Part of Me

by NerwenT

On a day like any other, Ji Hoo goes for a casual stroll, only to find himself reminiscing about the past and his friends. An unexpected encounter, however, leads him to a person who disappeared from his life six years ago. How will F4 react when Jan Di suddenly reappears in the city...with her son? (Rating will go up to M for later chapters)

7. Museums, pottery and movies

Well, hello again!

I know I haven't been here in more time that I would like to mention, but please, do not hit me (just joking...) It's getting more difficult to write now because of the work but I'm still at it. I'm also very grateful for your constant encouragement, PM's, words and reviews. They really, really help me to keep going with this story.

Something I noticed just recently is the country stats for this story and for the ranking I'm going to exclude USA. No, please, don't put on that face. I love my USA readers, you represent 80% of the amount of people who come and read and you'll probably always will. So, you guys have an honorary special place in the stats and in my heart.

Now, after USA, the first three countries who most read this story are India, Chile (Muchísimas gracias ¿eh?) and Vietnam! I'm so very thankful to you guys, and also to the last three countries in the stat, you are from Bahrain, Europe and Malasya! I mean wow, really...wow. We're so, so, SO far away and we're still somehow connected through this story. To all the readers spread throughout the world, you have my eternal thanks. This wouldn't be possible without you.

A very special thanks to my very good friend JHsgf82. Mandy, without you I wouldn't be able to think so much. Thank you!

WARNING: There is a small mention of abortion in this chapter. I'm very respectful of every opinion and won't mention my personal standing in this matter. Whether you are in favor or against the choice of abortion, please take into mind this is a work of fiction. Thank you very much for your understanding *bow*

Previously on Part of Me: F4 and Jan Di went out to a laser tag centre where they had lots of fun and a couple of games, being Woo Bin the ultimate winner of the day. F4 chased Jan Di around a huge garden and they easily laughed remembering the school times. Sun Mi decides to try to befriend Jan Di and now, the gang is going to have a well deserve lunch.

---

Soon, they all arrived at a fancy restaurant in which they were led to a private area for a fun lunch. Anecdotes were told, memories surfaced, and Jun Pyo was laughing so much, water shot out through his nose, much to everyone's amusement.

At one moment, Woo Bin left the table to take care of a call, and the laughing started to wind down a bit.

"I can't remember when was the last time I laughed this much. Man, my stomach hurts." Yi Jung wiped at a tear.

"You guys are just hilarious!" Jae Kyung added, surprised at how much the guys had opened up in just an hour.

"It wasn't that funny." Jun Pyo scoffed.

"Jan Di-ssi?" Sun Mi tried to take advantage of the fact that the guys seemed busy talking. "How old are you?"

"Oh, I'm 25."

"I'm 23."

"Really? I thought you were older. You are way more mature than this pack of wolves."

"Perhaps...just a bit."

"Well, anyone is more mature than Jun Pyo." Jan Di turned her head to him but noticed he hadn't heard her jab; she shrugged.

Sun Mi laughed; she knew the leader of F4 was a bit more childish than the rest, but she would never say that to his face.

"Did all of you go through your entire high school life together?"

"No, I was there for some months, maybe a little bit less than half a year while they were already taking college courses, even though they hadn't totally finished high school. That's F4 for you."

"I see. And then you had...well, I mean…" Sun Mi wanted to kick herself. Those topics weren't just brought up like that and she had meant to have a bit more tact.

"Yes, after I left school I got pregnant and had Ji Min. Don't worry, it's not something I'm ashamed of or regret. I was young, but I knew what I was doing and I fully accept the consequences of my actions. You haven't offended me, Sun Mi-ssi," Jan Di said with a soft smile.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to. I was just trying to get to know you. Ji Hoo never mentioned...mentions much about these type of things."

"That's Ji Hoo for you."

"What about me?" Ji Hoo had seen his girlfriend talking with Jan Di for a while, and when he heard his name, he thought of jumping in.

"Oh, nothing," Jan Di told him, "just women's talk."

"Jan Di-ah." Woo Bin had come back into the room and called for her.

"Yeah?" She turned to him.

"I think someone here wants to see you. Come in." From behind the curtain, a woman appeared. She had long, chestnut, kinda wavy hair and her eyes found Jan Di immediately.

Jan Di quickly stood up, almost knocking over her chair, and tears came to her eyes.

"It's okay," she heard a voice whispering next to her, "You are still friends, even after all these years. Go."

She nodded and whispered back a quick thank you to Ji Hoo, who had moved to her side for support as soon as he saw Ga Eul entering the room.

Ga Eul put her hands over her mouth, not believing the sight before her.

Without another word, the two long-time friends met in an explosion of tight hugs, tears and apologies.

"Where did you go? Where- where were you?"

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry."

The whole room watched the reunion before them. Yi Jung, Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo lifted their fists to Woo Bin, who in return bumped his own to theirs, the silent congratulatory gesture between F4.

"Omma, why are you crying?" Ji Min, being the sensible kid that he was, hated to see his mother crying.

"I'm so sorry, my love. This is a friend I haven't seen in many, many years, and I'm just so happy to see her again. So these are happy tears, you see?"

"Jan Di-ah…" Ga Eul hadn't missed the 'omma' the little boy had addressed her with.

"Ga Eul, this is my son, Geum Ji Min. Say hello, baby." Ji Min nodded his head and greeted Ga Eul.

"Omo...this, this is your son? You're a mother! Wait...I'm an aunt?"

"You sure are!" Jan Di said loudly, and both friends hugged again, leaving Ji Min even more confused.

"Come on, you guys. You can get up to speed on the latest gossip soon. We're about done here." Woo Bin had approached them. "I'm sorry if this was too big of a surprise, Jan Di-ah."

"No, no, it's okay. We know that if we left things up to me I wouldn't have contacted any of you for at least another eight years, and that isn't fair. Thank you...big brother."

"And this room is suddenly dusty. Let's go, you guys! I need to get Jan Di and Ji Min back."

"I'm taking Sun Mi home, so I'm guessing we'll see each other later."

"Hyung-nim, don't go!" Ji Min ran to Ji Hoo's leg and grabbed it like a monkey, with arms and legs. Ji Hoo seemed at a loss for what to do. He was touched by Ji Min's attachment to him, even if it had been just one day.

"Ji Min-ah, let go of Ji Hoo's leg, please. You can see him tomorrow." Jan Di saw Ji Hoo make gestures indicating he couldn't see him the next day, "or the day after."

"No! I don't want to!"

"Ji Min-ah, love-" She didn't want to make a scene, but...

"No!"

"Geum. Ji. Min. You will stop grabbing onto Ji Hoo's legs right this instant or so help me you'll go directly to bed tonight. No bubble bath."

"Jan Di, really it's-" But she held up one hand, effectively cutting off whatever he was about to say, which Jan Di knew was something along the lines of 'it's fine.' She didn't want that, though, when she was trying to get Ji Min to listen.

"I'm counting to 3. One…" Jan Di never got to the other two numbers as Ji Min let go and went to hug his mother, sad that everyone was going. She crouched down and hugged him, speaking now in a voice that seemed to drip honey. "It's okay, we can still meet them this whole week. Okay? No tears now."

Ji Min felt that he hadn't had this much fun ever, so he was really reluctant to let go. He nodded and kept hold of Jan Di's neck. She simply sighed and picked him up.

"Sorry guys, he just wanted to keep playing," By the expressions of F4, she assumed they were prepared to offer whatever they could think of to cheer him up, but she jumped in, "but he knows we need to go." The look on Jan Di's face made everyone relent, and one by one, they said goodbye. Except for Woo Bin, who was going to take Jan Di and Ga Eul to the hotel.

---

Jae Kyung fulfilled her promise, and as soon as Jan Di went to the bathroom, she found a basket filled with bubble bath supplies.

Between Ga Eul and her, they supervised Ji Min's bubble bath, and Ga Eul, being a kindergarten teacher, knew all kinds of songs and games.

Knowing that after all the excitement Ji Min would be asleep before his head hit the pillow, Jan Di told Ga Eul to ask for something to eat if she wanted anything from room service and that she'd quickly be out to join her in the 'living room.'

"I'll tuck him in and be there in a second."

Jan Di put Ji Min in the center of the ridiculously big bed and kissed his forehead.

"May you dream with the angels, my little prince."

"Thank you for today, Omma; I had a great time."

Jan Di hugged her son and let him get comfortable while snuggling his puppy plush toy. It was beginning to get a bit old, but Ji Min didn't care. After all, he had slept with it almost his entire life.

When she joined Ga Eul on the couch, seeing that her friend just wanted to jump her with questions, Jan Di intervened.

"Could we please wait until the food comes before you lay the Spanish Inquisition on me?"

Ga Eul looked a bit put out. "It was not going to be the Spanish Inquisition." Jan Di just gave her a look. "Well, okay, maybe a bit. But you owe me!" And why was it that everyone seemed to be using that word lately?

They talked about Ga Eul's work as a kindergarten teacher, about the ex that wanted to get back with her after almost four months of being broken up, about how she was planning on taking another course on ASD, for she had two children this year that needed special attention, but the other teachers just wanted their parents to put them in a different institution.

"They don't have a lot of money and they're already doing their best to put them in our care, so the least we can do is try to learn how to deal with this. We're educators and women who will probably be mothers at some point, and God forbid our little ones ever get something like that. It can be a handful."

"I can't imagine the pain of knowing there's an illness hindering your child's development. I mean, Ji Min is a very healthy boy, but only after a couple of years of his life did I find out about the lot of complications I could've had while pregnant or that he could get. It's terrifying."

"I'm the one who can't imagine. I want kids, at least one someday, but to see all of my children growing up, facing different hardships in their lives...I mean, if I get emotional now I don't know how emotional I'll get when they're my own."

"It's a whole different monster…"

"And speaking of which...Now can we talk about what happened?" Ga Eul took one of Jan Di's hands and heard her sigh. "If you don't want to talk about it, I understand. I just...I don't know why you felt like you couldn't trust me…"

"That's not it at all, Ga Eul-ah...at all."

The doorbell rang, and the food arrived. Both were relieved they got a bit of a reprieve from what was bound to be a heavy conversation.

After Jan Di checked on Ji Min and both she and Ga Eul got comfortable once more on the couch with some snacks to munch on, they began their talk.

"My dad, you know how he used to get in trouble because of the betting..." Ga Eul nodded. "But this time it was really bad, Ga Eul. He had bruises all over his body; he was purple everywhere except for the parts you wouldn't normally show in public. These people roughed him up to make him pay, but he had no money to do so. My mother was going crazy...So many things happened."

"But you know I could've been there for you."

"I know, but you had no money, Ga Eul. And the only way to get them off our backs was to repay my father's debt. Not even quitting school and taking on four jobs would've gotten me near the amount he owed."

"But...I mean, you could've asked for his help...Maybe."

"I know, but I didn't want that." Jan Di gulped a bit of water. "Can you imagine how many women must have asked him the same? Forget that, how many people must have wanted to take advantage of him just because he had money?"

"Well...yeah. But maybe instead of asking him alone you could've talked to all of F4 together."

"I thought about it, but...lots of things were going on; we needed to disappear and fast. We were lucky my uncle got my dad something back on the island."

"It is a fishing island?"

"Yeah." Jan Di told her how quickly things progressed from that point on and how sorry she was for not telling her anything.

"I was so worried, Jan Di-ah." Some tears began to fall. "I couldn't get ahold of you by phone; you weren't at your house...The only thing your neighbors knew was that a truck had come to get you and your things!"

"Yeah." Jan Di was also crying.

"You wouldn't believe how worried everyone was! Do you have any idea how many times F4 came to my house? My mom began to think I had some kind of debt or something. Woo Bin, Ji Hoo, Yi Jung, and Jun Pyo, all of them came to my parents' house at least twice." Ga Eul stopped to breathe for a second. "Just promise me you won't do that ever again, Jan Di-ah. I've missed you so much...I love you! You're my sister…"

Both friends hugged, letting out their sadness in hushed sobs and tears.

"I'm so sorry, Ga Eul."

They spent a few minutes like this, until both thought it best to eat a bit more and calm down. Ga Eul wanted to know more but also didn't want to push her friend; she decided to ask but stop if Jan Di seemed uncomfortable.

"And now you're a mother?" She said this with a big smile because she had seen how much Jan Di loved her son.

"Yes, I'm a mother."

"Are you a wife, too?" Jan Di sighed at the excitement on her friend's face, but she needed to tell her the truth. Or...at least as much as she could.

"No, I'm not a wife. Ji Min's father is not with us."

"Did he abandon you two? Yah, Jan Di-ah, if that guy is living on the same island just let me know so I can go and kick him in the-"

"No, he doesn't live on the island. Actually...he doesn't know about Ji Min."

"What!?"

"What happened between us...I mean," Jan Di started to move her hands around a lot, a trait she showed when nervous, "When Ji Min happened, we hadn't known each other for very long." Ga Eul was clearly surprised. "I know, I know...it wasn't something we planned, but…"

"And why didn't you tell him about it?"

"Because he had other places to go, other things to do. We never talked about being a couple or confessed our feelings...It was supposed to be comfort, and we were both stupid. I let myself go and didn't even think about protection. It was my fault, too."

"Jan Di-ah." Ga Eul wanted to say and know more, but she could see that talking about it wasn't easy for her friend. "I can't imagine how difficult it must've been for you. I know some single mothers from the places I've worked, and it's not easy."

"It wasn't easy, not by a long shot. My mother wanted to kill me so bad. We were already in more than enough trouble, and here I came, telling her I was pregnant." Jan Di looked down, not knowing if she could say this, but then...who better to tell these things to than your best friend? "I thought about not having it." She said so almost in a whisper, waiting for the onslaught of reproach. But all she felt was Ga Eul's arms around her and something that reassured her more than anything had in all those years.

"I understand."

Jan Di cried for real then, muffling her sobs against her friend's shoulder, letting out the dark feelings she had had all those years ago when, alone and scared, she'd entered a small clinic known for 'helping' young women such as herself.

"I couldn't do it. I know it would've been so much easier, Ga Eul. At some point I didn't think it would mean much of anything to just go ahead and do it, but I couldn't kill my baby...Ji Min was my baby, even if his father wasn't there."

Holding her close and tightly, Ga Eul rubbed her back, assuring once and again that it was okay, that even if she had done it, no one had a right to blame her, that she was okay now, and of what an amazing child Ji Min seemed to be.

"I've only known him for a couple of hours, Jan Di, but I can tell he's great. And he wouldn't be so without an amazing mother such as yourself."

Jan Di eventually calmed down, and Ga Eul told her to take a shower and go to bed.

"Yi Jung told me all the guys will have a day with you this week, and tomorrow happens to be my day off. Can I come along?"

"Do you really have to ask?"

They hugged each other at the door when Ga Eul's taxi arrived and promised to meet the next day.

---

After a not-so-quick shower, Jan Di dried her hair and checked her cell phone for messages. Noticing she had four, Jan Di started to reply. First, to her mom...

-How's everything over there? How's Ji Min? You haven't called; I hope you had fun with your friends.

+Yes, Omma, we're okay. We had lots of fun and took some pictures. We'll call tomorrow. Send our love home.

Next, to Chul Moo…

-How are you? People asked about you today, but you're still on vacation so I just told them you were staying in the city for a little while longer. How's Ji Min?

+I'm okay, just tell them I'm staying with some friends from the city if they ask again. Ji Min is great; he had loads of fun today. I'll send you a pic in a bit.

Then to Yi Jung…

-Jan Di, we're meeting tomorrow after breakfast. Does 11 AM sound okay? Just let me know if you want to sleep more, and I'll come by later.

-PS: You're a beauty now (wink)

+Yes, I think 11 AM is okay, even 10:30, if you want.

+PS: I'll hurt you and won't even feel bad about it.

She thought it weird that Yi Jung was the one coming, but her questions were answered when she reviewed her last text of the night, from Ji Hoo.

-Did Yi Jung text you? I'm sorry, but some things came up, and I asked him to swap days with me. I'll move some meetings and see you the day after tomorrow...I hope your talk went okay. Drink lots of water if you've cried; don't dehydrate.

+He did, thank you. Don't feel pressured to change your normal day for us; we're happy to be here and to share time with you guys whenever you can. I will drink water. How did you know? Thank you.

Jan Di blocked her phone and set it on the nightstand. She pulled down the covers and cuddled next to her little man.

Tomorrow was going to be another good day.

oº°˚˚°ºoº°˚˚°ºoº°˚˚°ºoº°˚˚°ºoº°˚˚°ºoº°˚˚°ºoº°˚˚°ºoº°˚˚°ºoº°˚˚°ºo

The next day, Jan Di and Ji Min woke up and got ready for Yi Jung's visit. At 10:29 AM, there were a few knocks on their hotel bedroom door, and Ji Min sprinted to the door.

"Uncle Yi Jung!" he shouted before launching himself at him. Yi Jung, with catlike reflexes, anticipated and countered the kid's gesture with a bear hug of his own.

"I…c-cant...bre-athe!" Ji Min was saying in between laughter, even though he really was starting to get less oxygen to his lungs.

Jan Di walked up to Yi Jung, releasing a more than happy Ji Min. For a second, she thought about how a manly or fatherly figure had been so absent in her son's life. True, her dad had been present, but he wasn't the best of examples; didn't she know it! He had been very excited about the pregnancy, which truly surprised her, and when Ji Min was born, her father had celebrated the fact that his first grandchild was male.

Still, she could see how her little man looked up to F4, not only with the 'cool big brother' type admiration but with the glint of something else, and once more, she felt guilty for not being able to provide everything for him.

"Are you ready for today?"

"Yeah!" Ji Min said excitedly.

"Ga Eul Noona, Jae Kyung Noona and Sun Mi Noona are also coming today."

"What about Hyung-nim? And Uncle Woo Bin? And Uncle Jun Pyo?"

"They can't come today, champ; they're working." Ji Min immediately deflated. "Hey, but I'm here, as well as those pretty noonas, so aren't you happy?" Yi Jung had crouched to his level when he saw a pout appear.

Ji Min nodded that he was happy, and as soon as he saw Jae Kyung running towards him, all semblance of sadness was wiped from his face.

Inside the van, they all greeted each other. Sun Mi excused herself while she worked for a bit on her laptop, and Yi Jung went to Ji Min's side to play some PlayStation 4. Ji Min didn't understand at first, but after a couple of games, he quickly got the gist of it and gave Yi Jung a run for his money.

"So, Jan Di-ah, can you really stay only one week?" Jae Kyung asked her after giving her a soda.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. I still have work, and I can't be absent more than that."

Jae Kyung looked really sad about it, and Jan Di, again, found herself touched. This woman in front of her seemed like a strong, loving type of person. "Jun Pyo told me you don't have many friends?"

"Yeah. With how my parents did background checks on everyone who wasn't in our social circle, I couldn't very well keep too many. Although, I hate to admit, they were right one time."

"Really?"

"There was this really sweet girl at a cooking class, and I instantly liked her. I started hanging out with her and we exchanged numbers, texted almost every hour….I thought I had found my best friend ever. One day, I invited her to my house and left her in my room to go get some refreshments. I realized that I hadn't asked her what she wanted to drink, so I went back and when I opened the door, I found her rummaging through my jewelry box." Jan Di felt bad for her. "You can imagine, my parents didn't let me live it down for quite some time, telling me I should know how to pick my friends better, that I should go to the Cotillion parties and mingle with our own social class circle, but most of them are so...fake, childish, catty, and jealous that I'd rather not have friends."

"I understand what you mean. I went to Shinhwa for less than a year and had the worst possible time."

"Until Jun and the guys came along?"

Jan Di exchanged a knowing look with Ga Eul. She wasn't entirely sure if she should tell Jae Kyung that Jun Pyo had been the ringleader of the most extreme bullying experiences of her life. She could still remember people surrounding her, throwing water balloons, shooting a fire extinguisher, and setting her bike on fire. And she also remembered the guys who almost raped her, although Jun Pyo had explained he hadn't given that order.

"Well...I didn't get along with Jun Pyo at first, at all. But after some very grueling experiences, we became friends. From F4, the two people who almost immediately accepted me were Woo Bin and Yi Jung."

"Why didn't you and Jun get along?"

"We had different opinions on how to treat people," Jan Di said nonchalantly. She thought this was a good enough explanation, but Jae Kyung seemed to be studying her. "What?"

"You really don't plan on telling me?"

"Telling you what?"

"That Jun Pyo bullied you, that he was the worst bully in the world during his time at Shinhwa and that you were really badly hurt because of his antics. More ridiculous still, that he dared to woo you once he realized he liked you." Jan Di was flabbergasted; she really didn't know what to say. "He told me, everything. He's changed a lot since his high school days, thank God."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lie or anything."

"On the contrary, I'm grateful to you. Jun Pyo speaks very highly of you, and so does his sister."

"You know Jun Hee Unnie! How is she?"

And off they went on a conversation about the Goo siblings. It seemed that Jun Hee was the happy mother of three kids and still living abroad, though she visited on holidays. Also, she still didn't heel to her mother's will.

"I haven't seen her in eight years. I met her only briefly, but she was so cool in my eyes at that time. Always wearing pretty clothes but still very mature and kind…"

"She told me it was thanks to you that her little brother began to change." Jan Di felt really uncomfortable with that statement, but looking into Jae Kyung's eyes, she could see she wasn't trying to be mean or catty or gauge her reaction. She had a sincere smile on her face while talking about her current boyfriend liking Jan Di at one point.

"I don't think I brought about much of a change in him...we were simply friends."

"Still, he had told me about you before, but after your reappearance the other day, Jun Pyo told me a bit more. Really, Jan Di, I can see you love Jun Pyo, that you love the whole F4, though not romantically, and I would really like it if we could be friends." Jan Di was touched by this. Normally, a woman didn't care for her man's exes, even less the first woman he ever liked, but Jae Kyung was totally different. Jan Di was sure they had cast her and later broken the mold.

"I would like that very much," she replied sincerely.

"I'm so happy!" Jae Kyung hugged her, catching her a bit by surprise, but Jan Di smiled, nonetheless. Then Jae Kyung whispered in her ear. "Do you think Miss Ga Eul would also like to be my friend?"

"Welcome, Master So, Miss Ha, Miss Heo. It is a pleasure having you visit us today." A young woman bowed to the highest representatives of the group.

"Thank you. These are my friends, Miss Chu, Miss Geum, and her son, Geum Ji Min. We've come today because we'd like to show him around. It would also be a proof test to see how a kid gets fun inside."

"Of course, Master So. We will be very pleased to show you around. Please, Miss Chu, Miss Geum, young master Geum. Follow me." The young girl started to walk towards the huge building in front of them.

"Omma, she called me 'Young master.'" Ji Min was shocked.

"That she did, love. She doesn't know that you're not."

"I can tell her. I mean, I'm just...me."

The whole party smiled at the simplicity of the boy. The young girl turned around and saw no one was following her, so she tried to call their attention.

"Dear guests?"

"We'll be right there. Ladies…" Yi Jung offered his arms, and both Jae Kyung and Sun Mi accepted the gesture. Ji Min imitated his uncle and offered his arms to his mother and Ga Eul, who gladly accepted.

As soon as they crossed the doors, the lady who had greeted them bowed again. "Welcome, dear guests, to the Gwacheon National Science Museum."

Jan Di was amazed at the huge space in front of her. One would normally think museums were reserved for those boring school excursions that forced you to write an even more boring report. But this here was something else.

She wasn't the only one dazed, though; her little prince seemed to be barely containing his excitement at what they had before them. The huge place had several exhibitions, and she could see kids of all ages and several families coming and going from different rooms and presentations.

"Jan Di-ah? Geum Jan Di?" She suddenly saw a hand before her eyes moving up and down. "So, I take it you like it?"

"This is outstanding, Yi Jung...Thank you!" The smile the man gave her easily melted the small group of females that had formed in the minute or so since they'd been there. Jan Di scoffed, remembering how this small bit hadn't changed. "You still attract attention wherever you go, don't you?"

"What can I say? It comes with the territory."

"Uncle Yi Jung! I want to go there, look!" Ji Min was pointing to a huge fossil exhibit.

"And you will. Actually, I want you to choose what you want to do today. There are two courses, you see. Course A and Course B. And you get to choose one for today. Next time we come here, we can cover what today won't and more."

"Sweet!" Ji Min reviewed both courses next to his mother with a bit of help from Sun Mi, who had clearly been here before.

"My family owns several museums, although not as many as the Yoon Empire, but we had been working closely for a while," Sun Mi explained.

"That is great. Ji Hoo loves everything that involves art and music, and if you two are together on a project like this museum, I have high hopes for my boy's future education. I may not always be able to bring him to a place like this, but I'll do my damn best."

Sun Mi smiled at her praise, although also infinitesimally cringed at her use of a curse word.

"Noona, what do you think of this? I really, really want to see the skeletons!" The course Ji Min was referring to was Course A, which included the Children's Exploration Hall, the basic Science Museum, the Natural Story Hall, and the Ecological Park. Within the Natural Story Hall was the Paleozoic era in the Korean peninsula exhibit.

"I think this would be the best option for you, then. I'll tell our guide we've chosen our destination." She smiled at the boy and walked over to the person in charge.

"Times have changed. I can't remember any of our school excursions being taken at a place as amazing as this one." Ga Eul went to Jan Di and Ji Min.

"I know what you mean," she answered.

"When I was in school, we went to Tour Eiffel," Jae Kyung offered without any mean intention.

"Well, I can imagine. When I was in Shinhwa, I remember seeing the first excursion to Hawaii. I mean, I couldn't believe that. The most we ever did was stay within the country for the graduation trip, right?" Jan Di asked Ga Eul.

"Wow, inside of the country. That must be tough. We went to Germany."

"Yeah, and we to Africa," Yi Jung provided.

"You rich kids and your rich lives…" Jan Di half-smirked.

"Oh, come on, Jan Di. You know you love us." Yi Jung went to put his arm around her shoulders, and she could hear the grunts of disgust from the small fan club.

"Yeah, yeah...whatever." She smiled. Behind her were the times when she flushed and tried to avoid being next to an F4 because of how the rest of the school would treat her. The guys had always assured her that they spent time with her because they liked to do so.

"Well, all ready." Sun Mi was back. "Shall we go?"

"To see the fossils?" Ji Min had stars in his eyes.

"Not yet, but I promise it is included in this course. Worry not, Ji Min-ah, you'll see amazing fossils."

"Okay!"

Their first destination was to stand next to a big yellow bus that looked pretty fun.

"Dear guests." A petite female approached the party and bowed. "I'm very honored to be your guide for today. My name is Park In Sook. Whatever questions you may have, please direct them to me, so I can do my best to help you."

Everyone greeted back, and then, she did something Jan Di hadn't expected‒she went and crouched next to Ji Min.

"Ji Min, annyeong!" Her voice was now very sweet and bubbly. Her son immediately liked her and returned her greeting. "Hey, have you ever wondered how our bodies look from inside?"

"From inside? Like the organs and stuff?"

"Yes, have you?"

"Yeah, sometimes."

"How would you feel if I took you on a trip inside a human body?" Ji Min's eyes opened wide at the question, and he dumbly nodded. "Because you see, I have a very special bus, and when we go inside, we'll be tiny, tiny, tiny, and be able to navigate inside a body. Wanna see?"

"Yeah!"

In Sook offered her hand to him. Ji Min was about to take it when he suddenly pulled it back.

"Omma, can I take her hand?"

Yi Jung was impressed, same as the rest of the party, at the little boy's criteria on this matter. It wasn't as if Jan Di wasn't right next to him.

"Yes, love, you can. Let's all go in, hmm?"

"How did you manage that? Most kids will simply go with a stranger if he offers fun or candies." Jae Kyung asked while they settled inside the bus seats.

"A kid was lost in our villa," Jan Di said sadly upon remembering the event. "Ji Min was there when it happened; he was four then. We were at a park and several kids were playing; one of the boys simply disappeared. No one saw anything; I didn't see anything. My eyes had been on Ji Min the whole time."

"Oh, God. Did they find him?" Ga Eul asked after listening to the story.

"Yes, two days later. But the boy was...different." Jan Di could still hear the cries, both from his mother and the boy. He looked roughed up, with some bruises on his face and body, and no one dared to ask what exactly had happened, but Jan Di and her mom made sure to warn Ji Min about never, ever going with a stranger. Short of a threat, they'd painted an awful image of what would happen if he ever did. It seemed the scare sank in because Ji Min never followed a stranger.

Although…

"But didn't he appear with Ji Hoo when he was lost?" Jae Kyung asked.

"Yeah, I never actually asked Ji Min about it." Jan Di was confused. Her son had been lost, yes, but he knew to look for the policeman or a store employee in cases like that, not that he had been lost before.

"Dear guests, please put on your glasses." In Sook's voice pulled the adults out of their conversation.

The experience was one that Jan Di couldn't believe. Through the glasses, she was able to see the red cells, the lungs, a piece of food processed in the stomach, how a spermatozoid met an egg and a baby was formed. She was simply amazed at how far technology could take someone on a trip without even moving from a seat.

Ji Min was ecstatic, asking away about things like how a wound closed and what happened to the bones when he grew.

In Sook was more than kind to answer each and every one of his inquiries. To her left, she could see Ga Eul was as amazed as her, and she whispered her plans of trying to bring her kids to the museum.

"This is just great, Jan Di-ah."

"I know, right?"

After what felt like too little time inside the bus, they were off to the next exhibit. The Sensing Playground was next, and here, they all got to experience different things with all of their senses. Ji Min liked the tape with the waves sound, saying it reminded him of home.

"Where exactly do you live, Jan Di-ssi?" Sun Mi asked her while touching some surfaces with different textures.

"It's a very, very small island that I'm sure doesn't even come up on the map. But we're near the ocean because it is a fishing villa. Ji Min loves the water, just like me."

"Did you live by the ocean as a kid?"

"No, I swam. I was a swimmer in school and was planning on going professional, but... life happened."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you remember something painful."

"Not at all. I still swim, not in competitions, but in the ocean." And her smile made Sun Mi smile, too.

"Isn't that a bit dangerous, though?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

"It can be if you don't respect the sea. But if you do and know when and where to swim, it's great training."

"Well, you…" Sun Mi bit her tongue before she slipped. She had been about to say something rude.

"You can go ahead and say what you're thinking." Jan Di knew Sun Mi was one of those proper ladies her mother used to watch in historical dramas. She felt as if she was in the company of royalty whenever she spoke to Sun Mi.

"No, I'm sorry...I just wanted to say you have a great figure."

"For being a mom, right?" Sun Mi was surprised Jan Di could tell what she was thinking.

"...For anyone."

"Don't worry, it's not like I'm a mind reader," Jan Di provided after seeing she was confused, "you're just very similar to Ji Hoo, so I can more or less figure out what you're thinking."

"You think we're similar?"

"Like...you're both on the same wavelength? That's what I've felt watching you two," she provided with a smile.

Sun Mi felt like an idiot. Just a minute ago she had been thinking of what a nice figure Jan Di had for being a mom, but she was reminded of this only because of the teasing between her boyfriend and her the previous day. She really needed to let go of such petty jealousy. It was clear they were friends.

"Well, I mean what I said. One would never know you've had a child; you look fantastic."

"Why, thank you! After the guys joked around yesterday about my body changes, that makes me feel much better. Do you work out, Sun Mi-ssi?"

And on they were to exercises routines, diets and such. Ga Eul and Jae Kyung quickly joined them, exchanging secrets and recipes.

"Little word of advice, Ji Min-ah," Yi Jung told the boy while watching the women cackling about things only females could.

"Yes, Uncle Yi Jung?"

"Never, and I mean never in your whole life, talk to a woman about her weight."

"Why?"

"Trust me, just don't."

---

After the sensory experience, In Sook told them they could try the suspended tunnel of nets. Jan Di was a bit nervous about it, but the guide reassured her that the security measures were simply the best. Ji Min, of course, had a great time because the adults couldn't fit and he got to pass through all on his own.

Finally, they all went into the maze and found the exit after about 10 minutes. It would've been like 2 or 3 minutes if the adults had done it, but they all wanted the young one to find the answer.

They had finished the sensory part of the tour, and now, they were going to the ABO blood research section of the Basic Science Museum. One could learn about the different blood types, the compatibility chart, and in a small section, one could see the supposed personality traits of each blood type. Of course, this was a bit of a superstition, but still, it didn't hurt.

"Omma, what blood type do I have?"

"You're A, baby."

"Really?" asked Yi Jung. "I would think he was AB."

"No, he's A. Let me guess, Yi Jung. Are you type O?"

Yi Jung laughed out loud. "You know me so well, Jan Di-ah." He winked at her and put an arm over her shoulders.

"I actually can't remember what my blood type is, if A or AB. I should call my mom," Jae Kyung said while taking out her phone.

"Omma, I want to go over there." Ji Min had seen a small table where you could create some blood cells with molding clay. Jan Di was about to take his hand to accompany him when Yi Jung stopped her.

"Sun Mi-ah, could you take Ji Min over there? I was about to talk with Jan Di."

"Oh, sure, no problem. Let's go, Ji Min?" Sun Mi extended her hand, and the little boy took it with ease.

"Talk? I can't imagine what about." But she knew this was coming. Each F4 would definitely have a small talk with her about her disappearance, but still, it made her feel guilty and uncomfortable.

"I think you can." She nodded. "Geum Jan Di, I don't deny your family was in a very tricky situation. We figured it out a few days later, thanks to Woo Bin's men, but still, you said nothing. Even when you came here, we didn't want you to know we already knew about it, but still, we're F4."

"Yeah, you're bound to know everything."

"Well," Yi Jung looked at Ji Min, who was making little red balls with his hands, "not everything."

After a bit of silence, Jan Di spoke. "I really am sorry for not letting you guys know, but it wasn't your responsibility; I wasn't your responsibility."

"Yes, we know, but we were friends, and we would've done something for you. The reason Jun Pyo asked you why you had left was because we were sure there had to be some other reason than your financial situation. I mean, Jan Di, even while standing here doing nothing, I'm making money. You think that would've been an issue for us? You didn't even leave a note!"

She had been about to retort until he made that last comment. What did he mean no note? Jan Di had written a quick message and left it on Ji Hoo's bedside table. Hadn't he told them about it?

"How did you find out I was gone?"

"Ji Hoo came back from Paris earlier than planned. Imagine our surprise to receive a text from him, just as we were getting ready to go to the airport, saying 'Jan Di is gone.' We were confused about it because we had seen you just a few days before; what did he mean by 'gone?' But then he went to your house, and we went to the porridge shop; Woo Bin went to the newspaper stand you worked at and I to Ga Eul's house. You simply vanished." She had the sense to look sad at knowing how much they worried. "Jan Di-ah, you left our leader and our second-in-command in a damn well mess."

"What? What do you mean?"

He sighed. "They probably won't tell you. We were all worried; we were all sad, but Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo took it the worst. Jun Pyo started drinking almost everyday; his mother threatened him with a psych ward or a rehab institution. He wasn't an alcoholic; he isn't one, but he went down a destructive path very quickly. Each day he'd drink and fight and then pass out until the next night." Jan Di's breath quickened as her heart pounded a painful beat against her chest. "And Ji Hoo...he worried us even more. He threw himself into music and his studies, but he wasn't sleeping or eating. We realized this one day when we met and he looked like a ghost. He lost nearly fifteen pounds, that's what the doctor said. We had to force him to sleep, him, the cat boy." Tears were freely flowing down Jan Di's face now. "Please, all I ask is for you not to do this again. You wormed your way into our hearts, don't know very well how yet, but you did, and we really love you, Geum Jan Di. Trust us a little bit more, arasso?"

Jan Di let herself be engulfed in Yi Jung's arms, while she cried for the pain she had caused them. He was right; neither Jun Pyo nor Ji Hoo would tell her how badly they took her leaving. She never thought it would be that bad. Drinking? Not eating? Fighting?

"Omma, Omma!? What's wrong?" Ji Min had quickly gone to his mom as soon as he felt something wasn't right. One moment his mom was talking with Uncle Yi Jung and the next she was crying!

"I'm...fine, baby. I'm sorry." She gently pulled away from Yi Jung to answer her son.

"You're not fine! You're crying! You were crying with Hyung-nim, too! Are you sick? Does something hurt?"

Jan Di chuckled at her little one's questions. They were the same she would ask if she saw him in distress.

"I promise you, I'm fine. I'm just remembering some things and they made me a bit sad, but it's all okay, sweetie. Really."

Ji Min looked at her with scepticism; right now he didn't believe her.

"Omma...she used to live here, you know? But then one day she needed to leave with Haraboji, Halmoni and Oesamchon. And Omma, she didn't let her friends know, so they were very sad. She's listening to what happened when she was gone, and it was a bit sad, so that's why I'm crying, but I'm okay now, love." She opened her arms to show him she was okay. Ji Min immediately encircled her neck tightly and closed his eyes.

"I don't like it when you cry, Omma."

"Oh, I know, my prince. But I promise Omma is done crying. See?" She cleaned her face and smiled. "I'm really okay now. So, let's go, show me what you were molding a while ago."

"Ok." Ji Min was a bit subdued but still pulled his mom over to the table he had been working at.

"Is everything ok?" Sun Mi had seen Yi Jung hug women in the past. He always had this hint of mischief in his eyes and a smile that made most swoon. Whenever he hugged them, he had this signature smirk, which let everyone know he was having fun. But only moments before was the first time she could say she had seen the Casanova comfort someone. His features carried pain and sadness, but also relief.

"Yeah, she just needed to hear some things from the past, and they weren't pretty." He sighed.

Sun Mi looked at him, then took a look at where Jan Di was now smiling while playing with Ji Min. In her mind, she ran through the F4 reactions and behavior since Jan Di appeared, and finally, the question that had been at the back of her mind since nearly day one came out. "What exactly happened when she left?"

Yi Jung sighed and looked her in the eye. "Mayhem," he said with a sad smile on, but he quickly released some air, and his signature smirk was back once more. "But now she's back, so we can have fun again."

"Jun told me you guys are planning on bringing her back to the city?" Jae Kyung jumped into the conversation. Sun Mi was surprised by this piece of news.

"We are, or at least, we want to try. Jan Di isn't a common girl. If we offered to pay all of her family's debts plus her own and bring her here to a more laid-back lifestyle where she'd never have to worry about money again, she'd flat out say 'No'. She has a lot of pride and dignity, and that makes it hard sometimes to help her. It's her worst flaw, I'd say."

He went to join Jan Di and Ji Min at the molding station. Jae Kyung looked at Ji Min.

"I don't know everything that happened when she left, but I know Jun suffered a lot. He was...very destructive, with himself and with others. It took him a lot of time to get out of that state."

"I just know of her from what you've told me before, that Jun Pyo...liked her?"

"Yeah, he told me she was the first girl he ever loved."

They began to walk when Yi Jung called to them; it was time for the next exhibition.

"Is that, I mean, are you okay with that? You're a great person, Unnie, and I just don't want you to get hurt." Sun Mi couldn't put herself in her shoes. If she ever met Min Seo Hyun, she'd be polite and educated, but she wouldn't let her be alone with Ji Hoo at all.

"I am. Jun loves me now, and he was very honest about the whole ordeal with her. We all have a past, Sun Mi-ah. Jan Di is his past; I'm his present. And, if everything goes well, also his future," Jae Kyung said with a bright smile. "Jan Di is very nice; I like her. She's happy, funny, knows how to put F4 in their place..." She remembered how Jan Di hadn't wanted to tell her about the bullying she suffered at Jun Pyo's hand. That, in and of itself, confirmed Jan Di's character. "I want to be her friend."

Sun Mi really admired Jae Kyung. Where she was more cautious, Jae Kyung was spontaneous; where she would rather stay quiet, Jae Kyung would be loud and outspoken. Sun Mi really wanted to be at least a bit more like her; she was sure she had never met someone such as Ha Jae Kyung. Except, perhaps, Geum Jan Di, who seemed to have a particular personality, too.

"I want to be her friend too, Unnie."

"Oh, if we count Ga Eul, the four of us can go on shopping sprees! It would be like Sex and the City, Korean Edition." At this, Sun Mi openly laughed, and Jae Kyung felt her work was done.

---

After the ABO research part, they had gone to the Reproduction and occurrence part, which led to interesting questions from Ji Min. Jan Di tried her best to answer without the F4 Casanova's input. This is something you want to avoid until you're at least thirty, though the practice part is important. Thank God Jae Kyung had intervened and smacked Yi Jung in the head. Still, Ji Min was really surprised to know he had been, at one time, inside his omma's belly. Jan Di promised to show him some pictures when they got back home.

While Ji Min was distracted by the next part of the tour, the electric Tesla display, Jan Di pulled Ga Eul aside.

"Ga Eul, there's something I wanted to ask you yesterday, but between your appearance and our conversation, I forgot."

"What is it?"

"Remember that thing I asked you to save for Ji Hoo many years ago?"

"Oh, that keychain. Yeah, I gave it to him."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't know if you were coming back, and I know you saved up to buy that for him. I know he really helped you with the trials Goo Jun Pyo set for you, so I found it silly to just leave it there inside its box."

"When did you give it to him?"

"Mmmm…" Ga Eul's eyes darted around as she searched for the date in her head. "I think it was like a few months after you left. To be frank, I had forgotten about it until I did that spring cleaning my mom loves to do. Then I found it. I didn't actually know what it was, so I opened it, sorry about that." Jan Di waved her hand, indicating that it didn't matter. "As I said, I knew you bought it for him, so I called Ji Hoo, told him what you had been planning on doing and gave it to him." Then she got a strange look on her face. "Why do you ask?"

Now Jan Di didn't know exactly what to say.

"I saw it on his keychain the day before yesterday."

"He still has it?" She was a bit surprised. "I mean, it wasn't cheap but not that expensive, either. I'd have thought it would have broken by now or something."

"No, he still has it."

"Well, that's nice of him, then. Don't you think?"

"Yeah." Jan Di thought about the extra hours she'd worked to save a bit after the trials until she was finally able to buy that for him. Ga Eul was right; it was nice of Ji Hoo to still have it. "Very 'Ji Hoo' of him, huh?"

"Yeah, very." Ga Eul laughed.

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On the drive back, to his surprise, Ji Min fell asleep. After the Tesla display they had gone to the dinosaurs section, where Ji Min had been thrilled to see the real size replicas. At the fossil exhibit, Yi Jung had bought him an archaeologist set for kids to 'discover' fossils in a big tray. One use only, so of course, he bought the five models available.

After that they went to eat a bit of food, which inside the Museum was costly, but of course, Yi Jung paid for the ladies and the little man. Tanks filled up, they went to the final exhibit of the day, which was the Korea Science and Engineering Museum. Not only did they see the constellations in a big planetarium, but they also learned about the Korean nobility's life and different instruments that were used in the past.

So, of course, Jan Di wasn't as surprised at her son when she had to wake him up on arrival at Yi Jung's house. They had been, after all, inside the museum for four hours. Jae Kyung and Sun Mi had both gone first due to work-related things but promised Jan Di they'd see her soon.

"Wow, what's all this?" Ji Min was in Yi Jung's studio. Jan Di had been there only once. It all looked the same, though, and she knew her friend was very proud of his personal studio. She thought he looked the most honest whenever he was working on a new piece.

Not as big as she had expected the first time, Yi Jung's studio had shelves in every wall. Two of them had different pieces, already finished or in process. The other two had the implements with which he needed to work: Clays, throwing bats, buckets, sponges, ware boards, chucks, three wheels and two kilns. One inside and one outside. It was a potter's paradise. He even mixed his own glazes.

"This is my space," Yi Jung said with a clear proud tint to his voice. "This is where I make these." He showed Ji Min the pieces that were finished, and the little boy's eyes widened.

"You made those cups and that dragon vase, right?"

"I did." He smiled.

"How? How do you make them? Can you show me?"

"How do you ask for things?" Jan Di scolded lightly.

"Sorry, Omma. Can you show me, please?"

"I sure can," Yi Jung said, taking off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves, "but today you'll be working with me. I'll teach you to make something simple to take back home."

"Really!?"

Yi Jung had specially ordered a kid's apron and a smaller wheel for Ji Min to work on. He could see the boy was terribly excited, so this made him happy. Jan Di sat next to them but didn't participate; she wasn't that good at making stuff.

Yi Jung brought clay and explained to Ji Min how it was very important that no air bubbles were inside because this could crack during firing, which meant to bake the clay in the kiln.

"You're gonna love this. We're going to wedge the clay." Ji Min looked so confused by the terminology but quickly forgot about it when he saw Yi Jung taking a piece of clay and smashing it against the table.

"Whaaaaaaat? Can I really do that?"

"Of course. This is the wedging technique; it's necessary. Wanna try?"

Not needing to be asked twice, Ji Min started to giggle as he smashed the clay once and again. He moved his hands, gently pushing back and forth, then more smashing. They were definitely having fun.

Jan Di took out her cell phone and recorded them as they beat the clay into submission. After they did this, Yi Jung took two bats to attach to the wheel. After he set the clays on the very center of the metal plates, the spinning began.

They started to apply water to the clay, pushing it down and pulling it up.

"We need to be very careful on this part; it's the most important one. If the clay isn't centered, we can lose control of the piece." And as soon as he said this, Ji Min's piece of clay flew to one side of the room, leaving his pottery wheel empty. He looked ready to cry when Yi Jung simply shared some of his with Ji Min. He had already predicted this would happen. He had made that mistake, too, as a beginner.

He helped him again, and this time, the clay stayed in place. Now it was time to open the clay. Ji Min's hands were small and inexperienced, but he did his best. Unfortunately, his intended cup was turning out as a bowl.

"Uncle Yi Jung, help me."

Smiling at the fact that he thought there were still years before he'd be called Uncle, if ever at all, he sat behind Ji Min and directed his hands with his own. In a few minutes, a cup shape was formed. "You're so amazing, Uncle Yi Jung! You're like a magician!"

Jan Di smiled fondly at the scene and thought this would surely repeat once Yi Jung had kids of his own.

"So, you were here?" Both Jan Di and Yi Jung turned to face his father, who was clearly drunk. "And who is this? You messing with women who have brats now?"

"Jan Di-ah, take Ji Min outside. I'll be with you shortly." Jan Di was already picking up her son, who looked confused and didn't want to leave the wheel.

"But, Omma-"

"Shh, Uncle Yi Jung needs to talk with his daddy, ok? We'll wait for him," she quickly whispered in his ear as she tried to get past the man, who, upon seeing she was trying to leave, put a hand across the exit.

"You don't look too bad, girl."

"Let. her. pass., Father." Yi Jung all but growled.

The man chuckled and removed his arm.

"Omma, what's wrong?" Ji Min asked his mother when they were in the front yard and she was removing his apron.

"Nothing, baby. It's just that...Uncle Yi Jung's appa has been looking for him for a while, you see? So he was a tad mad."

"But he called me a brat."

Sometimes Jan Di regretted her son's quick wit. He heard and saw everything, so to keep him in the dark about 'adult stuff' was difficult sometimes.

"Well, that was somewhat rude. I'm sure Yi Jung will tell him to apologize next time. We should always apologize when we're wrong, right?"

"Yes!"

"Jan Di-ah," Yi Jung was running to where they were. "I'm so sorry about that. He wasn't supposed to be here."

"That's okay, Yi Jung. Um…" She wanted to ask but thought better of it; however, Yi Jung knew her.

"Let's go back to the study so we can put our works in the kiln, and I'll tell you about it."

Ji Min walked back with his left hand in his mom's hand and the right one in Yi Jung's. In the study, Ji Min watched his cup carefully, finding it a bit simple next to all the art surrounding him.

"Uncle Yi Jung, can you make it look cooler?"

And with a knowing grin, he did. Yi Jung, in swift and precise movements, created a handle for his cup. Ji Min was absorbed while watching him work and knew that if his mom had a bit more money, he would ask to take pottery classes. Having lived his whole life on a fishing island, where from time to time, he knew, his mother hadn't eaten in order to give him some food, he never dared to ask for many things. It had been a couple of years since that happened, but he still remembered, and he still knew that money was something very precious at home.

"There you go. How's this?" Yi Jung held up a cup with a small fiery-looking dragon as a handle.

"That's amazing, Yi Jung." Jan Di had to say for her speechless son.

"Nah, it's okay." He was used to receiving grand praise from art critics and from his F4 brothers, from time to time, but having a girl like Jan Di praise his work made him feel really good about what he did. He felt the same when Jae Kyung or Sun Mi praised him. They were both a couple of rich but down-to-earth women. "Let's put them out to dry. It'll take about a week or two to dry."

At this information, Ji Min visibly deflated. He wanted his cup right now! "It's okay, Ji Min-ah. I'll be sure to send this to you if you leave before it's done. Another time when you stay longer in the city, we can do the whole process." Ji Min still looked sad. "I have some pieces that have bone dried already, want to help me put them in the kiln?"

They put the 7 pieces inside, and while Ji Min was distracted with a video on Jan Di's cell phone, Yi Jung told her what was happening.

"My dad hit rock bottom some years ago. He was found in an alley behind a low-rate pub. He was drunk off his ass. Sorry." Jan Di shook her head; she understood why he was so angry. "So, I had to go pick him up, had to deal with his throwing up and fainting. I put him in a rehab facility that same night, but...Mother found out. She was hysterical, crying her eyes out, begging me to bring him back home, saying that she was going to take care of him. I didn't listen. I even moved out to Woo Bin's for a period of time because I couldn't stand her." He took a minute to look at the pieces in the fire, and Jan Di didn't push him. She had met his father a long time ago, while he was drunk, and that was the first time she saw Yi Jung embarrassed.

"So, I wasn't going to let him out, but turns out my mother consulted with her lawyer, and she's his wife, so she has more rights to him in a distress situation. Like, the person who gets to make life or death decisions. So, she did, she got him out, hired nurses to keep him clean. Of course, she should've hired 70-year-old ladies instead of 20-something-year-old girls, who would end up in her husband's bed." Yi Jung sighed. "I don't understand it. I don't get why she does this. Every time I asked, back when I cared about it, she would tell me she still loved him...that deep down, she knew the man she had fallen in love with was still there. And now he's clean, but he's still a fucking prick."

Silence fell over them for several minutes, the crackling fire and a cartoon the only sounds around them.

"I can't say I would do the same," Jan Di started. "I mean, taking care of my drunk, cheating husband just because at some point I loved him. But I can tell you this..." She stood in front of him and forced him to look at her. "Yi Jung, sometimes, for love, you do the stupidest, most ridiculous, unbelievable things. Things you'd say, 'Oh no, I would never, ever, do that,' you do. Don't get me wrong, I think your mom needs some help, someone to talk to about her unhealthy relationship with your dad, but still, I think I mean to say that...I understand how it is when love pushes you to do what you thought impossible before." Jan Di smiled at him and went to accompany Ji Min.

Yi Jung's eyes followed her and then set on Ji Min, who was excitedly explaining to his mom what the cartoon was about.

Perhaps Jan Di was speaking from experience, after all.

---

Yi Jung got them to their hotel, promising that the night was just starting and to expect a visit later. Jan Di rolled her eyes and closed the door, as if she could say no.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mom."

"Oh, oh, Jan Di-ah! How are you? I didn't see the ID cause I was cleaning up. How's everything going? Where's Ji Min?"

"He's here, just watching some TV. I thought to call to tell you we're doing fine. We went to a museum today."

"Oh, I bet it was one of those new, modern ones. Did he like it?"

And on they went, talking about her two days there.

"And so, I still don't know what we'll be doing tonight or during these upcoming days."

"But it's F4 we're talking about; I bet you're going to be treated like royalty."

"Yes, Mom…" Jan Di knew her mother regretted that she didn't finish school at Shinwha and snatch a rich husband to live off of.

"And...while you're there...have you thought about finding Ji Min's father?"

"What? No, Mom! It's been almost nine years; why would I do that? I didn't tell him then, and I wouldn't tell him now."

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. I just thought that being in the city would perhaps make you want to make things right and ask for child support."

And this time, she got angry. "We've been doing fine with my salary, have we not? And if you think feeding us is burdening you-"

"Geum Jan Di, don't talk to your mother like that! I...I only thought that you may want a bit more money to give Ji Min more DVDs and clothes for this summer."

She put the phone away and groaned. She knew her mother meant well in her weird way, but to have her ask about Ji Min's father after so many years just irked her.

"You'll be glad to know my friends gifted Ji Min and me with a whole new wardrobe, so we're all set for summer."

"Oh, you see? That's what I was talking about. Royalty."

She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "I'll call Ji Min so you can say hello."

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At 8, Jan Di was getting Ji Min ready for bed when she heard the doorbell. Of course, her son ran to the door and yelled loudly, letting her know that F4 had arrived.

"Ji Min needs to sleep, guys," she said lowly, so her son wouldn't hear.

"Oh, come on, Jan Di. It's just one night; it won't hurt, right?" Woo Bin put his arm around her.

"Yes, Jan Di, come on. Just tonight." She was surprised that even Ga Eul was asking her that.

Well, she supposed it couldn't hurt, and they were all here, even though they probably had work to do that night and early the next day.

"All right, then. What are we going to watch?"

Before long, the guys had moved the center table to have more space and requested popcorn, sodas, and different kinds of candy to have on hand while they watched the movies.

"So, I think we'll have time for 3 or 4 movies, tops. And the first one should be one Ji Min would enjoy, do you agree?" Everyone present nodded. "So, Ga Eul suggested The Iron Giant." Woo Bin raised his hand with the Blue-ray disc. "And for after Ji Min goes to sleep, we have another 3 selections."

"I want to watch those, too!" Ji Min exclaimed.

"Your mom is letting you stay up past your bedtime, buddy; we shouldn't push it. We can try for more movies another day?"

"Can we go to a movie theatre next time? I've never been."

A general low gasp was heard, and of course, everyone, including Jae Kyung and Sun Mi told Ji Min they would definitely, definitely take him to the movies as many times as he wanted. Jun Pyo offered his private theatre, too, but Ji Min wanted to experience what he'd seen in movies on the TV.

"Ok, then, as soon as the refreshments are here," the doorbell was heard, "we can start!"

After arranging everything as they wanted, Ji Min wanted to sit on the floor, and Woo Bin and Yi Jung did the same, leaving the guys with girlfriends the couches. Jan Di sat on the opposite side of one of the couples, and the movie began.

It was so sad.

Was this really a kid movie? Although, Jan Di did see her son getting excited about the Iron Giant and his friendship with the little kid. But still, the way that government guy almost cost everyone their lives...and then the Superman line. She couldn't help but shed a tear.

She wasn't alone, though.

Jae Kyung was crying; Sun Mi looked sad, and even Jun Pyo's eyes were glassy.

However, the end offered hope, a future reunion, and a new couple together. It had it all.

"That was so cool! Did you see, Mom, how he was friends with that cool, huge robot? And then how cool was it that the guy hid him in his cool workshop?"

"Yes baby, it was very...cool." She smiled. Ji Min was so excited he seemed unable to think of another adjective besides 'cool'. "And it's time for bed now."

"Omma…," he whined.

"Jan Di-ah, we have a few selections here. Depending on what will come next, maybe you can decide then?" Yi Jung recommended.

"You all brought a movie?"

"Yeah, though we know not all of us will get to play it, but it was fun this way."

"Of course it was." She sighed and looked at Ji Min's pouting face and at Woo Bin imitating the expression. That almost made her laugh. "Ok, let's see what'll come up next. But, if I think it's not for you, Ji Min, you are going straight to bed. Understood?"

The little boy nodded and hoped with all his might that it was a movie he could stay up to see.

Jun Pyo brought out a black box and started shaking it. Finally, he offered it to Sun Mi, and she put her hand in, only to bring out a small piece of paper.

"It's Jae Kyung's choice," she said, and the guys kinda grumbled because they knew the girls had chosen, most likely, chick-flicks.

"You're going to just love this movie, Jan Di. We should probably get some tissue boxes, though." Jun Pyo quickly provided two, knowing how sentimental his girlfriend was.

The movie started, and it was a period one. Jan Di sighed as soon as she realized. She had always liked these kinds of stories, and the idea of wearing a modern hanbok for her wedding had been her secret dream when she was a little girl.

Having a very interesting story, soon everyone was paying close attention to the movie, but a slow movement made Jun Pyo remove his arm from around his girlfriend's shoulders. He carefully stood up and went to Ji Min. Jae Kyung quicky selected Pause. Everyone turned their heads to ask what had happened, but they suddenly realized Ji Min had lost the battle against the Sandman and had fallen asleep. Jan Di watched Jun Pyo pick up her son.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Jun Pyo. I can take him," she said while standing up.

"That's okay, I just need you to pull the covers so I can lay him down." Jan Di nodded and followed him inside while the rest of the gang seized the opportunity to stretch and refill the refreshments.

Jan Di smiled and shook her head a bit. Who would say that after a few years Jun Pyo would turn out to be so mature? She knew he had it in him way back in school; he just needed the right push...and to get away from his mother's claws.

She wondered about that. They still hadn't gotten a chance to talk, so she didn't really know what had happened to the Old Witch, as Jun Pyo used to call his mother.

Carefully putting Ji Min to bed, Jun Pyo gave Jan Di some space to tuck him in. He saw how she quickly put an old-looking plush toy next to her son under the covers.

"Isn't that a bit old?" Jun Pyo asked Jan Di in a whisper.

"It is," she whispered back, hoping he hadn't seen it, "but Ji Min has slept with this practically since birth. It's like his safety toy. He didn't want to travel without it. He even used to take it to the park and suffered a lot when I told him he couldn't bring it to the daycare."

Somehow, Jun Pyo understood. He had so much money that he could probably live 3 lives only burning it down, but the emotional value of a thing like a toy or a book from your childhood years...well, no money could buy that. His mind flitted to that old wooden robot he broke and the sadness he caused by it…

"I understand," was his only answer, and by Jan Di's look he knew she really got what he meant. She had that strange quality of looking past his pompous exterior and reaching his soul directly. That much hadn't changed. "Let's go back to the movie." She nodded, and out they went to finish.

---

Of course, the tissues were completely necessary when no woman in the room was able to hold her tears. It wasn't that the guys didn't get why they were sad, it's just that they weren't the kind to cry over a movie.

"Don't judge me. I'm a woman; I have ovaries; I'm entitled to cry while watching a movie." Jan Di sniffed when her gaze found the curious one of Woo Bin.

"I didn't say a thing." He defended himself while giving her another couple of tissues.

Jae Kyung was the one crying the hardest, even though she had seen the movie 'a thousand times,' according to Jun Pyo. "I can't help it! It's just so sad. He really liked the queen, but he said nothing about it! And the king was a stupid, rich brat with confidence issues!"

They had watched 'The Royal Tailor,' and it had made the emotions run a bit high. Even the guys felt the injustice of the end a bit too much. Jan Di, Jae Kyung and Sun Mi started to discuss what would have happened if something had been different, if the queen did this or if the tailor did that. They were in their own world and F4 let them be, first, because that's how women worked, and second, because their main objective had been to make Jan Di have fun, and she definitely was having it.

"Well, now what? I think we have time for one more. We should all rest at least a bit for tomorrow," Yi Jung suggested, and they all agreed. Jun Pyo once again brought forward the black box, and now it was Woo Bin's turn to pick. He came up with Ji Hoo's name.

"Oh, please tell me we're not watching 'A Space Odyssey' again!" Jun Pyo complained, but he wasn't the only one. Woo Bin and Yi Jung also knew of their friend's particular taste in movies...well, in life in general.

"That's not it. I think this is a movie that you'll all appreciate," he rebutted while going to Sun Mi's purse to take out the disc.

"That's what you said about that blacksmith movie, and it was weird as hell."

"Yeah, you are the only one of us that really likes foreign movies."

Ji Hoo simply sighed and went on to put in the disc. He cast a glance at Jan Di and, gladly, she seemed excited. She never complained about his 'weird tastes,' and on some occasions, found that she liked some of the same.

The movie soon began. It was definitely weird. Almost no dialogue, no conversation...and a guy masturbating? Another hitting his wife? And said wife staying with him? What was this? But they all did their best to watch. But really, no dialogue.

Almost a long hour and a half later, the movie ended...and silence took a hold of the group. No one said a thing.

"Well...what did you think?" Ji Hoo asked, hopeful. His brothers weren't answering; Jae Kyung had fallen asleep, and Sun Mi gave him a small smile.

"Um, I think it was very interesting, Ji Hoo-ah," his girlfriend said.

"Yeah, I mean, the guy wasn't there, right?" Jun Pyo jumped in. "He was a fantasy in her head."

"No, he was there," Jan Di said. "He had found a way to 'disappear' somehow, right?"

"Yes. I also think that," Ji Hoo agreed.

"But then, why do they change the scale to stop at zero?" Yi Jung asked.

"Because it's like he's her shadow." Jan Di tried to remember all the facts before continuing with her theory. "It's like when two components cancel each other out. Sometimes one plus one is zero."

"Please, do explain that to me because I excel at math, and that is not possible," Woo Bin interjected.

"It's easy." Jan Di stood up and went to Woo Bin. "Let's say the distance of one of my steps represents one movement. That means one, right?" He nodded. "So if I go forward, I move one." She moved. "And if I go backwards, I also move one." She did it again. "So, I moved 1 and then 1, but I ended up at the same place, so one plus one is zero. Or, at least, I think it's something like that…" She turned to Ji Hoo and was relieved to see him smiling.

"It is something like that," he confirmed.

"And he actually loved her. Even though they hardly spoke-" she continued, standing up.

"-they understood what the other felt," Ji Hoo finished, also leaving Sun Mi's side and standing up. "And she went to all the places they'd been before-"

"-to feel closer to him. Like his essence was still present in the things they used and repaired and saw, but-"

"-it wasn't enough. She was waiting for him to come back, in a way she knew he would. It's not like they completed each other; together-"

"-they were one," Jan Di finished, noticing Ji Hoo and she were now in the center of the living room. "That's amazing. He did all that for her and then the 'Saranghae' phrase at the end...priceless. Who's the director?" she asked excitedly. It had been ages since she'd watched such a good movie.

"Kim Ki-duk. He's an amazing visionary. I think you'd also like 'Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring', 'The Bow' and 'Time'. Those are great to start with."

"Do you have them?"

Quietly, the group watched as these two went on about films that they didn't quite understand.

"It's kinda nostalgic, huh?" Yi Jung asked Jun Pyo.

"What? Watching these two talk about things only they get?" Against his will, he smiled. "Yeah, it is."

"They did this a lot?" Jae Kyung asked, curious.

"They sometimes started talking about one subject and completely changed it after a minute, and they could go on and on for hours. One time, we let them talk for four hours before interrupting. They hadn't even noticed it had been that long." Woo Bin chuckled.

"Ji Hoo-ah?" A sweet voice called his name.

"Yeah?" Ji Hoo seemed to focus again on the now and realized he had been lost for a second. "Oh, yeah, sorry. We tend to talk without noticing our environment."

"Well, we used to," Jan Di said with a laugh.

"Oh, guys!" Woo Bin called while making his way to Jae Kyung and asking her to take out an envelope. "I have here something I promised you." Opening it, Woo Bin gave Jae Kyung some pictures.

"Omo! Jan Di-ah, you look so cute with short hair!"

"What did you give her?!" Jan Di asked, a bit worried.

"Some school pics we took. She said she wanted to see your short hair."

Jan Di was a bit embarrassed as everyone started to pass the pictures around, but this prompted the guys to remember their school years and the things they'd done in the past, causing them to laugh in a good manner. She, on her part, was glad that they could. Apologizing for their antics as an F4 when they gave out Red Cards as if they were candies was one of the things that cost the guys the most.

"Of course, I also brought the pièce de résistance." Everyone stayed silent as Woo Bin made a big dramatic movement, taking out a magazine that had Jan Di on the cover.

"Oh my God, how do you have that? And why do you have it?" Jan Di asked out loud.

On the cover, she was sitting on the backrest of a couch, in a male's shirt and with her hair styled, makeup on her eyes, looking deeply into the camera lens. Next to her was Haje, a now renowned Korean male model who had triumphed in Paris and London with his Asian features. He was dressed in a black suit with his mouth kind of open. The picture didn't show it well, but he was supposed to be a vampire.

"You modeled, Jan Di?" Jae Kyung was quickly going through the pictures with Sun Mi, both surprised at her versatility, and even sexiness, in the pictures.

"No, I…" She quickly glanced at both Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo, neither of which looked too happy about remembering the incident with Lee Jae Ha. "I did it for the money. He went to Shinhwa, and I knew him briefly…"

"You know supermodel star Haje?" Sun Mi asked her.

"No, I don't know him. As I said, he attended Shinhwa, and we sorta...became friends?" Jun Pyo scoffed at that description. "He offered me a job at his workplace, and then suddenly, he came out transformed!" When Jae Kyung inquired about this transformation, Jan Di explained that Jae Ha looked very different at school than when he was Haje. "So, he asked me to do some pictures, and at first, I said no, but...the money was good, so I did it. I just didn't know they planned to use them in a national magazine."

"Well, you look amazing. Very beautiful," Sun Mi said.

"Yeah, I mean, Jan Di, I know you're good looking, but with some makeup on you'd be irresistible!" Jae Kyung was still looking at the magazine.

"I don't use makeup. I really don't know how."

"What about modeling for our company?"

"What?"

"I see where you're going, Jae Kyung," Woo Bin interrupted. "I think it's a good chance, Jan Di."

"You are beautiful, and a bit of work here and there will make you look stunning in an ad. Plus, the money is still good," Yi Jung offered.

"Thanks, but no. I'm not a model, and I have no idea what I'd do in front of a camera."

"You just have to smile! I think we have a real possibility here. You can take some modeling jobs here and there that will make you a great amount of money, and then you'll have more time with Ji Min." Jae Kyung was talking out loud but to herself.

Jan Di turned to the only two people who seemed not on board with the idea and silently asked for help.

Jun Pyo was still fuming, so it was Ji Hoo who spoke up.

"I think we were about to call it a night?"

"Yup, we were." Woo Bin finally noticed Jan Di wasn't all that comfortable. He knew that even if modeling was a great idea for a good paying job, Jan Di wasn't one of those girls that dreamt of being in an ad. Asking for the pictures back -though Jae Kyung asked to keep the magazine one more day- he went to say goodbye to Jan Di. "I wanted you to watch 300, so I could see you blush." Woo Bin grinned.

"Why blush? It's like a war movie, right?"

"Spartans used to fight naked; in the movie they have little to no clothes, and there is an intimate scene, so I think that's what he meant," Ji Hoo provided.

Jan Di thought she would have blushed as Woo Bin said, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction by confirming it. Instead, she quickly came up with a retort. "I have a baby, Woo Bin. How do you think that happened?"

"Whoa, no! I don't need that visual of the woman I consider my sister. I'll be scarred for life!"

"Then stop trying to get me flustered. And keep it down! Ji Min is still sleeping."

"Okay, sorry, sorry. No more mentions about how you're no longer a virgin, ok?" Jan Di had to laugh at that. She was hardly a virgin. Glancing to the side, she noticed she had indeed blushed, but for an entirely different reason. Even though years had passed, she still remembered how it felt to be so close to someone else that you breathed the air they exhaled.

"We're going now, but tomorrow is my day." Jan Di was confused, it was supposed to be Ji Hoo's because he had swaped with Yi Jung.

"I'm sorry, I have to swap again. I have some things to get ready for my day." Ji Hoo told her and she nodded.

Jun Pyo gave her a hug. "I'll probably send for you 'cause I have a long meeting in the morning, but we'll have fun somehow."

"I'll be there, too, just to make sure he doesn't show you his kind of fun. You know, statistic charts and accounting books," Jae Kyung said.

"Yah, monkey!" Jan Di laughed, though she still didn't understand what the monkey name was about. She figured it must be something that, while it may sound offensive to others, was a term of endearment from Jun Pyo.

Everyone in the room said their goodbyes with a kiss or a hug, Ji Hoo assuring Jan Di he'd get her the films when his day came. Finally closing the door, she relaxed a bit and went to clean up everything, but her phone buzzed with a text before she could get started.

-Go to sleep. We'll get someone to clean that. And no, no arguments. Said Woo Bin's text.

How was it that after so many years they still knew her so well?

She didn't clean up everything, but she tidied up a bit for her peace of mind. She, of course, loved a break and was thankful when her mother would take care of some chores to let her sleep or relax a bit, still...old habits die hard.

---

Internally thanking F4, she went through her nightly routine before joining her son in bed. The plush toy she had put next to him was now trapped under his right arm. He loved that puppy; even after getting a different and newer one for his birthday, he still liked this one the most. She didn't understand why, but it pained her from time to time. She should've left it in the city when she moved out or stuffed it away with the things she didn't use in the back of her closet. But she hadn't been able to, and some nights, she had fallen asleep, just like Ji Min, hugging the cute-looking plush puppy.

Sighing and shaking her head to rid it of futile thoughts, she climbed in and pulled the covers over her. The next day would be Jun Pyo's day, and she had a hunch that she would need all of her strength and patience.

---

What do you think? Was it good? Was it bad? Leave a juicy review to tell me all about it!

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Coming up in Part of Me:

It's Jun Pyo's day. Another encounter will happen and a small argument will take place. Jun Pyo will offer Jan Di his help. Jae Kyung will take Jan Di and Ji Min to a beauty salon for a makeover! What will the results be?