Author's notes: Okay, I have to admit - I started this new document on a spur of a moment. I'm not even sure if I would persevere to the end with this new idea. Either way, I was reading English Fics on the SoEul couple from the TV show Boys Over Flowers [Korean Version] and thought, perhaps I should try my hands in writing something on the couple. I had my fair share of dabbling in the ship with the Chinese language but I have never tried writing it in English before.
Summary: [AU] Chu Ga Eul has always been a country bumpkin in the eyes of the F4. Especially so, in the case of So Yi Jeong, the renowned Korean Casanova. But what if… Chu Ga Eul wasn't really a country bumpkin, nor was she the ordinary commoner friend of Geum Jan Di that everyone thought her out to be? And this secret side of hers was revealed unintentionally to the Korean Casanova of F4, how would that affect the entire story flow in the Boys over Flowers universe?
Title: Secret of the Autumn
Chapter 1 – Trip to New Caledonia, Part 1
So Yi Jeong has a simple task. All he needs to do is head over to the porridge shop, grab that commoner friend of Geum Jan Di, and go to the airport to meet up with the rest of the F4, so they could go on a trip to the island - New Caledonia owned by the Shinhwa Group. Sounds simple and easy, right? Only it isn't so simple in actuality.
Upon his arrival at the porridge shop, instead of an empty shop with only the boss and Chu Ga Eul in attendance since it wasn't quite the peak hour for the shop yet. What the heir of the Woo Sung Museum found meeting his eyes is the sight of the country bumpkin glaring daggers at an unknown young man dressed up in the uniform of the Shinhwa Academy. Since the uniform looks the same for all the departments sans the university department which doesn't have a uniform assigned, the Korean Casanova has no way to tell whether the young man is from the middle school or high school department of the Shinhwa Academy.
Inside the porridge shop, Chu Ga Eul has yet to notice the arrival of So Yi Jeong. After all, 95% of her focus is currently on the young man seated opposite her at present. The young man is the heir to the F&B Group - Miyazawa Enterprise, established and founded in Japan about 20 years ago. Within a decade, the group has grown to become one of the largest F&B establishments in Japan and further expanded into its neighboring countries. South Korea, just so happens to be one of them. So, what's the heir of the Miyazawa Enterprise doing here in the porridge shop for which Chu Ga Eul is working, on a part-time basis?
Simple - the young man is here to deliver a proposal to Chu Ga Eul on behalf of a common familial relation - his father, the current director of the Miyazawa Enterprise. The proposal involves having Chu Ga Eul transferred into the Shinhwa Academy for the rest of her education. Now, one might be curious about the relations between Chu Ga Eul and the young heir of the Miyazawa F&B group. Just what exactly are the relations between the two, and how is it possible for Chu Ga Eul to be related to the heir of the Miyazawa group when they don't even share the same nationality.
To put things in short, Chu Ga Eul and the young heir to the F&B group - Miyazawa Enterprise are related to one another because they shared the same father. Both of them were born in the same year, only six months apart but to different mothers. The young man is the son of Miyazawa Hideaki and his legal wife, while Chu Ga Eul is born to Miyazawa Hideaki with his ex-girlfriend – the former Lee Mi Young, but now known as Chu Mi Young. The pregnancy was discovered shortly after the couple broke up, following a difference in opinions between the couple.
Miyazawa Hideaki's initial idea was to marry Ga Eul's mother, but after a meeting with his parents - the plan did not come to fruition. Despite the difference in their social status, the Miyazawa family hasn't really minded the fact that Miyazawa Hideaki is dating a commoner. No, the reason why the couple broke off their relationship is mainly because of the stipulated conditions for Ga Eul's mother to stop working, move to Japan and stay at home full time like a traditional housewife which is the norm for the Japanese society. But that isn't acceptable nor agreeable to Ga Eul's rather strong-willed mother. That ultimately, resulted in the ending of the relationship between the two.
Shortly after, Miyazawa Hideaki left South Korea to return to his hometown - Japan. Back in Japan, he went on to heed the advice of his parents and agreed to the arranged marriage union with his childhood friend – the heiress of the Takahashi family. Since both parties already knew each other, there isn't much resistance to the idea of the marriage union itself. Thus, the union went through uneventfully. The complication arises one month into their marriage, in the form of an international phone call. Basically, that was when Mi Young finally decided to inform Hideaki about the existence of Ga Eul. Granted, Ga Eul was still the size of a pea and living in the womb of Mi Young then.
The pregnancy came to Mi Young as a shock, seeing as she has experienced none of the morning sickness symptoms before the positive result showing up on her annual medical health screening procedures. Originally, Mi Young thought of going for an abortion procedure... but after a thorough discussion with her doctor-in-charge, she decided to go through with the pregnancy. However, due to the stigma that revolves around unwed single mothers in Korean society – Mi Young eventually accepted the olive branch extended her way by her childhood sweetheart who sympathize with her plight.
Chu Su Won is the name of Mi Young's childhood sweetheart, and even though they didn't marry one another due to passionate love. They had grown to love one another with time, and five years after Ga Eul was born... they finally brought their own biological child into this world. Ga Eul was only told of her background when she finally musters up the courage to question her parents about all the additional enrichment classes she had been asked to attend since a very young age, purely out of curiosity in regards to their family financial status. As to the reason why the question was brought to mind, well... it likely has to do with an innocent inquiry on Jan Di's part. Although, Ga Eul's mother had tried her best to explain the situation to Ga Eul then... it's rather difficult for Ga Eul to make sense of the situation. It wasn't until Ga Eul was about to start elementary school education that she finally was able to fully comprehend her complicated family relations.
There was some back-and-forth communication taking place between Ga Eul's mother and the Miyazawa family, her birth father's family on the whole following her birth. It was eventually decided that Ga Eul's existence would be accepted into the Miyazawa family under the condition that she would not be entitled to any form of inheritance aside from the monetary aspects. And until Ga Eul reaches adulthood, Miyazawa Hideaki would be providing monthly monetary support to the mother-daughter duo. To date, this arrangement is still in force despite her mother having married another man and brought her along into the new family.
Either way, coming back to the present - Chu Ga Eul is quite annoyed with the current situation at hand. Due to her complicated family situation, Ga Eul had told her half-siblings repeatedly not to drop by the porridge shop where she works on a part-time basis. Not that she needed a part-time job, to begin with, considering the amount of monthly allowance she's getting from her parents. So, mostly she's working for the sake of keeping her childhood friend company. As for the reason why she had requested for her half-siblings not to turn up at her workplace, that mostly had to do with the situation of her not having told Jan Di anything about her family situation. Jan Di might have been her dear friend but that girl certainly isn't someone without flaws. One of her friend's greatest flaws is that the girl tends to leap to a conclusion without getting all the facts, and that, in turn, brought on a series of consequences that can be a tad too troublesome to deal with.
Fortunately for Ga Eul, on the rare occasion whereby her half-sibling decided to show up at her workplace – it's on a day whereby Geum Jan Di was on leave. For instance, this afternoon. Still, that doesn't mean Ga Eul is pleased to see Miyazawa Kazuki in the porridge shop where she works part-time, while still dressed up in the school uniform of the Shinhwa Academy. Therefore, Ga Eul's mood had been somewhat cranky since the point where her half-brother enters the shop.
"I believed I already rejected the idea when it was first brought up a few years back. What makes him think I would change my mind now?" Chu Ga Eul stated flatly as she threw the young man seated across from her at a table in the porridge shop, she was working part-time with a look of annoyance clearly displayed on her face.
"Perhaps, he thought with the enrolment of Geum Jan Di into Shinhwa High… you would be more partial to changing your mind?" Miyazawa Kazuki shrugged nonchalantly as he responded, knowing full well that if it hasn't been for Geum Jan Di – his half-sister would have been studying in Shinhwa Academy since day 1 of her elementary school days.
"...What's with his insistence for me to enroll in Shinhwa Academy? There is nothing for him to gain by putting me in there… unlike Japan, people here aren't exactly aware of the fact that he has an illegitimate daughter. And don't tell me it's to supervise you in school, because that would have been ridiculous. You are as old as me, and thus have no need for a chaperon figure in the same school. While Tsubasa is still at an age that requires supervision but he's all the way in Japan with Miyuki, and therefore… isn't my responsibility to chaperon him." Chu Ga Eul huffed in annoyance, eyeing the offending proposal about her transfer into Shinhwa Academy sitting on the table with obvious disdain.
"Okay fine, the truth is…someone who has recently been retrenched is a tad jealous of your mom's position in the company. In particular, since his vacant position is now being taken up by your mother and thus in an attempt to unravel dirty secret... that someone kind of dig a little too deep into the history of your mother. In the process, he ends up finding out your mother's past relationship with our daddy-dearest, and of course, your existence. And now that someone is threatening to leak the information to the media if the company doesn't overturn the decision to terminate his employment contract with the company. But the thing is… dad isn't the type that would budge on a decision made, and neither is he the type that would succumb to underlying threats." Miyazawa Kazuki responded with a sigh of resignation, knowing full well that it's downright impossible to hoodwink his half-sister.
Upon hearing the words from Kazuki, Chu Ga Eul let out a string of colorful language which only serve to amuse the heir of the Miyazawa Enterprise and shocked the Korean Casanova who had just pushed open the door to the porridge shop. The former was amused by Ga Eul's reaction because it is seldom for the girl to lose composure in public, whereas for So Yi Jeong - he's mainly surprised by the sight of Chu Ga Eul swearing and cursing aloud. After all, unlike Geum Jan Di who is prone to quick tempers… Chu Ga Eul has always appeared to him as a level-head individual.
With So Yi Jeong's official entry into the shop, Ga Eul who has been cursing and swearing aloud promptly fell silent. The words of greeting dies on her lips when her mind registered that it wasn't any random customers that has just walk in, but a member of the infamous group - F4. The group F4 basically comprises of the heirs to the top-notch families in South Korea - namely the Gu, Yoon, So, and Song. And the person who just entered the porridge shop is none other than the heir to the Woo Sung Museum, and the youngest potter known on the international level - So Yi Jeong.
"If you're looking for Jan Di, she's on leave today." Chu Ga Eul cited automatically upon landing her sight on the heir to the Woo Sung Museum, all the while trying to maintain her cool composure. Deep down inside though, she was on the verge of panicking as she wonders inwardly if the guy has heard anything that was being discussed between Miyazawa Kazuki and her.
In the meantime, Miyazawa Kazuki who had noticed the fact that his half-sibling had to stop cursing and swearing aloud promptly made the decision to remind the girl of his presence, and that he is still waiting for a response. "So, Ga Eul… what's it going to be? Are you going to accept the proposal brought up by dad or not?"
At the same point of time, So Yi Jeong started to respond to Ga Eul's earlier comment. "Actually, Ga Eul-yang, I'm here for you."
"Pardon? What do you mean by you're here for me?" Chu Ga Eul directed a look of bewilderment towards the direction of the Woo Sung heir, deciding to put off the idea of dealing with her half-sibling for the time being.
Recalling the purpose of his visit, the heir to the Woo Sung Museum hesitated slightly. Originally, his plan was to simply grab the girl and go… but seeing as the shop isn't exactly vacant, and even though the young man from Shinhwa Academy doesn't seem like a customer… it still doesn't change the fact that Chu Ga Eul was amid a conversation with the young man. And so, after a moment of hesitation, So Yi Jeong decided to mislead the girl into dismissing the unknown young man. Taking a deep breath, So Yi Jeong began to speak. "It's because of Geum Jan Di that I'm here for you."
"Eh?! Jan Di… what happens to Jan Di?" Immediately, all the underlying worries about So Yi Jeong having heard the contents of the conversation she had with Miyazawa Kazuki flew out of the window as Ga Eul's mind spiral down a series of misfortunes that might have befallen her childhood friend - Geum Jan Di.
"I've got no time to explain, just come with me now - will you?" So Yi Jeong responded with an expression that seems anxious, as he held his hands out to Chu Ga Eul while silently willing for the girl to follow him without further questions. After all, he's trying to lure the girl out with misleading behavior and not to outright lie to the girl.
Chu Ga Eul has just taken off the apron from her person and was about to make a move to follow So Yi Jeong out of the porridge shop when she heard the voice of Miyazawa Kazuki from behind reminding her of his presence.
"Ga Eul, are you seriously leaving right now? In case it had slipped your mind, we are still amid of a conversation." Miyazawa Kazuki reminded, sounding a tad incredulous at his half-sister's behavior.
"..." Closing her eyes momentarily to calm her erratic mind down, Chu Ga Eul signals for So Yi Jeong to wait for her outside the shop before turning her attention to her half-sibling. "We can continue this conversation of ours at a later timing; it isn't as though an immediate response from me is required. Anyway, just remember to give me a heads-up when the shit is about to hit the fans. Depending on the repercussion to the matter of concern, I might just agree to the idea of transferring into Shinhwa Academy. If that's all, please show yourself out as I have something else to attend to at present."
"Of course." Miyazawa Kazuki nodded in response, there's no point for him to stay behind in the porridge shop further after having gotten the response that he seeks from Ga Eul.
The first sign that hints to Ga Eul that she might have been tricked by the Casanova of F4 would be the familiar sight that meets her eyes as the vehicle is on the move. "Just where exactly are we heading to? Where's Jan Di? Is she okay?" Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, Chu Ga Eul promptly dumps a barrel of questions in the direction of the Korean Casanova.
"I would have thought you would recognize the way to your own family home. As for Geum Jan Di, she's with Jun Pyo - of course." So Yi Jeong decided that it is time for him to drop the anxious look from his features, and thus responded to Chu Ga Eul's inquiries with a tight-lipped smile.
"And why are we heading towards the direction of my family home at this time?" Chu Ga Eul continue to press the Korean Casanova for an explanation, she didn't bother asking how the guy knew of her residential address. Because she knew there isn't anything that the members of F4 wouldn't be able to discover with their strong information network. Just like she wouldn't put it past So Yi Jeong to piece together the entirety of her background story with the snippets of information he had overheard earlier on in the porridge shop before she noticed his presence and put a halt to the ongoing conversation with her half-brother.
"We are going to collect your baggage from your mother for the upcoming vacation trip to New Caledonia." So Yi Jeong answered in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.
"I beg your pardon? Since when did I agree to go on a vacation trip with you?" Chu Ga Eul was utterly bewildered by the words of the Korean Casanova.
"To be exact, Jun Pyo decided to invite you along on our vacation trip to New Caledonia because Geum Jan Di refuses to go anywhere with him without you." So Yi Jeong let out a sigh of weariness, pinching the bridge of his nose briefly before glancing back at Chu Ga Eul as he explain to the girl how the vacation trip to New Caledonia comes about.
"I see…" With the reasons uncovered, Chu Ga Eul allowed herself to relax somewhat. As long as it isn't a vacation trip with just the Korean Casanova as a company, Ga Eul would be able to handle the idea. The only question now was how exactly did the Korean Casanova end up convincing her parents to let her go on this vacation trip. After all, her parents aren't anything like Jan Di's… and so, they likely would have reservations about letting their daughter travel to another country with the members of F4, out of the blue.
"Ga Eul, here's your passport and the baggage that your friend has kindly request for me to pack for you. Go on and enjoy the vacation trip to New Caledonia, I'll see you in a week. Hopefully, by then things would have settled." Chu Mi Young - Ga Eul's mother greeted them with a pleasant smile when the orange lotus sports car belonging to So Yi Jeong came to a stop in front of the house with the nameplate 'Chu' written on it.
"Eomma... you do realize that the guy standing next to me is the Korean Casanova, don't you?" Chu Ga Eul couldn't help but asks when she noticed the pleasant smile playing on her mother's lips as her mother greeted them. Inwardly, she couldn't help but wonder if her mother has been charmed over by that ever-charming smile of the Korean Casanova when that guy came by with the invitation for her to join the F4 in their trip to New Caledonia.
"Of course, Ga Eul. I'm not that much of an idiot." Chu Mi Young deadpans at her daughter in response, after shifting her eyes away from the figure of So Yi Jeong.
"And yet you're okay with the idea of me going on a vacation trip with him and his friends? The F4 comprises of both the Korean Casanova and the Don Juan, you know?" Chu Ga Eul questioned, eyeing her mother with a disbelieving look.
"Don't take your mother as a fool, Ga Eul. Of course, I know that F4 has a Casanova and Don Juan among them. However, I also know that you aren't exactly their type and besides, you aren't so naive that you would allow either of those playboys to sweet-talk you into a blatant trap. Moreover, Jan Di is also going to be around… and not to forget that with the storm upcoming, I thought it best for you to remove your presence from Seoul for a while. In fact, I was planning to send you to Japan for a quick getaway before the shit hit the fan… it's simply a coincidence that your friend call up to inform me about an upcoming trip to New Caledonia which you are invited to join. Needless to say, with the nice timing - I had no issues persuading your father to let you go on the vacation trip." Chu Mi Young shoots Ga Eul a look of irritation, before proceeding to explain to her daughter just why exactly she had allowed Ga Eul to travel to New Caledonia with the members of F4.
"... You're just glad that you needn't spend any money in procuring the air tickets for the getaway trip. I'll not think you a fool, but you'd best not do the same to me too. Oh well, since both you and father didn't want me around when the shit hit the fan - I'd best heed your words of advice. I certainly hoped that whatever tactics Chichiue had in mind to diffuse the scandal would work, so… I guess, good luck to you. I'll see you in a week." Chu Ga Eul stepped forward to give her mother a hug, before turning to leave for the direction of the orange lotus with her passport in hand. Her suitcase has been picked up by So Yi Jeong earlier and is now sitting neatly in the car-boot of the orange lotus.
Settling back in the passenger seat of the orange lotus belonging to the Korean Casanova, Chu Ga Eul took a deep breath and addressed the heir to the Woo Sung Museum in a warning tone of voice. "Whatever conclusion you had drawn from the snippets of conversation I had with my mother earlier, kindly keep them to yourself. Likewise, I expect you to say absolutely nothing about the conversation you might have overheard earlier in the porridge shop between me and Miyazawa Kazuki. Jan Di has absolutely no clues about my background story and I intend to keep it that way, at least for now."
"... Although, I do not have the entire story. Based on what I've gathered from the snippets of conversation you had with both your mother and the heir of the Miyazawa F&B group, it would seem that you wouldn't be able to keep things under wrap for long. And assuming that you did indeed end up transferring into Shinhwa, how are you going to explain that to Geum Jan Di?" So Yi Jeong pointed out in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, as he swerved his orange lotus out from the neighborhood where the Chu family home is situated and onto the route that would bring them to the airport.
"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it then." Chu Ga Eul eventually said, after a moment of silent contemplation.
"Suit yourself, it's none of my business - anyway." So Yi Jeong shrugged, and with that, the rest of the journey to the airport was engulfed in silence as neither of them are in the mood for idle conversations.
Chu Ga Eul didn't comment when the orange lotus passes by the passenger drop-off point and turns into the underground parking facility of the airport. Although, she's uncertain about what the F4 had in mind to do with their respective vehicles while they are off traveling to New Caledonia… Ga Eul isn't going to pry. For now, her main concern would be meeting up with Jan Di first and then think about what she's going to say to her friend when the shit finally hits the fan.
While this isn't Ga Eul's first time at the airport, the trip from the parking facility to the meet-up point with the rest of the group is still considered an eye-opening experience. Mostly because the F4 have their own private lane that leads from to the custom clearance checkpoints away from the general public. There isn't a need to check in their baggage since it's a private chartered plane which they would be flying to New Caledonia on, thus they could simply wheel their baggage onto the plane for storage instead of checking in their luggage at the baggage drop off point.
"Ga Eul, are you alright?" The sound of Geum Jan Di's voice managed to snap Ga Eul's focus back to the present. Blinking once then twice, Chu Ga Eul took a moment to take in the new attire on her childhood friend before responding.
"Yes, Jan Di…I'm fine. Although, I must admit I was tricked into coming because So Yi Jeong had me thinking something bad has happened to you when he came and get me from the porridge shop." At this, Chu Ga Eul couldn't resist but to throw a dirty look in the young and talented potter's direction.
Song Woo Bin would have been amused by the scene if he wasn't so occupied with keeping the two Caucasian ladies, he had brought along for the trip - entertained. But since the resident, Don Juan's attention was focused elsewhere, So Yi Jeong managed to dodge his friend's snub about him losing his touch as the Casanova of F4. Then again, this isn't the first time his charm as the renowned Casanova had failed to work on Chu Ga Eul - the country bumpkin.
Okay… so, maybe Chu Ga Eul isn't much of a country bumpkin based on the snippets of conversation he had overheard but…as long as Chu Ga Eul wishes to continue in her current dress sense, she would always be a country bumpkin in his eyes. That was the last thought on So Yi Jeong's mind before he proceed to insert himself into the conversation between Geum Jan Di and Chu Ga Eul.
"...Ga Eul-yang, is there a need for you to address me by my full name every single time? I would think that's a habit of commoners like you, except that Geum Jan Di only addressed Jun Pyo alone by his full name." So Yi Jeong butted in then, giving in to his temptation to mess with the country bumpkin in his eyes and partly because he wasn't used to people addressing him with his full name all the time.
"Fine, I shall address you as Yi Jeong-sunbae from here onward. Is there anything else which you wish to point out to me now?" Chu Ga Eul retorted at the heir to the Woo Sung Museum, after stamping down the urge to roll her eyes in annoyance when her conversation with Jan Di was interrupted mid-way.
As much as Ga Eul wishes to restart her conversation with Jan Di, she found herself being interrupted yet again. Only this time, it wasn't So Yi Jeong but Gu Jun Pyo who interrupted her desired conversation with Jan Di. And the reason behind the interruption was to call for them to start boarding the plane bound for the island owned by the Shinhwa Group - New Caledonia.
Once onboard, the private chartered plane belonging to the Shinhwa Group, both Geum Jan Di and Chu Ga Eul started gaping at the sight that meet their eyes. Behind them, the F4 is very much amused by the reactions garnered from the two commoners. Albeit, So Yi Jeong had some inkling that Chu Ga Eul might not be an actual commoner judging from what he had observed before their meet-up with the rest of the group. But then again, if acting as a mere commoner is what Chu Ga Eul had in mind to do… he might as well leave things be.
It wasn't hard for Ga Eul to look around the interior of the chartered plane in awe, because she has never been onto a private chartered plane before. After all, even with the amount of money that sits in her birth father's bank account - the thought of owning a chartered plane of his own has never crossed the mind of Miyazawa Hideaki. Henceforth, when the need to travel arises - the most the man did was to book a first-class seat on a commercial-operated flight. Ga Eul, on the other hand, in an attempt to fend off Jan Di's queries into her annual vacation trip with her family tends to stick to getting seats on the Economy tier to avoid raising suspicion. Although, with the information she'd received earlier on from her half-brother… it makes her wonder just how much longer she could keep her family situation a secret from her childhood friend.
[Oh well… like I'd said earlier to So Yi Jeong, I'll cross the bridge when I come to it] - Ga Eul thought to herself, as she took a seat next to her friend - Jan Di, with Gu Jun Pyo and So Yi Jeong from the group F4 seated directly opposite them.
The flight to the island - New Caledonia lasted eight hours in total. For the first hour after boarding the plane, Ga Eul and Jan Di spend their time listening to the conversations between the members of F4 focusing on the beautiful landscape and scenery of the island. To be exact, it's mostly Gu Jun Pyo and Song Woo Bin that does the speaking while Yoon Ji Hoo and So Yi Jeong kept to themselves. During which process, Ga Eul couldn't help but notice how frequently her friend would shift her gaze from Gu Jun Pyo to the back of the plane where Yoon Ji Hoo was sitting with a melancholy look in her eyes.
If the Shinhwa heir had noticed how frequent Jan Di's gaze had shifted to focus on the figure of Yoon Ji Hoo, he certainly didn't comment on it. But Ga Eul has to admit, she was sweating out of anxiety for her friend every single time Jan Di started gazing in the direction of Yoon Ji Hoo. Eager for a change in the mood, Ga Eul was very pleased when the air stewardess on duty announced that it's time for the flight meal to be served.
Needless to say, the food served during the flight is among one of the best flight meals which Ga Eul had tried. Unlike Jan Di who never has a chance to fly overseas before, and thus had no way to compare standards… Chu Ga Eul was expected to travel to Japan on an annual basis, usually during the summer season for the purpose of bonding with the relatives on her birth father's side of the family. Granted, most of the time, the bonding session was spent mingling and interacting with her half-siblings during the infamous summer festival held nationwide in Japan. Either way, because she has the habit of flying to Japan every year… Ga Eul couldn't help but start comparing the dishes served during the flight meals and graded them accordingly in her mind.
After the dishes have been collected by the air-stewardess on duty, Chu Ga Eul spends the next half-an-hour involved in a whispered conversation with her friend. It was only after Jan Di started to nap away that Chu Ga Eul finally took out her IPAD from the inside of her backpack. While her mobile device is still the old-fashioned flip phone model equipped with selected social media apps installed, it was a tad inconvenient when she needs the use of the internet. And so, Ga Eul prefers to use the IPAD device for internet surfing while on the go.
Seeing as it's a chartered plane owned by the Shinhwa Group, it goes without saying that it comes with free WIFI services on board. The realization that the WIFI network on the private chartered plane differs from the commercial flights operated by the Shinhwa Airlines, Chu Ga Eul let out a sigh in dejection about not being able to tap into the WIFI network onboard.
"Ga Eul-yang, what's with that look of dejection on your face? Is there perhaps anything which I could be of assistance?" So Yi Jeong, who just so happen to glance up from his own mobile gadget and noticed the look on Ga Eul's face, promptly plastered on a smiling expression as he voiced his queries across to the girl.
"... Do you know the WIFI password to the internet connection by any chance or do I have to ask Jun Pyo-sunbae about it?" After a slight moment of hesitation, the desire to check in on the latest news in South Korea wins out against her reluctance to have any form of interaction with the Korean Casanova.
"Of course… but I was told not to give out the password key to the internet access randomly. Perhaps, I could type in the password for you instead of citing out the password verbally?" So Yi Jeong nodded at Chu Ga Eul in response, before offering to key in the password on the IPAD device with a dimpled smile.
"Sure…" Chu Ga Eul wasted no time in handing over her IPAD device, it's not as though she has anything confidential stored away in her IPAD. If it's her mobile phone, then she might not hand it over to another easily but since it's the IPAD, she sees no harm in handing over the gadget.
"Here, it is now connected to the internet." So Yi Jeong handed the IPAD device back to Chu Ga Eul after a few minutes.
"Thank you, sunbae." Ga Eul smiled faintly in response as she collected the device from the Korean Casanova.
"You're welcome." So Yi Jeong flashes another of his charming smile at Chu Ga Eul before refocusing his attention back to whatever he was doing on his own mobile device.
Chu Ga Eul, on the other hand, hurried to tap into the browser app installed on her IPAD device. Her number one priority is to check the various news websites available on the web to find out what is happening in Seoul while she was away. A quick search on the internet informed Ga Eul that nothing scandalous has been reported by the local media yet. Then again, it has only been four hours since her departure from Korea… and it wasn't quite the official publishing time for the newspaper in Korea yet. So, if everything goes according to the speculations of her mother and her birth father… there's still probably a couple of hours before the shit would hit the fans. She was about to turn off the WIFI connection on her IPAD device when it started chiming away with a notification from her Line Messaging App installed.
Having nothing better to do, Chu Ga Eul tapped into the messaging app and was promptly met by the sight of her 14-year-old half-sister spamming her with a series of messages.
Private chat with Miyazawa Miyuki - Line Messenger
Miyuki: Nee-chan! I heard that you are off to New Caledonia?!
Ga Eul: Yes, where did you heard that bit of information from? *Curious Face Emoji*
Miyuki: Kazuki, of course! Anyway, is it true that the landscape and scenery in New Caledonia are beautiful?
Ga Eul: … No idea as of yet, seeing as I had yet to land in New Caledonia.
Miyuki: Huh? Then how are you online if you have yet to land? *Confused Emoji*
Ga Eul: I tapped into the WIFI of the Shinhwa Airlines… ^^;
Miyuki: Oh… why though?
Ga Eul: Just checking the news platform to see if the shit has hit the fan yet…
Miyuki: … I see, anyway - please do remember to take pictures. As many pictures as your phone memory card could handle. And share them on Facebook as soon as you can… so, I could see the beautiful scenery of New Caledonia for myself. *Puppy Eyes Emoji*
Ga Eul: *Sweat-drop Emoji* Sure. I'll talk to you again after landing. For now, I think I'll take a nap.
Miyuki: Okay. TTYL.
Turning off the WIFI connection on her IPAD device, Chu Ga Eul then returns the device to its original storage space - the deeper end of her backpack. After which, she placed her backpack under her seat as per the norm on other flights. The quiet surrounding somehow lulled her back to sleep in no time, and the next time she found herself waking up - it's to the announcement of the flight landing in New Caledonia.
As New Caledonia is a tropical island, there is no way that Chu Ga Eul would be able to make it to the hotel without suffering from a heat stroke in her current attire. This is something which Ga Eul knows as well, and so, she didn't reject the clothes offered to her by the infamous Casanova of F4 when the plane finally landed in the airport of the island.
"Don't worry about your clothes, Miss Chu. It will be sent along to the hotel alongside your baggage." The air-stewardess that remains onboard to wait for Ga Eul to emerge from the restroom of the plane is reassured when Ga Eul seems hesitant about what to do with the clothes she had changed out from.
Handing the clothes over to the waiting air-stewardess, Chu Ga Eul managed to direct a smile as she thanked the lady and made her way to the exit point of the plane.
"Finally, I was having trouble holding back this woman from rushing back into the plane in search of you." Gu Jun Pyo's loud complaint was the first thing Chu Ga Eul heard upon disembarking.
"Ya! Gu Jun Pyo, what was that again?!" Geum Jan Di promptly throws a dark look in the direction of the Shinhwa heir and starts engaging in yet another round of childish squabbles with the Shinhwa heir.
"Ga Eul-yang, are you satisfied with the clothes provided for you?" So Yi Jeong prompted when Chu Ga Eul finally reaches them fully dressed in the attire he had been entrusted to pick out for her before leaving South Korea.
"Yes, they're very comfortable. Thank you, sunbae." Chu Ga Eul responded in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, her cheeks slightly pink upon the realization that the Korean Casanova is probably the one to pick out her current attire. She didn't ask how So Yi Jeong come to know about the size of her clothes though, knowing the man's reputation as the Korean Casanova… So Yi Jeong likely has enough experience to gauge her clothes size with a simple look in her direction.
As for the style of the clothing, well… there is nothing disagreeable in the attire picked out by the Korean Casanova for her. Especially since if Ga Eul were, to be honest with her opinion, So Yi Jeong does have a better taste as compared to Gu Jun Pyo based on the attire donned by her childhood friend. Not that she has anything against the designer that design the attire worn by Jan Di at present, mostly it's the fact that the style doesn't fit Jan Di. But oh well… who was she to complain if the Shinhwa heir thought nothing was wrong with the way Jan Di was dressed up.
Following the F4 as they led them out of the airport of New Caledonia, the girls - namely Jan Di and Ga Eul had to admit that the island does have a wonderful scenic landscape. Everything looks so different from their hometown - South Korea, and thus the girls had a wonderful time admiring the scenery that meets their eyes. In the case of Ga Eul, due to the request of a certain half-sibling of hers' - she hasn't stopped taking pictures on her mobile device since leaving the airport.
At first, Ga Eul was only focused on taking pictures of the landscapes that cross her path. Later, it evolves into taking pictures with Jan Di whenever they pass by a spot that Jan Di thought was too beautiful to pass up. Luckily, taking selfies on the mobile phone is something Ga Eul has frequently done both in Korea, and Japan… otherwise, she might have trouble with getting the angle right in one go. Halfway through their journey to the hotel which they would be staying, Gu Jun Pyo loses his patience at the pace at which they were traveling and promptly made a grab for Jan Di. With Jan Di dragged off by the impatient Gu Jun Pyo, it was once again the responsibility of So Yi Jeong to keep Chu Ga Eul entertained.
"So, what's on the agenda? Sorry, I meant… the itinerary." Chu Ga Eul prompted, after having walked for some time in complete silence.
"Well… seeing as it's already the late afternoon, likely there wouldn't be much planned for today. Based on what I've gathered, we'll probably check in to the hotel where we would be lodging, spend some time resting or exploring the hotel facility before heading out for some sightseeing in the nearby vicinity. We will likely find a place to have our dinner while at it. Of course, that's what I thought… who knows what Jun Pyo has in mind for us to do today. After all, he planned this trip with pleasing Geum Jan Di in mind… and our ideas of pleasing girls differ way too much to be able to know for certain of his plans." So Yi Jeong eventually admitted that he had no concrete ideas of what his friend had in mind for them to do in New Caledonia.
"..." At the mention of Gu Jun Pyo's desire to please her childhood friend, Chu Ga Eul fell into a state of uneasiness. The thought of her friend's plight causes a headache to form behind the skull of Chu Ga Eul… having known for a fact that Jan Di's current love interest lies in Yoon Ji Hoo and not Gu Jun Pyo. And she thought the relationship between her biological parents were complicated… sure, her birth parents had parted ways on amicable terms and later married someone else but… with how entangled they have been in each other lives at one point in time, how is it possible for them to work together in the same company?!
Yet, this is nothing but the truth. Shortly after her biological father had established the satellite office in South Korea, her mother has been 'head-hunted by a cousin of her birth father personally to job-hop over to join the newly established satellite office owned by the Miyazawa F&B Group. Of course, the newly established office isn't so new by this point - since this year happens to be its 10th anniversary of the company's successful venture into the South Korean market. Granted, half the time they are working in the different offices since one is in Japan while the other is in Korea… but still, they had to interact at some point of their work, such as during the annual general meeting held in the summer at the headquarters in Japan.
And then, there's the issue of her father or adoptive father, in this case… how the man could live with the idea that his wife is still in contact with an ex-lover frequently, and not reacted in a negative manner is really quite bizarre to Ga Eul. Of course, Ga Eul is pretty happy to live her life as it is now… but sometimes the peaceful relations between her mother and her two fathers [biological and adoptive] really make no sense. An oddity is what they are - Ga Eul thought to herself, as she hoped that when everything is out in the open, it won't fry her friend's mind.
The hotel where they would be lodging during the term of their stay in New Caledonia resembled a resort villa than the typical hotel lodging. At least, that was what the exterior of the lodging place reminded Ga Eul about. Shortly after they completed the check-in process at the reception counter, they were shown to their respective assigned rooms for the period of their stay. Part of Ga Eul was relieved about the fact that she needn't share a room with her childhood friend, not that she has anything against Jan Di... but with how much the situation in Korea is weighing on her mind, she figured it best to have the privacy of her own at some point during this vacation trip. At least, with separate rooms assigned to Jan Di – Ga Eul has no need to worry about her friend caught her in a bad mood when the shit finally hit the fan in Korea.
Geum Jan Di, on the other hand, is a tad unhappy about the fact that she has been placed in a room directly opposite from the Shinhwa heir – Gu Jun Pyo. That, and she's slightly disappointed to find that she wouldn't be sharing a room with her friend – Chu Ga Eul. Then again, considering how the trip was planned by Gu Jun Pyo and the members of F4... Jan Di supposed she shouldn't have been surprised about them getting their own rooms at the place of lodging. After all, the concept of sharing isn't really something that the members of F4 are accustomed to.
Ga Eul had to admit the one hour of a break following their arrival at the hotel was a sound decision on Gu Jun Pyo's part, for it allow her sufficient time to go through the contents in her suitcase and see for herself what her mother had packed for her on this impromptu trip to New Caledonia. The first thing she noticed was that her mother had packed her summer clothes into the suitcase, which is good since that would mean she needn't get herself an entirely new wardrobe while vacationing in New Caledonia. When her eyes landed on the dress, she had worn to a wedding banquet of a family friend some time ago – Ga Eul had raised her eyebrow briefly. At first, she had thought there would not be any chance for the dress to be worn on this trip but then the notion was discarded because she remembers just exactly who she is traveling with on this vacation trip. With a shake of her head, she went on to look at the next item nestled in between her clothes.
The item was none other than a Nikon digital camera from the professional series. Upon the sight of the camera's presence, Chu Ga Eul had to thank her mother for the insight to pack it into her suitcase. Especially after she had received the request from Miyazawa Miyuki to take plenty of pictures while in New Caledonia... and so, Chu Ga Eul retrieved the Nikon Camera out from her suitcase and placed it on the desk in her hotel room. She figured the camera would come in handy the following day, for now, the camera app on her mobile phone would suffice.
Aside from unpacking the basic necessities from her suitcase, Chu Ga Eul left the rest of her belongings untouched in their original position. Satisfied with what she had achieved thus far, Ga Eul shifted her focus to the contents of her backpack. Although she didn't have the habit of packing her phone charger with her all the time, she's relieved to find that she did have her charger with her this time. The only thing she doesn't have on her would be the charger for her IPAD device, but she supposed the charger wouldn't be necessary since the battery level is still rather full at present. And if she were to control her usage rate for the device, likely it should last until the day which they are scheduled to return to Seoul.
So Yi Jeong knew he was procrastinating, but he thought there isn't a need to rush. Especially, since the country bumpkin going by the name of Chu Ga Eul has been assigned the room directly opposite from his. And unlike his friend – Jun Pyo who's rather enthusiastic to spend every waking moment with Geum Jan Di, it was the complete opposite for him. In the first place, Chu Ga Eul is just a responsibility bestowed upon him by the Shinhwa heir. The only reason he had agreed to take up the task of babysitting Chu Ga Eul, instead of getting Woo Bin or Ji Hoo to do it was due to his desire to get his hands upon the antique China vase which Jun Pyo had promised him after the entire trip is over.
As such, Yi Jeong was in no hurry to head over to the room opposite from his that was assigned to Geum Jan Di's friend to check on the girl. He figured he could procrastinate for a little while longer, as long as he managed to bring the girl back out to the lobby of the hotel where they are supposed to meet up with the rest of the group for their little sight-seeing trip around the vicinity – it would be enough.
There wasn't much to see around this part of the island, except for the local stalls that sell little trinkets. Shopping in this part of the island is a tad too challenging for Ga Eul and Jan Di to accomplish on their own, mostly because of the language barriers. So, it was lucky that a member from F4 is always within reaching distance so assistance could be provided readily. It was during this little sight-seeing trip that Ga Eul came to a realization, as brilliant as her mother's packing skills were... that woman had forgotten to prepare for her the cash needed for the vacation trip.
Not that Ga Eul actually needed the cash, since she did technically own a credit card (a sub-card) bestowed to her by her birth father on her last birthday which she could definitely utilize to fund her shopping expenses while in New Caledonia. However, she's unwilling to utilize it for it would bring on a dozen of questions from her friend – Jan Di, which she still isn't prepared to address at this point in time. And so, she found herself relying on the next best thing – getting So Yi Jeong of F4 to pay for her shopping expenses. Thankfully, there wasn't a lot of things which she intends to get in New Caledonia... mostly the things she bought are little trinkets that doesn't cost much, and still could be considered as a good choice for a souvenir from the trip for her family and friends in South Korea, and Japan.
Still, getting So Yi Jeong to sponsor her shopping expenses came with its own set of issues. Not that it's an issue to the Korean Casanova, no... the issues encountered mostly stems from her friend – Jan Di. The first time Jan Di witnessed So Yi Jeong making payment to the stall owner on her behalf, the girl had started eyeing her strangely. And so, Ga Eul had explained it away by claiming that she didn't have the right currency on hand since the trip was kind of impromptu to her. As such, she would be paying So Yi Jeong back the amount spends using the Korean Won on her person.
"You aren't seriously thinking about paying me back the amount spent in Korean Won, are you?" So Yi Jeong started, throwing a peculiar look at Chu Ga Eul.
"Of course not, I'm just saying that to placate Jan Di. You know how she is when it comes down to monetary matters. The last thing I wanted to deal with is to endure a lecture from her about why I shouldn't take your generosity for granted. If I don't tell her that I intend to pay you back, she's going to nag my ears off. However, I'm not going to insist on paying you back since I know for a fact that you wouldn't accept any form of monetary payment from me." Chu Ga Eul rolls her eyes in response to the words of So Yi Jeong.
"Indeed... come on, let's catch up with the rest of them. If we delay any longer, I wouldn't put it past your friend to leap to some ridiculous conclusion. Not to mention that Jun Pyo would be highly displeased about us wasting his precious time with Geum Jan Di." So Yi Jeong commented with his ever-charming smile which is considered a trademark to his Casanova image and started leading Ga Eul towards where the rest of the group is now congregating.
"Ya, Geum Jan Di... have you decided what you wanted to eat for dinner yet?" Gu Jun Pyo asks, after having arrived at the Shinhwa Shopping Mall situated in New Caledonia.
"... Why don't you make the decision instead? Have you forgotten that I can't read words written in a foreign language?" Geum Jan Di huffed at the Shinhwa heir in annoyance, after being shown several pages on the digital store directory situated next to the escalator of the mall.
"Jun Pyo, you can't deny that Geum Jan Di does have a point to her statement." Song Woo Bin tried his best to stifle a snorting sound from escaping, as he eyed the Shinhwa heir with unbidden amusement apparent in his eyes.
"What about you, Ga Eul-yang? Any preferences of the dinner menu?" So Yi Jeong took that as his cue to ask the friend of Geum Jan Di, unlike a certain idiot – he didn't expect the country bumpkin to be able to read the store directory on her own.
"Hmm... I'm open to anything except French cuisines, I supposed." Chu Ga Eul took a moment to ponder over the responses to give, before shrugging as she decided being honest is the way to go.
"I see... any particular reason why you are open to anything but a French menu?" So Yi Jeong asks next, wanting to know for certain so he could inform Jun Pyo at a later time since he knew his friend has plans for a buffet dinner pool party, on the following evening. The buffet menu being served would likely comprise of certain French menu items, so he would like to know for certain if Chu Ga Eul is averse to certain items on a French menu or she is totally against the idea of French cuisines.
"I'm not too much of a fan for escargots and the dish – Moules de Bouchot." Chu Ga Eul said in response, after a brief moment of silence. Although, she has no idea why the question was broached... she didn't see any harm in providing the above-mentioned information.
"Good. Any dishes in particular which Geum Jan Di has an issue with?" Satisfied with the information gotten from Chu Ga Eul, So Yi Jeong went on to bring up the next question in mind. Granted, the notion only occurs to him to check with Chu Ga Eul about Geum Jan Di's preferences after hearing about the country bumpkin's own aversion to the French cuisines. Still, he thought it better to ask because he thought his friend likely wouldn't have thought of it when going about the arrangement for the buffet menu.
"Hmm... Jan Di's preferences... I don't think she's too picky when it comes down to food. While it wasn't really an aversion, she might not be too keen on escargot. She has been quite disturbed when being told that escargot is a type of edible snail. And then, perhaps blue cheese could be added to the list of food that she's not keen on. Of course, she has never really tried out the above-mentioned dishes but because she had never smelt blue cheese before and claimed that the smell is too pungent for her liking. I thought it might be best to avoid serving her any to begin with."
"Right... I'll inform Jun Pyo then, so he could avoid having the above-mentioned items in his planned dinner menu at some point." So Yi Jeong nodded pensively in response.
Eventually, after some discussion among the members of F4 – it was decided that dinner for the day would be in a Fusion restaurant in the mall. Fusion cuisines were decided upon because the members of F4 is unable to reach a consensus about the dinner menu. That, and the girls brought along by Yoon Ji Hoo and Song Woo Bin on this trip wanted to eat different things. For a while, Gu Jun Pyo thought of them going separate ways for dinner but then Geum Jan Di refuses to leave her friend – Chu Ga Eul alone with only the Korean Casanova for company. Thus, Song Woo Bin in an attempt to keep the mood peaceful among the group suggested going to a restaurant that serves Fusion Cuisine instead.
[Phew...I certainly hoped this isn't going to be the routine for this entire trip, else I might end up with white hair before the age of 30.] - Song Woo Bin thought inwardly as he starts leading the way to the restaurant that serves Fusion Cuisines in the mall.
"Is the food here any good?" Gu Jun Pyo eyed the signboard of the restaurant skeptically, given that he has never eaten in this particular restaurant before.
"I guess, that's something we would find out in due time." Song Woo Bin declared as he pushes open the door that leads to the inside of the restaurant.
Deciding to leave the task of ordering to the members of F4, since they can't understand a single word on the menu – the two Korean girls decided to spend their time surveying the interior of the restaurant instead. Geum Jan Di is very grateful to Gu Jun Pyo's decision to extend the invitation to her friend to join them on this trip, otherwise, she might find herself bored out of her mind due to the language barrier that existed between her and the rest of their female travel companions.
Not that Geum Jan Di would have anything in common to discuss with the girls brought on the trip by the Don Juan of F4, even if there isn't an existing language barrier, to begin with. Still, there would be times whereby she would crave female interaction and thus her insistence on having her best friend since childhood days to join her on the trip to New Caledonia.
~TBC~
Chapter Notes: So, here's the end of Chapter 1. What do you people think about it? I'll try to stick to the drama scenes in chronological sequence, but no guarantee though… since it's been some time and thus, I can't recall the scenes in the exact order.
Coming to Ga Eul's personality, there are bound to be slight changes here and there but I'll stick to the original as close as possible. That's all for now, see you next time.