Chapter 5: Jae Eun's Flair with Art and Design
A.N.: Good day everybody. How's life? Don't forget that there are people who love you. Have a great weekend.
Disclaimer: I don't own these BOF characters, other than the new ones.
The main characters and F4 children:
So Yi Jeong and Chu Ga Eul's children: So Dae-Hyun, So Jae Hwa, So Dae-Jung, So Dae-Hwan, So Jae Eun and So Jae Ji. Deceased/Miscarried: So Dae-Ho.
Endearment: Dae-Hyun – Baby (until 7 years old), Jae Hwa – Darling, Dae-Jung – Baby (until Middle School), Dae-Hwan – Hwannie/Sweetheart, Jae Eun – Eunnie/Sweetheart, Jae Ji – Precious, Dae-Ho - Precious.
Song Woo Bin and Ha Jae Kyung's children: Song Eun-Kyung and Song Won-Bin.
Gu Jun Pyo and Geum Jan Di's children: Gu Jung-Hee, Gu Jung-Hwa and Gu Jee Ha.
Yoon Ji Hoo and Yoong Ha Eun's son: Yoon Joo-Won
Published: 24 April 2017 (my time)
Incident 1:
"Eunnie! Eunnie! So Jae Eun!"
7-year-old Dae Hwan shouted as he chased the little toddler. Jae Eun, almost 3 years old, shrieked and laughed hysterically as she ran away from her Oppa, a brush with red paint in her right hand. A few seconds or so, she turned her head a little to check if her Oppa was getting closer.
"Hwannie! Stop chasing your sister. Eunnie is going to fall if she keeps running like that." Jae Hwa, now 12, reprimanded her brother with arms spread out to the left and right as she blocked his way.
"Noona, get out of the way!" Dae-Hwan's face was red in anger.
"No!"
"Noona!"
"No!"
Dae-Hwan then pushed his Noona aside but Jae Hwa was fast to grab his hands and quickly locked him in a tight back hug.
"Noona! Let me go! Let me go!" screamed the young boy while trying to let loose of Jae Hwa's hands but his Noona tightened her lock.
Jae Eun had stopped running when she heard her Oppa screamed. She turned around and continued to laugh and shriek. She thought that her Unnie and Oppa were in another one of their wrestling session. She clapped her hands and cheered the two, splattering some blue paint everywhere around her.
Screams, laughs, cries and yells filled the air of the So's activity room.
"What's going on here?"
It was Appa.
Yi Jeong stopped dead in his track.
Jae Hwa and Dae-Hwan were now on the floor. Jae Hwa had her arms around the chubby boy's chest while her legs locked his as Dae-Hwan squiggled and squirmed to get free. Meanwhile, little Jae Eun was happily minding her own business, drawing on one of the walls that were now also 'decorated' with her small palm prints. Her dress was also not spared. A scrapbook on the floor near the wrestling sister and brother was also painted with smudges of colors. Next to the book were tubes of watercolor paint and paintbrushes, long and short, and a palate as well as a glass of dark water. There were colors splattered everywhere.
"Children?"
"Appaaaaa! Help Hwannie! Apppaaaa!"
Little Jae Eun turned to look at Appa, grinning wide showing her rows of white baby teeth. Her face and hair were also smudged with blue, red, white and yellow paints.
"Appaaaa! Red! Flower!" She showed Appa the brush with blue color and pointed to the painting on the wall before continued with her drawing.
Yi Jeong did not know what to do first. Should he stop the wrestling or should he suppress his daughter's painting talent and stop the work of art in progress?
"Honey?" "Appa." "Sweetheart." "Hwannie?" "Darling!" "Eunnie?"
The remaining So had also arrived, except for baby Jae Ji who was sleeping soundly in the nursery.
In an instant, Ga Eul went to her young child and held her by her arms. "Eunnie. What have you done?"
"Omma! Omma! Red! Flower!" She giggled and showed Omma the brush. Ga Eul had to turn her face to the side to avoid the brush. She then took the brush away from the little girl. "That's beautiful Eunnie, but Omma think it's enough painting for today." Little Jae Eun pouted and protested.
"Honey, do something." Ga Eul tilted her head towards the girl and the boy on the floor.
The wrestling session was still on. Dae-Hyun and Dae-Jung watched in amusement but wondered who and what started it. Their guess would be on Jae Hwa for she liked to tease her little brother.
Yi Jeong quickly went to the two on the floor and pulled away Dae-Hwan. The boy turned around to hit his Noona but Appa was quicker and held his shoulders.
Jae Hwa then stood up and faced her parents. Dae-Hyun and Dae-Jung came closer. They were puzzled too.
"What is going on here? Darling? Hwannie? What happens to the room? And why are you two fighting?" asked Yi Jeong.
"It's Noona's fault Appa, Omma." Dae-Hwan was now crying.
"No, it's not. It's Hwannie's fault. Noona am protecting Eunnie," protested Jae Hwa.
"Protecting from what? From who? And if Darling were protecting Eunnie, how did Eunnie get to end up like this and what happen to the room?" Ga Eul had to ask.
"Hwannie was going to make Eunnie fall."
"No! Hwannie were not," cried Dae-Hwan. "Omma, Appa, Hwannie were not."
"But Hwannie chased Eunnie."
Everybody looked at Dae-Hwan questioningly. Little Jae Eun, on the other hand, managed to let loose from Omma and went to the lying scrapbook on the floor. She then tore some pages of the book.
"Eunnieeee!" cried Dae-Hwan. He quickly freed himself from Appa and ran to his little sister. He roughly took the book away from Eunnie, startling the little girl and that made her cry.
"Darling was trying to avoid that," stated Jae Hwa.
"Avoid what?" asked Appa.
"Hwannie making Eunnie cry or hitting Eunnie," explained the elder girl.
"But Eunnie ruined Hwannie's scrapbook, Omma, Appa." Dae-Hwan was now on the verge of crying.
"This one is on our family trip to the beach last month. Look. Look what Eunnie had done." He showed the book to the family and the tears came rolling down his chubby cheeks.
"Oh, Sweetheart." Ga Eul motioned her husband to console the crying boy while she held Jae Eun was still crying.
Yi Jeong then went to him and kneeled down to face him while Dae-Hyun, Dae-Jung and Jae Hwa looked on.
"Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. Appa am sure Eunnie doesn't mean it, Hwannie. Maybe Eunnie thinks she's helping Hwannie. Eunnie is still small. Eunnie doesn't understand what she's doing."
Dae-Hwan looked into Appa's eyes. He was still feeling angry at Jae Eun for ruining his hard work. He had spent almost three days on the scrapbook.
"Darling?" asked Omma.
"Yes, Omma," answered Jae Hwa.
"Darling were supposed to look after Eunnie right?"
"Yes, Omma."
"What did Darling do when Eunnie started to paint Hwannie's book?"
"Omma?" Jae Hwa was startled.
"Did Darling just let Eunnie do so?"
"Darling… Darling was reading a story book, Omma."
"And Darling didn't see what Eunnie was doing?"
Jae Hwa slowly nodded and guilt crept in.
Dae-Hyun, Dae-Jung, and Dae-Hwan watched their sister lowered her head in shame.
"Darling am sorry Omma."
"And why were Darling wrestling Hwannie?"
"Because Darling didn't want Hwannie to chase Eunnie. When Darling heard Hwannie screamed Eunnie's name, Hwannie was chasing Eunnie. Hwannie looked angry. Darling didn't want Hwannie to hurt Eunnie."
"But Eunnie ruined Hwannie's book," defended the boy.
Yi Jeong held his third born son's arms.
"Did Darling know that Eunnie drew on the wall?"
Jae Hwa looked at the wall behind Omma. It was full of paints and drawings. "No, Omma."
"Darling, how old are Darling?" It was Appa.
"12, Appa."
"How old is Hwannie?"
"7, Appa."
"Who's older?"
"Darling, Appa."
"If we could turn back time, would Darling do the same thing, or would Darling approached it differently when Darling saw Hwannie chased Eunnie?"
Tears started to pool in Jae Hwa's eyes.
A couple of minutes later, "Darling should look after Eunnie better because it's Darling's responsibility to babysit Eunnie today. If Darling wasn't too engrossed in the book, Darling would have noticed Eunnie coloring Hwannie's book."
"And?" asked Appa.
"Darling should have stopped Eunnie and took Eunnie away, rather than wrestled with Hwannie."
Yi Jeong and Ga Eul nodded, satisfied with their first daughter's answers. The three So boys stood quiet, taking in the lessons from the incident, while little Jae Eun patted Omma's cheek with her palm, smudging it red, blue and yellow.
Jae Hwa then went to Dae-Hwan. She took his hands and kissed them. She then hugged him and said "Sorry, Hwannie. Noona am sorry. Noona will help Hwannie do the scrapbook. There are still other pictures right?"
Dae-Hwan nodded.
"Sweetheart." It was Omma. Dae-Hwan lifted his head to look at Omma.
"Appa is right. Eunnie is still small and she thinks that her actions are all play and fun. Omma understand that Sweetheart are sad and angry for the ruined book, but Sweetheart should try to control Sweetheart's anger and not hurt Eunnie. When Eunnie is older, we'll tell Eunnie what is right and what is wrong, Okay?"
Dae-Hwan looked at Omma and then at Jae Eun who was now playfully tilting her head left to right, right to left and widened her eyes at him. "Oppaaa… saranghae Oppaaa..."
Ga Eul smiled and looked at her little girl. She pinched the girl's cheek. "Eunnie are naughty. Naughty, naughty Eunnie. But Eunnie love Oppa, right?"
"Saranghae Oppa."
"Go say sorry to Oppa."
Ga Eul then put Jae Eun down and she went to her Dae-Hwan Oppa and hugged him and kissed his cheek. Dae-Hwan hugged her back.
Everything was going to be alright.
"Alright. Now, let's see the damage shall we?" said Yi Jeong as he stood up and looked around the room.
"Flower! Butterfly" cried Jae Eun and ran to the wall. But before she could reach it, Yi Jeong quickly hoisted her up.
All six So stood next to each other as they 'admired' So Jae Eun's artwork. What was once white, was now replaced by colors and patterns and drawings. Little Jae Eun clapped her hands and pointed to the wall. "Tree. Bird."
"Not bad for a three-year-old, right Appa?" asked Dae-Hyun, to which Appa nodded.
"You're right, Dae-Hyun. Appa like that flower." He pointed to a blue flower.
"Ouch!"
Ga Eul had smacked his arm.
"What? It's true. I like it, Jagiya."
"Yes, Omma." "Dae-Jung like it too." "Nice, Eunnie." "Hmmm…" said the other four So children.
A little while later, "Are you all done admiring the work?" queried Ga Eul. "Does anyone want to snap some pictures of it?"
Everybody turned to her, some with a puzzled expression, the other with curiosity but Yi Jeong then pulled out his phone and took some pictures.
"Alright, then. Since all of you like the artwork so much, you get to clean up the place and paint the wall back to white."
"Ommaaaaa…" "Jagiya?" "But Omma…."
Ga Eul then took little Jae Eun from her husband and kissed him long and deep.
"Honey, I want the wall as before, say, latest by the day after tomorrow."
"But… that's not fair, Jagiya."
"Omma, it's not Dae-Hyun and Dae-Jung's fault. It's Darling and Hwannie's fault." Dae-Hyun protested and Dae-Jung nodded in agreement.
"Well, if you work together, the task will be completed faster," said Ga Eul.
"Come Eunnie. Let's get Omma's Eunnie cleaned up." Ga Eul then turned around and waved goodbye to her protesting husband and children.
Incident 2:
"So Jae Eun!" "Eunnie!" Jae Hwa and Dae-Jung cried out for their sister.
"Yes, Unnie, Oppa," answered the 11-year-old girl while licking her chocolate orange ice-cream with Jae Ji, 9, following close behind.
"What have you done to Unnie's room?"
"And Oppa' room?"
Jae Eun furrowed her eyebrows and Jae Ji alternately looked at her Unnies and Oppa.
"Oh, Eunnie helped clean up Unnie's and Oppa's room. Precious helped too, right Precious?"
The youngest So nodded her head, proud that she had done something good without being asked to.
"Why thank you Unnie's dearest beloved sisters. That was so kind of you two." Jae Hwa smiled.
"But why are the chairs and table not at their original places?" Jae Hwa had her hands on her hips now.
"Oppa's room looks different too and Oppa can't find Oppa's puzzle boxes," added Dae-Jung with arms crossed in front.
Jae Eun and Jae Ji exchanged looks before looking back to their Unnie and Oppa.
"Oppa's puzzles are in the boxes under the table, and Unnie's room looks nicer and wider now, don't Unnie think so?" said Jae Eun.
Jae Ji nodded in agreement.
"Unnie," said the youngest So. "Precious nearly fell down earlier in Unnie's room because the chair and table were in the middle of the room."
Jae Hwa and Dae-Jung cocked an eyebrow.
"What are you two now? Interior designers?" asked Jae Hwa.
"And Unnie and Precious can't simply move things without asking our permission," stated Dae-Jung.
"But Eunnie Unnie and Precious just wanted to help," Jae Ji started to feel guilty while Jae Eun was now locking her gaze on Jae Hwa Unnie.
"Yes. Eunnie want to be a famous interior designer. Where else can Eunnie practice if not in our house?"
"Then practice on Eunnie's room or Precious' room. Not Unnie's," reprimanded the eldest So daughter.
"But Eunnie've done that many times. So Eunnie want to see how Unnie's room will look like."
"Still, Eunnie have to ask for permission."
"But…"
"No buts. Now please rearrange Unnie's room like how it was. Now!"
Jae Eun and Jae Ji walked into their Unnie's room, defeated.
"But Precious can't really remember how exactly it was, Unnie." Jae Ji whispered to Jae Eun. "Unnie can't too," answered the sister.
Half an hour later
"That's not where the table should be," complained Jae Hwa who was sitting on her bed, watching her two younger sisters work with her furniture. Dae-Jung was also on the bed.
"So where should it be? Eunnie can't remember."
"Precious can't too."
"Unnie don't care. All Unnie want is for this room to be back to its original."
"Unnie…" pleaded Jae Ji. She was getting tired and exhausted.
"Hey, what's with all the noise? Omma can hear it all the way from the end of the corridor." It was Omma.
Jae Ji immediately ran to Omma and hugged Omma's waist.
"Ommaaaa, Precious' hands are tired." She was also panting heavily than usual. Ga Eul then rubbed her daughter's back, trying to ease her breathing.
"Omma," Jae Hwa shifted to the edge of the bed, and so did Dae-Jung.
"Eunnie and Precious can't put back the furniture at their right places."
Ga Eul lifted her eyebrows, not understanding what.
"Eunnie and Precious played interior designers today."
"Yes, Omma." Dae-Jung agreed.
"So Darling want them to put the furniture back like before."
"Oh? What's wrong with the new arrangement?" asked Ga Eul.
"Ommaaaa…" protested Jae Hwa and Dae-Jung.
"Is it bad?" Ga Eul asked again.
"That's not the point, Omma." Dae-Jung stood up.
"What's the point then?"
"Eunnie and Precious should ask for our permission before deciding on changing anything in our rooms."
"Oh? Is that so, girls?" Ga Eul looked at Jae Ji and then at Jae Eun.
"Yes, Omma." Both answered in unison.
"Hmmm… Eunnie, what did Omma say about this?"
Ga Eul knew that Jae Ji was only following her sister. Jae Ji adored Jae Eun very much and would copy and follow Jae Eun all the time. Looked like it was time for her to have some talk with Jae Ji about rights and wrongs.
"Eunnie must first ask for permission." Jae Eun lowered her head.
Ga Eul then approached Jae Eun. She held her daughter's hand.
"Omma know how Eunnie love this. Omma love the way Eunnie arrange Eunnie's bedroom, but Eunnie can't simply do the same with others' rooms."
Jae Eun slowly nodded. She then went to Jae Hwa and hugged the elder sister.
"Sorry, Unnie. Eunnie won't do it again."
She then went to Dae-Jung and did the same, while Jae Ji hugged Jae Hwa and said sorry as well. Then, Jae Ji went to Dae-Jung too.
"Remember. Ask for permission first." Reminded Jae Hwa and Dae-Jung, to which the two young girls nodded.
"Now, girls. Appa is downstairs with Dae-Hyun Oppa and Hwannie Oppa. Appa and Omma are going to Aunt Jae Kyung and Uncle Woo Bin's place later. Do you want to come too?"
"Yes, Omma." Jae Eun and Jae Ji then ran downstairs.
"Darling, Dae-Jung," called Ga Eul.
"Omma don't think it's nice to punish Eunnie and Precious like that."
"But Omma…"
"Let's keep the physical punishment as the last resort, shall we? Not that Omma want things to come to that. Please, no. But let's try to talk and reason with them properly first. And Precious is not like Eunnie. Precious is more fragile, remember? Precious shouldn't be doing heavy lifting tasks or anything like that."
Jae Hwa and Dae-Jung's eyes widened. They forgot about Jae Ji's condition.
"We're sorry Omma." They felt guilty.
Ga Eul nodded and smiled at her children. She knew that they meant well with their younger sisters, but sometimes they just got carried away with their temper and acted without really thinking about it.
"Do you want to go to Aunt Jae Kyung's place as well?"
"No, thank you Omma. Darling need to finish up an assignment."
"Dae-Jung too, Omma. Send our love to everybody there."
"Okay. Oh, Dae-Hyun is going."
"Oooo. Hyung is going to see Eun-Kyung Noona." Dae-Jung wriggled his eyebrows, earning some laughs from Ga Eul and Jae Hwa.
"Appa and Omma need to discuss some things with Aunt Jae Kyung and Uncle Woo Bin regarding Dae-Hyun and Eun-Kyung."
"Whoaaa… what is it, Omma?" Jae Hwa was getting excited.
"We'll tell you when we get back. Hwannie's not going, so don't kill each other, arasso?"
"Yes, Omma."
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Song Won-Bin opened his bedroom door.
Jae Kyung stopped in her track when the door opened. She then took a step backward and checked the outside of the room.
"Omma?"
"Is this your room?"
"Ommaa… of course it's my room Omma."
Jae Kyung then stepped into the bedroom. Jae Hwa and Jae Ji then stood up from the floor.
"Wow! Won-Won. Are you sure this is your room? It was different an hour ago." Jae Kyung looked around.
"What happened in here?"
Jae Ji then went to Aunt Jae Kyung and pulled her hand toward the bed.
"We rearranged the furniture, Auntie," the girl excitedly shared the news.
"Auntie can see that but Whoaaa!"
"Well, Eunnie Noona suggested that I changed the layout," added Won-Bin. "Do Omma like it?"
Jae-Kyung nodded in amazement and admiration and looked at Jae Eun who was smiling beautifully next to her son. She, too, noticed that Won-Bin was holding Jae Eun's hand. She raised an eyebrow but kept the information for later or when needed.
"Omma love it. Your room looks bigger and there's this feel of comfort and homey and something. Omma don't know what it is. Smart? Simple yet good? Aish… Omma don't know but it's good. Eunnie. So this is your idea? Very nice."
Jae Eun smiled wider.
"Unnie, Precious am right. Auntie loves it." Jae Ji was very happy. She clapped her hands energetically.
Jae Kyung then went toward the door, surprising the three kids.
"Omma?"
"DARLING! GA EUL! YI JEONG! SWEETHEART! DAE-HYUN! COME UPSTAIRS TO WON-WON'S ROOM NOW!"
In an instant, everybody scrambled and rushed upstairs. Everybody was worried if anything bad had happened.
"Won-Won?" "Girls?"
"Whoa. When did this happen?" asked Woo Bin.
"Is this your surprise, Darling?" he turned to his wife. Jae Kyung shook her head.
Yi Jeong and Dae-Hyun were lost. What happened here?
"Omma, Won-Won's room looks different," commented Eun-Kyung.
Ga Eul looked at her Jae Eun questioningly.
"Appa, do you like it Appa?" asked Won-Bin.
"Yes, Won-Won. A lot."
"It's Eunnie Noona's idea." Won-Bin proudly told everybody, shocking them. He placed a hand behind Jae Eun's back.
"Wow! Eunnie. You are talented," praised Woo Bin. "Uncle don't have to hire anyone else after this. Uncle can just call Eunnie to decorate Uncle's house."
Jae Eun's smile went wider as her cheeks blushed rose.
"Eunnie?" queried Yi Jeong, Dae-Hyun, and Eun-Kyung.
Yi Jeong knew about his daughter's interest in interior designing. He had witnessed her bedroom's furniture layout changed almost every week. In some weeks, he liked it, in some, he shook his head. But he had to admit that Jae Eun's interest should be nurtured and polished further.
But to offer her idea outside of the So Mansion? He never thought that she would. But looking at Won-Bin's bedroom now, Yi Jeong agreed with Woo Bin and Jae Kyung.
"Eunnie, we've talked about this just earlier at home." Ga Eul approached her daughter.
"Don't worry Omma. Won-Won gave permission. Right?" said Jae Ji.
"Yes, Aunt Ga Eul. We were talking and I mentioned that my room was beginning to look dull, so Eunnie threw in her idea and I loved it Aunt Ga Eul."
"Is that so, young man?" asked Jae Kyung.
"Yes, Omma."
"Yi Jeong, another talented child in the family." Woo Bin patted Yi Jeong's shoulder.
"Eunnie, maybe Eunnie can give Unnie some advice with Unnie's bedroom?" Eun-Kyung was equally amazed.
"Okay, Unnie," replied Jae Eun.
"Oppa's bedroom too." Dae-Hyun did not want to miss out.
"Okay, Oppa." Jae Eun was beyond happy that everybody acknowledged her ideas and talent. Her mind was already churning more ideas.
"Hey, still working at this hour Mr. So Yi Jeong?"
Ga Eul surprised Yi Jeong with a kiss on his shoulder after she stealthily entered his work room, adjoining their bedroom, and hugged him from behind. When they came back from Woo Bin's place, he continued with work after dinner. It was now half past midnight.
Immediately he turned his rotating chair to face her and pulled her onto his lap. He then trapped her in his arms and kissed her.
"Why aren't you asleep?" He asked when they broke for air.
"Because you're not in bed with me." She gently caressed his cheeks, sending those familiar pleasurable shivers up his spine. Her sweet smell was dangerously enticing and her thin silk soft pink nightie was not helping.
"I'm nearly finished. I'll be there in twenty."
"That's too long. I miss you already." She pouted that earned her a peck on the pout.
"What are you working on?" She glanced at the papers on the table.
"It's a new mini-museum in Changwon. I need to check this architect's design. We're making it modern but at the same time maintain the traditional architecture."
"Oh, that sounds great. Pull in the new generation yet keep the old one happy."
Yi Jeong laughed at the simplicity of his wife's summary of the design, yet it was spot on correct. It was a trait of hers that he fell in love with years ago.
"My wife is a very smart woman."
Ga Eul shrugged her shoulders and smiled.
"I see where our Eunnie gets her talent from. You."
Yi Jeong cocked an eyebrow.
"Is there anything that you can't do, Mr. So Yi Jeong?"
"It's not from me. It's from Halmoni." Halmoni was Yi Jeong's grandmother from his father's side.
"Oh?"
"Halmoni was one of the founders of So Museum but she insisted that she would just be behind the scene, supporting Harabeoji. She was also one of the architects who designed the Museum. That was when and where Harabeoji fell in love with Halmoni."
"Wow!"
"You'd love Halmoni if you got the chance to meet her."
"I would. So, about Eunnie…"
"Let's talk about Eunnie tomorrow."
"Honey?"
Yi Jeong then stood up, with his wife in his arms, startling her. He then carried her toward the door.
"Somebody said she missed her husband and couldn't sleep if he was not in bed with her. I'm coming to her rescue and she'd better have a lot of exciting rewards for me since I'm ditching my work early for her."
"Honey…."
He continued to shower her with kisses as he headed for the huge four poster bed.
After that day Yi Jeong purchased Jae Eun some supplies, equipment, and home interior design software for her to work on her ideas. Sometimes during the school holidays, Jae Eun requested to join in related short courses for children. Sometimes, Yi Jeong brought her to his museum so that she could get some ideas for her designs.
Yi Jeong and Ga Eul were definitely going to support their daughter's interest to the best that they could.