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Summary: Four years and continents apart. What keeps Yi Jeong and Ga Eul's hope alive are the letters that they write to each other from time to time…

LOVE LETTER

XXIV

Yi Jeong opened the door quietly. Leaving his butler to close and lock it, he very quickly and silently went up the stairs, praying that he would not run into his father. This was his house and he had been reduced to sneaking around just to avoid the man but this was not the time for indignation and injured pride. Those could wait for later; right now, he had more important things to do.

Such as how to explain this entire matter to Ga Eul without having her fall into a complete panic. Knowing Ga Eul, her first thoughts would be of him and how he would be affected by having all his privileges and present lifestyle withdrawn in retaliation for refusing this marriage. He wasn't sure if she would go so far as to urge him to give up on them, something he had absolutely no intention of doing in any case. However, it was imperative that he convince her that he had thought long and hard about the matter, that he was not being naively idealistic, and that he intended to stand by her no matter what occurred in the future.

Still, the thought of calling her terrified him. For once, he would have nothing to offer, not his famous family name, not the privileged lifestyle that came with it, not the never-ending funds that he had taken for granted as being part of his existence. And for once, none of these would be able to help him. What was more, accepting him would require her to give up her own lifestyle, the things she held dear, the world she was familiar with. She would have to trust him unconditionally; they would have to be fully committed to working things out.

Yi Jeong lay back on the bed, propping himself up with the pillows, staring at the phone in his hand. It was not impossible for him to have a career as an artist; he was already being hailed as the latest sensation in Europe. And he knew that Akira would lend him whatever support he needed; it was quite clear from his last statement that his crabby mentor was in favour of Yi Jeong standing up for himself. But he would not be able to base himself in Korea. If Ga Eul wanted to be with him, she would have to leave everything behind.

Why was it that he always had everything and nothing? A faint smile touched Yi Jeong's lips as he contemplated the paradox that was his life. As a Casanova he had all that he could hope for materially but he had been hollow inside. And now as Ga Eul's self professed soulmate, his heart was full but he was about to have all his wealth revoked. "Still, I'd choose you," he said softly, even though he knew she could not hear him. "I'd take you anytime over money or cars."

All that remained to be seen was if she still wanted him after knowing what it would cost. His heart slammed painfully into his ribs at the thought that she might reject him. He didn't want to pressure her; he had to make sure she didn't say yes because she felt guilty or responsible for him. But he couldn't bear to think of her telling him no either. He'd spent his whole life running away from rejection and hurt, and now he was compelled to make this call to a girl who meant more to him than anyone else.

After spending half an hour trying to calm his nerves, Yi Jeong decided to bite the bullet. Before he could hesitate again, he dialled her number, pressing the phone hard against his ear. The phone rang twice, and then Yi Jeong realised that he had an incoming call. Puzzled, he looked at the screen. 'Why is Ji Hoo calling?' he wondered.

……………………

Ga Eul stared at the ringing phone in her hands, panic stricken.

"Aren't you going to pick up?" Eun Jae asked quietly. "Even if you aren't ready, you should speak to him. Say you are outside and you'll talk to him later."

She wasn't worried about making excuses; she was worried that if she picked up and heard his voice, she would start crying. Or she would sound strange and he would figure out immediately that something was wrong.

Steeling herself, Ga Eul took a deep breath and pressed the receiver button. Only to find out that he had cancelled the call.

"Aish," she muttered, not sure if she felt more frustrated or relieved. "He stopped calling. I guess it's for the best; I need to go home and think things through."

Thanking Eun Jae one more time, Ga Eul left. As she sat on the bus, she found herself looking at the buildings, the people, the evening traffic rush as the vehicles crept slowly along the jam packed roads. She would miss this, if she left. Not to mention her parents, and even her grandmother. And Jan Di. Plus Woo Bin and Ji Hoo. What would she do overseas? Would she be comfortable living in Sweden or some other foreign land?

Yi Jeong had called himself her soulmate and she knew they shared a special intimacy but they had never been together, had not spent time getting used to each other as a couple. What if losing his former lifestyle took too much of a toll on him and subsequently their relationship?

Her head was full of so many questions that she was actually starting to get a headache. These were issues that she had to think through carefully. Yet, in spite of her fears, in spite of the very real problems that they would face, it hurt her heart to think of life without him. She loved his smile, she would gladly take his pain and bear it with him, she wanted to make him laugh, she wanted to be that shelter for him when he needed it. "Rich or poor, for better or worse," she murmured softly. If only she knew what was in his heart...

……………

Apparently Ji Hoo knew more about his alleged fiancée than he did. "No, it's okay. I don't want to know anymore," he muttered, trying to push down the intense dislike he felt for the anonymous girl. It was not rational although he understood why he would feel like this. "My father's here. He didn't say much about her but he talked to me about what would happen if I said no."

There was a moment of silence before Ji Hoo spoke again. "Are you going to say no?"

"Yes, I have to. My grandfather's the one behind all this and if I accede to him now, I might as well let him run my life. It's not just Ga Eul yang I will be giving up."

Ji Hoo did not want to ask for the specifics; that was not why he had called. "You know we'll support you, however we can. I need to tell you something else though. I think your grandfather spoke to Ga Eul this afternoon."

For a moment he could not understand what Yi Jeong was saying. And then a dreadful cold swept through him. He realised that he was clenching his hand so tightly that his flesh had turned white. "What?"

"She sent a text message to Jan Di, saying that she was going to your house to meet someone, probably your parents. Woo Bin and I found it a little strange and after some checking, we found out that your father was out of the country. Your mother would never arrange for a meeting. And that leaves only your grandfather. That's when we did more digging and found out the news about your engagement."

"Is she alright?"

"Woo Bin's men reported that she went to the Clayhouse. Your childhood friend Eun Jae was seen with her. And then she went home. She hasn't picked up any of Jan Di's calls or Woo Bin's."

No wonder she had not picked up his either. "I see. I should call her then. Thanks Ji Hoo ah."

"Let me know what happens." And with that, Ji Hoo ended the call.

Yi Jeong dropped the phone on the bed, stared unseeingly at the ceiling. All he could do was picture Ga Eul yang at the mercy of his grandfather. The man was a master manipulator, he used words to hurt people, he knew how to get under their skin. 'I should have warned her,' he thought bitterly. Instead, he had left her unprotected again. 'How am I going to look after her when I can't even handle my own family?'

Beside him, his phone buzzed once. Five minutes later, it buzzed again. Thinking it might be Woo Bin or even Jun Pyo, he picked it up and checked the messages.

Sunbae, I couldn't pick up your call because I was outside. Sorry.

Actually, what I meant to say was, we need to talk. Please call me when you see this message.

………………..

Ga Eul was pacing the room restlessly when the phone finally rang. "Answer it, answer it," she told herself sternly before hitting the receiver button. "Sunbae?"

"Ga Eul yang."

Tugging at some loose string on her skirt, Ga Eul waited nervously for Yi Jeong to say something. When it became clear that he wasn't going to, she decided to take the plunge instead. "I…I met your grandfather today."

"Yes I know, Ji Hoo told me."

"News gets around fast," she joked but it sounded flat and empty. "So what will you do?"

Her voice was so soft that he almost couldn't make out her question. "I want to know what you feel about all this. What did my grandfather tell you?"

"Everything. Some facts about your fiancée, what will happen if you agree to the marriage. It's quite a lot to take in."

Her tone was light but her voice quivered slightly and he knew she was holding back tears. "What do you want to do?"

"If you say yes, I'll never see you again. And if you say no, we'll both have to give up everything we know and love for a future that's not yet decided. We don't know if…if we will work out in the end. To tell you the truth, I'm scared."

Yi Jeong willed himself not to cry even though he could feel the familiar burn at the back of his eyes. He knew where this was going. "Ga Eul—"

"Let me finish please," Ga Eul cut in. Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath and forged on. "You once told me you don't do things just because you're obligated, especially when it comes to relationships. I hope you will abide by that now. If—if you have thought about the consequences carefully, and you still want us to be together, then we can be. Because I don't want to give you up."

And with those words, she stopped his world from crashing down around him. "Say that again," Yi Jeong asked softly.

"What?"

"That last sentence."

"Because I don't want to give you up." And then she started crying.

"Ga Eul yang, don't cry." He ached to put his arms around her, to tell her that it would be alright, that he loved her and that she was his air. "Sweetheart please don't cry."

"I can't help it," she sobbed, wiping away the tears even as fresh ones streamed down her cheeks. "You haven't even told me what your decision is."

"Don't you know already? I don't make promises I cannot keep." He looked down at the ring on his finger, the same ring that she wore around her neck.

"You mean…"

"I'm choosing you. I understand what the consequences are, I've been thinking about them all day. I also know what it means to give you up and I cannot do that. I don't deserve you, but now that you are here, I'll do everything I can to keep us together. If I lose you, I'll regret it forever."

Through her tears, she smiled. "Because when you find your soulmate…"

"…You hold on and never let go," he finished. "I'm not letting you go Chu Ga Eul. As long as you want me."

"I won't let go either So Yi Jeong. And I do want you, more than I can say."

Yi Jeong had always envisioned candlelight, dinner, and flowers when it came to this moment. More than anything else, he had always imagined that they would be together and that she would be in his arms. This was hardly ideal, but it felt completely right. "I love you."

"I love you." They could not have been further apart, separated by oceans and miles in between. At that moment, she felt closer to him than ever before.

"So, do you love me enough to give me four children?"

"Yi Jeong sunbae!"

…………………….

He'd hardly slept the night before. And he was going to get one hell of a phone bill at the end of the month. But his step was light and he felt safe. They had spent the night talking about the past, the present and the future. There were so many things he had to do, so many new plans to make.

His father was waiting in the hall; his bags had been packed and the car was waiting to take him to the airport. "So, what will it be then?"

Hyun Sub eyed his son. The latter looked tired and weary, but there was a clarity and assurance about Yi Jeong that had been missing ever since he had broken the news to him the day before.

"Please tell Haraboji that I will never agree to this marriage. He can go ahead and disinherit me. If he issues a press release of the engagement, my publicist will release one on my behalf saying there is a grave error and that I am not engaged to the lady in question."

"You are absolutely sure this is what you want?"

To Hyun Sub's surprise, his son shook his head. "No. If I had my way, our family would welcome Ga Eul yang with open arms. My grandfather would realise that it is wrong to ask that his son and grandson suffer because he wants to do what he thinks is right. My mother would be less miserable because her husband would realise she is as wronged as he is. But since that cannot be, I'll settle for what I can. I won't give her up. If I must, I'll use my status and trade that for her. I'm sorry that you had to make this wasted journey. Please have a safe flight home."

Hyun Sub was still staring after his son when the butler gently reminded him that he had to leave if he wanted to catch his flight. "Well, well," he murmured to the astonished man. "He might be less like me than I thought." Although the plane ride took more than seven hours, Hyun Sub did not sleep. For once, his son had said something worth thinking about.