Secret of the Autumn

by xiaoj

[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,

52. Chapter 52

Author's notes: Okay, I have to admit - I started this new document on the spur of the 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 at writing something about 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 52: Interlude - Christmas Break, Part 4

Location: Sunny's Family Home in Myeong-dong district, 25th December 2009, Friday, 8.30am

"Good morning, Sunny. You're up rather early today… and judging by your choice of attire, are you planning for a day out today?" Gye Sun-Hee started as she greeted the figure of Sunny Park Sun Ja, her cousin whose family she was currently lodging with temporarily. The young lady is actively searching for a new place of residence in Seoul, in preparation for her internship position with the renowned MZ Kitchen owned by the Korean branch of the Miyazawa F&B Group, due to commence in the coming new year. Until she found the ideal apartment, she would be staying with her relative - the Park family.

"Oh, good morning Sun-Hee-unnie. I see that you're finally back from your morning jog. Anyway, to answer your question - yes, I'm planning for a day out today. In fact, I'm heading out now." Sunny returned her cousin's morning greeting as she halted mid-steps, while on her way to the front door of the apartment unit.

"Yes, I just got back from my morning jog. Why are you heading out so early today? It's the holidays, I would've thought you would prefer to sleep in for a little while longer given the opportunity." Gye Sun-Hee commented rather quizzically, as she entered the kitchen of the apartment unit.

"Yes, well… I know, I can sleep in if I desire since it isn't a school day but I had sort of volunteered myself for the role of a tour guide to bring a visiting friend of mine, sightseeing around town today. Furthermore, I'd promised to meet him for breakfast this morning as well. So, I figured I might as well set off for the meet-up earlier rather than later." Sunny Park shrugged casually in response to her cousin's inquiry.

"Oh, I see. Wait a minute...did you just say 'him'? Your visiting friend is a guy? The two of you aren't dating one another, are you? Aunt and Uncle would blow a gasket if you were to date someone behind their back…" Gye Sun-Hee blinked and zeroes in her surprised gaze upon the figure of her cousin, her tone a mixture of alarm and disbelief.

"... Huh? I beg your pardon?" Sunny blinked in bewilderment. At first, she was baffled and then she found herself rolling her eyes at her cousin upon catching on to the hidden meaning behind Sun-Hee's words. And then, she plastered on her best-unimpressed look and deadpans to her cousin. "Your imagination went overboard for a moment. Let me correct your assumption, dear cousin of mine. I am not dating anyone at present. Even if, my visiting friend is indeed someone from the opposite gender group."

"Oh…okay, fine. Sorry if I had leaped to the wrong conclusion there, but you have to understand where I'm coming from. Based on my knowledge - you aren't exactly the type that would meet up with a friend of the opposite gender alone. So, forgive me when I assumed that you're going out on a date since there's apparently no one else tagging along you on this so-called sight-seeing trip." Gye Sun-Hee was quick to defend herself, upon being subjected to the unimpressed look by her cousin.

"Fine. I forgive you for leaping to the wrong conclusions. While it's true that I don't usually go out and meet someone from the opposite gender alone, considering that the guy I'm meeting up with today is a friend whom I met in Australia sometime back while I was on my solo trip adventure. It's not exactly ideal for me to invite someone else along to join us on the sightseeing trip to Seoul Forest Park today. Partly because of the language barriers that existed between the friend whom I'm meeting up later today, and whoever I'd decided to invite along on the trip… it's going to be a rather tedious day out unless I head out and meet up with the guy alone. It's definitely easier for us to communicate among ourselves than the idea of having to play interpreter among the group atop of showing this foreigner friend of mine around Seoul." Sunny Park Sun Ja commented in a dry and matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"I see… well, in that case, I shan't deter you further from your Xmas plans. Enjoy your day out playing tour guide for your visiting friend, I'll see you later tonight." Gye Sun-Hee nodded, satisfied that her curiosity about her cousin's plans had been sated, and waved off Sunny cheerfully.

"See you." Sunny waved back lazily and continued on her way out of the apartment, she didn't bother leaving a note behind for her parents with her cousin as she knew the two of them had headed out for their own Xmas date, shortly after breakfast earlier and likely wouldn't be back until later this evening. By then, she probably would have gotten home and thus, Sunny sees absolutely no need to leave a message behind informing her whereabouts for the day with her cousin who's looking to stay home for the entirety of today.

Meanwhile, Gye Sun-Hee fixed up a quick meal for herself in the kitchen of the apartment unit using a combination of the fresh milk she found in the fridge and the box of granola breakfast cereal she found in the kitchen's pantry. Afterward, she brought the bowl of breakfast cereal submerged in fresh milk out to the dining area and sat down at the dining table to enjoy her breakfast meal while continuing to look through the various property websites she had opened in the browser application of her personal mobile device. This is exactly how Gye Sun-Hee planned to spend the morning of today, despite it being the Christmas holiday.

Location: Outside Park Residence Hotel Myeong-dong, 25th December 2009, Friday, 8.45am

"Hey~ sorry to keep you waiting. So, have you thought about where to get breakfast yet?" Sunny started upon arriving at a stop in front of the waiting figure - Shinosaki Izumi, the heir of the Shinosaki B&B Inn based in Tokyo, Japan.

"I'm thinking of giving the breakfast kiosk - Issac Toast & Coffee situated on the opposite side of the street a try, but if you don't fancy the idea of eating on the go… then maybe we can opt to swing by the cafe a few blocks down the street." Shinosaki Izumi responded he had been observing the breakfast kiosk - Issac Toast & Coffee for some time now. Based on the reviews he had seen online, it seems like the breakfast kiosk without seating in Myeong-dong is the most popular despite the various outlets Issac Toast & Coffee has across town.

"Oh… Issac Toast & Coffee, I know that kiosk. It's a popular choice among both the locals and the tourists. I see you've been doing some research over the night about Myeong-Dong. Anyway, I'm completely fine with the idea of eating on the go. So, I'm perfectly fine with getting breakfast from Issac Toast & Coffee. Come on, let's get a move on… we'd better start queuing up before the line gets longer." Sunny remarked cheerfully at the Shinosaki heir in response, and started making her way across the street to the breakfast kiosk - Issac Toast & Coffee.

The Issac Toast & Coffee breakfast kiosk begins operating at 7am and closes at 8.30pm daily. Since the time is only 8.45am at present, and add in the fact that it's a public holiday - the crowd hasn't started to peak yet in Myeong-dong. And so, by the time 9am comes around - both Sunny and the Shinosaki heir had gotten their hands on their breakfast orders and are now eating away happily on a public bench installed in the vicinity of the nearby taxi stands for the shoppers to rest their feet after a long day of shopping errands while waiting for an available cab to come around and start picking up passengers.

Both Sunny and Izumi had chosen to get the bacon toast sandwich priced at 2800 KRW, and a cup of the Cafe Latte to go along with the toast. Although, this is the first time Izumi patronizes the breakfast kiosk, and therefore is naturally curious about the toasts listed on the menu of the kiosk he thought it best to follow in Sunny's lead when it comes down to placing his breakfast orders. Not just because he would have difficulty placing his orders with the staff situated behind the ordering counter, but also because he wasn't too adventurous when it came to food in general. And bacon toast sounds like one of the safer options, after all by picking bacon - Izumi knows he wouldn't risk getting his hands dirty while eating.

This is especially important to the Shinosaki heir because he hasn't had the insight to pack wet tissue on his person before leaving the hotel earlier, and there aren't any public washrooms available for him to visit for hand-washing until he gets to the Myeong-dong train station. That is, unless, he wishes to patronize another F&B outlet with proper seating by being thick-skinned and asking the staff openly if he could borrow their washroom to wash his hands without purchasing anything from the F&B outlet. Which, to be honest, isn't exactly an ideal thing to do, in his opinion.

"This is really good. I supposed I could understand why it's so popular with the tourists visiting Seoul now." Shinosaki Izumi commented when he finally gobbled up the last portion of his bacon toast sandwich.

Sunny simply smiled in response, for her, the toast is nothing peculiar having eaten the same thing on repeated past occasions. Perhaps because she's familiar with the menu served at Issac Toast & Coffee, she couldn't quite get the idea why this food kiosk always seems to attract so many tourists especially since there are easily over 700 outlets of the same chain all over the country.

"So, are you good to go now? Or would you like to queue for another serving of the toast sandwich if you're not quite full yet?" Sunny inquired smilingly as she glanced over to the Shinosaki heir for a response.

"Nah… I think I'm good for now. It's not like this is the only Issac Toast outlet in Seoul, I'm sure there are bound to be other outlets of the same chain in the areas we're due to visit shortly. So, if I'm curious about other sandwich toasts available on the menu - I can always wait to try them out elsewhere, at a later time." Shinosaki Izumi eventually remarked, after taking in the sight of the ridiculously long queue that had started to form during the time whereby they were eating.

"Fair enough. Come along then, let's head over to the train station in that case. I have planned a full-day itinerary for you, today." Sunny beams in response, as she begins leading the Shinosaki heir towards the direction of the train station - Euljiro 1 ga, on line 2 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway Network.

However, in terms of distance, their present location is closer to the Myeong-dong train station which is on the Line 4 subway route. Still, because the Seoul Forest Park is accessible via the line 2 service of the subway system - Sunny figures they might as well walk over to the Euljiro-1-ga station situated in the northern area of the Myeong-dong district instead of having to transit from line 4 to line 2 via the Dongdaemun History and Cultural Park station, at a later time.

Yes, Seoul Forest Park is their next intended destination. That's the first part of today's planned itinerary that came up by Sunny, after having checked with the Shinosaki heir about the places he would be interested in visiting today before the two of them parted ways, the day before.

The reason behind Sunny's decision to plan a trip to the Seoul Forest Park stems from the Shinosaki heir's interest in cycling at least once while visiting Seoul. Since Seoul Forest Park has a bike path available for visitors and one of the shops nearby in the district offers a bike rental service, Sunny thought a visit to the renowned Seoul Forest Park would satisfy the Shinosaki heir's desire to go on a cycling trail activity while visiting Seoul. After the cycling activity in the Seoul Forest Park, depending on the timing they might as well take their lunch in the area as there are plenty of nice eateries/restaurants within the neighborhood where the park is located.

For the second half of the day, Sunny is planning on bringing the Shinosaki heir to visit the Lotte World Theme Park, one of the two famous theme parks in South Korea. The other famous theme park is the Ever-land, both theme parks have their merits. However, Sunny personally prefers Lotte World over the Everland. Probably because she's not too big of a fan of the wildlife animals that's one of the main features of the Ever-land attraction, as opposed to the shopping activity she could do in Lotte World. Furthermore, Lotte World has both an indoor and outdoor theme park featuring different attractions/activities for the visitors to enjoy and that appeals to Sunny more than what the Ever-Land has to offer, in her opinion.

Besides, in terms of distance, it's easier to travel to Lotte World as opposed to the Ever-Land based on today's itinerary. Especially since both Seoul Forest Park and the Lotte World are accessible via the Subway line 2 network on the Seoul Metropolitan Subway train services, which was one of the main reasons contributing to Sunny's ultimate decision to show her visiting friend from Japan, the Lotte World theme park as opposed to the Ever-Land, or even the Seoul Land Theme Park, which was the earliest operating theme park that opened in Seoul.

Location: Shinhwa Hotel, Macau. Presidential Suite Room. 25th December 2009, Friday, 9.30am

"Thank you, head secretary Jeong." Gu Jun Pyo started, once the secretary assigned to him by his mother - Jeong Sang-Rok was done reporting to him on the progress of the few ongoing projects the Shinhwa Group had participated in, the China market.

"..." Jeong Sang-Rok nodded in acknowledgment of the dismissal tone in his young boss's voice but made no move to leave the room.

"Is there anything else you wish to report?" Gu Jun Pyo prompted, raising an eyebrow in an expecting manner as he flicked his eyes toward the unmoving figure of Jeong Sang-Rok.

"Young Master, it's Christmas today." Jeong Sang-Rok sighed inwardly as he commented in a matter-of-fact tone of voice while addressing Gu Jun Pyo, the recently crowned CEO of the Shinhwa Group.

"Yes, I'm aware that today's Christmas. Is there a point to your reminder?" Gu Jun Pyo frowned at his head secretary incomprehensibly in response.

"...Lady President Kang has indicated her wish for you to take the heiress of the JK Group out for a date, today. It was for this reason that the representatives of the JK Group had taken measures to forbid Ms. Jae-Kyung from leaving the hotel yesterday, following the end of the Xmas Gala event." Jeong Sang-Rok said in response to his young boss's inquiry, careful to keep his expression free of any signs of exasperation.

Gu Jun Pyo clucked his tongue in annoyance, inwardly fuming over his mother's meddling antics even while she was away on a business trip. Still, Jun Pyo is fully aware of the tight scrutiny his mother had upon him to keep him in control, and so, even if he could ensure Jang Sang-Rok's cooperation… he couldn't avoid having someone else on his secretary team against the notion of ratting him out to his mother, at a later timing. And so, he relented.

"Right, and just where exactly do you have in mind for me to bring her out today?" Gu Jun Pyo prompted, turning towards Jeong Sang-Rok for a viable suggestion.

At first, Jeong Sang-Rok was stumped but then, he recalled the so-called Christmas gifts that had been delivered via post earlier via the hotel's reception, citing that they were addressed to the hotel's CEO - Gu Jun Pyo. Upon closer inspection, the sender seems to be from the F3 who was currently back in Seoul, South Korea.

"You could perhaps consider bringing Ms. Jae-Kyung to visit the Venetian Macau." Jeong Sang-Rok begins, and then he handed over the envelope addressed to the young man which he had received from the hotel's receptionist on duty earlier, this morning.

Inside the envelope were the tickets to various events held in Venetian Macau dated with the validity period over a few days, with effect of today. Among the tickets included two admission tickets to the Cotai Expo Hall 1, where an exhibition displaying the collection of vases created by Asian talents was taking place. One of the creations on display was created by the named heir of the Woo Sung Museum - So Yi Jeong.

"..." It didn't take long for Gu Jun Pyo to realize that the envelope held the Xmas gifts from his friends to him, why else would he receive admission tickets to an art exhibition for no valid reason. Aside from the admission tickets to the exhibition showcasing the vases created by the Asian talents which included one of his childhood friends, there are also admission tickets to a concert event held coincidentally in the Venetian Macau Cotai Expo Hall, featuring the Su Am Strings Ensemble. Finally, there's a dining voucher meant for two-person usage in the envelope that's valid for utilization in any of the F&B outlets within the grounds of Venetian Macau.

"Fine, and where is the heiress of the JK Group now?" Gu Jun Pyo sighed, resigning himself to the idea of bringing the girl out for a day of activity at the Venetian Macau, this Christmas. Sure, his friends' Xmas gifts to him this year aren't exactly ideal in his personal opinions… but then again, it's not as if he had personally put in much thought when picking out Xmas gifts for his friends, this year.

"Based on my understanding, the representatives of the JK Group are likely having breakfast at the hotel's in-house restaurant at this time." Jeong Sang-Rok responded.

"..."

In Jae-kyung's opinion, spending the entire Christmas day in the company of Gu Jun Pyo definitely isn't what she had in mind to occupy her time. But as her parents are adamant on the notion of her making an effort to nurture a so-called bond between her and her soon-to-be fiance, the heiress of the JK Group was left with no options but to agree to the idea of spending a day out in Venetian Macau with the recently crowned director of the renowned Shinhwa Group.

So, with a roll of her eyes in exasperation, the heiress of the JK Group proceeded to prepare herself for the upcoming 'date' with the newly minted CEO of the Shinhwa Group.

Location: Seongbuk-dong, Seoul, Yoon's Family Home. 25th December 2009, Friday, 11am

"What are you guys doing here?" was the first thing that spilled forth from the lips of Yoon Ji Hoo, when he was forced to wake after having been notified by his family-employed housekeepers about visiting guests waiting to be attended at the front gate of his family home.

"Well… it's Christmas, and we have nothing better to do. At least, for the morning half of today… so, when Woo Bin suggested for us to have a Xmas get-together sans Jun Pyo at your place. I agreed." So Yi Jeong shrugged as he explained to Ji Hoo about the reason behind their presence, this morning at the Yoon family home.

At this, Yoon Ji Hoo shifted his inquiring gaze upon the figure of Song Woo Bin as he waited for his Don Juan friend to explain the reason behind their impromptu visit to his family home, this morning.

"Yes, I get that I probably should have informed you ahead of time about our plans to visit this morning… especially, since we have to scrape our initial plan to meet for dinner on X'mas, a few days ago." The Don Juan of F4 plastered on an innocent expression as he responded to the auburn-haired young man's silent query.

"And you couldn't have warned me about the possibility of you guys popping by this morning at the Shinhwa Gala last night?" Yoon Ji Hoo deadpans as he throws his two friends an unimpressive look.

"Yeah…well, I kind of forgot to mention it to you last night." Song Woo Bin responded in a rather sheepish manner, upon noticing the unimpressive look in Ji Hoo's eyes. As for the reason why he had completely forgotten to warn his auburn-haired friend last night about the possibility of Yi Jeong and him popping by this morning, well… that probably had to do with how his attention has been split between socializing at the Shinhwa X'mas Gala event and the text messages he had been keeping up with a certain heiress of the JK Group for the majority of last night while the event is taking place.

"... I've to say, I had no idea that Woo Bin hadn't mentioned anything to you about us coming by this morning. Believe me, when I say, I would've called up ahead to warn you of our impending arrival if I knew of his negligence to keep you updated on our adjusted meet-up plans on Xmas." So Yi Jeong commented when Yoon Ji Hoo glanced his way for an explanation for the current situation at hand.

"...fine. Come on in then. And just what exactly do you guys have in mind for us to do during this rather impromptu Christmas gathering session then?" Yoon Ji Hoo raised an eyebrow up in a questioning manner, as he waved his friends into the hanok house that belonged to his family, after having answered the door and received a so-called explanation for their uninvited arrival at his family home.

"Hmm… I was thinking we could get in some food delivery for lunch and perhaps play some games to kill time. That is if you both are agreeable to my suggestion." Song Woo Bin mused aloud in response as he followed his auburn-haired friend deeper into the house.

"I'm fine with getting in food delivery for lunch, it beats the option of having to head out for a meal without making any reservation." The Korean Casanova was the first to speak his mind about his friend's suggested plan for today.

"And you, Ji Hoo? Any objections to the proposed plan of us holding an impromptu luncheon party at your place?" Song Woo Bin prompted, shifting his gaze toward the silent figure of Yoon Ji Hoo.

"...well, it's not as though I have anything else planned for today. So, why not?" Yoon Ji Hoo shrugged, not in the least concerned about his friends deciding to host an impromptu Xmas luncheon party at his place of residence. However, he had to admit it would have been better if he had gotten a warning in advance. Truth be told, he was a tad irked about having his precious sleep-in time invaded by his uninvited friends.

"Excellent. Now, why don't we start casting votes in favor of a restaurant to order our lunch from?" Song Woo Bin beams as he pulls out several copies of the restaurant's promotion flyer and starts handing them out to his two friends as they settle down in the living room of the Yoon family home.

It didn't take them too long to decide on their lunch menu, given that there were only three of them having lunch together… they eventually decided to order takeout from a local Italian restaurant.

"Alright, order placed. Estimated delivery time is 50 minutes. What do you propose for us to do until then?" Song Woo Bin started after he had completed the food ordering task via the food delivery app installed on his mobile phone.

"..." For a while, there was silence. After all, this is the first time they are holding their luncheon party on Christmas at Ji Hoo's place. If Jun Pyo's around, chances are - they would be spending their time at the F4 Clubhouse where there are plenty of activities they could be doing to kill time while waiting for the food ordered to be delivered. Now though, it seems there wasn't much available for them to occupy their time.

"You know what, that's a very good question. I would suggest for us to play a round of the video games, but I highly doubt Ji Hoo had such resources available." So Yi Jeong commented dryly from his position on the sofa placed in the living room of the Yoon family home.

"You're right in your assumption that I do not have such resources readily available on hand. I do, however, own a vast collection of movies and DVDs… so, if you guys are open to the idea of watching a film on TV while waiting for our lunch to arrive… you're very much welcome to raid my movies collection." Yoon Ji Hoo responded gesturing towards the area where he usually stores his movie collection discs.

"Well… though watching a film this early wasn't exactly what I had in mind to do on Christmas, it beats the idea of not doing anything while waiting for lunch to arrive." The Korean Casanova commented drily as he approached the direction where his auburn-haired friend had gestured earlier, in search of a suitable film to watch.

Though Ji Hoo does own a vast collection of movies, not all films cater to the taste of the two resident playboys of F4. So, it took Yi Jeong quite some time to locate a film that was agreeable to everyone present in the comfort of Ji Hoo's home, this morning.

Lunch arrived while they were 20 minutes into the film - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991). As for the reason why this particular film was decided upon, well… the thing is 80% of the films that Yoon Ji Hoo had in his collection are classic titles. Meaning - films that are released in the early years up until the late 60s. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves just happens to be one of the few movies Ji Hoo had in his personal collection that's released in recent years, even though it's clearly more than a decade ago.

Twice, the movie was put on hold during this Christmas gathering of theirs, sans Jun Pyo. Once - to collect their lunch from the deliveryman and then, to collect the parcel from the courier service. The parcel turns out to be their Christmas gift from Jun Pyo, who's presently out of town.

"Why am I not surprised to find that Jun Pyo has decided to deliver our gifts to Ji Hoo at one go, instead of having the parcels delivered to our respective homes on a separate basis?" So Yi Jeong deadpans as he took the parcel labeled with his own name from Woo Bin who had stepped out earlier to collect the parcels from the courier service.

"He probably figured that we would likely gather at Ji Hoo's place on Christmas since he isn't around, based on past experience." Song Woo Bin shrugged in response as he took the parcel labeled with his name back to his seated position on the sofa couch in the living room of the Yoon family home, after handing the other parcel to his auburn-haired friend seated on the sofa armchair a couple of steps away from where he was seated.

Resuming the movie that had been placed on hold earlier, neither of them was in a hurry to start unwrapping the parcel that just come for them via the courier service. They figured whatever items their friend had gifted them this Christmas were likely one of the 'yet-to-release' new gadgets from one of the renowned Shinhwa businesses since that's what their friend tends to do when at a loss of what to gift them on occasions such as their birthdays or on Christmas whereby gifts are mandated as per tradition.

The F3 only shifted their attention back to the parcels that were delivered to them earlier when the movie session came to an end. Using the assistance of a penknife offered by Yoon Ji Hoo, the trio went on to unwrap the parcels as they unraveled their respective Christmas gifts delivered to them under the order of their missing friend - Gu Jun Pyo, via the local courier service.

True to their premonition, their gift turns out to be the latest version of the Camcorder produced and manufactured by Shinhwa Electronics.

"Okay… not exactly what I'm expecting but I'm not complaining either." Song Woo Bin commented when he finally landed his eyes upon the item that lay within the parcel.

"True. At least, it's practical and useful to an extent." So Yi Jeong shrugged his response as he took out the camcorder to inspect it in detail. Though he wasn't too much of a fan of such products but he knew his beloved country bumpkin would enjoy this particular gadget. And so, he decided that he wasn't going to call his absent friend up and complain, this time around.

Setting aside the camcorder, Yoon Ji Hoo turned towards his two friends with a curious look in his eyes as he started. "Out of curiosity, what did you guys send Jun Pyo for Christmas this year?"

"... Tickets to the art exhibitions that are currently being held in Venetian Macau, among them, including an exhibition with my creation on display." So Yi Jeong responded nonchalantly to the question put forth to them, by the Su Am heir.

"..." Yoon Ji Hoo blinked once then twice, before commenting. "What a coincidence! I gifted him tickets to the Su Am String Ensemble performance going on at the Venetian Macau as well."

Upon the end of Yoon Ji Hoo's statement, Song Woo Bin let out a bark of laughter as he started envisioning the look on their missing friend's face. "It's probably good that we are nowhere near Jun Pyo at present, he probably would be throwing us dirty looks if we were in front of him now."

"Indeed, and just what exactly have you gifted him?" Yi Jeong and Ji Hoo promptly shifted inquiring eyes upon their laughing friend, as they queried in unison.

"Discount vouchers to the dining outlets in Venetian Macau." Song Woo Bin remarked wryly.

"..."

Location: Shinhwa Hotel, Macau. 25th December 2009, Friday, 11.30am [Macau Time]/12.30pm [Seoul]

Meanwhile, over in Macau, too lazy and unmotivated to think of something that would suit the means of going out on a date with the heiress of the JK Group - Gu Jun Pyo decided to put the Christmas gifts he had received from his fellow F3 mates to good use. So, upon meeting up with Ha Jae-Kyung whom he was supposed to bring out for a date under the specific order of his dominating mother, at the front lobby of the Shinhwa Hotel in Macau - Gu Jun Pyo begins.

"Good, you're here. Let's get a move on then."

"... And just what exactly do you have in mind for us to do today?" The heiress of the JK Group prompted, as she made a move to follow the impatient young man walking slightly ahead of her towards the black limo parked in front of the hotel.

Neither of them is too keen on the idea of spending an entire day in the other presence but has no choice but to comply with the wishes of their respective parents. And so, they decided to cut straight to the point, and the sooner they left the hotel, the better. Though, they would still be kept under scrutiny of the people sent to chaperone them under the orders of Lady Kang Hee-Soo… at least, they could catch a breather while out in the crowd.

"We are going to spend the day over at the Venetian Macau." Gu Jun Pyo responded and didn't bother going into details of what exactly would be in their itinerary for the day. At least, he had no intention of doing so until they were readily seated in the car.

Once seated in the car, both Gu Jun Pyo and Ha Jae-Kyung allowed themselves to heave a sigh of relief as they were finally out of sight and in earshot of their chaperons. Though, there's still the driver of the limo around to keep an eye on them while they are on the way to Venetian Macau… at least, they can stop smiling at one another pretending to be pleased with the current situation.

"Now that we are finally seated in the car, care to share with me just what exactly you have planned for today?" Ha Jae-Kyung started, keeping it in mind to tone down her annoyance at the situation in general as they were still in front of an audience, albeit the audience was presently keeping his eyes on the road.

"Two choices. Option 1, we find somewhere to stop for lunch upon reaching our destination before heading to the exhibition halls to check out the ongoing exhibition, and then watch a performance held at the theater before ending this so-called date with dinner at a proper fine dining restaurant which would pleased both our parents, and then finally calling it a day. Option 2, we forgo the idea of grabbing lunch and headed straight for the exhibitions. After the exhibition tour, we find somewhere to enjoy a session of high tea before continuing on to the theater for the string ensemble performance. Lastly, we shall end the so-called date with dinner at a high-end restaurant of your choice. Of course, you would be given a comfortable ride back to the hotel on this limo." Gu Jun Pyo answered in a deadpan tone of voice.

"...I say we go for option 2. I don't know about you, but I had quite a heavy brunch before we met up earlier. So, I highly doubt I would be able to eat anything if we were to stop for lunch anytime soon." Ha Jae-Kyung responded, her tone flat and matter-of-fact.

"Fine, option 2 it shall be then." Gu Jun Pyo nodded before he shifted his attention away from the conversation to focus on something that was being displayed on his mobile phone.

Pleased with the idea of not having to make conversation with her traveling companion for the time being, the heiress of the JK Group promptly shifted her attention toward the passing scenery by glancing out of the moving car's window. As for Gu Jun Pyo, the newly minted CEO of the Shinhwa Group simply dug out his mobile phone from the pocket of his Armani suit and started going through his unread messages sitting away in the inbox of his messenger app. Granted, there's nothing of importance in these unread messages based on what he could see from the message preview but anything is better than having to make conversation with their heiress of the JK Group.

Ha Jae-Kyung, on the other hand, was pretty much satisfied with the idea of spending her time gazing out at the passing scenery while seated in the car heading for the direction of the Venetian Macau when a chime sounded from the inside of her unbranded mini backpack. Yes, though it's rare for someone of her social standing to be seen using/donning products/items that have no brands - the heiress of the JK Group isn't one of them. For Jae-Kyung, she doesn't really care much about brands… as long as the item/product can catch her attention while she's out shopping. Chances are, she would buy them immediately on the spot. This mini backpack happens to be one such item that caught her interest and attention while she's out shopping in the local market that caters to most budget travelers.

Digging out her mobile device from the inside of her mini backpack, Ha Jae-Kyung found that the source of the chiming from her phone is a result of an incoming text message from a certain Don Juan of F4.

Almost immediately, a wide grin forms on the lips of the JK Group heiress as she wastes no time in tapping on the message preview to read the newly received message in detail.

A Private Text Message Correspondence between Song Woo Bin and Ha Jae-Kyung, 12pm[Macau]/1pm [Seoul]

Song Woo Bin: Hey! Merry Xmas! How's your holiday going? Have you been enjoying your Xmas thus far?

Jae-Kyung: Hey! Merry Christmas to you too! ^_^ Thanks for inquiring, and though as much as I would love to claim that I've been enjoying my Christmas day thus far… it would be a blatant lie for me to say so. The thing is… I've been forced to spend today in the company of your friend - Gu Jun Pyo, who still looks as though I owe him a million bucks. =_=

Song Woo Bin: *Sweat-drop* You have my sympathy on this. You would have to forgive him for his lack of enthusiasm in your presence, I'm sure you're aware that he's not exactly keen on the idea of being forced to spend time in your presence when his interest lies elsewhere.

Jae-Kyung: That, I know. But the least he could do was to mask up his look of dread in front of me. I mean, it's dreadful enough that I'm unable to spend the day as I see fit… it would only further dampen my mood if I were to see his dark and gloomy face for the entirety of today. Besides, isn't Christmas supposed to be a day full of cheers? *Roll eyes Emoji*

Song Woo Bin: Well… I'll be here to lend a listening ear if you need to vent and bitch about him later. On a side note, what's on the itinerary plan for today's outing? I assumed he was the one to plan the outing?

Jae-Kyung: Yes. He's the one who planned our outing for today. According to him, we would be spending our day at the Venetian Macau. Something about an exhibition tour, and then a high tea session followed by a visit to the theater before ending the day with dinner in one of the high-end restaurants. *Shrugs emoji*

Song Woo Bin: ...*Sweat-drop Emoji* I see… glad to see that he has decided to put the Christmas gifts we, the F3, sent him to good use then.

Jae-Kyung: Dare I ask just what exactly you guys sent him for Christmas then?

Song Woo Bin: Based on what I've gathered from Ji Hoo and Yi Jeong, the former sent him tickets to the performance put up by the Su Am String Ensemble team taking place today at the theater while the latter sent him admission ticket to an ongoing art exhibition. As for me, personally… I've sent him dining vouchers to the various F&B outlets in Venetian Macau this year.

Jae-Kyung: It looks like he can't be bothered to spare time to plan an outing for today he simply decided to plan the itinerary based on the gifts he received from you guys. =_= Oh well… no harm done, fingers crossed and hope that the exhibition tour won't be too much of a bore for me to endure.

S: Time to go… we're arriving at the destination for today's outing.

Song Woo Bin: Right… remember I'll be here to lend you a listening ear tonight if you require. Until then, ^_~

Location: Chu's family home, Songpa-gu. 25th December 2009, Friday, 1.30pm

Ga Eul's Christmas begins with a family breakfast session at home, followed by a family movie session in front of their home TV unit making full use of their home entertainment system installed in the living room of their family home. After the movie session came to an end, it also marked the end of their family time together as both her parents and younger brother had plans of their own for the latter half of the day.

Her younger brother, Chu Jung Min has been invited to attend a Christmas party at a fellow classmate's home today. Since Ga Eul's parents aren't too comfortable with the idea of letting Jung Min travel on public transport alone, they decided to drop him off at the venue where the Christmas party is held before proceeding with their pre-planned itinerary for the day. The pre-planned itinerary for Ga Eul's parents this afternoon is to deliver the brownies baked wholly by Chu Su Won, the day before, to their relatives and family friends staying in the same city as them.

Every year, Chu Su Won, Ga Eul's adoptive father would prepare and bake a bunch of brownies for Christmas. These brownies serve as a gift of appreciation for their family friends and relatives, as well as for their respective co-workers and classmates. As per traditions, Chu Su Won has prepared an ample supply of the brownies by Christmas Eve as Christmas day is usually when they would go around visiting friends and relatives to deliver the brownies, together as a family.

This year is the first time they will not be going around visiting family friends and relatives together as a family. But then again, it's only to be expected of the kids to have their own plans for Christmas now that they've grown up. Since Ga Eul is due to attend the Christmas dinner held at the Sakuraba family later this evening, Chu Su Won decided to leave it entirely to Ga Eul to deliver the batch of brownies meant for the E3, this year. Likewise, he has left out enough brownies for Ga Eul to pack and deliver to her fellow friends, and co-workers. As for the remaining brownies, Chu Su Won would deliver them to the rest of their relatives staying in Seoul with his wife in tow.

"So, what time is the courier guy coming by to pick up the parcel of brownies for our relatives in Jeju and Namhaedo?" Chu Ga Eul inquires just as her mother passes him in the hallway of their family home, heading for the outside of the house to meet up with her adoptive father, and younger brother.

"Before 2pm, based on the time frame the courier company gave me - it says that their pick up would take place between 12-2pm today." Ga Eul's mother, Chu-Lee Mi Young responded.

"Hmm… okay, in that case, I'll wait for the pick-up to be done before heading for the shower." Ga Eul mused aloud in response before shifting her attention back to the rest of the brownies left on the kitchen counter waiting to be packed for delivery. Thus far, the brownies to be sent out to her relatives on the maternal side of the family have been readily packed for delivery. All that's left are the brownies to be delivered to the E3, Jan Di, and the porridge shop for her boss and fellow co-workers to share among themselves.

So far, except for the brownies meant for the E3 is definitely going to be delivered tonight. Ga Eul has yet to decide when to deliver the brownies for Jan Di and the porridge shop. Ideally, she would prefer to have the brownies dispatched out before the end of the day… but if there isn't enough time for her to pop by the porridge shop before having to turn up at the dinner gathering tonight taking place at the Sakuraba's residence, she would have to do it on the following day.

[Oh well… I guess I'll have to check in with Yi Jeong-sunbae and see if he's willing to make a detour to the porridge shop before heading over to the Sakuraba's residence later.] - Ga Eul thought inwardly to herself, as she continued with the task of packing the brownies.

The courier guy came by to pick up the parcel of brownies meant for delivery to Jeju and Namhaedo slightly after 1.30pm… and once the courier guy departed Ga Eul's family home with the parcel. Ga Eul wasted no time rushing upstairs to collect a fresh change of clothes before coming back down to the bathroom located on the ground floor for a quick shower. Once done with the shower, Ga Eul proceeded to drop a text message to a certain Korean Casanova for a quick check of the timing whereby the guy would be swinging by to pick her up for the dinner gathering scheduled to take place at the Sakuraba's residence later in the evening.

Text message between Chu Ga Eul and So Yi Jeong, 25th December 2009, Friday, 2.15pm

Ga Eul: Good afternoon, Yi Jeong-sunbae. ^_^ I hoped you'd enjoyed your Christmas lunch meet-up with the F3. Anyway, just thought to ask - what time would you be coming by to fetch me today? I hope you still remember… we have a dinner gathering to attend at the Sakuraba's tonight.

Yi Jeong: Good afternoon, Ga Eul. Yes, I do remember our dinner appointment at the Sakuraba's. Previously, we agreed to meet up around 4.30pm. Is this timing still okay for you or would you prefer to meet up later? We aren't required to arrive at the Sakuraba's residence until at least 6.30pm, since the dinner wouldn't start until 7pm, based on what's written in the invitation. In the meantime, what would you recommend for me to bring over to the Sakuraba's residence as a gift for the host? Would bringing over a bottle of wine work for your aunt?

Ga Eul: 4.30pm is fine if you don't mind making a detour to drop me off briefly at the porridge shop. I assumed you're off shopping for a suitable gift following the end of the lunch gathering then? Well, a bottle of wine would work… but I think my aunt would prefer champagne more. She prefers champagne over wine on most days.

Yi Jeong: Noted. Champagne then… I'll save the bottle of red wine for another occasion, in that case. And yes, you're right - I'm planning to go shopping for champagne in a while. Seeing as, I do not have a ready stock of champagne lying around in my pottery studio for me to use as a gift for our host, unlike wines.

PS: Why would you need to swing by the porridge shop today? You aren't scheduled for work today if my memory serves me correctly.

Ga Eul: *Giggles Emoji* Right, enjoy your shopping trip then. Yes, you remembered correctly. I'm not required to report for work today. I just need to drop something off at the porridge shop for the boss and Jan Di, that is all. I'll see you later at 4.30pm then, ^_^

Yi Jeong: See you. Out of curiosity, what is it that you need to drop off at the porridge shop?

Ga Eul: Oh… my Appa has the tradition of baking brownies to gift our relatives and friends every year. Since he baked them in batches, I took advantage and gave some of these brownies to the boss and Jan Di and made it a tradition of mine as well.

Yi Jeong: I see… and do I get any of these brownies?

Ga Eul: Of course, you do. You're my boyfriend, after all. I'll be bringing some for the E3 later too. You will get your share of the brownies later this evening. ^_^ Alright, I shan't deter you from your shopping task further. See you later.

Location: Sunny's family home, Myeong-dong, Sogong-ro. 25th December 2009, Friday, 3pm

Gye Sun-Hee has just short-listed a couple of the apartments she had seen online and was about to reach out to the respective property agents in charge of the listings when her mobile phone blares to life. Blinking once then twice, the 21-year-old did a double take on the caller ID trying to place a name with the number reflected on the home screen of her mobile phone before she decided to pick up the call.

Though the number didn't strike her as familiar in the least, Sun-Hee still opted to answer the call. Mostly because she has no way of telling whether the incoming call is going to be important or not. After all, Sun-Hee has sent out multiple applications for her internship program in Seoul before her school goes on term break. Although she has gotten back a response from most companies via email by this point, there are still a couple that have yet to come back to her with a response about her internship application. That was one of the main reasons, Sun-Hee finally decided to answer an incoming call from an unknown number.

Inwardly, Sun-Hee was thinking that if it's indeed one of the companies to which she had sent out her internship application - she's going to have to reject their offer now that she has already accepted the internship offer from MZ Kitchen, on behalf of the Miyazawa Group. It was with this particular thought in mind that Gye Sun-Hee answered the call.

"Hello, this is Gye Sun-Hee. May I know who's calling?" Sun-Hee begins as she answers the call politely.

"Hi, Sun-Hee. This is Amy here, Amy Kim Chan-Mi. I hope you still remember who I am… but just in case, you don't. Allow me to jog your memory for a bit, I used to sit beside you in class back in high school. Does it ring any bell for you yet?" The caller said in a rush, probably fearing that Sun-Hee would simply hang up if she failed to state the purpose of her call within seconds.

It took a while, but eventually, Sun-Hee managed to place a face with the name after the caller specifically brought up the mention of her high school. "...Oh, okay. Yes, I remembered. Did you happen to change your number? I have trouble recognizing the number you are using now, to be honest."

"Yes, I did change my number and that's exactly the purpose of my call today. I switched my mobile plan operator and hence the necessity for the change in my phone number." Amy responded through the phone.

"I see… but if that's all, a simple text message would also suffice - isn't it?" Gye Sun-Hee prompted, believing that her friend's reason for calling her up wasn't that simple.

"Alright, fine… you caught me. The thing is today's Christmas day, and our class representative back in high school would like to organize a class reunion session tonight. I've been tasked to extend invitations to all our classmates, and that's the reason for me calling you up at this time." Amy Kim answered, sounding a tad cheeky over the line.

"Ah… now that makes better sense. Though I'm glad to hear that there's a class reunion session being planned. The downside is that I would not be able to join the class reunion this time, mostly because I'm not in Busan at present." Gye Sun-Hee responded somewhat apologetically over the phone.

"Eh? You aren't in Busan now? Are you on holiday somewhere?" Amy sounded surprised at the response provided by Sun-Hee, as she didn't peg her former classmate as someone who enjoys traveling.

"Not exactly on a holiday. I'm actually in Seoul at present, in preparation for my internship program." Gye Sun-Hee admitted to her former high school classmate, whom she very much considered a good friend.

"...Internship? So fast? I thought internship doesn't begin until the last year of our tertiary education?" Amy couldn't help but blurt out in response to Sun-Hee's words, obviously stunned to hear about a former classmate's impending experience as an intern in the corporate world.

"Erm… well, you see… I didn't enroll in any of the traditional universities. Instead, I opted to enroll myself in a vocational training institute to pursue my dream of being a pastry chef. That's the reason why I'm starting my internship program this early. It's a 2-year program, with a six-month internship towards the end of the entire course." Gye Sun-Hee was silent for a second before she tried to explain to her former classmate the reason why she was starting her internship program ahead of the rest of their former classmates from high school.

"I see… that's definitely a surprise. I mean, your grades are so good that most universities would accept you in their fold that most of us, including the class representative were so sure that you would join the Pusan National University upon graduation." Amy Kim Chan-Mi, took a moment to absorb the information provided to her by Sun-Hee over the phone, before commenting in response.

"Yes, well… I know my grades are good enough to secure me a place at the Pusan National University. In fact, I did spend some time considering what I intend to do with my future. It was with careful consideration that I made up my mind to pursue my dream and desire of becoming a pastry chef. So, after I decided on the career I wished to pursue in the future, I decided to apply for a place with the Korea Cooking Art Academy in Busan. Speaking of which, where did you end up applying? I had meant to ask you before at the graduation prom night event, but I never had a chance to do so as you are always preoccupied with the task of photo-taking with the rest of our schoolmates." Gye Sun-Hee first took a moment to explain the reason behind her choice of going into vocational training as opposed to the typical tertiary education, before she inquired about her former classmate's choice of the tertiary institute for further education following their graduation from high school.

"Ah… I ended up applying for the Computer Information program with the Busan Institute of Science and Technology." Amy Kim Chan-mi answered, her tone casual before she commented on Sun-Hee's choice of study in a musing tone of voice. "Either way, I bet your decision to enroll in a cooking school surprised quite a fair bit of people at one time. To be honest, I'm still trying to digest this little bit of information on my end and I could already envision the look of utter surprise on the faces of our fellow former classmates during the class reunion session held later tonight when I drop this particular piece of information on them."

"Yeah, I believe so. After all, even my own family members were surprised to hear about my decision to enroll in a baking and pastry course with the Korea Cooking Art Academy as opposed to studying for a proper degree program with a prestige university." Gye Sun-Hee shrugged, already used to the idea of people being shocked about her choice of career path by this point in time.

"Alright then, I shan't hold up your time any longer than I had. I'll proceed to inform the class representative that you won't be joining us for the class reunion session tonight. I still had a couple of people to call up about the class reunion session, so I guess here's where I ought to end the call with you. All the best for your internship in Seoul, perhaps we could catch up in person one of these days. Until then, goodbye" Amy eventually said, before ending the call on her end.

"Sure, we'll catch up another time. Goodbye." Gye Sun-Hee responded and proceeded to replace Amy's contact number in the contact list of her mobile device following the end of the call.

Once she was done updating her friend's new number in the contact list on her mobile phone, Gye Sun-Hee proceeded to drop a text message to the property agent listed on the various short-listed properties to request an apartment viewing session over the next few days. And since the short-listed properties are all listed under the same property agent, it saves Sun-Hee from the hassle of having to forward similar messages to several property agents at the same time. Instead, what she did was to compose a brief message to the property agent citing her interest in viewing the listed properties on the website by providing the agent, a list of her short-listed properties.

With the message sent out to the property agent, Gye Sun-Hee proceeds to occupy her attention by watching a show she had previously bookmarked on her laptop but hasn't had the time to actually view. She knew not to expect a prompt response from the property agent she had contacted moments ago, as today's Christmas. Not everyone has the habit of working on a holiday, except for people who work in selected industries.

Location: Porridge Shop, Seoul. 25th December 2009, Friday, 5.30pm

Pushing open the door leading to the inside of the porridge shop, Chu Ga Eul was greeted by the sight of a near-empty restaurant as well as the sight of a preoccupied-looking Geum Jan Di.

"Jan Di, I hope you aren't moping around over the thought of Jun Pyo-sunbae, again." Chu Ga Eul started her voice jarring Geum Jan Di back to the plane of reality.

"... Ga Eul… when did you get here?" Geum Jan Di begins, plastering on a look of nonchalance and avoiding her friend's pointed gaze directed her way. It wasn't her intention to zone out during work, but she couldn't help it. It's easier to avoid thinking about Gu Jun Pyo when she's kept busy with various tasks at hand, but when business slows and the porridge shop is nearly empty with no customers around for her to serve… Jan Di tends to let her mind wander.

"Not too long, about a minute or two, perhaps. Here, are the usual brownies for you and your family to share. Where's the boss, by the way?" Ga Eul answered as she handed over a plain-looking cake box big enough to fit in a 10-inch birthday cake. Inside the box, there are approximately 16-20 pieces of brownies for Jan Di to share with her family members.

"Oh… thank you. The boss went out to run some errands, so he's not around at present." Geum Jan Di said in response, as she accepted the cake box from her childhood friend.

"I see… in that case, please hand over the other box of brownies to him on my behalf. I'm afraid I can't stay too long, as I have other appointments to keep this evening." Chu Ga Eul nodded in response as she handed Geum Jan Di another box of brownies of the same size.

"Sure. Merry Christmas, Ga Eul." Geum Jan Di beams in response at her childhood friend, as she places both boxes of brownies down on the cashier counter lest she forget about their existence later.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Jan Di. Send my greetings to the boss as well. I'll see you tomorrow." Chu Ga Eul said before turning to leave the porridge shop. A certain Korean Casanova was waiting for her down the street in his distinctive orange Lotus, and she didn't want to keep the guy waiting for long.

A block away from the building where the porridge shop was located is where the orange Lotus was parked temporarily. The owner of the distinctive orange Lotus, a certain Korean Casanova of F4 was genuinely surprised to find his girlfriend returning from the brownies delivery trip to the porridge shop, in less than 20 minutes.

"That's awfully fast of you, I was expecting you to be done with the delivery in half an hour, to be honest." So Yi Jeong commented as he stepped out of the car to open up the side-passenger door for his girlfriend.

"Yes well… the boss isn't around, so that saves me from having to engage in small talk with him while dropping off the brownies. And since Jan Di is the only staff working today, there isn't a need for me to spend too much time socializing in the shop as well." Chu Ga Eul explained as she thanked her boyfriend for his gentlemanly act of opening up the side passenger door for her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." So Yi Jeong answered, flashing his beloved country bumpkin the dimpled smile that he knows his girlfriend adores before heading back to the driver's seat. Upon retaking his position behind the steering wheel of the orange Lotus, the Korean Casanova pulled out his mobile device and opened up the maps function app on his phone as he handed the gadget over to Chu Ga Eul.

"Do me a favor and enter your cousin's address into the app, will you?" So Yi Jeong commented as he buckled up his seatbelt.

"...Sure, though I've to say that I'm surprised that you'd still require the GPS function while on the road." Chu Ga Eul sounded somewhat bemused as she obliged her boyfriend's request to input the address of the Sakuraba's residence into the maps function app on her boyfriend's mobile device.

"Well… as much as I would love to claim that I know my way around Seoul, inside-out. The truth is… there are still routes that I'm not familiar with, one of which happens to be the route that links this part of the city with the Gangnam residential district. I'm not a professional cab driver, after all." The Korean Casanova admitted.

"Ah… I see, alright. Done." Chu Ga Eul stifled down a giggle bubbling, and promptly handed the mobile gadget with the address of the Sakuraba's residence filled up; back to the Korean Casanova.

"Thank you." So Yi Jeong responded as he accepted the offered device before placing it on the phone holder installed and attached to the dashboard of his orange Lotus. With that done, he finally restarted the engine of his vehicle and steered them away from their current location and towards the direction where the main traffic lay.

As Yi Jeong and Ga Eul set off for the Sakuraba's residence situated in the Gangnam district of Seoul, Sunny, and Shinosaki Izumi who had been exploring the Lotte World Adventure Theme Park three hours ago, were just getting down from an attraction ride on the Viking ship.

Location: Lotte World Adventure Indoor Theme Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. 25th December 2009, Friday, 5.45pm

"That was a rather fun ride. I have to admit, it goes beyond my expectation of an indoor attraction ride." Shinosaki Izumi commented as they alighted from the Viking ship, an attraction ride on the first floor of the Lotte World Adventure Theme Park.

"I'm glad you're satisfied with the ride. I know it's not comparable to the infamous thrilling ride on a roller coaster commonly found in theme parks, but this is already considered thrilling enough for people who didn't really have a stomach for heights." Sunny Park Sun Ja responded as she took a moment to regain her sense of balance, after getting off the Viking ship ride.

"Ah… so, are you one of them?" Shinosaki Izumi prompted, an oddly curious look apparent in his gaze as he turn his eyes upon the figure of his traveling companion cum tour guide, for the entirety of today.

"I beg your pardon?" Sunny blinked, throwing a quizzical look towards her companion.

"You mentioned people who didn't have a stomach for heights earlier, so… are you part of these people?" Shinosaki Izumi prompted, keeping his gaze fixated on Sunny as he waited for the girl's response.

"You know… that's a very good question. As adventurous as I am, I'm not so brave that I would dare to ride on a hot-air balloon nor am I brave enough to try parachuting as an activity. The same goes for bungee jumping. But then again, I would like to go on a roller coaster ride given an opportunity. Ironic, isn't it?" Sunny responded with a shrug, before turning towards her traveling companion and asking her next question. "So, it's now 5.45pm… what would you like to do next? Continue to explore the other attraction rides in the theme park, or find somewhere to grab ourselves dinner?"

"Hmm… I would prefer for us to grab dinner first. I don't know about you, but the lasagna we ate for lunch at the Italian restaurant near the Seoul Forest Park has been digested by now." Shinosaki Izumi admitted somewhat sheepishly as he turned towards Sunny for advice on where to grab dinner, in the area.

"That's fine, no worries. I'm your guide today, so of course, you will get to decide what to do next. Okay, so… dinner, do you have any place in mind where you would like to eat?" Sunny Park Sun Ja inquires as she turns towards her companion for an answer.

"Hmm… is there anywhere we could grab dinner without having to exit the theme park? That way, we could continue to explore the remaining part of the theme park which we have yet to visit after dinner, instead of having to queue again for re-entry at the entrance of the theme park, again." Shinosaki Izumi asks Sunny back in return, seeing as Sunny's the one with the guide map of the theme park in hand.

"Well…assuming that we stick to the F&B outlets within the theme park that offers us the option of proper meals, we have Raracost on Level 2, M-Table on Level 3, and Crystal Palace (T.G.I.F) on Level 1. Crystal Palace is located around the Merry-Go-Round section of the Adventure theme park… but all of the above-mentioned restaurants are Western cuisines. So, ultimately… it boils down to what you want to eat for dinner. If you're leaning towards pizza and pork cutlet, we can opt for Crystal Palace. But if you wish to see more variety on the menu… Raracost and M-Table would be a better choice. Raracost is a family restaurant serving an Italian menu, whereas M-Table is a casual Hawaiian restaurant." Sunny cited, providing Shinosaki Izumi with the information she managed to garner from the brief introduction of the respective restaurants printed on the guide map of the Lotte World Indoor Theme Park.

"Hmm… in that case, let's head over to the M-Table then." Shinosaki Izumi took a moment to consider the options available before making up his mind about where to grab dinner. He decided to pick M-Table mostly because Raracost seemed to remind him of the various family restaurants he had seen back in Japan, and the menu didn't seem to differ much from the menu offered by family restaurant chains such as Jonathan's and Saizeriya, as well as Gusto commonly sighted and seen around the various parts of Japan.

"Sure, M-Table it shall be then. Now let's get a move on, and hopefully, we will manage to get there before the dinner crowd begins." Sunny responded as she began to lead them towards the direction of the escalator which would get them to the upper floor of the Lotte World Adventure Theme Park.

Given that it's a public holiday, it's no wonder that the restaurant was nearly full-house when the duo finally found the place. Signaling for Shinosaki Izumi to grab them a table in the nearly full-house restaurant, Sunny proceeds to study the menu that is hanging on the wall near the entrance to get a better idea of the food served in the restaurant.

"Okay, I've snapped a picture of the menu hanging near the entrance since I couldn't get a hold of any idling copies around. Sorry, there's no English version of the menu but I can translate for you. So, just go through the menu using the photo gallery of my phone." Sunny said when she finally reached the table which Shinosaki Izumi had grabbed for them while she was busy studying the menu of the restaurant earlier.

"That's fine. So, what's on the chef recommendation list?" Shinosaki Izumi inquires, always willing to give the menu item recommended by the in-house chef a try.

"As per the Crystal Palace, they have the pork cutlets served with rice here. And then, there's a variety of fried rice to choose from… as well as the black bean noodles." Sunny commented as she pointed out the few sections labeled with the logo of 'chef recommendation' to her companion.

"Ah… in that case, I think I'll give the black bean noodles a try." Shinosaki Izumi eventually said, finally going for the noodles option given that he had already tried the Kimchi fried rice for dinner, the day before in Myeong-dong. As for the pork cutlet with rice, he decided to forgo it as it reminded him a tad too much of the infamous Katsudon (Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl) that could be found easily in Japan.

"No problem, would you like to order a drink to go along with the food?" Sunny asks next after Shinosaki Izumi has decided on the main staple to order for dinner.

"A bottle of mineral water if it's available, I guess." Shinosaki Izumi answered, not too much of a fan of gassy drinks such as Coca-Cola, commonly found in the beverage list of restaurants housed within theme parks.

"Sure. Now, just sit down and wait while I proceed to place our orders with the staff manning the counter." Sunny nodded before leaving the table to join the queue in front of the food ordering counter.

During the time while waiting for Sunny to come back with the food orders, Shinosaki Izumi didn't spend his time idling either. Instead, he fully utilized this time to sort through the photos taken on his digital camera earlier in the day. Unlike most travelers who enjoy updating their social media accounts on the go, while on an overseas trip. Shinosaki Izumi prefers to do the photos uploading for the holidays after returning home, that way, he could do a mass upload of the photos onto his Facebook account.

Sunny, on the other hand, differs from Izumi in the sense that she finds the task of performing mass uploads of the pictures taken on a trip a chore. And so, she prefers to snap photos on her mobile phone and upload them at the end of each day while exploring a new place. And though, she isn't overseas at present; Sunny still kept up with the habit of updating her social media account whenever the occasion and opportunities arise. One such opportunity was when she had the chance to try out some new restaurants in places that she seldom visits. Therefore, upon returning to the table with the food orders in hand, Sunny wasted no time in snapping a photo of the food ordered before Shinosaki Izumi could dig in.

"Okay, I'm done. Now you can enjoy your dinner." Sunny said after she's done with the task of taking a photo of the dishes ordered for dinner, this evening at the M-Table restaurant in the Lotte World Indoor Adventure theme park.

"That was fast, you're certain that one single photo is sufficient for your Instagram update?" Shinosaki Izumi prompted, sounding a tad surprised by how fast Sunny was with the photo-taking process. He had the honor of witnessing first-hand how his former female classmate behaved during a class gathering in a restaurant setting previously. That former classmate of his took more than five minutes to be done with the entire photo-taking session comprising of just the food served, itself.

"Yes, well… it's not as though I'm writing a food blog and thus requires a dozen photos of each dish on its own. All I intend to do is to update my Instagram account with what I've done during this Christmas break. Thus, I figured that a photo of the food ordered, combined with a picture of the menu with the restaurant's logo would suffice. And of course, a we-fie of us towards the end of the meal wouldn't hurt." Sunny responded, adding the last part as an afterthought.

"Sure, but you're going to have to be the one in charge of taking our photo because I'm not all that skillful when it comes down to taking self-portraits on the mobile device without a selfie stick on hand." Shinosaki Izumi commented easily enough.

"Excellent, but we can leave that for later. Now let us enjoy our dinner before the food gets cold." Sunny beams in response, as she handed the pair of chopsticks over to the young man seated opposite from her at the table.

Location: Sakuraba's Residence in Gangnam district, Seoul. 25th December 2009, Friday, 6.30pm

"Finally! I thought the two of you decided to ditch us in favor of a date, for a moment." Miyazawa Kazuki proclaimed when his half-sibling, Chu Ga Eul finally shows up at the Sakuraba's residence with the Korean Casanova in tow.

"..." Ga Eul threw her half-sibling a look of annoyance, before ignoring the guy altogether. Instead, she turned towards the figure of Sakuraba Shuichi and said. "Sorry for being late. It took us a bit of time to find a parking lot for the car. Where's Aunt Shinobu, by the way?"

"It's fine, dinner doesn't begin until 7pm anyway." Sakuraba Shuichi answered, waving off Ga Eul's words of apology with ease before responding to the girl's query concerning his mother's whereabouts. "As for the whereabouts of my mom, well… she's currently amid a video call in the privacy of her room with my sister and father. No doubt, she would emerge when it's time for dinner to be served."

"I see… here, as per traditions. Brownies prepared and baked by my Appa, please split it among the three of you using the extra paper boxes I've brought along. There should be enough to cater for this evening's dessert, and still have plenty for Shunsuke and Kazuki to bring home." Ga Eul nodded in response to her cousin's words, before handing over the box of brownies to the figure of Sakuraba Shuichi.

"Oh… thank you. Speaking of which, where are your parents and Jung Min, this evening? Are they not turning up for the dinner gathering tonight?" Sakuraba Shuichi inquires, sounding a tad curious about the whereabouts of his cousin's family members, this Christmas. After all, his mother has made it a tradition to invite the Chu family over for dinner nearly every Christmas… and the Chu family does show up with Ga Eul, on most occasions.

"Jung Min's at a friend's Xmas party this evening, and thus my parents decided to seize the opportunity for some private time away from our presence. Therefore, yes - they aren't going to show up for dinner at your place, this year." Chu Ga Eul responded with a shrug, before sneaking a glance over to where her boyfriend stood.

Apparently, during the time when she was busy conversing with Sakuraba Shuichi… her boyfriend, the Korean Casanova of F4, So Yi Jeong been dragged into a conversation with Saionji Shunsuke and her half-sibling, Miyazawa Kazuki regarding the Shinhwa Group. Due to the distance, Ga Eul wasn't able to get everything from the conversation taking place between So Yi Jeong and the other two members of E3 but based on the few words that caught her attention, they seemed to be talking about the current financial outlook of the Shinhwa Group in general.

It was about five minutes to 7pm when the host for tonight's dinner gathering - Sakuraba nee Miyazawa Shinobu, Shuichi's mother finally showed up in the living room of the apartment unit owned by the Sakuraba family in Seoul, South Korea.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I hope I haven't kept you guys waiting for too long. Once again, thank you for accepting the invitation and gracing my humble abode with your presence, this evening." Sakuraba nee Miyazawa Shinobu calls out as she announces her entrance into the living room to the guests gathered in her humble abode this evening.

"Good evening, Aunt Shinobu. Merry Christmas." Miyazawa Kazuki greeted cheerfully as he moved forward to give his aunt, a hug.

"Merry Christmas, Kazuki. I'm glad to see that you aren't late for dinner, this year." Shinobu greeted the Miyazawa heir cordially back in response.

"In my defense, it wasn't exactly my fault that I was late last year. How was I supposed to know that my car would get a punctured tire at that particular time." Miyazawa Kazuki was quick to defend himself when his aunt brought up the mention of his late arrival at the Christmas gathering last year.

"Kazuki, there's no need for you to get defensive. I wasn't faulting you for your tardiness last year, I'm simply stating a fact." Shinobu deadpans at her nephew, before shifting her gaze onto the rest of the attendants for the Christmas dinner.

"Welcome, Shunsuke. It's good to see you again. How have you been recently?" Shinobu said when her eyes landed on the childhood friend of her son and nephew.

"I've been well, thank you for inquiring. Shinobu-sama, sorry to trouble you again with my presence this Christmas." Saionji Shunsuke responded to the words of greeting directed his way by the mother of his childhood friend, politely.

"Oh no… it's no trouble. In fact, I find your presence quite enjoyable. In fact, you should consider coming by more often for dinner. After all, dinner could be dull with just me and Shuichi alone on most days." Sakuraba Shinobu responded, waving off the apology from Saionji Shunsuke with ease.

"Yes, bro. I mean, where else are you going to spend Christmas if not with us?" Miyazawa Kazuki was quick to interject, his tone cheeky as always.

"My sentiments, exactly." Sakuraba Shuichi first nodded at his cousin, Kazuki before turning his eyes upon the figure of Saionji Shunsuke as he comments. "What Kazuki said earlier is what I was going to say as well. We both know of the reason behind your reluctance to spend your holiday at home, back in Tokyo. And since we didn't mind you joining our families for Christmas back then, we certainly aren't going to take an issue with you spending your Christmas at my place now that we are in Seoul. After all, there's no one here with you in Seoul aside from us."

"Indeed. There's no way we are going to let you spend your time holed up in your little rental studio apartment on Christmas day when we could meet up and have fun together." Miyazawa Kazuki added on to Shuichi's statement in a firm tone of voice.

"Thank you, guys." Saionji Shunsuke heaved a sigh of relief inwardly before he gave his two childhood friends a friendly hug of appreciation and gratitude.

Meanwhile, Sakuraba Shinobu finally allowed her gaze to land upon the figure of Chu Ga Eul and the renowned Casanova of F4. "Good evening, Ga Eul." Turning towards the young man who stood next to Ga Eul, Sakuraba Shinobu began. "And this must be the infamous So Yi Jeong of F4."

Unsure of how to react to this statement coming from the host of tonight's dinner session, Yi Jeong decides to simply shrug off his moment of awkwardness and proceed to greet the figure of Sakuraba Shinobu with a polite smile of his own.

"Good evening, Madam. Thank you for inviting me to join your family for dinner, tonight. Here's a little gift for you which I hoped you would find ideal for tonight's dinner setting." So Yi Jeong started as he stepped forth with the bottle of champagne nicely packaged in a gift bag by the staff on duty at the Shinhwa Mall, earlier in the evening.

"Thank you." Sakuraba Shinobu accepted the offered package with a cordial smile playing on her lips. It wasn't until her eyes landed on the item that sat in the gift bag that she finally allowed her eyes to light up with joy. Looks like her niece offered the Korean Casanova some useful tips on the subject of picking up an ideal gift for her, this evening.

Upon noticing the look of satisfaction glinting in the eyes of her aunt, Chu Ga Eul turns towards the Korean Casanova as she whispers softly so that no one else aside from her boyfriend can hear her. "Looks like you'd managed to pick a champagne that meets her satisfaction."

"That's a good sign, I reckon?" So Yi Jeong whispered softly back to Ga Eul in return.

"Very likely. So, I think you can set your mind at ease now. She's probably not going to grill information out of you while dinner is underway since you'd managed to please her with a gift." Chu Ga Eul nodded in response to her boyfriend's query.

"That's good to know." So Yi Jeong nodded before shifting his attention back to the conversation going on between the E3. The last thing he wished was for the members of the E3 to highlight his interactions with Ga Eul on the sly to the lady host of tonight's dinner session.

"Boys, if you are quite done. I believe we have dinner waiting for us in the dining area." Sakuraba Shinobu waited for a few minutes for the chit-chat between the members of E3 to die down, before pointing out the glaring fact that it was time for them to sit down for dinner.

"Right, of course. We can continue the conversation over dinner." Miyazawa Kazuki said as he started heading for the designated dining area of the Sakuraba's residence.

Since it's an apartment unit, there's no proper dining room. Instead, the dining area was tucked in between the kitchen and the living room. The dining table was rectangular in shape and big enough to seat six people at one time, on each side of the table. Of course, the maximum capacity of the dining table is eight; if there's seating placed on the two ends of the dining table. Thus far, there's only one occasion whereby the dining table was put to use at its full capacity mode and that's when the entire Chu family shows up for dinner upon being invited. Which is rather rare, as Chu Su-Won often finds it awkward to join the Sakuraba family for dinner.

It's one thing if it's a party setting with a dozen guests in attendance as he could easily blend into the crowd and avoid crossing paths with the host. But when it comes down to private dinner sessions hosted by the Sakuraba family, chances are Chu Su-Won would politely decline the invitation for dinner on most occasions. So, 80% of the time - only Ga Eul would show up for these private dinners hosted by Sakuraba Shinobu. Occasionally, Ga Eul's mother might decide to attend the dinner but that's usually because she has things to discuss with Sakuraba Shinobu which may or may not be related to work.

Dinner is served on individual food trays, comprising of a main dish with two side dishes; completed with a soup of the day as an appetizer alongside a small bowl of fruits as the after-meal dessert.

"..." So Yi Jeong wasn't sure what he was expecting from the dinner menu before, but whatever he had been expecting - it certainly wasn't what he sees now.

"Not exactly what you'd been expecting for dinner, right?" Saionji Shunsuke commented when he noticed the dumbfounded look on the face of the Korean Casanova.

"Yes…well, a little shocked - I guess?" So Yi Jeong eventually managed to recover from his dumbfounded state of mind as he plastered on a look of nonchalance as he followed Saionji Shunsuke to the dining table where he took the seat next to the young man. And then, his girlfriend - Chu Ga Eul took the seat next to him, filling up one side of the dining table. On the other side of the table sat the Miyazawa heir and the mother and son duo - Sakuraba Shuichi and Sakuraba Shinobu.

"Interesting… this ought to be the first time we're having bento-style dinner for Christmas." Chu Ga Eul commented aloud when she landed her eyes on the food tray placed in front of her after she took her seat at the table.

"Indeed, it was buffet style last year - wasn't it?" Miyazawa Kazuki turns towards Sakuraba Shuichi for confirmation.

"To be exact, it was more of a mini buffet style catered for 8 to 10 pax. Menu-wise, it's leaning toward the Asian menu - I believe. The main staple was seafood fried rice, and then there were chicken nuggets; sauteed cauliflower; deep-fried gyoza, and baked salmon. Dessert was lemon meringue tart…this year though, the menu seems a tad more westernized? " Sakuraba Shuichi responded to Kazuki's query before shifting curious eyes upon his mother for an explanation behind the change in menu for this year's Christmas dinner.

"I'm not sure if you recall, but we have quite a fair bit of leftover food after the dinner session came to an end last year. So, this year - to prevent the same scenario from happening, I decided to opt for a bento-style dinner as opposed to the mini buffet-style dinner. That way, it will minimize the chances of having too much leftover food at the end of the meal." Sakuraba Shinobu stated in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, explaining her reason for changing the menu for this year's Christmas dinner.

"Ah… I have to admit, that's a nice idea. I'm sure there wouldn't be any leftover for tonight's dinner, after all, judging by the looks of it - the portion size doesn't seem too heavy for a single person's consumption." Chu Ga Eul commented then, after taking a good look at the contents sitting in the food tray in front of her.

The main dish served for today's dinner is the salmon spaghetti in white sauce, combined with the side dish of coleslaw and mini croquettes. The soup of the day seems to be the cream of chicken soup judging from its color, and the small bowl of fruits appears to be grapes and a slice of watermelon cut into cubes.

Light conversations were maintained throughout dinner, albeit 80% of the time - Sakuraba Shinobu was conversing with the members of the E3, in particular - Kazuki and Shuichi. For Shuichi, the conversation mostly revolves around the mundane daily activities in school and at home. Since Sakuraba Shinobu has been kept busy at work on most days, it's often during dinner time that the mother and son have time for interaction. Therefore, it wasn't any different even though it was Christmas.

Kazuki, on the other hand, often had queries thrown his way that centered around whether or not any ladies caught his eye in school. It was either that or he would be quizzed on topics that relate to the Miyazawa F&B Group. So, if the Miyazawa heir has to pick one out of the two topics to be discussed over dinner - he would definitely prefer the former as opposed to the latter. After all, being quizzed upon information about his family business would make him feel as though he was sitting through an examination without the written part.

As for Shunsuke, the remaining member of E3 - Sakuraba Shinobu was a little more relaxed when it comes down to the conversation topics brought up during dinner. Instead of inquiring about the school life or about the Saionji family business, Sakuraba Shinobu spent the majority of the conversation time with Shunsuke - expressing her gratitude towards the young man for putting up with the mayhem which the Miyazawa heir and her son may have caused over the past year.

"Oh no, please don't. In fact, I should be the one thanking Kazuki and Shuichi for putting up with my frequent mood swings." Saionji Shunsuke hurried to comment, reacting way before his two friends could start throwing him meaningful looks.

It wasn't an exaggeration when Saionji Shunsuke claimed to suffer from frequent mood swings, this is something that could be considered a common occurrence since he learned of his mother's infidelity lifestyle. For Shunsuke, the trigger behind his mood swings would be the news of his mother's latest fling hitting the gossip column of the newspaper or the magazines. Whenever he caught wind of such news involving his mother through online sources, his temper would definitely take a turn for the worst and the remaining duo from the members of E3 would have to bear the brunt of it.

"Ah…" Sakuraba Shinobu had a knowing look in her eyes at the end of Shunsuke's response, but she didn't press on the issue having known that it was a touchy subject for the young man. Still, she didn't retract her previous statement about Shunsuke putting up with the nonsense which her son and nephew might have cooked up, every once in a while.

Shifting her attention towards Chu Ga Eul, Sakuraba Shinobu inquires. "So, Ga Eul… how are you recently? Have you gotten used to your new school environment yet?"

"Hmm…?" Not expecting to have questions thrown in her direction at all, Chu Ga Eul took a moment to register the fact that she was the next in line to be questioned by her aunt. "Oh, right… I've been adjusting quite well to the new school environment. Of course, it helps that I have the guys and Jan Di around to guide me around the campus when I first transferred in. Otherwise, I would have gotten myself lost daily given how big the entire campus was."

"Good to hear that you've been adjusting well to the new school environment. Your mom was quite worried about that, though she didn't make any mention of it." Sakuraba Shinobu then said, smiling as she explained her reason for bringing up the subject of Ga Eul's transfer into Shinhwa Academy over dinner, this evening.

"Ah… I see." Ga Eul nodded, inwardly wondering to herself if that was the reason why her mother tends to beat around the bush whenever the topic of her studies came up for discussion at home.

As for So Yi Jeong, he was rather glad to find that he wasn't the main focus at the dinner table thus far. Yes, though it's rather rare for his presence to be overlooked during a social gathering due to his status of being a member of the renowned F4 but the circumstances are different. If this was any of the typical social gatherings, Yi Jeong wouldn't mind being the center of attention. However, today's gathering was anything but typical. Given that the host of today's gathering happens to be a family member of his girlfriend - Chu Ga Eul.

While today isn't the first time Sakuraba nee Miyazawa Shinobu is meeting the heir of the Woo Sung Museum, this is definitely the first time she's meeting the infamous Korean Casanova up close in person. Their previous encounters with one another are mostly during social events hosted by the Shinhwa Group, and during those occasions - most are brief encounters that don't go beyond a simple nod and smile of politeness. So, if it's entirely up to Shinobu to decide - she would have started up a conversation with the Woo Sung heir shortly after dinner commences. Alas, her plans were derailed by her own son and nephew as they have taken it upon themselves to kick-start the conversations over dinner.

Thus, by the time Shinobu managed to regain control of the conversation flow over dinner - it was far too late to get any actual grilling done on the Korean Casanova as the dinner session was drawing to an end. Therefore, instead of addressing the Woo Sung heir regarding the relationship between him and her niece … Shinobu ended up addressing her niece - Chu Ga Eul, over the subject of her schooling matters.

While Ga Eul and Yi Jeong were at the Sakuraba's residence, back at the porridge shop, Geum Jan Di was surprised by the appearance of the auburn-haired member of F4.

Location: Porridge Shop, Seoul. 25th December 2009, Friday, 8.30pm

"Welcome…" Geum Jan Di greeted brightly when she heard the jingle of the bells attached to the glass entrance doorway of the porridge shop signifying the entry of a new customer. The words of greeting died on her lips when she looked up to find herself staring into the face of a familiar young man.

"Ji Hoo-sunbae, what are you doing here?" Geum Jan Di started, looking both confused and surprised at the same time as she voiced her query across to the auburn-haired member of F4.

"Well… I'm in the area and recalled that you're working today, so I thought to swing by and pay you a visit. So, how's business for the day?" Yoon Ji Hoo answered casually in return. For a while, he pondered over the idea of claiming that he's visiting the porridge shop for supper but ultimately decides to forgo the idea. Simply because it doesn't make sense for him to travel so far out to get supper when there are plenty of eateries around town that sell porridge if he's in the mood for supper while at home. Hence, there's no need for him to travel all the way here for supper as there's a closer alternative near his place of residence.

"I see… well, as you can see - business is fairly slow today. Then again, today's Christmas… and porridge certainly isn't among the top wish list for youngsters out on a date." Geum Jan Di shrugged in response, already far used to the fact that the porridge shop business tends to be slow on such occasions. After all, most customers for the porridge shop for the entirety of today seem to stem from individuals who are feeling under the weather or families that are comprised of kids and adults who are out shopping.

"Ah… and what time would you be knocking off from work today?" Yoon Ji Hoo inquires next, mainly out of curiosity.

"In another hour, I reckon. Why?" Geum Jan Di blinked as she flicked a questioning gaze towards the auburn-haired member of F4.

"Nothing, I just thought since I'm in the area already… I might as well give you a ride home when you knocked off." Yoon Ji Hoo responded nonchalantly.

"I see… but I'm only getting off work in an hour, are you sure you want to wait that long?" Geum Jan Di nodded, before asking somewhat apprehensively.

"That's completely fine. I need to go and get some errands done in the area as well, so I can always come back and get you after I'm done with my errands." Yoon Ji Hoo shrugged his response easily and casually, completely setting Geum Jan Di's mind at ease.

"Ah… in that case, I'll gladly take you up on the offer. It does save me from the hassle of having to transit on the subway lines after work." Geum Jan Di beams in response after hearing that it wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience for the auburn-haired member of F4 to give her a free ride home, this evening.

"Good. I'll come back for you in an hour then." Yoon Ji Hoo nodded before heading back out to the streets.

Back out in the street, the auburn-haired member of F4 took a moment to consider his options. He had a few options available. One - spends his time idling and chilling in the cafe a few blocks away from the porridge shop until it's time for Geum Jan Di to get off work. Two - do some window shopping in the area and see if he can find anything that interests him. Three - think of what gifts to get for Geum Jan Di as a Christmas gift that the girl wouldn't be able to reject. Ultimately, Yoon Ji Hoo decides to go with a combination of options two and three. Who knows, perhaps he would be able to find a suitable gift for Geum Jan Di while conducting his window shopping trip?

One hour later, when Yoon Ji Hoo swung by the porridge shop to pick Geum Jan Di up from work - he had with him a cake box from a nearby bakery. Inside the cake box is a Christmas log cake he had gotten for Geum Jan Di and her family to share. After much debating, the auburn-haired member of F4 had decided that the only gift that the girl wouldn't be able to reject would be a Christmas cake. Because, really… a simple, traditional design log cake for Christmas doesn't cost much - especially when one is purchased from a no-name bakery.

~TBC~

Author's notes: Finally, after taking such a long time to write this chapter - I'm finally done with it! I apologize for the extremely long delay in getting this chapter out, but between RL work and the goal of keeping my blood sugar and cholesterol level down [which means more time on exercising], I had to literally cut back on all my time spent sitting in front of the PC to work on my story. Hence, these days … it took me months to get a chapter out. Still, never lose hope as I'm determined to see this story through to the best of my capability. I can't say for certain, but I have no intention to give up on this story just yet. However, with my current writing speed it might take me ages/years to complete this story. *Sweat-drop*

Okay, so this is part 4 of the Christmas Interlude arc. All members of F4 got in some scenes of their own I will say, but the fact that they literally appears throughout the entirety of this chapter meant that they wouldn't get much screen time in the next. In fact, I would say the next chapter is pretty much OC and minor characters focused. Either way, I hope you readers found this chapter enjoyable. Seeing as I planned to make this chapter an update just in time for Christmas this year, I guess I should wish everyone reading this story a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year ahead of time!

I shall strive towards the aim of having an update in time for the New Year as well, but no guarantee. If I failed to get the next chapter out by New Year, hopefully it will be in time for CNY/LNY. That's all for now, Ciao~