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Ga Eul entered Yi Jeong's studio to find Ji Hoo Sunbae on a workbench—one book in front of him and several more surrounding him. With his head buried in a notebook, he mindlessly tapped the table with a pencil.
"Hi, Sunbae."
He shot his head up.
"Mind if I sit here for a bit? I'll be quiet."
"Not at all. I was just leaving." He packed up his stationery. "These seats are great for the back. Keeps the spine straight." He fiddled with the straps of his bag. "And these benches—they're great for napping. Figured Yi Jeong isn't using it. So might as well."
Ga Eul suppressed a smile. His excuse was even lamer than Woo Bin Sunbae's.
Once he left, Ga Eul sat down with Yi Jeong's wheel. Throwing lumps of clay in the center, she glided her hands in an upward motion: like Yi Jeong had shown her, several times before. She could almost feel his hands on top of hers, guiding her movement, correcting her stance.
The creaking door broke her concentration. Jun Pyo Sunbae stepped inside. He strolled to the equipment cabinet and removed four cakes of clay from the bottom drawer.
He pulled up a chair beside her. "Being here helps somehow, doesn't it?" He rolled the clay into little balls. "Surrounded by Yi Jeong's beloved pots—it's almost like he's here with us."
"Like he'll emerge from the other room. Carrying his latest masterpiece."
He glanced at the picture of five-year-old Yi Jeong holding his first trophy. "We've never gone this long without speaking. I wanted to visit him this weekend. But Jan Di thought it'd distract him."
Honest, open vulnerability. It looks like Jan Di was right all along; Jun Pyo Sunbae was the hottest F4 member. "Never change, Sunbae. Never change."
_oOo_
Fifteen days. It had been fifteen days since Yi Jeong had spoken to his friends, and a month and a half since he had seen their faces.
He hated it.
But the never-ending conferences, meetings, and dinners ate up all his time. He checked his Outlook calendar. He had twenty minutes. Then he'll have to leave for his meeting. Navigating to the folder labeled pictures, he clicked on a photo of him and Ga Eul. They were at the paintball arena. With her clothes stained and a smidgen of paint decorating her cheeks, she smiled at the camera. Twenty minutes was better than nothing.
"Hi," said Ga Eul.
"Hi," said Yi Jeong while touching his computer screen.
"Sup Bro?" Woo Bin spun around in Yi Jeong's desk chair, letting the camera capture Yi Jeong's F4 lounge bedroom in its entirety. "Hit any of the nightclubs I suggested?"
Yi Jeong shook his head.
"What about the massage places? Got an authentic Swedish Massage yet?"
Ji Hoo's dining room came into view. "Keeping the racial stereotyping aside for a minute." He sprinkled some pepper on his fish. "How have you been? You look a little tired."
Yi Jeong snuck a look in the mirror. "Yoon Ji Hoo, what is that supposed to mean? Is my skin losing its vibrancy? I'm still diligently following my twelve-step skincare routine. I moisturize and—"
Yi Jeong's rant was cut short by Jun Pyo joining the group call. "Woo Bin. Ji Hoo. I can't believe you guys." He closed his economics textbook and sprawled on the bed. "Ga Eul added me. Neither of you noticed I was missing?" He turned to Yi Jeong. "Sorry, bro. I was in the bathroom when you called."
"It's alright." He placed his laptop on the bed and laid on his stomach. "How have you all been?"
"Good. Everyone's missing you," said Ga Eul.
He fixed his shirt. "How is chef class?"
"Not too bad. We're doing herbs and vegetables now."
"Speaking of class," said Jun Pyo, "the craziest thing happened at school."
Yi Jeong was only half listening; most of his attention was focused on Ga Eul. She looked so cute, in her orange pajamas, with her hair in pigtails.
Woo Bin looked at Ga Eul and Yi Jeong, then back at Jun Pyo. "Bro, I think the guys and I would take off now. We have that thing planned. Right, Ji Hoo?"
"What are you talking about? We can't leave now. I have barely said two words to Yi Jeong," said Jun Pyo. "We haven't spoken in two weeks. I have missed you so much, bro."
Yi Jeong smiled at Ga Eul. "I have missed you all too."
Jun Pyo's phone beeped. He snuck a quick glance and then turned back to the camera. "Sorry, Yi Jeong. I've to go. It's a code-yellow emergency. Talk to you soon. I love you."
The F3 hung up. Leaving Yi Jeong alone with Ga Eul.
At last.
"So," he chuckled. "Woo Bin had a thing."
"Apparently." She sat up on the bed, the laptop perched on her knees. "So what do you think he told Jun Pyo Sunbae?"
_oOo_
"I get that my Book of Romance can be intimidating. Especially for the uninitiated." Jun Pyo adjusted the projector. "So, I have compiled my advice in this handy-dandy slideshow." He patted Woo Bin on the back. "I'm so glad you decided to accept my help."
Woo Bin dug his hands into his hair. Jun Pyo was stubborn. There was only one way to force him to hang up on Yi Jeong: to present him with an opportunity he couldn't resist. So Woo Bin sent a text begging for his help. To plan a date. The sacrifices he made for Yi Jeong. The son-of-a-bitch better appreciate the hell out of this.
After going through all the slides three times, Jun Pyo finally turned off the projector. "So, Woo Bin"—he put his hands together—"when can I meet her?"
"One step at a time."
"Fine." He pouted. "At least tell me her name."
"Ji Ah."
_oOo_
A large projector stood in the middle of the park. Groups of people—families, couples, school kids—all laid around on blankets with their picnic baskets next to them. After the disastrous week Ga Eul had had, a picnic was a welcome distraction. She followed Jae Kyung Unnie further into the park in search of a good spot.
Unnie laid down a large blanket on the grass and beckoned for Ga Eul to take a seat. Opening her purse, she took out a packet of napkins, four pillows, two glasses, plates, and a bottle of orange juice. Ga Eul placed the picnic basket in the center. She divided the food—four turkey sandwiches, two chicken pastries, and a bowl of potato chips—into two plates.
Unnie poured the orange juice into two cups. "Let me get the popcorn."
She returned right when the movie started.
"I'm surprised you didn't invite Woo Bin Sunbae. Considering he's obsessed with The Lion King,"
She took a sip of juice. "He had a date."
Ga Eul almost choked on her sandwich. She must have misheard.
"Her name's Ji Ah. Sweet girl. I haven't met her. But Woo Bin seems to think so."
"How long has this been going on?"
"About—"
"Where did they meet?"
"In—"
"How could this happen?"
This time, Unnie waited for Ga Eul's barrage of questions to end before speaking. "I found out two weeks ago. But I think they've been dating for around—two months? They met in Accounting class. And I don't know how to answer the last question." She munched on some popcorn. "I guess she asked him out and he accepted?"
Ga Eul bit her lips. This was a troubling new development. She fully expected Woo Bin Sunbae to continue the 'Just Friends' song and dance for months. He was far too stubborn to admit his true feelings without a drawn-out fight. What she didn't expect was for him to do something as monumentally stupid as dating another girl. There was no chance in hell that this would end without him breaking someone's heart. The only question: whose heart and how badly?
Poor Unnie. She pulled her into a side hug.
"Nala and Simba reminding you of you and Yi Jeong?" She squeezed Ga Eul's arms. "Don't worry. Four months will go by in a jiffy." She took out a plastic jar from her purse. "Here. Have a cookie." She added three cookies to both plates. "Don't worry, I didn't bake them."
Unsure how else to respond, Ga Eul ate one.
_oOo_
The revolving light flashed right at Ji Ah. "I can't believe I never heard of this band before. Their music is phenomenal... Kind of reminds me of my favorite band, from back home—Melting Faces."
"That's cause the lead singer is from Hong Kong," said Woo Bin.
After their evening at the N Seoul Tower, he scoured the internet for Hong Kong-adjacent activities. This band was the top result. The reviews said their music was an homage to an old band called Melting Faces. Of course, he didn't know that was Ji Ah's favorite band at the time.
She bounced up and down, lip-singing. By the looks of it, it was a happy accident.
"Don't just stand there. Dance with me."
The music sounded a little too much like a shrieking banshee for his taste. But he didn't want to yank on her yams. He raised his arms in a half-disco and jumped along.
After another hour of subjecting his ears to this torture, he said, "I'll just be back. Going to get a drink."
He rushed out into the empty corridor. Some peace at last.
Taking his phone out, he dialed Jae's number. It was 7 o'clock. Her movie should've ended by now. "Got home OK?" he asked.
"Not home. At the porridge shop with Ga Eul."
He leaned against the wall. "So how was the once-in-a-lifetime experience of watching one of the greatest movies ever created for the very first time?"
"Epic. But you shouldn't have spoiled Mufasa's death. I bawled my eyes out during I just can't wait to be king." She sighed. "Poor Simba. Had no idea what he had just wished for."
He could almost picture her in front of him when she said that—her arms pressed to her chest, her head raised upward.
"That is the common thread in a lot of Disney movies. Surprisingly."
"That and dead parents."
Jae went silent. There was some shouting in the background, but Woo Bin couldn't make out the words.
After five minutes or so, she returned. "Sorry about that. Thought we got a customer."
"Oh. Didn't mean to interrupt your work."
"No worries. They took one look at the empty shop and left." She paused. "Sooooo, how did your date go?"
"It's still going on." He put his hands behind his head. "I should probably get back to it. Text me when you get home, OK?"
A minute after he hung up, Ji Ah found him. "There you are. I thought you got lost or something."
He snuck his phone back into his pocket. "My ears were ringing. Sorry."
She pursed her lips but said nothing more on the subject. Instead, she marched back into the concert hall.
The music did little to soften her mood. She swayed, jumped, and howled. But didn't look at him. Or ask him to dance. Or touch him in any way.
He tapped her on the shoulder. "I got us passes to the after-party." He tilted his head to the side and flashed her his most charming smile. "Wanna go?"
She regarded him for a minute, then looped their arms together and leaned against him.
_oOo_
When he dropped Ji Ah home, it was almost midnight.
"Thanks. I had a great time." She kissed his left cheek.
"Me too."
She interlaced their fingers together. "Wanna come inside?"
"It's been a long day." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll see you at school."
He turned to leave when she called out to him. "Can we've lunch together? Tomorrow."
"I usually eat lunch with Jae."
"Every day?"
"Whenever I don't have a class immediately after."
"Must be inconvenient, driving back and forth all the time."
He rubbed his neck. "Her campus isn't that far."
"Look. I don't want to be one of those girls." She wound her arms around him. "And I'm not trying to control who you hang out with." She brushed the hair from his face. "But how are we supposed to get to know one another if you never have any time?"
He stepped back. "That's unfair. We just spent the whole day together."
"My apologies." She forced a smile. "Have a good evening."
_oOo_
"There would be no lecture today. Instead, you'll spend the two hours preparing a dish that showcases what you have learned." Chef Lee glanced at Vietnam. "Which for some of you, I'm sure is nothing."
Vietnam raised his hand. Chef Lee ignored him. "Well, chop chop."
"At least he isn't making us force-feed an egg dish to his vegetarian colleague again."
"Nigeria," said Chef Lee. "Only because Chef Evan is an expert on Herbs and vegetables doesn't mean that's all he eats. But by all means, continue gossiping. I'm sure your dish will cook itself."
Ga Eul gave Nigeria a sympathetic look, then returned to her dish: Vegetable-Thupka. Today was an important day for her. After the disastrous egg-dish competition, her rank had fallen to number eight. If she wanted to stay in the running for Paris, she'd have to wow Chef Evan.
Smoke rose from the station beside her. Vietnam turned off his stove and turned on the exhaust.
France took one look at Vietnam's now completely burned dish and smirked. "Guess we know who'll be on apartment cleaning duty next week." He put an arm around Vietnam's shoulder. "Don't forget to clean both the washrooms." He rubbed his stomach. "I've been preparing. Eaten some extra special stuff."
Nigeria gave France a caustic look, then fetched Vietnam some fresh ingredients from the pantry.
Vietnam glared at France. "Damian. Please have some decency. There are women here."
Ga Eul fetched him a new pan. "Don't worry. You still have an hour and a half."
"Worry not, Jagiya. I have no intention of losing this round." He cut his cabbage into thick rings, then turned to Nigeria. "This one is for you, love." He blew her a flying kiss.
She grabbed his knife and pointed it at him.
He moved several centimeters away. "You can keep that."
Ga Eul shook her head. She should go check on her dish.
An hour and a half later, Ga Eul was pleased with her creation. The Thupka tasted amazing. She felt good about her chances, especially since Chef Evan would be judging. The dish was flavorful and well-balanced. Just like he preferred.
Chef Evan was currently at Vietnam's station.
"Say Imbiana," Vietnam asked Nigeria, "what does my paper say?"
"Ninety-six."
"Refresh my memory, Damian. Which is the higher number? Ninety-six or eighty-nine?"
France shoved him.
Vietnam continued. "I think I'll take Chef Lee's line cooks out for drinks after restaurant duty tonight. I'm in a celebratory mood."
Ga Eul flinched. This was another restaurant duty she wasn't invited to. She lifted her head up. That'll change today. Her dish was excellent. Things would change.
Chef Evan took a sip of her Thupka. "A commendable use of vegetables. But the flavor pallet could still use a little work."
He wrote eighty-six on her paper. She gripped the table. That barely increased her rank by one. Seventh wasn't good enough. Being seventh wouldn't get her to Paris.
_oOo_
Something smelled incredible. The delicious aroma led Woo Bin to the F4 lounge kitchen. Ga Eul stood in front of the stove, preparing several batches of food. Everything she made looked tempting, albeit foreign.
"Could you move a bit? Thanks." She grabbed an onion.
"Your chef class hosting some kind of potluck?"
"No Potluck. Just practicing."
There were several servings of food prepared already, and she showed no sign of stopping. She vigorously chopped onions, peeled garlic, and added different combinations of spices to the five different pots she had cooking.
"It's close to midnight. Maybe you should take a breather."
"Take a breather?" She glared. "Taking a breather wouldn't get me to Paris."
"Ga Eul. You're an excellent cook. Chef Lee is just an asshole."
"Not excellent enough to qualify for restaurant duty. Apparently."
Woo Bin had no clue what that meant. And this didn't look like the time to ask. Instead, he grabbed a dart from the game room and flung it at the poster of Chef Lee.
That caught her attention.
He handed her the dart. "Eviscerate the bastard. You'll feel much better."
She cracked a smile. "Thanks, Sunbae. For trying. But I just need to cook at the moment."
"Oh, alright. I'll be in my room if you need anything."
She turned to face him. "You don't need to wait back with me. I'll be fine."
"It's okay. I've some work anyway." With that said, he exited the kitchen.
Before he shut his bedroom door, he heard the sound of darts being thrown.
Two hours later, he returned to a kitchen resembling a kindergarten classroom. The countertop was stained, the sink overflowed with utensils, vegetable peels littered the floor, and Chef Lee's poster was covered in dart holes. Amidst all this mess lay Ga Eul, fast asleep on the kitchen floor, a cucumber peel in her hair. Tiptoeing his way to her, he removed the peel from her hair.
With that taken care of, he pondered his next move. He couldn't leave her like this. Yi Jeong had an empty bedroom; she could sleep there. But as much as his bro would relish that thought, it might make her uncomfortable. He could put her in his room. But her parents already thought he was a creep. That wouldn't help matters. Besides, Yi Jeong might take offense.
In the end, he settled for the couch. Grabbing a spare set of pillows, he placed one under her head and the other her feet. Then he covered her with a blanket. The situation wasn't ideal. She might have a stiff back in the morning, but under the circumstances, it'll have to do.
After tucking her in for the night, he returned to his own room. The F4 lounge was safe, but it was still best not to leave her here alone at night.
_oOo_
The next morning, Jun Pyo entered the F4 lounge in an excellent mood. After four cancellations, he and Jan Di were finally having their movie marathon. Normally, he would insist on a more extravagant date. But given how hard Jan Di was working, he could compromise.
He opened the living room door and froze.
Jan Di followed after him. "It's my turn to pick the movie, right?" She stared at Jun Pyo's bewildered face. "What's the matter?"
"Woo Bin replaced the couch. I loved the old couch." He pouted. "We have had it since forever. So many good memories."
Jan Di examined the new couch. "But a sofa-cum-bed could come in handy."
"I hate those things. They take up so much space. And look how it clashes with the décor."
Jan Di sat on it. "But it's comfy."
"I can't believe this eye-sore made it past the finance committee, but my sculpture didn't."
"What sculpture?"
Jun Pyo showed her the picture on his phone. It was an eight-foot sculpture of Jun Pyo, leaning with his outstretched palm, in front of Jan Di. On his palm, he held a miniature version of the F3. "Woo Bin signed off on it. Just as long as I made him look manly. But Yi Jeong—"
Jan Di blinked. "Hold up. I'm confused." She pointed to sculpture-Jun Pyo's hand. "Why are you holding the F3 in your palm?"
"I'm handing you my friends. As a visual representation of you being the most important person in my life now."
She stared at him with a blank expression. "I see…. Anyway. You were saying?"
"Right. So Woo Bin approved it. But Yi Jeong? He asked me to submit a formal proposal to the finance committee."
"The finance committee? Isn't that just Yi Jeong?"
Jun Pyo nodded. "So I draft my proposal. Recheck it for typos. Submit it before the deadline. But what do I see on the notice board the next morning?" He crossed his arms. "My proposal with a huge denied stamp in the center"
Jan Di put her arms around him. "Sorry, honey."
"They always do this."
"Would picking the movie make you feel better?"
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