Disclaimer: We don't own Boys over flowers.
A/N: Thank you to all those who are still reading this story. We really appreciate the support. We know it has been two years since we last updated this story. We haven't abandoned it. There are some arcs planned ahead that we actually really look forward to writing. We were just going through a temporary writer's block. But finally, our muse has returned! Enjoy, an extra-long chapter! We have the next one also almost written and would be posting it in a week or two.
Woo Bin made his way to Gran's economy class seat. She was busy fighting with his father. Neither of them noticed him leaving.
He examined the seats: a little cramped, but at least no one was shouting. He could finally hear himself think.
It had been a day since that fateful dinner with his father's friend, but Woo Bin couldn't eject his image from memory. The man had a stump instead of a right arm. His face had a huge gash right down the center, and those were only the visible scars. God only knew how many little cuts and bruises were covered by clothing. Yet he talked about his several near escapes with death with such nonchalance. As if he was describing what he had for lunch, as opposed to being locked in a trunk for twenty-four hours.
Woo Bin pictured it for a second—being locked in there—incessantly pounding the hood of the trunk until his knuckles were bleeding.
As a kid, he loved playing fake shoot-out games. He would use his entire house as a battle arena while he and his bodyguards chased each other down with toy guns. Could he hold a real gun in his hand and squeeze the trigger? Could he watch someone on the other end bleed to death, the life slowly draining from their eyes? But this was what he had envisioned doing his entire life. Now he felt like a log floating aimlessly at sea: directionless.
Woo Bin wanted someone to discuss this with. He wanted Jae. She would know what to say. She always did. But she didn't know anything about his family background. It's not that he wanted to hide it from her. He had contemplated telling her several times. But how would he even bring it up?
You want to order coffee? You know who else likes coffee: the mafia. By the way, my dad's a mafia lord.
Or, how was your day? Mine was great. I spent it with my dad. Fun fact: he is a mafia lord.
It was about time he told her though. She had the right to know. She was the only one of his close friends who didn't. With that decided, Woo Bin put on his eye-mask, leaned his chair back, and fell asleep.
On landing back in Korea, he finally got the chance to check all his voice messages.
He played the last message from Yi Jeong: "Hi bro. Still can't reach you. I found Jae Kyung in a homeless shelter. Don't panic, she is safe. No injuries or anything. I brought her back to the F4 lounge with me, and I won't let her out of my sight. Call me back when you get this."
Woo Bin frantically dialed Jae Kyung's number.
_oOo_
"You plan to continue being an inconvenience?" Gran shouted at Woo Bin's father.
Woo Bin wasn't paying attention to them. His mind was still on Jae. She sounded fine on the phone, but he needed to see for himself. He rushed towards the house, determined to get away from this cacophony and speak to her.
Woo Bin got his wish. In the next few minutes, he found the woman in question sitting on his front porch.
"Jae." He ran towards her and engulfed her in a hug. "I was so worried." He pulled her closer until he could hear her heartbeat against his. She was safe. She was here. "What were you thinking? A safe homeless shelter? There is an oxymoron for the ages."
"I know. Ga Eul already gave me an earful," she said.
"I would not shout if I were you." Woo Bin's dad snarled at his mother-in-law. "People might recognize you for the witch you are from your growling. You know what they do to witches?"
Woo Bin let go of her. "Come, let's go inside."
_oOo_
Jae Kyung put a hand on Woo Bin's shoulder. "So, how was Fiji?"
"The beaches were beautiful. Palm trees, fine sand, shops with good merchandise." He pulled out a keychain from his bag. "I bought you this. She looks a little like you, don't you think?"
Jae Kyung twirled around her new keychain. It was a dark-haired girl hula-hooping.
"Give you guys some privacy? So you can kidnap him again?" Gran shouted outside.
"Taking my own son on vacation is not kidnapping. Turn me in to the authorities? I would like to see you try." Woo Bin's father shouted back.
Woo Bin shut the door firmly behind him. "The seafood was nice."
"Excuse me for not being able to get you a last-minute first-class ticket on a trip you were not invited to."
Woo Bin put a chair against the door. "I experienced economy class for the first time. It was actually rather peaceful, all things considered."
"You could have given me your seat."
"They are not usually this bad," Woo Bin said.
"I'm not giving up my seat for an old hag!" There was the sound of a door being slammed shut.
Woo Bin winced. He sat on his bed with his head buried between his hands.
Jae Kyung knew that it wasn't just occasional squabbling. Back when she lived here, she hadn't seen Woo Bin's dad even once. Gran never even mentioned him. None of the family photos Gran showed her included Woo Bin's father. As a matter of fact, there were no pictures of Woo Bin's mother past the age of twenty, either. Woo Bin never talked about it, and she tried not to pry. But having the two people he loved most in the world treat each other this way must eat away at him.
She squeezed his shoulders. He leaned into her touch, the tension dissipating slightly.
"They were like this the whole trip. Throughout my whole life, really, if we're being honest. I have to keep them separated. If I want the little time I spent with my dad to be peaceful." He ran his fingers through his hair. "And it's always little time. I go months until Gran allows him to see me."
"Have you considered family therapy?"
He gave her an inquisitive look.
"When I was ten, I had these neighbors who would fight constantly, and I mean constantly. I think noise control was called on them three times? Anyway, they went to therapy, and it really helped them."
"How are you so sure?"
"The sound of breaking china finally stopped." She rested her chin on her hand. "But then again, the woman did move out three months later. So, for all we know, she might have killed him."
"Therapy isn't really an option here. I doubt doctor-patient confidentiality covers my father."
He paced the floor, vigorously swinging his hands as he went. Jae Kyung wanted to inquire further but did not know how to approach it. As friendly and talkative as he was, when he wanted, Woo Bin was an expert at shutting down and revealing nothing.
He finally settled on standing right in front of her. "My father's a mafia lord."
Jae Kyung was silent for a minute. She was caught off guard. But in the way a well-foreshadowed plot twist catches you off guard. Momentarily, it startles you, but in hindsight, it makes so much sense.
"Well. That puts things into perspective. I'm guessing your grandparents weren't thrilled with the association?"
"No. They didn't speak to her for years. My father still holds a grudge about that. They started talking again two years before she died. When she found out she was pregnant."
Jae Kyung nodded. That made sense. Her parents would have disowned her for marrying a man slightly below her station. If she married a mafia lord, they would drop her off in the middle of the Atlantic.
"Gran often accuses Dad of ruining Mom's life. But she seemed so happy in the videos."
He was silent for a few minutes. Staring into the distance, lost in his thoughts. Jae Kyung put her hand on top of his. He turned towards her and gave her a half-smile.
"For a long time, I dreamt about following Dad's footsteps."
Jae Kyung flinched. She didn't know much about the mafia, but gun shootouts, torture, and violence didn't seem like the ideal life for someone with Woo Bin's joie de vivre.
"I'm not anymore." He sighed. "Honestly, after hearing the stories of the good old days from my dad's old buddies, I get why my mom ran back to Gran when she was pregnant."
He sat down next to her. "I don't know what else to do, though. I'm not sure the corporate life is right for me either."
Jae Kyung squeezed his hand. "We'll figure it out."
Woo Bin did not let go of her hand. Instead, he ran his thumb down her palm, tracing circles around her knuckles.
Fifteen minutes later, Jae Kyung heard a knock.
"Woo Bin"—Gran popped her head through the door—"come down for lunch."
He jolted his hand away from her and moved a good foot away. They were close friends. It wasn't strange to seek comfort from a friend, was it? This was completely normal. She shouldn't read too much into it.
_oOo_
Woo Bin wasn't sure what he was expecting when he walked into the F4 lounge that evening, but it certainly wasn't this. Four chairs were laid out in the sitting area, and a projector had been set up front. Jun Pyo was standing in front of it with a Pogo stick.
"What is this about? Did we miss one of Jun Pyo's mandatory hangouts again?" he asked Yi Jeong.
"Welcome, my F4 brethren. I'm hope you all read through my email and are well-versed in the topic of our discussion," said Jun Pyo.
Woo Bin had added Jun Pyo's e-letters to his spam list. But going by the fact that the first slide read Letter Writing Format, it couldn't be anything good.
"The letter must begin with the name of the F4 member whom the writer wishes to contact. I would also prefer that you mention their official F4 ID numbers."
"We have F4 ID numbers?" asked Woo Bin.
"Yes, that's a thing now," Yi Jeong replied.
"Mentioning the subject is optional. But this part isn't"—he pointed at the word from—"you must clearly mention your full name. Yi Jeong, your friend can't just write 'J'. We have several people in our lives whose names start with 'J'."
Woo Bin stared at the floor and prayed that nobody had caught his guilty expression.
Jun Pyo grabbed a stack of papers from the nearby table. "Now, I have printed out official letter forms, which you could use."
He passed these forms out to the group. There was a box to indicate which F4 member you wanted to reach. There was text-box for filling in the ID number and an area for the subject of the letter, with options ranging from Health, Finance to Romance (Jun Pyo's corner of advice. What is your issue? Jun Pyo is here to help).
"Yi Jeong, I would prefer that your friend uses these pre-filled forms next time. But if she must write her own letter, please tell her to use this format. Also, ask her to leave her notes on your furniture. She left your letter on Woo Bin's armchair, for some reason."
Jun Pyo rolled the next slide, which was Phone Etiquette. "Let us try to be reachable at least fifty percent of the time. And Ji Hoo, stop leaving our group thread. We need it to keep track of one another." He turned to Woo Bin. "Next time one of us leaves the country, he will message in the group."
"It was a surprise trip, Jun Pyo. I don't frequently leave the country without telling anyone."
Jun Pyo moved on to the next slide: Keys and Guest Policy. "Woo Bin, I'm afraid of your membership loonies. One day, one of them is going to break in."
Both Yi Jeong and Ji Hoo nodded. "That is a real safety concern. I'll put it on the agenda for the next meeting," said Ji Hoo.
"With that out of the way," Jun Pyo continued. "I don't want to be too restrictive. I want you all to feel like the F4 lounge is yours. It is. It's all of ours. Jan Di is my long-term girlfriend. So, she has a key. Ga Eul is a common friend. So, she has a key. That makes sense. But Yi Jeong, you can't have your mystery friend come in here whenever she wants."
Woo Bin wanted to disappear. He wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. He wished he was back buried in that hole in Fiji. Suffocating to death looked so tempting at this moment.
"Yi Jeong." Jun Pyo put his hands together. "You'll be paying a small fine to make up for the commotion your friend has caused. It's not about the money. It's just so everyone follows the rules."
Ji Hoo put his hand up. "He should have to cover one cleaning shift for each of us. You know, as an apology."
Jun Pyo nodded.
Woo Bin glared at Ji Hoo. Of course, he would suggest that. Ji Hoo was a real smug son of a bitch. The only reason most people didn't realize that was because he spent most of his day asleep.
Jun Pyo turned off the projector and walked towards Yi Jeong. "I'm only being firm because this is important. Rules are made so we can all live harmoniously." He patted Yi Jeong on the shoulder. "Talk to me, bro. I know it gets lonely sometimes. I have felt it too, whenever Jan Di takes her necessary study naps. The day would come, and then the night would. It would all blend together. Like time has stopped, you know? Time also seems to stop when I'm with Jan Di. But for the right reasons."
Jun Pyo took a deep breath. "I know you have a special bond with pottery and all. But I worry about you, bro. What if you snap someday?"
He squeezed Yi Jeong into a tight hug. "We are your family. You can always turn to us."
"Yes, Yi Jeong." Ji Hoo glanced at Woo Bin. "Please share. Where did you meet this mystery woman? What is she like?"
"Did you meet her at that party you didn't invite any of us to?" asked Jun Pyo.
Yi Jeong smirked. "No, I didn't meet her at a party. I met her in a foreign country. You know me. I meet random women in foreign countries. And sometimes, I give them keys. I don't bother making any introductions, unless I need something. I have known her for hardly two years, but I go around telling people she's my best friend."
Yi Jeong clearly had some pent-up emotions regarding Jae Kyung.
"So, this friend. Would love to meet her someday. All friends of the F4 are important, and I want them to feel welcome," said Jun Pyo.
Woo Bin stopped Yi Jeong on his way out.
He swayed back and forth with his head to the ground. "Bro, you know you are family to me, right?"
Woo Bin opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. He did this a couple of times before finally saying, "Bro hug."
Yi Jeong untangled himself from Woo Bin's arms. "You will be covering those cleaning shifts."
_oOo_
Jae Kyung clutched her keychain. Its smooth, cool surface was oddly comforting. After her stint with the homeless shelter, Woo Bin suggested they tackle the problem head-on. So, they enlisted Jan Di and Yi Jeong to help get her finances in order. It sounded good, in theory. In practice, Jan Di's twelve-step financial plan made Jae Kyung want to curl up and die.
"You can save a lot on food. Look at this place," said Jan Di, pointing to one of the tables in the F4 lounge. "It's littered with ketchup packets. You take some of that and some bread, and BAM—a sandwich." She paused. "Or the free coffee machines in the cafeteria. You know what coffee machines have? Milk. Buy some recently expired cereal on sale, and you've got a meal. Pick some fruits from the neighbor's garden. Mix it up with the leftover porridge form the porridge shop, and you've got dinner."
"Jan Di," said Woo Bin. "I think we need to discuss your meal planning with Jun Pyo. ASAP."
She glared at him. "Speaking of wasteful spending"—she turned to Yi Jeong—"Sunbae, I can't believe you paid that thief money to get Unnie's shoe back. You should have carried her to your car. She has other shoes at home."
Jae Kyung shut her eyes and tried to erase the image of Yi Jeong carrying her over his shoulders, like a rag doll, from her mind.
"Don't be ridiculous. I couldn't possibly do that," Yi Jeong replied.
"Of course. It would have been cheating on Ga Eul," said Woo Bin.
Yi Jeong pinched the bridge of his nose. "I meant, carrying a muddy girl with a skinned knee and one shoe over my head in a sketchy neighborhood would've looked bad." He then turned to Jae Kyung. "Have you tried selling some of your old things? Clothes? Shoes? Jewelry?"
Jae Kyung nodded. She had sold some of her finer dresses and accessories but hadn't gotten a good enough price for them. This was back when she had first embarked on this mission and wasn't as battle-hardened as she was now.
"Maybe you can try getting another job?" Yi Jeong suggested.
She had tried that. Turns out, she wasn't qualified for anything. Bartenders needed mixology degrees. Minding the juice stand in front of her building required prior experience. Even babysitters required previous clients to vouch for them. Her experiences raising Leo didn't count, apparently. In fact, it somehow made matters worse.
They brainstormed a couple more ideas for an hour, then Jan Di left to go study.
Jae Kyung caught Yi Jeong on his way out. "Thanks for your help that day." She smiled. "I'll pay you back for the shoe."
"Nonsense. You distract Woo Bin's attention from me, and for that, it is I who is in your eternal debt."
With that said, he made his way out of the lounge.
_oOo_
Jae Kyung had invited the gang over to celebrate the end of finals. Yi Jeong and Woo Bin were the first to arrive.
Yi Jeong pointed to the candles decorating every tabular surface. "Nice touch." He nudged Woo Bin. "Hot date today?"
"I'm glad you think it's pretty. At least I got the ambiance working for me," she said. "The power is out. Apparently, I have a backlog of electricity bills?"
"So they just cut your power," said Woo Bin. "They can't do that." He took out his cellphone. "Let me speak to them."
She smiled. "No need. I sorted it all out. It'll be back by morning."
Ji Hoo and Jan Di were the next to arrive.
Jan Di was on the phone. "I will talk to you later, Jun Pyo. I'm at a friend's house. No, not Ga Eul. It's another girl from work. You don't know her. Got to go. Bye."
Ji Hoo was carrying a battery-run projector. One that was suspiciously similar to the projector they had in the F4 lounge.
The last of the party, Ga Eul, arrived carrying a bag of lime juice, sugar, salt, and what she revealed to be citric acid.
"I thought we would make margaritas. I have had quite the day," she said.
Once the power situation was explained to everyone, the gang began brainstorming what to do.
"I would suggest we move the party to my house. But Gran and Dad are having a therapy session. It's best we don't disturb them."
"My father is home," said Yi Jeong.
Yi Jeong wouldn't dream of subjecting any of them to his father's company. In fact, he was perfectly content sitting here in the darkness for the whole night, if he had to. All eyes turned to Ga Eul. Jan Di lived in a dorm, so they couldn't shift there for the night.
Ga Eul snuck a glance at Woo Bin. "My parents are inches away from banning Woo Bin Sunbae for good. I don't think we should risk it."
"How about we take advantage of the darkness? Have a horror movie night?" suggested Ji Hoo.
At that very moment, someone rang the doorbell, startling them all. Woo Bin slowly opened the door while Yi Jeong tried his best to block the girls from view.
"Ji Min," said Woo Bin.
"Hi, Jae Kyung, I brought over the cheesecake. I also found a battery-operated lamp. Hope it helps."
He handed those things to Jae Kyung and made his way out after waving Ga Eul goodbye.
Woo Bin patted Yi Jeong on the shoulder. "It's okay, bro."
"You realize this is Jae Kyung's apartment, right?" Yi Jeong smirked.
"I don't know what you are implying." Woo Bin left to help Ji Hoo with the projector.
_oOo_
The mats were laid out on the floor, and the projector was set. Now it was time for Woo Bin to put his plan into motion. Ga Eul. Yi Jeong. Scary movie. The script basically wrote itself. Jan Di, the perpetual third wheel, made her way to sit next to Ga Eul. Woo Bin beat her to it. Rolling her eyes, she sat on his other side.
"Yi Jeong, come sit next to me." Woo Bin scooted over. "What? Horror movies scare me," he said in response to Jan Di's glare.
He scanned the room for Jae. He found her seated on the opposite end. Next to Ji Hoo.
No big deal. He returned his attention to the screen.
Half an hour into the movie, the idiot protagonist was making his way through the creepy corridor. The ghost should be popping up any minute now. He snuck a glance at Ga Eul and Yi Jeong. They were huddled together with barely any space between them, her hands clasped in his. Horror movies never failed.
Jae's screams jolted Woo Bin from his musings. Grabbing Ji Hoo's arm, she buried her face in his shoulder.
"Sorry." She moved three inches away.
Ji Hoo didn't seem to mind. He was giving her a reassuring smile.
The asshole.
Most people didn't realize it, because he appeared so put-together, but Ji Hoo was a real flirt.
"Woo Bin Sunbae, stop breathing so loudly. I can't hear the movie," said Jan Di.
_oOo_
"Let's play Dark Room," said Woo Bin. "The rules are simple. The person who is 'it' is blindfolded and needs to find the remaining players, then identify them by name. The players can hide anywhere in the room but can't change places once the game begins. Simple enough?"
Yi Jeong eyed him suspiciously. That was a seemingly innocent game. What was Woo Bin planning?
Woo Bin blew out the candles while Jae Kyung lit Ji Min's torch. Jan Di was the first person who was 'it' and was counting down from twenty.
Yi Jeong crouched behind a couch. From here, he could keep an eye on the whole room while still remaining hidden. Peaking his head out, he checked on the others. Woo Bin stood a few feet to his left, pressed against a wall. While Ga Eul and Jae Kyung stood in the center of the room, discussing something. A minute later, they both tied their hair back and wore hats to disguise its length.
"12, 13, 14," said Jan Di.
The girls ran to the other end of the room. In their haste, they stumbled over Ji Hoo's sleeping form and fell right on top of him. Shaken awake, Ji Hoo turned their arms over and inspected them for injuries.
"Woo Bin?" said Yi Jeong. "What's Ji Hoo doing here? I wasn't aware he was Jae Kyung's friend."
"He is not." Woo Bin folded his arms.
"Well, he did patch her up after the shelter incident."
"He was there when she invited Jan Di."
Yi Jeong turned his attention back to the game. Jan Di had identified everyone within a few minutes. Jae Kyung, who was the first person caught, was now 'it'.
"We need to create more confusion," Jan Di suggested.
They all exchanged accessories. Yi Jeong took Ji Hoo's jacket. Woo Bin and Ji Hoo traded watches. Ga Eul gave Jan Di her earrings.
Jae Kyung walked with her arms outstretched. Perhaps to avoid crashing head-first into objects. Skipping over where Yi Jeong and Woo Bin were huddled underneath a table, she made her way to where Ji Hoo was hiding.
She ran her hand over Ji Hoo's arm. "Woo Bin," she guessed.
Yi Jeong patted Woo Bin's back. "Didn't recognize you, huh?"
_oOo_
Jan Di and Ji Hoo bid the party goodbye. She had to return to her dorm to prepare for a presentation for her internship, and Ji Hoo was taking early morning classes. Being in medical school, winter holidays weren't actually a break for either of them.
The remaining gang huddled together near the couch. Yi Jeong clicked on the quiz to check what his favorite animal said about him. Woo Bin leaned over to see the results.
"You are creative, generous, and a wuss. Sounds about right."
Yi Jeong smacked his arm. Woo Bin took the phone from him and clicked on a quiz that checked if your crush likes you back.
He read the first question. "Yi Jeong? Do you think Ga Eul would ask you to work together on a group project?"
Yi Jeong took the phone from him and logged on to the Agony Aunt's website.
Dear Aunty, I have the hots for my friend, but I'm too much of a coward to do anything about it, he wrote.
No, Woo Bin would turn that around on him. It needed to be more specific.
Dear Aunty, I met this girl on a trip abroad two years ago. I now spend every waking minute basking in her presence. Despite my annoying personality, she somehow manages to tolerate my antics. That's a real miracle. Ask my friends. Nobody can bear my company for more than a few minutes.
Yi Jeong paused. It needed more specificity.
Recently, I got into trouble with my friends because I handed the keys to our hang-out spot to her, and she accidentally caused a real commotion. My much smarter, more handsome, and immensely more talented best friend keeps telling me that I am over the moon in love with her. But I'm too much of a coward to face reality. Feeelings are scaaaary!
Satisfied, Yi Jeong handed the phone back to Woo Bin.
"It's called a platonic friendship. Difficult concept for you to grasp, I know," said Woo Bin as he erased Yi Jeong's message and typed his own. "Dear Aunty, I found my friend googling Ugly Teenage Heartthrobs. Do you think he requires psychological help?" he read out loud.
_oOo_
Woo Bin tossed in his sheets. The noise from the outside traffic had woken him up, and he hadn't been able to fall back asleep. Maybe some fresh air would help? He made his way to the balcony and stared at the street below. Even in the dead of night, the city was blazing with life. The sound of approaching footsteps made him turn around.
Jae stood beside him. He must have woken her up on his way out.
"You found a family therapist? I thought it wasn't safe?" she asked.
"One of my bodyguards has a psychology degree. Although, he studied child psychology. So that should be fun."
She did not say anything for a while. Instead, she stood with her arms crossed on the railing, her head facing down.
She turned towards him, her eyes contemplative. "How many people know about it?" She tucked her hair behind her ears. "Your dad's real job, I mean."
"Well, Gran, Dad, and my main bodyguards always knew." Woo Bin leaned against the railing. "And I have told the F4. And now, you." He paused. "It was a struggle at first, to stop Jun Pyo from telling Jan Di. But I have him sworn to secrecy."
Her eyes softened. "Thank you."
They fell back into silence. She watched the busy roads. The light from the streetlamps fell directly at her, illuminating her features. He took a second to study her. Even while dressed in crumpled-up pajamas, with her hair completely disheveled, Jae still managed to look adorable.
"How did your job hunt go? Did you get the TA job?"
Following Yi Jeong's advice, she had applied to be a TA for one of her professors at her university.
Her eyes sparkled. "I start at the beginning of the next term. It was almost too late. Most of the slots were filled up. But there was this one professor who had an opening. He didn't want to take me on at first, but he gave up after my inspiring speech about hard work and dedication." She turned sideways to face him. "Either that or nobody else wanted to work for him. Other kids did give me sympathetic looks when I left his classroom. But it was probably nothing."
"I'm sure it'll be fine."
She gave him a small smile. "Let's head back in. It's getting a little chilly."
On their way back in, they ran into Ga Eul, carrying a jug of margaritas.
"Let me wake Yi Jeong up," said Woo Bin gleefully.
A few minutes later, all four of them sat together on the balcony, sipping their drinks.
"How is chef class going?" asked Jae Kyung.
Ga Eul sighed. "Today he told me that his two-year-old cousin makes better hummus. Then he threw my dish in the garbage." She pointed to the margarita pitcher. "So I stole all of this."
"Cheers to that," said Woo Bin.
Everyone clunked their glasses together.
"Why do you think he is so grumpy? His life is nearly perfect," said Woo Bin.
"Maybe he hasn't gotten laid in days. You know, because of his awful personality and ugly-ass face," said Yi Jeong.
Woo Bin chuckled. A jealous Yi Jeong was the most entertaining Yi Jeong.
"Maybe he's practicing for his own cooking show. I mean, those judges are brutal." Jae Kyung refilled her glass.
_oOo_
Jae Kyung was sitting on her bedroom floor, braiding Ga Eul's hair. A jug of margarita was kept next to her. She took another sip. It felt so wonderful, as if she were floating away like a cloud in the sky.
"Ga Eul? When will you and Yi Jeong do the Bow-chika-wow-wow?"
Ga Eul took the glass from her. "That's it, Unnie. I'm cutting you off."
"Bow-chika-wow-wow," Jae Kyung danced around the room. "Bow-chika-wow-wow."
_oOo_
The guys were sitting on the balcony floor with their legs spread out. Yi Jeong felt so warm and cozy. The world outside was so beautiful. He stared out the balcony at the floating balls of light. The only thing wrong with tonight was Chefy. He had to be eliminated. Yi Jeong shared these thoughts with Woo Bin, his best friend. Yi Jeong loved his friends so much.
"I know. We can throw a frying pan at him," said Woo Bin.
Yi Jeong giggled. "No, silly, his head is too hard."
Yi Jeong attempted to get to his feet but failed. He fell over backwards, laughing.
"Let me call him." Yi Jeong dialed Chef Lee's number. "It's going to voicemail. My name is Chefy, and I wear a white hat. I'm mean to chicks, and I'm full of crap," he rapped while Woo Bin beat-boxed in the background. "That'll show him."
Woo Bin gave him a thumbs up. Taking another sip of alcohol, he asked, "What do you think of Ji Hoo?"
"Well, he's a little scrawny. But I guess I can see why some people would be into that."
"No, not like that. I meant"—he scooted closer to Yi Jeong—"I know that Ji Hoo is our childhood friend and that deep down he's a good person."
"Deep deep down," said Yi Jeong.
Woo Bin gestured for Yi Jeong to come closer. "But I hate that guy!"
Yi Jeong chuckled.
"Remember during the trip without electronics when he made us all dress up in those ridiculous bedding costumes? And when he threw my own shoe at me?"
_oOo_
Woo Bin and Jae were in the living. He was banging the table with a spoon, and she was singing into a rolled-up piece of paper. He felt so energetic. The party never needed to end.
"Woo Bin. What do you think of—" She pointed at herself.
Woo Bin took both her arms and swung them back and forth. "Sweet. Funny. Smart and very very"— he beeped her nose—"hot."
"Pineapples. What do you think of pineapples?"
_oOo_
Ji Hoo went through his homework checklist. Items one through ten were done. A little break wouldn't hurt. He rummaged through his backpack for his phone and discovered that it was blinking. He had three voicemails.
He played them in order.
"Hi, Sunbae. It's Jan Di. Thanks for lending me your notes for next year. I'm having a little trouble with your penmanship in certain passages. Could we discuss this over lunch?"
Ji Hoo was basically scribbling at some points, so he couldn't really blame Jan Di. He would text her later and fix up a time.
The next message played. "Hi son. Remember to eat lunch. I know you have a lot going on, but you shouldn't be skipping meals."
He smiled. It was sweet of Grandpa to worry about him.
He played the final message. It was from Woo Bin. "Fight me! Fight me, bro! Fight me!"
On hearing this, Ji Hoo put his phone down, Jun Pyo dropped his tub of ice cream, and Yi Jeong spilled water on the floor. All eyes turned to Woo Bin, who continued to press buttons on his console.
"Bro, your character is already dead," said Yi Jeong pointing to the GAME OVER being displayed on the screen.
A/N: Hi Guys! Did you like the chapter? What was your favorite part? Please let us know in the reviews.