within the Shinhwa Academy but then, Areum's intention to invite her childhood friend who wasn't an existing student to the study group makes it impossible for them to run the study group out from a classroom in the middle-school academic building of the Shinhwa Academy. And so, they decided to shift their study group session to take place in the comfort of Areum's family home.

"See, I told you. Someone else would be attending the study group dressed up similarly as you did." Kim Nari commented in a whisper to Sunny, who had been seated in between her and Areum to avoid any awkwardness between the girl and Jessica.

The dining table in Areum's home is round in shape, and in a clockwise direction - they are seated in the following manner: Jessica, Dong-Jun, Areum, Sunny, and ending with Nari.

"I heard that, Nari." Baek Dong-Jun interjected, throwing a pointed glance towards the childhood friend of Areum before clapping his hands together to call for a start of today's study group session.

"Oops, sorry. I didn't mean anything degrading by whispering about your state of attire to Sunny. I was just trying to reassure her that she wasn't overdressed for the occasion because you are also dressed in the smart-casual style." Kim Nari defended herself against the guy, whom she had gotten to know for a few years now. After all, it's rare for her soft-spoken and introverted childhood friend to befriend a guy this easily. Henceforth, when Nari learned of the guy's friendship with Areum - she had all but demanded her friend to introduce her to Baek Dong-Jun.

"Whatever, it's 10.15am already. So, shall we begin the study group session officially? First things first, I know which area my class is focusing on revising now. What about class 2C and 2D?" Baek Dong-Jun begins by holding up the mathematics textbook of Areum in his hands, as he voiced his query across to the Shinhwa students in the presence of the study group.

Location: Geum Family Home, 10th May 2009, Sunday, 10.45am

It was 10.45am when Geum Jan Di finally dragged herself out of bed and head out to join her family members. It hasn't been an intentional act on her part to wake up this late, but the truth is - the shock of her boyfriend's abrupt departure last night had left her reeling. And upon returning home to find a dozen missed call alerts from her boyfriend had caused Geum Jan Di to break down in tears, once again. Only this time, Yoon Ji Hoo wasn't around to lend her a shoulder to cry on and thus she found herself weeping under the covers of her blanket.

Geum Jan Di hasn't known she had so many tears to shed, given that she wasn't the type of girl who would cry at every little thing. Still, the regret of the dozen of things she hasn't had a chance to tell her boyfriend nor did she even confess the love she had for her boyfriend was so strong that Geum Jan Di had troubles holding back the floodgate. Hence, she ended up crying herself to bed last night. The end result, she didn't look very good this morning.

"Kang San, where's Appa and Eomma?" Geum Jan Di asks as she settles down beside her brother, ready to dig into her breakfast meal for the day. And then, upon noticing what's for breakfast - Geum Jan Di couldn't help but raise her eyebrow up in question as she added as an afterthought. "Where did these pancakes come from?"

Geum Jan Di is certain that her mother didn't make them these pancakes, because the pancake mix sold in supermarket are above their budget. Sure, they could have self-prepared the batter required for pancake making from scratch - which is how Yoon Ji Hoo of F4 had done, previously when he treated her to a homemade pancakes' meal. However, that is too much work for her mother who doesn't exactly have the patience for it and thus prefers to buy the instant pancake mix available in the supermarket when their budget allows.

"Ga Eul Noona brought them over while you're still asleep. I offered to wake you up, but she told me to not disturb you. She left a message behind for you though, I put it together with her food carrier bag. Oh, and she says she needs the carrier bag back so, you'd best remember to bring it to school tomorrow. As for the whereabouts of Appa and Eomma, well… have you looked at the time yet? It's already 10.45am, Eomma's part-time at the public bathhouse starts at 11am. So, she's already off to work… as for Appa, he's on a morning shift today at the convenience store down the street." Geum Kang San responded to the inquiry from his elder sister in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, and if he did notice the red and puffy eyes of his sister - he certainly didn't comment on them.

Their family had learned of the Shinhwa heir failure to show up for the date, and his abrupt departure from Seoul last night, when Geum Jan Di return home with a bag of street food, picked up from the Myeong-Dong food market street as opposed to takeout from some fancy restaurant to serve as their family dinner. And they had their family TV unit switches on then, and it just so happens that the news featured a scene from the press conference held by the Shinhwa Group with the Shinhwa heir present, with the official statement that he would be stepping up to his duty as the heir to the group prematurely in the face of the current crisis faced by the Shinhwa Group.

Through the news, they finally understood what the crisis for the Shinhwa Group entails, and thus, their parents fell silent and dropped the idea of pressing Jan Di for an explanation why they aren't getting delicacy treats from the upscale restaurants. Seeing as the news had mentioned that the press conference took place at 3pm in the afternoon, it goes without saying that either Gu Jun Pyo fails to show up for the date with Jan Di, or that their date came to an abrupt end. Either way, that basically means that Jan Di wasn't having dinner with the Shinhwa heir at all, and thus - they shouldn't be complaining about getting street food for dinner that night.

"I see…" Geum Jan Di murmurs, and then promptly sat down to enjoy the plate of pancakes breakfast kindly supplied by her childhood friend. Noticing the bottle of maple syrup sitting on the table, likely supplied by her friend as well - Geum Jan Di took a page out of the auburn-haired member of F4 example by drenching her pancakes in the maple syrup before savoring them.

Geum Kang San widens his eyes at the amount of maple syrup his elder sister is applying to the pancakes and swallowed, his first thought was that how sweet that would render those pancakes sitting on the breakfast plate of his sister. And his second thought was that luckily their mother had left home already, else she's definitely going to throw a fit about how much waste it was to drench the pancakes in a pool of maple syrup.

Location: Shinhwa Country Club, Indoor Tennis Court 3, 10th May 2009, Sunday, 11.30am

During this time, Chu Ga Eul was over at the indoor tennis court at the Shinhwa Country Club with the E3 and Choi Hyo Rin for their routine scheduled tennis game. Originally, Hyo Rin wasn't a part of the tennis game group… but after Ga Eul feedback that it's very tiring to play the E3 one after another without break in between, and that a conversation with Hyo Rin over lunch in school one day - the girl expressed her interest to pick up tennis as a form of recreation sports. Ga Eul got the brilliant idea to play coach to the girl, and thus Ga Eul decided to invite the girl to join the group.

Since Miyazawa Kazuki is the leader of E3 and generally had no issues to go along with the whims of his elder half-sister by 6 months - the rest of the E3 members didn't argue against the idea. And so, Saionji Shunsuke found himself entrusted with the task of bringing Hyo Rin shopping for the tennis gears and ended up the main person responsible for ferrying the girl, both to and from, the Shinhwa Country Club on every alternate Sunday for their routine tennis game.

Although, Ga Eul's Sundays are usually reserved for the E3. They do not always hold tennis games every Sunday, so far, the tennis game on Sundays are only held on alternate weeks. For the Sundays that they do not have a tennis game schedule, the activities vary. They could simply chill and hang out in the family room of the villa house owned by the Miyazawa family in Seoul, playing video games on the TV/Play-Station or they could be holding a home Karaoke session at the apartment unit owned by the Sakuraba family in Seoul. Alternatively, they might be hanging out in the bowling alley at the Shinhwa Country Club. Either way, for those Sundays - Hyo Rin likely wouldn't be around, she's only invited to the tennis game, after all.

"Time!" Panting for breath, Chu Ga Eul called out for a halt of the ongoing game as she trudged off the court heading for where she had left her belongings sitting to reach for her bottle of water to quench her thirst and take a brief moment of a break from the never-ending rally with her half-brother. One of the main reasons she didn't like playing Kazuki during their routine tennis game meet-up on Sunday, is because Kazuki really doesn't show mercy to his opponents on the court.

And Ga Eul hated losing a game on purpose, and thus their game always turns out to be incredibly long. Every point scored was during a moment of each other's distraction during a rally, and each rally tends to last more than five minutes. She had once expressed her interest in playing Hyo Rin who's a beginner, only to have Shunsuke shooting her down citing that Hyo Rin isn't ready to play a proper game yet. Thus far, the girl is still picking up basic skills from Shunsuke - who's equally skilled in the tennis sports like Kazuki, given that both of them were legit regular members on the school team back when they are still in Japan.

While Kazuki mostly played in the Singles category, Shunsuke is versatile enough to play both the Singles and Doubles categories. Henceforth, his performance in the tennis area is always so eye-catching to the girls of their school in Japan. Seated by the side of the court as she sips at the water in her water bottle, Chu Ga Eul found herself spending her break from the game observing the interactions between Shunsuke and Choi Hyo Rin.

"What are you thinking about?" Sakuraba Shuichi, who has been playing referee for the game between Kazuki and Ga Eul prompted when he noticed how the girl had been observing his other childhood friend for several minutes without shifting her gaze away.

"I'm simply wondering if there are any changes in their relationship." Chu Ga Eul admitted, looking at those two reminded her of her own relationship with a certain Korean Casanova, to an extent.

"As far as I know, the answer is no. I know they remind you of your own relationship nature with a certain someone, but your situation and their situation aren't quite the same. Albeit, I do admit Shunsuke and that someone does share a few uncanny traits. In particular, in the sense of a lack of commitment to a relationship. Only, one is due to a mere phobia while the other… he simply isn't interested in settling down anytime soon." Sakuraba Shuichi commented drily to Ga Eul, as he too flicked his eyes over to where Shunsuke is guiding Hyo Rin through another motion of the return stroke using the backhand movement.

"Hmm… and do you think Shunsuke will give Hyo Rin a chance when he's finally ready to settle down?" Ga Eul prompted her cousin in return, knowing that her cousin likely would be forthright with her instead of simply saying things that she would like to hear.

"Possibly, after all, Hyo Rin's interest in Shunsuke is quite obvious. I don't think Shunsuke is so dense that he would overlook the matter, and the fact that he's been far more patient with Hyo Rin than with the other girls seems to hint at the fact that he might accept Hyo Rin becoming more than just a friend to him, with time. Even though, if they truly did end up together - their relationship would lean towards the direction of friendship love, as opposed to passionate love. Because Shunsuke isn't really the romantic and passionate type of guy, he keeps everyone at arm's length and maintains a certain distance. It's easy to become friends with him, but not that easy to be considered a close friend of his… thus far, I think only Kazuki and I are considered close friends of his. That's just how he is, in private." Sakuraba Shuichi commented after mulling over the topic for some time, eventually, he shrugged and told his cousin in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"Ga Eul, it's been five minutes. Are you resuming the game anytime soon?" Miyazawa Kazuki calls out to the attention of Chu Ga Eul then, having returned from his visit to the washroom.

"Alright, I'm coming!" Ga Eul hollered back at her half-brother, as she collected her tennis racquet from the side and make her way back into the court.

It took Kazuki and Ga Eul another thirty minutes before a winner was declared, naturally, Kazuki is a guy with more competition experience ended up winning the tennis game. And Chu Ga Eul was so tired at the end of the game that she decides to sit out of the remaining games for the rest of the morning, "Hyo Rin, do me a favor."

Choi Hyo Rin glanced towards Chu Ga Eul with a quizzical look, as Kazuki is now playing referee to a game played between Shunsuke and Shuichi. With her 'coach' for the day preoccupied with a game, Hyo Rin was on a break naturally as well.

"Remind me to never agree to play another game with Kazuki in the future, it's too tiring playing him. I'll play Shunsuke even, even though he would no doubt trashes me on the court but at least it would be a quick game. I didn't notice it before, but Kazuki likes to play his opponent off by dragging them into a long game and then win the match once his opponent's stamina depleted which is exactly what he does to me earlier on." Chu Ga Eul commented with a pouting look on her face, she can't believe she only noticed it now.

"Of course, I'll make sure to remind you the next time Kazuki invited you to play him during the tennis game outing." Choi Hyo Rin nodded at Chu Ga Eul in response, before shifting her focus back onto the figure of her crush.

Geum Jan Di's text message to Chu Ga Eul came in just as she sat down for lunch with Ninomiya Risa and Sakuraba Shuichi, at a cafe located two blocks away from the Su Am Arts Center.

"Well… you ladies go on and pick out a seat, while I'll go and place the orders for our lunch." Sakuraba Shuichi offered, as he starts to make a move to queue up at the ordering counter.

"Thank you, Shuichi-Kun. I'm in the mood for quiche." Ninomiya Risa commented to the bespectacled young man with a smile.

"Ah… alright, I've definitely got down your order since they only have one quiche item on their menu. How about you, Ga Eul?" Sakuraba Shuichi shifted his questioning gaze upon the figure of his cousin and asks.

"Hmm… get me the roasted chicken, eggs, and buckwheat noodle bowl with roasted sesame sauce." Chu Ga Eul answered, after taking a moment to consider the items available at the cafe. She didn't bother to give her cousin her beverage orders, figuring that Shuichi had sat down with her for meals enough time to figure out what drinks she tends to order at a cafe setting.

Ga Eul was about to ask if the heiress to Japan's Ninomiya Medical Group had done any sightseeing in Seoul thus far when she heard the incoming chime of her mobile phone indicating that she had just received a text message. And so, she directed an apologetic look towards Risa while pulling out her mobile phone from the front zipper compartment of her tote bag to take a look at the sender of the message. Upon realizing that it was actually, her childhood friend who is messaging her, Ga Eul knows she can't put off this message until later.

A private message between Geum Jan Di and Chu Ga Eul, 10th May 2009, Sunday, 12.15pm

Jan Di: Hey, Ga Eul. Heard from Kang San that you dropped by earlier this morning with pancakes for me and my family. Thank you. How do you want me to return the food carrier bag to you? I can bring it with me to work this afternoon, and you can pop by the porridge shop to pick it up later this evening/or anytime you're free today. Or, I could bring it to school to you tomorrow.

Ga Eul: I'll pick it up from you tonight at the porridge shop. It's easier for me, this way as well.

PS: I've meant to ask last night, but didn't wish to bring forth a fresh bout of tears from you. How are you feeling now?

Jan Di: Honestly, I'm still feeling quite heavy at heart. But I'll survive, I always do.

Ga Eul: Keep strong, Jan Di! Jun Pyo-sunbae loves you too much to stay away indefinitely, so, he would definitely find his way back.

PS: Has he updated you anything on the subject yet?

Jan Di: No, aside from a text message from him late last night telling me that he had arrived in Beijing with his mother and would be rather busy over the next few days to reply to any messages. He didn't say much… just that, he loves me and wishes for me to wait for his return.

Ga Eul: Ah… well, at least he had the decency to send you a word of reassurance from his end. I'm amid a lunch appointment with a friend, we can chat more when I pop over to the porridge shop tonight to pick up my food carrier bag from you. Now, I need to go *Apologetic Emoji*

Jan Di: No worries, I know your schedules are usually fully packed on Sundays. Say 'hi' to the E3 for me.

Ga Eul: Will do. ^_^; see you later tonight at the porridge shop. Ciao~

And then, just as Ga Eul was about to tuck her phone away - she suddenly recalled that she had yet to remind a certain Casanova about taking his lunch on time, for today. Therefore, she went on to locate the name 'So Yi Jeong' in her phone directory and drop a quick text over to the Korean Casanova.

A private message between Chu Ga Eul and So Yi Jeong, 10th May 2009, 12.30pm

Ga Eul: Just recalled that I had yet to remind you about taking lunch, today. Anyway - I'm having lunch right now, and I certainly hoped that you're already mid-lunch. And if you haven't, I suggest you go out and grab your lunch soon. Or if you don't have time to head out for lunch, let me know. I can easily arrange for a food delivery over, without issues. The perks of being the illegitimate heiress to the F&B Group, the staffs employed in the service of the Miya's Cafe and MZ Kitchen are always willing to bend to my whims. :P

Yi Jeong: Glad to know that I'm still on your mind on a Sunday. No worries, I am indeed mid-lunch right now. Woo Bin's date for this afternoon cancels on him last minute, so I'm his so-called 'replacement date' for lunch since last-minute cancellation of a table reservation would result in the forfeiting of the deposit paid. Although, I would have preferred to receive a heads-up warning from him in advance that the lunch would be taken in a private dining room at the newly opened themed restaurant. This entire dining room is decked out in pink and floating heart-shaped ornaments, can you imagine my awkwardness upon stepping foot in here?!

[Inserted interior of the dining room] - Size: 2,800KB.

Ga Eul: O_O I see. Yes, I can certainly imagine your awkwardness about having lunch with Woo Bin-sunbae in such an environment. But I was under the impression that there are a total of 6 themed dining rooms available for booking. Why on earth would Woo Bin-sunbae book this particular room out of all the possible options? Even the starry sky-themed dining room would be way better than this pink heaven…

Yi Jeong: … Wait, this room is dubbed 'Pink Heaven'? How on earth do you know that?

Ga Eul: *Sweat-drop Emoji* Would you kill me if I claimed that I'm the one that brought this restaurant to fruition? Okay, no… but I did give Aunt Shinobu the idea of opening up a themed restaurant in Seoul. Themed cafes are pretty common, but restaurants with private dining rooms are rare in Seoul, there are quite a few high-end restaurants in Japan that offer private dining room options to their customers. Thus far, restaurants with private dining rooms are mostly Japanese restaurants, again under the Miyazawa F&B Group *Sweat-drop Emoji* Anyway, I thought it might be nice to have a restaurant catering western cuisine menu to offer private dining options to the customers. Even better if the private dining room is styled up differently with a theme of its own, makes it unique - you know? Anyway, Aunt Shinobu seems to take my advice to heart, and thus, the restaurant - Mystic Hub was opened in Gangnam last month.

To say the potter of F4 was rendered speechless by the latest text message he had received from Chu Ga Eul was an understatement. So, this peculiar-themed restaurant that was insanely trending on various social media platforms recently was a new F&B establishment set up by the infamous Miyazawa F&B Group?! Recalling what Ga Eul had said about other themed dining rooms being available for booking, the Korean Casanova promptly zeroes in his demanding gaze on his Don Juan friend.

"Woo Bin, I was just told that the restaurant offered different themed rooms for booking. So, why the hell did you choose to book this pink room? Surely, there are other options available?" So Yi Jeong gritted out at his friend while keeping a lid on his bubbling annoyance.

"In my defense, I wasn't the one who wanted to book this room. It was my date who cancels on me last-minute, that chooses this particular room. She thought this room was sweet and romantic, personally, I think the Starry Sky room also screams romantic… but, she insisted that this room is the only room she wants to dine in. So…" Song Woo Bin shrugged helplessly at his annoyed friend, as he defended himself to his friend's accusing gaze.

"..."

Location: Chinese Noodle Restaurant in Myeong-Dong district, 10th May 2009, 12.30pm

It was pretty much a new experience for Sunny to take lunch in a restaurant selling nothing but noodles, seeing as her lunch companions are usually Ginger and Miranda. They don't like dining in restaurants that aren't situated in the upscale area, nor do they enjoy eating in F&B establishments that don't offer a lot of variety of food on the menu.

The Chinese noodle restaurant was suggested by Areum as their lunch venue for this afternoon, and apparently, the rest of the members of the study group have patronized the restaurant at some point, either alone or with their family and thus none of them objected to Areum's suggestion. Sunny mostly remains silent since she's the newest member of the study group, and even though she resides in the Myeong-Dong district - she has never quite explored the eateries in this area before.

As mentioned before, she usually takes her meals outside with Ginger and Miranda. And those two never dined in places situated outside the Shinhwa Mall or within the Gangnam district. While they do shop around in Myeong-Dong, the only F&B establishments they would patronize while in the area are desserts cafes, not so much for proper meals. And Sunny's mother always makes it a point to cook their family dinner, no matter how busy the woman was with her work as the accountant for their family business. Therefore, this is truly Sunny's first dining out experience within the neighborhood where she resides.

"Sunny, have you decided what to order for lunch yet?" Areum prompted after most of her friends had decided on the noodles they are going to get. The only person who had yet to say anything is Sunny.

"Actually, this is my first time dining here. The fact that the restaurant has so many different types of noodles on offer is a bit of a surprise for me, every image shown on the menu looks so appetizing that I actually have difficulty deciding. Do you have any good recommendations for me to start off with?" Sunny eventually glances over to her new friend for advice.

"Hmm… what's your threshold for spicy level?" Areum inquires, personally she would recommend the Sichuan style hotchpotch sliced noodles with vegetables, seafood, and leek soup. But for people who can't take too spicy food, the Sichuan-style noodles might be too hard to ingest.

"For a newbie, I would suggest the seafood sliced noodles if going for the soup base menu item. Otherwise, the sliced noodles with stir-fried bean paste are also not bad." Baek Dong-Jun interjected from his position next to Jessica Sim, although neither of them mentions anything of the nature of their relationship during the morning half of the study group session - Sunny had a feeling that those two are actually dating one another.

"Dong-Jun is right, but if you aren't much of a noodle's person. Though limited, the restaurant also offered some rice dishes. The seafood fried rice isn't so bad, in my opinion. There's also an option with plain rice and seafood." Kim Nari added, citing what she remembered from her recent visit to the restaurant.

"In that case, I'll go for the sliced noodles with stir-fried bean paste." Sunny eventually said, after studying the image of the few dishes mentioned by Kim Nari and Baek Dong-Jun.

"Excellent choice." Areum beams in response, as she beckoned for the waitress to come forward and take their orders. Shortly, after Areum gave the waitress their orders… another waitress came by to supply them with a box of cutlery for their use, as well as the complimentary side dishes comprising of the preserved vegetables, both the Korean Kimchi and the Chinese Sichuan Preserved Vegetables.

While waiting for lunch to arrive, small conversations were had, at the table. Apparently, the morning half of the study group session is focused on the core subjects offered at school while the afternoon half of the study group session, which Sunny wouldn't be joining in as she needs to head off to the library would be focusing on the studying of the elective's subjects on offer in school.

It was through the small talk conversation that Sunny learns that Baek Dong-Jun was skilled in multiple languages, and is taking both the French and Italian language in school as his third and fourth language. Aside from the above-mentioned languages, he had also mastered the Japanese language - albeit, he learns the language from an outside language school when he was a tad younger.

"Erm… don't mind me interrupting, but which language school did you go to for your Japanese language course? I wanted to pick up some conversational Japanese, but I'm a bit confused by the courses on offer by the different language schools - to be honest." Sunny hesitated momentarily, before mustering up her courage to interrupt an ongoing conversation between Jessica and Baek Dong-Jun.

"Okay, so… you're just looking for basic conversational use Japanese, or are you looking at truly mastering the Japanese language? If you wish to learn it properly with the knowledge of the appropriate use of the grammar and vocab for the language and eventually sit for the proficiency language test, I'll recommend you sign up with the Hyotei Language Center situated in the commercial building adjacent to where the Lotte World Mall is located. If you are just looking to learn basic conversational Japanese, so you don't have to rely on a translator or a tour guide when you visit Japan in the future - you can just look into the Japanese language course on offers at any of the local communities center. Alternatively, the Japanese lessons offered to the members of the public at the Su Am Arts Center also works for conversational Japanese." Baek Dong-Jun then proceed to give Sunny some valuable advice about how to go about picking a suitable Japanese language class for herself.

"I see, thank you. I'll look into the matter, after giving it some careful consideration on which paths, I would want to take." Sunny nodded at the guy with gratitude, before turning towards Kim Nari to start a small conversation about the girl's hobby.

[Well… although, Jessica's still a tad frosty when interacting with Sunny… but at least, Sunny is getting along fine with Nari.] - Areum was thinking inwardly, as she observed the interactions between her new and old friends.

It was completely by chance that Ginger and Miranda chanced upon Sunny with her study group mates in the Myeong-Dong shopping district. The chance encounter occurs just as Sunny and the members of the study group she had been invited to join by her new friend were exiting the Chinese noodles restaurant following the end of their lunch break, whereas Ginger and Miranda had just exited empty-handed from a shop selling shoes a few doors away.

"Ginger, I thought you said Sunny isn't joining us because she wants to sleep in? Does that actually qualifies for sleeping in?" Miranda Lee Mi-Sook couldn't help it, somehow, she always had the urge to snub Sunny at least once per day. Without it, something just doesn't sit right with the girl, and thus, neither Ginger nor Sunny bat an eyelid when she made that remark.

Turning towards Areum with a somewhat apologetic look on her face, Sunny commented. "Areum, thanks for inviting me to the study group. I'll take a rain check for the afternoon session, given that I'm not taking any elective subjects at present."

"Oh, you aren't joining the afternoon half of the study group, too?" Kim Nari blinked, turning towards Sunny with a look of surprise.

"Yes, I have prearranged plans to visit the Seoul Metropolitan Library in the afternoon, so it wasn't my intention to stay on for the second half of the study group, to begin with." Sunny responded to Nari's inquiry, before shifting her focus towards her two soon-to-be-former friends and sniped at Miranda in return.

As Sunny has turned her back on Areum and the rest of the members of the study group, she had no idea that her new friend was a tad concerned for her - given the attitude and words directed her way by Miranda of the annoying trio. Kim Nari who had noticed the look of hesitance on her childhood friend promptly stepped in and whispered to the girl - Areum, by the ears. "Don't worry about Sunny, you go on ahead with Jessica and Dong-Jun for the second half of the study group. Since I'm not joining in the afternoon half of the study group as well, I could stay behind and observe."

"Thanks, Nari, I would hate to be the cause of an argument between them since they were friends first," Areum told her childhood friend in gratitude, assuming that Sunny had blown off her friends in exchange to attend the study group she had invited Sunny to join, on a last-minute basis.

"Miranda, would it kill you to not direct a snub my way for a single day? Either way, it's already way past noontime - who on earth can sleep in until noon? And please, don't quote to me, the name of Yoon Ji Hoo. The normal rules don't apply to that guy. While on the subject, I turn down Ginger's invitation to visit the spa… and none of you are in the spa now. Does that means Ginger is lying to me about visiting the spa today?" Sunny throws back at Miranda in kind, exasperation obvious in her tone.

"...Of course not. Sorry about Miranda's snub, I'll make sure to keep her in check. Enjoy your visit to the library, Sunny. I'll see you in school tomorrow." Ginger Choi Jin-Hee shook herself out of her stupor and hurried to drag her childhood friend - Miranda away from the site.

"Come on, Miranda. Weren't you saying that you want to get a new pair of boots? There's still another shoe shop down the street, let's hurry - who knows? We might be able to get a good deal, they are having a sale - it seems." Ginger was heard telling Miranda, as she forcibly dragged her childhood friend down the street and away from where Sunny stood with her new friends.

"..." Satisfied that Ginger and Miranda are finally leaving, Areum who has been proceeding at a significantly slower pace as opposed to Jessica and Dong-Jun finally picked up her pace as she caught up to her two friends traveling ahead of her, heading back to the direction of the building where her family apartment is situated in.

"So, that's the remaining two-thirds of the infamous annoying trio?" Kim Nari started after a moment of silence, and her words startled Sunny momentarily.

Turning towards her side, Sunny was surprised to find that the childhood friend of Areum didn't leave with the rest of the group and instead remained behind while she was conversing with Ginger and Miranda, earlier. "Nari, you didn't leave with Areum?"

"Nope, I wasn't going to attend the afternoon half of the study group session anyway. Seeing as, just like you - I'm not taking any electives at the moment. To be honest, I doubt I'll ever go and pick up an elective subject. Just the main six subjects are causing my head to swell as it is, unlike Areum… I'm not that smart." Kim Nari admitted, even though her childhood friend is only in the C class within Shinhwa High… but Nari thought her friend would likely be among the top classes if her friend weren't studying in an elite school like the Shinhwa Academy.

"Six subjects? Isn't it supposed to be seven main subjects?" Sunny inquires, out of curiosity since she has a total of seven core subjects.

"The standard is seven core subjects, but six subjects are also acceptable. English, Mother-Tongue (Korean), Elementary Mathematics, Geography, Physics, and Chemistry. These are the above-mentioned subjects that I'm taking in school. And though, technically speaking for 11-12th grades, Mathematics are considered electives… but since most college courses require a mathematics subject in their enrolment criteria. I thought it should be considered as the main subject rather than an elective." Kim Nari commented dryly to Sunny when she touches on the subject of Mathematics being classified as an elective subject for the 11-12th graders.

Taking a moment to think on the intake criteria to the majority of the courses in Shinhwa University, Sunny couldn't help but snort in agreement to Nari's comment. "You're right, I didn't notice it before… but now that you'd mentioned it… it does seem a tad ironic. Alright, I'm due to go to the library. What about you?"

"Hmm… I'm meeting up with someone for a movie date." Kim Nari responded in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"Is that someone your boyfriend by any chance?" Sunny actually meant it in jest, so when Nari suddenly started flushing crimson in response to her comment - she knew she had hit the jackpot.

"Actually, I don't know if he could be considered my boyfriend. I mean, we first met up at a party event hosted by a common friend…and because it's late, he was entrusted with the task of walking me to the train station. And then, a few weeks later we met up by chance at a speed-dating event organized by yet another common friend. We get to converse a tad more and find that we shared plenty of common interest areas. From there, we exchanged contact information and would occasionally meet up for the outdoor activities that we're both interested in. But recently he had been inviting me out more frequently, sometimes it's for a movie, and other times, it's for a meal. A part of me thought he might be attempting to woo me, but I'm not certain." Kim Nari explains, still flushing red in her cheeks.

"... I see, well - in that case, why don't the two of you sit down and talk about the matter? At least, clarify if he's interested in dating you for real or if he's just treating you as a good friend. That way, it'll also free you up to date other guys if he's just treating you as a good friend of his." Sunny eventually suggested, it wasn't her intention to give out such advice to people with whom she had only just gotten acquainted. But given that it's her that actually brought the confession of Nari's inner turmoil out in the open, the least she could do is to clean it up on her own.

Nari was silent for a few minutes, before nodding towards Sunny in affirmation. "You're right, it would be good for both of us to get certain things clear up, so there wouldn't be any misunderstandings further down. Thanks, Sunny, are you going to be coming for the study group next weekend too? No wait, better still - what's your contact number?" Kim Nari began, as she starts pulling out her mobile phone intending to get the contact details from Sunny.

Unsure of how to react, Sunny failed to provide any form of verbal response to the girl. Thus, Nari took it upon herself to pry the mobile device out of Sunny's hand and punch in her own number into Sunny's phone and ring herself up. Through this manner, Nari managed to attain the contact details of Sunny without feeling any guilt on her part for her forceful act. After all, Sunny didn't protest when she pries the phone out from the girl's hand - isn't it?

"I'll buzz you at the end of my talk with the guy, and if I did end up dating him for real at the end of it. I'll buy you a drink, the next time we meet up in person. Ciao~ enjoy your library visit." Kim Nari told Sunny cheerfully, as she turns to head off for the direction of the cinema in Myeong-Dong where she would be meeting up with her 'friend'.

Location: Cinema in Myeong-Dong district, 10th May 2009, Sunday, 2pm

When Kim Nari arrived at the designated meet-up point, Park Jae-In, a fellow classmate of the E3 in Shinhwa High, is already waiting for her at the entrance to the cinema building.

"Sorry, I'm not late - am I?" Kim Nari begins, looking a tad worried since it's usually her that arrives at their designated meet-up point first.

"No, you're right on time actually. I'm just here earlier, today." Park Jae-In smiled in response at the former schoolmate of Chu Ga Eul.

Now, when Jae-In was entrusted with the task of walking the girl to the train station following the end of the advance birthday party event for Chu Ga Eul that took place last month at the Sakuraba family apartment in the Gangnam district - he certainly didn't envision himself getting truly acquainted with the girl. Yet, it would seem that he's fated to know the girl, one way or another. Because he found himself crossing paths with the girl again at another social event, only this time, it was at a speed-dating event he had been forcefully dragged into attending by his friend and former classmate back in the first year of his high-school education in Shinhwa Academy.

It was there at this speed-dating event that he found himself being introduced to the girl, for the second time in the same month. Not wanting to test the theory of whether there's going to be a third chance encounter between them, Jae-In took it upon himself to break the ice between them by engaging the girl in small talk. As they got to talk a bit more, he was surprised to find that they both enjoy good Sci-Fiction films in the cinema. Especially films produced by the Marvel studios, in particular.

Aside from their shared interest in the same genre of films, they happen to like the same genre of music and enjoy indulging their taste buds with a feast whenever there's an opportunity to do so arise. This afternoon, they are at the cinema to watch the latest Sci-Fiction film screening in the local theater - Star Trek, distributed by the United International Pictures.

"So, shall we go in now? Or do you want to grab some popcorn and drinks before entering the screening theater?" Park Jae-In asks, directing the question at the girl since he's personally fine with either option.

"It's fine, we can just go in if they have already started seating for the show." Kim Nari answered with a casual shrug of her shoulders, she isn't the type that must have popcorn with her while watching a movie, either way.

"In that case, let's just go in. We can grab a bite after the show, instead." Park Jae-In responded as he handed a ticket over to the girl, and lead the way towards the staff stationed at the entrance to the respective screening theater to check their tickets.

The running time for the show is 2 hours 7 minutes, and during the period whereby they are in the movie - Jae-In had made it a point to silent his mobile device. As such, he didn't get to see the invitation text message from his friend - Shunsuke, inviting him over for the group dinner session with Chu Ga Eul and the E3, until 4.15pm when the show finally ended.

A private message between Saionji Shunsuke and Park Jae-In, 10th May 2009, Sunday.

Shunsuke (4pm): Hey, Jae-In. It's my turn to host the group dinner at my studio apartment, are you interested in joining? We are getting pizza delivery, let me know if you are coming - so, I'll know to include your share of the food when I placed the orders via the food delivery app.

Jae-In (4.15pm): Sorry, I've only seen the message now. Was in a movie earlier. Right, thanks for your invite but it's fine. You guys have fun at the Pizza party, I already have prearranged plans with someone else for this evening.

Tucking away his mobile device, Park Jae-In turns his attention towards Kim Nari who had just emerged from the lady's washroom at the cinema complex and started. "So, would you like to find somewhere to sit down and grab a bite with me? I know it's a tad early for dinner, so maybe you're up for a high tea session with me?"

"Of course. I wouldn't mind grabbing a bite with you. Besides, there's something I would like to speak to you about as well. Since you pick the movie, can I pick the place for our high tea session this time?" Kim Nari responded thinking back on the suggestion given to her by Sunny earlier on, and decide maybe it's time to hash things out with the guy, so she would have a better idea of what kind of label she should place on this relationship of theirs. Are they simply friends, or are they something more? It's a tad confusing for her at present, since her mind kept on receiving mixed signals from the actions taken by the guy, to be honest.

Location: Saionji Shunsuke's Studio Apartment in City Hall, Seoul. 10th May 2009, Sunday, 4.30pm

The time is 4.30pm in afternoon, Saionji Shunsuke was just coming back from an impromptu trip to the Miyazawa Supermarket in the Myeong-Dong district with the girl - Choi Hyo Rin in tow as his helper with his grocery bags. He had procrastinated on his grocery shopping errand for far too long, that he found his fridge literally emptied out of anything that could be used to serve his guests for this evening's dinner session. As such, following the end of the tennis game at the Shinhwa Country Club - Shunsuke had asked if Hyo Rin minded taking a bit of a detour and helping him out with his grocery shopping errand for a bit before he send her home for the day.

Originally, Shunsuke simply had the thought of stocking his fridge up with beverages for his friends' consumption this evening during the group dinner session hosted at his rented studio apartment. But then, when he noticed the availability of the instant pancake mix on the shelf of the supermarket, he couldn't resist adding it into his shopping cart. After all, it gets a tad boring to eat French toast every single morning - so, he thought he could indulge in some pancakes on the weekends, at least.

Armed with the basic culinary skills that every Japanese student regardless of gender would have trained for, Shunsuke figured that he could easily follow the instructions listed on the box of instant pancake mix to produce edible results on his first attempt at making himself a pancake breakfast set. With it, he also added a bottle of maple syrup, and then, when he passes by the oral hygiene area of the supermarket - he added a bottle of new mouthwash and some new toothpaste and toothbrushes to the cart. He didn't bother getting any new loaf of bread, since he still had enough for his French toast set for tomorrow and the day after. Besides, one could easily get sliced bread loaf suitable for making French toast from any bakeries and supermarket and hence he needn't get bread loaves from the Miyazawa Supermarket in Myeong-Dong.

Either way, because he kept on adding new items to his shopping cart while browsing through the aisles of shelves in the supermarket - he ended up buying more than what he anticipated this afternoon. Thankfully, money is something Shunsuke readily have at his disposal, and thus, other than the fact that he ended up paying for his purchases with his card rather than the cash on his person - the only other change in his afternoon plans was that he finds himself in need of someone to help him bring his purchases up from the underground parking lot facility of the apartment building to the apartment he's staying on the third floor of the building.

Even though his rented apartment is a studio apartment, it is still considerably bigger in terms of space when compared to the 1R or 1K apartment that's largely available in the Japan property rental market, catering to foreign students. While Shunsuke wouldn't say he's in love with this apartment he had managed to rent below the market rate through the help of Choi Hyo Rin, a girl whom he knows is attracted to him romantically for more than a year. Shunsuke had to admit that the apartment appeals to his taste in various aspects.

First of all, the athletic young man likes the fact that the apartment is close to the city center with plenty of amenities nearby for one, and the other thing he likes about this studio apartment is that the landlord/owner had taken steps to renovate the space and transformed the studio apartment into a layout whereby the living and the sleeping area could be separated with the use of a sliding partition doorway.

Even if, the sleeping area is only big enough to hold a double bed and a series of closet space that has been modeled to serve as the wardrobe unit. Of course, that's also where the only window to the apartment unit is installed - but it's fine. With the aid of the ceiling lights, the living area could be equally bright during the day if he wishes to keep the sliding doorway between the sleeping area and the living area closed shut.

Since it's a studio apartment, he didn't have a full-size kitchen. Instead, what he has is a full-size fridge and a tiny kitchenette area with a single kitchen sink and two gas stoves on each end of the kitchenette area with minimum counter-top space for food preparation. Lucky, he doesn't really cook, as long as the space is adequate to fit in a toaster for his making of the French toast daily for breakfast, and still be able to fit in an electric water kettle for him to make himself a cup of coffee/tea - it's functional enough for him.

"Thanks for helping me with the grocery bags." Saionji Shunsuke commented as he directed his words to the figure of Choi Hyo Rin, as the girl followed him into the studio apartment that belongs to her mother by right.

"It's fine, I promised my mother to check in on the air-conditioner unit. The guys did come in to service the unit last Friday evening, right? Has there been any issues since then?" Choi Hyo Rin inquires, as she flicked her gaze towards the air-conditioner unit installed in the apartment unit to make her point.

"Nope, after the service - the unit is now working fine. It no longer leaks, so I guess the leaking is all due to the dirt choking up its' pipe." Saionji Shunsuke commented in response, the only downside to the fact that the apartment was a rented property was that he didn't have the right to get in anyone to fix any issues that goes wrong with the electrical appliances in the apartment. Instead, he had to inform his landlord on the matter, and then, his landlord would find someone to come over and fix the issue for him. Thankfully, the air-conditioner leaking issue is the only problem he had encountered thus far since he starts living in the apartment unit.

"Good. Now, where do you want me to leave these groceries bags?" Hyo Rin asks, she would normally place them on the kitchen countertop but the thing is, there isn't enough counter-top space in the kitchenette area of the apartment.

"Ah, you can leave them on the floor by the side of the fridge. I'll be stocking them into the fridge shortly. While, on the subject, are you staying for the group dinner session later?" Saionji Shunsuke inquires since he needs to figure out how many of the folding chairs, he would need to set up in the living area of his studio apartment.

Due to space constraints, when he moved into the apartment - he didn't get in any sofa couch. Instead, he had opted for the portable folding chairs and folding tables for the apartment. Aside from the single folding chair and the smaller size folding table that he usually uses for his own studying, the other tables and chairs were usually stored in a corner of the apartment folded up and were only utilized when his friends pop over for the routine group dinner session when it's his turn to play host for the event.

"I'm fine with staying or leaving, so, it's up to you to decide. Do you want me around for your group dinner session?" Choi Hyo Rin commented in response turning to regard her crush with a questioning look in her eyes.

"...Well, with all the help you had given me this afternoon. I think you'd earned the right to stay for dinner, tonight." Saionji Shunsuke thought for a moment, before responding to the question from the girl.

"There, you had it - the answer to your own question. I'll stay since you invited me to stay for the dinner session. Now, how do you want to set up the living area? Seeing as I'm going to stay for the dinner, the least I could do is to make myself useful while you stock up the fridge." Choi Hyo Rin then voiced her next question towards the tenant of her mother's bachelorette pad, which has now been converted to a bachelor pad with minimal changes made to the studio apartment itself.

The only thing that has changed is the removal of the love seat that was originally placed in the living area of the apartment, her mother had shifted it from the apartment to their own family home after the lease contract between her mother and her crush has been agreed and signed upon.

"The clothes drying rack has to be folded up and tucked away in the sleeping area, so you can start off by removing whatever clothes articles I had left on the drying rack and placing them on the bed. I'll fold them up later tonight, after that, fold up the drying rack and slot them into the walkway in-between the bed and the closet. That would free up the space in the living area for the setting up of the dining table and the chairs for the dinner group participants." Shunsuke instructed, trusting Hyo Rin with the task of setting up the dining table and chairs while he focused on the stocking up of his pantry with the purchases he had made earlier on in the nearby supermarket.

"Of course." Hyo Rin agreed easily enough, as she proceed to start removing the clothing articles hanging on the portable clothes drying rack and placed the clothes articles onto the foot of the double bed in the sleeping area of the apartment.

And then, Hyo Rin folded up the drying rack and tucked it in between the walkway of the bed and the closet before sliding close the partitioned doorway that works like a Shoji screen door. The girl didn't ask why there's still a need to air-dry the clothes on the drying rack when the apartment came equipped with a laundry machine that could both wash and dry the clothes with just an easy press of a button to switch between its' functions. For all she knows, Shunsuke still has yet to figure out how to work the laundry machine installed in the apartment and had been taking his laundry to a laundromat facility in the neighborhood, regularly.

Dinner that day was exactly what he had mentioned to his absent friend - Park Jae-In, he had called for the pizza delivery from the renowned fast-food chain - Pizza Hut, and since it's Shunsuke's turn to host the dinner - he's the one paying for the pizza delivery service. Aside from the pizzas - he ordered two flavors, one BBQ chicken and the other Pepperoni… he had also added the side orders for the chicken wings and the onion rings to go along with the pizzas. He didn't order any drinks from Pizza Hut though, because he had already prepared them earlier on by picking up 2 bottles of 1.5 liters of unsweetened green tea from the supermarket in Myeong-Dong, that's owned by the Miyazawa F&B Group.

It was during the dinner session that the name of their fellow classmate - Park Jae-In, was brought up for discussion.

"Speaking of Jae-In, I would have thought you would invite him over for the group dinner. Imagine my surprise when instead of Jae-In answering the door for you this evening, when you're in the shower - it was Hyo Rin that answers the door for me upon my arrival just now." Miyazawa Kazuki commented slyly as he flicked his gaze between his childhood friend - Shunsuke, and the figure of Choi Hyo Rin in an oddly curious manner.

"Yes, well… usually I tend to invite him but he blew me off today citing that he had a prearranged appointment with some other people. I didn't press him for details since he didn't seem willing to share with me any information about his prearranged appointment, I decided to leave it be. As for Hyo Rin's presence, well… as you know, her mother is my landlord and last week the air-conditioner unit had a bit of a leaking issue. The service team came by last Friday to fix things, so her mother sends her over to check in on the situation to see if there's any improvement to the air-conditioner leaking issue. Figuring that she's already here, I thought she might as well stay on for the dinner. Do you have an issue with Hyo Rin being present for our group dinner session?" Saionji Shunsuke rolls his eyes inwardly at his childhood friend's curious gaze on his person.

No doubt - Kazuki is wondering if there are any changes in his relationship with Hyo Rin. It seems both Ga Eul and Kazuki are speculating on whether he would get together with Hyo Rin in time, on the sly. Only, Kazuki was a tad more obvious with his expressions on the matter than his half-sister. Sad to disappoint them, he had no intention to change anything in his life, at present.

Shunsuke's quite happy living his life as a bachelor at this moment in time, but he wouldn't discount the possibility of picking Hyo Rin for a life partner in the future when it came to a point that his family members start pressuring him to settle down for good. Of course, that is, only if Hyo Rin is still interested in him by that point. After all, it's not in his nature to force anything.

"Seriously? Jae-In blew you off for a prearranged appointment? Hmm… interesting, it's rare of him to do that…" Kazuki mused aloud as a curious glint formed in his eyes.

"Gees, Kazuki. Leave that guy alone, just because Jae-In spends his time around Shunsuke in school - they aren't exactly inseparable. Just like how Shunsuke would prefer to spend some time alone in solitude, Jae-In likely needs some time for his own personal plans. Who knows, maybe he had found himself a girlfriend recently?" Choi Hyo Rin butted in then, contributing her own input on the matter of Jae-In's decision to decline an invitation for tonight's dinner gathering.

The reason why Hyo Rin had claimed that there's a possibility of Jae-In finding himself a girlfriend is because she had sighted him walking past the Miyazawa Supermarket in Myeong-Dong with a vaguely familiar-looking girl, that reminded her a tad of that friend of Chu Ga Eul from Seoul High School.

It goes without saying that Hyo Rin's random comment about Jae-In having a girlfriend sparked off another round of speculations on whether or not, the guy really did find himself a girlfriend given how frequent he had to cancel out on them over the past week. Including this evening, Park Jae-In had blown them off a total of five times in the past one week - which is really too frequent and is something that has never happened before.

Meanwhile, over in Myeong-Dong, in a restaurant that serves hot stone Korean cuisine - Park Jae-in and Kim Nari have just seated themselves at a table, ready to have their first dinner date as an official couple.

[Flashback to an earlier timing at the Starbucks Cafe in Myeong-Dong district]

"Jae-In, don't mind me asking… I really do enjoy the outings we have been on recently. But I have to say I'm a bit confused with the high frequency you have been inviting me out for movies and meals. To be honest, I'm getting a few mixed signals from your actions… so, I would appreciate it if you could be forthright with me about what you want from me." Nari had just started, trying to put things eloquently without sounding as though she was demanding for a proper label to the nature of their relationship.

"Right… actually, that's what I meant to discuss with you as well. I mean, we are both outdoor lovers and share multiple common interests in the genre of films and music. We even have similar taste in food… so, all things considered - I thought we are pretty well-match. Therefore, I would like to know if you would want to consider going out with me for real?" Park Jae-In commented trying to appear calm, when deep down inside - he was really a ball of nerves.

After all, Park Jae-In has never had a serious relationship with a girl before, let alone being the one who confessed to a girl. Usually, it's another way around - he would get a love letter from a girl, who he will later turn down politely, one reason or another. After his last bad experience in dating a girl from his own school, he had literally sworn off the idea of finding a girlfriend in his school - period. That was why he had not turned down any of his friend's invitations for him to attend speed-dating events organized by the external organizer. For instance, the speed-dating event where he had met the girl who is now seated across from him in the cafe.

The organizer for the speed-dating event where he had found himself crossing paths with Kim Nari for the second time around, was his former classmate when he was in his first year of high school education in Shinhwa High. His former classmate decided to transfer out mid-semester when they are in the first year of their high school education, because of personal reasons. As far as he knows, his friend's reason for leaving Shinhwa had nothing to do with the F4, it was simply a decision made under his friend's own free will. Either way, Jae-In never found it in him to pry too deep into the matter and since his friend seems happier after leaving Shinhwa, he supposed he shouldn't complain. Besides, he had gotten pretty well acquainted with the E3, in particular, with Shunsuke then - so he wasn't exactly left without a friend. Jae-In found himself jolted out from his thoughts when the girl he had just confessed his intention to date officially began to speak.

"So, in short, you're asking if I want to date you?" Kim Nari raised her eyebrow up at the guy with a questioning look.

"In a nutshell, yes." Park Jae-In nodded in response.

"Well then, first things first. I'm a commoner, is that okay with you? Given that you're a student at the Shinhwa Academy, I figured your family must have been rather affluent. So, I would like to know for certain before committing to anything. Are they going to be against the idea of you dating a commoner?" Kim Nari though flattered that the guy is interested in dating her for real, was also realistic enough to get the facts to straighten out first.

The last thing she desires was a repeat of Geum Jan Di's experience, although Ga Eul didn't reveal much to her about the situation revolving around the love life of Geum Jan Di. Nari was smart enough to read underneath the bare minimum details to get the feeling that Geum Jan Di's commoner status is an issue with the mother of the guy Geum Jan Di is dating at present.

"Fair enough, that's a sensible question, actually. But you needn't worry about that department. I might be a fellow student at the Shinhwa Academy, but I'm not an heir to any of those corporations out there thriving in the Korean business market. My father's the HR manager for the satellite office of the Miyazawa F&B Group, and my mother's a freelance web designer. Therefore, you have nothing to worry about them taking any issues with your commoner's status." Park Jae-In coughed slightly after having heard the line of inquiry coming from the girl and had to cough to avoid snorting aloud in amusement. Inwardly, he was wondering just exactly how much information Chu Ga Eul had shared about the story between Geum Jan Di and Gu Jun Pyo to the girl, to have Nari reacting in such a manner when he asks if the girl wanted to date him for real.

"Good. In that case, I don't see why I wouldn't want to consider dating you for real." Kim Nari responded with a bright and cheery grin. Inwardly, she decided that she ought to buy Sunny a meal instead of a drink, the next time she sees the girl in person. She kind of get the feeling that if she hasn't brought up the topic for discussion first, it might still take some time for the guy to come clean to her about his interest in dating her, officially.

"Ah… in that case, you really should have let me pay for your drink earlier. It's usually the guy that pays for the expenses while out on a date, isn't it?" Park Jae-In commented drily at his newly-minted girlfriend.

Upon the words coming from the guy seated across her in the Starbucks Cafe, Kim Nari couldn't help but blush in response. "Well… we could always extend this meet-up of ours, until after dinner? That way, you can do your part and pay for the dinner meal later."

"Fair enough, I supposed. So, what should we do next?" Park Jae-In nodded in agreement, before asking his new girlfriend for ideas to occupy the time in between now and the dinner hours.

"Hmm… how about we go ice-skating? There's an ice-skating rink within the Myeong-Dong district if I remember correctly." Kim Nari suggested after mulling over the issue for a few minutes, she would have suggested going for a movie except they had already watched a movie earlier on and she isn't sure if she would want to watch two movies on the same day. Visiting the library is not an option, since neither of them enjoys reading for leisure purposes.

"Good idea. Shall we make a move then?" Park Jae-In agreed with the suggestion coming from his new girlfriend easily enough, as they made their way out of the Starbucks Cafe to head over to the ice-skating rink… he made sure to hold the door open for his girlfriend so the girl could exit the cafe before him.

[End of flashback]

"So, what do you want to eat?" Park Jae-In handed the copy of the menu over to his newly minted girlfriend and inquires.

"Hmm… I'm thinking of the bulgogi beef rice set." Kim Nari scanned through the menu swiftly before responding. Since she had already eaten noodles for lunch - she thought she ought to pick a rice dish for dinner.

"Not the beef bibimbap?" The newly minted boyfriend - Park Jae-In couldn't help but inquire.

"Nah… the portion for bibimbap is always too big for me to finish, so I usually avoid ordering them but I wouldn't be opposed to ordering it if you are going to share it with me." Kim Nari commented cheekily at her new boyfriend and cheered inwardly upon the speechless expression she sighted in the eyes of the guy who had just been promoted from a 'friend' to a 'boyfriend'.

"I see, well... maybe next time. Given that we have grabbed a sandwich earlier at the Starbucks Cafe, I'm not sure if I'm able to finish off a bibimbap set meal on my own as well." Park Jae-In responded eventually, after thinking on the matter for some time. So, in the end, he ordered a spicy chicken soup rice set for his own consumption.

Playing the dutiful role of a newly-minted boyfriend to Kim Nari, Park Jae-In went on to walk the girl home after their dinner date came to an end. Originally, he was going to walk the girl to the train station and later send the girl home before he heads home on public transport himself. Yes, he travels via public transport on the weekends – during school days, his father would drive him to school, and later he would hitch a free ride home from one of his friends who owns a vehicle of their own. Usually, it would be Shunsuke since he's closer to that guy as compared to the other two members of the E3.

"Actually, there isn't a need to walk me to the train station. This is pretty close to where I live, so you can simply just walk me home. My family apartment is situated in the residential estate two streets away from our present location. You? Where do you stay?" Nari inquires, now that she's officially dating the guy – it's only natural for her to wish to get a better idea of where her own boyfriend resides, isn't it?

"I see, well... I reside in the neighborhood of Dohwa-dong in the Mapo district with my parents." Park Jae-In said in response to the inquiry coming from his newly-minted girlfriend. As he walks his girlfriend home to the apartment building situated two streets away from where they took their dinner meal, the young man with tanned skin due to his status as a soccer player on the Shinhwa High Soccer Team continues to make small conversation with his new girlfriend.

Before Nari, he used to have another girlfriend. Only, the girl appears to be more interested in getting to know his friend – Shunsuke through him, rather than getting to know him on a personal scale. Thus, upon discovering the fact that his ex-girlfriend is only trying to get close to Shunsuke through the means of dating him – Park Jae-In wasted no time in putting an end to that relationship of his.

Since then, he hasn't gone out on dates with any girls… not until Nari. Originally, he exchanged contact information with the girl because they had a couple of common interest areas, and it wouldn't hurt to make a new friend. And through the past outings he had invited the girl out on, Jae-In was constantly observing the girl's behavior and reactions to literally everything they chanced upon while out on their outing trips.

Given that Nari didn't try to fish information concerning the E3 nor the infamous F4 out of him, every single time they meet up for an outdoor activity such as going on a cycling trail ride in the Gyeongchun Line Forest Park or simply going on a hiking trail by taking a walk at the Namsan Park. Jae-In's impression of Nari gradually improves with each meet-up session of theirs, the fact that the girl didn't even complain about weary feet at the end of the hiking trail taken at the Namsan Park - was what really gotten his interest in the idea of asking the girl to be his girlfriend.

After all, most of the girls tend to prefer indoor activities to outdoor activities… even those that don't mind outdoor activities prefer light activities such as kite-flying, or taking a picnic in a park. Most of them wouldn't even entertain the idea of going on a hiking trail, but Nari doesn't really mind going out on a hike with him. The girl agreed without even taking a moment to consider the idea, which just goes to show how much she loves the outdoor. Either way, Jae-In is thankful that Nari brought up the subject first because he was having difficulty deciding when he should broach the subject with the girl.

"Thank you for walking me home. Would you like to come upstairs for a visit?" Nari started when they came to a stop outside the lobby of the building where her family apartment is situated.

"Not today, maybe next time?" Park Jae-In responded bashfully; he wasn't quite ready to cross paths with the parents of his new girlfriend yet. Still, he knows this isn't a meeting he could avoid forever. Eventually, the parents of his girlfriend are bound to express their inclinations to meet him - after all, he's the guy dating their precious daughter. Well, at least, his girlfriend has no overprotective brothers, so… he needn't worry about being threatened by any siblings of his girlfriend.

Kim Nari was exceptionally grateful to find that both her parents aren't back from their work yet when she reaches home because she was grinning so brightly that her parents are bound to inquire on the reason behind her extremely good mood if they're home to witness that bright and cheerful expression on her face. Too excited to sit still, Nari decided to find someone to share her joy with. Between messaging Ga Eul, Areum or Sunny - Nari eventually decided to message Sunny. Mostly because she did promise to update Sunny about the end result of her talk with her 'friend' earlier on in the day. As for Areum and Ga Eul, she could always fill them in, at a later time.

Kakao-Talk messenger, private chat between Kim Nari and Sunny, 10th May 2009, Sunday, 10pm

Nari: Not sure if you're still awake, but if you're… ^_^ Thank you, your advice for me to have a talk with him, works! And now, I officially have a boyfriend. ^_^ v

Sunny: Oh, that's great! Congrats, Nari. And yes, I'm still awake… though not for long. I'm on the verge of falling asleep when your text came in. ^^;

Nari: Oops, in that case, I shan't delay you from getting your beauty sleep. See you next weekend, goodnight ~

Sunny: See you, and goodnight.

Location: Chelsea, London, UK. Detached home owned by the Ha family of the JK Group, 10th May 2009, 1pm [London Time], 10pm [Seoul Time]

"Dear? What has you so agitated this time?" Ha Dae-Jung, the director of the JK Group who is currently based in the UK inquires as he came home to his family-owned property in Chelsea, London after a golf session with his business acquaintance.

"Your daughter, what else?!" Jang Bongseon, his wife huffed at him in annoyance.

"...What has Jae-Kyung done now that agitates you this much?" Ha Dae-Jung sighed inwardly as he resigned himself to the task of cleaning up after his wayward daughter's mess, once again.

"She left behind a note for me to find about her going on an impromptu backpacking trip to South East Asia, after promising me that she would turn up at the tea party hosted today in our back garden last night. How she managed to sneak out of the house without anyone noticing is truly unfathomable." Jang Bongseon threw a glaring look at her husband who encouraged their daughter's penchant for freedom and slapped the memo note she had found on their daughter's desk at the man she married over the past two decades with blatant annoyance.

"Okay… well, at least, she had the decency to bring along the bodyguard I assigned her on the trip. That way, her safety while out exploring a foreign land is ensured. Now, dear… I don't mean to insult your integrity but tea parties are for little girls, our daughter is nineteen going on twenty soon. Of course, she wouldn't be happy about you parading her around like a doll during those tea parties of yours. I'm not surprised that she decided to make a run for it, while she still can." Ha Dae-Jung commented to his wife in a placating tone of voice, but he also understands that there wasn't much his wife had to do to occupy her time in the UK. After all, their friends are all in Seoul… the fact that his wife had agreed to relocate their entire family to the UK after he expressed his inclination to shift the headquarters of his business to London, is a miracle on its own.

His family business - the JK Group had business dealings in various industries, including the energy and petroleum sector, trade and wholesale, import and exports, as well as manufacturing and distributing sectors. The JK Group had business offices spread over different continents, with the office situated in middle-east specializing in the petroleum sector; the Korean office mainly deals with the trade and wholesale business sectors. In the UK, his business mostly deals with imports and exports, while his corporate office in South East Asia focuses on the manufacturing and the distributing sectors of his businesses.

Even though, the JK Group doesn't have as much influence as the Shinhwa Group in Korea. One cannot argue against the fact that the JK Group have their hands in more industries than the Shinhwa Group since the Shinhwa Group still had no hands in the crude oil and petroleum, energy industry.

As an ambitious businesswoman, it's only natural for Kang Hee Soo, the lady president of the Shinhwa Group to set her eyes on a business merger with the JK Group to bring the Shinhwa Group up to a new level. Albeit, because of her husband - Gu Bon-Hyeong's sudden collapse at work, Kang Hee Soo's priority is now given to resolving their business internal crisis before she could focus her attention elsewhere. As such, the JK Group is still blissfully unaware of how their entire family would find themselves back on Korean soil in a matter of months.

Location: Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi, Vietnam. 10th May 2009, Sunday, 8pm [Hanoi Time], 10pm [Seoul Time]

"Young Mistress, are you sure it's wise to sneak off without a word to the Mistress? She's going to be pissed when she realized you'd ditched her in favor of an impromptu holiday trip, you know?" Chen, the female bodyguard sic on Jae-Kyung by her father started apprehensively as they waited in line at the immigration counter checkpoint at the airport of Hanoi to clear the custom.

"Chen, relax. You worried too much, your job is to keep me safe on the trip. As for the wrath of my mother, you don't have to worry much. Dad would have a way to placate her, and by the time we return - everything would have blown over nicely." Ha Jae-Kyung told her bodyguard in a reassuring tone of voice, as she starts conducting an internet search into the places of interest, in Hanoi, Vietnam. Little did the heiress to the JK Group knows, the next time she sees her parents in person - it wouldn't be in London, but in Seoul, South Korea instead.

This is her first time going on a holiday trip to a country in the South East Asia region, she had previously traveled around the countries within the UK district with only Chen around for company. Having seen so much of the western infrastructures already, the heiress to the JK Group is looking forward to seeing something different on this particular holiday trip of hers to Vietnam. A holiday it might be, but the heiress of the JK Group was tempted to dub this holiday trip of hers a backpacking trip since she has plans to not just visit one country, but multiple countries located within the South East Asia region. Not that her bodyguard is aware of her plan yet…

Even though, the heiress of the JK Group was adamant to dub this holiday trip of hers to Vietnam as a backpacking trip… one can't really expect the heiress of the JK Group to lodge in a backpackers' inn. So, when Chen was entrusted with the task of making the booking for their lodging accommodation in Hanoi, Vietnam. The bodyguard had decided to book them a stay in the JM Marvel Hotel & Spa, after going through all the reviews she could find online about the hotel.

Naturally, when Ha Jae-Kyung arrived at the hotel booked by her bodyguard for their lodging. She was less than pleased, why? Because she had already told her bodyguard that she wishes to lodge in a backpacker's inn, if not a bed & breakfast accommodation would also be considered ideal. Still, with all that said - her bodyguard had gone on ahead to book their stay with a reputable hotel which although may not fall under the posh and luxury category is still considered pretty much on the high-end tier. Since the rate for a night's stay in the JM Marvel Hotel & Spa is equivalent to 80,000 Korean Won, and Jae-Kyung intends to stay in Hanoi for a week before moving on to her next destination.

"Chen! I thought I told you to book a stay for me at a guesthouse or the backpackers' inn? Why did you end up booking a stay for us at a boutique hotel instead?" Ha Jae-Kyung turns towards her bodyguard with a pouting look on her face. How on earth is she going to get a taste of a backpacker's feel if she's staying in an upscale hotel?

"Young Mistress, pardon me for being impetuous… but I hardly think you can adjust to the living standards at a backpacker's inn or a guesthouse in a southeast Asian country. Bathrooms are located in the common areas and shared between occupants in such lodging accommodations in the South East Asia countries, is that truly going to be an acceptable option for you?" Chen, the female bodyguard sic upon the heiress of the JK Group deadpans as she stared flatly at the young lady pouting at her, in front of the hotel's entrance.

"..." Ha Jae-Kyung paused to think over the issue of sharing bathrooms with unknown strangers and promptly shudders on reflex. On second thought, maybe staying in a boutique hotel wasn't that bad. At least, she would get her own En-suite bathroom during her stay with the hotel… and then, there's also the fact of the food provided at the in-house restaurant. Certainly, there would be something that would suit her taste preference - right?

"You're right, Chen. Maybe, I'm not exactly cut out to tour a country like a typical backpacker. Alright then, let's just treat this visit to Hanoi as an ordinary exploration vacation trip like the past trips we had taken to Ireland, Wales, and Scotland then." Ha Jae-Kyung promptly changed her tune about how she's going to backpack across the South East Asian countries within seconds.

Ha Jae-Kyung ended up spending an entire week in Hanoi, Vietnam exploring areas like the two French quarters where the hotel she's lodging at is situated within walking distance, as well as visited the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long; patronized the Water Puppet Theater; tour the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum; visited the perfume pagoda and of course, went to take a walk around the Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son.

Needless to say, she also went shopping for a bit in the Trang Tien Plaza, which is the nearest shopping mall to her lodging hotel. Always a bit of an adventurer in terms of trying street food, Ha Jae-Kyung also visited the Dong Xuan Market on the weekend at night where she gets to try out iconic Hanoi dishes. E.g., Vietnamese Sandwich and the La Vong grilled fish. Since she had quite a couple of countries she's thinking to explore over the next few months, the heiress of the JK Group dare not buy too many things while out on her shopping trip and thus, most of her money spend during her time spent in Vietnam are mostly on food.

The only thing she had bought from the mall was a bottle of perfume from Dior and that's only because, in her rush to leave her home in the UK, she had forgotten to pack her favorite perfume for the trip. Luckily, she did remember to pack her cosmetic bag with her before leaving home… although it wasn't quite her entire cosmetic collection, it would have to do for now.

~TBC~

Chapter's Notes:

Okay, this is part 1 of the interlude chapter, as you can see most of it focus on Sunny and her new friends. Yes, I made Nari a friend of Sunny as well. The idea has been on my mind for some time, only I wasn't sure how to go about letting them get acquainted. It can't be through Ga Eul due to the bad blood between Jan Di and the trio, so, I thought why not let Sunny befriend Nari through Areum. Hence, I made Nari and Areum's mothers being friends, allowing them to be childhood friends. So, through Areum – Sunny got to know and befriended Nari.

I also allow the family of Jae-Kyung to make a cameo appearance in this chapter as well. And I did introduce Jae-Kyung a little earlier into the story. :D What do you think of it?

Apology for not many SoEul moments in this chapter, but there is a slight cameo screen-time for Ga Eul featuring her time spent with the E3 and Hyo Rin at the Shinhwa Country Club. Originally, there's no SoEul but I managed to fit in a brief chat and give both Yi Jeong and Woo Bin a cameo screen time in my final draft of the chapter. ^^; Next chapter though, they will have a bit more screen time together. I promised!

Okay, since there's a 6 months' time difference between episodes 12 and 13. Here's what I'm thinking. Going in chronological order, part 2 and part 3 of the interlude would feature events that took place from end-May to October. I won't be covering everything in detail, so time skips are bound to happen. But here's a brief idea of what I'm going to cover in the next two interlude chapters.

1 - F4 Graduation from Shinhwa High [End May of my story]

2 - Ga Eul's summer visit to Japan, Tokyo. [June/July] & SoEul alerts for this part.

3 - Gu Jun Pyo relocation from Beijing to Macau with his mother [July/Aug]

4 - Ha Jae-Kyung touring trip in South East Asia & how/when she got to Macau [Oct]

Given the timeline, November (in my story) is where episode 13 events would take place. Of course, I won't be covering everything that happens in the timeline of my story in detail - there would definitely be time-skips featured. But highlights are parts given to the SoEul, the Japan trip of Ga Eul in June/July would definitely be covered in detail :D

I'll be incorporating original scenes that explain why the Shinhwa heir and his mother is in Macau, and why Jae-Kyung is also in Macau during the interlude chapters as well ^^; That's all for now, see you in the next update ^_^

PS: Before I forgot, Merry Xmas!