New Feelings
A.N.: Hello everybody. How are you? Hope the change in weather and season is not making you ill. Do take care OK?
Dear Cari-Bum, yeah, Yi Jeong can be cheesy at times. That's fine as long as it's with Ga Eul only, jajaja.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.
Published: November 28, 2016
What he planned to be a 15 to 20 minutes nap had extended to 30 minutes. Yi Jeong squinted his eyes as he tried to open them. The sun had slightly moved to the west and its light shone directly on them. He automatically turned to look at the beautiful girl next to him. She was still in her slumber.
She slept facing him, her head rested comfortably on his arm and her right hand over his waist. Her breathing was even and her face peaceful although the sunlight hit her face. He reached for the large sun hat next to her with his free hand and held it up in the air to block the light. He continued to watch her pretty face. His gazes alternated from her closed eyes to her nose and down to her lips. And then the gaze lingered on those oh sweet lips. His heart suddenly thumped quicker.
This girl, he pondered for the millionth time, was a puzzle to him. He did not understand why his heart beat wild the first time she came into his vision. There was just something about her that pulled him to her. The wild beats were uncontrollable. Even when he was in love with Eun Jae, his heart never beat this way. With Eun Jae, he felt comfortable. But with this girl? She wreaked havoc on his young system, throwing him into an unexplained situation. And as he got to know her more, the more his heart became drawn to her. She could make him crazy just by her sweet innocent smile.
Never in Yi Jeong's pre-Chu Ga Eul life had he thought and imagined that he would feel attracted to a girl like her, a commoner, definitely out of his circle of society. A simple girl, the type that he would not turn twice to look at if he passed her by on the street. But she? She had broken all his norms. Was she a sorcerer? A witch? What spell had she cast upon him? He was tied to her by this invisible string. He felt the need to be with her. He loved Chu Ga Eul with all his heart.
Not able to contain the overwhelming emotions and the temptation of her now slightly parted lips, he leaned forward and captured the lips fully. Ga Eul moved a little at the sudden connection and slowly opened her eyes. She saw that his eyes were closed as he kept their lips in contact. Her heart beat faster and she then closed her eyes again and responded to the kiss. Her hand that was on his waist automatically went up to hold his cheek.
Yi Jeong quickly put down the sunhat with her respond. Furthermore, his arm was tired from being held up for so long. He then gently pushed her on her back and shifted over her. The kisses never ended as both submerged themselves in the out of this world euphoria.
Yi Jeong was on the brink of losing all his senses with each kiss and touch from the girl beneath him. His heart, mind, and body were telling him that she, too, was feeling the same. He had to stop before his string of self-control snapped and his body took over completely. Where they were right now was also not the place for it. With great reluctance and difficulty, he abruptly broke the kiss. He felt her protest as she then tilted her head up to catch his lips for another kiss. He obliged and gave her a light kiss before breaking the kiss again and leaned his upper body backward. His arms then rested on the ground, on the sides of her shoulders and still trapping her underneath him. He needed to slow down his heartbeats.
"Ga Eul…" He looked into her eyes. "You are killing me. I want you too, but not here, my love."
Ga Eul's eyes widened and warm blood spread throughout her cheeks. Realization sank in on what had happened. She was embarrassed by her behavior. She was ashamed of not being able to control herself when he started to shower her with his gentle yet hot kisses. In embarrassment, she hid her face in her palms.
She could not believe how she was so easily lost in his kisses. Her body felt hot and the thumping of her heart accelerated with every kiss. Desire coursed its way throughout her whole body at the feel of his warmth and then she was lost.
"Hey, hey, it's alright." He tried to pull her hands away but she shook her head, making him smile. He then kissed the back of her hands and shifted to her side. When she felt his weight lifted off from her, she turned to her side, her back facing him and her hands still covering her face. Yi Jeong then held her shoulder and pulled her to face him. He also pulled her hands down just to see her eyes closed tight.
"Ga Eul. Open your eyes, please."
She shook her head again. She was still embarrassed.
"I won't judge you. I love you and I'm sorry if I was way out of line."
He watched her eyelids slowly fluttered and finally opened to meet his. He offered his best loving smile.
"Annyeong Ga Eul." He greeted her in a whisper.
"Yi Jeong…" Her heartbeats were still a little bit faster.
"Are you alright now?"
She slowly nodded, her eyes never leaving his. They gazed at each other in silence for a few minutes. Each was deep in his and her thoughts about what had happened.
Yi Jeong was a former Casanova and had had a lot of experience, but all those were purely based on lust and raging hormones. But with Ga Eul, she was the first girl to give him this such feeling, such strong desire that was weaved with love towards a girl. She was still pure and untouched, and he wanted her first time to be special. He wanted her to feel loved.
Ga Eul too had long told herself that Yi Jeong would be her first and most definitely her last. She had debated with her own self whether to save herself until her wedding day or to let time tells. She loved him so much that she was willing to give him everything of her but at the same time, she did not want him to think that she was an easy girl. In the end, she decided on the former. Moreover, her family was more on the traditional side.
They had not discussed the subject matter per say. She understood that he was an ex-Casanova and men, in general, usually had trouble controlling themselves in that department. But she could tell and see that he respected her and was trying hard to build up his self-control. However, sometimes they were so caught up in the moment and when that happened, either one of them would stop and pull away from the other before it went any further.
What happened earlier was one instance that made her doubt of her will and strength to hold until their wedding day. Each date with this man was testing her willpower and each kiss and touch sent pleasurable shivers and tingles up her spine. What should she do?
Just then, Ga Eul squinted her eyes and held up a hand to cover her face from the direct sunlight. Yi Jeong immediately placed a quick kiss on her lips and stood up. He then pulled her up and suggested that they shifted the blanket and stuffs to a shadier spot, safe from the glare of the jealous sun.
Both sat back on the blanket and he passed her a glass of water. She thanked him, drank a little and offered him the remaining of the water. He accepted and placed his lips exactly on the rim where her lips had touched. Ga Eul blushed furiously at his seductive gaze as he drank the water. Her heart was now, again, in a race.
"Do you know that you look pretty while you sleep?" He inched closer.
"I… I… what?" Her voice in a whisper. She lost count of the number of times her heart melted from his compliments today.
He chuckled at her reaction. "I can't wait for the days when I got to wake up to the pretty you every morning."
Ga Eul's jaw dropped and her cheeks turned from rosy to red. Their situation earlier flashed in front of her eyes. Yi Jeong was killing her.
"Yi Jeong…" She placed a palm over her thunderous heart.
Yi Jeong laughed at her reaction. He should stop with the compliments if he did not want her to faint from his 'assaults' to her heart. He then pinched her nose and turned his attention to the city below. It was a sight to behold. She too turned to look at the view. Both were silent as they admired the outline of the city.
After a while, she broke the silence. "Yi Jeong, what time are we going back?"
"It's up to you. Do you want to go back now?"
She shook her head. "I want to hear more of your firsts. You promised." Her cheeks went rosy again when he chuckled at her answer.
Flashback
She wore a white blouse and a black short over her bikini. Her hair put up in a bun. Yi Jeong came to the tent and saw Woo Bin applying some lotion on the back of one of the girls from last night. He sat behind Woo Bin. The other girl waved for him to do the same to her. But his eyes caught on another girl three lounge chairs away. She was trying to put on some sun block lotion on the hard to reach the area on her back. He feasted his eyes on her smooth porcelain back.
Yi Jeong patted Woo Bin's back and came over to Ga Eul. He offered a hand, but she declined, making a face. She also showed disgust when Woo Bin said that his Baby had smooth skin. Yi Jeong was a little upset but quickly covered it up and left. He wanted to feel her soft skin. The thought made him sounded like a pervert but when it came to Chu Ga Eul, he didn't really have much control of his thoughts.
End of flashback
"You really hurt my pride that day, Ga Eul." He nudged her shoulder. "Luckily Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo were napping, and Woo Bin was busy with his girl. If not, I'll never hear the end of their teasing. You were the first and only girl who refused my offer to put lotion on her back. Others did not wait for it. They rather asked and begged me to."
"Aah." Ga Eul nudged him back. "You are so full of yourself. And if you do that to other girls, just you wait and see what Chu Ga Eul can do to you."
Yi Jeong laughed out loud at his girlfriend's threat.
"Are you jealous, Chu Ga Eul?" He smirked playfully at her, earning eye rolls from her. He laughed louder.
Ga Eul pouted and said no but also frowned at him.
When his laugh died down, he gazed lovingly at her.
"Do you remember what happened after that?"
She nodded. Her expression turned sad.
"I was so afraid. Jan Di nearly drowned. Fortunately, Ji Hoo Sunbae went to save her. I was so mad at myself because I can't swim and help her. I should have learned to swim every time Jan Di asked me to go to the public swimming pool with her. I just never thought that Jan Di was going to get a leg cramp like that."
She lowered her head in shame and regret.
"Hey, hey, Ga Eul." He placed a finger under her chin and made her look at him. Tears were already forming at the corner of her beautiful eyes.
"Ga Eul, it was not your fault. It was not. Things happened when we did not expect them."
She wiped away some tears that had managed to escape.
"Would you like me to teach you how to swim? It's a great skill to have. It's relaxing, a kind of exercise and an important survival skill."
She nodded. "Thank you, Yi Jeong."
He caressed her soft cheek.
"Do you know that when I heard your shouts for Jan Di, I almost lost my mind. I didn't know why but when I saw your worried look and you began to cry, I wanted to embrace you tightly, to comfort you."
She looked at him in puzzlement. He nodded to say that it was true.
"I just felt that I didn't like seeing you sad, and I still don't like it now." He then gave her a light kiss on her forehead.
"But obviously I couldn't hug you then. The F3 would be shocked if I did, right? And Jan Di would have given me her famous spin kick."
She nodded slowly, a thin smile forming on her pretty face.
"And, I had to uphold my reputation, right? Me, Korea's famous Casanova going mushy over a crying girl? Ppffsss! Of course not." He rolled his eyes.
"Yi Jeong! Why you…" Ga Eul slapped his shoulder, not so lightly. Yi Jeong laughed at his girlfriend's reaction. He really loved to tease her.
"Can I tell you a secret? I actually wanted to follow you and Jan Di to her cabin, just to make sure that you and she were OK."
"What? Are you serious?" Ga Eul could not believe his words. Did he really feel such for her? But how? Why?
"Yes. But again, I couldn't. So I just watched Ji Hoo sent you two to Jan Di's cabin." He pouted to show her his frustration. Ga Eul blinked repeatedly, still trying to digest his latest revelation.
"Hey, it was true." Yi Jeong pouted again. He then heaved a sigh and shook his head.
"I'd better go home since you don't believe me. Obviously you are not going to believe the other firsts in my life. You'll just think I'm lying and making all those up." He then abruptly stood up, startling Ga Eul.
"Yi Jeong…" She was surprised at his sudden change of mood and quickly grabbed his hand. He did not turn to look at her.
"Let go of my hand, please." His voice was cold.
In an instant, tears formed in her eyes. Instead of letting go of his hand, she tightened her grip and quickly stood up too. She then embraced him from behind and leaned her cheek against his back. She was now sobbing.
"Yi Jeong, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I… I… your story, I… hard to believe because I… never thought you had those feelings for me back then. You were… you... I…"
Ga Eul could not continue with her words for she was now sobbing hard. The thought of Yi Jeong being angry at her and leaving her was devastating. She never expected that her reactions to his story had hurt him bad.
"I'm sorry Yi Jeong. Please forgive me. Please don't leave me." She hugged him tighter, her tears dampening his expensive t-shirt.
Yi Jeong panicked and immediately turned around and held Ga Eul's shoulders. He looked into her red eyes. Earlier, he was just pretending to be hurt. His only intention was to tease her. He did not expect her to take it seriously and cried. He felt guilty.
"Oh, Ga Eul. Please don't cry. I was just joking. I am not going to leave you ever." He then embraced her. "I'm sorry my love."
"Please don't scare me like that, Yi Jeong. How am I supposed to live if you are not with me?" She tightened her arms around his waist.
"And how am I also supposed to live if you are not with me?" He asked her back. He then broke the embrace and held her gaze. "Did I not tell you that I don't like seeing you cry?"
Ga Eul playfully hit his chest and pouted. "Then don't do it again."
Yi Jeong smiled, "I promise," and leaned down to capture her lips.
He then went behind her, wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and the other around her tiny waist. He rested his chin on her left shoulder. She held his hands as they watched the city down below in silence. Just then, her stomach growled, startling the both of them. Ga Eul oops-ed and bit her lower lip in embarrassment while Yi Jeong laughed.
"Hungry already, Miss Chu Ga Eul? Didn't we eat earlier?"
She turned her head a little towards him, their noses nearly touching. "Yah! I didn't eat much because you kept making me feed you."
Yi Jeong laughed louder. He then led her to the blanket and they sat down. "Now you sit still. I'll be your servant now." He then gestured to the basket of food. "What would you like to have, my Queen?"
Ga Eul giggled and pointed to the sandwiches, rice cakes, banana, oranges, yogurt, and crackers. Yi Jeong pretended to gasp in shock. "My Queen? Are you eating for one or what? Where are you going to stuff all those food in that flat tummy of yours?"
Ga Eul could not contain her laugh. Yes, she liked to eat, a lot. She was blessed with high metabolism rate and had no trouble of keeping slim at all. Yi Jeong already knew her love for food. New Caledonia was the place when he first knew this about her.
Flashback
That night, he was very pleased to see her wearing the blue sleeveless short dress. He inwardly gave himself a pat on the shoulder for having her size right and he would definitely give his assistant a raise for getting a beautiful dress for her. Again, she had her hair in a bun. It only made her swan neck looked enticing. Earlier in the day when he babysat her, Yi Jeong thought that Ga Eul was cute and pretty, but tonight, she was gorgeous. Her makeup was minimal and that added to her allure. He cursed inwardly when Woo Bin beat him and sat next to Ga Eul at the dinner table. He wanted to strangle his best friend.
Dinner was excellent. Apart from the delicious spread of food, the company was enjoyable. They exchanged stories and discussed some current news and sports. Occasionally, laughter erupted when someone shared a joke. Yi Jeong would glance at Ga Eul throughout dinner. He noticed that she loved seafood and meat, and kept that piece of information in mind.
The night was still young. Like diamonds, the twinkling stars painted the clear sky and the sea breeze, cooling. They moved to the swimming pool area after dinner and continued on with the party.
Yi Jeong saw Ga Eul at the desserts table piling up her plate. Has she not done eating? Where do all those food go? He mused. He approached her and teased her about it. She seemed embarrassed from his tease and bit her lower lip. Yi Jeong wanted to kiss those luscious lips.
His remarks afterward about her having an interest in Jun Pyo though, riled her up. Gone was the shy embarrassed girl and out was the one with the sharp tongue. But his heart jumped in joy. Yes! She doesn't like Jun Pyo! However, he also wondered what she meant about Jan Di and her crush. He was about to ask more but Woo Bin called to join him and the two foreign girls. Why are these girls here in the first place? He wondered. Reluctantly he left Ga Eul at the table who was scolding herself for blurting out about Jan Di's secret.
Yi Jeong wanted to know who Jan Di's crush was. That's okay, Yi Jeong. He told himself. There's always tomorrow to continue on with the conversation. From where he stood, he saw that Ga Eul kept slapping her mouth. He found her gesture adorable.
End of flashback
"Me and my big mouth." Ga Eul scolded herself.
"But I love that mouth. I can easily get any secret out of you." Yi Jeong laughed for he lost count on how many times today, not that he was counting in the first place. Dates with Ga Eul were always filled with laughter and joy, and he very much looked forward to them.
"Yi Jeong!" Ga Eul glared at her boyfriend, pretending to scold him. He held his stomach for it hurt from too much laughing. Ga Eul stuck her tongue out at him and said that it served him right for laughing at her.
The laughter eventually stopped and he smiled at her.
"That night, it was the first time that I was jealous of Woo Bin and also angry at him."
"Ey? How so?"
"I was jealous because he sat next to you at dinner. When I saw you came with Jan Di and we walked to the place, told myself that I wanted to sit near you. I knew that Jun Pyo was going to make Jan Di sat with him at the other table, so I didn't want you to feel left out."
"Yi Jeong, how sweet and thoughtful of you. But why were you angry at Woo Bin Sunbae?"
"Because he sat next to you. I thought that he was going to sit in between the two girls like he usually did. Yes, I was jealous and angry at him for that. And I was also angry at him because he interrupted our conversation. I wanted to ask more about Jan Di. Ga Eul, you made me felt anger toward my best friend."
"Oh…Sorry. I didn't know."
"Hahahaha. Of course you didn't. Silly." He chuckled at her guilty expression.
"I have another confession to make, Ga Eul."
"Another?"
"My first time feeling possessive over a girl."
Flashback
The firework displays that Jun Pyo planned to awe Jan Di was magnificent. The dark, black sky was painted and illuminated by glittering sparks of colors. It was a spectacular sight to behold. There was even a formation of a heart. And what would a show of bright colors be without the sounds of crackle, hiss and more? The pops, booms, and whizzes filled the air.
Yi Jeong walked toward Jun Pyo to tell him that he was proud of the Shinhwa Heir for it. Right before he told that to Jun Pyo, Yi Jeong sneaked a glance at Ga Eul. Her face glowed from the bright wide smile on her face. Her long swan neck elongated more as she looked up the dazzling sky. As she was enjoying the colorful fireworks, he contented himself by admiring her.
My gorgeous Ga Eul, he whispered to himself.
Later that night, Woo Bin wondered why Yi Jeong turned down his suggestion to bring their little party with the two foreign girls back to his cabin. "Sorry, Woo Bin. Upset stomach, probably from dinner," was what he told Woo Bin.
Yi Jeong didn't feel like partying. Truth was, he couldn't get his mind off of Ga Eul. Her beautiful face kept dancing in his eyes. He was pretty much sure that Ga Eul will come to him that night... in his dreams.
End of flashback
"Yi Jeong…"
"Things you did to me, Ga Eul." He interlaced their fingers.
"I was never a man who's nervous or conscious around women. It was always the other way round. But you? You made me one."
Flashback
The next morning, Jun Pyo wanted everybody to go horse riding along the beach. Ga Eul struggled to mount her horse. She suddenly froze when Yi Jeong helped her up. Ga Eul gulped nervously. Yi Jeong felt her stiffened once he put his hands on her small slim waist. He acted cool and indifferent when in fact the feel of her soft skin was wreaking havoc on his system. Aish So Yi Jeong. Control yourself, he scolded himself.
Throughout the ride, he made sure that he rode behind her to keep her safe. There were a few times when she looked as if she was going to fall off the horse. His heart thumped wild and he caught up with her to offer a hand. Instead, she declined. He then noted "Teach Ga Eul to ride better." on his to-do list.
The morning proceeded with a volleyball match. Ga Eul and Jan Di didn't know how to play, so they sat on the white sand and cheered. During the game, every time he glanced at her, their eyes met and she quickly averted her eyes. It was the same when they took a break from the game. When he went to pick up his can of drink, he felt a pair of eyes following him. He turned around and saw her watching him. Again, she quickly looked elsewhere. Is she watching me this whole time? This thought brought his spirit high but also made him nervous. He felt the need to win the game and showed her that he was a good sportsman. A number of times, he fell down when he tried to catch the ball which was out of his reach, earning him quizzical looks from Ji Hoo and Woo Bin. Jun Pyo, on the other hand, was too distracted by the fact that Ji Hoo asked him to give Jan Di her bracelet back.
End of flashback
"Oh, so that was why. I thought you were just energized after the short break. But you were really good in volleyball. Can you teach me that too?"
Yi Jeong grinned widely showing his perfect white teeth and nodded.
"I wanted to continue our conversation about Jan Di after the match but Woo Bin dragged me and the girls to the bar, and after that, I needed a shower."
"Oh… I went back to the cabin to take my camera. Jan Di went for a walk on the beach but later she told me that Ji Hoo Sunbae took her fishing on a boat."
"Really? Ji Hoo didn't tell us."
Ga Eul slapped her mouth. "Aish… I did it again, didn't I? Me and my big mouth."
Yi Jeong chuckled at her reaction. "Yup. No secret is safe with you." Ga Eul pouted at his comment.
"But your beliefs in soul mate amazed me, still do."
Flashback
An hour later, he found her alone on the beach taking pictures of herself, making cute faces and pouts, peace signs and all. "Jun Pyo must have dragged Jan Di away again," he thought. He felt the urge to disturb and tease her more. Moreover, they had a conversation left unfinished the night before.
"You are trying too hard." Yi Jeong said. Ga Eul stood up and walked away. The look of annoyance plastered on her face, but he just found her cuter. She hurried away when she saw him following her, and ended up on a two-person paddle boat. He pushed the paddle boat a little and sat on. He commented on her strong legs but she just scrunched her face at it. Yi Jeong let out a small laugh.
Their conversation that started with him trying to make her tell who Jan Di's crush was, led to an unexpected topic – soul mate. He didn't expect this side of her. He already knew of her sharp tongue on their first meeting, heck he was at the receiving end of it. He also got to see her loyalty, protectiveness and caring nature for her best friend Jan Di. But to strongly believe in soul mates? A once in a lifetime chance? She has got to be kidding me. What world does she live in? was his first reaction.
He scoffed at her belief, much to her annoyance. She was steadfast in her beliefs. She retorted that a Casanova like him would not understand it. As she talked about the regret of not pursuing one's soul mate once this soul mate was found, something stirred in his cold heart. For the first time in many years, So Yi Jeong allowed his heart to question his own belief about the matter, a once in a lifetime chance and regrets. This Chu Ga Eul was definitely a one of a kind, Yi Jeong told himself.
Their paddle boat conversation did not take long since she was getting uncomfortable with him next to her. He, mocking her soul mate belief, only added to her irritation towards him. So she left him alone and went back to her cabin, her happy mood spoiled. Yi Jeong stayed on the beach and pondered long and hard on their conversations.
End of flashback
"You were the first girl who was not afraid to argue with me, and about what? Soul mate. Why do you believe so much in it?"
"Because I do. I believe that there is this somebody, soul mate, who is going to be everything that a person wanted to; protector, companion, confidant, lover, best friend, teacher, good cop, bad cop, advisor, counselor, or anything. This soul mate is not afraid to tell and scold you when you make a mistake, but at the same time, he or she still loves you for who you are."
Yi Jeong chuckled at her animated answer.
"Ga Eul-yang, have you met your soul mate?"
Ga Eul smiled as she remembered his exact same question years ago in New Caledonia. She looked up to the sky.
"Not yet. But when he shows up, I won't let go, because I'd regret losing someone like that for the rest of my life."
"Ga Eul?" Yi Jeong was surprised at her answer. Am I not your soul mate, Ga Eul? What are we then? How do you define this relationship between us now? His heart stung at her answer.
Ga Eul looked at him and took his hand. His eyes showed hurt.
"That was my answer back then. Do you remember?"
He did not respond. She smiled at him despite his glare.
"The answer now is yes."
She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.
"You are my soul mate, Yi Jeong. Have you forgotten? You've shown up and I won't let go because I'd regret losing someone like you for the rest of my life."
She kissed him again, this time with more passion.
"I love you So Yi Jeong."
Yi Jeong returned the kisses with equal fervor as his worry and hurt melted away with her confession.
Chu Ga Eul was a God sent, to help and heal him from his own destructions. She taught him so many new things and challenged his lifetime beliefs and philosophies. She made him the man that he was now. He was a happy man. He was a loyal man to her. He was determined to be the best and only soul mate for her.
"Thank you for coming into my life. I love you Chu Ga Eul."