Thank you to everyone for the reviews. I've not been feeling well lately, so writing hasn't been a priority. Coupled with preparing for some exams in my college classes, working, and battling with my depression and anxiety, let's just say that it's been hard to get things down. I did re-read what I wrote so far and remembered I had a character that was going to be working behind the scenes that I forgot about. So that character makes an appearance near the end to help move things along. I will admit the direction another character has headed in is a shock and I am curious to see what people think about it. I don't know if I am 100% happy with this chapter. I feel like it's a bit jumbled, but maybe that's just my brain right now. For those reading my other stories, I will probably update Mend These Shattered Pieces next before doing The Heart's Prism.


There were days that Ga Eul wished she could just go back to bed, wake up once more, and hope that it is a better day than what it had been. She should have realized that the moment she woke up and managed to knock over everything on her bedside table that it was going to be one of those days. After cleaning up the mess and getting reprimanded by the maid who came in as she was doing so about letting the staff handle it, she managed to cut her hand on a broken shard of glass. Thankfully, it was not anything too bad and she just had to cover it with a band-aid. While doing her hair, she managed to burn her finger on her curling iron and then she poked her eye with her mascara wand. The one bright spot of the morning had been coming downstairs for breakfast to find that Jae Kyung had joined them, and it looked like she and Jun Pyo were starting to progress in their friendship, at least, if not their relationship as a whole. He was at least smiling at something she was saying, rather than scowling and attempting to ignore her.

Ga Eul enjoyed her morning with her brother, father, and Jae Kyung. She hoped she could have more like them, especially with Jae Kyung involved. She could see her brother softening to her and she could see how different he was in comparison to when he liked Jan Di. As much as she would have liked seeing the person she called her best friend with her brother, the fact was is that Jan Di was not a good fit for Jun Pyo. He spent so much time attempting to impress her that neither of them actually got to know one another. With Jae Kyung, they were similar enough that there was not much that Jun Pyo could do on a financial level to impress her. Instead, he had to entirely rely on who he was as a person. Despite his shortcomings, Jun Pyo was growing into a good man and a loving man. He was learning that not everything was about him and, to Ga Eul's surprise and honor, a lot of it did have to do with her. She remembered when Jun Hee told her that Jun Pyo had always wanted to be an older brother and she realized that now that he was, he had the opportunity to focus his energy on being a good older brother to her and it left little time for how he used to act.

Unfortunately, her good morning ended the moment she set foot onto the grounds of Shinhwa Academy. She was thankful she kept a spare pair of shoes in her bag always when the heel of her shoe broke as she was walking towards the building. She quickly tossed the shoes into the garbage and slipped a pair of flats on instead. Her ankle twinged as she walked and she knew she had rolled it a little harder than she had thought when the heel broke. Ignoring the pain, she managed to get to her locker, which gave her fits as she attempted to open it. She could only hope that as the morning wore on that things would get better.

It would seem that no deity in any pantheon was listening to anything Ga Eul wanted that day because she struggled with her locker once more just before lunch before slamming the lock against the metal with a low curse. Resting her forehead against her locker, she let out a few breaths. Her teeth clenched as she heard a slow clap from behind her. She knew immediately who she was going to be facing once she turned around, because why not add insult to injury that day? Sure enough, once Ga Eul turned around, she saw Ginger and Miranda standing there watching her. Sunny was also with them, but standing slightly behind, looking almost concerned.

"Ever the commoner, slamming your lock against a defenseless locker," Ginger said. "Guess you can take the girl out of the commoner, but you can't take the commoner out of the girl."

Ga Eul rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms. "That sentence made no sense, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by that coming from you," she said.

"Watch your mouth, commoner," Ginger growled.

"Or what?" Ga Eul said. "Did you forget I am no commoner? Has that pea brain of yours completely lost the memory that I am a member of the Gu family?"

Ginger simply smirked. "And how is that going for you?" she asked. "You still act like a commoner and no amount of makeup or pretty dresses will change who you are deep down."

Ga Eul smirked, tilting her head. "No amount of plastic surgery and perfume will change the fact that you spread your legs for the first available wallet either, but here we are," she said back. She easily caught Ginger's wrist when the other girl tried to slap her. "Try and hit me again. See what happens. Remember, I said I would not use my connection to the F4 to get by in this school. I don't need my oppa or sachon to put a bitch like you in your place."

Ginger jerked her hand away from Ga Eul, pointing her finger in her face. "The only reason you are even allowed in this school is due to that connection," she said. A smirk slipped across her face as she stepped closer to Ga Eul. "Do you honestly believe that any of the F4 would even give you the time of day if you weren't related to two of them? Or if you hadn't been friends with Geum Jan Di when you first met them?"

Ga Eul's blood ran cold as Ginger hit a nerve that was still raw. She knew that her relationships with the four men were primarily based on the fact that she was Jun Pyo's sister and Woo Bin's cousin. That their acquaintance with one another had only started because of Geum Jan Di. But now she was not that close to Geum Jan Di anymore and if it was suddenly discovered that Ga Eul was no relation, where would the relationship with the four men be? They would have no need to humor nor be around her. It was a truth that often hit Ga Eul a bit too close to home.

Ginger moved even closer and whispered. "You would not be worth the mud on their shoes if they weren't required to protect you and see to you because of being related. At least Geum Jan Di established herself here because of her little hero play that got her into this school," she said. "You are just her plus one that won't disappear. The F4 deserve better than you, especially So Yi Jeong and Yun Ji Hu. Don't think it's lost on anyone how you sniff after the two of them."

Ga Eul was startled by those words, her head jerking to look at the still smirking girl. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. "That's your ploy, Ginger, not mine," she said. "Unlike you, I don't spread my legs to get what I want, nor do I intend to."

Ginger's face darkened and she immediately reached up and gripped Ga Eul's face hard. "You are going to regret every single one of your words, commoner trash. Just you wait," she said before shoving Ga Eul back, the other girl stumbling enough to hit the lockers with a loud clank. Ginger smirked once more at her before she was turning on her heel to flounce away, Miranda giving Ga Eul a scathing look as she followed. Sunny, however, lingered a bit longer. She watched Ga Eul turn with a small wince from how she hit the lockers and Sunny worried at her lower lip. She glanced off after Miranda and Ginger's retreating backs before glancing at Ga Eul once more. She had to hide the jump when Ginger barked at her before she was hurrying to catch up with Ginger and Miranda. but she had already made up her mind. She needed to say something.


It had taken Sunny all day in order to make her excuses to leave Ginger and Miranda's side to finally go in search of any of the F4. While she spent the rest of the day with the two women, she was growing more and more concerned. She always knew that she and Miranda were more followers to Ginger than anything, but Ginger's growing obsession with So Yi Jeong and her growing hatred of Gu Ga Eul was becoming too much for Sunny to take. Miranda seemed to be on Ginger's side, though she also noted it was because it seemed like Yun Ji Hu was paying a lot of attention to Ga Eul and Sunny knew how much Miranda wanted him. It was one of the many reasons she had been so angry with Geum Jan Di over the entire incident that led to the competition between Jun Pyo and Ji Hu.

Sunny was no fool, however, and she knew that the likelihood of the F4 looking at any of the three of them was slim to none. She still wished for Song Woo Bin to see her as more than some vapid socialite, but she had apparently carved her lot in life and would have to deal with it. Which meant that any chance she had with the man was never going to come to fruition. She also realized that she could never hold a candle to the woman that had destroyed him, who just so happened to be her eldest sister. Sunny had a crush on Song Woo Bin for a long time and she had hated her sister for not only having the chance with him but then throwing it away.

Hesitating before the door of the F4 lounge, Sunny knew that her feelings were not the point of any of this and they did not matter at all in the long run. This was more to do with the inevitable destruction that could occur because of Ginger's obsession. As much as she disliked some things that Ginger often did, she was one of the only friends Sunny had in her life because they had grown up together. She did not want to see anything happen to either Ginger or Miranda.

"Sunny, what are you doing here?"

She had not even realized she had walked into the lounge and down the stairs until she heard Woo Bin's voice. As her eyes lifted to focus on him, her face flushed immediately before she spun away from the sight of him shirtless and sweating. Before she had turned, she had noticed wraps around his hands and the punching dummy. The music that was filling the air lowered and she realized that Woo Bin must have been taking advantage of being alone in the lounge to workout.

"I... I..." Sunny stuttered, closing her eyes with a wince at the sound. Now of all times was not the time to sound like an idiot in front of the man she had a crush on, but she had not expected to be faced with a very well-muscled Song Woo Bin.

"Not like it's not something you haven't wanted to see," Woo Bin said, dry amusement lacing his tone. "Or haven't seen even a little before when I used to go to your house regularly and use the pool when I was with your sister."

Sunny let out a breath, her eyes closing a moment. "Times I am sure you don't want to remember," she said. "Considering how my sister-."

"Doesn't matter anymore, does it?" Woo Bin said. "But I'm sure you didn't come here to talk about the past. You can turn around now. I put a shirt on."

Sunny slowly turned, trying to avoid staring at him. He might have put a shirt on, but he had barely buttoned it and it left very little to the imagination and was almost as bad as being completely shirtless. "No, I didn't. I also wasn't expecting you to be alone," she said.

"But you were looking for me?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You or Gu Jun Pyo," Sunny admitted. Her hands twisted in front of her as Woo Bin arched an eyebrow for her to continue. "I'm worried."

"Why would that matter to me or Jun Pyo?" Woo Bin inquired.

"Because it involves Ga Eul," Sunny said. She immediately took a physical step back when Woo Bin advanced. He came up short, realizing that he startled her. Woo Bin recognized that he often snubbed Sunny because of what her sister had done to him and her association with Ginger and Miranda, who were both women that Woo Bin wanted to avoid. It actually made him sad that Sunny chose to remain friends with them. He had the chance while with her sister to see the young woman's true nature and it was nothing like the one she showed the world at Shinhwa. However, after Park Sun Lee had destroyed him, he had made the choice to think that her sister would probably end up the same way. Her continued association with Ginger and Miranda had started to cement that thought more and more. So why was she here now and what did it have to do with his sachon?

"Tell me," Woo Bin finally said.

"Ginger's obsessed with So Yi Jeong," Sunny said. "But she's becoming increasingly obsessed in her hatred of Ga Eul. Miranda isn't too far behind because she likes Yun Ji Hu."

"Ginger's obsession of Yi Jeong won't make a difference. He'll never-," Woo Bin started.

"I know that," Sunny interrupted. "But it's that obsession that is fueling the hatred towards Ga Eul, I think. She does everything she can to antagonize or bait Ga Eul, including today at school."

"You were all warned to stay away from Ga Eul. Especially Ginger," Woo Bin said, his tone dark.

"I know," Sunny admitted. "I thought we were heading to lunch. It was too late to divert Ginger when she and Miranda decided to poke at Ga Eul when she was having a problem with her locker."

"What happened?" Woo Bin asked.

"Ginger was trying to insult her by calling her a commoner," Sunny said. "Including saying that the only reason that Ga Eul was even on any of your radar was that she is related to you and to Gu Jun Pyo. Otherwise, she would not even be in your lives. It was obvious by the look on Ga Eul's face that it bothered her. Ginger got into her face, so I don't know what else was said. I couldn't hear, but Ginger did shove Ga Eul into the lockers before she and Miranda left."

"That bitch dared to put her hands on Ga Eul again?" Woo Bin questioned. "While implying we wouldn't care if she wasn't our family?" He eyed Sunny suspiciously as she nodded. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because I'm worried," Sunny said. "As I said, her obsession is increasing, and it may not matter to many, but she's one of the only friends I have. I'd rather not see her on the receiving end of your wrath."

"You can't control what she does," Woo Bin pointed out. "So why would telling me make a difference?"

"Because what I've seen of Gu Ga Eul, I realize that she doesn't deserve the crap that Ginger and Miranda are giving her either," Sunny finally said. "And she seems like a decent enough person."

"She is," Woo Bin said. "Are you here asking for mercy for Ginger and Miranda? Or are you trying to get into our good graces in the hopes of-."

"Don't," Sunny said. "I said what I had to say. I'll go now." She turned and started walking towards the stairs. She paused before she spoke once more. "I am not as stupid as people think I am, especially when it comes to you and the rest of the F4."

"Pardon?" Woo Bin asked.

"I know how little I am valued. Unlike Miranda and Ginger, who are convinced they have a chance with So Yi Jeong and Yun Ji Hu, I am well aware that I would never be looked at twice by any of you in the F4," Sunny said. She glanced over her shoulder. "Especially with you, especially after what my sister did. I'm intelligent enough to know that no matter what I feel or want, I have no chance with you."

Woo Bin frowned.

"If anything else comes up that I think you should know about Ginger's obsession with Yi Jeong or Ga Eul, I will let you know." Then she was gone.


It was taking too much time to gather the years of files that had accumulated that had been strategically hidden. It felt like forever as each file was scanned in and saved to a USB drive. Being tasked with destroying the evidence of Gu Shan Gi's accident and Gu Ga Eul's guardianship so that it would not be linked back to Kang Hee Soo had been assigned to him. Hee Soo was certain that his loyalty was to her only, but it was an opportunity for him to finally break from her for the good of the Gu family. He allowed himself to continue working with her to get all the information he could, and it had come to fruition when she had given him this task. He was constantly reassuring her that the files were being destroyed, but since they were hidden away in various places, it afforded him the needed time to make sure he could get everything converted to a digital copy. However, he did keep many of the hard copies that he knew would be important for any trial that took place in case they would not accept the digital scans. He was glad that there had been copies of most of the files, so he was able to show proof of destruction when asked.

Jeong Sang Rok had spent so much time keeping an eye on Kang Hee Soo that he knew most of her deep dark secrets. It was finally time for him to start using that information to ensure that she was brought down for all she had done. He would do everything in his power to ensure that the woman could not hurt the Gu family any further.