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 for your review. Your reviews make our day and give us the motivation to continue writing. Some interesting developments happen in this chapter. Enjoy!

Ga Eul opened the front door and made a run for her bedroom.

"Why aren't you in class?" her mom asked. "Are you sick?"

"I'm fine," she said while removing her mother's hand from her forehead. "Lab got canceled. The professor had some kind of emergency."

Before her mother could inquire further, she dashed into her room. Sinking into her bed, she video-called Yi Jeong. It was two o'clock. Which meant it was only seven-thirty in the morning in Sweden. If she was lucky, she might catch him before he left for work.

It went to voicemail.

She pressed her lips together. Guess she wasn't lucky. Well. There was no point in sitting here and wallowing. She fetched her purse from the cupboard and headed for the door. "I'm going out."

Her mother stopped her. "But you just got here."

"I've got something to take care of. I'll only be an hour."

When she reached Yi Jeong's studio, she expected it to be bolted shut. But the door was left ajar. She took a peek inside. Woo Bin Sunbae sat on a workbench, dusting Madison.

"Hi, Ga Eul. You know how crazy Yi Jeong gets about his pots. I thought I'd help the guy out. Give Madison a good cleaning."

Ga Eul grabbed a wheel and some flesh clay, then sat beside him. "No more classes today?"

He checked the wall clock. "I have ten more minutes." He brought over two more pots from Yi Jeong's display case.

"I miss him too, Sunbae." She rotated the wheel two times to get it spinning. Then, placing her hand at the base of the tower, she slid it to the top. "Being here helps. Somehow."

"Speak for yourself. I'm here purely for the pots. Besides, there is nothing to miss. It's only been twenty-eight days."

_oOo_

Woo Bin waited outside the Introduction to Marketing classroom for Ji Ah. Bit by bit, the entire class shuffled out. But there was still no sign of her. He peeked into the classroom. Empty. Maybe she skipped class? He dialed her number, but it went to voicemail. Something must have come up. He hoisted his bag over his shoulders and made his way to the exit. He was two steps from the door when she caught up to him.

"Sorry. I was in the bathroom."

She looked terrible—eyes puffy, mascara slightly smeared, nose red.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

If years of dealing with Yi Jeong taught him anything, it was patience. She would talk when she was ready. "I'm a little hungry. Let's try the new café down the street."

She walked behind him, her head lowered, barely keeping up.

The café was no help. They had been here for ten minutes, but Ji Ah hadn't said a single word. She only stared out the window with a vacant expression.

Fat and sugar would help her open up. He pushed the bowl of ice cream towards her. "Melted ice cream tastes disgusting."

She picked at her sundae but made no effort to finish it.

"My friends consider me the agony aunt of the group. You can tell me anything."

"It's spring cleaning today. At my house."

She spoke so softly that he almost missed it. Putting his spoon down, he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

It worked. She continued at a normal volume, "I guess it's more of a spring cleansing. Since the household staff does the actual cleaning." She swirled her soupy ice cream around. "It's my dad's favorite day of the year. The whole family huddles together. Sorting through our old things—chatting, reminiscing, bickering over what to keep."

"Sounds kind of fun."

A wistful smile flickered across her face. "The best part, after dinner, my dad brings out the board-games. My mom has been the reigning champion for four straight years. But the rest of us still try."

"It must be hard. Being so far from home."

She hesitated. "I know it's silly. Shinwa is the opportunity of a lifetime. And it's not like it's permanent. My parents will return to Korea eventually."

"Tell you what." He leaned closer. "How about you and I have a game night? I'll play anything you want."

She smiled. "Anything?"

After five games of Dance Dance Revolution (out of which Woo Bin lost three), the pair ended the evening on top of the N Seoul Tower. Ji Ah snuggled up against him with her arms looped through his.

He handed her a cuppa noodles. "Shinwa's famous Gu-Geum couple swears by these. They ate it on their first date. Apparently."

"They make an odd couple. Jan Di and Jun Pyo." She twisted some noodles with her chopsticks. "According to the gossip mill, they should've broken up ages ago."

"Jan Di loves a good challenge. Especially when it involves disappointing snooty Shinvavians. And ask for Jun Pyo—he may be bat-shit crazy, but he adores Jan Di."

"The heart wants what the heart wants, I guess." She took another bite of the noodles. "They weren't entirely wrong. About this place, I mean." She rested her head on his shoulders. "The peace, the view, the terrible noodles. It's oddly romantic."

He flashed her a smile, then dropped their now empty cups in the trashcan. "It's almost eight. We should make a move."

"Do you've somewhere to be?" She looped a strand of her hair around her fingers. "Kim Joon's throwing a party. I was hoping... we could go together."

"Can't. As much as I love a good party, today's a weekday."

"Why Woo Bin, I didn't know you were a secret nerd."

He chuckled. "It's not that." How much should he tell her? He couldn't divulge Jae's entire story. The fewer people who knew she was a billionaire heiress with zero bodyguards, the better. "I've to pick up a friend from work."

"Every day?"

"Most days. Her boss is super grouchy. Really overworks her."

"This the same friend you won the lion plush toy for?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "That was an inside joke."

She regarded him for a minute. "How chivalrous of you. Sacrificing your evenings like that."

"It's no sacrifice. I like taking care of my friends."

She smiled. But it didn't reach her eyes. "Of course. I suppose we better get going." She picked up her bag. "Could you drive me to the party?"

"Sure." He slipped his hand into hers. "And Ji Ah. I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you. I promise."

_oOo_

"Woo Bin, my man." Joon fist-bumped him. "Haven't seen you in forever." He turned to Ji Ah. "And who is this lovely lady?"

She stretched out her hand. "Ji Ah."

Joon shook it. "Can I interest you both in a beer-pong contest?"

"Not today, Joon. I've gotta thing."

"Nonsense. You just got here. At least come in and say hello."

Before Woo Bin could protest, Joon dragged him inside. Like any other party Joon hosted, chaos reigned supreme. Some poor freshman chugged beer in one corner; couples made out in another. While singles grinded against each other on the dance floor.

Ji Ah tugged at his sleeve. "Dance one song with me."

The blaring music wasn't meant for dancing. But he followed after her regardless. She needed to blow off some steam. The least he could do was bounce around to some atrocious party music with her for five minutes.

"I've changed—"

"CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!"

"What?" he asked.

"I said, let's find a quieter corner."

He led her to an alcove right beneath the staircase.

She uncovered her ears. "Finally. Some peace."

He checked his watch. "Listen, I've gotta get going. You've got a way home, right?"

"I can call my driver."

He turned to leave but then took an abrupt U-turn. "Be careful of that guy." He pointed to a figure in a red hoodie leaning against the balcony door. "He latches on to beautiful woman. Enamors them with fanciful tales about passion and forbidden dreams. And once they let their guard down—he attempts to sell them coke."

Ji Ah gave him a confused look.

"True story. Happened to a friend."

"Okay… I'll keep that in mind."

He patted her on the shoulder. "Be safe. And call me if you need me."

With that said, he shot towards the exit. But two steps from the door, another group swarmed him. "Woo Bin," Ae Cha said. "You gotta be my partner, man. I'm being clobbered at beer-pong."

"Can't drink. Am the designated driver."

"Awwwww. You're no funnnnn. At least come cheer me on."

Despite his loud protests, the group dragged him along with them.

He examined his surroundings. Ae Cha drowned beer can after beer can. The rest of the group boisterously cheered her on. None of them spared him a second glance. This was his window. Pushing through the crowd of sweaty college kids, he shot towards the door. Jae usually got off at ten. He might still make it if he played fast and loose with the speed limit.

After fifty minutes of driving like a speed-racer on crack, he reached the university library. Save for three tables, it was mostly empty. On one such table, sat Jae. Head buried in her work. Humming Hakuna matata.

"What happened to you?" she asked.

"Attack by drunk college kids. Don't ask. Ready to go."

"Give me ten minutes."

He pulled up a chair next to her. "Busy day?"

"I've to drop off these graded quizzes at Prof. Chung's office before I can leave. I'm almost done, though. Just three more to go."

"Can't you drop it off tomorrow morning? How would he know?"

"He finds out somehow. Maybe he has hidden cameras? Last time I tried that, he lectured me for an hour." She pulled her shoulders back, wore a disgusted frown, and put on her 'grouchy professor' voice. "'What your generation fails to grasp, Miss Ha, is that a life of deliquesce can only get you so far. True discipline is the only real path to success. You claimed to understand that in your interview.'" She picked up another sheet. "I would rather spend another hour here than hear that speech again."

"There really is no other professor you could TA for?"

"He pays the best. Besides, I think he's warming up to me. He accepted my lesson plans for the next two weeks with no revisions." She awarded the last answer sheet an 8/10. "Even gave me a smile. At least I think that's what it was."

"Don't be silly. Blood-sucking demons don't smile. They grimace."

"The entire supernatural romance genre disagrees with you." She stacked the papers into a neat pile. "I'm done. Let me drop these off. And then we can go."

An hour later, the duo wound up in Jae's living room, sipping tea.

"I was thinking," said Jae.

Woo Bin looked up from his cup.

"Prof. Chung accepted the lesson plan. For the next two weeks, my weekends are wide open."

"How do you plan to celebrate your newfound freedom?"

"About that, you know how I still haven't seen The Lion King?"

"Yes. And I keep telling you that's a grave mistake. It's a masterpiece. A cautionary tale of being careful what you wish for. Packed with a soundtrack still unmatched. Beautiful animation. And a perfect blend of tragedy and humor."

"I love how passionate you get about this." She watched him for a second, a fond smile on her face and an amused glint in her eyes. "The park a few blocks from my university? They're screening it. Wanna go?"

"Sure. Sounds fun. When is it?"

"Next to next Sunday. Four o'clock"

He opened up his phone calendar to check the date. "That might be a problem."

"Family night?"

"No… I have a date."

"Oh," she said. "That's great."

She took their empty cups to the sink. He followed.

"I don't have anything concrete planned." He leaned against the kitchen doorway. "I could postpone."

"No. Don't do that." She plastered on a smile. "So. Tell me about her."

_oOo_

Ga Eul shut off the alarm clock. Two o'clock—it was already two o'clock. Her lunch with Joshua was in an hour.

She dashed to the bathroom and splashed her face with water. So much for a short power nap. She had been asleep for four hours. She was late. So late.

She ruffled through her cupboard and grabbed the first presentable outfit in view—jeans and a button-down white shirt. Tying her hair in a ponytail, she took one last look at herself. Good enough. She rushed out the door, hoping to catch the two-thirty bus.

Ga Eul caught the bus just as it was leaving. She smiled. Maybe her luck was improving.

Ring, ring, ring, ring.

The sixty-something woman next to her shot her a dirty look. Then again, maybe not.

She picked up the call. "Yi Jeong." Her lips curled into a smile. "No, I can talk." The old woman shot her another dirty look. "How is my favorite potter?" she whispered.

The bus screeched to a halt. She tumbled forward, narrowly avoiding striking the old lady's nose with her purse.

"Sorry. I didn't catch that. Could you speak up?"

"How is Sweden?"

"Excuse me?" The old lady tapped her shoulder. "Could you quit being so loud? You're giving me a headache."

"That, I heard," said Yi Jeong.

She sighed. "I'm gonna have to call you back."

_oOo_

Ga Eul nibbled on a breadstick. She could do this. It's not like Joshua was a complete stranger. They were friends back in the eighth grade. She took another breadstick. Okay, maybe 'friends' was too strong of a word. But they had worked on two group projects together. That at least made them acquaintances.

"Ga Eul-ssi?" A blue-eyed boy dressed in blue jeans and a printed T-shirt approached. "May I sit?"

Time had transformed Joshua. He had a deeper voice, a broader back, features with less childlike innocence, and a more roughish charm. It shouldn't come as a surprise. It had been five years.

"Wow. It's been, what? Five years? How have you been?" he asked

"Good. I'm studying Culinary Arts. Under Chef Lee."

"No surprise there." He blew into his coffee cup. "Your bake sale cookies were always the talk of the class. They started, what—two, three riots when you ran out?"

She laughed. "You flatter me."

"I speak only the truth."

Ga Eul tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"So Chef Lee, huh? He owns that place down Hudson and 5"—he drummed his fingers against the table—"Ambroisie? Great food. You must be learning a lot."

Her hands tightened around the cup. "Yes, class is the best. Couldn't be happier."

He gave her a look but dropped the subject. Instead, he held her gaze and said, "I look forward to eating at a place known for the cooking talents of Chu Ga Eul someday."

"Someday. Hopefully." She smiled down at her cup. "You still into theater?"

"In a way. It's only been modeling gigs so far. But I auditioned for the lead role in that new drama—Moonlight." He took a bite of cake. "Haven't heard back yet. But my agent is hopeful."

"Fingers crossed." Enough small talk. It was now or never. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you." She stared at her lap. "It's a long time coming. Guess, there is no easy way to say this. The thing—what I'm trying to say is—in eighth grade—"

She took a deep breath. He was looking at her with rapt attention. It was far too late to back out now. She had to say something. She racked her brain for the correct turn of phrase. Something that wouldn't make her sound like a complete nutjob.

"I know it's been a long time," he said. "But I'm the same guy who played Snow White back in sixth grade. Whatever you've to say, Princess Cho White isn't judging."

She cracked a smile. It was time to rip out the bandage. "I had a huge crush on you. Back in eighth grade."

He spit out his coffee.

She offered him her handkerchief. "I'm sorry. That was so rude of me."

He wiped his face.

"You must think I'm crazy."

"Ga Eul—"

"We meet five years later, and I drop this bombshell on you?"

"Ga Eul—"

"What are you even—"

"Ga Eul." He touched her hand. "It's OK. I was caught off guard, that's all."

The silence was stifling. As encouraging as Joshua's words were, they didn't match his actions. He kept throwing subtle glances her way, probably trying to gauge how crazy she was. She got what she came for. Now she should spare them both further embarrassment and leave. She waved the waiter over, intending to ask for the check.

"Yes, Miss?"

Maybe this wasn't the best idea. Joshua still had a half-eaten pastry on his plate.

The waiter looked between the pair, waiting for someone to speak.

"We wanted to give our compliments to the chef. This pastry is just divine." He waited for the waiter to leave, then turned to her. "Tell me the truth. Jan Di started the nickname 'Princess Cho'. Didn't she?"

She jerked her head up. "She claims responsibility for keeping it alive. And nothing else." She dipped a biscuit in her coffee. "Besides, she called you that with thinly veiled affection."

"Geum Jan Di? Regarding me with mild affection? That truly is an honor." He took a mock bow. "How is Jan Di, anyway?"

She spent the next ten minutes filling him in on the details of Jan Di's life, both professional and personal. The first came as no surprise. The second almost made him spit out his coffee again.

"Jan Di got entangled in a star-crossed romance? The all-practical, boys-have-cooties Jan Di?" He looked up at the sky. "Looks like the romance genre was right. The heart really is a mystery."

She smiled. It was impressive how well he was handling her confession. She had expected him to laugh in her face or fake an emergency. Instead, he sipped his coffee and made pleasant conversation. They spent another hour at the restaurant, exchanging stories about old times.

"You remember Han Eul?" Joshua asked on the drive back to her house.

"The girl who told off our English teacher? Something about how it was sonsaeng-nim who needed to learn what actually made books sell."

He grinned. "Have you heard of the new teenage cultural phenomenon: the infamous book series Temptations?"

"You. Got. To. Be Kidding. Me. Han Eul is Aurora Borealis Kim?"

He nodded. "She wanted to go by Her Royal Highness, Queen Aurora Borealis. But her publisher refused."

They took a turn into her street. "Well, that's me." She beamed at him. "I'll see you around."

She was about to step out of the car when Joshua spoke, "Back in the restaurant, you said you had a crush on me."

She turned to face him.

"So you no longer feel that way?"

"No. I mean. You're great. And I've loved catching up with you. But I wasn't asking you out. I swear. The thing is—I always regretted it—not confessing. And now, with so much uncertainty in my life. I thought—I thought fixing a past regret might help me find some courage." She paused. "I'm making no sense. I'm so sorry."

He let out a chuckle. "No. It's okay. I don't get it a hundred percent. But I can see where you're coming from." He opened her car door. "Let me walk you out."

She matched his stride. "There is one other thing—that I've been dying to ask."

He tilted his head.

"How in the world did you agree to play Snow White?"

"They said I was the whitest of them all. So I should do it. Which made no sense." He spread his arms out. "The kids playing the seven dwarfs weren't really dwarfs."

They reached her main door. "Thanks. This was fun."

"The pleasure was all mine. And Ga Eul-ssi, for what it's worth, in eighth grade, I thought you were the prettiest girl I had ever seen." He leaned closer. "That hasn't changed."

A/N: Hi Guys! Did you enjoy the chapter? What do you think of Joshua, should Yi Jeong be worried? What do you think of the Ji Ah and Woo Bin situation? What did you think of Jae Kyung's reaction to finding out about it? How do you think she is handling the news? Tell us in the reviews.

We are looking for a beta reader. We mainly need someone to go through a scene, tell us if it's coming across as intended, and answer some basic questions regarding it. If anyone is interested, please PM us.