This chapter was harder to write than I want to admit. Obviously, I've included the kidnapping of Jan Di, because I needed that to happen and the scene with Ga Eul and the other three of the F4, but a lot of the events leading up to that period in the show itself didn't happen, since it happens so much earlier in my story than it did in the show. And the entire modeling plotline didn't happen. So this is a very light Ga Eul chapter since I needed it to mostly be about the kidnapping incident. Trust me, the reasons why will make more sense starting in the next chapter. Thank you to everyone who is reviewing, you have no idea how much it means to me and keeps me going.
Once the competition between Gu Jun Pyo and Yun Ji Hu was over, Ga Eul was once more relegated to just the friend that occasionally was spoken to and covered for Jan Di at the porridge restaurant as she and Jun Pyo began tentative steps in their relationship. Ga Eul was trying to not feel resentment towards her, considering she knew how much Jan Di now liked Jun Pyo and how much it had torn her apart during the competition to think she could lose him and destroy the friendship between him and Ji Hu. If Ga Eul was honest with herself, she felt a sense of loss now that the competition was over. Not even because Jan Di was caught in her own world and therefore didn't need her right now as she navigated this new Shinwha world with Jun Pyo, but because Ga Eul had thought maybe she could be friends with the other members of F4 as well since they seemed to genuinely like Jan Di. Yet if it didn't involve Jan Di, or she wasn't needed for Jan Di, she was once more left on the outside. She knew how horrible it would be to be on the outside looking in, but she wasn't even that. She was just… on the outside.
She couldn't understand why she was suddenly feeling even lonelier than ever. There had been something about being in the orbit of the F4 and Gu Jun Hee-eonni, as she had insisted Ga Eul call her. She hadn't really thought about it, not until the last day of the competition when Jun Hee had insisted on Ga Eul calling her eonni and when she had wanted to comfort Jun Pyo, even when he had caught her wrist to stop her from slapping Ginger for her attitude. She couldn't pinpoint why she was feeling this way. Perhaps it was simply because she was missing so much in her life and she had often had moments when she wished things were different. That she was still dancing, that she had siblings, that she had a family that actually gave a damn. Ultimately, she wished that she had parents who loved her and acted as parents. Parents that were proud of her accomplishments and didn't view her as anything more than a burden that they took their frustrations out on. She wished with everything she was that she actually had parents and not those who were raising her.
"Aish!" She grumbled to herself as she shook her head. When her thoughts slipped liked this, she always felt like crying, but she was working and it wouldn't do for her to be seen by the customers with tear-streaked cheeks and red eyes. Shaking her maudlin thoughts away, she got to work.
"Woo Bin, Yi Jeong," Jun Hee said, surprised to see the boys. "I thought you would be out with Jun Pyo and Ji Hu."
"Jun Pyo is trying to convince Jan Di to go on a date with him again," Woo Bin said. "And Ji Hu had business at the art center."
"Which leaves the two of you seeking me out?" Jun Hee asked.
"We hadn't heard from you regarding your interest in Chu Ga Eul, so we came to ask you about it," Yi Jeong commented as he took one of the offered seats in Jun Hee's wing of the Gu mansion.
Jun Hee couldn't help but smile. "Ah I see," she said, nodding to one of the maids to pour the tea she had brought in for them. "And what do you want to ask?"
"You said you would keep us in the loop," Woo Bin reminded her.
"That I did," Jun Hee said. "I also said once I learned more I would do so. Unfortunately, I've not discovered anything new to disclose to you an update."
"At all?" Woo Bin asked, surprised. "I know that Chief Lee is investigating."
"Mm," Jun Hee said. "Per your father's orders. However, neither your father nor Chief Lee has given me any new information." She sipped her tea. "I promise that once I know more, I will tell you. I just do not have anything new yet."
"You can't even give us a hint?" Yi Jeong asked her.
Jun Hee sighed softly and shifted forward to set her teacup down. "There is… a lot the two of you do not know about our families," she admitted. "And what we potentially find on Ga Eul could have an impact on that knowledge. Until I have more concrete knowledge of Ga Eul, I do not want to say anything, even to the two of you right now, that could affect everything."
"Jun Hee-noona, you are worrying us," Woo Bin said after glancing at Yi Jeong and seeing the concern on his face that matched Woo Bin's.
"I don't mean to," Jun Hee said. "I just… I made a promise to myself that I would not reveal anything until I had all the facts."
"You know we will help if you asked us," Woo Bin said, drinking from his tea before setting the finished cup down.
"I know," Jun Hee said with a gentle smile. How she wanted to call him cousin, but it would simply confuse him since he didn't know that they were, in fact, cousins. She would be glad when they would finally reveal the familial connections and inwardly cursed the elders for having kept it all a secret from them. "Have you been in touch with her at all?"
Woo Bin looked down guiltily, glancing at Yi Jeong who shook his head. "Not since the last day of the competition," he admitted. "After we all parted, that was the last time we saw her."
Jun Hee arched a brow, sitting straight. She crossed her arms over her chest. "That was almost three weeks ago!" she said. "Why would you not have any contact with her? I know Jun Pyo has been going out with Jan Di, but what have the three of you been doing?"
"To be fair, we only met Ga Eul because of Jan Di," Woo Bin said.
"So if Jan Di isn't involved, you simply drop her?" Jun Hee said. "How is that being fair? You pulled her into this world because of Geum Jan Di and then promptly did nothing to keep including her?"
The two young men looked at one another with confusion over Jun Hee's outburst, but also guilt over it. They both knew that what she was saying was absolutely correct. It was unfair to bring someone into their lives the way they had with Chu Ga Eul and then do nothing to include her, simply because the single factor that had initiated bringing her in was busy with other things or people.
"You two can go," Jun Hee said, no longer in the mood to host them. The two men knew that Gu Jun Hee's temper could be very similar to Gu Jun Pyo's, so they didn't question leaving her suite of rooms and head to their cars, both deep in thought as they did.
"What has the witch done now?" Ji Hu had to ask as he watched Gu Jun Pyo pace back and forth in the F4 lounge as he strummed his guitar.
"Jan Di and her family are suffering because the witch has put them out of business and they've all taken up other jobs as much as they can if she allows them to be hired," Jun Pyo said, cursing. "And I can't do anything about it."
"Have you said anything to your father or Jun Hee-noona?" Yi Jeong asked.
"Appa has been in non-stop meetings and Noona has been surlier than normal of late," Jun Pyo said. "Do you know she actually yelled at me for not including Chu Ga Eul in things?"
"What?" Ji Hu asked.
Woo Bin sighed. "So she's still on that?"
"On that?" Jun Pyo questioned before shaking his head. "Though I admit I felt guilty when she yelled at me. I can't figure out why, but I feel like I should know Ga Eul, even without her being Jan Di's friend. It makes no sense." His phone pinged as a text message came in before he could hear the answer. He opened it to read the message. His jaw tightened the more that he read the message. Without a word, he grabbed his coat and hurried out of the lounge.
"Wonder what that was about," Yi Jeong asked.
"Maybe he's going to fill the pool with more bath bombs again?" Woo Bin suggested, thinking of the day before when he and Yi Jeong had watched their fearless leader put bath bombs into the pool, saying that it was all he could do for Jan Di and that it pissed him off he couldn't do more.
"Still can't believe he did that," Ji Hu said, setting his guitar aside. "Knowing how protective Jan Di is about that pool, I'm sure she was not overly thrilled." He looked at them. "What is this about Jun Hee-noona being upset that we haven't included Ga Eul?"
"It seemed random," Woo Bin admitted. "But she yelled at us since we hadn't seen Ga Eul since the end of the competition. She said something along the lines of "we brought her into our world, but now that she's not needed for Jan Di we just forget about her"."
Ji Hu winced, leaning back to cross his legs. "Ouch," he said. "Though… she isn't wrong. We included her in things because of Jan Di, but haven't we started considering her a friend too and in our circle? So why aren't we including-." A scuffle was heard upstairs before they heard two sets of footsteps coming down the stairs.
"Hey! What business do you have with F4?" they heard Ginger's voice asking before both she and Chu Ga Eul appeared.
"I told you I have to talk to them!" Ga Eul snapped over her shoulder before she stopped in front of the three men.
"Hey!" Ginger said again. She cringed back when Ji Hu gave her a scathing look before his dark gaze settled on Ga Eul. She disappeared back up the stairs after being dismissed by the three members of F4.
"Ga Eul," Yi Jeong said. "What's wrong?"
"Please, I need your help," Ga Eul said. "Jan Di is missing."
"What do you mean missing?" Ji Hu asked as the three of them stood.
Ga Eul swallowed the lump in her throat. "Jan Di isn't always the most reliable at work, but if she can't make it, she will always let us know," she said. "She didn't show up. When I called her parents, they said that the Master had called and said that F4 told him she was with you."
"Why would he say that?" Woo Bin asked.
"That's just it," Ga Eul said. "Master never called Jan Di's parents. It's why he and I called them when Jan Di didn't show up."
"Let's go," Ji Hu said to them. "Yi Jeong, take Ga Eul with you. Woo Bin, see what you can find out. I'll try and reach Jun Pyo since he raced out of here."
"Could he know where Jan Di is and was going to meet her?" Yi Jeong asked as he moved around the coffee table and put his hand against Ga Eul's back to encourage her forward.
"I really hope so," Ji Hu admitted as they left the lounge.
When he arrived at the location he'd been sent in the text along with the picture of Jan Di tied to a chair, Gu Jun Pyo had immediately been seized by those holding her and brought into the warehouse room where Jan Di was restrained. He glared at Lee Jae Ha as he walked forward. He never did like the younger man the moment he saw him at Shinhwa, especially when he saw him trying to get to Geum Jan Di. His abdomen already hurt from the punch to his gut he'd received when he called out for Jan Di after he had been seized by those working with Jae Ha.
"Geum Jan Di, are you all right? Nothing happened?" Jun Pyo asked Jan Di, his eyes only on her now.
"Gu Jun Pyo… why did you come? What are you going to do by coming here?" she demanded.
"Did you check?" Lee Jae Ha asked one of the men holding Jun Pyo.
"Yes, he's all alone," the man said.
"Idiot with no fears," another of the men said. "I bet you didn't know it was your death day today."
"Let the girl go," Jun Pyo said.
"Even though you're going to die soon, you still have to act all cool?" Jae Ha asked before scoffing. "Too bad that's not going to work out. You are going to be drenched in blood and unable to move a finger because of someone. The girl has to stay here and see such a momentous occasion. Don't you think so?" Jae Ha nodded to those holding Jun Pyo and those behind him. "Start."
The men began beating Jun Pyo, tossing him bodily between the four of them, inflicting more and more damage as his skin gave way as blood began to pour down his face. Jun Pyo could hear Jan Di crying out his name and knew that tears were sliding down her cheeks as she struggled against the rope that bound her to the chair. He groaned as they continuously kicked his ribs, back, and stomach. He grunted as he thought he felt a rib crack under one of the kicks.
"Stop it!" Jan Di cried out, trying to get Jae Ha to stop the assault on Jun Pyo. "Save him! Somebody save him!"
"Stop," Jae Ha said calmly. Jan Di could see Jun Pyo spit blood from his mouth as he attempted to push himself to his knees. Jae Ha knelt to a lower level to speak to him. "Does it hurt?" He got no response as Jun Pyo tried to push himself up again. "Now start begging to live. Try getting on your knees and cry."
Jun Pyo finally managed to push himself to his knees. "No, Gu Jun Pyo, don't do it!" Jan Di cried from the chair. She watched as Jun Pyo tried to push himself fully to his feet and take a swing at Jae Ha. Immediately he was shoved back to the ground and the four other men began to beat him once more.
"Stop it!" Jan Di screamed, sobbing. After a few more kicks landed against Jun Pyo's body before they stopped and one of the men pulled Jun Pyo up by the back of his jacket and made him kneel.
"Now say you're going to give up Geum Jan Di," Jae Ha said. Jun Pyo lifted his eyes, noticing one of the men had moved over and was now holding a camera just behind where Jan Di was tied to the chair. "Hurry up and say it."
"I don't think that's possible," Jun Pyo said after spitting some of the blood out of his mouth.
"What?" Jae Ha asked quietly, staring at the man.
"What are you deaf?" Jun Pyo asked him. "I said that's not possible."
"Do you want to die?" Jae Ha asked him.
"I don't want to die," Jun Pyo said. "But if you are going to kill me, what can I do?" The question earned a whimper from Jan Di.
"Say it," Jae Ha said, pulling a wooden chair to him. Jan Di stiffened when she saw. The men holding Jun Pyo shoved him to the ground. "Hurry up and say it!" Jae Ha began to lift the chair before bringing it down towards Jun Pyo.
He lifted his head and saw Jan Di try to move towards him, but Jun Pyo moved faster and shoved her back, even as the chair came down directly onto his lower back. He cried out and fell, hitting his head on the concrete floor and the world went black. He didn't hear Jan Di screaming his name as she fell to her knees beside him, nudging at him.
Jae Ha looked towards the door when he heard voices calling for Jun Pyo and Jan Di. He jerked his head at the others and they immediately went to investigate. Unfortunately, they were no match for the rest of the members of F4 as Song Woo Bin punched and kicked his way through most of the men, though So Yi Jeong was not idle as he ducked fists that flew at him and solidly took out his opponents with strong, swift kicks to their upper bodies. Yun Ji Hu moved towards Jae Ha, who swung at the quieter member of the F4, mistakenly thinking he could take him out. Ji Hu easily dodged the swings before grabbing his arm and twisting it until Jae Ha couldn't move.
"Sunbaes!" Jan Di cried, having wiggled out of her bonds and put her arms around the unconscious Jun Pyo. Woo Bin and Yi Jeong moved to their side to check on Jun Pyo. Woo Bin grabbed the video camera that had been placed on the chair as Yi Jeong pulled out his cell phone to call for an ambulance.
"Who the hell attacked my son?!" Gu Bon Hyeong demanded as he stormed into the private hospital wing where his son had been admitted. Jun Hee stood from where she had been sitting, walking over to her father.
"Someone named Lee Jae Ha," Woo Bin said. "He's the half-brother of the boy Geum Jan Di kept from committing suicide at Shinhwa."
"You mean the one the four of you harassed and bullied?" Jun Hee questioned, disappointment lacing her tone. The three members of F4 lowered their heads in shame.
"But why attack Jun Pyo?" Bon Hyeong asked.
"It's still being investigated, sir," Woo Bin said. "But if it's revenge for what happened to his brother, the three of us are also to blame for what happened to Jun Pyo."
"He was there, also, to rescue Geum Jan Di," Ji Hu commented. "She was being held hostage by Lee Jae Ha."
"Is she all right?" Jun Hee asked. "What of Ga Eul? Was she with her?"
"Thankfully, no," Ji Hu said. He was curious over Jun Hee's concern for Ga Eul. "But we knew something was wrong and were able to intervene because of Ga Eul."
"What do you mean?" Bon Hyeong asked.
Yi Jeong walked over his hands in his trouser pockets. "Apparently Jan Di didn't show for her shift at the porridge restaurant, which was unusual. Ga Eul said she does miss, but she'll call if she can't be there. When she called Jan Di's parents, they said that her boss had called and said she was with us. Ga Eul knew it was impossible because her boss wouldn't have called Jan Di's parents. So Ga Eul came to us for help."
"If not for Ga Eul, things probably could have been much worse for Jun Pyo and Jan Di," Woo Bin said. "As it is, Jan Di said that Jun Pyo, beyond being beaten, was hit with a chair after pushing her out of the way."
"Did this Lee Jae Ha attempt to hit her with it?" Jun Hee asked.
Yi Jeong shook his head. "Jan Di tried to rush forward so it would hit her instead, but Jun Pyo shoved her away and took the hit himself."
"Where is Lee Jae Ha now?" Bon Hyeong asked.
"Chief Lee has him," Woo Bin commented. "He was going to take him to Appa."
Bon Hyeong's jaw worked, but he nodded. "Good," he said, his tone dark. "I want answers."
"There was a video camera as well," Woo Bin said. "I told Chief Lee to give it to Appa." A doctor entered the room and they all turned to focus on the man.
"How is my son?" Bon Hyeong asked immediately.
"We will be bringing him to his room shortly," the doctor said. "We've completed all examinations. Thankfully, his injuries were not life-threatening. The most serious is his bruised ribs, though two are cracked, and a minor concussion. He'll have to rest, of course, and it will be painful as his ribs recover, but the lacerations and bruises will heal quickly. We'd like to keep him overnight for observation, but then we can release him to your care tomorrow."
Bon Hyeong let out the breath he'd been holding before he extended his hand to the doctor. "Thank you, doctor," he said. He looked over as Jun Pyo was pushed into the room, still unconscious, and then transferred to the plush bed. Jun Hee moved over to Jun Pyo's side as Bon Hyeong's cell phone rang. He stepped out of the room when he saw Song Lee Bin's name on the caller id.
"You've already interrogated the ass who attacked Jun Pyo?" he asked as he answered the call.
"That's in progress," Lee Bin said over the line. "But I have other answers you are going to want to hear about Chu Ga Eul. I figure by the time you arrive, I'll have some answers from Lee Jae Ha as well."
Bon Hyeong's features darkened. "Give me twenty minutes," he said.
"Bon Hyeong," Lee Bin called before the other man hung up. "I also have the results of the DNA test we ran on her. Chu Ga Eul is your daughter."