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. Special thanks to glorialopezgl534.03 and Dionetes for your reviews. Your reviews make our day and give us the motivation to continue writing. Thank you to Dionetes and Dreamyjennice for following our story. We are so glad you enjoyed the last chapter. We noticed that there haven't been many cute SoEul moments lately. This chapter attempts to remedy that. Enjoy!
"Are you guys done hugging? Ji Hoo and I want to say goodbye too, you know," complained Jun Pyo.
"In a minute, drama-queen," said Woo Bin. "Don't fall asleep on your pots."
"Don't bare-claw your palms by playing video games all day," said Yi Jeong.
"Don't spend all your time flirting with your pots and bowls. Go out and have some fun."
Ji Hoo Put his hands up. "This has officially gone way over the acceptable time limit for bro-hugs."
Woo Bin patted Yi Jeong on the back. "Don't worry about anything on this end. I've got you."
"Don't do anything dumb," said Yi Jeong.
"My turn." Jun Pyo took a step forward, only for Woo Bin to yank him back.
"Come on, Jun Pyo. We don't want to crowd the guy." He ushered Ga Eul forward.
Jun Pyo glared at him. "You're one to talk. You two spent five minutes bro-hugging."
Ga Eul squeezed Yi Jeong's hand. "Well. Best of luck." She handed him a packed lunchbox. "I made you some assorted cookies. They should last a while, if you stick them in a freezer."
He swung her hands side-to-side. "Guess I'll see you in a few months. Bye."
"Wait." Ga Eul pulled him into a hug. "Take care. And call me." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "After all, my pottery instruction is still incomplete."
"Right. Pottery is a serious art form. Long distance is no excuse to stop practicing." He gave her hand one last squeeze. "I'm going to miss you all so much."
"Call me when you land," said Woo Bin as Yi Jeong boarded his father's private jet.
_oOo_
Ga Eul put her coat on a rack. Between wrangling chef class and college coursework, this was her first breather. She checked the wall clock.
11 p.m
Which would be late afternoon in Sweden.
It had been three days since Yi Jeong's departure. They spoke for a minute when he landed. But nothing after that. While they didn't meet each other every day when he was here, they still spoke daily. It felt strange not texting him throughout the day. She navigated her phone to Contacts. It had been three days. He would have settled in by now. She changed into her pajamas, slipped into bed, and dialed his number. It disconnected on the first ring. She was about to redial when her phone blinked with a message: In a meeting. Will call you back.
She sighed. Throwing off her covers, she removed a book from her backpack. Might as well get some work done while she waited.
At midnight, Ga Eul annotated her textbook. Still wide awake.
At 1 a.m., the words blurred together. She re-read the same passage over and over.
At 1.30, she checked her phone for a miscall. Nothing. Maybe he had called and it hadn't gone through? She checked her voicemail. Again nothing.
At 2 a.m., she nearly dozed off on top of her book. Jolting awake, she stumbled into the bathroom and sprayed her face. A few more minutes. Then she would sleep. A few more…
_oOo_
"Great speech on the pottery techniques in Korea," said Jong Dae.
Yi Jeong smiled. Today had gone better than expected. Hectic—he had been in meetings for the past five hours. But it would pay off. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he should have four new major clients by the end of the week. Now he could go back to his hotel room and finally call his friends.
"Mr. So, would you care to join us for a drink?"
He forced a smile. "Of course."
It was almost 8 p.m. by the time he was able to get away. Kicking off his shoes, he sunk into the sofa and dialed Ga Eul's number.
"Hello," she said mid-yawn.
"Ga Eul."
"Hi, Yi Jeong. How was your day?"
"Sorry. Did I wake you?"
"No. It's only—it's no problem."
Yi Jeong wanted nothing more than to keep talking. He had hardly spoken three words to her since he arrived. But she sounded so drowsy.
"You should go back to sleep. We'll talk tomorrow," he said.
It was nice to hear her voice again. Even if it was only for a short time. Now on to the rest of his friends.
"Hello? Are you in trouble?" asked Woo Bin in near panic.
"No. Why would you think—"
"Then why the f*** are you calling me at 3 a.m.? You asshole." He hung up.
Right. There was a seven-hour time difference. 8 p.m. in Sweden meant 3 a.m. in Seoul. That explained Ga Eul's sleepiness. He hoped she drifted back to sleep. Tomorrow was both a weekday and a Chefy day. She needed the rest.
_oOo_
Woo Bin took a look around Jae's bedroom. A pile of books towered next to her bed. A sketchpad, three paintbrushes, and four different colored bottles of paint sprawled over her desk. While an ensemble of clothing, pens, and notebooks crowded her bed.
"Sorry. It's a bit messy in here. Last few days have been a little crazy." She moved some of her clothes aside. "Sit down."
The stuffed lion cub he gifted her lay next to her pillow. He picked it up. It now had a collar with Pierre etched on it. "You named him after Chef Lee?"
"What? No. After the kid from that music video: 'I don't care'. I looked up to him as a child."
"A woman of taste, I see. I too wished to embody his carefree nonchalance," he said. "There was once a boy named Pierre. Who would only say, I don't care."
"You are acting like a clown. (I don't care). And we have to go to town. (I don't care)."
"So his mother left him there," he paused. "What was that bit about the lion?"
"A hungry lion paid a call. He looked Pierre right in the eye and asked him if he'd like to die."
"Pierre said: I don't care."
She shuffled things around her bed. "Look at his will of steel. No bribe, no danger, no plea deterred him from his principles. He continued not caring until the very end. Plus, he ended up with a pet lion."
He wasn't sure if that was entirely true. The lion had eaten Pierre. Granted, he did spit him out in the end, but still.
She searched inside her desk drawers. "Here it is." She handed him a piece of paper.
"My Class Clown certificate." He hugged it to his chest. "How did you convince Yi Jeong to hand it over?"
"Ga Eul and I paid him a visit the day before he left for Sweden. When he was busy making googly eyes at her, I snuck this into my purse. He left it lying around in the open. On top of his TV Cabinet." She opened her cupboard. "There's also something else. Here."
He unfolded the parchment. It was a painting of a Minotaur lying down in a grass field. It had black hair, broad shoulders, and a roughish grin. Dressed in a printed T-shirt and ripped jeans, the creature browsed its phone.
"Your spirit animal. I didn't have a lot of time. And it's been ages since I last painted. So it's a little rough."
There was nothing rough about it. Even a layman like him could tell she put considerable effort into it. The shading. Mixing the right set of colors for its skin. The attention to detail required for the facial features to resemble the mythical creature while still looking human.
"Thank you. I like it." He rolled it up and slipped it into his backpack. "I didn't know you painted."
She folded her clothes into a neat pile. "I don't anymore. I took art when I was in high school. But I haven't picked up a brush since."
"Why? Did some snooty, pretentious teacher kill your spirit? Miss Ha, this doesn't look anything like the spit-up-food painting from the museum."
"No, nothing like that. My father pulled me out. He wanted me to focus my attention on school. Instead of wasting all my time on a hobby. I still doodled occasionally. But after coming to Seoul, I just haven't found the time." She gathered up the art supplies scattered on her desk into a plastic bag. "I don't even have the supplies anymore. I borrowed all of this from Hana."
He picked up the notebooks spread on her bed and arranged them on her desk. "What would Pierre do? Do you think he would give a flying rat's ass if others considered it a waste of time?"
_oOo_
"And that concludes our lesson on Plant-based cooking," said the guest lecturer. "Chef Lee, the floor is yours."
"Thank you, Evan. For the riveting lecture. Now on to the contest-based activity. Cook any egg-based dish. You have half an hour. If I taste any more of your creations, I'll end up in the ER. So, Evan here will be the judge."
Evan chuckled. "Charming as always, Lee."
Ga Eul rushed to the pantry. Her current position was number four. If she wanted to secure a spot for Paris, she would have to be at the top of her game. Chef Evan had a weakness for flavorful food. So she would cook a coconut-based Egg curry with rice. While her cumin, cinnamon, and cloves heated in the oil, she set to wash the rice. She had prepared the dish before at home. So she was confident it would taste good. Although, normally it took around forty-five minutes to cook properly. But Ga Eul hoped it wouldn't be a problem.
As she ground her coconut paste, she took a look at the rest of her friends. Next to her, France was chopping onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Just like her, he had chosen something complicated and time-consuming. He was chopping, grating, and mixing at such speeds that she was afraid he might spill something. Unlike previous classes, Japan was doing great. Two egg rolls were already on her plate, and two more were in the pan. Nigeria chopped a bundle of asparagus while her poached egg cooked. Vietnam had once again garnered the annoyance of Chef Lee. Some things never change.
"Scrambled eggs? I said you could cook anything. But do you honestly think something this simple would win you any points?"
Vietnam poured a spoon onto a plate. "Taste it, Pierre, and then tell me. Do I get the points?"
For a split second, Chef Lee's face brightened. "It's tolerable." He took another spoon. "Not the worst thing I have had."
"That's why your line cooks love me, Pierre," Vietnam called after him.
"They would love you more if you helped with the dishes. Or cleaned the counters. And so would I," said France.
"Ah, France. Always the comedian. We all love you for it," said Vietnam.
"You have met Chef Lee's restaurant team?" asked Ga Eul.
"You mean you haven't been invited on restaurant duty yet?" France added the tomatoes to his pan. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. Chef Lee has no solid reason to doubt your commitment to the course. Right? I mean, you don't live on campus. You only changed your major to culinary arts a month ago. And your rank in the contest is only fourth. But I'm sure it's just an oversight. "
Vietnam whammed France on the head with a spoon. "Plenty of people haven't had their turns yet. I'm sure you're just part of a later batch."
"Yes, yes," said Chef Lee. "Continue chatting away. You have plenty of time. I'm sure your customers would wait."
Ga Eul returned to her dish. The paste was about done. She mixed it in with the rest of the spices and waited.
"Smells delicious," said Chef Evan. "But Miss, do you think you'll have enough time to finish it?"
Ten minutes. Ga Eul returned to her rice. Any further delay, and it would be under-cooked. She put the chopped carrots, capsicum, and peas into the rice. Five more minutes. Her curry was nearly done. Hopefully, her rice would have enough time to cook. Three minutes. She tasted her curry. It needed a little bit of lemon. Two minutes. She plated her curry but left the rice alone. It needed a few more minutes. Chef Lee came towards her table.
"Just three more minutes, please. My rice is still cooking."
He turned off her stove. "Do you think in a restaurant you get time to chill? While you're out here lollygagging, your customers would be banging the table, demanding to be served." He opened up her rice cooker. While not a complete disaster, it still looked a minute under-cooked. "If cooking something as simple as rice is proving too much for you, then you should consider an alternate career. Unless, of course, you plan on poisoning your guests."
Ga Eul gripped the tabletop. It didn't matter what Chef Lee said. She missed the mark by only a minute. One minute.
_oOo_
"It's great seeing you again," said Ji Ah as the waiter pulled out her chair for her.
Today she wore a green cocktail dress with her hair in an up-do.
"You're good company." Woo Bin took a sip of water. "The dress suits you. Brings out your eyes."
"Thanks. I like the restaurant. I have been meaning to come here for a while. Just been waiting for a reservation."
She stretched her hand towards him. He moved his palms off the table and picked up the menu instead. This was his regular first date place. He didn't deserve credit for something he put no thought into.
"How are you finding Shinwa so far?"
"Great. Met some decent people." She touched his legs with hers.
He moved his leg back. "The food is here. You should try their shrimp. Best in town."
She raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Woo Bin took another sip of water. It was nerves, that's all. This was his first date after a year. Some awkwardness was expected.
He turned back to her and asked a question about Dig Dug. That seemed to cheer her up.
"You shouldn't feel bad about losing. I have been playing Dig Dug with my dad since I was six. Still undefeated."
"Don't get too cocky. I just had an off night."
"Whatever helps you sleep peacefully." She looked down at the menu. "What do you—"
His beeping phone drowned her out. It was a text from Jae: Do you think this fish looks like Yi Jeong?
He examined the picture of the large guppy fish that she had sent.
He smiled down at his phone. Lol. in certain lighting. I can see the resemblance. The awestruck expression, especially. It perfectly encapsulates the one Yi Jeong has around his lady-love, he replied.
"Is everything okay?" asked Ji Ah.
He put his phone away. "No, nothing important. You were saying."
"I asked what you would recommend for dessert."
"The blueberry cheesecake."
After finishing their meal, they walked back to Ji Ah's house. He would have preferred driving, but she wanted a stroll. It was fun at first. Pleasant weather. Decent conversation. But for the past ten minutes, she hadn't said a word.
"Anything on your mind?" he asked.
She shuffled closer. "Was this a date?"
"Do you want it to be?"
"Maybe." She held his hand. "You do have excellent taste in restaurants. Play Dig-Dug well enough. Though not better than yours truly. And you make great eye-candy." She moved her thumb around his knuckles. "Which begs the question, why has someone this great not had a serious girlfriend since age sixteen?"
"It's not like I have been a hermit for the past four years. I just haven't dated anyone seriously."
"And do you plan to keep it that way?"
In the past, Woo Bin had one rule: not to date women who wanted a serious relationship. It led to nothing but heartbreak. But his teenage years were behind him. All his friends had found serious entanglements. Or something close to one. It was about time he at least aimed for something real.
"Not necessarily." He turned towards her. "You are fun. Pretty. Easy to talk to. But I don't want to jump into anything serious too fast. How about we date casually for a few months? If it goes well," he said, fixing her coat, "then we make it official."
"I can live with that."
She planted a kiss on the corner of his lips. For a millionth of a second, he hesitated. Then, cupping her chin, he leaned in to kiss her.
A/N: Hi Guys! Did you enjoy the chapter? Tell us in the reviews. To anyone who hasn't heard the song Jae Kyung and Woo Bin are talking about, it's called: 'Pierre(I don't care)' by Carole King. We highly recommend it. Trust us, you won't regret it.
We are looking for a beta reader. We mainly need someone to go through a scene and tell us if it's coming across as intended and answer some basic questions regarding it. If anyone is interested, please PM us.