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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

XXXI

He tried running, but there was nowhere to hide. "You must have spies everywhere," Yi Jeong said dryly as Woo Bin and Ji Hoo slipped into the seats opposite him and made themselves at home. "This is my first time here and you've found me."

The pub was small and comfortable and the drinks were good, as were the finger foods. But it was a far cry from their usual haunts and that was why he had picked it. Staying at home was not an option; it would be too easy for them to find him there.

"Hey, I am a mafia prince after all." Woo Bin's smile was good humoured although there was a slight edge to his words that he could not help. While he had learnt to accept what he was, shame was never an easy thing to rub away. "Yi Jeong my bro, tell us good news."

Ji Hoo said nothing but his eyes were bright with expectancy. Yi Jeong tried not to shrink into his own seat. "There's nothing much to tell."

Woo Bin sighed. "Please don't tell me you're suddenly shy." And then his eyes narrowed. "Unless Ga Eul was so moved by your proposal that you finally managed to get her into the sa—"

"Hey, that happens to be my girlfriend you are talking about!"

Ji Hoo pounced. "Not fiancée?"

Both Yi Jeong and Woo Bin froze for different reasons.

'Damn it," Yi Jeong swore silently. He had given himself away.

"What the hell?" Woo Bin swore aloud, looking from Ji Hoo to Yi Jeong, waiting for some kind of denial. When none came Woo Bin swore again. "I don't believe it. Ga Eul said no?!"

So Yi Jeong, ex-Casanova extraordinaire, one of the infamous F4 and renowned potter, blushed like a school girl from embarrassment. "She did not say no," he muttered, taking a large gulp from his glass. All the alcohol in the world wouldn't help now though. "She didn't say yes either."

"So she said maybe?" Ji Hoo ventured. "That's not a proper answer to a proposal. Maybe she needs more time to think about it."

"More time? Five years is the longest relationship that Yi Jeong has ever had with anything, discounting us, his art collection and of course his car. And didn't Ga Eul like you before you liked her? How much more time does she need?"

Woo Bin sounded so aghast it would have been comical if it hadn't been his ego at stake. "It's not a question of more time."

"She didn't like you proposing to her at your old school," Ji Hoo said, completely sure that he had the answer.

"No, it isn't that either. Can we drop this?" Yi Jeong asked through gritted teeth.

"I find it hard to believe this but maybe she didn't like the ring. You sure you picked the right colour man? I mean, they all look white to me and you really ought to leave such things to the salespeople."

Yi Jeong fought the urge to bury his head in his hands. "The two of you aren't going to stop are you?"

Ji Hoo leaned forward. "We're just trying to help you figure out what went wrong." All this was said in such a kindly tone that Yi Jeong finally snapped.

"She didn't know I had proposed okay? That's why she didn't say yes or no. She had no idea that I had just asked her to marry me. And it's your fault!" He rounded on Woo Bin, glaring at the mafia prince who looked more like a harmless deer caught in the headlights at the moment.

"What did I do?"

"Girls like poetry," Yi Jeong mimicked. "She liked it alright; she just didn't understand that I was asking her to be mine forever."

"And how is that my fault?"

"You and your big mouth. I should never have listened to you!"

"I hate to interrupt this little squabble but if you listened to him, then isn't it your fault?" Ji Hoo cut in mildly. "Besides, you did decide to propose spontaneously and while it is commendable, somewhat, the chances of plans going awry is greater. You should know that."

"Exactly," Woo Bin said triumphantly even though a couple of words that Ji Hoo had said went over his head. But he had gotten the basic gist and that was good enough.

Yi Jeong wanted to argue but he had nothing to say. Ji Hoo was right. So he went back to nursing his drink and ignoring his friends.

It was wrong to laugh. He was supposed to be helping in his best friend's hour of need. Still, one had to smile. The one and only Casanova, even if he had given up on chasing skirts five years ago, had failed miserably at proposing to the woman he loved. It was one thing to be turned down. It was another for the woman to be completely unaware that a proposal had been made. That kind of failure was in a class by itself. Of all the members of F4, the only one they had expected to screw up royally was Jun Pyo, not Yi Jeong.

Yi Jeong had always been a good friend, the best friend a guy could have. And like it or not, he had put that suggestion about poetry into his head. Still, seeing Ji Hoo smiled and then try to wipe it off was too much. Woo Bin felt a giggle rise in his throat and quickly smothered it with a fake cough. Ji Hoo shot him a warning glance and that sent another wave of mirth rising up. This time, Woo Bin coughed and pressed his hand against his mouth, pretending to be deep in thought. He managed to do this for a few minutes before the chuckles got the better of him.

And then Ji Hoo smiled again and Woo Bin gave up all pretence of trying to be serious. He covered his mouth but it was of no use since he was practically doubled over with laughter.

"I'm never speaking to you two again," Yi Jeong said with deadly calm but it only made Woo Bin laugh harder. Ji Hoo was smiling uncontrollably, unable to straighten his expression.

When Woo Bin was done, he lay back in his chair, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry Yi Jeong ah but that was just the funniest. And we all thought Jun Pyo would be the one to make a mess of things."

"You're failing miserably if you are trying to change my mind about not speaking to you."

"Do you need our help?"

Yi Jeong looked suspiciously at Ji Hoo, wondering if karma would make use of this best friend to give him another kick in the ass. "No thanks, I'll figure something out."

"Well, as long as this story has a happy ending." Woo Bin realised that Yi Jeong had transferred his gaze to him. "What? Did I say something again?"

Woo Bin might be on to something there. But he was not about to tempt Fate. Yi Jeong smiled serenely and shook his head. Inside though, he was starting work out the details of what he felt was going to be a perfect proposal.

…………………

Two months later…

Ga Eul giggled as Yi Jeong helped her into the house. "What are you up to?" she asked again, wishing that she could remove the silk scarf that he used to blindfold her with in the car.

"It's a surprise. We're almost there."

Behind her, she heard him lock the door and then once again, his arm was around her shoulder, his other hand clasped in hers as he led her forward. She knew this place even without sight and knew that they were heading towards the dining room. Finally, they came to a halt. Gently, she felt him unknot the blindfold and waited a second before opening her eyes.

It was a few seconds before she could speak. The table was set with the finest dinnerware, a blue and white set that she had never seen before. The lights were dimmed and there was a magnificent silver candelabrum in the middle of the table. And all around the room, there were beautiful red irises in round glass vases.

"Why have you done all this?" she whispered, stepping forward as she took in everything that he had done, her hands resting on the silk cream tablecloth.

He held her from behind. Pushing her soft hair to the side, he kissed her neck and pressed his cheek against hers. "I wanted you to have a memorable night. That's all. Every day with you is a special occasion."

Dinner was wonderful. Ga Eul loved the oysters with caviar and butter sauce. She had never eaten Lobster Thermidor before until then but after that evening, she was a fan. Dessert was a platter filled with tiny exquisite fruit tarts, two small shot glasses of tiramisu and crème brulee, and a square of dark chocolate cake that reminded her of the one they had shared that first night she had spent at his house.

"I can't believe I ate all that," Ga Eul groaned as she laid a hand on her full stomach. "But it was fantastic." Reaching out, she rubbed a hand over his. "Thanks for the meal." She half expected him to suggest that they make their way to the couch where they would snuggle, talk and make out for the rest of the evening, not necessarily in that order though. But Yi Jeong merely smiled, kissed her hand and told her that he would be back in a few minutes; he was going to give her something.

Gazing into the soft flame of the candles, Ga Eul picked out an iris and inhaled its fragrance, pressing it against her cheek. A few minutes had passed when the sound of the doorbell startled her. It was unlikely that Yi Jeong was expecting company but she couldn't very well leave whoever it was out there standing on the doorstep, regardless of how reluctant she was to have their intimate evening interrupted.

"Yi Jeong sunbae!" She called out as she walked to the door but he did not appear. Perhaps he was upstairs. Either that or he was in his studio. Ga Eul opened the door to see Ji Hoo waiting for her. "Ji Hoo sunbae?"

"Yi Jeong requested that I be your chauffeur for the hour." Gallantly he offered her his arm but still she didn't move.

"B-but Yi Jeong sunbae is in the house. He has to be upstairs," she protested even as Ji Hoo reached out and gently pulled her along towards his car in the driveway.

"He's waiting for you Ga Eul. I'll take you to him."

Ji Hoo was as helpful as a sphinx and Ga Eul gave up asking what was going on. She wasn't alarmed, but she was certainly intrigued and she wondered just what Yi Jeong was up to. Finally, they arrived at a hotel. It was the same one that she and Yi Jeong had gone to on their fake date. The last time she had been there, the lobby had been quiet but still full of people. This time though, it looked completely empty although the lights were on.

Ji Hoo opened the door for her and she got out, still unsure of herself or the situation. "Instead of a yellow brick road, he's left you a trail of flower petals. Just follow them and you'll reach him. When you get to the lift, press the button that will bring you to the rooftop. Don't forget to have a good look around." And with a mysterious smile, the white knight of F4 drove off, leaving her behind.

"Follow the petals," she repeated to herself as she pushed open the massive doors. True enough, there was a bright mix of assorted petals scattered in a straight line across the marble floor of the lobby. As Ga Eul followed the path, she recalled Ji Hoo's last sentence and gave the lobby a cursory look over. At first glance, she almost missed it. At second glance, she stopped completely in her tracks. Her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes had not deceived her; it really was there.

There were several columns in the lobby and the one that caught her eye had a whimsically drawn mural painted on it. There was a slender long haired girl and next to her, a man who bore an unmistakable resemblance to Yi Jeong. They were looking at each other with a yearning that was startlingly lifelike and in the background, there was a kiln.

It was their first moment together, the moment that had started them down this path. The next column had another mural of the same girl, this time gazing up into the sky at a plane. The next showed the man writing a letter, a dark furry cat peering over his hand.

Ga Eul laughed, blinking back tears as she gently touched the wall, marvelling at the beauty of the murals, at the fact that Yi Jeong had captured these moments. It was their love story.

The wall near to the lift showed a craggy cliff side and a roaring ocean below. At the top was the man. He looked so sad but the girl was there, a pale spectre with her arms around him, comforting him. It was the dream date she had described to him. This merged with the next one, a cluster of smaller assorted paintings: Yi Jeong with a camera, herself holding the dish he had made for her, fireworks in the background. A swirl of letters that stretched across lands and oceans below. The words 'infinite passion' written on every one of them.

By the time she got to the lift, Ga Eul was unable to hold back her tears. She couldn't wait to find him, to put her arms around him and tell him that if she had another lifetime to give, it was his.

There was a long corridor leading to closed doors. Here, the walls were covered with murals too. She could see herself, holding out her hand to him. They were standing outside his house as dawn broke around them, his sadness as he walked away from her again at the airport. Ga Eul laughed softly when she realised her Halmoni was there, immortalised in that moment with a captive Yi Jeong on the other end of the line. A circle of irises around the ring he had given her. The words 'I love you' and the date on which they had first said those words to each other.

Seeing herself through his eyes as he watched her from the doorway as she taught her students. Meeting her parents, having dinner with them, a scene from the New Year's gathering with his mother and him together with her family.

Her eyes widened as she neared the doors. There was a mural of him offering her the flowers and below were the words 'My First Proposal Attempt'. "Oh my God, I had no idea," she murmured, feeling simultaneously foolish, incredibly so and a rush of sympathy for him. She hoped it was not too late to give him her reply. And then she saw the next wall, the one closest to the doors.

In the painting, she was standing in the lobby, at the beginning of the flower path. Below were the words 'My Second Proposal Attempt'.

……………………

There was a light wind and three quarters of a pearl white moon that glowed at him and the rooftop garden from the sky. Yi Jeong tried to quell the nervousness rising within him. If Ji Hoo had gotten her here on time, she should already be in the lobby at least.

And then the doors were pushed open and she was there. He could see the sheen of tears on her cheeks, her nose was red and she never looked more beautiful. "How's my second attempt?"

"More direct than your first," she replied, her voice thick with tears and wobbly. "I can't believe you did this." And then she started crying.

Walking swiftly over to her, he pulled her into his embrace and she clung to him as he kissed her, feeling her tears on his skin. "Marry me Ga Eul yang. Always be mine. I'll give you everything I have, I will love you with all that I am. And when this lifetime is over, I want to start another one with you."

She knew that in the future, she would love him even more. But at that moment, it was hard to believe because her heart was already so full. Nodding, she smiled through her tears and whispered her reply. "There's nothing I want more." Clasping his face in her hands, she leaned in and kissed him again.

Taking the ring out of his pocket, Yi Jeong took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger, his own hands shaking a little. "It's a perfect fit," he said, pleased. "Almost as beautiful as my wife."

She laughed softly, admiring the beautiful diamond that sparkled brightly. "You mean your fiancée. And you are such a smooth talker."

"Only with you Ga Eul yang," he replied, unable to resist kissing her again. He had not known it was possible to be this happy. "Would it be possible for me to talk you into a wedding in three months' time?"

"Three months?"

He nodded. "It will be autumn then. And I heard that Scottish autumns are extraordinarily scenic."

Ga Eul's eyes widened. "Scotland?"

"We already have the castle. Jun Pyo said we might as well use it since Jan Di and he had their own wedding here. Jan Di said it's a good idea too."

Her sneaky best friend had not breathed a word at all! She would thank her for being so good at keeping a secret. But that would have to wait. Right now, she had to give her fiancé a reply.

"In this particular case Yi Jeong sunbae, your wish is my command."