A/N: Thank you to everyone who is reading this story. I appreciate the support!

glorialopezgl534.03: Thank you for your review. I am glad you liked the chapter, hope you like this one as well.

Phantomstimeturner: Thank you for your review. It made me laugh. Given the result, yeah, maybe Ga Eul should've locked those two together ages ago. Hope you like this chapter!

Guest: Hey! Thanks so much for your review. I'm glad you find the story cute. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

Guest: Thanks for your review! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Special thanks to my beta Vnillachamomile for helping out with this chapter. Enjoy, guys!

Woo Bin awoke to something soft and warm pressed up against him. Jae? He extracted his arm, slowly, so as not to wake her.

The events from last night flashed before him.

Them getting locked in a cupboard.

Jae talking about her breakup.

Her breaking down in his arms.

Her opening up about her ex, each story horrifying in new and interesting ways, before eventually drifting off to sleep.

Their limbs entangling, at some point.

It was one hell of a night. Awkward didn't even begin to cover it.

He looked back at her. She looked so peaceful and carefree. There was no harm in giving her a few extra minutes.

The door flew open, taking the decision from him.

The stout, middle-aged janitor glared at them. "Not this again!"

Jae blinked twice. Recognition dawned on her face fairly quickly, all things considered. "It's not—we just—we weren't—"

"I hate tourists. 'The city of love.' Bloody inconsiderate the lot of you."

"It was an accident. We got locked in," said Woo Bin.

"Do any of you show the bare minimum courtesy of getting a hotel room? No. Why do that when you can make out on the streets! Or movie theaters. Or inside cupboards."

"It's not like that," Jae said.

The man banged the mop against the floor. "That's it. I quit. Should've never left London."

For half a second, both he and Jae watched the man disappear with identical dumbfounded expressions.

He recovered first. "We should go." He rubbed his neck. "Before someone else comes along."

She adjusted her top. "Yeah. I'll see you around. Bye."

"Hold up, I'm your ride."

"I'll take a taxi."

If she wasn't avoiding his gaze like her life depended on it, he would've chased after her. Experience dictated that it was best to give her a few hours to calm down. Until then, there were plenty of other things to distract himself with.

He sank into his car seat and pulled out his phone.

"Woo Bin, my man," said Joon. "How are the holidays treating you?"

"Great. Yi Jeong and I are in Paris." After a few more minutes of mindless pleasantries, Woo Bin got to the point. "Listen, I need a favor. Can you look into a Shinwa student for me?"

_oOo_

In the evening, the gang decided to visit the Luxembourg Gardens. Woo Bin stood outside the gate, waiting for the girls.

"Come on," said Ga Eul, grabbing Yi Jeong's hand. "The entry is that way."

Woo Bin rushed after them. After what happened this morning, it was best to give Jae some space.

"Woo Bin," she said, matching his stride.

Thank God, he was afraid she'd avoid him for the remainder of the trip.

She stared at her shoes. "I'm sorry. About last night."

"That's fine. You don't control the drool."

She snapped her head up. "I do no such thing."

"Sure. There was totally nothing on your face this morning. Nothing what-so-ever."

"And you totally didn't have morning breath." Her arms were crossed, but she was smiling. She skipped ahead, making it all the way to the gate. "You coming?"

The good mood didn't last.

The garden was lush and green, complete with a beautiful pond, and Jae seemed oblivious to all of it. She walked with her head down, her expression vacant.

He zig-zagged through the grass while waving his arms above his head. "Guess the action."

"Swatting flies?"

"Nope."

Yi Jeong stood in front of him, off the grass. "Woo Bin?"

"Mosquitos?"

"Nope."

"Get off the grass."

"Bees?"

"Bingo. Let's try another."

Yi Jeong pointed to the sign up front. "It says, 'Don't step on the grass.'"

"Chill." Folding his forearm, he cupped his shoulder with his palm and skipped across the grass.

"Dancing."

"Nope."

"Can't you be normal, for once? Would it kill you?"

Instead of rising to Yi Jeong's bait, Woo Bin ignored him.

"Frolicking in the meadows?"

"Very funny." He raised both his hands above his head, as if putting on a hood.

"Illuminati?"

"Red riding hood," said Woo Bin.

"I liked frolicking in the meadows better," said Ga Eul.

Before he could respond, someone put a firm hand on his shoulder. He turned around, a quip on his lips, ready for Yi Jeong.

It wasn't Yi Jeong.

Five Minutes Later

Ga Eul patted Yi Jeong on the back. "Well, we saw most of it."

"I didn't think he'd throw us out. Obviously," said Woo Bin.

"That was a bit of an overreaction," said Jae. "It's not like you were plucking flowers."

"Thank you."

Yi Jeong glared at him. "Every time." He folded his arms. "Why do I even bother?" He stomped away from the group, all the while muttering curses.

Woo Bin assumed they were aimed at him.

"Sorry ladies. Yi Jeong's having one of his moments. Bad hair day."

Woo Bin found Yi Jeong sulking in the car.

"I am sorry I ruined your fifth time in the garden," said Woo Bin.

"It was Ga Eul's first time."

"It was making Jae laugh." Woo Bin slid in beside him. "She wasn't having the best day so far. So—"

Yi Jeong shook his head. "Just ask her out, Woo Bin, and spare the rest of us."

Leaning back against his seat, he studied the ceiling. "She cuts off all contact with exes. No exceptions."

That got Yi Jeong to look at him. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Woo Bin didn't answer. Last night stirred a whirlwind of emotions within him. Anger at that asshole for hurting Jae. Desperation to comfort her in any way possible. The stabbing pain on hearing her say such awful things about herself. The burning desire to break every bone in her ex's body. The near panic when she started sobbing.

None of that was alarming on its own. He would've felt the same for any other friend. But the rollercoaster didn't end there. There were other, more complicated feelings muddying the line.

He kept thinking what an utter moron her ex was. How could anyone in their right mind be so callous with a girl like Jae? How could that idiot not realize how lucky he was? If Woo Bin was in his place…

He drummed his fingers against the seat. No matter how hard he tried, he could neither ignore the tinge of envy, nor deny how holding her in his arms sent his brain into overdrive.

"I can't believe it," said Yi Jeong. "Ga Eul was right. The cupboard actually worked."

_oOo_

When Ga Eul first started restaurant duty, she didn't think it was possible to meet chefs more talented than the Korean staff. The past five days, however, were forcing her to reconsider.

Gabrielle, Chef Lee's latest hire, wiped the counter. "The secret is a dash of pepper."

"So subtle," said Ga Eul.

"Yes, yes. Subtle but genius. Gabrielle has heard it all before," said Chef Lee. "We're closing up in five? Do you need a ride back, Korea?"

"Nonsense," said Vietnam. "I'm sure her boyfriend will pick her up."

"Yi Jeong and I are just friends."

"A friend who came all the way to Paris to chauffeur you around?" said France.

"Where do I find friends like that?" asked Nigeria.

Ga Eul tried her best to let the words slide right off. It was harmless teasing. Nothing else.

Chef Lee shot each of them a look. "Don't you lot have cleaning to finish?" He turned back to Ga Eul. "That's a no on the ride, then?"

Still hung up on the previous conversation, she took a second to answer. "No. I think I'll manage."

_oOo_

Yi Jeong checked the table. The floral arrangement looked okay—not as pristine as it did in his head, but passable. The champagne was great, no complaints there. The music was a disappointment. Sure, it sounded soothing, but he expected much more pizazz.

He stared down at the city below. It wasn't perfect, but Ga Eul would be here soon. He'll just have to make do.

"Enjoying the view? It's nearly sunset. I imagine the city must look spectacular from here."

He turned around to find Ga Eul standing a few feet away.

"I've to admit, I was a bit taken back when you said you wanted to visit the Eiffel Tower again." She leaned against the railing. "But now I get it. Everything looks so much better without the crowd."

"We leave tomorrow morning. I wanted to say goodbye to the city. You know how much I love Paris."

"I didn't, actually."

He pulled out a chair for her. "Really? I talk about it all the time."

She studied his face for a second. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yep. Why wouldn't I be?" He pushed a glass towards her. "Champagne ?"

"Sure." She clunked her glass against his. "Cheers."

He gulped it all down in one swift motion.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Of course. Look, the appetizers are here."

The waiter served them both some bruschetta.

Yi Jeong took a large bite, letting the heavenly taste relax him. "As I was saying, I'm okay. More than okay. I'm great. In fact, I've been doing great for a while now." He smiled down at his plate. "Because of you."

She nibbled on the bread. "I hope you know it's mutual. I wouldn't even be here without you."

He tried his best not to blush. "That's not..."

"It's true. I was ready to give up. More than once, but you always pushed me to keep going." She laid her hand on top of his. "Thank you. For everything."

He opened the top button of his shirt. "It's hot in here."

She smiled. "Too much?"

"No, no. Of course not. It was eloquent. You're always eloquent." He sipped some more wine. "So, Ga Eul?"

She continued looking at him with rapt attention.

"I was thinking—what I'm trying to say—will you—if you're not too busy—maybe—maybe you can tell me about chef class?" He refrained from banging his head against the table. Woo Bin was right. Yi Jeong was a wuss.

"You found out, huh?" She moved her fork around. "Guess I haven't been all that subtle this past week."

He had no clue what she meant. "Sometimes talking it through helps."

"I won't lie, when I first got selected for chef class, I considered it. More than once. But then I met Chef Lee, and—you know how unpleasant he was."

"Was?"

"True, he still kind of is, but he's tolerable when we work together. And his staff?" Her eyes lit up. "They're amazing. This past week, getting to work alongside them—it's such a dream come true."

Then it clicked. One of the perks of Chef Lee's program? He gave the top students internship opportunities in his restaurant chains across the world, including the one in Paris. "You're not considering moving here?"

"I don't know. Maybe? I love the city. My aunt already lives here, so I have a place to crash…" She shuffled the food around her plate. "I'm getting ahead of myself. We don't even know if he'll offer me the internship."

A small part of Yi Jeong prayed she wouldn't get it, and he hated himself for it.

_oOo_

Woo Bin took a deep breath. This was not how he envisioned his last few hours in Paris going. He came here to help Yi Jeong pack, not to witness him spiral into crazytown.

When Yi Jeong first relayed his conversation with Ga Eul, Woo Bin sympathized. But a three hour pity-fest, was not a measured response.

"So you'll move back to Sweden?" he spoke slowly, trying his best to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"Don't look at me as if I'm crazy." Yi Jeong shot up from the lounge chair and paced the drawing room. "If she can move to France, why can't I return to Sweden?"

"Bro, maybe before abandoning your entire business in Korea, wait to see if she actually accepts the France offer?"

"Wait for the inevitable heartbreak? That's your advice."

Woo Bin refrained from banging his head against the wall. The chances of them missing their return flight was exponentially increasing. "Inevitable? All she said was, if Chef Lee extends the offer, she'll consider it. That's in no way a definite yes."

"It might as well have been!" Yi Jeong said while pouting.

Woo Bin vacated his comfortable chair. If he didn't do something soon, the melodrama would drive him insane. Marching up to Yi Jeong, Woo Bin placed one hand on each shoulder and shook him. "Calm the F down."

Three hours later, despite Yi Jeong's best efforts to the contrary, the boys somehow caught their flight.

_oOo_

"Thirty customers? This was a first," said Ga Eul.

Jae Kyung scrubbed the pot clean. The porridge shop had been busier than usual this morning. This was the first time she got a break.

Ga Eul paused her cleaning. "Do you think it's the F4? Maybe they're pulling in the Shinwa crowd or something?"

"Doubt that. Most of them weren't college-age." Jae Kyung placed the dish on the rack. "Maybe someone discovered that we got one of Chef Lee's finest working for us."

"Unnie!"

The door flew open. Jae Kyung turned around to find Hana and Yu Ri standing in front of her.

She looked at Hana. Hana looked at her. They both took turns looking at Yu Ri. No one moved or spoke.

"I am gonna go check on the customers. Or wipe the tables," said Ga Eul.

"The exams were just crazy, right?" said Yi Ri.

Logically, she understood that they didn't control Ji Na and Na Bi. Logically, she knew that Hana immediately springing to their defense was justified. She'd known them for years. Jae Kyung complaining to the dean would ruin their entire lives. None of that logic did anything to erase the discomfort she felt around them. No matter how unfair it may be.

"There's this new soda place that opened up? Want to check it out?" asked Hana.

"Not sure. I've got a lot of work to finish." She wiped her hands. "Like helping Ga Eul clean the tables. It's a real back-buster. I should get started immediately."

An inch away from the door, she froze.

"I know she works here. Can you go and get her?"

"Sir, I told you. We don't have anyone by that name," said Ga Eul.

Jae Kyung rushed back into the kitchen.

"Look, I just want to talk. That's it," Yoo Jin said.

Yu Ri peaked outside. "Is that who I think it is?"

Both Hana and Yu Ri had noticed the barrage of messages he kept sending the past month. One day, Jae Kyung eventually caved and revealed who he was.

Yu Ri kept a hand on her shoulder. "Let me talk to him. I'll threaten to tell everyone in Shinwa he has Chlamydia or something."

Jae Kyung cracked a smile. The idea was terrible, but it was very Yu Ri.

"Sir, you can't just—"

His voice grew closer. "Princess, this is very childish. Would you just come out and talk to me?"

Hana stood in front of her, blocking her from view.

"You're aware stalking is illegal in this country?"

"Stalking? Is that what she's calling it now?" He tried to push past, but Hana didn't budge. "Look, Jae Kyung, I am sorry, alright."

"Sir, customers aren't allowed back here," Ga Eul said. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"I know I messed up. But how much longer do you plan to punish me?"

"Sir."

"Fine, I'll leave. Would you give her these for me? They're her favorite," he said while handing her a bouquet of red roses. "I am not a stalker. Okay? I just miss my friend. A lot."

Once he left, Ga Eul threw the flowers on the ground.

"The lion, the witch, and the sheer audacity of that bitch," said Yu Ri.

"Yeah, he can be a bit..." Jae Kyung resumed washing dishes, no longer paying the conversation around her any mind. Instead, she focused on the 'Yoo Jin' problem. Avoidance was no longer an option. It was time to put this thing to rest. Once and for all.

_oOo_

Woo Bin sat across from Ji Ah in their usual coffee shop. He'd been here for a total of fifteen minutes, and it was already the most uncomfortable meeting of his life. Once the waiter left to ring in their order, effectively taking away their buffer, neither of them knew what to say.

"I had some CDs to return," Ji Ah finally said. She sorted through her purse, taking out a few vintage games he'd given her.

Seconds ticked by, but her hand still remained on the pile, possessively.

"You can keep them," he said. "If you want to."

"Thanks." Without wasting a beat, she stuffed it all back into her bag.

Luckily, before the awkwardness could settle in again, the waiter showed up, giving them both something to do.

"Do you like your coffee?" he asked.

"Yep. Absolutely divine. You?"

"Same."

The silence stretched on for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry. For the way I treated you."

She looked up from her cup.

"What you said to Jae was uncalled for, but in a way, I kinda pushed you to that point."

Her hands tightened around the cup. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"You were right. The way I feel about her…" He averted his gaze. "It's not just friendship."

"Fuck you, Woo Bin. Seriously, fuck you. You led me on for months."

He swallowed his protest. She had every right to be angry. Whether he intended to or not, he did string her along.

She let out a bitter laugh. "I liked you. I genuinely liked you. I liked you so much that I turned a blind eye. To everything. Convinced myself that I meant something to you. But I never did, did I?"

"That's not true. Of course you—"

"Don't." Her eyes flashed with anger. "I was nothing but a mere distraction, something to take your mind off the fact that you can't go after the woman you actually want."

This time, he didn't attempt to interrupt. No matter how much of a bitter pill it was to swallow, she was right. Deep down, he believed persuing Jae was too risky. Not because he thought she'd turn him down, he could deal with rejection; he couldn't deal with losing her friendship. So, he dated Ji Ah instead. It wasn't malicious or even intentional. But none of that made it any less fucked up.

She shot up. "I hope you find the courage to tell her exactly how you feel someday." She looked straight at him, her eyes cold. "And when you do, I hope she turns you down. With all the heartbreak you've callously dished out, you deserve a little taste."

"I'm sorry. I would never not be sorry."

Without sparing him another glance, she stormed out, leaving Woo Bin far more remorseful than last time, and a little sad. They'll still see each other in class, but he doubted she'd ever speak to him again. Not that he blamed her, if the roles were reversed, he wouldn't either.

If he could go back and change everything, he would. He never wanted to hurt her. And while his feelings for her weren't what they should be, he did enjoy her company.

_oOo_

Woo Bin flung the dart at the board. Jae's tear-stained face kept haunting him. He needed something—anything—to keep his mind occupied.

The door to the lounge game room cracked open.

"Sunbae," said Ga Eul. "Why are you murdering the board?"

"It seemed better than dangling Jae's ex from a bridge."

"The one who said she looked like a clown when she dyed her hair and kept pestering her about it until she caved?"

"And don't forget, yelled at her for being chirpy. An absolute delight, that guy." He threw another dart, this time missing the center by a wide margin. "The excuses he fed her when he broke up with her sounded… fishy. So I asked Joon to look into him."

"He was cheating on her, wasn't he?"

"How did you…?"

"It fits."

"All that time, she agonized about the growing distance. Twisted herself into knots in futile attempts to fix it. While he…" He shot three more darts in quick succession. "Tell me why I shouldn't rearrange all the muscles in his face?"

"Because we need to keep a level head." She took a dart from him and aimed at the board. "Considering he's trying to weasel his way back into her life, we can't afford to give him any ammunition."

He let out a bitter laugh. "There's a snowball chance in hell I'll let that happen."

"You know she wants to meet him, right?"

He nodded. "I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't budge. Says she needs closure."

"I know. I had the exact same talk." She fetched the darts from the board and handed him his half. "Are you going to tell her? About what he did?"

He rubbed his neck. "I was hoping you would." Call him a coward, but he didn't want to be the one to break her heart.

"Sorry, Sunbae. It's your news, so you'll have to be the one to deliver it." She swung the dart around. "Besides, I already had my conversation. Jan Di and I sat Unnie down and told her exactly what we think of that asshole. The balls in your court now."

He didn't answer immediately. "She'll be heartbroken."

"I know. You still have to tell her. She deserves to know."

She was right. He hated that she was right.

The next few minutes passed in relative silence. The only sound was that of darts hitting the board.

"Sunbae," said Ga Eul. "Do you have feelings for Unnie?"

The dart slipped from his fingers. He took half a second to regain control, then, picking it back up, he asked, "Do you have feelings for Yi Jeong?"

The shocked expression on her face almost made him smile.

"He's my friend."

"And she's mine."

"Let's just focus on the board."

He did, for about five seconds. "Are you really moving to France?"

"I don't know." She folded her arms. "Chef Lee's restaurant in Paris is a dream come true. But… I'll have to leave everyone I love behind. Not sure I'm ready for that."

"For what it's worth, I think his restaurant here is much better."

_oOo_

The next evening, Woo Bin bit the bullet and paid Jae a visit. Ten minutes ticked by, but he was still unable to get the words out. He stared down at the seat cushion. He should just come out and say

"And I blinked, and it was 2 a.m.," Jae said.

"Yeah, I get that."

"I knew I should sleep. And I wanted to, so badly, but— I couldn't. I kept thinking. Before pictures or tape recorders, we couldn't even truly see or hear ourselves."

Maybe he should take her out to dinner first? Bad news always feels better once you have food in you.

"Think about it. Our reflection? Slightly distorted. Our voice? Filtered through our skull so it sounds different."

"Yeah. Totally."

"You've no idea what I just said, do you?"

He shuffled his feet.

"What's up?"

"I need to tell you something." He studied her face. "It's about your ex."

She tried her best to keep her face neutral, but he sensed the discomfort.

"What about him?"

He pressed his lips together. Yes, it'd hurt her, but Jae needed to hear this. "You didn't misunderstand squat. The word 'girlfriend' implies commitment."

"Maybe he saw it differently."

"Did he 'see it differently' before he went off to Shinwa?"

She didn't answer.

"This wasn't a difference of opinion. He lied to you." He met her gaze. "I looked into him, okay? Jae, he was cheating on you."

Pain flashed across her face.

With her head bowed down, she bit her lips. "Maybe he—if he didn't consider us—"

"No. That bastard knew it was exclusive." He shifted closer. "Think about this: how did he react when you talked to other guys?"

She dug her nails into the cushion.

He didn't push any further, instead gave her time to collect herself.

"Ga Eul said the same thing. Minus the cheating." For a few seconds, she said nothing, only stared at the opposite wall, her eyes vacant. "I guess a part of me always suspected."

He squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry. I'll be okay."

"Let's get some dinner. I'm craving something decadent."

She contorted her face into a smile. "Maybe some other time. I kinda want to be alone right now."

He fought the urge to protest. "Okay."

_oOo_

No matter how desperately he wanted to, Woo Bin didn't call Jae when he reached home. She said she needed some space, and he honored that, all the way until the clock struck midnight.

"Thanks for the ride, Sunbae," said Ga Eul, as she unlocked her apartment.

Since Yi Jeong was still being a big baby, Woo Bin picked Ga Eul up from chef class.

He peeked inside her apartment, searching for Jae. He found her curled up in front of the TV.

"I'll freshen up," said Ga Eul.

"Hey." Jae paused the movie. "Yi Jeong still hasn't recovered, I take it?"

"Nope. The melodrama continues."

She got up. "Do you want some tea?"

"Nope. Gran wants me back home. I only came to see Ga Eul off and to give you this." He fetched an envelope from his pocket. "I realize I can't talk you out of meeting him, but—maybe it'll get you to see things from my perspective."

"I get that you're all worried, but it's not like I agreed to date him. I just want some closure."

"It's not that. It's—just read it. Please?"

She tucked it into her jacket.

"And one last thing. About what I said—that night in the cupboard."

"I put you in quite a spot, didn't I? Sorry about that."

"No—that's not. I meant it. Okay?"

She stared back at him with a flabbergasted expression.

"Guess, I'll get going now. Gran gets real cranky if she stays up too late."

"Woo Bin."

He turned around.

"Come with me. To meet my ex. Please?"

A/N: Hi guys! So about the SoEul thing, I'm sorry.