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Second Love
Chapter 1
You only get one soul mate in your life. Has he already missed his?
Ji Hoo looked fondly at Jan Di. Sometimes he would consider abandoning her as a hopeless cause
and find someone else, but the thought always disappeared before it could fully take form. His heart just
didn’t seem to care that this girl was already taken, that she would never be his. He would be lying if he
said he would be content just watching her, but if that was as far as he could get, then he would just have
to accept that.
‚Sunbae? Are you okay?‛ He was jolted back to reality as Jan Di’s concerned face came into his
line of vision.
‚Yeah, I’m fine.‛ He shook his head to clear away all the distracting thoughts. ‚Do you want
something to drink?‛ He got up abruptly before even getting a response from the surprised girl. He
needed some space between them right now, or he would start thinking too much about their
relationship again.
It wasn’t that he didn’t like thinking about their relationship, he mused as he slipped a few won
into the vending machine. It was just a sore topic for him, and he started getting depressed whenever it
even crossed his mind. And as good and caring a girl as Jan Di was, she still couldn’t fully hide herpreference of the happier Ji Hoo who could always make her laugh instead of the sad and morbid one
who still pined after his lost love. Therefore he had promised himself to always remain like that happy Ji
Hoo in front of her.
With two cups of that wonderfully cheap coffee she loved in hand and a determined mind frame
back in place, he headed back to their usual seats in front of the swimming pool building.
Just in time to see Jan Di with Jun Pyo. They were kissing with such passion that despite himself,
Ji Hoo felt a pang of jealousy. He backed behind a wall so as to not disturb them. A split second later, he
wished he had disturbed them after all.
‚Jan Di, you know I love you. Will you marry me?‛
In that brief second before her answer, it seemed as if his heart had stopped beating. He didn’t
care about his friendship with Jun Pyo anymore. He just wanted to do something, anything , to prevent herfrom saying the word he knew she would utter.
‚Yes.‛
He felt as if he was being consumed from the inside. Everything was pain, just like it had been in
the car crash, and just like back then, there was no one to comfort him.
He staggered away from the sight of the happy couple, moaning softly. He couldn’t deny it
anymore; he had truly loved Jan Di, and seeing her form such a bond with another man was unbearable.
He hadn’t even realized his feet had carried him in front of the elevator. He sighed and pressed
the ‚up‛ button, wanting nothing more than a tall building to jump off of.
As the elevator doors closed, he noticed a smudge of black ink on the side of the elevator railing.
‚Jan Di and Jun Pyo, first night together.‛
Suddenly the elevator seemed way too small. The pain from Jun Pyo’s proposal had intensified
and he truly felt as if he wanted to die.
Just then, the elevator doors slid open, and in stepped a girl. The first thing he noticed was the
bracelet she wore. Unconsciously he reached out to it, hearing the girl ’s slight gasp.
‚Sunbae?‛
His mind roared. Jan Di had come back to him. This bracelet was the one she had in New
Caledonia and left on the sand. She had come back to him.
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He rushed at her, wrapping his arms around her, breathing in her scent. He didn’t see Jun Pyo
anywhere, which was odd considering what he had just witnessed, but he was too weak with relief to
care. Someone had come for him after all; he no longer had to endure the pain by himself.
‚Ji Hoo sunbae
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‚Sorry sunbae, I really have to go.‛ No. She did not just reject his offer to dinner! No woman ever
rejects him.
‚Wai—‛
‚I’ll call you later, sunbae.‛ There was a beep as Ga Eul disconnected, but not before Yi Jeong
heard a distinctly male voice let out a low moan.
‚What the hell is she doing?!‛
Chapter 3
Ga Eul started as Ji Hoo stirred. She quickly disconnected the phone and used both hands to
steady him.
‚Whuh?‛ He blinked rapidly, but upon suddenly noticing his proximity to her, got up abruptly.
Due to him still being on top of her, this resulted in a collision of heads and a slight brush of lips.
Gingerly rubbing her forehead, Ga Eul turned away so Ji Hoo wouldn’t see her blush.
‚Sorry
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So instead, he partied more, drank more, slept with more women, and did more pottery, all in an attempt
to avoid and ignore the second woman to have ever pulled at his heartstrings.
Personally, he thought it was unfair that Ga Eul should go through so much pain on someone
else’s account. A fragile girl like her who dreamed of soul mates really shouldn’t pine after someone as
ruthless a bastard as Yi Jeong was. Even if he did like her back, that cold nature of his would only bring
her more pain.
Ji Hoo was shaken out of his reverie by Ga Eul’s shy ‚Okay.‛ He smiled, rather pleased with
himself but not quite sure why.
‚Let’s go then.‛
***
Ga Eul tried to keep her mouth closed, but it was hard. Even the tablecloth here looked too
expensive to touch. She wondered if Ji Hoo sunbae came to these places regularly.
She stumbled a bit and then jerked in surprise as Ji Hoo’s arm snaked around her waist to steady
her. He seemed not to notice her reaction and continued to walk in that unconcerned way of his.
Ji Hoo noticed her discomfort and smiled slightly. ‚Don’t worry, I’ll pay.‛
‚Oh no , it’s not that!‛ Ga Eul waved her hands hurriedly. ‚It’s just that I never realized how
different the rich were from us commoners until now
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All these thoughts were making him even more confused than before. He needed to clear his
brain and forget about everything for a while. And when Yi Jeong needed to ‚clear‛ his brain, his action
plan always involved copious amounts of alcohol.
So here he was, completely and utterly drunk. He had partied for an hour straight, picked up
some girls, then headed to a more casual bar with them. He thought he had successfully forgotten Ga –
that commoner girl’s name.
Until he saw her with another guy. She was smiling up at him and he was looking back at her in
such a tender way that he had wanted to throw up. And when she opened her mouth, the worst words Yi
Jeong thought she could ever say came out.
‚You’re a really good guy.‛ And she proceeded to give him a hug. A hug! And a very tight,
intimate one at that.
Yi Jeong was in a blind rage at this point. That guy didn’t know whose girl he was stealing!
But she’s not your girl, the little voice in his head told him. What girl in her right mind would keep
coming back to someone that only breaks her heart over and over again?
‚Oppa, are you alright?‛ one of the girls at his side purred, and he was reminded of a cougar
ready to pounce. ‚Aw, you look so sad. Do you need a little love?‛ she cooed, pulling him closer. ‚I could
– mmph
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‚Sorry, I was keeping her occupied,‛ he smirked, stressing the word ‚occupied‛. While Yi Jeong
gaped, Ji Hoo took the opportunity to slip a hand around Ga Eul’s waist and pull her closer to him.
Yi Jeong’s eyes narrowed at their intimate position, his brain already racing to process what he
had just heard. So he hadn’t been worrying over nothing after all. Ji Hoo really did like Ga Eul, and if that
moan was any indication, things between them were starting to heat up.
He found himself asking in a rather detached voice, ‚Oh, well forgive me for intruding upon
your time then. Just out of curiosity, are you two dating now?‛
‚Oh no!‛ Ga Eul exclaimed before Ji Hoo could respond. The answer calmed Yi Jeong down
slightly, but only slightly. ‚I—Ji Hoo sunbae, we need to go. See you, Yi Jeong sunbae!‛ And with the
swish of the doors, they were gone.
The girl beside Yi Jeong huffed a little. ‚How rude! They didn’t even introduce themselves or
acknowledge me! Oppa, please don’t tell me you’re friends with those people.‛
Yi Jeong turned to give her a blank stare. ‚Go.‛
‚< what?‛ The girl was incredulous.
His voice turned cold. ‚I said go. You have no idea who those people were, or even who I am.
You came because you thought we were going to have sex and you could have bragging rights to your
friends about how you bagged So Yi Jeong. Well, sorry to disappoint you, I’m not interested anymore.
Maybe if you head back quickly enough, you’ll have time to get another bed buddy for the night. Goodluck. Now leave.‛
The girl gave an indignant cry and left, leaving Yi Jeong with only his memories.
What was he going to do about Ga Eul?
Chapter 5
Ji Hoo knew the stinging slap was coming before she even raised her hand to deliver it.
"How could you?" she screamed at him. "What the hell were you thinking? You made him think
we -- we--"
"We liked each other?" Ji Hoo finished for her. He felt something sink inside of him; did she really
feel so opposed to being more than friends? "What's wrong with him thinking that?""Because we don't!" she raged. "There's nothing between us! I could never--" She seemed to
rethink her harsh words. "Sorry sunbae, I'm not trying to say you would be a bad boyfriend; you
wouldn't be. There are probably loads of girls that would want to date you, and why not? After all, you're
smart, funny, considerate--" She stopped again, her cheeks reddening slightly. "What I'm trying to say is,
it's not good to tell someone things that aren't true," she finished lamely.
"Why can't it be true?"
There was deadly silence. Ji Hoo looked placidly at her while she stared back.
He was slightly confused at what had transpired between them today. Ga Eul had been
unbelievably understanding when he had fainted; maybe it was that that made him feel so indebted to
her. But back there, he hadn’t been speaking to pay back her favour. The way Yi Jeong had kissed that
other girl in public and then had the guts to challenge Ga Eul on her rejection of him made his blood boil.Ga Eul shouldn’t be just a puppet for a man like Yi Jeong, an eternally happy housewife waiting for her
fickle husband to come home. He would give her some charming words, leftovers from those he had
used on other ladies that day, and she would forgive him for all his cheating ways and fall in love with
him all over again. In turn, he would go out, pick up more girls and return home with the same stench of
unfaithfulness. This vicious cycle would eventually break her beyond repair.
As Ji Hoo looked into the warm pools of Ga Eul’s eyes, he realized he didn’t want that to happen
to her. He wanted her protected, cherished loved. And, he realized with a jolt, he wanted himself to be
the one that did that.
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The problem was he didn’t know if she had any feelings for him.
It didn’t matter if she didn’t like him back right now. That he could deal with. But he wouldn’t be
able to stand it if she told him no because she still loved Yi Jeong.
Maybe it wasn’t the best course of action, but to Ji Hoo it was the only one that would keep Ga
Eul’s heart safe.
‚Ga Eul, I’m sorry about my earlier actions. I reacted selfishly and didn’t think about how you
would fee. The truth is, I’ve wanted to ask you for a favour for a while now.‛
She didn’t understand, and her confused eyes blinked back at him. ‚Uh< what is it sunbae?‛
‚Would you do me the honour of being my girlfriend?‛
***
Ga Eul couldn’t breathe. Never in a mil lion years had she expected this to happen. Ji Hoo sunbae
had been a part of her circle of friends for a while now, but he had always been closer with Jan Di and the
other F4 than with her. She knew that had Jan Di and Jun Pyo’s whirlwind romance not happened, they
would have never even met. As it was, they attended the same gatherings but rarely spoke. Until today,
everything she had known about Ji Hoo sunbae had come from Jan Di. It was as if her best friend was the
glue that held two relative strangers together; without Jan Di, she and Ji Hoo would separate and drift
back to their own worlds.
And now he was asking her to be his girlfriend.
Realizing he was looking at her, Ga Eul tried stuttering out an answer. ‚I< uh< well< I
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human exotic masterpieces would also be present, which was usually a nice side attraction, but right now
all he could think about was the same country bumpkin.
What if she didn’t want him anymore, but didn’t have the heart to tell him? Would she be mad at
him for making her reject him in front of so many people?
He shook his head wildly, trying to dislodge scenarios of all the bad things that could happen.
Two girls walked by and looked at him strangely, so he shot them a charming smile as reassurance that
he wasn’t crazy. Immediately, he felt bad. Even though technically he had done nothing wrong, it seemed
almost as if he was betraying Ga Eul again. He tried changing his expression into a glare, but the girls
were already walking away, giggling like mad, still recovering from the full-force of a smile from the cute
Korean boy.
Yi Jeong sighed and glanced back at where the movers were putting the items going up for
auction. One man was carrying three boxes and the smaller one on the top had begun to teeter
dangerously. In a flash Yi Jeong was beside him and snatched the box before it could fall. He gave a
murderous glance at the cowering worker, who paled and apologized profusely for being so careless. If
that box had dropped on the ground he would have personally made sure no company in Korea ever
hired the man again.
Tossing the box up and down in his free hand, he strolled to a bench overlooking the garden at
the back of the building. There his serious gaze lowered onto the box. He pulled on the ribbon holding
everything together, and with a slight tug, the box opened to reveal a clay lily.
Yi Jeong turned the lily around in his hands, thinking about how things had changed for him in
the matter of a day. He hadn’t realized how important Ga Eul was to him until she wasn’t there anymore.
His plan was to profess his love for her while the clay lily was being presented as an auction item
and then take it out of the auction to give to her. Any other girl would be delighted at such a display of
affection, but Ga Eul wasn’t ‚any other girl‛. She had loved him simply and without regret for a long
time, but now seemed to be rethinking this. He had to make sure he understood that being with him
didn’t necessary have to be a painful and ugly thing.
He looked at his watch again. The exhibit should start in about another hour. That meant Ga Eul
should be here about now. He should probably go in and check to make sure she didn’t feel too
uncomfortable with so many people she didn’t know. It turned out he didn’t need to. Ga Eul was looking perfectly at ease talking with various people
of great influence. It was highly unusual for the shy Ga Eul to be mingling with the crowd so naturally,
but Yi Jeong understood when he saw who was with her.
Ji Hoo was smiling and chatting amiably, seeming perfectly at ease. Yi Jeong had heard of Jan Di
and Jun Pyo’s engagement and knew his friend had too, so it was disconcerting to see the quietest
member of the F4 in such a good mood. In fact, Ji Hoo didn’t only look like he was in a good mood; he
was positively glowing! His eyes twinkled as he laughed at some joke the senator’s wife made, his
posture relaxed and comfortable.
And one arm slinged over Ga Eul’s choulders. That arm rested snugly, sometimes shifting a bit to
move up and down a little over Ga Eul’s arm during the conversation.
Ga Eul either didn’t notice the actions or didn’t mind them. She continued carrying herconversation, blissfully unaware of Ji Hoo’s assault on her shoulder.
Yi Jeong gritted her teeth. Why was Ji Hoo so bent on getting close to Ga Eul? Was he trying to
use her to ease his heartbreak? And pure innocent Ga Eul had no idea< He couldn’t do anything about
this now, but after today, Ji Hoo would no longer have that arm and hand anywhere near Ga Eul, because
she would be a taken woman. Yi Jeong just had to stop being such a pessimist and get out there and
convince his girl that he loved her before someone else did the same.
As if on cue, Ga Eul paused between words to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and her eyes
met those of Yi Jeong.
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Chapter 6
For a second she froze. The people at the art fair were nicer than she had thought
they would be, and she had been quite at ease. So at ease, in fact, that she had
completely forgotten why she was here and who had requested she attend.
Yi Jeong. Why did she always end up somewhere close to him? After she had
agreed to become Ji Hoo’s girlfriend, it was like all of her had given a huge sigh in the
expectation of finally creating some distance between her and Yi Jeong. She had
promised herself that she wouldn’t pine for what she couldn’t have any longer, not only
because it would hurt her, but because it would hurt Ji Hoo as well.
So how did she end up here? How did she manage to break her promise so easily?
She had been so pumped up about what she had to do that when the opportunity
actually came it took her completely by surprise.
They had met after school ended, when she came to find Jan Di so they could goon their shopping trip. He was waiting on Jun Pyo, so it was only natural that they
strike up a conversation while the two lovebirds were god-knows-where doing god-
knows-what. Their conversation had started out normal -- before he dropped the
bombshell. ‚Will you come to my art exhibition?‛ he had asked in that same casual
careless tone he always used with her, reminding her that he didn’t really care if she
came or not. That should’ve been her cue to tell him she wasn’t going to chase him
anymore, that she had in fact already acquired a boyfriend of her own. But of course,
her being her usual flustered self in front of Yi Jeong, she only managed to stammer out
a quick ‚Hai‛. She had had to confess everything to Ji Hoo; after all, given their current
relationship status, it was only right. He had been very understanding about the whole
thing and even offered to accompany her.
‚We can just consider it one of our first dates,‛ he told her and smiled, which
made her go warm and tingly all over.
So there she was, talking with a bunch of rich people and snuggling up to Ji Hoo.
Everything felt so right, so perfect. Her world finally seemed to be relaxing, allowing
itself to breathe.
Then she saw him across the room. And her world almost shattered again.
Ga Eul felt a reassuring squeeze on her hand, and loosened ever so slightly. JiHoo was there with her. He was lending her his strength. She couldn’t act like a baby
any longer. She had to face what she had to do.
But that didn’t mean she had to do it alone. Ga Eul looked up at Ji Hoo and felt
reassured by his presence. He would back her up if he needed to.
She once again met Yi Jeong’s eyes, this time with a determined look. No more
hiding. No more confusion. It was time to end this now.
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‚Hello, Yi Jeong sunbae,‛ she smiled cordially, the smile not quite managing to
reach her eyes.
Yi Jeong didn’t seem to notice, and grinned brightly. A bit too brightly. ‚I’m so
glad you’re here, Ga Eul! You too, Ji Hoo,‛ he added dismissively, already seeming to
forget he was there.
‚Ga Eul! Ji Hoo! Yi Jeong!‛ They all turned to see a happy Jan Di and Jun Pyo
running at them, hand in hand. Ga Eul looked up quickly at Ji Hoo to gauge his reaction;
he had no emotion whatsoever on his face. She hoped he was okay. She couldn’t help
but feel angry with her best friend. She had obviously known about Ji Hoo’s feelings
towards her, yet she had still accepted Jun Pyo’s proposal without so much of a thought
of Ji Hoo. She would be the first one to agree that Jan Di deserved happiness, but she
couldn’t be so blinded that she no longer cared about her friends’ feelings. Ji Hoo had
always been there for Jan Di when she needed it; why couldn’t Jan Di return the favour?
‚Jan Di,‛ Ga Eul returned, her voice adapting a cool tone. Jan Di looked taken
aback, then guilty, knowing exactly what was going on in her friend’s head.‚Congratulations on the engagement.‛
‚Th-thanks,‛ Jan Di responded a little shakily, not quite knowing what to do
under Ga Eul’s stern glare. She had never seen her friend angry before; Ga Eul had
always been the type of girl to be broken, sad, and in depression, but never angry. It
was a scary thing, an angry Ga Eul.
‚Well then, now that we’re all together—‚ Ji Hoo was interrupted as a new voice
cut through the room.
‚Yo yo yo, don’t forget about me, my bros!‛
Everyone turned around (again) as the owner of the voice strode up. Song WooBin wore the grin of a child on Christmas Day as he patted Jun Pyo on the head
(ignoring the threatening growl that emanated from underneath his hand) and declared
with a tone of finality, ‚Well, our leader’s officially whipped now.‛ Jun Pyo attempted
to grab Woo Bin by the neck and strangle him, but Jan Di stopped him with a punch to
the face and the cry ‚stupid idiot!‛
Woo Bin simply laughed and shook his head as he repeated, ‚Yep, he’s whipped.‛
‚Well then ,‛ Ji Hoo started again, ‚G—‛
‚What the hell?‛ Jun Pyo complained. ‚Let go of me Jan Di – let me at him!‛
‚No way! I can’t believe you’re still being so immature when we’re already about
to get married!‛ ‚I’ll be as immature as I want to, you—‛
‚Shut the hell up!‛ Ji Hoo roared, effectively silencing everyone, who simply
stared at him, dumbfounded.
‚Man, did you just—‛ Woo Bin broke off when Ji Hoo’s eye twitched. ‚Got it,
shutting up,‛ he mumbled.
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‚As I was saying,‛ Ji Hoo paused slightly, as if waiting for someone to interrupt
again. When no one did, he continued. ‚As I was saying, Ga Eul and I have an
important announcement to make.‛ He paused again, looked down at Ga Eul and
smiled encouragingly. She gulped, knowing that he wanted her to be the one who
announced it.
She looked around at everyone’s faces. Jan Di and Jun Pyo were staring back
blankly. Woo Bin had his lips pursed, a serious expression on his face.
Out of all the F4, Ga Eul had grown especially close to Woo Bin. Jan Di and Jun
Pyo were always away together, she had always thought Ji Hoo was too quiet to have a
full-fledged conversation with, and Yi Jeong< well it was best not to even get on that
topic. That left only Woo Bin, which was fine because the Don Juan more than made up
for any lack of conversation material the others were. The fact that he was Yi Jeong’s
best friend only gave him more points in Ga Eul’s book. They hit it off immediately, and
Woo Bin was always around to give Ga Eul counsel about Yi Jeong. His favourite thing
to say had always been, ‚Don’t give up on him, Ga Eul. Yi Jeong’s a stubborn person, but he will come around. Just keep loving him and waiting for him. It won’t be in vain.‛
I’m sorry sunbae, Ga Eul told Woo Bin with her eyes as he looked unhappily
back. I tried waiting for him, I really did. But I’m not sure I have as much faith in him as
you do anymore. Maybe we just aren’t meant to be. As if he understood, but not agreed,
Woo Bin gave an almost imperceptible nod before looking away.
Ga Eul turned to look at Yi Jeong. His face was filled with confusion, but also a
streak of knowledge. His eyes seemed to be pleading with her, begging her not to say
what he thought she was going to say.
Sorry sunbae, she silently said to him as well. I can’t afford to keep waiting foryou. Ji Hoo’s given me a once-in-a-lifetime chance and I’m too lonely and desperate to
go without it.
With that last thought in mind, Ga Eul finally spoke aloud. ‚Ji Hoo and I have
started dating.‛
Shocked silence followed her announcement, and then Jun Pyo broke it.
‚What the fuck? Ow!‛ Jan Di had given him another spinning kick to the head.
Jan Di smiled slightly before addressing both of them. ‚Congratulations!‛ She
seemed slightly confused as to Ji Hoo’s sudden change of heart (she had always thought
he still harboured feelings towards her) but also slightly relieved. Now she no longer
had any guilt keeping her from a happy ending with Jun Pyo! Though admittedly, shealso felt an unwelcome sensation that could only be labelled as jealousy< it was hard
letting go of your first love, even when you already had the love of your life by your
side< she quickly brushed that train of thought away; Ji Hoo was Ga Eul’s guy now, so
she had no business thinking those thoughts.
When had this romance started though? She wondered. Granted, she hadn’t
spent much time with Ga Eul recently, but wasn’t she still her best friend? How was it
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that she didn’t even have a clue on who her best friend was really interested in until
they made an official announcement? The feelings of guilt that had dissipated just
moments before now returned with a vengeance as she realized how quickly and
thoughtlessly she had abandoned her friend. Jun Pyo had kept her so occupied she
hadn’t even realized Ga Eul had become interested in another one of the F4!
Speaking of the F4, how was Yi Jeong taking this news? It didn’t matter, Jan Di
decided, not even bothering to look his way. That bastard was always playing hot and
cold with Ga Eul; it had been only a matter of time before she came to her senses and
dumped him for the trash he was.
Chapter 7
He was Yi Jeong. So Yi Jeong. The one to inherit the biggest art galleries in all of
Korea.
All that seemed like empty words. Who was he really? Just a name?
What was in a name? What good was his name if it didn’t get him what he
wanted?
All his life, Yi Jeong had never been in want of anything materialistic. He was
always in possession of the best of the best, except of course, anything that belonged to
Jun Pyo. That was essentially why he joined the F4; because of the overwhelming
curiosity of how it was possible one boy could have something he didn’t. Not jealousy,
for he had never been jealous before: simply curiosity.
As the saying goes, there’s a first time for everything. Whatever his old feelings
were, Yi Jeong was certainly jealous now. The pure, unbridled jealousy rippled through
his veins, and he felt as if he were drowning.
You’re so stupid , the voice in his head chided. Ga Eul may be a patient girl, but she’s
not a saint. You couldn’t have expected her to wait for you forever, especially considering the
way you’ve been treating her.
‚Sunbae?‛ Ga Eul’s hesitant voice pierced through the shroud of gloom wrapped
around his brain and he glanced at her with the look of a deer in headlights.
‚I – I need to make sure the preparations are ready.‛ For the first time in his life,
he stuttered while talking to a girl, but everyone was still too shocked from the recent
revelation to document it. Before anyone could so much as move, Yi Jeong had already
bolted away.
Ga Eul made to chase after him, but Woo Bin held her back. He did not say
anything, but she understood. She was probably not the person he wanted to see right
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now. She fell limp and resumed her place beside Ji Hoo, her mind swirling with
possibilities.
What was his reaction for? He had made it quite clear many times before that he
wasn’t interested in her as anything more than a friend, and maybe not even that. So
what was with the horrified expression? Could it possibly be< that he was disgusted
with her? That made more sense; what type of girl would go from being obsessed with
one guy one day to dating another the next? With a dawning of that realization, Ga Eul
felt a heavy weight settle in the pit of her stomach. No matter what he had thought of
her before, she knew for sure what he thought of her now; a superficial, clingy,
worthless slut.
Was there really any harm down, though? she wondered. This last blow to their
relationship was irreparable, but had there really been anything left for it to destroy
anyway?Maybe it was better this way, she mused, twirling a long strand of raven hair.
She had lost her last chance at getting her soul mate, but Ji Hoo had yet to lose his.
Maybe Jan Di would be willing to come back to him now that there was some
competition, and even if she was not, she certainly did not mind being his back-up girl.
It was not as if she was not used to that anyway; she had had plenty of practice with Yi
Jeong.
Yes, this was all for the better, she decided, releasing the strand and letting it
swing back into place with the rest of her hair. She would forget about Yi Jeong and actthe part of girlfriend for Ji Hoo until Jan Di came back to him. What she would do after
that happened, she would decide later. For now, she would just enjoy the happy bliss of
having a boyfriend, no matter his ulterior motives.
Chapter 8
Watching rather detachedly the scene playing out before him, The Man let none
of the emotions he was feeling show in his eyes.
That girl was such a conniving little bitch. She made herself out to be all innocentand shit, but really, she was on about the same level as the prostitutes that his father
hung out with and brought home from time to time. She played the role of a girl
infatuated with Prince Charming, but once she had him hooked, she lost interest and
went to find another person to play with.
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He had tried to be nice. He had warned her. Given her the chance to turn back
and repent. She hadn’t even seemed to consider it, so now he had no choice but to do
what he should’ve done in the beginning.
Chu Ga Eul was a loose end. And loose ends had to be tied up and eliminated.
***
Ji Hoo smiled at Ga Eul while secretly keeping tabs on Yi Jeong all the while. He
was so relieved that things had gone as smoothly as they did; maybe Yi Jeong really
hadn’t cared about Ga Eul that much after all.
His last expression before bolting did cause some concern though. Yi Jeong had
never been one to show his emotions through his eyes, so Ji Hoo had no idea how to
read whatever had been in them this time. He could make an educated guess and say it
was jealousy though.
‚Could I have your attention please. The auction will now begin. The first items
is a personal collection vase by artist Lee Hoon.‛ A woman’s voice rang through the
room like a bell. Ji Hoo looked up and sighed. It was such a shame that even the best artexhibition had sunken to such levels. The woman, more of a girl really, was wearing a
new Woosung Hyun dress that left nothing to the imagination. The dress would be
auctioned off as the grand finale, and the girl had obviously been told that she would be
the one modeling the dress and would consequently get the chance to make it big in
practically every fashion industry in the world. But Ji Hoo knew Woosung: his models
went with his dresses. The girl would also secretly be auctioned off today; it’s just that
everyone was in on the secret but her.
He was pulled out of his musings by an impatient tug on her hand. ‚Sunbae, let’s
go! We’re going to miss it!‛ That’s right. The girl on stage was not the only naïve one in the room; his Ga Eul
-- whoa, he already thought of her as his Ga Eul? This was dangerous – he knew he
liked her more than Jan Di, but getting too possessive too fast wouldn’t be good for
either of them. For one thing, he might scare her away and she would be unwilling to
continue their make-Jan-Di-and-Yi-Jeong-jealous-by-dating-each-other relationship.
And he could definitely not let that happen.
He looked down at the girl that had become his life and nodded. ‚Okay, let’s go.
Just one thing< shouldn’t you call me oppa instead of sunbae now?‛ He smiled in
amusement at her suddenly red cheeks, and she nodded meekly.
‚A-ah, okay, op-oppa.‛ The auction was the usual for Ji Hoo, but it definitely wasn’t for Ga Eul, who
stared in wide-eyed shock and horror as some pieces were solf for more than 60 000 000
won respectively. How could these people bear to use so much money at once? This
was more than her parents would make in a lifetime!
When at last the Woosung Hyun dress was sold to a sleazy-looking old man, Ji
Hoo breathed a sigh. These sights never used to bother him, but now with Ga Eul at his
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side, he suddenly felt ashamed. The rich complained about being forced to breathe the
same air as people of the coarse, mean, and rude lower class, but in reality the deceit
and treachery that lay in their layer far surpassed whatever crude practices their poorer
cousins had. They were really just a bunch of nicely dressed ruffians.
Ga Eul’s gasp (the hundredth that day) made him sigh and look down. ‚Ga Eul,
the auction’s already over. What are you surprised about now?‛ She didn’t answer, but
simply pointed.
Ji Hoo turned around just in time to see Yi Jeong stride up to the auction podium
and whisper something in the young girl’s ear. She nodded and gave the stage over to
him.
Yi Jeong cleared his throat and looked around at everyone before giving a small
shy smile that made the entire female part of the audience, young of old, married or not,
give a sigh of wonderment.
‚As you might have heard,‛ he started off, ‚my name is Song Yi Jeong. Some of
my pieces were auctioned off today, and I would like to thank everyone for theirgenerosity this year. I’m very glad my pieces were so well-received and I hope to make
greater future contributions to the national art world.‛
Following this little speech, there was thunderous applause and people
murmured amongst themselves. ‚He’s a piece of art himself!‛ a mother whispered to
her daughter, who blushed madly while also nodding furiously. Then Yi Jeong started
to speak again.
‚As an artist, I find it important to combine both passion and skill, and it is
something that has led into my personal life as well. As a result, I’ve lent quite a lot of
passion to my romantic pursuits as well.‛ At this, at least half of the girls fainted withnosebleeds, and the rest started chattering excitedly.
‚Unfortunately, despite my passion for romance, I never managed to stick with
one relationship for too long. You see, I never really believed in things such as marriage
and soulmates; my picture of love had always been a spark that would ignite into
something beautiful but short-lived. My belief had always been that lovers should part
ways before the last of the fireworks died, so that they would be left with the memory
of the magnificent display of light instead of the all-consuming darkness that is sure to
follow it.‛
By now, the room had fallen silent. Ga Eul stared at Yi Jeong, feeling slightly
empty. So the curtains have finally closed, she thought. ‚I’m going to the restroom,‛ shemurmured softly to Ji Hoo, and slipped away. She just needed a few moments by
herself to get rid of all this baggage, and then she would continue on with her life. Yi
Jeong had actually made things considerably easier by cutting things off in the brusque
way that seemed to be his specialty.
Chapter 9
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Yi Jeong fixed his eyes on every girl he could find, purposely avoiding a certain
someone who he knew must be in the crowd. He didn’t want to see her face when he
said the last part of his speech, didn’t want to see the look of pity. So he plowed on,
ignoring her completely.
‚That’s what I used to think. What I used to believe.
‚Before I met her.
‚She was the new light to my world, a world I didn’t know was dark until she
brightened it up. She gave me a chance at what I never knew existed. She gave me the
chance to live.
‚And I messed it up.
‚She had none of the qualities I usually looked for in a girl, and because of that I
foolishly drove her away, not realizing it was the worst mistake of my life until it was
too late.
‚She’s found someone else now, and I’ve got to live with the consequences of myactions. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about what could have been, should
have been, but wasn’t.‛
Yi Jeong held up the small package, delicately balancing it in the palm of his
hand. ‚I made this piece while reminiscing on our times together.‛ One long finger
reached up and loosened the binds that held the box together, revealing a lonesome
flower that somehow managed to remain snow white and reflect all the colours of the
rainbow at the same time. The crowd oohed and aahed like there was no tomorrow.
‚This lily had originally been a present, a surprise for that girl I loved. I was a
plain fool not to cherish what I had until it was too late. It is my dearest wish that noneof you make the same mistake. That’s why I have decided to auction off this piece as my
newest contribution. I hope this is just as well received as my other pieces, and that it
becomes a symbol of love between any gentleman who loves their lady friend as much
as a person who appreciates beauty loves a flower eternally in bloom.‛ At this, the
spectators broke into thundering applause.
Yi Jeong smiled, a smile that all females in the audience found to be different
from his usual dashing smirk, but devastating all the same. If Ga Eul had been watching
at that moment, she would’ve done a double take because the only time Yi Jeong’s smile
looked anything close to what it did now was when _____. But Ga Eul was not present
at the time Yi Jeong’s strangely genuine smile graced the room. It wasn’t until the latterhad exited the stage and the auction had begun than the country bumpkin this whole
mess was about once again entered the room.
In fact, Ga Eul came in just in time to see all the male hands in the room shoot up,
shouting prices, with their female partners propping the hands up and cheering them
on.
‚What’s going on?‛ she asked Ji Hoo, who was staring intensely at the stage.
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‚Oh, they’re auctioning off this eternal flower for guys to present to their
girlfriends. It’s really hitting it off.‛ Ji Hoo told her nonchalantly. With that explanation,
he calmly raised his hand and announced, ‚100 000 000 won.‛
Ga Eul’s reaction was priceless. ‚Who are you buying it for?‛
Ji Hoo was amused. ‚the girl I’m dating.‛
‚Who’s that?‛ When it finally registered, she started jumping up and down. ‚No
sunbae, you musn’t!‛
‚Of course I must,‛ he said, all the more amused. ‚You’re my girlfriend now,
and I insist on treating you well. 200 000 000 won!‛
‘You can treat me well without buying me some random flower that costs more
than three of my checkbooks!‛ Ga Eul protested, furiously ignoring the blush that was
already starting to taint her cheeks.
‚Nonsense. Besides look; Jun Pyo’s doing it too. 300 000 000 won!‛
‚Ga Eul looked around and saw Jun Pyo shouting prices up at the stage and Jan
Di furiously raining blows up at him. One of them connected with his head and the heirslumped down, unconscious. ‚Not anymore,‛ she winced, knowing Jun Pyo was sure
to sport a bump on his million-on hairstyle tomorrow. Jan Di looked up and shouted
something to Ga Eul, but amongst the clamor, her voice was lost. To soothe her friend,
Ga Eul simply nodded.
Eventually, only two people remained; Ji Hoo and an anonymous caller on the
phone. As the prices rose into the 12 digits, Ga Eul became more and more nervous.
WAsn’t Ji Hoo taking this relationship a lot more seriously than he should? Then again,
maybe she just wasn’t taking this seriously enough? But still, no need to pay so much
for a false relationship!At last she couldn’t stand it anymore. ‚Ji Hoo, no!‛ She tried to drag his hand
down, but the violinist was a lot stronger than he looked. Even as she was straining to
bring that lithe arm down, he was still calming telling the auctioneer outrageous prices.
When the two auctionees started to get to yet another spiking digit, she tackled him to
the ground, and before his mouth could utter another goddamn price, she covered it
with her own. Ji Hoo’s eyes widened. Nothing else came out of that mouth.
The auctioneer grinned widely as she counted down. ‚Going once, going twice,
going three times, SOLD!‛
Ga Eul stood up, panting. She could not believe she just did that. She looked
down at Ji Hoo to find him smiling a bit stupidly up at her. ‚Sorry,‛ she said meekly. ‚Don’t worry about it,‛ he told her, sounding slightly disoriented. You can do
that as much as you want.‛ This announcement made her cheeks burn up again.
‚And the eternal flower made by our beloved boy potter goes to the anonymous
caller on the phone! Thank you everyone for bidding!‛ The girl onstage practically sang
the words out as she gave the couple a very non-conspiracy wink.
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Chapter 10
The Man was madder than mad. What a disgusting public display of affection.
How inconsiderate could that little ingrate be? Yi Jeong had just poured his heart out in
front of everyone, and in response that little slut just grinded down the pieces of his
broken heart! That slimy piece of shit really didn’t deserve to live!
Luckily this would all be over soon. If all went according to plan, Chu Ga Eul
wouldn’t be able to cause heartbreak for much longer.
***
Yi Jeong drank. A lot. It was true that they had already announced their
relationship, but really? Kissing him in front of everyone? Wasn’t that just pouring salt
over an open wound?
What a day, he though bitterly. I thought it was just because Ga Eul didn’t know
I had any wounds in the first place, because I hadn’t told her. Now it’s pretty clear she
doesn’t care enough anymore. And it’s all because I waited too long. Man, I’m such afuck-up.
The door to the studio opened gently, and Yi Jeong looked up. Ji Hoo stood in
the doorway.
The potter sighed. He really wasn’t in the mood< for apologies or pep talks.
‚Hey dude. Wassup?‛ he slurred. ‚Here for some beer or some company? ‘Cause I’m
not offering either today, sorry. Store’s closed, haha
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‚I need you to stop bothering Ga Eul. Isn’t it enough that you steppe don her
feelings for so long already? She finally tried to sort out that tangle of hurt you’ve left
her in, and you want to step in again and mess with her some more? Don’t think I’m
just going to stand around and let you guilt trip her like that. Today’s performance
better not repeat itself. Ga Eul deserves better than a playboy, so you can keep your
cold clay flowers to yourself.‛
Once again, Yi Jeong found himself stunned. He’d never seen these types of
heated words come out of Ji Hoo’s mouth before, and truth be told, it was slightly
frightening to see him transform into a seemingly different person. ‚Look, I—‚
‚You look! Look nice and hard into my eyes, Yi Jeong. That was your warning.
You’d better leave Ga Eul alone, or next time I’m not going to hold back.‛ He turned to
leave, then stopped at the threshold of the studio. ‚Give up, Yi Jeong,‛ he said tiredly,
all the anger seeming to dissipate off his body. ‚She’ll never come back to you. ‚Just
accept it and move on.‛
Yi Jeong stood there for a long time after Ji Hoo left, numb to the bone.Eventually he dropped to his knees, head in his hands, before finally collapsing on the
floor, reaching blindly around for a source of comfort, preferable another beer bottle.
Ji Hoo was right. When he had gotten on that stage, giving Ga Eul away to
another man had been the last thing on his mind. No matter how noble he pretended to
be (and sometimes even wanted to be), the truth was that So Yi Jeong never played fair
and in the game of love it was no different. Even while he had been trying to come to
terms with the fact that Ga Eul belonged to someone else now, his other side had
already been formulating a plain, secretly trying to get Ga Eul to feel guilty with his
final speech. He thought that if Ga Eul heard him speak his true feelings aloud, shewould feel guilty for abandoning him and come running back into his arms.
And for a while there, it had looked like it was working. He hadn’t dared look at
Ga Eul but he did hear ji Hoo’s voice clearly bidding some pretty competitive prices,
even managing to surpass those of Jun Pyo. Was it too far-fetched to guess that Ga Eul
was egging him on, wanting Yi Jeong’s flower for herself?
Yes it was. Ga Eul was many things, but a beggar she was not. His heart had split
in half once he hard her protesting with Ji Hoo, but it had crumbled to pieces when he
finally risked a peek at the couple when Ji Hoo’s voice was suddenly cut off. Bad risk to
take.
Yi Jeong shut his eyes in pain. He didn’t want to remember what he saw then. Ga Eul and Ji Hoo making out on the ground, with Ga Eul holding on as if her
life depended on it.
What does he have that I don’t? he screamed silently. The answer came to him
almost instantaneously.
Trust. Faithfulness. A heart.
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‚I do have a heart,‛ he whispered into the darkness. ‚I just didn’t know until it
was already broken.‛
His groping hand felt something cool and smooth, and he grabbed at it, eager to
drown his sorrows with the best friend he could remember for a long long time. But
when he pressed his lips against it, he realized it wasn’t a bottle of beer. It was the lily
he had made for Ga Eul.
The flower had rolled under the table, but instead of smashing like Ji Hoo had
intended, the clay piece was unblemished. Yi Jeong slowly took it into his trembling
hands as the memory overtook him.
He had just drove from his father’s pottery studio, and spied Ga Eul staggering
down the sidewalk. He watched, completely mystified as she finally dropped down on
the steps, face lowered. Still in a bad mood from seeing his father’s fourth girlfriend that
year, he really didn’t want to stop to see another problem, but felt almost obliged to.
He scratched his head tiredly. ‚Stop the car,‛ he ordered, and stepped out to
meet her. Sniffling repeatedly, she didn’t even notice he was there until he begantalking.
‚Aren’t you past the age of crying in the middle of the street?‛
She looked at him almost curiously. He smirked.
‚Women, you know, sometimes think they look pretty when they cry. But it’s
really not true.‛ He expected the quirky comment to start a torrent of words that would
explain why she was crying. Instead, she simply started sobbing.
He smiled at her childishness. ‚Miss Ga Eul.‛ She only sobbed harder.
Not knowing what to do now, he nervously looked around. ‚Miss Ga Eul.‛ She
practically wailed in response.The passerby looked at him in disgust, and he frantically shook his hands and
gave a little sheepish smile. ‚It’s not me,‛ he tried to explain. ‚It’s not me.‛ No one
stopped to listen.
A little worried about his image now, he once again tried to coax her to a stop.
‚Miss Ga Eul!‛ She didn’t listen. ‚Miss Ga Eul!‛ He put his hands together and resorted
to begging. ‚Please! Miss Ga Eul!‛
Eventually they had made it back to the workshop. He brought out a clay bowl.
‚It looks really weak, doesn’t it?‛ She just looked at him, not understanding.
Giving a smile, he poured the tea out into both their cups, then dropped it. She
gasped, making him smile again. ‚But it’s stronger than it looks.‛ ‚How long do you think it took to become like this?
‚Turned upside down, stepped on, cut over and over again, and it needs to
withstand 1300 degrees of heat.
‚That’s not the end.
‚And when you go through all that and it still can’t be yours, you need to
completely give it up. Like this.
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He got up and picked the bowl up, wrapping it in a cloth. He then took a
hammer and smashed on it. She covered her eyes. When he took the cloth back up, the
bowl was smashed to pieces. Her wide eyes took in the smashed pieces. He turned back
to her.
‚What I’m saying is that in order to become strong, and to find what truly
belongs to you, there will be a process you must overcome. Just like what you’ve gone
through today.‛
A beginning of what might have been a smile started to form on her face. ‚I think
I understand what you’re saying< Thank you.‛
‚Then shall we slowly get going?‛
Chapter 11
Yi Jeong gripped the clay flower as if it were his lifeline. In a way it was. It was
his only link to Ga Eul now, and he had come to realize that Ga Eul was the only thingthat held meaning in his life.
She had gone through hell and back with him all these years, and she had finally
decided it was time to give him up completely.
But that didn’t mean he needed to give up on her.
***
Ga Eul rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and slowly sat up. Her head was still
pounding, but there was no time for sleep now. She was scheduled to meet Ji Hoo in a
few hours.
They had been dating for a few weeks now, and things had been going< well
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anyone who dared try and find the real him. Ga Eul had always thought she would be
the one to finally get through those defenses and descover the true So Yi Jeong. His
barriers had zapped her so many times she had lost count, but she kept stubbornly
going back to them, convinced her feelings for him would overcome the searing burns
she received every time he rejected her.
She had overestimated herself.
Ga Eul held her head in her hands now, quivering with the sobs she had kept in.
She remembered that Valentine’s Day, when she was making him chocolates.
She had spent hours debating on what type of filling to put inside the tiny squares of
goodness. She knew now that whatever she put inside wouldn’t have mattered, because
he didn’t care, but back then, the question had been all-important to a lovesick girl.
So what filling? Caramel? Cream? Or something more complicated? None of the
choices had seemed to suit the feelings she was trying to express.
For it hadn’t been Yi Jeong’s mask of charm that had drawn Ga Eul to him,
although that mask was hard to resist sometimes as well. It had been the turbulentmystery of emotions underneath those carefully guarded emotions. Throughout the
years, Yi Jeong had given Ga Eul occasional glances into that inner mystery. They were
brief looks only: his barriers shot up as soon as they realized they had come down and
betrayed their master’s secrets. But every look she had managed to sneak made Ga Eul
all the more drawn in; she hadn’t fallen in love with the superficial playboy, but the
vulnerable, sensitive, yet savage man underneath.
In the end, she had decided to put almonds in the chocolate. Although it might
not be the sweetest type of chocolate, it represented perfectly how she felt about him.
He was never predictable: with him, she never knew if she was going to receive theexpected soft and sweet welcome, or find an actual hard bland brush-off underneath.
The almond brought her nothing but an unwelcome interruption from her sweet sweet
chocolate, but at the same time, it was what made her love the candy all the more. It
was a testament to their love.
Or was it a testament to the fact that no matter how much chocolate she poured
on their relationship, the hard almonds in his heart would always remain, torturing her?
It was at this part of the memory where despair started to seep in. He had caused
her nothing but pain, and yet she couldn’t resist going back to him again and again, like
a moth drawn to the flame
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She could hear, from somewhere far away, someone rapping on the door, but she
felt physically incapable of getting up. Whoever was there would have to wait. Maybe
they would even go away.
It was all her fault. She had thought she could change his feelings for her, mold
them into what she wanted him to feel.
Someone was calling her name, but their voice was so faint and far away that she
could barely hear them.
He had never loved her. The truth hurt, but it was something she had to face. She
thought she had been facing it when she started dating Ji Hoo, but she had only been
avoiding it.
Yi Jeong had never loved her. She repeated those words to herself again, like a
child marvelling at the shine of a switchblade. She had been acting just like another
stupid fangirl of his. Even now, she was dating Ji Hoo in the naïve attempt to make him
jealous when the truth was, he had probably been relieved.
She felt arms wrap around her in a warm embrace, and that’s when she realized Ji Hoo had come into the room with her. She knew she should feel comforted in his
arms, but the only thing she could think about was how she was getting tears all over
his expensive suit.
Yi Jeong had never loved her. But that didn’t mean she had stopped loving him.
She pushed Ji Hoo away and sat up herself, ignoring his concerned gaze. She had
thought she was moving on by dating him, but she had really just been hiding her
feelings. How absurd was it that she was trying to get over Yi Jeong by dating one of his
best friends? No, if she wanted herself to let go, this wasn’t the way to do it. She could
never let go of Yi Jeong if she stayed so close to him.‚Ji Hoo sunbae.‛ He had already been looking at her attentively, but now he
gave a slight inclination of the head to show that he was listening. If he had noticed she
was calling him sunbae again, he didn’t show it.
‚What’s wrong Ga Eul? Did something happen?‛
‚No. Well,‛ she hesitated, ‚yes.‛
‚You know my parents moved to America a few years back, but I chose to stay
with Jan Di and her family in order to finish my schooling here. Well, I think it’s time
for me to go join them.‛ She paused here, waiting for a response. He didn’t say
anything.
‚It won’t be forever, of course. I’ll come back in a few—‛ ‚So where does that leave us?‛ The question startled her, and she didn’t know
quite how to respond. She had assumed that by telling him she was going to leave the
country for a few years would be indication enough of them ending their so-called
relationship. After all, it really wasn’t going to benefit either of them now. Yi Jeong
Jeong had shown his disinterest more times than she could count, and Jan Di was
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already engaged, for heaven’s sake! She was going to America in order to get herself
sorted out and move on, and she really thought it was time for him to do the same.
‚Well, I wouldn’t my leaving to keep you from going on with your life—‛
‚Ga Eul, we both know you’re not just going to America to be with your parents.
You’re doing it to get away from Yi Jeong.‛ She nodded cautiously, not seeing where he
was going with this.
‚I know we both got into this relationship in order to make Yi Jeong and Jan Di
jealous. I knew you were still hung up on Yi Jeong, so I wanted to wait for a better to
tell you this, but I guess there is no better time now.‛
Ga Eul stared into Ji Hoo’s earnest eyes with confusion. ‚Tell me what?‛
‚Tell you I don’t like Jan Di anymore. And to tell you I
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out. It had been unbelievably hard trying to get ahold of the woman, something he had
never had trouble with before. He guessed it really shows him how much she had
placed him as a priority before by keeping herself accessible at all times. He just wished
he had realized how valuable she was sooner.
He had yet to catch a glimpse of her the last few weeks. She had been incredibly
busy with Ji Hoo, it seemed. Speaking of Ji Hoo, the other man barely spoke to Yi Jeong
anymore. Their relationship had never been as close as the others, but now, had it not
been for regular F4 hang-outs, their very acknowledgement of each other would have
become obsolete. As it was, any conversation between the two was extremely strained.
He had finally gotten to Ga Eul through Woo Bin. But where was she now? Woo
Bin had told him she had agreed to meet up at the coffee shop at 5PM. So where was
she?
His phone buzzed and Yi Jeong sped to check his text messages. It was from Ga
Eul. The text stood solitary on the screen.
Sorry, I’ve changed my mind. I think it’s better if we don’t see each other.
-Ga Eul
For a few seconds, Yi Jeong didn’t blink, didn’t move. He just stared blankly at
the text. A nearby waiter hesitated before tapping him on the shoulder. ‚Did you need
help with anything?‛
Crack! By the time the cellphone hit the ground Yi Jeong was already gone.
***
‚What sort of surprise is it?‛ Ga Eul couldn’t resist asking. ‚Not anotherridiculously expensive one I hope.‛
‚You’ll see,‛ was the only response she got.
‚But I can’t see,‛ she pouted. ‚You’re covering my eyes.‛
‚Patience, my darling,‛ Ji Hoo’s voice admonished her, ‚patience.‛
‚I’m trying, I really am. But we’ve been turning and walking for ages. How far
exactly did we—‛
‚And voilà.‛ The pressure on her eyes was removed, the dim light from the
moon restored her vision, and Ga Eul looked in awe. The whole night sky laid spread
like a blanket in front of them. ‚It’s beautiful,‛ she breathed.
‚Well, I know you didn’t like expensive gifts, so I thought this something freewould suit your taste better,‛ Ji Hoo murmured, coming up behind her. ‚I actually used
to come up here a lot with some of the F4, when we didn’t feel like talking much and
just wanted a show.‛
‚Wow,‛ Ga Eul smiled. She had never really thought of the F4 as the sentimental
type. Maybe Yi Jeong and Woo Bin acted like it around girls, but she really hadn’t been
able to imagine any of them displaying too many genuine feelings with, even each other.
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‚Do you think they’d mind you showing me this?‛ she realized amid the
wonderment.
Ji Hoo laughed. ‚The guys aren’t ones to care much about these kinds of things.
Jun Pyo’s showed Jan Di, and I’ll bet Woo Bin’s brought his fair share of lady meat up
here as well.‛ Ga Eul didn’t miss the lack of a certain F4 member in the list, but her
thoughts were distracted by a clattering sound from below.
‚Are people still working at this hour?‛ She was surprised. Even when Jan Di
had been working as a night janitor she hadn’t been forced to stay on duty this late.
‚There’s work happening here at every hour of the day, but especially at this
hour ,‛ Ji Hoo informed her. ‚We’re at the top of an astronomical tower.‛ Knowing Ga
Eul’s reaction before she made it, he hushed her. ‚Don’t worry, we do have permission
to be up here. My father has connections with the owner of this research centre, and
we’ve been granted unlimited access to the building and all the equipment. What we’ve
mostly been interested in is the roof.
Ga Eul smiled. ‚So what made you think I would like to have a rooftop viewinstead of getting to try a telescope or something of the like?‛
He embraced her a little tighter. ‚When I was a kid, I always found it strange that
people would be willing to give so much just to be able to make a little difference in
their perspective. ‘Is a boss’ chair really that much more comfortable than that of a
worker?’ I wondered. The question intrigued me, and I thought that there must’ve been
a reason but I never found it. When I met Jan Di, I thought I had finally found the
answer to the question that had plagued me for so long. Her stubbornness and
determination shone as a light to my dark path. I felt as if for the first time in my life I
had finally gained the motivation to chase something. I believed I had finally found mygoal in life.
‚But it was exhausting, and I didn’t like it. Soon, I began to wonder why I was
doing any of it. When I realized my feelings were reciprocated, I was done. Any
motivation I had previously had was gone, null, void. I felt myself slipping back to my
old nature, and I hated myself for it.
‚You made me accept myself, Ga Eul. With you, I finally regained that childhood
wisdom which had been lost to me by the maturing years gone by. How good your life
is doesn’t depend on how hard you work towards what you think is success. It rests on
how you enjoy what’s right in front of your eyes.‛
Ga Eul’s own eyes began to fill with tears. She had never heard anything from sodeep within Ji Hoo’s soul, and uttered in so sincere a tone.
‚Thank you for sharing that with me,‛ she uttered softly. ‚I appreciate it a lot.
He smiled at her, a soft sad smile. ‚You’re welcome.‛ There was another clatter
from downstairs and he brightened. ‚I almost forgot; I’ve got another surprise for you.
Wait here!‛
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Ga Eul contentedly let Ji Hoo slip away from her and looked up at the stars. She
had been unbelievably stressed the last couple of days; a lot of things in her life were
changing and sometimes it just felt like too much of a hassle to keep up with it. But now,
as she stood staring a the stars with Ji Hoo’s words still ringing in her ears, she felt
perfectly at peace.
I wonder what he went to get, she mused lazily. Right as she thought that, she
became aware of another presence. Turning around, she suddenly saw the giant
telescope.
It was a magnificent presence, and she felt slightly foolish at not realizing it was
there earlier.
‚How many people’s hopes and dreams must’ve been used to build this piece of
equipment?‛ she wondered a loud. Beside its stately enormity, she felt almost
insignificant.
Ga Eul would have probably continued pondering upon these philosophical
lines, except that her thought process was rudely interrupted.The feeling of the damp cloth clamped firm against her nose and mouth was
startling, but quickly fading. ‚How many people’s hopes and dreams? Too many if it
was just for scum like you to see it,‛ a voice cooed into her ear, its owners darting
tongue lightly brushing against her robe.
Everything faded into darkness.
