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,

38. Chapter 38

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: 29th Jan 2022, reupload the chapter due to a correction of a typo error towards the end of the chapter. Nothing else was changed in the chapter, except for the amendment of that single typo error.

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 38 - Time flies, Jan Di's Trip to Macau, Part 6

Location: Venetian Macau, Palazzo Suite, Yi Jeong & Woo Bin's Shared Room. Sunday, 22nd November 2009, 10pm [Macau Time]

While Yoon Ji Hoo had a conversation with Geum Jan Di that sends her mind reeling… in the room shared between the two playboys of F4, the Korean Casanova is amid a text conversation with his girlfriend in Seoul. Although Yi Jeong's original thought was to call up his girlfriend for a chat before retiring for the night. The fact that he's sharing the room with Woo Bin was enough to change his mind about calling up Ga Eul on his mobile.

At least with a text conversation, hiding the conversation from his friend's prying eyes wouldn't be an issue but with a phone conversation - short of leaving the comfort of the bedroom to have the conversation out in the corridor way of the hotel; there simply isn't any way to hide the conversation from prying ears. Calling up his girlfriend in the living room of the suite wouldn't work as well, since there's no guarantee that Geum Jan Di wouldn't walk in on him amid a phone conversation with Chu Ga Eul since this isn't a one-bedroom suite like his room in the Grand Emperor Hotel back in Macau Peninsula but a 3-bedrooms suite in Venetian Macau.

Unknowingly to Yi Jeong, his best friend is also preoccupied with a text conversation of his own at present, to attempt to pry into Yi Jeong's private conversation with Chu Ga Eul.

A private conversation between So Yi Jeong and Chu Ga Eul, 22nd November 2009. [Seoul - 11pm, Macau - 10pm]

Yi Jeong: Evening, Ga Eul. How are you today? Are you still awake?

Ga Eul: Good evening, Yi Jeong-sunbae. I'm fine, thank you for asking. I have to say that this is a surprise indeed. I wasn't aware that you would be messaging me at this hour. Yes, I'm still awake - just came out from the shower and am now working on drying my hair with the hairdryer. ^^;

Yi Jeong: Shower at this timing? It's already 11pm over in Seoul, isn't it?

Ga Eul: Yes, but we had BBQ for dinner today. So, my hair smells of BBQ smoke thus making it necessary for a shower at such late timing.

Yi Jeong: BBQ dinner… whose turn was it to host the weekly dinner this week? Speaking of which, did anyone ask why I wasn't present for the tennis game today?

Ga Eul: It's Shunsuke's turn to host the dinner this week. While he usually hosted a pizza party at his studio apartment, his elder brother - Ichiro is in town for a weekend visit, and thus we decided to dine out instead. Kazuki thought it prudent to bring Ichiro out for some authentic Korean food, so we ended up going for BBQ. As for the matter of you not showing up for the tennis game, well… nobody comments on it. Likely, Kazuki had already filled them in ahead of time that you wouldn't be able to make it for the tennis game today. ^^;

PS: What did you have for dinner? Sorry, I didn't have the time to send out the meal reminder text to you at dinner hours today. Was too busy listening to the conversation between the Saionji siblings. Ichiro asks me lots of questions about Shunsuke's happenings in Seoul the last time I was in Tokyo, and I didn't want him accidentally letting it slip to Shunsuke about his informant being me. ^^; Hence, I was busy keeping an ear out on the exchange between them to recall the time to drop you the dinner reminder text.

Yi Jeong: Ah… I thought it strange that your message didn't come in this evening. But it's fine today, with Geum Jan Di around - it's kind of impossible to skip out on meals either way. Originally, was going to have Chinese fine dining but then because Ji Hoo spotted the witch dining in that restaurant, we switched to have Italian instead.

PS: We end up joining the heiress of the JK Group for dinner at the same table because the restaurant is too crowded. Woo Bin looks a tad out of sort this morning though, I wonder what happens last night after I left him at the bar alone.

Ga Eul: Bar? Did you go clubbing with Woo Bin-sunbae last night? *Curious Emoji*

Yi Jeong: Oh, no… definitely not! I was at the bar because I was directed there when I was looking for Woo Bin. After the end of our conversation last night, my phone battery died off completely and I thought to borrow the charger from Woo Bin until I could get my hands on a new charger this morning at the mall.

Ga Eul: I see… did you not pack your charger with you for the trip?

Yi Jeong: No, was in too much of a rush to chase down Geum Jan Di. I didn't bring anything with me except for my wallet, passport, and my keys to the pottery studio as well as the phone I have on my person. I thought I could simply get a new wardrobe + suitcase in Macau upon arrival, which I did alongside a new phone charger earlier this morning.

Ga Eul: O_O

Yi Jeong: Don't look so stunned. Getting a new wardrobe on the go isn't a rare thing for us, it has happened far too many times in the past that I've actually lost count, to be honest. After all, Jun Pyo has the tendency to drag us off on a getaway trip without warning in advance. It wasn't until we insists on getting a heads-up warning from him a few days in advance that he finally stop dragging us on vacation trips on a whim.

Ga Eul: Right… did Ji Hoo-sunbae and Woo Bin-sunbae not pack for the trip as well?

Yi Jeong: Yes. Neither of us packed. Although, Ji Hoo and Woo Bin did remember to bring their charger with them for the trip. I'm the only one who forgot about the charger for the phone, apparently.

Ga Eul: Well, you're lucky that Woo Bin-sunbae brought his phone charger with him, and that the two of you use the same phone model differing only in colors.

Yi Jeong: Indeed. Enough about Woo Bin though. Tell me how your day went, there wasn't much to tell on my side. We went sightseeing in Venetian Macau, and because it's too big to finish sightseeing in a day - we kind of stayed overnight. So, we are now staying in the Palazzo Suite which has 3 bedrooms. I'm sharing the room with two queen-size beds with Woo Bin, Ji Hoo is across the hall from us while Geum Jan Di had the room next to him. The suite comes with its own living room, kitchenette, and dining area too.

Ga Eul: That sounds really amazing, I demand to see some pictures of the suite. ^_^

PS: As for how my day went, well… it started as per normal. Shuichi picks me up at 9 from home to head over to the Shinhwa Country Club for the tennis game, and since you weren't around to play Kazuki… he decides to play me instead. After that, we took lunch at the bistro before we rushes off to meet up with Ichiro at the airport after receiving his text informing us that he was in town for a visit. We took him sightseeing in Gangnam since he mentioned wanting to check out the spa business located in the Shinhwa Hotel while he's in town. Needless to say, we end up getting our BBQ dinner in the Gangnam district as well. After that, he checked into the Shinhwa Hotel for the night since Shunsuke is living in a studio apartment and doesn't have the room to host Ichiro overnight.

Yi Jeong: Your wish is my command, I'll be sure to snap some photos of the suite and send them over to you tomorrow morning.

Ga Eul: I'll be looking forward to the pictures of the suite. I want pictures of both the Royal Suite in Grand Emperor Hotel and the suite you guys are lodging in Venetian Macau, if possible. Oh, and if possible a picture of the grand entrance of the Grand Emperor Hotel too. The website mentioned the entrance pathway to the hotel being decked out in blocks of pure gold bar… I'm curious to see what it's like. ^_^;

PS: Oh and before I forget, have you guys met up with Jun Pyo-sunbae yet?

Yi Jeong: No, and before you ask - neither have Geum Jan Di met up with Jun Pyo. I'm giving him another day, if by tomorrow morning - there's still no news or updates on his part. I'll be getting his secretary to slot us into his schedule by rigging a business meeting of his.

PS: Noted. I'll make sure to snap the photos of the entrance pathway to Grand Emperor Hotel when I head back to Macau Peninsula to grab the rest of my belongings. While at it, I'll also take some photos of the Royal Suite I was staying in earlier for the satisfying of your curiosity. But it's too much a hassle to send all the photos over via a chat though, so I'll probably show it to you in person when I'm back in Seoul. Is that okay with you?

Ga Eul: *Jaw Slackening Emoji* Can you actually do that? Rig one of his business meetings and trade it for an F4 reunion meeting? And on the subject of you showing me the pictures when you're back in town. I'm fine with that… I can afford to wait another few days to see the photos of your lodging. ^_^

Yi Jeong: Rigging one of Jun Pyo's business meeting and swapping it with a meeting with us is challenging but not impossible, especially when Woo Bin's family have ties to a lot of influential people in Macau.

Ga Eul: I see… alright, my hair's dry now. So, it's probably time for me to turn in for the night. While on the subject, do you need me to extend the leave of absence for Jan Di since she has yet to meet Jun Pyo-sunbae yet?

Yi Jeong: … How long did Geum Jan Di apply for a leave of absence from school?

Ga Eul: Until Tuesday if I recall correctly…

Yi Jeong: Extend it until this weekend, to be on the safe side.

Ga Eul: Noted. And how soon should I be expecting you back in Seoul?

Yi Jeong: Regardless of how the situation between Jun Pyo and Geum Jan Di plays out, I'll be back in Seoul by Wednesday, the latest. I'll let you know again on my exact date of return. But for now, I can safely assure you that I'll be in Seoul by the time Wednesday evening rolls around because I have a job scheduled on Thursday evening at the Museum that I can't be missing out on.

Ga Eul: Noted. I assumed Thursday dinner would need to be brought over to the Museum for you then.

Yi Jeong: Yes, I'll make sure to inform the guard at the museum in advance so you would be allowed entry with no issues.

Ga Eul: Good. I'll see you on Thursday evening then, of course, do let me know if you're back in town earlier. I'll try to squeeze time out for a quick meet-up with you.

Yi Jeong: Of course. Good night, and sweet dreams.

Ga Eul: Goodnight to you too, Yi Jeong-sunbae. *Hearts Emoji*

Ending his text exchange with his girlfriend, Yi Jeong set his mobile phone aside on the bedside table and glanced over to the other queen-size bed in the room to find his best friend playing around on the phone.

"Done with your nightly chat with Ga Eul-yang?" Song Woo Bin commented after sensing the feel of his friend's eyes on his person.

"... Do you still need the lights?" Instead of responding to his friend's remark, Yi Jeong choose to ask a question of his own.

"No. I have no need for the lights so, you can switch them off but please keep the night lamp on. I'm amid a text message here, the night lamp would save me the hassle of having to squint at the screen in the dark." The Don Juan of F4 responded as he typed out a new response on his phone without giving away the identity of the person with who he was busy chatting on the phone.

"Right…" Yi Jeong shrugged as he reached for the light switches control panel installed above the bedside table and flipped off everything except for the night lamps fixated to the headboard of the bed.

So, who exactly is Woo Bin messaging on his phone at present? It's none other than the heiress of the JK Group, and it hasn't been him who started the message. If anything, it has been the heiress who had messaged him on the initiative, once again. The girl tends to message him at random timings for random reasons. The first time she messaged him on his mobile, she was bombarding his phone with pictures of her sightseeing trip in the Ocean Park of Hong Kong. In an attempt to halt her photobomb, Woo Bin responded to her message by recommending her to several restaurants where the mention of his name would allow her to dine at discounted rates.

From then on, the girl would occasionally text him to ask for recommendations of a good F&B establishment in the area she's visiting or intends to visit soon. Before his own arrival in Macau though, Woo Bin had once received a text from the girl asking for hotel recommendations in Macau. And Woo Bin had given her a list of hotels in Macau for consideration, among them included Venetian Macau, Shinhwa Hotel in Macau as well as the Grand Emperor Hotel in Macau. It seems, in the end, she had decided to pick Grand Emperor Hotel for her stay in Macau. Why though? He had no idea, but now he thought maybe she was trying to avoid her parents who have been invited to Macau by the Shinhwa Group.

Anyway, this evening's message begins with an inquiry about Geum Jan Di's name. That solves the question of whether or not, she had caught Jan Di's name in the red market when they parted ways. Woo Bin did recall hearing Jan Di commenting that she wasn't sure if the heiress of the JK Group had caught her name since Jan Di only remembers to tell the girl her name when the girl's already quite a distance away.

Regardless, it seems the heiress of the JK Group has a rather good memory - given that, instead of sending Chen, the bodyguard to approach him when she invited them to join her for dinner. The bodyguard actually headed towards Geum Jan Di with the invitation, which is for the best, Woo Bin supposed. That would avoid a lot of awkwardness on his part since the bodyguard would no doubt subject him to a series of assessing gazes if they were to interact with one another. Especially after taking into consideration how this morning's awakening in the heiress's suite room at the Grand Emperor Hotel has been.

A private message between Song Woo Bin and Ha Jae-Kyung, 22nd November 2009, 10.30pm

Jae-Kyung: Evening~ Prince Song ^_^ I meant to ask before, but it slips my mind - again. What's the name of your lady friend?

Woo Bin: Lady friend… oh, you mean - Geum Jan Di?

Jae-Kyung: Oh, so Jan Di's her name… very unique name, it meant grass lawn - right? Sorry, my Korean wasn't very strong since I grew up in the UK. I can read and write Korean with no issues, but sometimes I can mix up the meaning of the words. ^^;

PS: Thanks for answering my question. Goodnight!

Woo Bin: Yes, Jan Di does mean Grass Lawn in Korean. You're welcome, by the way. Out of curiosity, are you still in Venetian Macau?

Jae-Kyung: Why? Were you thinking of asking me out for a drink? Unfortunately, I'm on my way back to Macau Peninsula. Overheard my bodyguards talking about my parents staying the night in Venetian Macau, so I decided to head back to the mainland. I'm trying to elude them, after all. ^_~

Woo Bin: I see… have a safe trip back to Grand Emperor Hotel then. Oh, and if you happen to see the man who has a penchant for the floral-printed shirt, let him know that I'll be spending the night in Venetian Macau. But you don't have to seek him out or anything, just let him know if you happen to see him. I did send him a text some hours ago, but there wasn't a response from him so I'm not sure if he had seen it.

Jae-Kyung: Sure. I'll let him know if I happen to cross paths with him upon my return to the mainland of Macau.

PS: Where are the beaches in Macau? And how do I get there?

Woo Bin: The beaches are located in the Coloane district, the area is served by buses and taxis. There are two beaches in Coloane, the eastern Hac Sa Beach and the Southern Cheoc Van Bay. Both are popular swimming beaches. If you're visiting the area/intending to visit, you might want to check out the Portuguese restaurant - Fernando. It's quite famous among the locals and visitors from Hong Kong.

Jae-Kyung: Really? I'll be sure to try it out if I can continue eluding my parents tomorrow :P Alright, Chen is shooting me odd looks now… so, I'd better end this round of the messaging before she tries to get a peek over my shoulders to see who I'm chatting with ^^;

Woo Bin: Right… one last thing, your bodyguard isn't aware of what happened this morning, is she?

Jae-Kyung: I didn't tell her anything, but she's shrewd in her own way. So, she might have some suspicions… but since you left before she arrived, there isn't much she could do about it. She did comment that the sofa couch feels cold to her touch, but I told her that's because you left rather early, and with the air-con blowing - it might have gone cold by the time she came in. Not sure if she buys it though… ^^; oh, and you left behind your sunglasses on the couch. Should I pass it over to the guy who likes to wear a floral-printed design shirt when I'm back in Macau Peninsula?

Woo Bin: Sure, you can leave the sunglasses with him. I'll collect it from him at a later time. Alright, have a safe trip back to Macau Peninsula. See you around.

Jae-Kyung: See you ^_~

In the meantime, the owners of the JK Group weren't even surprised when they learn from their bodyguards that Jae-Kyung has once again eluded them, this evening. Instead of remaining in Venetian Macau, the girl had left for Macau Peninsula shortly after learning of their arrival to the Cotai district. It seems as though their daughter was trying to avoid crossing paths with them while she's enjoying Macau as a regular tourist.

"...Looks like the meeting between you and our daughter has to be postponed yet again."Jang Bongseon, the wife of Ha Dae-Jung and mother of Ha Jae-Kyung, told Kang Hee Soo - the mother of Gu Jun Pyo apologetically.

"That's fine, we can always meet up when we headed back to Macau Peninsula after finishing showing you around the Venetian Macau resort." Kang Hee Soo said in response when the lady of the JK Group apologized to her for not being able to facilitate a meeting between her and the heiress of the JK Group, for the second time in a day.

Location: Venetian Macau, Florence Suite, Jun Pyo's room. Monday, 23rd November 2009, 6am

Gu Jun Pyo woke to the sound of someone blowing a trumpet loudly in the doorway of his room, with a groan - he tried to muffle out the sound of the trumpet by pulling a pillow over his ears. However, that did nothing to muffle the sound of the trumpet. The trumpet sound continues for the next five minutes and only stopped when Gu Jun Pyo had enough of the sound and finally dragged himself out of bed to get ready for the day ahead.

Clapping the man blowing the trumpet in his doorway hard on the shoulder, Gu Jun Pyo gritted out in frustration. "You can stop now, I'm up! You can head out there and tell my mother I'll be ready in a jiffy."

As Gu Jun Pyo made his way into the attached bathroom of the Florence Suite in Venetian Macau, he was thinking what possessed his mother to send the butler serving them at their suite to wake him up with the sound of the trumpet. Jun Pyo highly doubts that this is the typical way the butlers would wake the guests staying in the suites when the guests require the morning call services.

By the time, Gu Jun Pyo made his way out to the dining area of the Florence Suite - his mother was already flipping through the morning papers, with her breakfast plate fully emptied out.

"Nice of you to finally join me at the dining table." Kang Hee Soo commented rather dryly at her son, as she continues flipping through the morning papers provided by the butler servicing their suite - this morning.

"And your ways of waking me up is getting more creative by the day, I seriously doubt the butler employed in the service of Venetian Macau Hotel usually wakes their guests with the trumpet during the morning call service." Gu Jun Pyo responded flatly at his mother as he sat down for breakfast.

"I heard something rather interesting yesterday morning, it seems someone tried to barge into the hotel through the VIP access entrance two days ago, on the morning of 21st November." Kang Hee Soo commented out of the blue while keeping an eye out on her son's reaction.

"...and what has that got to do with me, exactly?" Gu Jun Pyo used his knife to cut the sausage into half on his breakfast plate, before using the fork to bring it to his mouth as he asks his mother in return.

"According to the words of the security team on duty that morning, it would seem that the person who attempted to barge into the hotel via the VIP access entrance mentioned your name repeatedly." Kang Hee Soo continues to say, still observing her son's reaction to her words from the corner of her eyes.

"Is that so? I didn't know that. The security didn't mention anything to me about this." Gu Jun Pyo feigned ignorance on the matter as he responded to his mother's remark, deep down inside though - he thought that's likely his girlfriend who he had to disregard at the atrium of the mall attached to the Shinhwa Hotel on that same afternoon.

"I see. Well, out of curiosity - I had the security team bring up the images captured on our CCTV system. Guess who I saw on screen?" Kang Hee Soo continues to comment, still trying to get a real gauge on her son's reaction to her words.

"...who did you see on the CCTV screen then?" Continuing to feign disinterest in the topic of conversation, Gu Jun Pyo carried on with his task of ingesting his breakfast meal.

"Geum Jan Di is who I saw on the screen of our CCTV system." Kang Hee Soo finally let the crucial piece of information slip, and then she heard the clattering sound of her son's cutlery being dropped abruptly.

"What?!"Knowing that his mother was waiting for some form of reaction from him, it wouldn't do for him to continue feigning calm in the wake of his girlfriend's name is uttered. Gu Jun Pyo promptly allowed his cutlery to drop with a 'clang' sound as it hits the floor of their suite room.

"You aren't aware that she's in town?" Kang Hee Soo continues to fish for information on the issue.

"Eomma, just what exactly are you trying to insulate here? She wasn't here on my invitation if that's what you want to know. And up until a few minutes ago, I have absolutely no clues about her presence in town." Gu Jun Pyo responded in a rather agitated tone of voice.

"I see. And now that you are aware of her presence in town, what are you going to do?" Kang Hee Soo pressed on, unwilling to drop the subject.

"Nothing. I'm not going to do anything." Gu Jun Pyo gritted out his response, knowing that this was his mother's way of telling him that she has her eyes and ears on the lookout for Geum Jan Di. Therefore, if he didn't wish for the Geum family to suffer further repercussions from his actions taken - it would be best for him to avoid seeking out the girl.

"Make sure you do as you said." Kang Hee Soo commented, finally ending the dreadful morning conversation with her son. She didn't enjoy having to threaten her son into obedience, but this upcoming business deal with the JK Group is very important to the Shinhwa Group and therefore she would not allow anything to jeopardize the deal.

"..." Resisting the urge to storm off from the dining room, Gu Jun Pyo attacked his food with vehemence chewing at his sausage as though it's his mortal enemy to vent off some steam that has pent up in him during his morning conversation with his mother.

After breakfast, Kang Hee Soo left without a moment of delay to meet up with the representatives from the JK Group once again, to continue their unfinished tour of the resort - Venetian Macau, owned by the Las Vegas Group. Gu Jun Pyo, on the other hand, decided to try his hands out on a mini-golf game at the mini-golf course - Grado within the resort grounds while listening to Jeong Sang-Rok's summary of his schedule for today.

For a start, he had a meeting scheduled with the shareholders later at 8am. Subsequently, he would need to fly out on his family private jet to Singapore at 9.30am for a check on the business the Shinhwa Group had in the region with his mother accompanying him on the trip. And later on, at 6pm this evening, he had a meeting with the mayor of Macau to attend.

"Is there anything else you wish to say?" Gu Jun Pyo prompted, after noticing that Jeong Sang-Rok had halted rather abruptly while going through his schedule for the day with him.

"If possible, please fit in some time for a meeting with your friends. They have been waiting since yesterday for a meet-up with you." Jeong Sang-Rok commented in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"...When would I ever have the time to meet up with them? Would it be okay for you to cancel all my meetings for today just so I could head out to have fun with them?" Gu Jun Pyo was silent for a minute, as a closed-off expression forms on his face upon his secretary's mention of his friends. It took him another few seconds before turning towards Jeong Sang-Rok as he commented in a deadpan tone of voice.

Gu Jun Pyo needn't even ask to know what his friends are here for - sure, they are here to see him. That, he believes… but he also knows, a very big part of their conversation, when they meet up for a reunion meeting of the F4, would comprise of Geum Jan Di - the woman he loves but can't afford to be seen interacting with at present. Henceforth, it's only natural for him to wish to avoid meeting his friends at this point as well.

"..." Jeong Sang-Rok had no words, of course, it wouldn't be okay for him to cancel all the meetings on today's schedule. So, it's only natural for him to remain silent at the end of his new employer's words.

"Damn it! What kind of lawn is this?!" Gu Jun Pyo huffed aloud in annoyance as he kicked the lawn in frustration after failing to get the golf ball into the hole, for the second time around. Frustrated, Gu Jun Pyo promptly turn to leave the mini-golf course with the intention to head back to the Florence suite for a change of attire. Either way, it's about time for him to get ready for the meeting with the shareholders.

He might have lamented about the lawn being bad, but in actuality, Gu Jun Pyo is simply feeling too vexed out by his friends and his girlfriend's impromptu visit to Macau that he hasn't been able to focus when he hits the golf ball. Since he wasn't aiming properly, there's no way that the golf ball would land in the hole smoothly. But it wasn't as though he could admit that to his secretary, and therefore, he ended up venting his frustration and irritation over the present situation at hand at the poor innocent golf lawn.

Location: Palazzo Suite, Venetian Macau. 23rd November 2009, Monday, 7am

The two playboys of F4 woke to the sound of the piano playing coming from the living room of the suite.

"...Is that Ji Hoo playing on the piano?" Song Woo Bin inquires after spending a moment to regather his wits as he tried to recall where exactly he was, at present.

"Well… seeing as both of us are in here, and I highly doubt Geum Jan Di's capable of playing a piece from the Debussy collection on the piano. It could only be Ji Hoo." So Yi Jeong commented as he swing himself out of bed, and reached for his mobile device to check if there was an incoming message from Jun Pyo about a reunion meeting with them.

A look of annoyance crossed the features of the Korean Casanova briefly when he realized that there still hasn't been any update from his friend. So, deciding to take matters into his own hands - Yi Jeong dialed up the number of his friend's secretary instead of his friend's mobile directly.

" , it's me. Does Jun Pyo has a free slot to meet up with us today?" Yi Jeong asks the moment the call was answered on the other end of the line.

"My utmost apologies, young master Yi Jeong." Jeong Sang-Rok responded over the line, sounding rather apologetic about being unable to persuade his employer into fitting in some time for a meet-up with the F3.

"...Judging by your response, I presumed Jun Pyo is unable to meet us today as well?" Yi Jeong prompted as he arrived at the most logical conclusion in the wake of Jeong Sang-Rok's apology.

"I'm sorry." Jeong Sang-Rok responded once again, on the other end of the line.

"It's fine. Care to enlighten me just what exactly is on Jun Pyo's schedule for today?" Yi Jeong took a deep breath and counted to three mentally, before making up his mind to attempt rigging his friend's business meetings scheduled for today.

Although Jeong Sang-Rok has no idea why the heir to the Woo Sung Museum would want to know about his employer's schedule for the day, it didn't prevent him from giving Yi Jeong a rundown version of the meetings Gu Jun Pyo is supposed to be attending for the entirety of today.

"Wait… Jun Pyo has a meeting scheduled at 6pm today with the city's mayor?" So Yi Jeong double-confirmed as he interrupted Jeong Sang-Rok mid-speech, upon hearing the mention about his friend's meeting with the mayor of Macau. He might not be able to do anything about his friend's meetings that would be taking place overseas, but the meeting with the mayor of Macau city might be possible. Perhaps, Woo Bin can persuade the mayor into accommodating a brief meeting for the F4 before he meets with Jun Pyo.

"Yes. What about it?" Jeong Sang-Rok inquires sounding baffled about why the heir to the Woo Sung Museum had felt it prudent to clarify this particular meeting with him.

"Why is Jun Pyo meeting up with the mayor of the city? Certainly, it's not to talk business…" So Yi Jeong questioned shrewdly, out of all the meetings on his friend's schedule - the meeting with the mayor sounds like their best shot if they wish to rig a meeting on his friend's schedule for the day.

"The mayor of the city proposed the meeting with young master Jun Pyo to speak about a potential donation from the Shinhwa Group to the city's development funds." Jeong Sang-Rok admitted that it has been the mayor who had suggested the meeting.

"I see. Don't worry about the mayor, we will handle the mayor on our side. What I'll need you to do is to bring Jun Pyo over to the Macau East Asian Games Dome at 6pm today, can it be done?" So Yi Jeong started as a plan starts to form in his mind about how to swap his friend's meeting with the city's mayor with a reunion meeting between the F4.

"If you're certain that you can get the mayor to cancel the meeting on his end, there shouldn't be an issue on my end to ensure the young master Jun Pyo shows up at the dome at the designated timing." Jeong Sang-Rok admitted eventually to Yi Jeong.

"Good. That's settled then." Yi Jeong commented as he ended the call, and then he promptly turns towards his best friend and started.

"Woo Bin, it's time for you to play your part. Jun Pyo apparently has a meeting with the city's mayor at 6pm, the city's mayor is looking towards the Shinhwa Group for a donation to the city's development funds. Certainly, a donation from your family would work out just as well for him - don't you agree?" Yi Jeong smirked as he directed his suggestion towards the mafia heir.

"...I'm on it." Woo Bin nodded in agreement to his best friend's words, as he took his phone out and starts making calls on his end to his family connections with the governing body of the city to propose a hefty donation to the city's development fund.

Needless to say, the mayor who's simply looking into getting his hands on a hefty sum of donation, to begin with, has no issues canceling his meeting with the Shinhwa Group after getting funding sources from the Ma family who owns several mid-size casinos in Macau, and various nightlife-establishments in both Macau and Hong Kong.

When Jeong Sang-Rok receives news about the mayor wishing to cancel the meeting schedule this evening with the Shinhwa Group because he has already secured funding for the city's development funds elsewhere. He really had to praise the F3 for their resourcefulness in achieving the aim of a meet-up with his employer. And so, he didn't let it slip to Gu Jun Pyo about the meeting with the mayor being canceled and that the meeting slot has now been allocated to the F3.

Location: Macau East Asian Games Dome, Cotai District. 23rd November 2009, Monday, 6pm

"What kind of mayor would want to meet in a place like this? Is he a sports fanatic or something?" Gu Jun Pyo couldn't help but lamented aloud as he stepped through the entranceway of the sports facility situated in the Cotai district but outside of the Venetian Macau resort grounds, shortly after his return from a four-hour flight from Singapore.

Since this wasn't a meeting with any business clients, his mother was more than willing to let him attend the meeting on his own. His mother may have reservations about letting him decide on things concerning their business, but issues that have to do with donations and fundraising request from the governing body of the city is something Jun Pyo could handle on his own.

"About this…I guess you'll just have to find out for yourself." Jeong Sang-Rok eventually said, and then took his place outside the door that leads to the indoor basketball court while allowing Gu Jun Pyo to enter the indoor court on his own.

The moment Gu Jun Pyo stepped into the door that separates the corridor with the indoor basketball court, he found himself halting mid-steps. Instead of the mayor of the city waiting for him, it's actually his friends from his childhood days that were waiting for him.

"...Oh, it's you guys." Gu Jun Pyo was effectively rendered silent for a moment before he acknowledged his friends' presence with an expressionless tone of voice. In hindsight, he probably should have expected them to pull something like this. Especially, with Woo Bin's family connections in Macau.

"Well… you're a busy man who doesn't even have time to go back to Seoul for a visit. Naturally, we are going to have to come to you ourselves if we wish to see you." So Yi Jeong responded as he threw the basketball he had in hand over to Gu Jun Pyo, his long-time absent friend.

"Yo! Jun Pyo, aren't you glad that the F4 finally gets to meet up after so long?" Song Woo Bin flashes a grin as he piqued up jovially to his friends in general.

"Of course, I'm glad to see you guys." Gu Jun Pyo responded nonchalantly to Woo Bin's remarks because it is what was expected of him.

In reality, Gu Jun Pyo still remained expressionless because he was kind of dreading the conversation coming in time. Deep down in him, the newly minted owner of the Shinhwa Group knows his friends are bound to bring up the mention of his girlfriend's presence in Macau and to bring up the subject of whether or not have he met up with the girl. As much as Jun Pyo would like to claim that he has met up with his girlfriend, or has the intention to meet the girl soon… he can't say anything of this sort. Because he cannot afford to meet Geum Jan Di for fear of what his mother may do in retaliation to his disobedience. And his elder sister had told him to hang on, wait and continue biding time with their mother while she works on convincing his frail father who's still in recovery to give Geum Jan Di a chance, but that has to wait until their father has regained a certain level of strength.

"Really? But you don't seem all that happy to finally meet us in person." Yoon Ji Hoo commented after spending some time studying the body language of his long-time friend.

"...no, I'm happy to see you guys for certain. I'm simply too tired to express my joy because it has been a tremendously long day for me, today." Gu Jun Pyo cursed his auburn-haired friend inwardly for the guy's sharp observation skills and try to deflect his friend's insulation about his lack of enthusiasm in meeting them.

Yoon Ji Hoo remained unconvinced by his friend's words but didn't comment on it further. Song Woo Bin though seems convinced of Jun Pyo's reason for the lack of enthusiasm in meeting them since he knows his friend had just disembarked from the flight after a quick trip to Singapore and back. So Yi Jeong glanced between Ji Hoo and Jun Pyo before bringing up the topic that Gu Jun Pyo absolutely dreaded to hear about.

"Actually, Jun Pyo. We aren't the only ones here in Macau, Geum Jan Di is here with us as well. In fact, she arrived a tad earlier than us. Have you met up with her yet?" Yi Jeong begins as he addressed his long-time absent friend with a smile playing on his lips.

For a while, Gu Jun Pyo didn't speak. And when he did, it was with an air of nonchalance as he dribbled the basketball past his Casanova friend and took aim at the basketball hoop while he forced himself to reply in an uncaring manner. "...Why should I meet up with her?"

"What?" So Yi Jeong started as the smile dropped from his face as he tried to comprehend the meaning behind Jun Pyo's response, and then he demanded to know if his friend had deliberately not established any forms of contact with Geum Jan Di over the past 6 months. "Ya! Jun Pyo, was it a deliberate act on your part to not send any words to Geum Jan Di over the last 6 months?"

"...So, what if it's on purpose? Surely, you weren't thinking that this relationship between us can last for long?" Gu Jun Pyo throws back to his Casanova friend in an uncaring manner, all the time ignoring his inner voice calling him out on being a liar.

"Jun Pyo, do you know what you're saying now? I've told you multiple times in the past not to give out assurance to her carelessly, but you went and did it anyway. Yet, this is what you are telling me at this point?" Yi Jeong gritted out in annoyance, the more he thought about his friend's attitude towards Geum Jan Di at present - the more irritated he became. And the straw that broke the camel's back was his remembrance of Geum Jan Di's shattered dream of being a professional swimmer, and all of this was due to her taking a blow meant for his friend during the entire Lee Jae-Ha fiasco.

"You bastard! Whose fault do you think it was that Geum Jan Di is no longer capable of swimming now!?" Irritation at its peak, So Yi Jeong went forward and delivered a punch to the face of Gu Jun Pyo and he would have kicked his friend if Woo Bin and Ji Hoo hasn't stepped forth to restrain him.

In the defense of Ji Hoo, Woo Bin, and Jun Pyo - they have to say that neither of them had actually expected Yi Jeong to start pulling punches. Because in the past, it was always Jun Pyo that loses it first and start a fight. Yi Jeong's usually the rational one out of them all, so it was due to this reason alone that none of them was able to react when Yi Jeong snapped and send Jun Pyo a punch in the face. The moment they realized that Yi Jeong had punched Jun Pyo in the face, Ji Hoo and Woo Bin wasted no time in stepping forth to restrain their agitated friend.

[What the hell?! And what does Yi Jeong mean by Geum Jan Di is no longer capable of swimming?] Gu Jun Pyo was still reeling from the fact that Yi Jeong had punched him and the piece of information his friend had let slip to him less than a minute ago, as he picks himself up from the ground. To be honest, Jun Pyo has been expecting this sort of reaction from Ji Hoo since they were speaking about Geum Jan Di… but instead of Ji Hoo, it's actually Yi Jeong that loses it? What on earth happens in the last six months while he's away from Seoul? Did Geum Jan Di have so much charm in her that she managed to win the affections of all his friends? No…not likely, she isn't exactly the cup of tea for Woo Bin and Yi Jeong. So, what brought on Yi Jeong's rare show of anger?

"Yi Jeong, calm down!" Song Woo Bin said, trying to get his Casanova friend to cool off in the head.

"Calm down? Haven't you heard what he'd just said?" Yi Jeong turns his attention briefly to Woo Bin as he gritted out in irritation.

"I know, Yi Jeong. I heard it just fine." Woo Bin commented as he works on calming down his best friend. Inwardly, he was wondering what had triggered off Yi Jeong's anger because it's quite a rare occurrence for his Casanova friend to get this upset. Just when he thought he had managed to calm his best friend down, Jun Pyo's next response rendered his efforts from the last few minutes to go down the drain as Yi Jeong loses it, once again.

"What's wrong with you? Since when did you become a protector of Geum Jan Di as well? People break up all the time, especially you. So, what's so unimaginable about the situation between Geum Jan Di and me?" Gu Jun Pyo throws back at his friend shortly after picking himself up from the ground, luckily the hit from Yi Jeong wasn't hard enough to break his tooth. It would be a different case if it's Woo Bin that delivered the punch to his face, after all, Woo Bin knows how to hit people and makes it hurt real bad.

"Yes, I indeed break up with girls all the time in my merry-making days but I never do it in the way that you did. If you want to break up with Geum Jan Di, at least have the guts to go up to her in person and break off the relationship. Trying to break up without sending a word over to her for 6 months, when the last message sent from you was that you loved her and wanted her to wait for you was the most irresponsible and worst way of handling things!" So Yi Jeong throws out to Jun Pyo still struggling in the hold of Woo Bin, wishing that he could deliver yet another punch to the new owner of the Shinhwa Group.

"Yi Jeong, cool down." Song Woo Bin said, before turning his attention towards Jun Pyo and demanding. "And Jun Pyo, what exactly got into you? Why did you change this much?"

"700,000." Gu Jun Pyo mutters aloud in response.

"Pardon?" Song Woo Bin frowned, finding it hard to comprehend the meaning behind his friend's single-word response.

"700,000 - that's the number of families that depends on me. Try taking up these many livelihoods on your shoulders and tell me you wouldn't change." Gu Jun Pyo eventually said as he starts heading towards the exit of the indoor basketball court. He would let the actions of Yi Jeong hitting him slide this time because he knows he was being irresponsible on the matter of Geum Jan Di.

"Jun Pyo, are you sure - this is what you want?" Yoon Ji Hoo calls out to his long-time friend, halting his friend mid-steps.

"...If you guys are still my friends, simply enjoy Macau and go home. Just…stop bringing up the matter of Geum Jan Di with me, because I do not have time for this." Gu Jun Pyo commented in the end, and with that said, he stepped out of the indoor basketball court and let the door bang shut behind him leaving his three friends to stare at his departure in various degrees of disbelief.

"Is Jun Pyo serious about breaking up with Geum Jan Di?" Song Woo Bin started, his tone sounding both incredulous and bewildered.

"Damn if I know… I'm too angry at him to even think straight at this point, to be honest." So Yi Jeong huffed in response, as he send a kick towards the basketball that somehow had rolled over to the side of his feet.

"...The basketball isn't meant for kicking, it's for shooting." Yoon Ji Hoo pointed out objectively to his upset friend.

"Ji Hoo, I don't understand you. How could you be this calm after what Jun Pyo just said?" Yi Jeong turns towards his auburn-haired friend with a look of utter disbelief as he remarked.

"Simple, his words and actions are contradictory. First of all, you're the one that demanded to know if he had avoided contacting Geum Jan Di on purpose over the last six months. And his reply, I quote - so, what if it's on purpose? The keyword here is - what if, that gives me the feeling that yes - he didn't send Geum Jan Di any form of contact in the last six months, but neither did he send us any words since graduation day. For all we know, his mother could have confiscated his phone in the beginning days and later had people keeping track of Jun Pyo's correspondence. The Shinhwa Group is in the telco business, it wouldn't be too hard for his mother to get her hands on a copy of his record of call logs and messages correspondence. If that's how his mother has him monitored 24/7, I'm not surprised that he avoid establishing any forms of contact with Geum Jan Di. We all know how the witch thought about their relationship." Yoon Ji Hoo commented after a moment of silent consideration.

"...Fine, assuming you are right in that sense. But that still doesn't explain why he responded in that manner, earlier?" The Korean Casanova huffed in annoyance as he thought back to his earlier interaction with Jun Pyo. The sheer remembrance of Jun Pyo's attitude was enough to make his blood boils again.

"Exactly, Ji Hoo. There's nobody else but us here just now. Why did Jun Pyo respond to the subject of Geum Jan Di in that manner? It isn't as though his mother could overhear our conversation…" Song Woo Bin pointed out objectively to his auburn-haired friend.

"Yes, his mother may not be here to overhear the contents of our conversation but don't forget that he arrived with an entire team of people in tow. His head secretary aside, who can say for certain that the remaining members on the team following him around wouldn't report to his mother about the contents of our conversation? This place isn't exactly soundproof, you know?" Yoon Ji Hoo reminded his two friends in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"...Assuming that your conjectures are right, what are we going to do now? Judging from his behavior earlier, I doubt he has the plan to meet up with Geum Jan Di anytime soon." Yi Jeong muttered under his breath, still relatively upset but at least he isn't tempted to hit Jun Pyo, again if they were to cross paths in the next ten minutes.

"..." Yoon Ji Hoo had no response for his Casanova friend because it's true that there isn't anything they could do about this matter. It's not as though they could succeed in getting Jun Pyo away from his group of bodyguards and secretaries unnoticed to facilitate a meeting for him and Geum Jan Di.

It was an hour later that the F3 left the indoor basketball court to head back to the Venetian Macau Hotel for a change of clothes. The reason why they had lingered on behind in the court after Gu Jun Pyo left is mostly due to the following reasons. One - they didn't want to book an hour of the court only to spend less than 30 minutes in the facility, two - Yi Jeong needs to cool off a bit more before heading back to meet up with Geum Jan Di. Of course, the F3 also spend the remaining time in the indoor basketball court coming up with ideas about how they are going to convey the news of their friend's reluctance to meet Geum Jan Di in person to the girl.

Upon their return to the Palazzo suite, the F3 didn't take long to notice that Geum Jan Di isn't anywhere in the suite.

"...I'll check her room to see if she has left us any note concerning her whereabouts." Yoon Ji Hoo started before his two friends could comment on Geum Jan Di's inability to stay put in one place.

"Good. I'll take a quick shower in the bathroom." So Yi Jeong commented as he headed straight for the bathroom after grabbing a change of clothes from the shopping bag of Boggi Milano. After venting off his steam by doing repeating shoots at the basketball hoop, the Korean Casanova found himself reeked of the smell of perspiration.

It was well after sunset when the F3 finally located Geum Jan Di near the entranceway of the Venetian Macau resort looking out at the canal.

"Jan Di!" It was the sound of Yoon Ji Hoo's voice that jolted the girl out from her thoughts.

"Hi, so how did the visit go? How is Gu Jun Pyo doing?" Geum Jan Di forced a smile onto her lips as she turns to glance in the direction of the approaching F3.

"..." Song Woo Bin was stumped, as he shoot a quick look in Ji Hoo's direction wondering how he should respond to this question from Geum Jan Di.

Yoon Ji Hoo was about to respond when Yi Jeong beats him to the task, the Korean Casanova fixates his gaze at the canal as he mutters aloud. "He's doing fairly well except he's acting all weird now."

"Yi Jeong…" Woo Bin started with a frown, unlike his Casanova friend - he thought they shouldn't drop this bit of news on Geum Jan Di abruptly.

"I stand by my opinion that Geum Jan Di ought to know the full extent of what Jun Pyo had said to us earlier."So Yi Jeong responded in a stiff and firm tone of voice.

"Well… Jun Pyo's under a lot of stress these days, and stress can cause people to act strangely at times." Song Woo Bin laugh a nervous laugh as he commented, trying to diffuse the tension in the air after Yi Jeong's statement.

"...He didn't want to see me, is that it?" Though neither members of the F3 mentioned it outright, Geum Jan Di had gathered enough from their demeanor that the meeting they had earlier with her boyfriend didn't go well. If anything, the meeting seems to have upset the Korean Casanova badly.

"... Geum Jan Di… you knew this would happen?" Both the playboys of F4 then turns disbelieving eyes upon the Wonder Woman of Korea, how'd the girl guessed it before they even mentioned anything concrete about Jun Pyo's attitude towards the matter of meeting up with her.

"Vaguely…I supposed. But that's exactly the reason why I decided to come over to Macau, I came here to hear it straight from him." Geum Jan Di responded trying to sound nonchalant but failing badly.

For a while, nobody spoke. And then, the Don Juan of F4 suddenly turns his eyes on his two friends and asks. "Ya, do you guys still remembers what we used to do here when we visit this place in our childhood days?"

"Surely… you don't mean…?" So Yi Jeong felt the corners of his lips twitching upon the look in his best friend's eyes.

"Absolutely!" Song Woo Bin grinned as he nodded in response.

"You do know we are no longer five years old, right?" The Korean Casanova couldn't help but point out the glaring fact to his friend.

"True… but you can't argue against the fact that it will be an excellent distraction plan, could you?" Song Woo Bin responded pointedly to his friend while shooting a significant look in the direction of the Wonder Woman of Korea who appears absolutely bewildered by the current flow of their conversation.

"Aargh… fine!" So Yi Jeong groaned aloud in response and then trudged towards the direction of the shop that sells masquerade accessories. Randomly, he picked out four masks from the shelving and proceed to make payment at the cashier before heading back to where his friends and Geum Jan Di were waiting. Handing the bag of purchase over to Woo Bin, he took out a mask from the bag for his own use and placed it onto his face without a moment delay.

Geum Jan Di stares at the F3 in bewilderment, and then blinked at the mask that's been pressed into her hands with a look of confusion. "What is this about?"

"We are going to play a game of hide-and-seek." Song Woo Bin gleefully declared, and then urged Geum Jan Di to put on the mask without delay.

"Why is a mask necessary for a game of hide-and-seek?" Geum Jan Di inquires out of confusion.

"Well… it would be rather stupid for the members of F4 to be caught on camera playing hide and seek, a child's game. So, the mask is for us to hide our faces… mostly." Song Woo Bin responded in a sheepish tone of voice.

"Right… okay, I'm ready. How are we going to start off the game?" Geum Jan Di nodded unconvincingly but still placed the mask onto her face, as she voiced her query across to the Don Juan of F4.

"First, we will play a round of the game - scissor, paper, stone. The loser of the game would be the seeker who will then need to face the pillar and count to 50, while the rest of the players try to find a hiding place and stay hidden from the seeker when the search begins." The Don Juan of F4 responded, explaining to Geum Jan Di how the game will go.

In the first round of the game - scissor, paper, stone; Geum Jan Di emerged as the winner and so it's up to the F3 to continue the game. This time around, Yoon Ji Hoo won against his two friends and join Jan Di on the side-line. Finally, Yi Jeong won against Woo Bin - making the Don Juan of F4 the seeker for the hide and seek game. As the Don Juan of F4 turns to face the pillar and started counting from one to fifty, the rest of them scrambled to find a hiding place of their own by scattering on the spot.

Geum Jan Di made a beeline for the indoor area, likewise, Yoon Ji Hoo and So Yi Jeong mirrored her acts. Only, they all went in different directions. It's probably a good thing that the building they have chosen to use as their hiding place isn't very crowded with people, else they might have people staring at them as though they were nutters. After all, they were practically running around the place in hurried steps and with a mask donned onto their face when there isn't any masquerade event going on that's organized by the official parties involved in the management of the resort.

It's a coincidence that the mask donned by the Don Juan of F4 comes attached with tiny bells, and so when he moves around the bells will start ringing. And since he's the seeker in this little game, the ringing of the bells attached to his mask will alert the players who are supposed to find a place to hide that the seeker has started the search. Geum Jan Di was still trying to find a place to hide when she starts hearing the sound of bells approaching, and this was when she felt herself abruptly pulled into an alcove. Initially, she nearly yelped aloud but the person who pulled her into the alcove seem to have expected her reaction and had cupped his hand to her mouth before she could make any sound of being startled.

Turning Geum Jan Di around so she could have a good look at his identity, Yoon Ji Hoo placed a finger to his lips as he signals for the girl to keep quiet. And Geum Jan Di, upon noticing that it was her former prince charming that had pulled her into his hiding place heaved a sigh of relief inwardly as she calms down spontaneously. Together, the two of them hide in the alcove as they kept a lookout for the Don Juan of F4 who's going around trying to locate them.

Originally, Geum Jan Di was having quite a bit of fun but when the Don Juan of F4 move on to the next area for the search. Geum Jan Di started to take a good look at the alcove they were hiding in, it was at this point that she noticed that she was given a clear view of the advertisement screen mounted to the tallest building on the resort ground from the alcove. It didn't help that the advertisement featuring Gu Jun Pyo with the background of Venetian Macau was playing on repeat, the sheer sight of the CM featuring her boyfriend was enough to remind Jan Di about how Gu Jun Pyo didn't want to meet her. And so, she felt herself tearing up for real this time. She had been trying desperately to hold her tears at bay earlier when she guessed the reason behind the sour tone in the F4 reunion meeting because she didn't want the F3 to see her breaking down.

Now though, it seems she's finally at her breaking point that her tears had started to fall without her permission. In a way, she's glad for the presence of the mask as it helps to camouflage the fact that she's tearing up in a sense. Only, she doubts that it would stop her former prince charming from noticing that she's breaking down behind the cover of the mask.

Sure enough, Yoon Ji Hoo who's pretty much attuned to the body language of Geum Jan Di knew the instant that the girl stare a tad too long at the advertisement screen… that a breakdown was imminent. Only, it seems Geum Jan Di was reluctant to let him see her tears as well… even though, he has been the witness to her breakdown episode on more than one occasion in the past. Regardless, Yoon Ji Hoo allows her to keep her mask on as she turns away from him to break down in private. As the sound of her cries started getting a tad more audible, Yoon Ji Hoo said nothing but silently embrace Geum Jan Di from behind while she wept over his long-time friend.

Continue holding Geum Jan Di in this position, Yoon Ji Hoo started eyeing the advertisement screening replaying the commercial movie featuring his long-time friend as well. Inwardly, he decided that after calming down Geum Jan Di and sending her off to bed, he would go and pay his friend a visit. Earlier in the day, Yi Jeong has managed to get hold of Jun Pyo's itinerary for the entirety of today, so he knows his friend is staying in Venetian Macau tonight and likely had no business meetings after 10pm. And so, that's when he would be requesting for a meeting with his friend, alone - this time. After what happened this early evening, Ji Hoo doubts that Jun Pyo would want to meet up with the F3 on the whole. However, if it's him alone - Ji Hoo dares say that Jun Pyo wouldn't turn down a meeting with him.

"Thank you, Ji Hoo-sunbae." Geum Jan Di's words of gratitude were what draws Yoon Ji Hoo's focus back to the present.

"I think the game's ending, would you like to head back out to meet up with the rest of the guys now?" Yoon Ji Hoo inquires making no mention of Geum Jan Di's earlier breakdown episode.

"Sure, let's not keep them waiting - shall we?" Geum Jan Di offered in response, grateful that her former prince charming didn't say anything about her crying episode up until a minute ago.

Back out in the plaza, Yoon Ji Hoo and Geum Jan Di arrived to find only the figure of Song Woo Bin waiting for them. The Korean Casanova was nowhere in sight.

"Where did Yi Jeong-sunbae go?" Geum Jan Di couldn't help but ask when she fail to notice the Korean Casanova anywhere near them.

"He went back to the suite ahead of us, and while at it, he would order us some room service for dinner. Speaking of dinner, have you eaten anything this evening - Geum Jan Di?" Song Woo Bin then inquires, turning his questioning eyes upon the figure of the Wonder Woman of Korea.

"...Erm, no… I don't think so." Geum Jan Di paused for a second before shaking her head in negativity. The F&B outlets in this place all seem quite expensive to her, and without the F3 around to pay for the meals - it's only natural that she avoid getting herself anything to eat.

"I'll get Yi Jeong to order something for you from the room service menu then." Song Woo Bin declared as he took his phone out to give his Casanova friend a quick call.

Location: Palazzo Suite, Venetian Macau. 23rd November 2009, Monday, 9pm

"I'll make a move first, with Ji Hoo around… I seriously doubt Geum Jan Di needs us around." So Yi Jeong told his friends after Geum Jan Di excused herself to her room following the end of their late dinner. Her departure from the living room to her assigned room in the suite, effectively left the F3 behind to converse among themselves.

"You aren't leaving for Seoul, right away - are you?" The Don Juan of F4 inquires purely out of curiosity, he highly doubts his friend was able to book an air ticket on a commercial flight bound for Seoul tonight, during the hour whereby they were playing hide-and-seek out in the plaza of the resort.

"Of course not, but I did secure my return flight ticket operated by Air Macau bound for Seoul tomorrow at noon-time. I figured I'll spend the last night in Macau over at the Royal suite which I had yet to check out from at the Grand Emperor Hotel. Besides, I have things to pick up and pack from the Royal suite as well." The potter of F4 rolls his eyes momentarily at his best friend as he responded to the question.

"I see… well, in that case, give me half an hour. I'll pack up and join you on the trip to Macau Peninsula. As you mentioned earlier, I doubt Geum Jan Di would need our assistance with Ji Hoo around. Besides, I'm here to work as well so I can't spend all my time loitering here in Venetian Macau." Song Woo Bin commented as he headed for the direction of the room he had been sharing with Yi Jeong, the night before to pick up his belongings.

"Make it quick." The Korean Casanova calls out to his best friend as he set his things down to take a seat on the sofa couch of the living room.

"Are you flying first class home tomorrow?" Yoon Ji Hoo inquires fixating his Casanova friend with an assessing look.

"Business Class, actually. Their carriers are mostly A319, A320, and A321. Neither of these carriers comes with first-class seating, it's mostly business class and economy class seats." The Korean Casanova responded with a shrug.

Outside of Shinhwa Air - none of the airlines servicing between Seoul and Macau comes with First-Class seating. In fact, four out of six airlines that service the above-mentioned route are the low-cost carrier of Korea. Among them, included the Jeju Air which Geum Jan Di had flown on when she made her way over to Macau from Seoul. And since there isn't much difference between Business Class and First Class seats on a short-haul flight, the Korean Casanova is completely fine with booking his return trip ticket to Seoul with Air Macau. There is simply no way he would be traveling on a low-cost carrier because they only offer Economy tier seating. He could live without having WIFI access on the four-hour flight nor the laptop power source for his seat, even the lack of in-flight entertainment but he could never live with the idea of having no legroom.

In terms of the difference between the first-class seat offered by Shinhwa Air and the business-class seat offered by Air Macau… one of the major differences lies in the fact that Shinhwa Air has a laptop power source available in the form of an AC adapter in every seat as well as they provide free WIFI services to their passengers. Air Macau, on the other hand, only offers in-flight entertainment in the form of overhead TV. Both the Shinhwa Air short-haul flights plying between Seoul and Macau, as well as the Air Macau offers recliner seats for their first-class/business class passengers.

"I see… good to know. I've never flown on Air Macau before. Anyway, what brought on the rush for you to head back to Seoul? I would have thought you would wait until Woo Bin is done with his business in Macau and flew back together with him on his family's private jet, to be honest." Yoon Ji Hoo remarked in a nonchalance manner, so to avoid sounding like he was snooping around.

"...My original plan was to return on Wednesday via Shinhwa Air either way since there's no telling when Woo Bin is going to be done with his official business in Macau. I am, however, needed back in Seoul for something scheduled to take place on Thursday evening at the museum. As for my reason for deciding to return to Seoul in advance, well… if you really feel the need to know, you can blame it on my parents. My mom had her usual fit of suicidal whims, the butler serving my family apparently is unable to placate her - this time. And with my elder brother being disowned, it's up to me to deal with my mother's hysterics. Because I kind of promised that I will fly back tomorrow and check in with my father, first thing upon returning… I'd better deliver on my promise made to my mother. Because really… who knows what she would do if she discovers that I'm lying about returning home the following day." Yi Jeong deadpans to his auburn-haired friend.

"I see… was that why you didn't wait for us earlier at the plaza and instead leave a message with Woo Bin to us, about coming back to the suite ahead of us?" Yoon Ji Hoo continues to ask, keeping the conversation going until Woo Bin returns to the living room with his own belongings in tow.

"Partly." Yi Jeong nodded, not wanting to admit that he came back earlier to the suite to take the photographs he had promised his girlfriend but didn't get a chance to take them earlier this morning. After all, it is simply not his style to snap photographs of the hotel rooms he had lodged in at one point in time. The habit of taking photographs of the hotel room is Ga Eul's, not his… and earlier in the morning, the butler servicing their suite had brought them their breakfast meal via room service. With Geum Jan Di around, Yi Jeong decides to postpone the photo-taking session. After all, he didn't wish to have to explain to the Wonder Woman of Korea why he's taking photographs of the Palazzo suite but only of the common areas, and the room he's sharing with his best friend for Chu Ga Eul.

"Alright, Yi Jeong. I'm done. Let's go!" Song Woo Bin choose that moment to reappear in the living room, and then turning towards Yoon Ji Hoo… the Don Juan of F4 added. "By the way, Ji Hoo. I've paid for the Palazzo suite until tonight, check-out time is at 12 noon tomorrow. If you wish to extend another night, please inform the hotel reception yourself."

"It's fine. I was thinking of changing the environment for Geum Jan Di, either way." Yoon Ji Hoo responded thinking about what he could do to cheer up the girl, but before then… he needs to go and pay Jun Pyo a visit.

Inside Geum Jan Di's room, the girl found herself breaking down in tears all over again while taking a shower. The sound of the water running from the showerhead serves as a great camouflage to her sound of crying.

As Yi Jeong and Woo Bin left the suite with their belongings in tow, Yoon Ji Hoo reached for his mobile phone to drop his long-time friend a text message seeking his friend out for a meeting.

A private message between Yoon Ji Hoo and Gu Jun Pyo, 23rd November 2009, 10pm

Ji Hoo: Jun Pyo, are you free to meet up? I was too busy restraining Yi Jeong from hitting you earlier, so I didn't get to speak my mind with you.

Jun Pyo: … Fine, where do you want to meet up?

Ji Hoo: By the pool.

Jun Pyo: Time?

Ji Hoo: 10.30pm.

Location: Florence Suite, Venetian Macau. 23rd November 2009, 10.15pm

"Where are you going, Jun Pyo?" Kang Hee Soo inquires when she noticed her son heading from the direction of the doorway that led to the outside of their suite room in Venetian Macau.

"I'm going for a walk by the pool. I think I ate too much at dinner just now." Gu Jun Pyo responded throwing out the first excuse that pops into his mind to his mother.

"...Don't stay out too late, we are due for an early day tomorrow." Kang Hee Soo reminded, they will be returning to Macau Peninsula tomorrow morning. They have dedicated quite a bit of their time to show the representatives from the JK Group around Venetian Macau, but they couldn't neglect their old investors as well. So, it's prudent for them to head back to Macau Peninsula tomorrow morning to meet up with their old investors for brunch.

"I know." Gu Jun Pyo throw casually behind his shoulders as he left the suite he was residing in with his mother to head towards the pool where Ji Hoo had wanted to meet him. Although, Ji Hoo didn't specifically says anything in their brief text exchange… Jun Pyo had reasons to suspect that the topic of their conversation upon meeting up would once again be revolving around Geum Jan Di. As dreadful as he finds the notion of addressing the matter with his auburn-haired friend, he knows he ought to hear what Ji Hoo has in mind to say to him after the disastrous reunion meeting that took place earlier this evening between the F4.

"Alright, you wanted to meet. I'm here now, what exactly do you have to say to me at this hour?" Gu Jun Pyo wasn't in the least surprised to find his auburn-haired friend already waiting by the pool upon his arrival.

"Jun Pyo, as a friend - I'm asking you to do me a favor." Yoon Ji Hoo took a deep breath, as he turns towards his long-time friend and said.

"What favor?" Gu Jun Pyo asks flatly as he keeps his eyes focused on the calming blue water surface of the pool, he dares not spend too much time meeting eyes with his auburn-haired friend for fear of Ji Hoo noticing his true thoughts on the matter concerning Geum Jan Di.

"Go and meet her just once." Yoon Ji Hoo responded, there isn't a need for him to clarify who the 'her' in his statement refers to - they both know he's referring to Geum Jan Di without the need to spell things out.

"...and why should I do that?" Gu Jun Pyo asks Ji Hoo in return, an in-person meet-up between him and Geum Jan Di would do nothing to change the fact that it wouldn't be a joyous occasion. Not when his mother has her eyes and ears open for any signs of him attempting to rekindle his relationship with Geum Jan Di.

"Because that's the only thing I can do at present. And like what Yi Jeong had said before if you want to end this relationship with her - the least you can do is to break it to her directly. Leaving things hanging isn't the way to go about it." Yoon Ji Hoo added as an afterthought, uncertain if his friend's witch of a mother had anyone eavesdropping on their conversation.

"..." Rendered silence by the words of his long-time friend, Gu Jun Pyo didn't respond. Yoon Ji Hoo, on the other hand, patted Jun Pyo lightly on the shoulder before making a move to leave the poolside for the Palazzo suite and wait for his friend's text response to his request.

Gu Jun Pyo ended up spending the next half an hour or so pacing back and forth by the pool thinking about what he ought to do in the present situation. Truth be told, he was trying to avoid meeting up with Geum Jan Di all this time because he didn't really want to break up with the girl but he knows he has to if a meeting between them were to take place. Especially since his mother has people keeping tabs on his actions.

As such, Jun Pyo knows that the moment he was to approach Geum Jan Di, his mother will know… and then whatever conversation he was thinking of having with the girl would reach the ears of his mother. But Ji Hoo has also brought up a valid point, it isn't proper to simply leave things hanging... and so, Jun Pyo decided to oblige his friend's request to meet up with Geum Jan Di.

A private message between Gu Jun Pyo and Yoon Ji Hoo, 23rd November 2009, Monday, 11.45pm

Jun Pyo: Fine. I'll meet up with her.

Ji Hoo: Good. When and where?

Jun Pyo: 6.45am at the bridge over the San Luca Canal, I know it's early but that's the only free slot I have for tomorrow.

Ji Hoo: It's fine. It's good enough that you are willing to oblige my request to meet her at least once. I'll make sure she came on time.

Upon receiving the confirmation response from Ji Hoo, Gu Jun Pyo headed back to the Florence suite and start planning what to say to his mother about his impending meeting with Geum Jan Di. Based on his current situation, he highly doubts that he would be able to sneak under the radar of his mother for a meet-up with Geum Jan Di. The best way to ensure that he would be able to keep his promise to Ji Hoo was to come clean with his mother about his intention to meet Geum Jan Di.

"I thought you said you weren't going to do anything about her presence in Macau?" Kang Hee Soo stared straight at her son as she waits for the explanation due to come in time.

"I did, but I chanced upon Ji Hoo earlier on my walk at the poolside. He said and I quote, it isn't right to leave things hanging. So, if I truly want to break things off, I ought to meet her in person and end things with her in a proper manner." Gu Jun Pyo responded as he quoted his friend's words to him across to his mother while trying to appear unfazed by the entire situation at hand.

"... I see. Fine, you can go and meet up with her but don't think for a moment that just because your usual shadowing team isn't around, you can do as you pleased with the girl. My eyes and ears are always around to keep track of your interactions with the girl, all it takes is one wrong action on your part…" Kang Hee Soo told her son in a warning tone of voice, the veiled threat of messing with the girl was unsaid but apparent.

Gu Jun Pyo sucked in a breath at his mother's words, this is what it has come to - again. Ever since they depart Seoul for China, his mother always makes it a point to remind him about the chances of her messing with the Geum family once again if he didn't perform his duty to the Shinhwa Group well enough. When he reimbursed Ji Hoo for the cost of furnishing up the new place of residence for the Geum family, his excuse provided to his mother was that it was her doings that rendered the Geum family lose their main source of livelihood and nearly ended up homeless. So, he's simply compensating the family for the troubles he had brought them with his insistence to date their daughter that resulted in the family facing the acts of retribution from her - his displeased mother. His mother took it like that, and the matter was closed for discussion since.

"I know." Gu Jun Pyo gritted out in response, it took him all his sense of self-control to not attempt to snap at his mother for her meddling acts. With that said, he promptly stomped off towards the direction of his room in the suite to brood in silence. He had long given up on the notion of getting some sleep in by now, there is no way he could be able to sleep with the impending meeting with his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend looming on the horizon and his latest conversation with his mother surrounding the topic of his relationship with Geum Jan Di.

Some distance away in the Palazzo suite, Yoon Ji Hoo of F4 was also up the entire night. Seated in front of the grand piano in the living room of the suite, Yoon Ji Hoo was thinking about what he should do in the wake of Jun Pyo's meeting with Geum Jan Di on the following morning. No doubt, Geum Jan Di would be completely heartbroken by his friend's attitude…so, what could he possibly do to cheer the girl up afterward is the main point.

[Well… one thing's for sure, we would leave Venetian Macau for another area where it wouldn't remind Geum Jan Di of Jun Pyo.] Yoon Ji Hoo thought resolutely to himself, as he starts coming up with a plan to cheer Geum Jan Di up after she meets with Jun Pyo, tomorrow morning.

It was approaching 6am when Yoon Ji Hoo entered the room in which Geum Jan Di is staying, and woke the girl up from her sleep.

"Ji Hoo-sunbae?" Geum Jan Di upon waking from the sensation of someone patting her was startled to find the auburn-haired member of F4 hovering close to her as she wakes.

"Sorry to wake you, but there's somewhere we have to be." Yoon Ji Hoo told the sleepy girl with a smiling expression.

"..." Geum Jan Di took a peek at the timing reflected on the screen of her mobile phone and stared at the time with blatant disbelief in her eyes. Where are they going at freaking 5.45am? The sun's not even up yet… surely, her former prince charming wasn't inviting her to see the sunrise - right?

Still, due to Yoon Ji Hoo's insistence that she needs to wake up and follow him somewhere. Geum Jan Di shrugged and make her way towards the bathroom for a quick wash of her face and robotically went through her morning routine. By the time, she emerged from within the bathroom - it was five minutes past 6am.

Trudging after her former prince charming, Geum Jan Di yawned as she followed the guy out of the Palazzo suite and headed towards the direction of the shopping area of the resort ground. "I've heard of a late-night stroll, but this is the first time ever that I've been invited to go on a walk at dawn." Geum Jan Di remarked as she walked along with her former prince charming.

Coming to a stop about a kilometer away from where the bridge of the San Luca Canal is, Yoon Ji Hoo stopped abruptly as he told Geum Jan Di. "From here onward, you have to proceed alone."

"Huh? Why?" Geum Jan Di asks in bewilderment, thinking that everything mentioned by her prince charming since he woke her up from her sleep has been rather bizarre. First, he suggested for them to take a morning walk at dawn… and then now, he's telling her that she has to continue the walk ahead on her own? Just what exactly is her former prince charming trying to pull?

"The reason you came to Macau for… it's just right up ahead. So, just continue on and I think you'll understand when you see it." Yoon Ji Hoo responded giving Geum Jan Di a quick squeeze on the hand, before turning to leave the area.

And so, Geum Jan Di heeded the words of Yoon Ji Hoo of F4 and continues on the rest of the walk on her own. As she approached the bridge that connects the two sides of the canal together, she found herself staring at the back of a very familiar figure. Standing on the bridge is the figure of Gu Jun Pyo, her boyfriend…but can she still call him her boyfriend though? Geum Jan Di truly had no idea, after all, the guy seems to be reluctant to meet up with her. So, why is he here now? Did Ji Hoo-sunbae talk him into meeting her? A dozen of questions were running through the mind of Geum Jan Di, but she found herself having trouble voicing those questions aloud.

Eventually, all she managed was to call out to the newly-minted owner of the Shinhwa Group a simple greeting.

"Hi… I'm here." Geum Jan Di started as she took a moment to observe the figure of Gu Jun Pyo in detail.

"Yes. I can see that but why are you here?" Gu Jun Pyo forced himself to remain cold and unfeeling as he responded to the words of Geum Jan Di, and to do that he makes sure not to glance even once in the direction of the girl.

"I…I'm here because I was concerned about how you're faring after hearing about the news of your father's condition." Geum Jan Di falters slightly at the dismissive manner of Gu Jun Pyo's behavior but forced herself to plow on ahead.

"Thank you for your concern, as you can see - I'm doing quite well. Did you just come all the way to say this?" Gu Jun Pyo swallowed hard and stamped down the urge to glance in Geum Jan Di's direction as he forced out the rest of his unfeeling words.

"...You…why are you behaving like this?" Geum Jan Di finally had it with Gu Jun Pyo's attitude and started demanding an explanation behind his strange behavior towards her.

"...and just what exactly were you expecting to hear from me? Were you expecting something along the line of - sorry for not contacting you for the last six months, and I love you so please wait for me? If that's so, I'm afraid that you're going to be sorely disappointed." Finally, Gu Jun Pyo turns to look at Geum Jan Di but the moment didn't last for more than a few seconds before he abruptly turns his eyes away.

There are two reasons why Jun Pyo dare not glance in Geum Jan Di's direction for long, the first being - he isn't confident of his ability to continue keeping his inner desires at bay if he were to keep his eyes on the girl for a prolonged period. Secondly, he didn't want to see the tears of the woman he loves especially since he's the cause behind Geum Jan Di's tearful reaction.

"What?! Is that truly how you feel?" Geum Jan Di felt relatively upset, but she's not going to let the subject go without finding out the reason behind her boyfriend's change in attitude towards her. And so, she pressed on. "What exactly got into you that brought this much change in your behavior?"

"I was made to face up to the reality side of things." Gu Jun Pyo responded as he kept his eyes at the canal with a faraway look in his eyes, that nobody can see.

"I see… and what exactly am I to you now?" Stamping down the urge to break down in tears, Geum Jan Di managed to voice her last question to the former Shinhwa heir, who's now the rightful owner of the infamous Shinhwa Group in the wake of his father's early retirement.

"...You're… a stain that I wish to remove." Gu Jun Pyo eventually said, with each word uttered aloud to Geum Jan Di, he could feel his heart cracking and shattering under the finality of his words. As much as he wished to turn on his heels and leave now so he could hide somewhere to bawl his eyes out, he knows he can't. At least, not yet.

"..." For a while, Geum Jan Di didn't speak and simply stare at him with a look of hurt and disbelief. When she finally did speak up, it was to comment on his cruelty. "I understand it perfectly now… but you're being cruel. When did you become like this?"

"I've always been this way. I was simply pretending that I'm not." With that said, Gu Jun Pyo finally turns on his heels to leave the site. It took all his self-control to not hightail out of this place and instead leave the area at a normal and evenly pace.

Meanwhile, Yoon Ji Hoo who had been silently observing the meeting between his long-time friend and Geum Jan Di on the second floor of a building that allows him a good view of the bridge knows Geum Jan Di wouldn't want him to see her breaking down in tears after having her heartbroken by his friend. And so, he didn't attempt to approach the heartbroken girl by himself. Instead, he signals for a Gondolier who's passing by and getting ready to start his job for the day over to him.

"Yes, sir? How may I be of assistance to you?" The gondolier inquires as he came to a stop in front of the auburn-haired member of F4.

"See that girl over there? She just has her heart broken so keep a lookout on her. If you noticed her acting out of sort, call out to her and invite her for a gondola ride. While at it, sing a song for her as well. Here's the payment for her ride, but don't let her know I send you over. If she asks why payment isn't necessary, just tell her that it's your treat because she's your first patron for the day." Yoon Ji Hoo instructed the gondolier, as he forked out the amount of money required to hire a gondola ride with a song performance by the gondolier and handed it over to the Caucasian guy.

"Of course, sir!" The Caucasian employed in the service of the resort as a gondolier nodded in acceptance to the errand assigned to him by the auburn-haired member of F4, as he continues on his way towards the canal where his assigned gondola boat was parked.

Some distance away from where Yoon Ji Hoo had stood observing the meeting between Gu Jun Pyo and Geum Jan Di, stood a man with a professional camera on hand. The guy was spying on the meeting between Gu Jun Pyo and Geum Jan Di under the orders of the acting director of the renowned Shinhwa Group - Kang Hee-Soo. Although he had absolutely no clues about why he's required to take a series of photographs of the meeting for the acting director of the Shinhwa Group, he didn't inquire too much on the subject. It's not his business to pry into his client's reasons for employing his service, either way.

Seated on the gondola boat after being invited for a free ride by the gondolier who seems rather concerned about her for some unfathomable reasons, Geum Jan Di starts digging into the pocket of her jacket to locate some cash on her person. Turning towards the gondolier with the cash in hand, Geum Jan Di requested for the gondolier to sing her a song.

"Oh no… there's no need for payment. It's my treat for you, lovely young lady." The gondolier responded as he starts singing without delay, after turning down Geum Jan Di's payment offer.

Geum Jan Di, on the other hand, finds her mind traveling down the memory lane as she remembers the various past interactions she had with Gu Jun Pyo since her transfer into the Shinhwa Academy. First, there was the scene of Gu Jun Pyo declaring her his official girlfriend in front of the entire school population. And then, the next memory that came to mind was the image of him waiting for her out in the cold for a date that she wasn't even certain about showing up. That, in turn, ties into the scribbling that guy had childishly done in the cable car at Namsan Tower. Following this, there's the scene of him saving her from the school bullies in the wake of her being betrayed and set up by Min Ji. The next scene that came to mind was of their trip to New Caledonia, first the romantic lunch by the sea followed by the helicopter ride. Finally, came the scene of her being held hostage by Lee Jae-Ha and he came running to rescue her without backup and nearly being beaten to death. Last but not least, how he had come to her rescue when she was stranded in a snowstorm in Sapporo, while they were on the skiing trip.

The more memories that came to mind, the more difficult Geum Jan Di felt about keeping her tears at bay. And so, she started to weep and the dam to the floodgate of her tears give way. She had no idea how long she had to spend crying but it should be for quite some time as by the time she finally stop crying, her eyes were all puffy and red from all the tears she had shed and her nose resembled a relative of the reindeer during the Christmas season.

If the gondolier hasn't heard about Geum Jan Di being heartbroken by the guy that had hired him for the task of inviting the girl onto his gondola for a ride, he would have been startled when the girl suddenly broke down into tears when he was mid-song. But because he knows of the story ahead of time, he was able to remain unfazed and continue on with his singing even after his patron stops paying attention to his song and broke down into a crying fit of her own.

Location: Macau Peninsula, Royal Suite of Grand Emperor Hotel. 24th November 2009, Tuesday.

While Geum Jan Di was crying openly on the gondola ride she had been invited to ride for free, and Yoon Ji Hoo was silently watching over the girl without Geum Jan Di knowing. So Yi Jeong was finally done with his packing for his return trip to Seoul and is now doing a video recording of the Royal Suite of the Grand Emperor Hotel where he had stayed for his first and last night in Macau on his mobile phone's camera function. While he did take some pictures of the suite, he thought a video might provide his girlfriend with a better idea of what the suite looks like.

Woo Bin was preoccupied with the task of dealing with his father's business associates and thus had no time to meet him for breakfast before he was due to travel out to the airport. And so, Yi Jeong found himself ordering room service for his breakfast meal as he chatted with his beloved country bumpkin on the phone via their routine morning text session.

A private message between Chu Ga Eul and So Yi Jeong, 24th November 2009, Tuesday morning, 8am

Ga Eul: Good morning, Yi Jeong-sunbae. ^_^

A routine text to check in on how you're doing this morning, and to remind you about taking your breakfast meal.

Yi Jeong: Good Morning, Ga Eul. I'm doing fine, thank you for asking. And I'm having my breakfast now, I ordered room service for this morning because Woo Bin has no time to meet me for breakfast. As for Ji Hoo… well, Woo Bin and I left him with Geum Jan Di in Venetian Macau while we headed back to Macau Peninsula. Woo Bin has things he needed to do for his father while in Macau, whereas I'll be flying back to Seoul later this afternoon. Since the flight time between Macau and Seoul is only about four hours apart, I'm looking to be back in Seoul by evening today.

Ga Eul: Really?! You are coming back today? I was under the impression that you would only be returning tomorrow, to be honest. *Surprised Emoji* How's Jan Di doing, by the way?

Yi Jeong: Yes. I'll be back by tonight. Want to meet up for dinner? We can dine out if it's too short a notice for you to prep up something for me. As for Geum Jan Di… things between her and Jun Pyo aren't going well, so I doubt she's feeling too good at the moment. But it's a very long story, so I think we'd best talk about it in person when I got back to Seoul. As for the reason why I'm coming back slightly ahead of schedule, long story short - Jun Pyo sort of pissed me off for one, and then… it's the same old family drama that summons me home a day ahead of schedule.

Ga Eul: Ah… I see, so I assumed Ji Hoo-sunbae is keeping Jan Di company at present? What did Jun Pyo-sunbae do that managed to piss you off?

Yi Jeong: Yes. I'm sure Ji Hoo is capable of cheering up your friend, while on the subject - you did extend Geum Jan Di's leave of absence from the school, right? As for what Jun Pyo did, well… as I say, it's a long story. I will fill you in later tonight when we meet up for dinner.

PS: We are going to have dinner together tonight, right?

Ga Eul: Yes, I did. Extend Jan Di's leave of absence, I mean. And yes, of course, I'm open to meeting you for dinner tonight. Just let me know when you would be picking me up for dinner when you are done sorting through your family drama.

Yi Jeong: Good, I'll text Ji Hoo later and reassured him that there's no need for them to rush back to Seoul.

PS: Thank you for not inquiring about the matter of my family drama.

Ga Eul: Well, I have to admit. I am indeed curious about the nature of the family drama you have always been caught in the middle of if Woo Bin-sunbae's words had any truth in them. But I won't pry until you're ready to share them with me. *Smiley Emoji*

PS: Alright, it's time for me to attend classes now, I'll see you later tonight for our dinner date. ^_^

Yi Jeong: Thank you for your understanding on the matter. See you later, I'll text you when I'm going to pick you up for dinner after sorting out the family drama.

Ga Eul: Of course. I'll wait for your text then. ^_^ See you tonight.

Yi Jeong: See you.

~TBC~

Chapter's notes:

Chapter 38 is done, we are halfway through episode 14 contents. Jan Di got heartbroken by Jun Pyo. Episode 14 is very Jan Di focused, but because my story tried to cover a lot of things… I apologized for the dreadfully long arc. Still, next chapter onward - we would see both events in Seoul (featuring SoEul) and Macau where Jan Di, Ji Hoo, and Jun Pyo are in. And to a lesser extent is also where Jae-Kyung is still around, and of course, Woo Bin. I've yet to decide if Woo Bin would meet up with Jae-Kyung again, in another part of Macau.

Very brief SoEul moments in this chapter, but I make sure to start and end the chapter with a SoEul chat conversation. Jae-Kyung only got a cameo feature in the chat scene with Woo Bin in the early part of this chapter, and the rest of it was mostly Jan Di and Jun Pyo screen time, separately of course. The only time they were seen in the same place was when Jun Pyo broke Jan Di's heart.

In this chapter, Jun Pyo had more lines and interaction scenes with his friends, his mother, and of course, Jan Di.

That's all for now, and see you next time. ^_^