Chapter 13

Ga Eul woke up groggily the next day. Trying to screw her eyes open, she reached over to her bedside table to get her phone. She still had a good amount of time before her shift at the porridge store, but she had to get going fast in order to avoid running into her parents. She quickly took a shower and changed into a set of new clothes. Before making her way out of there, she grabbed all the necessities she deemed important in order to lessen her trips to her parents' house. She filled her backpack, and was ready to leave there knowing she had enough things to last her two to three days without visiting her parents' house again.

Locking the house's door behind her, she jotted down the stairs, and went around around the corner on her street to get going when she ran into Hong Joon looking straight at her leaning on his black Cadillac on the other side of the street a few feet away from her. She halted in her steps in shock, her eyes taking in Hong Joon's harsh stare, both guilty and demanding. He looked more neat and put together than the last time she saw him. His hair was jelled back, and he was dressed in his usual black coat.

Ga Eul's jaw clenched as she took long strides to him. She knew she was bound to meet him again no matter how much she ignored him, but the audacity of him showing up to her house mad her blood sizzle. Out of anyone, he knew better than to visit her there. But it became more obvious with time how little he cared about respecting her.

"What the hell are you doing here, Hong Joon? You have got be shitting me. Even for you that's too much." Ga Eul hissed at him.

"Look, I didn't want to come here, but you left me no choice. You are the one who has been ignoring all my calls. And I don't appreciate the way you're talking to me right now."

"Yeah, and whose fault is that? Have you no common sense at all? Now leave me the hell alone, and don't you ever take a step back here again. Do you understand me, Hong Joon? Or I swear to god." Ga Eul retorted.

"I'm not proud of what I've done either, but you gave me no chance to apologize. At least hear me out." Hong Joon pleaded, his eyes desperate.

"Like hell, I will. Get out of my sight." Ga Eul shoved him in his shoulder to make way around him, but he grabbed her arm tight.

"If you don't hear me out, I'm going to keep going to your house here until you will. You know I'm not joking around."

Before giving her a chance to speak, his phone rang in his pocket, and he picked it up. His eyes threatening her not to move. After finishing his call, he told her, "I need to go to the company real quick. It's urgent."

"Great. Now we can speak at another time." Ga Eul said.

"No, I don't trust you. You're going with me."

"I'm not going to your company with you. What would I do there?" Ga Eul said, impatiently.

"And I don't trust I'll be able to talk to you if I leave you right now." He said.

Ga Eul held his eyes with disdain, weighing her options, and they were looking bleak right now. Having no choice she agreed to come with him. She got into his car and slammed the door shut.

Ga Eul was stuck in the reception in Hong Joon's company. She felt self conscious waiting for Hong Joon while the people around her kept throwing side glances at her. She had been waiting for two hours now, and she had already had three people ask her if they could help. And again she had to explain that she was waiting for someone. The place added more to her stuffiness. The black concrete walls felt like they were caging her in despite being extensive and wide. The orange spotlights in the ceiling felt too bright for her eyes. Everything about his company made her uncomfortable. In a way, it suited Hong Joon's personality. Inspecting the brown color of the rich leather couch she was sitting on to avoid the looks of the on-goers, a female voice called out her name. Alert, Ga Eul's head shot up to see a familiar woman looking at her. Lost for a minute, Ga Eul racked her brain to recognize the woman in front of her. Then it hit her. She was the woman they saw in the resort. The one they made a bet about. Ga Eul stood up out of curtesy to greet her. She knew back then that she was someone she knew before, and now her speculations were proved right.

"Nice to meet you again, Miss Ga Eul. I believe you don't remember me, right? My name is Kim Dal. We met before a couple of times at a few corporate events. You always came with your sister."

"Oh, right. I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you." Ga Eul said. Her mood souring when she remembered these times in her past. She hated these events.

"No, you don't have to be. I also had a hard time recognizing you when I saw you at that ski resort, but I'm so glad I came upon you here." Kim Dal said.

"Me, too." Ga Eul said, trying to match her politeness. She felt a compelling aura about her. She looked every bit of prim and proper as one would expect of a corporate lady. Ga Eul had to strain her neck looking at her. She was incredibly tall with pointy high heels on.

"You must be waiting for Hong Joon."

"Yes, I am." Ga Eul said, surprised that she said his name so casually. She didn't know he was close with anyone of the employees here.

"He should be almost finished." Kim Dal said.

"That's great." Ga Eul said, wondering why she was hovering. It wasn't like they two were ever close.

"I hope I'm not overstepping my boundaries here, but I feel like I must warn you. I couldn't help but notice you were with the F4 in the ski resort. They are dangerous company to keep. So Yi Jung to be precise. Three years ago, we were about to hire someone into our company, but orders from a higher place prevented us from employing her. Or any other company for that matter. Some say that the orders came from the young master of the So family. The poor woman was black listed for six months before suddenly the ban on her employment was lifted. You don't want to be on the other side of their anger, Miss Ga Eul." Kim Dal said.

"I do appreciate your concern, Miss Kim, but I'm quite capable of choosing my own company." Ga Eul said, not caring to be polite anymore. Her eyes shooting daggers. She wasn't sure why felt the need to be this defensive. She was sure Kim Dal was being honest. And she didn't put it far behind Yi Jung of doing this. Catching up on her offensive words, Kim Dal said, "It was a pleasure to see you, Miss Ga Eul, but you have to excuse me now."

"The pleasure was all mine." Ga Eul said, the corners of her mouth lifted in an attempt to smile. Before she had the chance to leave, Ga Eul and Kim Dal were joined by Hong Joon. He looked between them catching the tense air.

"I didn't know you two were familiar with each other." He said.

"Miss Ga Eul and I had the chance to meet coincidentally a while back in the ski resort owned by the Shinhwa family. Apparently, Miss Ga Eul is close with the F4. She was with them when I saw her there." Kim Dal said.

"Really? You didn't tell me that before Ga Eul." Hong Joon said, completely baffled. For all he knew, Ja Di was her only friend. Ga Eul didn't miss the venom in his voice.

"It's a long story." Ga Eul said.

"Well, we have to get going then." Hong Joon said putting an arm around Ga Eul's shoulder and leading her away. Turning her head, Ga Eul saw Kim Dal crack a small victorious smile to herself before walking away. Unfortunately, Ga Eul understood why she did that, and the thought made her sick to her stomach. It was clear that Hong Joon would mention Ga Eul here and there in front of Kim Dal. She intentionally mentioned the F4 in front of Hong Joon to spite Ga Eul. She thought Ga Eul was going behind Hong Joon's back. And why would she think that other than believing that Ga Eul was Chun Ja's replacement.

Hong Joon ended up taking them to a quiet cafe. Ga Eul kept staring out the window next to their table when he joined her with two cups of hot coffee in hands. He placed hers in front of her, and she took hold of the coffee to covet its warmth. She kept waiting for him to start talking, so she could get this conversation over with. He took a few sips of his coffee before he said, "I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have said these words to you. It was insensitive and hurtful. I truly am sorry."

"What do you expect me to say? I could've expected these words from anyone except you. I thought you were like an older brother to me. But this was too much. Even beyond what a sister could forgive her brother for." Ga Eul said.

"Don't say that. Don't throw out our friendship for something so trivial." Hong Joon said, before realizing his mistake when he saw Ga Eul's jaw clench. He quickly added on, "You know I didn't mean it like that. I don't know where these words even came from. It was a mishap. I've always been by your side. Before and after Chun Ja. I was always a part of your family, but lately I felt like you were beginning to forget me. Like you planned on abandoning me, and I got enraged and acted put of stupidity."

"I also never left your side. And you should've known that I was really busy. You completely mocked and insulted me. I don't know how I should react to this." She said.

"Trust me, this is just a rough patch for us. Everything would get better with time. I'll give you your space to think clearly, but I promise you I'll try to be more understanding in the future." He said, his eyes pleading with her.

"I hope so, Hong Joon." Ga Eul said dejectedly. His words breaking her resolve. He was right. He'd been a part of her life for so long. Cutting him out of her life completely would be cruel. But she couldn't forgive him easily, either.

Seeing her anger sizzle down, he cracked a smile and finally relaxed. "It's been so long since we sat together like that. I missed this." He said. Ga Eul only replied with a weak smile.

"What Kim Dal said earlier took me by surprise. It seems like I have a lot of catching up to do." Hong Joon tried to say casually, but Ga Eul knew that he could barely hide his curiosity.

"Jan Di got a scholarship to Shinhwa High School a while back, but I'm sure you came across the news before." She said.

"Wonder Woman, right?"

"Yeah. Anyway, she started dating Jun Pyo of the F4. They were all going on a ski trip and she invited me along." Ga Eul said.

"Jan Di with Shinhwa's Jun Pyo? That is something." He said, shocked.

"I was surprised as well at first." Ga Eul added.

"So does she invite you to a lot of outings with the F4?"

"Sometimes, yes."

"I don't think that's very smart of you, Ga Eul. Have you not heard the things said about them? Jan Di might be safe because she's dating one of them, but you're just a friend of hers. One wrong move, and you don't know what they might do." He said.

"Don't worry about me."

"You're not dating one of them, are you?" Hong Joon said, clear worry and threat in his eyes.

"No, I just meant that I'm not that significant that they would do anything to me." Ga Eul replied.

"That's a relief. You know one of them, Song Woo Bin, is affiliated with the underground. God knows where his wealth really came from." He said.

"That's a bit prejudiced, don't you think?" Ga Eul replied.

"I didn't think you would be one to defend them knowing what they are." Hong Joon said, irked.

"It's not like that, but these are rumors." Ga Eul said.

"Don't be naive. We both know these rumors hold some truth to them. There's no smoke without fire." He said.

"I wouldn't know about that. Kim Dal seems to think that we're in a relationship, and I'm sure some people would think like that too even when we both know that's the farthest thing from the truth." Ga Eul said, remembering Kim Dal's smile. She said that in hopes that Hong Joon would be more mindful of the way he acted in front of people.

"That's clearly different. Some people are just bored and make up lies as they go. No one can really understand us, Ga Eul. We're different than most people." Hong Joon said, making Ga Eul uncomfortable. She hated when he did that. Like they two were too broken and messed up to be like regular people. She desperately tried to run away from that everyday.

Ga Eul was wiping a table back in the porridge store, her mind elsewhere with Hong Joon and his words. She kept dozing off as Jan Di talked to her, her brain trying to process everything that had happened earlier. She looked at the clock on the wall and was glad her shift would end in an hour. Following Ga Eul's eyes, Jan Di looked at the clock, and quickly dropped her cleaning cloth on the table and said,"Shoot. I forgot I had a date with Jun Pyo today. Can you cover for me? I really have to get going."

"Yeah, sure. No problem. I'm not busy."

"I love you." Jan Di said as she took off her apron hurriedly and gathered her things. Just as she made it out of the door, she returned back in a second.

"Didn't you say you're not busy? Can I ask you for a favor?" Jan Di asked.

"I'm not sure I'm going to like this." Ga Eul said.

"It's just a little trip. Yi Jung forgot the keys to his studio earlier today in the lounge at school. Can you bring it over to him after you finish your shift?" Jan Di said.

"I'm sure he has a spare key. Can't you wait until tomorrow?"

"You don't know that. You don't want the poor guy to keep being locked out of his studio. I'll write to you the address and his phone number."

"Like he's going to need them, but fine. Whatever you like." Ga Eul said.

"You're the best." Jan Di said.

Jan Di wrote down a note along with the keys on the counter. After finishing her shift, Ga Eul tucked the keys in the safety of her pocket, and threw away the note. It wasn't like she needed Yi Jung's address or his phone number, but of course Jan Di wasn't aware of this fact. She didn't know how they met up a few times alone. She hung up her apron on the hanger and closed the store's door behind her. She dialed Yi Jung's number on her phone. It rang a few times before he replied.

"Hi, Yi Jung. It's me Ga Eul."

"Yes, I know. And to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Jan Di said you forgot the keys to your studio in the lounge. She asked me if I could bring it over to you. Should I meet you there?" She asked.

"I'm already in the studio. I have spare keys." He replied.

"That was what I told Jan Di, but she's too stubborn. I'm coming over either way to give you your keys like Jan Di said. If it's okay with you of course."

"It's okay with me."

"Bye, then." Ga Eul said, hanging up.

Ga Eul found the door to the studio open as she pushed it. She saw Yi Jung hunched over his pottery wheel. His slender hands moving through the clay compelling it to take any form he liked. Ga Eul found herself watching him, enthralled with every captivating form and turn the clay took. All his focus was intent on the wheel before him. Yi Jung spoke first breaking her out of her enrapture.

"Am I that cool?" He said, smirking as he finally looked up and locked eyes with her. Ga Eul huffed her annoyance. "You're too smug for your own good."

"It has done me no wrong till now." He said, stopping the wheel. Ga Eul put the keys on the table closest to her.

"You don't have to stop for me." She said.

"Then, you can watch if you want." He said, as his hands intertwined through the clay again.

Ga Eul grabbed a seat next to him and watched as he worked. It was almost therapeutic seeing the clay change forms on the spinning wheel. She felt tranquil and serene as her fascinated eyes watched the piece of clay become more refined.

"I didn't think you'd actually sit and watch." Yi Jung said.

"This is kind of fascinating to me."

"I sensed that." Yi Jung said, feeling proud.

Ga Eul suddenly remembered the conversation earlier with Kim Dal. And she didn't hesitate to ask him about it. "Today, someone warned me about you. They said that three years ago you prevented some woman from getting hired. They told me to be mindful about you."

Yi Jung's hand stopped the wheel. He looked taken aback as he inspected her face. "And what did you tell them?"

"That I'm capable of choosing my own company." Ga Eul said.

Yi Jung scoffed in irony, "So you think I'm innocent?"

"I'm not an idiot, Yi Jung. That person had no interest lying to me."

"Then why did you defend me?" He asked.

"Because it didn't feel right siding with her. You're much closer to me than that person will ever be." Ga Eul said. Yi Jung's eyes were in plain shock at her words.

"So your question is not whether I did it or not, but why. I feel like we're exchanging roles today." He said.

"You're not the only one who gets curious about things they shouldn't meddle in." She said.

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because I humored you one too many times with my secrets. You owe me this."Ga Eul said. She could see Yi Jung contemplate whether to spill things out or not, before he finally said, "I did it out of resentment. I was too blinded by my anger back then."

"Okay." She said.

"What? No moral lesson for me? You're not one to hold back on berating me." He said.

"For what it's worth I don't think that's something you would've done now." Ga Eul said.

"But what if I had done it now?" He asked.

"I would be a hypocrite if I criticized you. I'm too familiar with rage and anger. Sometimes it consumes me until I become paralyzed. Like I could never feel or see anything other than pure rage. The difference between you and me is that you had the power to do something about it. If I had been in your shoes, I could've done the same thing. And it's not like I held you to high standards, either. I know that you and the rest of the F4 are heavily flawed." She said.

"I can't decide if I should take that as a compliment." Yi Jung replied.

"It's not a compliment nor an insult. Merely a fact."

"And what was your anger directed at?" He asked.

"Too many things." She replied.

Both Ga Eul and Yi Jung knew not to pry any longer. His hands started working again, and Ga Eul asked, "Would you mind if I stayed longer? I had a bad day, and watching you work feels relaxing."

"No, I wouldn't. You seem fond of it." He said.

"I barely know anything about it. I'm not an appreciator of art. I can't quite grasp it like others do."

"You don't have to understand art to be amazed by my talent." Yi Jung said. Ga Eul snickered at his words.

A few hours went by with Ga Eul by his side, sometimes he would explain the flow of his work, and others they would stay silent. Untroubled and peaceful in the comfort of his studio.