I hope you will enjoy this chapter my dear readers.
Yi Jeong stared impassively at this phone. On the lit screen flashed Ga Eul's name and number yet Yi Jeong made no move to call the girl yet. In his mind the young potter was having a debate; a very serious confrontation regarding his relationship with Ga Eul, if one could call it that. After what seemed like forever he finally pressed the call button and waited. The number dialled and, to his utmost surprise, the line was busy. With a scowl Yi Jeong ended the call and decided to try again in five minutes. 'Who could she be talking to?'
The young man called again and waited patiently as the phone rang. After the fourth ring Ga Eul finally picked up. "Yoboseyo sunbae?" She greeted, sweetness coating her words.
The innocent voice grated on his nerves. "What are you doing right now? Are you busy?" Yi Jeong asked trying to keep the irritation from his voice.
"Not really." Ga Eul answered, uncertainty lining her words. Silently she wondered what had happened to make Yi Jeong call her. Normally he avoided her as best as he could and she was starting to get used to it.
"Tomorrow there is a function held at ShinHwa Hotel and as you can guess Jan Di wants you to be there." He explained shortly. "I was thinking that we could go together."
Ga Eul almost fell off her chair at what Yi Jeong proposed. "What do you…What about Yoon Hae?" She found herself asking unwittingly, a heady feeling settling in her stomach despite her best efforts to sever it. "Normally she's the one who joins you for these events."
"She's not available." The answer was curt and uttered in an icy voice. "So Ga Eul-yang, what do you say?"
"Well, as long as Jan Di wants me to be there I suppose I can't refuse. Pick me up at… let's say seven?" She asked uncertain.
"Seven is alright. Bye." With that Yi Jeong closed the phone and threw the device on the bed. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, most directed to that innocent country bumpkin. That girl could really annoy him one moment than the next make him melt like ice-cream on a hot day.
Yi Jeong really had no idea what to make of her and her crazy antics, more so now that she was starting to keep her distance. Instead of making him feel satisfaction because he was protecting her, his heart constricted painfully as if the distance hurt him physically. And if that wasn't enough, Ga Eul looked at him with hurt in her eyes and his friends kept pestering him about it. What did they know of his fears and problems? But still, they were only trying to help, and that wasn't something to scoff at.
Yi Jeong sat on the edge of his bed putting his head in his hands. He cursed his luck in his mind. Of all the things he could have done and all those he didn't want to do, he went and fell in love with a good girl. Of course Yi Jeong knew he was in love, or some twisted version of it that his heart marched to. Then what about Yoon Hae? Could he just leave her in the dust when the girl obviously understood him so well? He already knew the answer. He would leave Yoon Hae in a heartbeat if he thought he could make Ga Eul happy. But there was no way she'd be content with him, a renowned playboy, a Casanova. If only things were simpler. A good girl like her deserved a good boy to make her smile and give her the world and Yi Jeong knew he was no good boy.
'Ga Eul is a good girl and God knows how much I'm willing to sacrifice to see her happy; but I'm not the one to make it happen', he reminded himself tersely every time his traitorous heart sped up its beat when she was around. Those words justified – in his mind – the cold treatment Ga Eul received from him. When he saw the hurt behind her eyes, Yi Jeong would cling tighter to Yoon Hae, trying to distract himself. He knew that one moment of weakness on his part could ruin Ga Eul forever.
Life wasn't a fairytale where the hero got the girl. To be more accurate his life wasn't a fairytale. There were so many things that could happen in one's life, and not all of them good. Yi Jeong let himself remember Eun Jae, the rooftop, the searing pain burning him inside out, and Ga Eul's comforting presence. That was when he realised he loved her.
Ruthlessly he tampered down on those – dangerous, as he considered them - feelings.
Yi Jeong forced his mind elsewhere, he pushed his thoughts to other things such as the new art exhibition he was to hold in a few weeks and the doctors' new treatments for his mother. A long sigh left his lips as soon as he though about his mother. Her depression wasn't getting any better and he was sure that at one point one of her many suicide attempts, or accidents as they were known, would kill her. The though brought on a myriad of other unpleasant notions.
'How can I as the son of my father make any woman who loves me happy?' he questioned bitterly and cursed his father for his ill fate. Yi Jeong found himself wishing, not for the first time, to be a different person. That way he would be free to love and receive love from Ga Eul. 'Wistful thinking never helped anyone.' his more lucid part assessed coldly. Despite the truth behind those words Yi Jeong couldn't find it in him to give up that tiny flicker of hope that someday things might chance. 'But what if it's too late…' the same cold voice sneered in his mind, making a chill run down his spine. Yi Jeong ignored it, fearing the implications behind it.
The sound of fabric rustling filled the room. All over the floor clothes adorned the polished wood covering it in a sea of colours. Ga Eul stood in front of her mirror, struggling to zip a dress up. The shimmering black material of the strapless dress hugged her curves bringing out her well-defined shapes. It stopped mid-thigh. The girl stared at her reflection in the mirror. The dress looked good but Ga Eul felt uncomfortable; too exposed, too out of character. In truth the little black dress was a far cry from what she'd normally wear. Sighing Ga Eul unzipped it and looked around for something else to wear.
'Leave it to Yi Jeong to tell me Friday that I have to go to a function the next day.'
Her eyes landed on a hot pink dress. Ga Eul inspected the garment for a few seconds before trying it on. It reached just above her knees making the girl feel a lot more comfortable. Her middle was accentuated with a wide black sash which meant the dress would go well with her black pumps. Ga Eul smiled, the dress was nice enough. Perhaps a bit too simple but accessorised with the appropriate ornaments all would be fine. She distinctly remembered having a nice black handbag and some matching accessories.
"Seems that I've made a right mess." Ga Eul exclaimed once she looked around the room. "I better clean up." She thought out loud and proceeded to pick up a short green shirt. She sighed and put it on its hanger. Before she continued any further the girl changed into a pair of short red sweatpants and a white t-shirt. The dress was carefully laid on the bed. Ga Eul pulled her hair in a messy bun and started cleaning. She neatly organised her clothing and put them back in their respective drawers and on the hangers. After putting everything back in its place Ga Eul wiped her brow and smiled looking at her now clean room.
"Ga Eul, dinner is ready!" Her mother called from the kitchen.
The daughter hurried to the bathroom to wash her hands and then ran to the kitchen and plopped in her chair. "I'm here mom." Ga Eul said with a smile as her mother turned around.
"Your father had to stay in late again." Ga Eul's mother said uncharacteristically sour. "It's just you and me."
Ga Eul shrugged and helped her mother arrange the table. The two women ate in a comfortable silence.
Ga Eul offered to wash the dishes so her mother could go and rest. 'Mom has been working hard the least I can do is wash the dishes.' She thought and happily scrubbed the dirt off the plates. Once they were sparkling clean Ga Eul wiped them with a dry cloth and put them back in their place.
The girl yawned and rubbed her eyes, feeling sleepiness creep behind her eyelids. She looked around the kitchen once more to make sure she wasn't missing anything. Satisfied that everything seemed in its place Ga Eul checked the entrance door and went to her own room.
After entering she turned off the lights and climbed into her awaiting bed. Within minutes she was asleep.
"Ga Eul! You look so pretty!" Mi Young said as soon as she saw her friend. Ga Eul smiled and detached herself from Yi Jeong's arm to come closer to Mi Young. They hugged and whispered something just between the two of them. Yi Jeong cleared his throat which made Ga Eul jump and Mi Young pout. "We'll talk a bit later, okay?" She asked Ga Eul. "I have to find Woo Bin now. Look around, maybe you'll see Hana and Jan Di somewhere. I wonder where they are." With those parting words Mi Young walked away, leaving Ga Eul and Yi Jeong alone.
Yi Jeong let himself really look at Ga Eul for the first time that evening. Her hair was free on her back and curled, ringlets bouncing with her every step. She wore a pink dress that almost reached her knees; the colour fitted her and Yi Jeong couldn't help but think back to that pretend date they had. Her stocking were skin-coloured and her feet were adorned in black pumps. Ga Eul's attire was simple yet elegant and fetching. Inconspicuously Yi Jeong found himself looking around to see if anyone else noticed the angel at his side. And indeed enough eyes were staring at her. The young potter was torned between being proud of Ga Eul and wanting to make those insufferable men stop looking.
Ga Eul was oblivious. She looked around shyly, suddenly being very aware that she was alone in a place filled with strangers. Her uneasiness must have shown of her face because Yi Jeong put an arm around her and started leading her towards a table. Ga Eul visibly relaxed, a strange sense of belonging settling in.
Like a true gentleman, Yi Jeong pulled out a chair for Ga Eul before sitting himself next to her. His eyes turned to her inwardly. She kept her head down, looking at her hands which were in her lap. He sighed. There had to be something, anything, he could do to make her ease up, even if just a bit. Suddenly an idea struck him.
"Ga Eul would you like to dance?" The words left his mouth before he could stop them, and once said they couldn't be taken back. Yi Jeong shifted under her questioning gaze as she stared incredulously at him. "Come on, it'll be fun." He cajoled her. Then he used that smile no woman could resist to.
Ga Eul looked dumbstruck at Yi Jeong and his dimpled smile. Her brain shut down and the only thing she could do was stutter out an affirmative answer. Whenever Yi Jeong smiled like that her knees went weak. She wasn't surprised it was exactly the same now as she was being pulled to the dance floor.
The moment Yi Jeong put his arms around her Ga Eul was sure she was floating. They moved together to the slow rhythm of a love song. Or that was what Ga Eul thought it was. She honestly couldn't hear anything with Yi Jeong's face so close to hers. She focused only on him; the rest of the world was unimportant at this point in time. The feel of his arms around her was the only thing that mattered. Ga Eul wished she could stay that way forever.
Yi Jeong realised too late that he had proverbially shot himself in the foot. If before he though Ga Eul was gorgeous, now she was simply out of this world. What was more, she was smiling at him and looking dreamily. His arms tightened around her unconsciously and Yi Jeong cursed his traitorous body and heart. He was making her fall in love with him when he was supposed to actually keep her away from the danger.
'To hell with this.' Something whispered inside of him.
Distantly he registered that the song was. Yi Jeong forced his body to stop moving and with great strain got his arms to let go of Ga Eul. His face remained a perfect smiling mask as he led Ga Eul back to the table.
"I'm going to get a drink, do you need anything?" he asked courteously once she was in her chair. Ga Eul shook her head and thanked him, a smile painting her soft lips. Yi Jeong stalked away felling his heart thump and his throat, and mind, aching for a drink; anything would do him good now.
Ga Eul watched Yi Jeong walk away. 'Did I do something wrong?' The question rung in her head. One minute they were slow dancing in perfect tandem and the next Yi Jeong was suddenly rigid and cold. His face had kept its smile but Ga Eul could tell it wasn't a real one; it didn't reach his eyes.
Sometimes Ga Eul whished he was easier to read. And many times she found herself wishing she didn't love him so much. But she did love him and until he completely broke her hear or he finally accepted her, those feeling wouldn't go away. Now that she was once again alone she looked around hoping to spot a familiar face.
"Boo!" sounded a voice from behind her. Ga Eul would have yelled were she less lost in her own thoughts. As it was, the blood drained from her face and her head whipped around. She came face to face with Jan Di. The girl was grinning from ear to ear and mischief shone in her eyes. "I saw you on the dance floor." She said boldly and winked at Ga Eul.
"Yah, Jan Di!" Ga Eul whispered harshly at her friend. "What do you think you are doing? Stop teasing me." By now she was pouting. "Where are Mi Young and Hana?" She asked hoping to distract Jan Di's attention from the subject she wanted to pursue.
"Somewhere around here." Jan Di answered wave her hand in a vague direction. "They will come when they find the time."
"What do you mean when they find the time?" Ga Eul was utterly confused. What was keeping Hana and Mi Young busy?
"You know how this function is held by Ji Hoo's grandfather and Woo Bin's parents?" Jan Di waited patiently for Ga Eul to nod. "Well is seems that Hana and Mi Young have to greet the guests as the dates of Ji Hoo and Woo Bin."
Ga Eul made an affirmative noise as she got it. The she added knowingly, "Oh, the fun." Jan Di nodded along and smiled wickedly.
So? Was it to your liking? Drama should ensue soon enough. Wait for it patiently.