Author's Note: My cat has decided to she wants to help me write so if there are any random letters together, she's the one who did it. Also tonight is date night with my mom. Every Thursday we get together and watch Graceland. It's an unspoken agreement we have. I love Thursday nights almost as much as I love Monday nights and Teen Wolf.
Jayjayzek, I've only been crocheting since February. I just find things I want to make. As for cross stitch, that's something I can't do. I've tried. It ends up a nasty mess.
Also these stories are good because I can see where my readers are from and what languages everyone speaks. I wish I were bilingual but I'd get bored unless I was fully immersed in it.
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How did this turn into a triple date?
When Min Ho had showed up at the train station, he had met Eri and Woo Bin as well as Ga Eul and Yi Jeong. They had asked the newlyweds if they could watch their kids while they went out for the day. Instead of saying yes, they asked if they could join. Woo Bin couldn't tell them no because they were his friends so he had contacted Ji Hoo and asked if he would babysit since he and Kyu Lee weren't taking their son out. Once again, it was a no go. Jun Pyo and Jan Di were out of the country and Woo Bin's parents were at a benefit.
So the kids were with their parents. Ahn Na clung to Woo Bin as if he was going to drop her. Bin Ji held his mother's hand as he chattered in four year old babble. As he thought about it, it made sense for Bin Ji to come since his birthday had just passed. Eri had been sick so they hadn't been able to throw him a party. This must be their way to make up for that.
When he saw him, Bin Ji ran straight for Min Ho and monkey climbed until he was sitting on his shoulders. Not too long after he arrived, Yi Jeong and Ga Eul strode up. They looked way too lovey dovey for his taste, but if he was married he would feel the same way about his wife.
The train came and they boarded. They could have taken a cab but true to his word, Woo Bin had put a price limit on them. Since everyone had a train pass, the train was the fastest and cheapest choice.
They sat together and talked quietly about their plans for the day. Min Ho wondered why Jae Kyung wasn't with them. Woo Bin, the bearer of infinite knowledge, said she was going to meet them there because she had some business to take care of beforehand. He also said he had told her not to bring her credit cards.
Bin Ji sat in his lap with his head pressed against his chest. He was getting excited, babbling about animals. He took Min Ho's hands and began clapping them together as he sang a song he just made up.
Min Ho took the time to watch the couples. Ga Eul and Yi Jeong were content to talk about how their jobs were going and what they wanted to do next month for their vacation time. They were always up for anything fun and memorable. It was how their relationship had matured over time.
But it was the couple sitting across from them that kept his attention. Woo Bin had Ahn Na sitting across his lap with her curly head pressed to his shoulder. He had one ear bud sticking out of his right ear and it linked him to Eri. She sat pressed against his side with her left hand securely in his and her head on his shoulder. On the surface no one would be able to tell that this couple had some major differences.
That's what made them the strongest couple out of F4. Jun Pyo and Jan Di had had their issues when they had been dating, but it had all been from outside influences like Jun Pyo's mother. The Songs had to deal with internal influences, namely Eri's disability. Eri didn't let it stop her but it made it harder for them to talk about certain things because she didn't understand them. But with the help of Yi Jeong and Ji Hoo, she was able to live a normal life with her husband and children.
The train stopped at their station and they disembarked. Bin Ji ran to his parents and took Eri's free hand. She looked down at him and smiled, squeezing his hand and pulling him close. Min Ho had to smile. The kid loved his mother over everything.
He checked his watch once again as they came to the gates of the park. She was late, something he wasn't surprised about. He should be used to that. His sister was always late to every family function they had. Even though they were twins, they were completely different.
Someone slammed into his back. He jerked around hoping Jae Kyung had been the one attacking him. Unfortunately it wasn't her. He had the wrong body parts to be a girl. Dressed down in jeans and light t-shirts, Junsu and Junho were definitely not Jae Kyung. Their red and blue hair were very vibrant in the summer sun.
"What the hell are you two doing here?" he demanded.
"Eri dropped by the café last night and said you were going out. I couldn't believe so I had to come see for myself. As of right now, I'm right," Junsu laughed.
"You really hate me, don't you?"
"Quite the contrary. I actually like you. I just want to see if this actually works out. Let's see if you fall in love."
"You're already in love," Junho said to his brother. "Only this time she's off limits."
Min Ho looked sharply at Junsu as he rubbed his head with an uneasy smile on his face. What was Junho talking about?
Right at that moment, Jae Kyung called to them from across the street. He winced as she bounded up to them. She had taken Woo Bin's advice and dressed for a long day out in the sun. She was wearing essentially the same thing as Ga Eul and Eri; cute and to the point.
She made her first mistake by getting right in Eri's face. The woman turned her head behind Woo Bin's shoulder to alleviate some of the discomfort. Woo Bin put a hand on her shoulder.
"You're way too close," he scolded lightly. She backed up with a smile. "I'm not your date today. Min Ho is. I expect you to behave. No wild antics."
"Come on, Woo Bin. I need to have a little bit of fun," she whined just a bit.
"You've caused enough trouble these last few weeks," Yi Jeong added. "We didn't invite you out to be a nuisance. You need to get on Min Ho's good side so you can get on hers. So far you're nil for four. Keep it up and she'll refuse to work with you ever."
"But she's the best eclectic artist I've ever found."
"She's also the most emotionally unstable artist you've ever found. Don't push her. Take the day and get to know Min Ho. He's your best bet. We won't help you." Yi Jeong led Ga Eul into the park, paying their admission as soon as they went through.
Woo Bin smiled once then led his family into the park after his friends. Bin Ji started laughing. Min Ho looked at Junsu then walked over to Jae Kyung. She smiled at him, pushing her hair behind her ear. She was trying to flirt but he wasn't in the mood for it just yet. She hadn't made the best impression just yet.
"Should we go?" she asked.
He nodded and followed her to the gate. He had pulled out enough money from his account so he could pay the fare. After handing her the ticket, she snagged his wrist and tugged her to craziest, wildest rides in the park. He wasn't afraid of heights but he didn't like speed. It was one of the reasons he didn't drive. He didn't want to be in control of something that could go from zero to sixty in ten seconds.
He was shaking when she got him on a roller coaster. She made sure they sat in the front seat of the front car. He wanted to strangle her right then but Junsu was right behind him. If he screamed like a girl or cowered, the red haired bastard was never going to let him live it down.
After a minute and a half of pure torture, Min stepped back on to solid ground. He gripped the railing and tried to ease the shaking. Jae Kyung stepped down beside him and hit him in the back. He shrugged her hand off and walked a little ways away from her. Of course, she followed him. That's when his temper erupted.
"This is why she doesn't like you! You don't know when to back off!" He stormed away from her.
Five minutes. That was all it took for him to begin to hate her all over again. He had told her he didn't like fast things like roller coasters and the pirate ship swing thing, but like usual she didn't care what he said. She only wanted to do what she wanted to do. Damn what anyone else said. It was all about her. This was why he never hung out with rich kids.
He sat down on a bench and put his head in his hands. He shouldn't have agreed to do this. He wanted Eri to do the artwork because she was a great surgeon-turned-artist. It had nothing to do with the money. He wanted her to do it because it helped alleviate her stress. All he'd done was add to it.
A cold water bottle was pressed to his face. He looked up expecting to see Junsu or Junho. Wrong again. It was Jae Kyung. She smiled down at him then sat down beside him. They didn't say anything for a long while.
"I know I'm putting a lot of pressure on her," Jae Kyung said, "but I've never met anyone like her. She doesn't understand what she's feeling and yet she can make these beautiful pieces of artwork that I haven't seen anyone attempt. When I asked Yi Jeong why he didn't have more available, he said because it wasn't the right time. I didn't understand what that means. I still don't."
"Art is an expression of what a personal is feeling. It's why expressionism is so popular. An artist came put a smear of paint on a canvas and say it's envy or anger. I can do that. Even you can, but Eri can't. There's a disconnect from her heart and her mind that registers emotions. Luckily her hands are between those two organs so they can do most of the work," he explained.
"You've really immersed yourself in their lives have you?"
"I wasn't going to at first, but after I got to know them; after I got to know her, I couldn't walk away. Once she's your friend, she's fiercely protective. She may not look like it, but she's very perceptive. Sometimes I think she's always two steps ahead of everyone and just waiting for us to catch up."
"How can I get in her good graces?"
He didn't mean to laugh sardonically but that's how it came out. "Do you really think she'll change her mind that easily?"
"No, but I want to make amends for the things I've said and done. I'm not sure how I do that?"
Min Ho wasn't sure what possessed him to come up with a reason but he wanted to actually help her. He remembered when he thought Eri was going to kill him. It took him a couple of weeks before he ever got the courage to talk to her. In the end she hadn't hated him. She'd actually invited him into her family.
"You should come by the studio one day and just watch. Don't ask questions or hover, just watch. You'll get to see a lot of the behind the scenes things that not everyone understands. I'll have to run it by Yi Jeong since it's his place, but it shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't do anything stupid."
Jae Kyung flashed a smile at him. Suddenly age came into his mind. If she was the same age as F4, then she was four or five years older than him. He didn't know if he should call her noona or not.