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,

32. Chapter 32

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.

PS: Edited a word, typo error in this chapter. So, pardon for the repeated story alerts if you are on the story alert list.

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 32: An Interlude, Part 5: Reunion!

Location: Unnamed dessert shop in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul. 20th July 2009, Monday, late morning 11am

Figuring that since she's meeting up with her study group friends to drop off her gifts and souvenirs for them later this afternoon at the Starbucks Cafe in Myeong-dong, Sunny thought she might as well arrange for a meet-up with her former friend, Ginger to pass her the Billabong windbreaker before school resumes for the new school year. While at it, she might as well drop off the Aesop skincare set Miranda had requested with Ginger since Sunny doesn't really wish to meet up with the girl anywhere outside of school.

When Ginger shows up at the designated meet-up point, a dessert shop decked out in pastel color theme within the neighborhood she resides… it didn't take her too long to locate her former friend, the heiress to the boutique hotel group - Park Enterprise, Sunny Park Sun Ja.

"Sorry, Sunny. It's a bit of a chore to get off from a call with Miranda. Anyway, how much is the windbreaker?" Ginger started as she dropped herself into the seat across from Sunny, her former friend who had recently decided to distance away from her and Miranda.

"After conversion to Korean Won, it costs 150,700." Sunny responded as she handed the shopping bag with the logo of billabong imprinted over to her former friend and the leader of the annoying trio now duo in school - Ginger Choi Jin-Hee.

"I'll Kakao-Pay you the amount shortly. I don't have enough cash on my person now. Are you registered on Kakao-Pay or do I have to go through the old-fashioned bank transfer method to pay you the amount owed for the windbreaker?" Ginger inquires, as she tapped into her Kakao Talk messenger to access the Kakao Pay function.

"No worries, I'm registered on Kakao Pay. So, you can pay me via the app. Oh and here's the Aesop skincare set Miranda requested. Since she didn't specify which type she wanted - I went for the travel skincare set." Sunny commented nonchalantly, while inwardly adding that it's the cheapest skincare set available on the shelf of the shop she patronizes in the Collins Street shopping district within the Melbourne CBD.

"Right, I'll be sure to pass it to her later on in the day. Okay, I've just transferred you the money - please check if the amount transferred is accurate." Ginger commented after fiddling around for a few minutes on her phone.

A beeping notification came in on Sunny's phone then, a quick look at it informed Sunny that it is a notification from the Kakao App installed on her mobile that a money transfer has been made to her via Kakao Pay.

"Yes, the amount transferred is correct. Thank you." Sunny responded as she tucked away her mobile phone and reached for another smaller bag, this time - she slide it across the table to Ginger and said. "Nothing fanciful, it's just a bottle of Manuka Honey I picked up in Melbourne. It's a souvenir for you and your family."

"Thank you. Seeing as there's only a single jar of honey in the bag, shall I take it that Miranda isn't getting anything extra from you?" Ginger remarked nonchalantly.

"Well…knowing her, she's not going to pay me back for the Aesop skincare set. So, she's not getting anything extra from me as a souvenir from my Melbourne trip." Sunny answered in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, clamming up soon after as she has no intention to share her experience in Melbourne with her former friend. But that didn't stop her from making random small conversations with Ginger though, even if half the time she already knows what to expect about the girl's summer activities. No doubt, it's either shopping with Miranda or heading to the spa with Miranda, etc.

"Right… well, it's good to see you this morning, but I've got to go. Else, Miranda is going to start bombarding my phone again. I'll see you in school in a few weeks. Goodbye." Ginger Choi Jin-Hee commented as she stood after having ingested her share of the dessert, with the shopping bag from Aesop containing the skincare set for Miranda and the shopping bag from Billabong containing her new windbreaker in hand. The smaller bag holding the Manuka Honey, Ginger had dropped it into the bigger bag containing her new windbreaker so she needn't carry too many shopping bags at one time.

"Goodbye and see you when school resumes." Sunny nodded as she remained seated in the dessert shop until Ginger vanishes from sight, before standing to leave the shop herself. The next thing on Sunny's itinerary was to head home and sleep some more, seeing as she isn't meeting up with her new friends until 4pm this afternoon.

Location: Unnamed Cafe in Milan, Italy. 20th July 2009, Monday. Milan Time -9am, Seoul Time - 5pm

In the meantime, So Ii-Hyun was in Milan, Italy studying the art of coffee making from his local barista friend when he felt the buzz of an incoming call. Taking a good look at the caller's name, his eyebrows went up a notch in surprise.

[Yi Jeong? That's definitely a surprise…] - So Ii-Hyun thought as he pressed on the 'answer' button to pick up the incoming call.

"Yes, Yi Jeong? I have to say I'm surprised to see your name on my Caller-ID since I was under the impression that you aren't going to contact me voluntarily based on the last time we conversed in person." So Ii-Hyun commented wryly as he answered the call from his younger sibling.

"...Hyung. In my defense, I was upset then. I mean, Eun-Jae had just disappeared without a word and the next thing I know, you were going to leave home as well. So, in my frustration - I lashed out at you. Anyway, that wasn't the point of my decision to call you today. I was going to ask when you would be free for a meet-up with me, I think it's high time we start clearing up the air between us." Yi Jeong responded on the other end of the line, his tone sounding both annoyed and exasperated to the ears of So Ii-Hyun.

"I see, well. A meet-up between us would have to wait for now. Unless, you can fly over to Milan, Italy for the meet-up. It would need to be on hold until the end of July, at least. Since that's when I'll be returning to Seoul." So Ii-Hyun responded as he dropped off the news of his whereabouts to his younger brother over the phone in a nonchalance manner.

"Milan, Italy? Why on earth are you in Milan?" So Yi Jeong sounded incredulous as he echoed from his end of the line, the incredulity in his tone makes Ii-Hyun quirk up a smile in response.

"Well… I've just recently graduated from college, and since I'm no longer the heir to succeed the Woo Sung Museum… I thought I should strike out on my own and start my own business." So Ii-Hyun responded nonchalantly to his younger brother over the phone.

"...Okay, and which industry are you going into? Never mind, don't answer that - let me guess. What's Milan famous for? Fashion for one, but since you aren't majoring in fashion or apparel design in college - you can't possibly be thinking of starting a business in the fashion industry. So, that's out. All that's left is…the cafe culture. Certainly, you aren't planning to go into the F&B industry - are you?" So Yi Jeong felt the corners of his lips twitching on reflex as he thought of his elder estranged brother going into the F&B business. Is he going to be surrounded by people in the F&B industry from hereon? The Korean Casanova couldn't help but question inwardly in a bemused manner.

"Yes, is there anything wrong with me deciding to go into the F&B industry?" So Ii-Hyun couldn't help but question upon detecting the irony lurking in the tone of his younger sibling.

"No. Nothing's wrong with you going into the F&B industry. I assume you are looking to start a cafe business?" So Yi Jeong hurried to deflect his estranged brother's curiosity on the subject, he isn't ready to let his brother in on the fact that he's attracted to the illegitimate heiress to the Miyazawa F&B Group, and hence his earlier reaction to Ii-Hyun's decision to go into the F&B industry.

"Yes. That's what I was thinking, cafe seems like a more logical choice for a small business given the manageable capital funding. Besides, unlike other forms of F&B businesses that require quite a handful of manpower to make things work. Cafe, on the other hand, could easily be handled with just one single man. Since the bulk of my finance is going straight into the starting capital for my cafe business, I'm not likely to hire anyone until I start generating profits, and thus, I'm looking to run the cafe on my own for a while." So Ii-Hyun then went on to give his younger sibling the brief outline of his business plan.

"I see, all the best to your business coming into fruition then. Alright, I shan't disturb you further. Let me know when you're back in town so we could officially air some things out between us." So Yi Jeong eventually said, as he took the initiative to end the call on his end.

Location: Incheon International Airport, 30th July 2009, Thursday morning, 11am

It was completely by chance that So Ii-Hyun, the estranged elder brother of the Korean Casanova of F4, found himself coming face-to-face with Cha Eun-Jae, his childhood friend and the woman both he and his younger brother, Yi Jeong had fallen for - some years ago, in the arrival hall of the Incheon International Airport.

"Sorry." Cha Eun-Jae has been busy surveying the airport trying to find her way out to the public area, after clearing the customs. It has been 3.5 years since she had stepped foot onto Korean grounds and it seems the airport had undergone some minor facelift in the period she was gone. Thus, it took her a moment to navigate her way around the somewhat unfamiliar layout of the airport's arrival hall.

Either way, she must have been too preoccupied with the thought of finding her way out that she found her baggage cart hitting the baggage cart of another passenger who had just cleared the customs. Naturally, she apologized on reflex to the person her baggage cart had run smack into.

"It's fine. No harm done." So Ii-Hyun responded, after checking the condition of his own baggage following the clashing impact between his baggage cart with another passenger's baggage cart.

"...Ii-Hyun?" Cha Eun-Jae glances up at the guy who had just spoken and found herself murmuring the name of her childhood acquaintance somewhat hesitantly. It has been years since she met the elder son of the So family, after all. Given that Ii-Hyun had taken to avoid her shortly after she confessed to him about having feelings for his younger brother.

"... Eun-Jae." So Ii-Hyun was stumped silent for a moment, seeing as he wasn't expecting to meet up with the woman he still harbors feelings for, to date without any form of mental preparation ahead of time.

"Yes, fancy meeting you here. Did you just come back from an overseas trip?" Cha Eun-Jae took it upon herself to diffuse the awkward moment between them, even though she was feeling quite awkward herself.

"Yes. I just got back from Milan, Italy. You?" So Ii-Hyun prompted as he masked up his moment of awkwardness and move on to engage his childhood friend, and the woman he loves in a small conversation about their recent overseas trip.

"I just got back in from London. I was there for the past 3.5 years pursuing my undergrad studies in the fields of banking and finance." Cha Eun-Jae explains as she revealed to the elder son of the So family about her whereabouts over the past 3.5 years since she disappeared from his younger brother's life.

"Banking and finance? I thought you had picked the fine arts as your choice of undergrad studies?" So Ii-Hyun blinked, sounding surprised at the end of Eun-Jae's explanation.

"I decided to change the course of my major studies once I transferred to London for the completion of my college studies. The reason why I had picked to major in fine arts when I'm still in Seoul was that I wanted to get closer to Yi Jeong, but when I left Seoul - I was determined to leave everything that would remind me of your brother behind. Thus, I decided to change the course of my study and start afresh in London with the pursuing of a banking and finance degree." Cha Eun-Jae admitted as she averted her eyes away momentarily from So Ii-Hyun when the name of his younger brother was brought up.

"I see… seeing as you're back in the country now - can I safely assume that you're completely over Yi Jeong?" So Ii-Hyun inquires, fixating the figure of Cha Eun-Jae with a questioning look.

"Yes. I can confidently say that I had completely moved on from Yi Jeong." Cha Eun-Jae nodded in affirmation, she wouldn't have stepped foot back onto Korea grounds if she's still hung up over her first love.

"Well then, I'm sure it has been a long flight home for you. So, head back home and rest up. Perhaps, we can meet up for lunch tomorrow to catch up properly? Don't worry, I no longer reside in the So family mansion - so, you don't have to worry about crossing paths with Yi Jeong or my grandfather for that matter." So Ii-Hyun suggested, his heart leaping in joy at the prospect of Eun-Jae no longer harboring feelings for his younger brother. That means, he wouldn't be snatching Eun-Jae out from his brother's grasp - right? Certainly, that means he could finally give these feelings he had for the woman a chance and see if anything more would be able to develop between them?

"Certainly. Are your contact details the same as before?" Cha Eun-Jae inquires, purely out of curiosity - since she didn't attempt to contact either of the So siblings while she was abroad. She had no idea if their contact details had been changed or not.

"Yes. It's still the same. I had held out hopes that Yi Jeong would learn to forgive me for walking out of the family and leaving him alone to deal with the drama of our family life, and thus I had kept my contact details the same as before. The only thing that has changed is probably my residential address since I was originally staying in the dormitory affiliated to my college of choice." So Ii-Hyun sighed inwardly as he confessed to the woman he loves about how he was still estranged from his younger brother, after his self-exile from home to start crafting a life out for himself outside of his family influence.

"Wait a minute. What do you mean by you walk out of the family?" Cha Eun-Jae inquires, looking bewildered.

When she first heard Ii-Hyun mentioning about he was no longer living in the So mansion, she had assumed that he had simply moved out of his family home because he need time away from all the family drama surrounding his mother's suicidal acts and his father's philandering way of life. After all, having grown up with the So siblings, Eun-Jae had known how much the brothers detested the idea of dealing with the drama in their family life. While Yi Jeong could still hide under the table and cower, Ii-Hyun as the eldest son of the family has nowhere to hide and had to face everything straight on. And therefore Eun-Jae wasn't surprised to learn that Ii-Hyun had moved out of his family home at the first opportunity that came up, but what she wasn't expecting was for him to leave his family behind for good and hence her bewilderment.

"Right, I forgot you weren't aware of the fact having left the country without a word - 6 months before I walked out of my family. Anyway, long story short, three years ago - Yi Jeong was declared the official heir to the Woo Sung Museum - following his successful debut at the Biennial in Venice as the youngest potter to make it onto the international stage, by our grandfather. No longer shouldering the duty and responsibility that comes attached with the heir title, I was free to do as I pleased for once. At first, it was fine but when grandfather attempted to make me do something I had no intention of doing - I rebelled and decided to leave home for good. The end result, I got cut off financially from the family. Anyway, Yi Jeong and I kind of had a falling out following my decision to leave home and we have been estranged from each other since." So Ii-Hyun explained to Cha Eun-Jae then, as he provide a quick summary of the events that happens following her decision to abruptly remove her presence from his younger brother's life.

"I see… did you not inform him of what your grandfather had demanded you to do that you were unwilling to comply?" Cha Eun-Jae commented causing Ii-Hyun to freeze up momentarily before shaking his head in response.

"No. I didn't see the need to bother him with something he has no need to concern himself with." Ii-Hyun responded to Eun-Jae's inquiry, after a moment of silence.

Inwardly, he was thinking that he would never come out to either Eun-Jae or Yi Jeong about just what exactly his grandfather had wanted him to do that causes him to rebel by leaving home for good. Basically, what happened was that his grandfather had thought Eun-Jae was a good match for him despite her family having no influence in the arts industry, and because they are of the same age. His grandfather had thought of arranging a marriage union between him and Eun-Jae. Naturally, Ii-Hyun isn't going to comply… not when he knows Yi Jeong had feelings for Eun-Jae as well, and that Eun-Jae had left Seoul for the purpose of getting over Yi Jeong and not simply because she wishes to pursue an education overseas - which is the cover story given out by Eun-Jae's parents in the wake of her abrupt departure from Seoul.

[What a tangled web we weaved…] - So Ii-Hyun thought ironically to himself, as he sighed inwardly at the thought. He was only drawn out from his thoughts when he heard Eun-Jae addressing him, again.

"I see…well, I'm sure with time - he would come around and reach out to you. With Yi Jeong, you just have to be patient." Cha Eun-Jae commented to Ii-Hyun with a sympathetic look on her face.

Unfortunately, though, Eun-Jae didn't have the patience to hold out her feelings for Yi Jeong. It might be different if she was a little younger, but unfortunately for her - she's older than Yi Jeong, being of the same age as Ii-Hyun. She wasn't sure how long it would take for Yi Jeong to stop running from the notion of being in a committed relationship and that's why, when Yi Jeong didn't show up on the rooftop in Myeong-Dong after she told herself that she would just give this entire relationship with him one last try - Eun-Jae decided it's time to give up and leave Seoul for a fresh beginning.

Her 3.5 years away from Seoul taught her independence and being self-reliant in the face of challenges. Now, Eun-Jae is back in the country to help her father out in their family business full-time. Contrary to what other people may think, the Cha family isn't involved heavily in the arts industry. Despite being childhood friends to the So siblings, the Cha family is actually running an automobile business - specializing in the import and export of automobiles.

Her father's accounting manager recently retired due to old age, and Eun-Jae had received the official summons from her parents to come back home to help out in the family business. Nevertheless, even if she tried to cut off everything that would remind her of Yi Jeong - it seems, she still couldn't exactly cut out pottery from her life. Thus, she found herself continuing to pick up pottery skills on the side while she was studying for her banking and finance degree in London. But she also knows she would never reach the professional level as Yi Jeong, her first love who spurned her in his fear for commitment.

"..." So Ii-Hyun was bizarrely silent in the wake of Cha Eun-Jae's comment, mostly because he didn't know how to correct the assumption of Eun-Jae about Yi Jeong not having reached out to him. The truth is, Yi Jeong did reach out to him about a week ago to request a meet-up in person. But he had to postpone the meeting because he wasn't in town then. Oh well, deciding that what Eun-Jae didn't know wouldn't hurt, for now, Ii-Hyun didn't bother to correct the girl's assumption and simply leave things be.

As Cha Eun-Jae made her way out to the taxi stand outside the airport, she went on to locate the name - Ii-Hyun in her phone's directory and dropped off a text message to her old friend.

A private message between Cha Eun-Jae and So Ii-Hyun, 30th July 2009, Thursday, 11.45am

Eun-Jae: This is Eun-Jae, just thought to drop you a message ahead of time so, you would be able to update my contact details. Unlike you, I was determined to get a fresh start in London, so one of the first things I did to avoid having your brother contact me before I'm ready was to change my phone number.

Ii-Hyun: Hey, Eun-Jae. Thanks for your text, I've updated your contact details as requested. So, about lunch tomorrow… would you like to meet up in the Myeong-dong district or would you prefer to meet up in the Itaewon area? I'm personally fine with either option.

Eun-Jae: When you reassured me that I wouldn't be running into Yi Jeong anytime soon at your place of residence earlier on, I was under the impression of you inviting me to have dinner in your home - to be honest.

Ii-Hyun: Honestly, that's my original idea until I recall that I have absolutely nothing in my fridge for the preparation of a meal. I make sure to use up the fresh ingredients in my fridge months ago, before my trip to Milan, Italy.

Eun-Jae: If we are going to spend time doing a proper catch-up, I think a drink or two would be needed. Thus, I would prefer to do it somewhere that I know I'll be safe - so, I think we ought to meet up for lunch at your place. No worries about your empty fridge though, let me know what you intend to prep up for lunch tomorrow and I'll get you the ingredients on my way over to your flat. I assumed, you're staying in a flat somewhere - right?

PS: Out of curiosity, what were you doing in Milan?

Ii-Hyun: Flat/Apartment - it's the same thing, and yes. I am staying alone in a flat unit in the Itaewon area. Hence, I said I'm fine meeting you for lunch in the area… but oh well, since you insisted on meeting up for lunch at my place. Here's my address: Floor 16, Yongsan-gu, Itaewon-dong, Itaewon-ro 27-gil, unit 03.

PS: In response to your curious inquiry, I was there to pick up barista skills which are necessary for the cafe business I was thinking of starting. Since it's a start-up business, I have no additional funding to employ anyone and thus, I need to learn how to make the coffee and tea myself. To do that, I decided to visit Milan and pay a visit to an old acquaintance of mine - who now owns a cafe in Milan, Italy. He allows me to intern at his coffee house in Milan for the last six months, and now I've finally 'graduated' under his guidance and am back in the country to start up my own cafe business.

Eun-Jae: Thanks for the address. So, what time do you want me to swing over? And what do you have in mind to make for lunch tomorrow?

PS: That sounds absolutely interesting. I would love to hear more about your cafe business idea tomorrow.

Ii-Hyun: Hmm… I'm thinking pasta. I've picked up some Italian culinary skills from my friend in Milan, recently. Anyway, I'll send you the shopping list shortly after I actually check on my kitchen pantry.

PS: I'm glad you think so. And I would love to share my cafe business idea with you if you're interested in hearing about them. Alright, I'll buzz you again when I have the shopping list ready.

Eun-Jae: Sure, I'll wait for your shopping list then.

What Eun-Jae and Ii-Hyun had no idea about, was that shortly after their respective departure from the Incheon International Airport. A familiar orange lotus belonging to the Korean Casanova of F4 swerved into the short-term parking lot of the airport.

Yi Jeong was visiting the airport this afternoon because today's the day whereby Chu Ga Eul would be returning from her Japan trip. The past three weeks since his return to Seoul from his one-week trip to Japan was quite torturous for the potter to endure. Sure, the daily text message exchanges over the phone help somewhat, and the video calls once a week on Wednesday night did alleviate the sense of longing he had for the country bumpkin to an extent, but video calls and text messages aren't the same as meeting the girl in the flesh. And then, not to mention there's the inability to savor the food prepped up by Ga Eul for his consumption in the last three weeks.

Therefore, ever since his return from Japan three weeks ago - Yi Jeong has been looking forward and counting down to the day of Chu Ga Eul's return to Seoul. Either way, Yi Jeong's at the airport to pick the girl up and welcome the girl back to Seoul because he wanted to be the first person to see Ga Eul upon her return. And so, after Yi Jeong had gotten hold of the information that none of the E3 members are going to pick up the country bumpkin from the airport, he had volunteered to pick the girl up over their routine message during the dinner hours, on the previous day.

Originally, Yi Jeong had wanted to pick up a fresh bouquet of flowers for Ga Eul… but then, he decided against the notion last-minute as he didn't want the scene of him gifting Chu Ga Eul flowers and picking her up at the airport to start trending on the local social media platforms. The Korean Casanova might be ready to commit himself to a relationship with the girl, but he certainly isn't ready to broadcast the information to the general public just yet. So, the flowers can wait…perhaps, until tonight if the girl is willing to have dinner with him on her first day back in Seoul. But if Ga Eul had plans to dine with her family members tonight, he likely would have to settle for dinner with the girl on the following day.

The first thing Chu Ga Eul did upon disembarking from her return flight was to switch the mode of her mobile phone from flight mode to the normal connectivity mode. Once the connection to her phone resumes, she wasted no time in dropping a text to a certain Korean Casanova of F4, informing the man of her landing at Incheon International Airport.

A private message between Chu Ga Eul and So Yi Jeong, 30th July 2009, Thursday, 12.30pm

Ga Eul: Yi Jeong-sunbae, I've just landed and am now waiting in line to clear the immigration. I will buzz you again after I had collected my baggage.

Yi Jeong: Sure, let me know which exit point I should meet up with you when you are done collecting your baggage.

Ga Eul: Hmm… I'm at arrival hall F, why don't we meet up at exit 12?

Yi Jeong: Noted. I'll meet you outside exit 12 at the passenger pick-up/drop-off point?

Ga Eul: Of course. Are you driving the lotus or the Lexus today?

Yi Jeong: I'm driving the lotus today. The Lexus has been sent for a car wash, Woo Bin's younger sisters spill their drinks in my Lexus when he borrowed it yesterday to bring his sisters to the Never-land amusement park. *Roll Eyes Emoji*

Ga Eul: *Amused Emoji* I see, I supposed he's the one paying for the car wash then?

Yi Jeong: Of course. I lend him the car in perfect condition, so I expect to see a pristine and perfect car when he returns the vehicle to me.

Ga Eul: Right, anyway - I'll buzz you again when I'm on my way out.

Yi Jeong noticed Ga Eul before the girl noticed him when she emerged out from exit 12 of the Airport. So, clearing his throat - the potter of F4 calls out for the girl's attention.

"Ga Eul, welcome back to Seoul." Yi Jeong begins, flashing his charming dimpled smile at the country bumpkin as he stepped forth to give the girl a brief and loose hug - the same way he would greet Jun Pyo's sister when the woman is in the country. As tempting as it was to keep the girl in his embrace, Yi Jeong knows that wouldn't be wise as his brief and loose hug of the girl has already drawn them some form of attention from the members of the public.

"Yi Jeong-sunbae! Thank you for coming by to pick me up at the airport, at least, that way I needn't lug all my baggage onto the public train network." Chu Ga Eul commented as she bestowed a bright cheery grin at the Korean Casanova of F4 after the guy was done greeting her with that brief friendly hugging act in public. Being a sensible and patient girl, Ga Eul didn't ask when the guy intend to make their relationship official, because she didn't wish to stress the guy out unnecessarily.

So Yi Jeong flicked his gaze towards the baggage of the girl, and nearly dropped his jaw in shock. Having not been at the airport to see the girl off when Ga Eul headed off for her Japan trip, he had literally no idea how much baggage the girl was traveling with and thus was rendered gobsmacked by the sight of the two standard 20-inch luggage which Ga Eul had somehow managed to lug out from the airport on her own.

"...How did you get to the Narita Airport with all this baggage of yours on the public transport?" The Korean Casanova couldn't help but inquire, after having digested the sight of the girl traveling with a total of three baggage including her carry-on backpack.

"I didn't. Tanaka-san drove me to the airport this morning. For your info, I traveled to Tokyo with only one checked baggage and my carry-on backpack. The other suitcase, I bought in Ginza while out shopping with Miyuki and Misaki. It was meant to be a spare since I had no idea when my current suitcase would break apart on me since it's already a few years old. Anyway, it sort of comes in handy for the transportation of all the souvenirs and advanced birthday gifts meant for Kazuki that I have been entrusted to bring back with me to Seoul." Chu Ga Eul rolls her eyes momentarily at the Korean Casanova when the guy had simply stood there and gaped at the sight, instead of coming forward and helping her with the loading of her baggage into the car-boot of the orange lotus.

"Right… sorry. Let me help you with the baggage." Upon noticing the eye-rolling reaction on the face of Chu Ga Eul, Yi Jeong finally snapped himself out from his stupor-like mood and reacted accordingly. Hurrying to unlock the trunk space of his orange lotus, the Korean Casanova then went on to help the girl load up his empty car trunk with the baggage.

"It's fine, you're forgiven. Jan Di would have reacted worse than you did if she was present to witness the number of luggage I have with me - coming back from a trip to Tokyo. She would have thought me a shopaholic… which definitely isn't the case." Chu Ga Eul commented when she finally settled down in the side-passenger seat of the orange lotus belonging to the Korean Casanova.

"Hmm… I know you aren't the type who buys things impulsively. Henceforth, you definitely don't belong to the shopaholic category. Anyway, where do you intend to go next? Straight home or are you going to make a pit-stop somewhere?" So Yi Jeong inquires, as he starts up the engine to his orange lotus.

"... Straight home for now, but before that… maybe we ought to stop by somewhere for lunch first? As much as I wish to spend my dinner time with you today, I'm afraid I need to dine with my parents and Jung-Min tonight. Kazuki might pop by as well, no wait, on second thought - I had better summon him over tonight. I want him to bring his advance birthday gifts back before the end of the day, otherwise, it's going to clutter up my room as I unpacked my baggage later this evening." Chu Ga Eul commented with an eye roll as she thought of the number of things she had taking up the baggage space in her checked-in luggage this morning.

"That's understandable, actually. Alright, I'll settle for lunch with you today… and find something else to occupy my time tonight. So, where do you want to go for lunch?" Yi Jeong inquires, flicking his gaze briefly to the girl seated in the side-passenger seat of his orange lotus before refocusing his gaze to the front of the route as he swerved the car onto the highway that links the Incheon area to the city of Seoul.

"I don't know about you, but after being in Japan for 1.5 months… the last thing I wanted to eat is Japanese cuisines. So, let's eat something authentically Korean - shall we?" Chu Ga Eul mused aloud, turning towards the Korean Casanova with bright, sparkling eyes that Yi Jeong didn't have the heart to say 'no' to the girl's suggestion.

"Well… when it comes down to authentic Korean food, it's either Bibimbap, Kalguksu, Naengmyeon, or Korean BBQ. Which one are you thinking of getting for lunch?" So Yi Jeong cleared his throat awkwardly as he averted his eyes away from the sparkling and expecting eyes of Chu Ga Eul to focus on the road, as he commented in response.

"Bibimbap!" Ga Eul didn't even have to think before answering, she has been dying to eat Bibimbap for days now. Only, neither Miyuki nor Tsubasa has a penchant for the dish and thus, she didn't get a chance to whip it up at home to satisfy her taste buds even.

"...Hmm, I see. Well, I know just the perfect place for our lunch then." So Yi Jeong commented, as he swerved his orange lotus onto the route that will bring them to the Walkerhill hotel situated in the Gwangjin-gu. Attached to the hotel is a restaurant - Ondal, commonly known to the locals and the tourists as the Walkerhill Ondal. In this restaurant, the chef specialized in Korean food and it is also where one could find the heftiest priced Bibimbap in the market. Seeing as it's the in-house restaurant of a luxury hotel, people wouldn't ogle upon the sight of him - the renowned Korean Casanova of F4 patronizing the place.

Chu Ga Eul was beyond amused when she recognized where the Korean Casanova was bringing her for their lunch appointment. Figures the guy would somehow manage to dig out a Korean cuisine restaurant that is befitting for his reputation of being a member of the F4. if it's up to her, she certainly wouldn't pick Restaurant Walkerhill Ondal for the lunch venue, but given that it's the Korean Casanova that made the decision on their lunch venue this time - Ga Eul certainly can't say she's surprised by the choice.

"This must be the most expensive bibimbap I had ever eaten in my entire life." Chu Ga Eul commented when she was done with the lunch in the Walkerhill Ondal restaurant.

"Indeed, but you wanted bibimbap for lunch and I would hate to disappoint you. If we were in another country, I wouldn't even bat an eyelid to have lunch with you in some mid-priced restaurants… but unfortunately, we are in Seoul. For us to enjoy a peaceful meal, I had to pick somewhere that we would be ogled the entire duration while we are dining. So, Walkerhill Ondal is the only place I could think of, that does serve bibimbap on their menu." The Korean Casanova admitted as he glanced towards the figure of Chu Ga Eul seated across him in the high-end restaurant of the luxury hotel in Gwangjin-gu.

"I know. I had a feeling when I mentioned that I wanted bibimbap for lunch that you were going to pick this place for our lunch venue today. And it seems, I'm right in my assumption. Although, I'm curious - when did you find the time to make a reservation in advance?" Chu Ga Eul commented with an amused smile playing on her lips.

"I didn't. I was simply going to try my luck to see if there's an available dining room for us to utilize, but judging from the reaction of the staff attending to us at the entrance of the restaurant when I told them my name. I had a feeling that it's likely my father who had made the reservation. Given how the staff didn't question me anything, I supposed my father had made the reservation not under his full name but only under his surname. Seeing as we are related biologically, it's natural for us to share the same surname. Regardless, enough about him… he couldn't blame me for utilizing his reservation with the restaurant since he's the one who didn't specify his arrival time resulting in a lovely mix-up by the staff at the restaurant, so… too bad for him." So Yi Jeong smirked, as a mischievous glint formed in his eyes as he inwardly wonders what his father would do when the man arrives with his date to find that someone else had utilized his reservation at the restaurant ahead of his arrival.

"..." Chu Ga Eul had no words to describe how she feels being given the chance to witness such a mischievous side of the Korean Casanova, but knowing how negatively the guy feels about his father - she didn't pry too much on the issue and simply settles for a smile of amusement at the potter's rare show of his cheeky behavior.

In the case of So Hyeon Seop, he didn't as much bat an eyelid when he arrived at the Walkerhill ondal restaurant that evening only to find that another Mr. So has come by and utilized his table reservation during lunch hour. So, he took it in stride and turns to his date for the day to apologize for an err on his part about booking the wrong date for their dinner meal. And then, the infamous philanderer of the So family went on to change his dining venue to another high-end restaurant within the same hotel. Only, instead of having Korean cuisine for dinner - he had to settle for Chinese cuisine at the restaurant - Geumryong.

This time, he and his date for the evening can get their dinner meal with no issues despite not having made a table reservation in advance. Mostly because unlike the restaurant - Ondal, the Chinese cuisine restaurant in the hotel offers the choice of hall dining which can seat up to 30 guests, and separated private dining rooms. For the use of the private dining rooms, advance reservation is necessary but not so much for the hall dining tables. Thus, that was how So Hyeon Seop managed to placate his date for the day after his son had utilized his table reservation on the sly without him knowing.

At the same time, this particular experience also taught the middle-aged pottery professor employed in the National University of Seoul to book a table at his choice of restaurant with his full name as opposed to just using his surname, the next time around. If he had the insight to book the table at Ondal with his full name, Yi Jeong would never be able to utilize his reservation on the sly. But because he didn't, and thus the restaurant had mistaken his reservation for his son's reservation and that was how the mix-up had occurred on the restaurant's part.

Location: Shinhwa Academy, High School Division. 1st August 2009, Saturday morning, 8am

The new school year begins for the students in Shinhwa High on the 1st of August, given that it's a Saturday. The school is only in session for a half-day, henceforth, not everyone is keen to report to school on that day. But since it is the official first day of class in the new school year, the school had to make sure to send a broadcasting message to its entire student population to report in on that very day for the opening ceremony of the new school year.

"Good morning, Jan Di. I see that you somehow managed to make it to school in time for the opening ceremony." Chu Ga Eul commented as she greeted her childhood friend on the front step of the high-school division academic building.

"Good morning, Ga Eul, and welcome back to Seoul. Yes, I make sure to wake up two hours early today as I kind of need to time the total duration needed for me to get to school from my new place of residence." Geum Jan Di told her childhood friend with a blush, she can't believe she had never timed the duration before given how often she had returned to school over the summer break for the utilization of the school's swimming pool in the aquatic center. If she did have the sense to time the duration for her to reach the school from her new residential address, she probably wouldn't need to wake up so early this morning for the trial.

"And how long exactly does it take for you to reach the school from your current place of residence?" Chu Ga Eul inquires, humoring her childhood friend.

"1 hour 15 minutes via public train system due to the transit needed." Geum Jan Di had to forgo the idea of using her bike for the entire journey to school for now because that would have taken up too much of her time on traveling and not to mention she would be out of breath by the time she made it to school on her bike. Sure, it's a rare sight for students enrolled in the Shinhwa Academy to travel to the school via public transport, but given her commoner status being an open knowledge to the entire school population - nobody is going to criticize her for utilizing public transport for her commute to school.

"Good to know that you had a better idea of how long it would take for you to travel to school from home now. Alright, so… when am I going to be able to visit your new home?" Chu Ga Eul prompted steering the conversation away from her friend's traveling time to school, to the subject of visiting her childhood friend's new family home.

"How about tomorrow morning around 9am? Before your meet-up with the E3, and my shift at the porridge shop." Geum Jan Di mulled over the query of her childhood friend for a moment before shrugging as she suggested for her friend to visit her new home, the next morning.

"Excellent. I'll pop by for a visit tomorrow then, please send me your new address via text later. Alright, it's time for the opening ceremony to begin - shall we make our way to the hall then?" Chu Ga Eul suggested to her friend with a dazzling smile on her lips.

The duo walked towards the hall together before parting ways at the hall's entrance as they split up to join their new classmates for the new school year. Rather, Ga Eul was the one branching off from Geum Jan Di to join her new class while the Wonder Woman of Korea simply join up with her classmates from the previous school year. It's not difficult for Jan Di to spot the row where her class is gathered, since it is incredibly hard to miss the sound of Miranda and Ginger conversing about how life has gotten boring in school with the graduation of the F4 from the high-school division.

"Good morning, Sunny. I take it that this is the row for the C class?" Chu Ga Eul begins, voicing her query across to the familiar figure of Sunny Park Sun Ja seated several rows ahead of where Jan Di and the annoying duo sat in the school hall.

"Oh, good morning. Yes, this is the row for class 3C." Sunny nodded in response, wondering why Chu Ga Eul is standing near where she sat - surely, with the girl's grades… Chu Ga Eul can't be her classmate, this year - right? Thus, her eyes nearly fell out of its socket when she noted how Chu Ga Eul had taken a seat about two spaces away from where she sat.

"Surprise to find me in class 3C?" Chu Ga Eul didn't even need to be a genius to figure out the thoughts of Sunny, judging from the girl's jaw-slackening reaction.

"Yes, I was under the impression that your grades were better than mine." Sunny confessed with a meek nod.

"You aren't wrong in the sense, but to make it into B class - the grades across the subjects need to be 85% on average. For the top elite class, all the subjects need to be above the 90% mark. My science grades fall short of 2%, pulling down my overall grades to only 83% and thus, putting me in class 3C this year." Chu Ga Eul commented nonchalantly in response, while unintentionally making it known to her new classmates about how she's the top student of their class based on the grades attained in the last school year.

"..."

"Good morning, Sunny." Areum Lim finally arrived with Jessica Sim in tow at the school hall for the opening ceremony then, and they sat down in the two empty seats between Ga Eul and Sunny filling up the space.

"Good morning, Areum. Good morning to you too, Jessica." Sunny greeted them both with a pleasant smile, still reeling inwardly over the thought of being a classmate with Chu Ga Eul for another year.

"Morning~" Jessica Sim responded to Sunny's greeting with a lazy wave, she appears downright lethargic over the idea of having to report to school on a Saturday.

"So, Sunny… aren't you going to introduce us to our new classmates?" Areum began, having seen the sight of Sunny engaging in a conversation with the new girl in her class - she had come to the conclusion that those two are likely acquainted.

"Right, Areum and Jessica - meet Chu Ga Eul, like me - she's going to be your new classmate for the year ahead." Sunny began, and then turning towards Chu Ga Eul she gestured towards Jessica and said.

"This is Jessica Sim, a Korean-American. Areum… I don't need to introduce, I supposed. Since you had likely known of her before meeting her, considering her friendship with Nari." Sunny commented as she introduced her new friends to the figure of Chu Ga Eul under the request of Areum.

"Of course." Chu Ga Eul responded as she shifted her attention and focus onto the figure of Areum Lim, and hold out her hand for the girl to shake. "It's a pleasure to finally put a face to your name. I'm Chu Ga Eul, nice to meet you."

"Areum Lim, nice to meet you as well." Areum reacted spontaneously as she gave the hand of Chu Ga Eul a firm shake. With that, the self-introduction phase finally came to an end only Jessica seems to be a tad confused at the turn of the events.

"Why did Nari's name come up, out of the blue?" Jessica blinked, looking somewhat confused by the words of Sunny.

"Chu Ga Eul used to be a student from the same school Nari is studying in, as such, they were acquainted." Sunny eventually said she didn't dub Ga Eul a friend of Nari… since she wasn't quite sure in that aspect. Even though, Nari did think and considered Chu Ga Eul a friend of hers.

"I see…" Jessica nodded, as she shifted her focus back to the front of the hall where the school principal had just arrived to give his welcoming speech to the new students starting high school this year, and to welcome the existing students back for a new school year.

Location: So Yi Jeong's Pottery Studio, 2nd August 2009, Sunday morning. 8am

Yi Jeong had just ended his morning round of text conversation with Chu Ga Eul when he was reminded abruptly about something he hasn't gotten around to doing yet. His intention to contact his estranged brother for a chat in person has yet to take place, it seems. The notion had been on his mind since his trip to Japan some weeks ago. Only, when he finally mustered up his courage to call up his estranged brother intending to arrange for a meet-up in person to clear things up between them, he was informed of his brother being away from Seoul until the end July.

And then, between going through his paperwork at the museum and going about his duties as the heir to the Museum alongside dealing with the routine drama between his parents… Yi Jeong had completely forgotten to follow up on the matter when the end of July came and whizzed past him in a flash of light. It wasn't until three days after the return of Chu Ga Eul from Tokyo that Yi Jeong was reminded of the pressing issue he had to clear up before he could make things between him and the country bumpkin, official.

[Damn… I can't believe I didn't recall it sooner.] - Yi Jeong cursed inwardly in his mind, as he hurried to check the date on the calendar of his mobile phone. Noticing that it's already the 2nd of August, Yi Jeong thought his brother ought to have settled in by now. Scrolling through the list of names in his phone directory, the potter of F4 hesitated momentarily when he reached the entry titled 'Hyung' in his phone directory before finally pressing down on the text button. At first, he thought of calling but then he recalled that it's a Sunday, and his brother might not be awake just yet and thus settled on the notion of messaging his estranged brother, instead.

A private message between So Yi Jeong and So Ii-Hyun, 2nd August 2009, Sunday morning, 8.30am

Yi Jeong: Hyung. Are you free to meet up for brunch?

Ii-Hyun: Yi Jeong, of course, I'm free to meet you for brunch. Where would you like to meet up?

Yi Jeong: Miya's Cafe in the Gangnam district.

Ii-Hyun: Sure, I'll meet you there in an hour?

Yi Jeong: Make it 10am.

Ii-Hyun: Alright. 10am at the Miya's Cafe in Gangnam. See you there.

So Ii-Hyun ended his text message with his brother and went on to establish contact with Eun-Jae. Seeing as he's meeting up with Yi Jeong for brunch later, he has an inkling that Eun-Jae's name is bound to be mentioned throughout his conversation with Yi Jeong. So, he needed to check if Eun-Jae is fine with her whereabouts to be disclosed to Yi Jeong first before anything else.

A Private message between So Ii-Hyun and Cha Eun-Jae, 2nd August 2009, Sunday, 8.45am

Ii-Hyun: Good morning, Eun-Jae. Sorry to disturb you this early on a Sunday, but I just got a text from Yi Jeong asking me to meet up with him for brunch. Before heading out to meet him, I thought it necessary to check with you on your inclinations whether you want your whereabouts to be divulged to Yi Jeong, at present.

Eun-Jae: Ii-Hyun, good morning. Thank you for your insight to contact me on the subject before proceeding with the brunch session with Yi Jeong. For now, I would prefer it if you kept the knowledge of my presence in Seoul away from his knowledge. I know I said I'm over him, which I am… but I don't think I'm mentally prepared to see him yet. So, for now - please keep my presence in Seoul a secret from him.

Ii-Hyun: Noted, alright. Enjoy your weekend with your family. I'm heading off to meet Yi Jeong now, wish me luck that everything would run smoothly.

Eun-Jae: Good luck. Given that he has reached out to you on his own, I'm sure you'll be able to mend things with him soon enough. ^_^

While So Yi Jeong prepared himself for a brunch meet-up with his estranged elder brother at the Miya's Cafe in the Gangnam district, Chu Ga Eul was visiting the new place of residence of her childhood friend for the first time ever.

Location: Geum family home, Seongbuk district, Samseon-dong. 2nd August 2009, Sunday morning, 9am

"Ga Eul, sorry to make you come by this early. But as you know, I need to work today at the porridge shop. So…" Geum Jan Di begins as she welcomed her childhood friend into the threshold of her new place of residence with her family, in the new neighborhood.

"It's fine, I understand. Really, so you don't have to keep apologizing to me on the subject." Chu Ga Eul responded as she waved off her childhood friend's attempt to apologize to her on the matter, again. And then, she handed a paper bag imprinted with the logo of the JR Shinagawa convenience store over to her friend and said. "Here, I brought you some snacks from Japan as a souvenir for your family. Oh, and there's also a plush penguin meant for you exclusively."

"Oh, you shouldn't have." Geum Jan Di commented as she took the paper bag from her friend and took a peek into its' content.

Inside the paper bag, she landed her eyes on the 25cm penguin plush immediately and couldn't resist grinning as she took it out of the bag to examine it in detail. Another peek into the bag informed her that her friend had brought her a box of the 12 packs infamous Tokyo Banana in its original flavor.

"Jan Di, I know your family could be really thrifty but I felt it prudent to point out to you that the Tokyo Bananas have a short shelf-life. So, please - finished them before the end of the month otherwise they would go bad." Chu Ga Eul couldn't help but remind her friend in a pointed tone of voice.

"I know! We aren't that mindless. Food is perishable, after all. Anyway, let me show you the bedroom before Kang San got home from his morning exercise." Geum Jan Di commented as she hurried to lead her friend over to the bedroom she is now sharing with her little brother.

The bedroom isn't very big in terms of sizing, but it's still possible to fit in two people. The wardrobe closet in the room is built-in, so it saves them the hassle of having to move in a bulky piece of wardrobe furniture. That gives them some additional room space to work with, the study desk is tucked against the wall under the window of the room.

On the opposite side from where the built-in closet was, a bunk bed made up of solid wood sat. Squeezed in between the bunk bed and the study desk was a bookshelf that functions as a display shelf atop of being a space to store the books her friend and Kang San owns for their studies.

"Interesting set-up, did the apartment comes furnished?" Ga Eul couldn't help but inquire upon the sight of the wooden bunk bed in the room. She hardly thinks her friend's parents would spend additional money on getting Jan Di and Kang San a new bed.

"Yes, it comes fully furnished. Thankfully, it came furnished with a bunk bed in the second bedroom. Otherwise, I'm sure eomma is going to make me and Kang San sleep on futons in an empty room." Geum Jan Di sounded extremely relieved when she commented to her childhood friend about how glad she is about not needing to sleep on the floor, after moving into the new apartment.

What Geum Jan Di had failed to realize is that the apartment wasn't furnished originally. But Yoon Ji Hoo had ordered in the furniture as a house-warming gift of sort for Geum Jan Di without letting the girl in on the fact, and of course, he had sworn the property agent into silence on the matter. It also helps that the owner of the property was actually a distant cousin of his, on his mother's side of the family who's living full-time overseas. That was why the apartment was put up on the long-term rental market, anyway, because he had spoken to that distant cousin of his ahead of time - he was able to get the place furnished up before the Geum family moved in.

"I see… and who gets the upper bunk?" Chu Ga Eul inquires out of curiosity.

"Kang San. I got the lower bunk, which I supposed is only logical since I'm not very used to using the ladder for the bed. I might miss a step and fall if I were to utilize the upper bunk as my bed space." Geum Jan Di admitted to her childhood friend with a sheepish smile, and then she sat down the penguin plush gifted to her by her friend onto a corner of her lower bunk bed atop of her mattress, beside the bear plush from the Kakao friends line of mascots characters she had gotten from her boyfriend during that double or was it triple-date that went disastrously awry at the end of the entire event.

"Right, I noticed that there's only one single desk in here. But there's two of you using the room, so who's the one using the study desk?" Chu Ga Eul took another look around the room before asking her next question.

"I'm the one using the desk, since it sort of functions as a dressing table for me as well. Only, I don't have a lot of things to fill up the drawer so Kang San had a drawer of his own on the desk. But he mostly studies outside at the dining table. Come on, let me show you the rest of the apartment unit. I'm afraid I can't show you the other room, my parents kept the door to their room locked up when they aren't around." Geum Jan Di told Ga Eul as she led her friend back out to the common area of the apartment unit, her family had recently moved in.

Because the kitchen of the apartment is enclosed, it makes the kitchen feel a tad smaller when compared to their last place of residence but the size of this apartment is actually a tad bigger than their last residential place since they now had a legit dining table in the apartment. In their last place of residence, the table they used for dining is actually also their coffee table since it's planted directly in front of their TV unit.

Anyway, in this apartment unit, the living and the dining area are basically one big space. With the dining table, a round table good enough to fit four people is situated in the space between the enclosed kitchen and the designated living room space of the apartment unit. It did take a bit of time for her family to get used to the new furniture and fittings in the new apartment, but Kang San had liked the fact that they now had a proper dining table which he could use for his schoolwork when it wasn't mealtime and needn't sit crossed legged in front of a low table at all times to do his schoolwork.

The apartment also came with a small balcony area, which is Jan Di's favorite place in the entire apartment unit. Although, there wasn't so much of a view - given that they are staying on the second floor of the building. The balcony serves as a temporary retreat for her, away from the bustle of her family when she needs some time to think alone.

"So, Ga Eul… what's your verdict on the place?" Geum Jan Di inquires, as she placed a cup of water down in front of her childhood friend. She would prefer to serve her friend tea in place of plain water, but unfortunately, tea leaves is something considered a luxury item for her family to own in their pantry and therefore, plain water is the only thing she has readily at her disposal to serve any guests and visitors of hers.

"I'll say it's a step up from your last place of residence. It's more organized at first glance." Chu Ga Eul commented in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. Whether the apartment would get as cluttered as their old place of residence in time - Ga Eul had no idea, but for now…she thought the new apartment seems better organized than the last apartment her childhood friend and her family had stayed in.

Location: Miya's Cafe in Gangnam district, 2nd August 2009, Sunday morning, 10am

Seated in a corner booth of the cafe, So Yi Jeong nursed his cup of Espresso while waiting for his brother to arrive. Inwardly, he was organizing his thoughts as he try to come up with a structured plan for his upcoming conversation with his estranged brother. Three years - that's how long it has been since he saw and spoke to his elder brother in person.

Outside, it took Ii-Hyun a bit of time to find the cafe where he's supposed to meet up with his younger brother. Having not patronized the cafe before, Ii-Hyun had to rely on Google Maps to guide him to the location. So, it's only natural that he ended up arriving five minutes past the agreed time to meet up with his younger brother.

"Sorry for the delay, I was having a bit of trouble finding the entrance to the cafe. The Google Maps led me to the back of the cafe, for some unfathomable reasons." So Ii-Hyun responded apologetically to his younger brother when he finally make his way into the cafe.

"It's okay, I haven't been waiting too long either." Yi Jeong commented in response, waving off the apology from his elder sibling as he directed the guy to the counter to order some food. After all, they are supposed to be having their brunch in the cafe - this morning.

"Do you have any good recommendations on what to get for brunch here? I'm going, to be honest with you, I've never visited the Miya's Cafe before." So Ii-Hyun admitted sounding a tad sheepish, given that the cafe has been sprouting out left and right within the city of Seoul over the past decade - it does seem unthinkable that he has never patronized an outlet under the branding before.

"... You can try out their torte, or the sausage egg bake. Both are equally good in my opinion, otherwise, stick to the Italian variation of the Eggs Benedict or the Pizza Omelet." So Yi Jeong commented in response to his elder brother's inquiry.

Granted, the potter of F4 hasn't started frequenting the cafe as much until recently. Given that the Miya's Cafe has the outlook appearance of being an average F&B establishment catering to the commoners and middle-income group, the Korean Casanova seldom patronizes such establishments on its own. It's not until he was brought here for lunch once by the ever-insistent Chu Ga Eul that changes his mind about the cafe and the food it offers for their patrons.

When it comes down to the food choices available for the patrons, having tried the Eggs Benedict set served in the Deli Cafe in Sapporo, Japan which is also another franchise chain of cafe under the management of the Miyazawa F&B Group - Yi Jeong found that he didn't exactly care for the Italian variation of the Eggs Benedict served in the Miya's Cafe. As such, the potter of F4 found himself sticking to either the Torte or the sausage egg bake when he comes around for brunch either alone, or with companions.

In the end, So Ii-Hyun decided to give the Pizza Omelet a try. For beverage, the elder son of the So family decided to order a cup of Espresso for himself. Both brothers appeared to prefer their coffee black, it seems.

"So, how have you been?" So Ii-Hyun took it upon himself to break the 'ice' after having sat down and eaten in silence for the past five minutes.

"Same old, same old. You? What have you been up to, since leaving home?" So Yi Jeong inquires, deciding to kick start the conversation with something easier. Instead of plunging straight into the topic concerning the messy situation between him, his brother, and Eun-Jae… Yi Jeong decided to catch up to the happenings in his brother's life for a start.

"Well, for starter - after leaving home, I was taken in by the family that rented our grandmother's apartment unit which she had inherited from her parents following their passing. Apparently, after she got into a disagreement with grandfather following his decision to cut off the financial support when I claimed that I wanted to leave home now that there's nothing else keeping me tied down to the family - she had contacted the family that was renting her apartment unit to offer me a roof over my head temporarily while I get things sorted out on my end. It's a good thing the family often offers a home-stay program for foreign exchange students, so they are quite accustomed to the idea of having someone else staying under the same roof with them for a period. Following this, with our grandfather's decision to cut me off financially - I was left to try to survive on my own. The first thing I did was to drop out of college, I can't pay the hefty tuition fees at Shinhwa either way. It took me a bit of time, but eventually, I managed to get into the undergrad program at the Korea National Open University. At the same time, I managed to secure myself lodging with the dormitory hostel affiliated with the university. Grandmother must have been very upset with grandfather's decision to cut me off financially that she eventually decided to transfer the apartment unit she had inherited from her late parents to my name, and then have the monthly rental payment from the family renting the apartment to be routed to my bank account without me knowing until she passes on, about two years ago. Anyway, I'm thankful for what she had done because it helps me out a great deal - I wouldn't have made it this far in life on my own, without her assistance provided on the sly." So Ii-Hyun told Yi Jeong in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, as he summarized his experience after leaving home in a simplified manner.

"I see… and was that how you managed to pay for your tuition fees and lodging at the new college?" Yi Jeong pressed on, curious on the subject.

"Yes. But the rental income that grandmother had routed into my bank account is just enough to cover my college tuition fees and the cost of my lodging in the dormitory hostel. If I wanted additional money in my pocket to spend, I needed to earn them myself and so, I found myself working part-time in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant near the area where my college is located alongside my roommate who's an exchange student with the college from Milan, Italy. He was here for a year, and during the year he was rooming with me in the dorm. We kept in touch after he went back to his home country, and my recent trip to Milan was actually an invitation from him for me to visit him on his home turf. Of course, the fact that he had set up his own cafe in Milan was a nice surprise, and after he heard of my intention to start a cafe business of my own - he went on to impart his experience at setting up his own cafe business to me with ease." So Ii-Hyun confessed to his younger brother, about just exactly how he came about the idea of owning his own F&B business.

"I see… so, where do you reside after graduating from college? Given that grandmother's apartment is still being rented to someone else, I doubt you are staying there at present." Yi Jeong went on to inquire about his brother's present place of residence, originally he was under the impression that his brother is still staying in the apartment unit owned by their late grandmother which is now in his brother's name. Now though, it seems that wasn't the case.

"Ah… after graduation, I had to find somewhere else to stay. For a while, I was lodging in the pantry of the Italian restaurant where I works part-time as I tried to figure out what I ought to do next. Originally, I contemplated renting a studio apartment but then a check of my financial assets with my financial consultant informed me that grandmother had specifically left behind not just her apartment unit to me, but also a portion of her private savings in the form of cash money to me. Using the portion of the cash money she left behind for me, and another portion of my own savings I'd earned from my part-time job over the past few years - I decided to purchase an apartment unit instead of renting. So, now… I'm a proud owner of a 2-bedroom apartment unit in the Itaewon area. While this decision of mine did leave my bank account depleted for a time, but since I'm still receiving a stable income in the form of the monthly rental coming in from the apartment which I had inherited from our grandmother - I wasn't exactly penniless. And that's when I received the call from my friend in Milan, Italy inviting me over to Milan for a visit which I accepted after taking a week to consider the idea. Before leaving Seoul for Milan, I quit my job at an Italian restaurant. I mean, I'm an undergrad with a degree in the management studies - I'm not going to stay in a kitchen job for long, either way." So Ii-Hyun went on to provide another summary recount of the happenings in his recent life, to his younger sibling who seems quite keen on the idea of simply catching up with him this morning.

"Right, and when did the idea of owning a cafe business occur to you? Somehow, I doubt you left Seoul for Milan with exactly that idea in mind." Yi Jeong prompted, after having digested the information he had just garnered from his elder brother.

Yi Jeong wasn't surprised about his elder brother receiving a portion of the cash inheritance from their late grandmother, because he had received the other half of the cash inheritance. Unlike their grandfather who's a tad more biased to him due to his talent in the pottery area, their grandmother treated them both equally. And just like his elder brother, Yi Jeong had utilized his portion of the cash inheritance from his late grandmother on his place of residence. Only, he didn't invest it in a property of his own as his elder brother did, but to use the money on the remodeling work made to the pottery studio to make it habitable. Yi Jeong was drawn out from his thoughts, when his elder brother begins to speak, again.

"You're right, I wasn't thinking about starting any business when I first left Seoul for Milan. It wasn't until I arrive in Milan and met that friend of mine that the idea truly occurs to me. Either way, I stayed there as his house guest for six months while I picked up the barista skills from him while I interned in his cafe. I formed my business plan in Milan after speaking with him at length about how he had set up his cafe business, and once I think I had gotten most of the details concerning my business plan straightened out - I decided it's time to come back and put my plan into action." Ii-Hyun nodded in agreement to his younger brother's comment, before filling his brother in on just when exactly did the idea of owning a cafe business of his own came to him.

"And have you found a shop space for your dream cafe business yet?" Yi Jeong asks, knowing that he's stalling for time but well… he thought he could finish hearing all about his brother's business plans before he finally brought up the main subject for today's meet-up session with his elder brother.

"Not yet, I've only just got back into the country for a few days. I've arranged for a viewing of some commercial space with the property agent tomorrow though, so I'm glad that you decided to invite me out for a meet-up today instead of the next few days. Seeing as I'm likely not going to be free for a meet-up with you during the weekdays." So Ii-Hyun responded to his younger brother's inquiry, in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"I see. Well, keep me posted on the updates. I'll be sure to send you a flower hamper when your cafe open for business officially, and do let me know if you need contacts from the renovation contractors. I could refer you to Woo Bin, and have him get you some discounts in the renovation package." Yi Jeong commented with a slight quirk of his lips.

"Thanks, I'll let you know when I found my ideal shop space. Now, I'm sure you didn't ask to meet up with me simply to catch up on my recent happenings. I believed you mention the need to clear things up between us, in our previous conversation over the phone." So Ii-Hyun nodded at his younger brother before he took it upon himself to broach the main topic of today's meet-up session.

"...You're right. First of all, I supposed I owe you an apology." The potter of F4 started, fixating his eyes on his cuppa. Mostly because it's easier to get his words out without meeting the eyes of his brother.

"If this is about your reaction to my decision to leave home three years ago. It's fine, I'm over it by now. Besides, I know you're just lashing out because a dozen of things have not been going well in your life then." Ii-Hyun responded with a sigh, as he looked at his younger brother who seems determined to avoid meeting eyes with him.

"Actually, it's more about me hurting Eun-Jae after you decided to take a step back upon noticing the mutual attraction we have between us."Yi Jeong eventually commented, this time, finally raising up his head to meet eyes with his elder brother.

"..."

For a while, there was silence. Eventually, So Ii-Hyun spoke up. "I'd hoped that you wouldn't notice my feelings for her…"

"Hyung, contrary to what you may think. I'm not that blind." Yi Jeong rolls his eyes openly at his elder brother then.

"I know that now… but still, I'm going to ask you something and I expect an honest response from you this time." So Ii-Hyun sighed inwardly as he started, combing a hand through his hair out of vexation. Inwardly thinking that this entire situation is just too awkward, but given how he's now aware that Yi Jeong was fully in the knows of the feelings he had harbored for Eun-Jae.

Ii-Hyun felt it prudent to know for certain if Yi Jeong's decision to stand Eun-Jae up that night in Myeong-dong has had anything to do with him. He hoped against all deities out there that he had nothing to do with his younger brother's decision to not show up at that rooftop on that fateful night before Eun-Jae's abrupt departure from their lives, because if he did have a part to play in the contribution behind Yi Jeong's decision to stood Eun-Jae up… he didn't know how he should face Eun-Jae the next time they met in person.

"Ask away, I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability." Yi Jeong answered, equally vexed. Given a choice, he didn't wish to be sitting down here and speaking on the subject of Eun-Jae with his brother but he knows he needs to get these lingering issues settled.

"Am I the reason why you didn't show up on that rooftop in Myeong-Dong, that fateful night?" So Ii-Hyun took a deep breath, closed his eyes briefly before opening them, and stared straight at his younger brother as he voiced his query across.

"...Not really. Mostly I didn't show up out of my own fear of what Eun-Jae was going to say. I wasn't ready for commitment, and I know she has issues with the merry-making ways of life that I'd chosen to lead. While I do agree, that I had reservations about what you might think about her feelings for me since you harbored feelings towards her as well. But no, you weren't the reason why I stood her up that night." Yi Jeong took a deep breath before he answered the question of his elder brother, finally, one of the most awkward parts of the conversation is over.

"I see…" Ii-Hyun heaved an inward sigh of relief at his younger brother's response. Well, as long as he wasn't the reason why Yi Jeong stood Eun-Jae up that fateful night, he could breathe a tad easier. At least, that way he would be able to meet up with Eun-Jae without the sense of guilt pooling in his gut every single time.

"Hyung…" Yi Jeong started, sounding somewhat hesitant.

"Hmm…?" Ii-Hyun glances over to his younger brother questioningly, inwardly hoping that his brother wasn't going to ask him about Eun-Jae's whereabouts. After all, he had promised Eun-Jae that he wouldn't divulge her whereabouts to Yi Jeong anytime soon, and he had no intention to go back on his words. Yet, he didn't wish to lie to his brother as well…

"Nothing, I just wanted to know if you still had feelings for Eun-Jae… but seeing as Eun-Jae's whereabouts remains unknown at present, it's a bit of a moot point knowing your answer to that question." Yi Jeong eventually shakes his head as he shrugged off the matter, nonchalantly.

"...And you? Do you still have feelings for her?" Ii-Hyun couldn't resist asking, given that Eun-Jae's whereabouts are only unknown to Yi Jeong at present. He truly didn't want anything on his conscience if he truly managed to win the heart of Eun-Jae, this time around.

"Hmm… that's truly a good question. To be honest, I guess I'll only be able to tell for certain after coming face-to-face with her person at present." Yi Jeong responded, inwardly he could definitely say that he didn't feel the same way for Eun-Jae now as compared to before since his heart now belongs to another. However, he dare not say he feels absolutely nothing for Eun-Jae as well… after all, bitterness and regret still fill him up whenever Eun-Jae came into mind. So, maybe he does need a proper closure on the subject which wouldn't happen if he didn't at least speak to Eun-Jae in person, at least once.

The notion of his elder brother having hidden the whereabouts of Eun-Jae from him had never once crossed the mind of Yi Jeong, at this point. Therefore, when he chanced upon the figure of Eun-Jae unexpectedly in the pottery classroom Ga Eul had enrolled herself in during the winter break - he was startled and loses all forms of composure. And when he found out later that Eun-Jae had gotten together with his brother, he was naturally upset beyond reasoning. Of course, that's a story for a later time - for now, Yi Jeong's still blissfully unaware of the fact that his first love is now back in town and has already met up with his elder brother behind his back, outside of his knowledge.

Meanwhile, the first thing Ii-Hyun did at the end of his brunch meet-up with his brother was to drop Eun-Jae a text message.

A private message between So Ii-Hyun and Cha Eun-Jae, 2nd August 2009, Sunday, 12pm

Ii-Hyun: Your name did come up for discussion during my brunch meet-up with Yi Jeong. But no worries, I didn't let it slip to him about you being back in town.

Eun-Jae: Thank you, Ii-Hyun. I appreciate it. By the way, let me know if you need a second opinion concerning the budget plan for your business. I'll offer you my expertise, free of charge.

Ii-Hyun: Are you sure? I thought you're busy getting adjusted to the role of the accounting manager at your father's automobile company?

Eun-Jae: Yes, but my father's company isn't operating on the weekends. That's when I would have the time to help you out. Now, do you want my professional input on your budget plan or not?

Ii-Hyun: Of course, I would accept your offer for assistance. I'll let you know when I have the figures out and need a second opinion on the budget plan I came up with, for now - I'm still on a hunt for the ideal shop space.

As for Yi Jeong, well… the first thing he did after the end of his brunch session with his elder brother was to message a certain country bumpkin to find out what the girl is doing with the E3.

A private message between So Yi Jeong and Chu Ga Eul, 2nd August 2009, Sunday, 12pm

Yi Jeong: Good afternoon, Ga Eul. I just ended a brunch session with my elder brother, but not to worry - I'm not going to skip my lunch, I'm just going to postpone it for an hour or so. While on the subject, what are you doing at present?

Ga Eul: Good afternoon, Yi Jeong-sunbae. ^_^ Well, I'm taking lunch with Hyo Rin at the bistro bar at Shinhwa Country Club. The boys are still in a rally game on the court, we got bored of watching so… we decided to sneak off for an early lunch.

PS: I believe I have an hour or two to spare, before meeting up with the E3 for dinner at Aunt Shinobu's place. Do you want to meet up for a high tea session?

Yi Jeong: That would depend on your definition of a high tea session. If you are talking about the authentic high tea session at one of the high-end hotels, sad to say I'll have to decline since they always serve sweet treats at such high tea which I'm not too much of a fan of. But if you're referring to having tea at my pottery studio, or the F4 Clubhouse - I'll be open to the idea.

Ga Eul: The F4 Clubhouse then, easier for me to vanish off for a few hours without drawing suspicion from Kazuki. ^_^

Yi Jeong: Oh, so we're sneaking around behind your brother's back now - huh?

Ga Eul: Yes, so… are you up for it?

Yi Jeong: Of course, I'll buzz you when I reached the clubhouse.

Ga Eul: *Smiley Emoji* See you in a while then. ^_^

Location: Shinhwa Academy, University Department, 5th August 2009, Wednesday, 8am

The 5th of August is the first day of school for the tertiary students, unlike the time whereby the members of F4 are still in high school. Privileges of having their own classrooms and lounge space no longer apply to the members of F4, as such, they are expected to mingle with the rest of their fellow classmates.

"Yo! Ji Hoo, how have you been? By the way, where's Yi Jeong?" Song Woo Bin greeted his auburn-haired friend with a friendly pat on the back when he entered the hall where the freshman orientation program would be taking place in the tertiary department of the Shinhwa Academy.

"Woo Bin." Yoon Ji Hoo nodded to his Don Juan friend in acknowledgment, before responding to his friend's inquiry on the whereabouts of their potter friend. "No idea, but I figured he'll be here soon. I mean, his orange lotus is already parked in the parking lot."

Meanwhile, over at the F4 private lounge in the Shinhwa Academy - So Yi Jeong was slurping up the chicken porridge a certain country bumpkin had made for him this morning when he confessed that he didn't have the time to pick up breakfast from the convenience store, the day before. So, Ga Eul had brought him some chicken porridge from home which she had made for her family this morning as breakfast, and arranged to meet up with him in the F4 private lounge - so, the guy could have something to eat before heading off to report for his first day of school as a freshman for the tertiary department of the Shinhwa Academy.

"Thank you for the meal." Yi Jeong commented as he dabbed the side of his mouth with his handkerchief, while Ga Eul hurried to clean up the used utensils in the kitchenette space of the F4 private lounge.

"You're welcome, and time is ticking. You really ought to get going if you don't wish to be late for your orientation program, Yi Jeong-sunbae." Chu Ga Eul commented as she reminded the Korean Casanova that he has a schedule to keep.

"I know…" Yi Jeong sighed aloud in response, wishing very much that this moment could last forever. But alas, freezing time isn't possible and so, he had to settle for the idea of meeting the girl after classes ended for the day. Well, at least, he still had the lunch reminder text messages to look forward to while he's busy at the tertiary department.

"Off you go, you don't want to be late on your first day of school. I'll see you later this evening at the museum with dinner for you." Ga Eul said as she shooed the Korean Casanova out of the F4 private lounge, towards the direction of the stairs that would bring them both out of the cafeteria building.

"Yes, and I'm looking forward to your homemade dinner meals. It seems like ages since I last had any of your homemade dinners…" So Yi Jeong commented as he made his way out of the F4 private lounge while stamping down the urge to kiss the girl.

"Surely, you are exaggerating. I've been back for nearly a week, and you'd just had the chicken porridge made by yours truly this morning. Anyway, stop stalling and get going. You are going to be late, otherwise." Chu Ga Eul deadpans at the Korean Casanova with an unimpressed look on her face, although inwardly she's flattered that the guy enjoys her homemade food this much that he never stops mentioning it in her earshot.

[So Yi Jeong! Get a grip, there is a time and place for everything.] - The Korean Casanova berated himself mentally, as he made his way out of the building to head off towards the direction of the tertiary department of the school.

Yi Jeong arrived at the hall where the orientation program would be taking place, about five minutes before assembly time. Nodding towards both his friends who are now enrolled in different disciplines, the Korean Casanova move on to join fellow year-mates who had chosen to pursue undergrad studies in the fields of fine arts.

Yes - Yi Jeong had enrolled for the fine arts program in Shinhwa University, his best friend - Woo Bin, had opted for the standard business management course in college while Ji Hoo is now a student of the Medical School of Shinhwa University. As for Jun Pyo, well - that guy is enrolled in the business management course via distance learning, it seems.

Orientation day is a day filled up with ice-breaking and bonding activities, so there are no official lessons to be had. Henceforth, after sitting through the opening ceremony and going through the mundane ice-breaking activity. The F3, in unison, reached a consensus to pull a disappearing act from the rest of their schoolmates when lunch hour comes around.

Location: F4 Clubhouse in Shinhwa Country Club, 5th August 2009, Wednesday, 2pm

"Orientation days are boring… do we absolutely have to turn up for school the entire week?" Song Woo Bin commented as he took a swig of his drink while lounging in the clubhouse of the F4 situated within the Shinhwa Country Club, after skipping out on the rest of the activities at the tertiary department today with his two friends of F4.

"At least, have the decency to turn up for half a day. Although, the staff wouldn't bat an eyelid if we choose to skip out the entire week. It wouldn't do our social relationships with our course-mates any good." Yi Jeong pointed out this to his best friend, objectively.

"Right… speaking of, where were you earlier today? Don't think I've missed the fact that you'd only turned up at the hall five minutes before the orientation program was due to begin." Woo Bin commented, zeroing in his gaze onto the figure of his Casanova friend.

"...I was having breakfast in the F4 private lounge if you absolutely had to know." So Yi Jeong deadpans at his Don Juan friend with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh ho~ so, our former private lounge is now becoming a secret meet-up spot for you and Ga Eul-yang? That's what you were doing there, isn't it?" Song Woo Bin commented gleefully at his Casanova friend, causing his friend to throw him a look of annoyance.

"Ya! Woo Bin, mind your own business - will you? Anyway, has anyone of you heard from Jun Pyo?" The Korean Casanova then changed the subject of conversation, as to the reason why he brought up the mention of the absent Shinhwa heir. Well, it mostly had to do with Ga Eul's question this morning - it seems his absent friend hasn't been contacting the Wonder Woman of Korea and hence it got Ga Eul wondering about whether or not, his absent friend was in contact with the rest of the F4. Personally, for Yi Jeong, he hasn't heard from Jun Pyo… so, he thought to check in with his fellow friends to see if they had heard from the absent Shinhwa heir.

"Nope. He didn't contact me." Woo Bin responded before shifting inquiring eyes upon the figure of Yoon Ji Hoo. Given the fact that Jun Pyo was always closer to Ji Hoo in private, it seems only logical that if the absent Shinhwa heir was in contact with anyone from F4 - it would be with their auburn-haired friend.

"No. But he did transfer me the amount of money I had paid for the furniture ordered for Geum Jan Di's new place of residence. I mentioned it in passing on our private Skype chat which he didn't get around to acknowledge all my messages, I swear - it's like speaking to a mirror. But then, the next day I would receive a bank transfer notification about an incoming amount of money from Jun Pyo's personal account whenever I had spent on something that's meant for Geum Jan Di. So, it means he has been reading all the messages I've been sending him but simply didn't respond to any of my messages." Yoon Ji Hoo commented with a furrowing of his brows, to say he find his long-time friend's behavior puzzling was an understatement.

"..."

And while the F3 was talking about the Shinhwa heir, Gu Jun Pyo is currently preparing to leave Beijing for Shanghai. He would then stay in Shanghai for about a month, before making his way over to Guangdong. After that, it's another month in Hong Kong before heading off to Macau. Yes, the Shinhwa heir is prepared to be touring the few prominent cities of China to inspect the hotel business of the Shinhwa Group.

The employees of their hotel business in China have been expressing their keen intention to meet their new boss, and his mother has approved the inspection trip after mulling over the suggestion brought up by the management team based in China for some time. While he's touring the prominent cities in China, his mother would be persuading the rest of the shareholders about their plan to continue on with the world-class resort project taking place in South East Asia at present.

Turning a crisis into an opportunity - that's the motto they are working towards now.

Meanwhile, Gu Jun Hee is now back in the states with her husband. After all, as the main person in charge of the Shinhwa Group business in the states - she couldn't afford to be absent from her office for a prolonged period. It isn't viable to make her husband her proxy in the long run either, given the fact that her husband had his own hotel business to run and manage.

By the time August is midway through, So Ii-Hyun finally found his ideal shop space for his cafe business. Wanting to save on the renovation costs, he's only looking at shop space that was previously an F&B establishment - that way, only the bare minimum needs to be done when it comes down to the renovations. At least, the gas pipes and water lines don't need to be replaced and all he needed to do is to get in a trustworthy interior designer to convert the original layout of the shop space and redesign it to his ideal cafe.

During his hunt for the perfect shop space for his cafe business, Eun-Jae has been a valuable help in assisting him in keeping the figures under budget. With his residential address being in the Itaewon area, he wished to have his cafe within walking distance from his place of residence. Especially since he doesn't own a car at present, his finance doesn't allow him to keep a vehicle of his own. Kudos going out to the property agent he had engaged to help him source for a commercial space to rent for his cafe business, after all, he had set quite a bit limits with his request of wishing to keep the rental cost under budget, and venue within walking distance from his home.

It's a challenging task but the property agent managed to deliver. Somehow, his agent managed to find him a commercial space that has recently been put up on the rental market. The commercial space used to be occupied by an eatery specializing in Korean cuisines, but the owner is getting too old to keep up with the business and neither of his children wanted to carry on with the business. And so, he had wind up his eatery business and put the commercial space up for rental. After running through some figures with Eun-Jae's assistance, Ii-Hyun decided to rent the space for his cafe business.

With the shop space decided upon, the next step is to get in an interior designer to transform the eatery into his ideal cafe. Following this, he had to get in a contractor to renovate the place. Here's when he finally recalls the promise his younger brother had made to him previously and finally calls up Yi Jeong on his mobile.

It just so happens that Woo Bin was hanging out in his pottery studio that evening when Ii-Hyun's call came in on Yi Jeong's mobile, and so, the Korean Casanova wasted no time in broaching the subject with his best friend following the end of the call with his elder brother.

Location: So Yi Jeong's Pottery Studio, 20th August 2009, Thursday evening, 8pm

"Woo Bin, would you be in the office this coming weekend?" Yi Jeong inquires, shortly after he ended the call with his elder brother.

"It depends, why?" Song Woo Bin raised an eyebrow up at his friend's inquiry, it's not every day that his friend would ask after his working schedule at his family business, after all.

"Hyung intends to start his own business and is now looking for someone to handle the renovation of his business space. I kind of told him that I could get you to give him some discount if he approached your family business for the renovation project." Yi Jeong confessed to his best friend about what he had promised his elder sibling.

"...Well… how big is the project scale? If it's a small project, I can make the decision solely at my own discretion but if it's a big project that brings in loads of profits for the company. It would have to go through my father." Song Woo Bin inquires then, naturally, he wouldn't want to disappoint his friend but with his position in the company, there are certain things that he can't make decisions upon.

"Assuming it's a remodeling of my pottery studio, would it falls under a big project or a small project for you?" So Yi Jeong asks his friend in return, given how much he had spent on his remodeling of the pottery studio before he moved in - he wanted to get a rough gauge of how much money needs to be involved to be declared as a big project.

"If you are basing it on your remodeling cost, that's just a small project which I can solely decide on the cost involved for the renovation. A big project refers to something along the line of that conversion work my family is doing for the building procured by the Park Enterprise in Euljiro-dong." Song Woo Bin commented then, as he cited the most recent project taken on by his family business as an example of what would fall under the category of a big project.

"Well… in that case, it's a small project. Hyung simply wanted to convert a former eatery space into a cafe space according to his design plan. If it's okay with you, I'll ask him to drop by your office at the Ii-Shin Construction on Saturday afternoon to discuss the matter with you directly." So Yi Jeong commented, as he ready his phone to type out a message to his elder brother.

"Sure, tell him to come by on Saturday after 2pm. I should be back from my lunch appointment by then." Song Woo Bin nodded in consent and waited until his Casanova friend send off that message before asking the question that has been nagging at him since his friend brought up the mention of the former heir of the So family.

"Speaking of your brother, when did you mend things with him? I thought the two of you had a falling out when he left the family?" The Don Juan of F4 couldn't help but inquire, allowing his curiosity to get the best of him.

"It's a recent development." So Yi Jeong responded trying to avoid going into details with his best friend.

"Well duh… of course, I know it's a recent development. What I wanted to know is what brought on your decision to reconnect with your brother?!" Song Woo Bin rolls his eyes as he deadpans to his best friend.

"Fine! The thought came to me while I was in Japan. I simply thought it's high time to start clearing up some things from the past, so I could move forward in life." With a huff of annoyance, the Korean Casanova shot his friend a glare as he gritted out his words.

Letting out a whistling sound, Song Woo Bin allows a cheerful grin to play on his lips as he clapped his friend jovially on the back while he commented. "Does that means you are making things official with Ga Eul-yang soon?"

"...That's my intention, yes." Yi Jeong rolls his eyes at his friend's nosiness on the subject, regretting inwardly about coming clean to his friend on the matter because now Woo Bin is not going to leave the matter alone.

"When would that be?" Sure enough, the Don Juan of F4 continues to pry into the subject much to the annoyance of the potter of F4.

"No idea yet. I don't exactly have a detailed plan for it, you know? I supposed, whenever the moment feels right? Either way, I was hoping to clear things up with Eun-Jae before going official with Ga Eul… but judging from how Eun-Jae is still not showing up. I figured, it might be ages before I could get official closure on that front but it wouldn't be fair to keep Ga Eul waiting for that long. Anyway, I'm sure you would be the first to know when I'd finally make things official between me and Ga Eul. For now, just leave the matter alone and stop stressing me out on the subject. I don't see why you are more anxious on the subject than Ga Eul herself." The Korean Casanova huffed at the Don Juan of F4 in annoyance as he confessed his thoughts to his best friend since childhood days.

"Ga Eul-yang is truly a saint. Her patience with you is truly astounding." Song Woo Bin eventually commented, and considering how his friend's first love had literally given up and vanished into thin air - it just goes to prove how patient Chu Ga Eul is when it comes down to Yi Jeong.

"..."

"Speaking about Ga Eul-yang… how long have we known her now?" Song Woo Bin inquires, out of the blue.

"Geum Jan Di transferred in sometime last August, Jun Pyo started getting interested in her around September…which prompted me to visit the porridge shop and met Ga Eul for the first time ever. I remember dragging her off from the porridge shop and bringing her here for a conversation whereby after hearing me out, she proceed to give me a tongue-lashing with that sharp-tongued of hers that rendered me speechless for the first time ever.." So Yi Jeong couldn't help shaking his head in amusement as that memory came to the forefront of his head, funny how things have changed - isn't it?

"Ah… I remembered, she brushes past me at the doorway of your pottery studio then. And because of you, I got a glaring look from her as well." Song Woo Bin chortled in response as that particular memory came to mind as well.

"What date was it, do you still recall?" Song Woo Bin asks next, after getting a good laugh over the memory of their first encounter with the girl his friend had dubbed - country bumpkin, at that precise moment.

"15th of September 2008." So Yi Jeong didn't have to think, the answer was out from his lips before he could stop himself.

"...wow, you remembered it so vividly?" Woo Bin couldn't help but take a double-take at his Casanova friend, sounding absolutely surprised by the fact that his friend remembered their first meeting with Chu Ga Eul, so clearly.

"Yes, well… it's not every day that my charms fails to work on a lady. So, the fact that it completely fail to work on Ga Eul was something that I find it hard to dismiss." Yi Jeong commented with a shrug. Thinking back, perhaps that had been the exact moment the seed of his interest in the girl had been planted without his realization.

"Hmm… was that why your eyes keep straying to her when we visited the porridge shop together to find out from Geum Jan Di just how exactly she had ended up in bed with a complete stranger?" Song Woo Bin commented, causing So Yi Jeong to frown in response.

"Did I? I don't recall staring in her direction though… all I could remember from that visit to the porridge shop was how unnerving it was to have a grown man swooning at me." So Yi Jeong deadpans to his friend after taking a moment to recall that particular scene.

"Is that so? Perhaps, I remember it wrongly then. Oh well, but you can't deny that you keep staring in her direction while we were in New Caledonia." Woo Bin sounded smug when he brought up the mention of New Caledonia to his Casanova friend.

"...Fine, that I won't deny. Anyway, what the hell are you doing? Are you so bored out of your mind that you are dragging me down memory lane this evening?" Finally snapping out of the reminiscing mood, So Yi Jeong wasted no time in throwing his Don Juan friend a glaring look.

"Okay, okay… take a chill pill, bro. Come on, let's drink up!" Song Woo Bin hurried to placate his annoyed friend and redirected their focus onto the liquor they had just broken out from the liquor cabinet.

"..."

~TBC~

Chapter's notes: Alright, this is it - the end of the interlude chapters arc ^_^ Starting next chapter, we are going straight into the contents of episode 13.

Slightly shorter chapter, but I didn't want to lengthen it further unnecessarily. What do you think of this chapter?

SoEul scene - at the airport, followed by a brief chat scene after Yi Jeong's brunch meet-up with Ii-Hyun and later a brief scene in the F4 lounge at Shinhwa Academy.

Ii-Hyun and Eun-Jae appearance! This chapter is tailored for their appearance in the story, I would say :D I honestly had no idea how old Eun-Jae is… there wasn't much information on her either. So, I make her the same age as Ii-Hyun, which means she's older than Yi Jeong.

While I didn't go into details, I did give Jun Pyo some screen-time and explain how he ended up in Macau from Beijing.

That's all for now, see you in the next update and new arc! ^_^ Ciao~