Chapter 25 The Engagement Party
Disclaimer: If you read this chapter, it must means that you can differentiate which ones are the BBF characters and which ones are my OCs.
Okay, so the one who got more votes is TOP. So, this chapter will be TOP vs. Kim Hyun Joong. I'm kidding. Anyway, here's the chapter. Enjoy :)
Joon Pyo and Jan Di were preparing for the promised press conference about their engagement. The Public Relations Manager for Shinhwa, Kim Seok Jong, had arranged for the conference to be held at ten in the morning in one of Shinhwa Hotel's gathering rooms on the day of the engagement party. Therefore, Joon Pyo and Jan Di would have time to prepare themselves for the party in the evening.
Kim Seok Jong had given the list of approved question to the reporters that morning. Now, he was speaking to Jan Di and Joon Pyo about the questions, so they could prepare the responds for them. He also gave Jan Di a few tips about how to behave when they were having the conference. Jan Di listened to his advice intently. She didn't want to do something wrong or stupid.
At five minutes to ten Secretary Jung walked in and bowed to Joon Pyo and Jan Di.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Young Master. The reporters are all ready in the conference room. And everything is set," he reported to Joon Pyo. Joon Pyo nodded his head.
"Okay," he replied before turning to the manager. "Is there anything else you want to add?" he asked with the authoritative voice that he always used when he was acting like a CEO. Kim Seok Jong shook his head.
"No, Sir. I think everything's ready too," he answered confidently. Joon Pyo nodded and turned to Jan Di.
"You're ready?" he asked gently. Jan Di looked at him while trying to control her breath. She took a deep breath a few times before finally nodding her head.
"Yeah. Let's get it over with," she said with a slight nervousness in her voice. Joon Pyo chuckled and stood up. He thrust his hand out for Jan Di to take which she grasped immediately. She stood up next to him.
"Come on," he said gently, putting his hand around her waist and nudging her to walk beside him.
They came out from the room and met a couple of the bodyguards standing there. Soo Kyun was one of them. He and Woon would be at the conference to guard Jan Di and Joon Pyo. Besides them, Secretary Jung would also be there to give the couple more support. And Kim Seok Jong would be there to control the situation entirely.
As Woon opened the conference room door, the noise inside could be heard from the outside. However, once the manager stepped in the room, the noise calmed down a little. The reporters, who had been talking to each other, suddenly took their own seats. After the manager, Jan Di and Joon Pyo came into the room with Joon Pyo's hand still on her waist. They were followed by Secretary Jung with Woon and Soo Kyun on his either sides.
Jan Di and Joon Pyo sat at the table that had been prepared on the stage. The manager stood behind the podium as the moderator of event. Secretary Jung stood up behind Joon Pyo and Jan Di table while the bodyguards stood at the right end and the left end of the stage in stand by position.
"Thank you for coming to the conference. I hope everything will be worked through smoothly and according to plan. We can start with the questioning," the manager said calmly. Some of the reporters held up their hands. "Yes, you can ask," the manager said, pointing one of the reporters.
"Can you tell us how you two met?" a female reporter asked.
Joon Pyo smiled and turned to Jan Di. She glanced back at him with amused smile on her face as well. They had agreed to tell the truth, but they weren't really sure how to explain it tactfully. Joon Pyo considered for a second before starting talking.
"Well, the truth is we met because of an ice cream," he started. "Jan Di fell and her ice cream dirtied my shoes. I was angry at her and yelled, but she yelled back and kicked me," he addedstunning the reporters. However, their expression made the couple chuckled.
"Apparently that was the first time someone kicked him, so he got even more furious," Jan Di added to the explanation.
"Yup," Joon Pyo agreed. "We didn't get along for a while actually," he finished. One of the reporters asked again.
"How did you to get together then?" The question made Jan Di glanced mischievously at Joon Pyo.
"He just grew on me, like leech, he was hard to get rid of," she said teasingly.
"Yah!" Joon Pyo protested and glared at her. The reporters chuckled at the couple. That made Jan Di laughed as well. Joon Pyo turned to the reporters to answer. "It was because I'm a hard-worker. She couldn't resist me, seeing how persuasive I was," he said truthfully. That made Jan Di smiled kindly at him.
"So you're the one who like Geum Jan Di-ssi first?" one of the reporters asked again.
"Yes," Joon Pyo answered readily. He never felt ashamed about the fact that he was the one who had chased Jan Di first.
"Then, how did Geum Jan Di-ssi fall for Goo Joon Pyo-ssi?" another reporter asked. Jan Di didn't answer immediately.
"I didn't appreciate the attention at first which made him mad at me because he wasn't used to be ignored," she said teasingly at Joon Pyo, making the reporters chuckled again. Joon Pyo just just snorted, but didn't protest. "But, like I said, he grew on me," she continued while staring at Joon Pyo. Joon Pyo stared back at her. "Despite the arrogant facade that he has, his heart is really in the right place and that just touched my heart," she finished, turning back to the reporters.
"Can you tell us about the guests that you invited?" one of the male reporters asked.
"We organize the party with the purpose to announce the relationship and Jan Di's status as my fiancée to my business partners. So, we invited Shinhwa business partners, our friends, and of course our relatives," Joon Pyo answered readily.
"Are the other F4 members gonna be there?"
"Yes, of course. They're our best friends after all," Jan Di replied instantly.
"There are rumors about their girlfriends. Are they gonna be there as well?" The question made Jan Di and Joon Pyo glanced at each other. While their friends were ready to go public it was not their place to answer questions about their respective relationships.
"Yes, they are. The other F4 members will be accompanied by their girlfriends," Joon Pyo answered diplomatically.
"Besides, their girlfriends are our best friends as well, so it's not weird if they come to our engagement party as well," Jan Di added. She didn't want the girls to be regarded only as the F4's girlfriends.
"Who exactly are they?" This time Jan Di wasn't sure how to answer the question. She turned her head to Joon Pyo as a sign to let him answered that one. However, Joon Pyo just smirked lightly.
"Well, why don't you just find out when they arrived later?" he answered. The reporters would be given permission to cover in the lobby of the hotel, so they could see the guests when they arrived.
"Goo Joon Pyo-ssi, is your father gonna be at the party? Is this supposed to be his first appearance in public after his sickness?" another reporter asked.
"Yes, of course my father will be at the party. He and my mother will stand by my side while the ceremony takes place," Joon Pyo answered firmly.
"How is his condition?"
"He's still recovering right now. But, his health is in good condition even though sometimes he's little weak," Joon Pyo answered again. Jan Di was holding his hand under the table.
"Have you decided the wedding date?" Joon Pyo and Jan Di almost grimaced hearing this question. They were so tired of it because the reporters asked this over and over again. However, they had prepared an answer for this.
"We haven't decided the exact date. But, we're thinking March or April because Jan Di will graduate in February, so she can have some time to rest after the graduation," Joon Pyo answered like how they had agreed.
"Where will the wedding take place?"
"We haven't decided that yet," Jan Di answered quickly.
After that, the manager took charge and announced that the conference was finished. The reporters were welcome to stay and wait in the room until the guests started to arrive. Jan Di and Joon Pyo were escorted out of the room, so they could start the preparation for the party later.
Half an hour before the party would start, the reporters gathered in the lobby to wait for the guests. The guests who arrived first were some Shinhwa employees. Then, some business partners of Shinhwa, including Jae Kyung's parents. The reporters' attention shifted to them immediately. They were the most interesting guests at that time.
"Mr. Ha, did your arrangement with Hwang Q really exist?" a reporter asked.
"Did Miss Ha Jae Kyung lie or is she really dating Song Woo Bin?" another reporter asked.
"What is your connection with Hwang Q?" another question.
Jae Kyung's parents seemed really annoyed with the questions. They didn't want to talk about those problems. At least not yet. They were still waiting for their daughter to introduce them to Song Woo Bin before they declared him their daughter's boyfriend. So, Jae Kyung's father just waved to their bodyguards, to help them got out of the reporters. Fortunately, when the reporters were getting swiped away, they caught a glimpse of other interesting guest. Unfortunately, the guests that became their next targets were Ji Hoo and his girlfriend, Eun Jae. The reporters ran toward them and surrounded them immediately.
"Yoon Ji Hoo-ssi, can you comment about the engagement?" a male reporter asked.
"Is this your girlfriend, Yoon Ji Hoo-ssi?" a female one asked.
"How is your grandfather, Yoon Ji Hoo-ssi?" another one asked.
"Miss, can you introduce yourself?" a reporter asked Eun Jae this time.
Eun Jae glanced up to Ji Hoo while Ji Hoo glanced back at her. She raised her eyebrows, as if asking him how to answer those questions. Ji Hoo sent a small smile to her to let her know that he could handle them. He held up his hand to get the attention, so he could answer those questions all at once.
"Yes, this is my girlfriend, Han Eun Jae. She's also a good friend to Jan Di and Joon Pyo," Ji Hoo said, introducing Eun Jae. "My grandfather is well. He's invited to this party as well, so he will be here later tonight," he added. "And about the engagement, we're really happy that they finally can be together officially, right?" he asked Eun Jae's opinion.
"Yes, of course. As their close friends, we're really happy seeing them happy like this. They're really well suited to each other," Eun Jae repeated Ji Hoo's sentiment.
"Are you planning to follow Goo Joon Pyo's footsteps and get engaged soon, Yoon Ji Hoo-ssi?" one of the reporters asked.
Ji Hoo looked at Eun Jae to see her reaction. She stared back at him with amused smile on her face. It seemed like they shared the same feeling about that question. Their relationship was still new, so they never thought about that at all.
"We'll let you know when we finally decide, okay?" Ji Hoo said diplomatically before pushing through the crowd and got into the ballroom.
After Ji Hoo and Eun Jae left, a few managers of Shinhwa arrived. The reporters just asked them for their comments on the engagement. Some of the managers declared their surprise about the news at first, but they were glad that their CEO slash heir of Sinhwa finally settled down. A few minutes after that, an orange Lotus arrived at the drop off area. Yi Jeong got out before walking toward Ga Eul. The reporters ran toward them immediately when they saw Yi Jeong. They even noticed his hand that was around Ga Eul's waist.
"So Yi Jeong-ssi, is this your new girlfriend?"
"How long have been dating her, So Yi Jeong-ssi?"
"Miss, can you tell us your name?"
"Yes.. yes.." Yi Jeong said loudly to make the reporters shut their mouth. "This is my girlfriend, Chu Ga Eul. We've been dating, well, almost two months," he said.
"How did you two meet?"
"Oh, we've been friends for a long time, right baby?" Yi Jeong said, and looked toward Ga Eul.
"Yes, we became friends for years," Ga Eul said, agreeing with Yi Jeong's statement.
"What's your opinion about the engagement?" Hearing this question, Yi Jeong looked to Ga Eul and nudged her gently as a signal so she answered this one.
"As Jan Di's best friend, I'm so happy that she finally can be happy together with Joon Pyo-oppa," she said confidently. Then she glanced at Yi Jeong before continuing. "And we both hope that they will always be the happy couple that we know."
"Are the two of you going to follow their lead and settle down soon?"
Ga Eul just smiled hearing this while Yi Jeong felt little anxious. He suddenly remembered Joon Pyo's advice to not say wrong things about this matter. He had to choose his words wisely. Ga Eul glanced at him because he didn't answer immediately. Yi Jeong looked at her for a few seconds, trying to find the right answer.
"We'll just let you know when we decide," Yi Jeong finally answered without knowing that his answer mirrored Ji Hoo's.
Yi Jeong finally succeeded in getting Ga Eul and himself out of the reporters' clutches. The reporters let them go when they spotted another target. Again, a few minutes later, another Lotus came to the drop off area. This time it was yellow. The driver door was opened and Woo Bin stepped out. He walked toward the passenger side and opened the door to let Jae Kyung out. Once the car door was closed, the reporters surrounded them.
"Song Woo Bin-ssi, Ha Jae Kyung-ssi, is it really true that you're dating?"
"How about Kwon Dae Gyu-ssi?"
"Is there any connection between JK Group and Hwang Q Inc.?"
"Guys..guys.. Can you ask the question one by one?" Woo Bin said, putting his hand in front of him, palms up. He acted friendly, but the reporters could sense the authoritative voice. They tried to ask the question one by one.
"How long have you been dating?" a reporter asked.
"Almost two years," Jae Kyung answered automatically.
"How can you date each other after the failed engagement between Ha Jae Kyung-ssi and Goo Joon Pyo-ssi?" This question almost made Jae Kyung angry, but she tried to turn it down. Instead she just smirked darkly to the reporter who had asked the question.
"Is there something wrong with that?" she asked with challenging tone. The reporter looked nervous, but he still tried to answer that.
"I'm just curious about how you two met and started dating since you were engaged to Goo Joon Pyo-ssi," the reporter answered.
"Even if the relationship between Joon Pyo and I didn't work out, that doesn't mean that we hate each other. In fact, he's one of my best friends now. And about our relationship," Jae Kyung said, indicating her and Woo Bin. "That has nothing to do with Joon Pyo. Woo Bin and I have been friends for years and we just suddenly realized that we were fit together," she added.
"What she means is she just can't resist me," Woo Bin added, teasing Jae Kyung. She just snorted and elbowed Woo Bin on his stomach.
"So, you really don't have a relationship with Kwon Dae Gyu, Ha Jae Kyung-ssi?"
"Not at all. I have never even talked to him personally. Hwang Q did offer a business proposal to JK, but that wasn't even official," Jae Kyung answered with business-like tone.
"What do you think about the case that Hwang Q is facing right now?"
"I don't have any right to answer that question. That has nothing to do with me or my company. That's Hwang Q's own problem and we don't have any connection to them," Jae Kyung answered robotically. The Public Manager of JK had warned her about the question and he had said not to answer any question related to Hwang Q's case.
"What do you think about the engagement party then?"
"It's great. We're happy that they finally announced the engagement," Jae Kyung answered happily. Her mood had been ruined for a moment when the reporters had asked about Hwang Q. However, it got better when they stopped.
"Yeah. Actually, as their best friends, we celebrated the engagement the very night they got engaged. But, we're still glad that they finally can go public," Woo Bin added.
"Do you have a plan to settle down as well, Song Woo Bin-ssi?" The question made him and Jae Kyung smiled at each other as if they were sharing a secret.
"Well, we do have intention to settle down, right?" he asked which was answered with a nod by Jae Kyung. "But, there's still no exact plan, yet," he added.
"We're still trying to fit our relationship in with our everyday's lives first. I just got back from America. We still need to adapt to the changes before actually reaching the next step," Jae Kyung said, mirroring Woo Bin's statement.
"We should get in. I think the party's gonna start," Woo Bin said, mostly to the reporters. The reporters got the hint and let the couple walk through.
Eun Jae and Ji Hoo were talking by themselves. Yi Jeong was chatting with Ga Eul's parents while Woo Bin and Jae Kyung were dancing among the other couples. Joon Pyo and Jan Di hadn't made their entrance yet. That left Ji Hoo and Eun Jae on their own to amuse themselves. Eun Jae was telling Ji Hoo a story about her dress-fitting for her brother's wedding which had turned into a disaster. Ji Hoo was chuckling when he listened to the part of the story when the dress was claimed by another girl as hers.
"I was humiliated. It was the tailor's fault. How could she mix up the orders?" Eun Jae was complaining and Ji Hoo chuckling. "And the worst part was the dress was two sizes smaller than my usual, it was really big problem for me to even wear it. However, it was really impossible for me to get out of it. The dress was ruined by the time the tailor succeeded of getting me out of it," she added and Ji Hoo was full on laughing.
"It was your fault. Why did you want to try it on if you knew that was smaller?" Ji Hoo pointed out. Eun Jae glared at Ji Hoo.
"I thought the model was like that," she argued.
"Still. You should've checked it first before trying it on," Ji Hoo said teasingly. Eun Jae glared daggers at him.
"How can you blame me? That's the tailor's fault," she whined. "But, now I still feel guilty since the other girl didn't get the dress done because of the mistake," she muttered guiltily, pouting.
Ji Hoo was laughing loudly at her. After he was done laughing, he wanted to say something to comfort her, but he suddenly stopped dead. He was stunned, seeing who were walking towards them. She sensed the change in Ji Hoo's expression. She turned her head slowly to follow Ji Hoo's eyes' direction. She wasn't shocked when she saw Min Seo Hyun was heading there because she knew Ji Hoo only reacted like that when he saw Min Seo Hyun. However, Eun Jae's jaw did drop when she saw the person who was walking beside Min Seo Hyun. Min Seo Hyun's date was Choi Seung Hyun or TOP, the rapper from Big Bang that Eun Jae really admired.
Min Seo Hyun put an angelic smile on her face when she and TOP walked over. Ji Hoo just stared at them with cool stare. He didn't show any expression on his face. He even relaxed his earlier hard stare. Eun Jae was torn between Ji Hoo's feeling and TOP's presence. She didn't want to hurt Ji Hoo's feeling or ego, but when could she meet TOP again beside now? Min Seo Hyun and TOP finally reached them. They stood in front of Ji Hoo and Eun Jae, Min Seo Hyun with her smile and TOP with his neutral expression.
"Hello, Ji Hoo. How are you?" Min Seo Hyun asked nicely, but somehow Ji Hoo could see right through her facade. Seeing Ji Hoo's unchanged expression, Min Seo Hyun moved her gaze to Eun Jae. "Hi, I'm Min Seo Hyun. And this is my friend, Seung Hyun-ssi," she said to Eun Jae, thrusting her hand in front of Eun Jae.
Eun Jae felt surprised inside, but she tried not show it too much. She cleared her throat, trying to clear away the nerves.
"I'm Han Eun Jae," she finally replied calmly, shaking Min Seo Hyun's hand. Then, she turned her gaze to TOP. She felt hesitated at first. However, TOP smiled and offered his hand to her.
"Nice to meet you," he said with kind voice.
"Nice to meet you, too," Eun Jae answered, slightly dazed. "I really like your songs with Big Bang. You guys are so talented," she added shyly. She couldn't help it. TOP smiled.
"Thank you. I'll tell the others," he replied politely. "What's your favorite song?" he asked kindly.
"I like Blue. But, the song that I love the most is Haru Haru. The music video was really touching," Eun Jae answered. She kinda forgot that there were ther people with them until Min Seo Hyun cleared her throat.
"Oh yeah, this is Yoon Ji Hoo," Min Seo Hyun said to TOP. He smiled to Ji Hoo, while Eun Jae glanced at her boyfriend with nervous feeling. She cursed herself for being distracted easily.
"Yes, I heard. The F4, right? It's nice to meet you," he said, thrusting his hand to Ji Hoo. Ji Hoo stared at him for a moment before shaking his hand.
"Nice to meet you too," he responded calmly. Then, Ji Hoo suddenly caught Woo Bin's eyes from across the room. Woo Bin nodded his head as if asking Ji Hoo's situation. He used this opportunity to do something. He turned his head to Eun Jae. "It seems like Woo Bin's calling me. Do you want to go there?" he asked her. Eun Jae, who kept glancing at TOP, finally looked at Ji Hoo fully.
"Woo Bin-oppa?" she asked, looking around the room to find Woo Bin. She could see that Woo Bin was looking at their direction. She turned to Ji Hoo again. "Sure. Let's go there," she said readily, putting her hand around Ji Hoo's.
Ji Hoo nodded his head to Min Seo Hyun and TOP.
"Excuse us," he said politely before leading Eun Jae away.
Eun Jae smiled politely at Min Seo Hyun and TOP, especially TOP, before walking away with Ji Hoo. From the corner of his eyes, Ji Hoo watched Eun Jae's expression. Truthfully, he had been worried that Eun Jae would've been so stunned with TOP. However, Ji Hoo felt relieved that Eun Jae could behave almost normally. Even though she had almost swooned over TOP.
"Do you really like TOP that much?" Ji Hoo asked nonchalantly. Eun Jae smiled sheepishly.
"Well, you can say that. Big Bang is my favorite boyband. So, I like TOP by extension," she admitted.
"You didn't stutter much when you greeted him earlier," Ji Hoo pointed out half-teasingly. Eun Jae looked up at him with smile on her face.
"Well, I couldn't go star struck over Min Seo Hyun-ssi's date while I'm standing beside you, could I?" she admitted shyly.
Ji Hoo stopped in his track and that made Eun Jae stopped as well. He looked down at her and that made Eun Jae looked at him with confused expression.
"You didn't stutter over him because I was there?" Ji Hoo asked, half-confused half-suspicious. Eun Jae smiled.
"Actually, I tried not to show my admiration too much because he's Min Seo Hyun-ssi's date. If he's not her date, even though you were there, I would act like a fan girl," she admitted honestly.
"Why is it important that he's Seo Hyun's date or not?" Ji Hoo asked quietly. He turned his body forward again to continue walking toward Woo Bin and Jae Kyung. He put his arm around Eun Jae's waist.
"Honestly, I don't want to seem ridiculous or childish in front of Min Seo Hyun-ssi. She already is better than me in so many ways. I don't want to seem even more inferior next to her," Eun Jae admitted quietly.
"Are you telling me that you feel insecure over Seo Hyun?" Ji Hoo asked, sounding shocked. Eun Jae shrugged.
"I can't help it. She's your ex after all," she mumbled, bowing her head down. Ji Hoo looked thoughtful for a moment.
"You shouldn't feel like that, you know. You're really great in your own way. You don't have to be afraid about Seo Hyun," he said quietly, trying to reassure her.
Eun Jae looked up at him. However, before she could respond to his words, they reached Woo Bin and Jae Kyung. That meant Eun Jae couldn't continue their conversation.
"Yah.. Is that really TOP?" Jae Kyung asked once Ji Hoo and Eun Jae arrived. It was clear that she admired the famous rapper too.
"Yes. Can you believe it, unni? He looks so much cooler in real life," Eun Jae said, fangirl-style which was responded to in a similar fashion by Jae Kyung.
While the girls were swooning over the famous rapper, Woo Bin glanced at the said celebrity before looking at Ji Hoo.
"Seo Seo Hyun's bold isn't she? Bringing a famous celebrity like TOP," he commented to Ji Hoo.
Ji Hoo, who had been chuckled at the girls' reaction, turned to Woo Bin. He looked thoughtful after hearing the statement. Then, he shrugged nonchalantly.
"Maybe she has to work with him," he replied, as if that was unimportant.
A few minutes later, the party was officially started. The MC walked toward the podium besides stage and tried to get the people's attention. After he got the attention, he started to speak.
"Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to the party celebrating the engagement of Goo Joon Pyo and Geum Jan Di," he said to the people. "Let's welcome the family. First, Mr. Goo Joon Hwa and Mrs. Kang Hee Soo, Goo Joon Pyo's parents," he added.
Joon Pyo's parents walked into the room. Kang Hee Soo linked her arm with her husband while still trying to help him walked. He was still a little weak, but he could walk just fine. After they got into the stage, the MC started to talk again.
"Next, let's welcome Mr. Geum Il Bong and Mrs. Na Gong Joo, Geum Jan Di's parents," he said.
Jan Di's parents walked toward the stage with steady steps. Her mother had been anxious, afraid to do ridiculous thing, like falling off or something. However, they did just fine. They got to the stage and stood at the other end of the stage, across from Joon Pyo's parents. However, they got the opportunity to smile at each other. Since the dinner between the two families, they could act civil and even friendly toward each other.
"And, let's welcome Miss Goo Joon Hee, Goo Joon Pyo's sister and Mr. Geum Kang San, Geum Jan Di's brother," the MC said again.
Joon Hee and Kang San walked in hand in hand. They really acted like siblings. Joon Hee loved Jan Di like a sister and Kang San saw Joon Pyo as his brother, so Joon Hee regarded Kang San as her own little brother. They got to the stage and stood beside their own parents.
"And of course, the last but not least, the happy couple, Mr. Goo Joon Pyo and Miss Geum Jan Di," the MC said.
The guests applauded when Jan Di and Joon Pyo walked into the room. Joon Pyo was wearing a white Tuxedo with black bowtie. And Jan Di was wearing ivory colored dress which reached the floor. She linked her arm around Joon Pyo's with beautiful smile on her face. Joon Pyo had calm smile on his face. They paused briefly to smile at their friends before going on stage. They got to the stage and they stood in the middle of it with their parents stood beside them.
"First, we'll hear the little speech from the fathers of the couple. Mr. Goo Joon Hwa, please," the MC said, asking Joon Pyo's father to give the speech.
"Thank you for coming to this celebration of our children. We're really happy that all of you can join us here and be the witnesses of the union between my son, Joon Pyo, and Miss Geum Jan Di. We are so happy that they can finally be official after all of these years. And personally, I have to say that I am so happy seeing my only son looks this happy. But most of all," Goo Joon Hwa stopped and turned toward the couple. "Welcome to our family, Jan Di," he said with fatherly smile on his face.
Jan Di smiled at him with loving gaze. That was the first time, Joon Pyo's father acted fatherly to her. She mouthed 'thank you' to him.
"Thank you, Mr. Goo Joon Hwa. Now, Mr. Geum Il Bong, please," the MC asked Jan Di's father this time.
"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak," Jan Di's father said while trying to overcome the nervousness he was feeling. He had never spoken in public before, especially at an important time like this. "I have to mirror Mr. Goo Joon Hwa's thanks. Thank you for attending this party. We really hope that all of you can feel as happy as we are. I'm really thankful that my daughter could meet and be together with a good man like Joon Pyo. I know he can take care of her and make her happy for the rest of their lives. And I'm so happy with that. Thank you," he ended the speech.
"Thank you, Mr. Geum Il Bong," the MC said. "Now, we will witness the ceremony that symbolize the union for the couple. Goo Joon Pyo had proposed to Geum Jan Di on August 30th, 2012. He gave her an engagement ring as the symbol of their commitment. However, they refused to make her take off the ring from her finger to put it back on for the ceremony. So, as the symbol of the official celebration of this engagement, Joon Pyo will put the Shinhwa necklace around Jan Di's neck," he said while a woman came to the stage with the jewelry box in her hand. "The Shinhwa necklace is the necklace that every woman in Shinhwa family owns. By wearing the necklace, Jan Di will be considered a member of Shinhwa family."
Joon Pyo took the necklace from the jewelry box. He put the necklace on Jan Di's neck before reaching around to fasten the hook behind her neck. The guests applauded after he finished. He looked down at Jan Di with happy smile on his face. He bowed down while his hand lifted Jan Di's face by the chin. Then, he kissed her slowly. The applause got louder. Woo Bin and Yi Jeong even let out some catcalls, but the couple didn't really care and continued kissing.
Then, the party began. The families walked down the stage and mingled with the guests. The happy couple never let go of each other's hands while they greeted the guests. The guests congratulated them personally one by one until Jan Di and Joon Pyo finally got to meet up with their friends.
Ji Hoo was coming out of the restroom when he saw Min Seo Hyun at the corridor. He wanted to ignore her presence, but she called his name. It seemed like she knew that he was there. Ji Hoo sighed and turned in her direction. Min Seo Hyun walked toward him with smirk on her face.
"Are you avoiding me, Ji Hoo?" she asked once she stopped a few feet in front of Ji Hoo. Ji Hoo stared at her with blank expression for a minute.
"No," he said calmly. "What do you want?" he asked, getting to the point.
Min Seo Hyun snorted lightly. "Is it gonna be like this forever? Are you always gonna treat me coldly like this?" she accused him, but Ji Hoo didn't respond. "I just want to talk," she added, trying to sound innocent.
Ji Hoo stared at her, trying to figure her out. However, he realized that he couldn't get out of this situation easily. He had to face her this time.
"What do you want to talk about?" he finally asked with a tired sigh. Min Seo Hyun shrugged.
"Anything," she said. Ji Hoo was prepared to leave, but suddenly she spoke up again. "Han Eun Jae-ssi seemed to be swooning over TOP, don't you think?" she commented conversationally as if she was just commenting about the food or decoration.
Ji Hoo knew what Min Seo Hyun was trying to do, so he played it cool. He snorted, trying to act nonchalant.
"Eun Jae can swoon over many people. She even stuttered the first time she met Joon Hee-noona. I wasn't shocked seeing her like that," he said nonchalantly. However, suddenly he turned serious. "Is that why you brought a famous actor like TOP here?" he sneered. "I never thought that you could be that selfish. It seems like you have really changed a lot over years. I don't even recognize you," he added coldly. Min Seo Hyun looked pissed.
"What do you mean calling me selfish?" she asked angrily.
"Why do you bring TOP here? What for? Were you trying to get a reaction from me by introducing him to Eun Jae? Or you simply just want to get a lot of attention by showing him off?" Ji Hoo asked calmly. "Because I know very well that you're not dating him. You said so yourself that he was a friend."
"How dare you accuse me of doing something like that!" Min Seo Hyun hissed at him angrily.
"I'm not accusing you. I'm just talking to you. You said you wanted to talk, right?" Ji Hoo retorted calmly.
"So what are you trying to say with your accusation regarding TOP? Why do you call me selfish?" she demanded his explanation.
"You bring a famous singer to Joon Pyo and Jan Di's engagement party. You know very well that a celebrity will get a lot of attention, but you still bring him here even though he may upstage Joon Pyo and Jan Di. I never thought that you could do something this low," Ji Hoo said, still with a calm demeanor. "Fortunately, in this kind of circle, people don't really react too much to celebrities or you would really have ruined Joon Pyo and Jan Di's night." This time, Min seo Hyun really looked furious.
"You think I would do something like that?" she yelled. Ji Hoo stared at her with raised eyebrows.
"So that was not your intention when bringing TOP as your date?" he asked challengingly.
Min Seo Hyun started to yell again, but she suddenly stopped. She was looking over Ji hoo's shoulder.
"It seems like your girlfriend is the possessive type. She can't even let you out of her sight for a restroom break," she said derisively.
Ji Hoo looked confused and angry, but he could guess what she was talking about. He followed her eyes' direction and turned his head. He found Eun Jae standing behind him with stunned expression. Eun Jae opened her mouth, trying to say something. "I.. um.. I was just trying to find you," she finally said when she could talk. "Woo Bin-oppa said that you were in the restroom. Joon Pyo-oppa was looking for you," she informed him quietly. Then, she nodded her head to Min Seo Hyun and Ji Hoo before turning to leave.
Ji Hoo wanted to call her, but she had already disappeared. He cursed silently. He knew that Eun Jae would think that something had happened between Min Seo Hyun and him. Eun Jae had said that she felt insecure about Min Seo Hyun and this situation would make her insecurity worse. He cursed silently again.
Min Seo Hyun chuckled lightly and caught his attention. Ji Hoo turned to look at her and found a smirk on her face.
"It seems like she's not a theatrical or explosive kind of girl. She didn't even throw tantrum," she sneered.
Ji Hoo just stared at her coldly before shaking his head. Then, he turned to leave. He had to find Eun Jae and talk to her immediately. He had to explain everything and try to straighten out the misunderstanding.
A/N: So, what do you think? Hope you like it :D
Thank for your time to read this story. Please don't forget to write the reviews in the box below to let me know what you think about this story/chapter. Next is The Aftermath. See ya..