Author's Note: Since I've barely been able to move I've been able to write. Sorry this chapter is a bit later than usual, but I was doing as much research as I could on popular places in Seoul. That was time consuming but I wanted to make this chapter good for you.

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He couldn't believe what he was doing. He should have fought harder against his friends to get out of it, but once they set their minds to it he was a goner. There was nothing he could have done to get out of it. He could have pitched a fit, but that would have gotten him cuffed across the head and dragged along anyway.

Why did his friends have to be so dang stubborn? Why couldn't he have chosen better friends in the first place? No. It wasn't his friends. It was their respective others. Jan Di wasn't the issue. She had her own version of the truth. It was Eri and Ga Eul. Even though they weren't very close, when they put their minds to something it went through. There was no stopping them.

That's how he ended up at Namsangol Traditional Folk Village. Woo Bin had wanted to show Eri about her heritage that she had missed growing up in France. The village had been his best shot. They had taken their cars instead of the train. Woo Bin had driven his yellow Lotus Elise SC. He was going to have to expand when their baby was born because a two-seater just wasn't going to cut it, but for now they were fine. Ji Hoo had driven his Mini Cooper because he didn't feel boxed in. He was going to drive his bike but figured Mrs. Priss would have a fit about helmet hair.

They had arrived a little after the village opened for tourists. Woo Bin had led Eri to the first building, leaving Kyu Lee and Ji Hoo to follow in their footsteps. It was supposed to be a double date, but the second couple wasn't getting along. They couldn't figure out what they wanted to do. Both had wanted to see different things even though they were Korean through and through.

Of course as they were wandering around, they found Woo Bin standing against a pillar watching something. It was Eri in her second natural habitat. She was learning how to make a pot from the Joseon Era and was so engrossed in it she forgot everything else, including that they were supposed to be on a date. If only Yi Jeong had been there to route her to another location. Woo Bin had just shrugged and had said that her feet had been bothering her. With a justified explanation, the other supposed couple went about their business.

Of course, Kyu Lee wanted to do something shopping and mentioned Ssamziegil. It was only two miles away so they could do it. Woo Bin checked on Eri and made sure she was up for it before they made any definite decisions. When she said she was fine, they went with the express feeling of eating first. None of them had had breakfast, opting to pick up coffee since three of them lived so close to their favorite coffee shop.

Lunch was a light affair since it was so hot. Maybe going somewhere cooler would have been better, but no one wanted to interrupt the pleasant mood. It wasn't going to last but they enjoyed it nonetheless.

Shopping was much harder than anyone thought. There were just so many things that grabbed everyone's attentions. They were just like kids in the candy store. Well the women were. The men didn't care too much. They could buy whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. The women were much more nitpicky.

They eventually ended the shopping spree when Eri couldn't walk any more. Woo Bin wanted something to drink so they decided to find a café where they could have cake and iced coffee or whatever.

They hadn't been sitting very long when Woo Bin pulled out a box. He had taken Eri's hand and set the box in her palm. She had given him a look then opened it. She had looked up at him again when he had reclaimed the black rectangle and pulled out a broad ring. He slipped it onto her left ring finger then added one to his. He had bought couple rings and hadn't told her.

They had taken their time eating cake and having coffee, laughing at some of the stupid things that were said. Well, three were laughing as the other tried to figure out how to react. No one pushed her, opting to let things ride as they were. Things were going too well to upset anything.

As the day drew closer to an end, Woo Bin decided to take Eri home. Ji Hoo had asked him not to, not verbally of course. But his friend was more worried about his girlfriend than paying attention to him. They left him and Kyu Lee to figure things out on their own.

And that's how they ended up at dinner at the Sky Rose Garden. They were watching the sun set as they waited for their meals to arrive. Ji Hoo was surprised at how calmly this day had gone by. There had been no arguments, snarky comments, or backhanded compliments. They had actually enjoyed each other's presence.

"You know," Ji Hoo turned his attention to his date, "I understand now why the four of you are so protective of that woman. She's really headstrong but silent. She's as quirky as you said even without showing emotions."

"That's not all about her, but you have a good start," he admonished then turned his gaze back to the scenery.

"Why didn't you go after her? Why let Woo Bin be the one to sweep her off her feet?"

"Eri didn't choose me for that kind of relationship. It wasn't the same as Woo Bin, or even Yi Jeong for that matter. I was there to watch out for her during work, Yi Jeong when she had emotional outbursts, and Woo Bin for the rest. She has to choose you before anything can start."

He had wondered plenty of times why Eri hadn't chosen him. Why had it been Woo Bin? He had never played with anyone's emotions as the Don Juan had. But as he had watched them together through the winter months he figured out why. Woo Bin didn't expect anything. He let her do her thing her way, and if he was upset about it he let it slide. Ji Hoo couldn't do that.

"Why are you single?" he asked suddenly.

"My last boyfriend was abusive," Kyu Lee supplied. "He would get drunk and come to my place expecting what he wanted. If I didn't give it to him, he'd hit me. My neighbor called the police and he was arrested. Since then I've been single and focusing on my job. What about you? Why are you single?"

"Because Jan Di married Jun Pyo."

Kyu Lee made a face. She could see how he would like Jan Di. She was funny and spirited. She could make anyone smile with just a look, and her lightheartedness was contagious. Ji Hoo wasn't any of those things. He was broody and moody and took things too seriously.

They lapsed into unpleasant silence and remained that way until their meal was over. Ji Hoo took her home even though it was still early. There was nothing else he could do because if he did he would lose his temper. And what woman made him lose his temper this much?

"You're such an idiot," Yi Jeong said as he rolled a cart of fired pottery into the main part of the studio.

Today was a rare day in which everyone was off. Yi Jeong had invited them to his studio to help paint all the pots he had just fired. He wasn't going to show them in his newest showing so what did it matter if his friends were involved?

They all sat around tables laden with paint and brushes and stands so they wouldn't bump into each other's. Yi Jeong had supplied them with smocks and old shirts so they wouldn't get their clothing dirty.

Usually the women were with them, but today they had sequestered around the other table. Jan Di and Ga Eul were talking in hushed tones and Eri wasn't saying a thing which meant she had taken her hearing aids out. Silence and art seemed to go hand in hand with her. But she was watching the other two's mouths as they spoke. With them taken care of, it seemed they could deal with other things.

"How am I an idiot? The woman gets on my nerves," Ji Hoo said as he rolled up his sleeves.

Yi Jeong set a pot in front of him. "Ji Hoo, the woman likes you. She's just jealous because you're always with Eri and Woo Bin who seem to have the perfect relationship."

Woo Bin dipped his brush in the acrylic paint in front of him. "Our relationship is far from perfect. She yelled at me for not putting my dirty laundry in the basket."

"The fact that she yelled at you is astonishing. I don't think we've seen her yell before."

"Don't be surprised. She yells at me all the time."

"She is pregnant with your child," Ji Hoo said as he started painting a meticulous design.

Woo Bin made a noise that was closer to passing gas than anything else. "You won't be saying that when your wife has your kid."

"That's if I get married."

His friends turned to look at him simultaneously. Out of the four of them, he was the only one without any marriage plans. Jun Pyo was already married, Woo Bin would be next if he got his way, and Yi Jeong would spend way too much money of Ga Eul to make her happy. He didn't have to ask to know that they worried that he would never meet someone.

He knew his grandfather had wanted him to meet a nice girl, settle down and have the family he had never had, but that was a little far away. He had to find the right girl first.

"That's not the most pressing part," Woo Bin said. He lowered his voice and leaned in, forcing the rest of them to do so as well. "Did you know Eri's birthday is next week?"

"What?" all three, even Jun Pyo, chorused.

"Yeah, I just found out last night. Francesco left a message on her phone saying he would be back for her birthday. We've been together since before Christmas and I never knew her birthday."

"We have to do something," Yi Jeong said.

"No. There's no way she's going to want to do anything. She doesn't even want to go to work of a morning and she loves those kids."

"What if we planned something at my house," Ji Hoo opted. "It's next door so she won't have to go far. We can plan it all in secret."

"She's going to kill us if she figures it out. She may not listen to us half the time, but she's quick as a whip," Woo Bin warned.

"That's true, but you have to go home with her," Yi Jeong reminded. Woo Bin made a sulky face at him but went back to painting.

"I have a perfect idea," Jun Pyo said. He hadn't said much so they were surprised when he opened his mouth. Normally he would be the loudest one there, but work had tired him. "Ji Hoo has to invite his lovely OB/GYN to the party. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."

The other two were all in agreement, but Ji Hoo snarled at the comment. The less he saw of the woman the better he would be. He couldn't be held responsible for the things he would say to her when she opened that big mouth of hers.

As the others painted in peace, Ji Hoo was left to figure out how he was going to keep Kyu Lee from coming to the party. He was going to have to talk to her because she would talk to Jan Di first who would learn it from Jun Pyo. That was going to be fun all on its own. Why did life have to hate him so?