| Fan Fiction |
by shattered teardrops
After the snow skiing incident, Ga Eul had learned from Jan Di that Jun Pyo had to fly by his Father’s side as he was ill. She sensed her friend’s sadness despite her assiduous denial. Though Ga Eul wanted to appease her friend, she figured she could only do so much. In the end, it was still Jun Pyo who could truly make Jan Di happy again. Ga Eul could only hope that Jun Pyo wouldn’t be away for too long. It would surely burden Jan Di.
After contemplating for quite some time, Ga Eul finally decided to return Yi Jung’s coat. She had carefully washed it with her own hands and ironed it as well with the same precision. Feeling satisfied at how the coat looked like, she placed it inside a paper bag and went on her way to Yi Jung’s workshop right after school. Since she has work only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, both at the porridge shop and at the bakery, she had a time off that day because it was a Tuesday.
Although she had promised herself to completely ignore Yi Jung, she still decided to personally return his coat to him. In a way, she also wanted to thank him for comforting her when she was deeply worried over Jan Di. When Ga Eul arrived by Yi Jung’s workshop, she found the place locked and no one was answering her knocks. ‘Yi Jung must not be here…’ She thought and decided to wait.
Unknown to her, Yi Jung saw her waiting by his workshop’s door and hid himself before she could see him. He hid himself not because he felt like she was a bother, but more of the fact that he could not possibly think of what to say to her after how he behaved during Jan Di’s disappearance. He hid mainly because he was embarrassed and was unsure of how to approach her. Shy, unsure and unconfident of himself, F4’s ultimate playboy surprisingly hid himself away from Chu Ga Eul. For the first time in many, many years, he hid from a woman who was not his ex, but rather because he felt like a high schooler who was at a loss for words. Yi Jung mainly contented himself with looking at her from afar as she waited by his workshop’s doorsteps.
After a few minutes of waiting and while Yi Jung was still in hiding, a black car stopped in front of Yi Jung’s workshop and out came a dearly familiar man who took an appreciative look at Ga Eul. “My… Isn’t this a very lucky day for me…” The man outwardly spoke which immediately caught Ga Eul’s attention. She abruptly stood up and met the man’s eyes who easily reminded her of Yi Jung’s.
Upon the sight of the man who came out of the car, Yi Jung rushed out of his hiding place and with a quick pace, reached Ga Eul’s side after a few seconds. He protectively wrapped his arms around Ga Eul’s shoulder and faced the man. “Abeoji…” He acknowledged the presence of his dearly hated Father.
The man who turned out to be Yi Jung’s Father gave Yi Jung a mocking smile. On Yi Jung face, on the other hand, was a stoic mask. He was trying his best not to lash out unto his Father. It took all of his self control to maintain the civil attitude towards his own Father in front of Ga Eul. He may have appeared composed and calm when he met his Father but his hand that was on Ga Eul’s shoulder told otherwise. Ga Eul could feel Yi Jung’s tight grip on her shoulder and she could not help but wonder why Yi Jung was acting as such.
“Well? Why don’t you introduce me to your friend?”
Yi Jung gritted secretly gritted his teeth in pure abhorrence. “Ah. Yes, meet my Jagiya… I assume you have received news of my exhibit. She was the girl I brought with me.” Yi Jung’s tone was formal and controlled. And he carefully chose his words in order not to give away Ga Eul’s name. He was especially hostile to his Father and he had a pretty good reason behind it. After all, it was his Father who destroyed their family. He was also the one responsible for his elder brother’s departure and the very reason why So Yi Jung became a philanderer.
Ga Eul merely smiled and bowed politely towards the elder man. She just kept her mouth shut sensing a very uncomfortable aura surrounding them. She didn’t want to disrupt the conversation between Father and son. And Yi Jung wasn’t acting normally so she decided that it would be best if she did not intervene.
“Ah… I see… She’s very pretty… Anyhow, I came to invite you to join me in one of my classes. My students have been requesting a special lecture from you. If your friend here would like to, she may come with you to see my pieces as well. I heard she has good eyes for art pieces. ” Yi Jung could not help but notice his Father’s endearing looks towards Ga Eul and he was even smiling as he talked. Yi Jung could not help but feel disgusted even more. His Father was surely a very despicable person. And Yi Jung hated him with every fiber in his body. He abhorred the very man who gave him life.
“I see… I’ll call you if I can make some time. However, I don’t think now is a very good time. We…” Yi Jung looked at Ga Eul and smiled. “My Jagiya and I have some place to go.” He lied. The main reason why he didn’t want his Father to meet Ga Eul was because he didn’t want Ga Eul’s innocence to be stripped off of her. Apparently, apart from the fact that his Father was a bigger philanderer, he had also mistresses who were younger than Yi Jung. He was afraid that his Father might attempt something utterly despicable with his naïve Ga Eul. And he would never allow such a thing.
After bidding good bye to his Father, Yi Jung led Ga Eul into his car. Once inside, it was only then that he allowed his face to be free of his stoic mask. He slumped tired unto the steering wheel and frowned. He didn’t seem to mind Ga Eul’s presence at all. Usually, with things like these, he mostly kept them for himself. But at that very moment, he just felt… tired.
“Uhm… I know it’s not my place to ask… But if it really bothers you, you can talk to me…” Ga Eul spoke softly, as if unsure of what to say. She had absolutely no idea why Yi Jung was acting all tense in front of his Father. Could it be that Yi Jung deeply hated his own Father? Ga Eul’s mind was filled with such thoughts and she could not help but be curious. Seeing Yi Jung looking tense and so far from the confident Casanova she had come to know, she wondered why.
“Ga Eul-ah… Promise me, if ever that man comes near you again, you’d let me know… Araso?” Yi Jung spoke with a pained tone, his face still buried in both his arms as he slump his head unto the steering wheel. He wasn’t ready to tell Ga Eul of the things he had been through. His past was something he was not proud of. It always haunted him and though he always tried to escape, the surreal image of the girl his Father took advantage of still appeared in his dreams.
“O-Okay…” Ga Eul agreed instead. She was curious about their seemingly uncommon and cold treatment as Father and son but she was conscious enough to know her place. His family issues weren’t something she could easily tread on. They were… his business and not hers.
Yi Jung finally lifted his head off the steering wheel and heaved out a deep breath before turning to Ga Eul was a deceptive smile on his face. There was that oh-so-sinfully charming smile again. Ga Eul faintly smiled back. Should she be pleased that he was smiling again? Personally, Ga Eul felt far from being pleased. She was sad because he still treated her like those people who only deserved to see his smiles. And she was sad because she knew that behind those smiles were hidden pains that he still could not allow her to see. Apparently, though the little boy hasn’t completely turned her down yet, he wasn’t opening up to her either.
“Oh, by the way, what were you doing in front of my workshop?” Yi Jung asked, shifting the topic off from his Father.
“Ah, yes, I came to return your coat. You forgot it when you drove me home after your exhibit…” Ga Eul handed Yi Jung the paper bag that contained the coat and smiled uncomfortably. She had returned the coat. Now what? “Uhm… I think I’ll go now… I just came to return your coat…” She spoke softly, biting her lower lip while looking unsure. She was about to get out of the car when Yi Jung held her by her arm and kept her from going away. She was surprised to have felt his touch and looked at him questioningly.
“Ga Eul-ah… Will you come with me?” He asked and on his face was a tender expression, like a little boy pleading.
Without much choice, Ga Eul succumbed to Yi Jung’s wishes and sat back down the passenger’s seat. “Araso… Since you look like you are in dire need of company, I can spare some time.” Ga Eul spoke smugly with a proud expression on his face. She smirked as she looked at him and Yi Jung found it amusing and attractive at the same time. She was definitely a woman like no other. He only smiled and shook his head.
“Keep on acting like that and I might kiss that smirk off your face…” He whispered incoherently as he revved up the engine of his car.
“Huh? What did you say?” Ga Eul asked with an innocent expression on her face.
“Nothing, nothing…” Yi Jung replied and started to drive the car.
“I thought you said you might kiss me…” She whispered to herself too.
“Eh? What did you say?” It was Yi Jung’s turn to ask and looked at Ga Eul, waiting for an answer.
“I said keep your eyes on the road. I don’t want to die young.” She simply replied and threw him a pretentious and mocking smile. She wasn’t sure where he was taking her but for now, she’ll allow this little juncture. He honestly looked like he needed to get his mind off some things that were bothering him that’s why Ga Eul agreed to go with him in the first place.
“Yah. Yi Jung-sshi, let’s make one thing clear, okay?” Ga Eul spoke.
“Araso… What is it?”
“This is not a date, clear?” Ga Eul clarified and Yi Jung chuckled.
“Araso… Not a date. Besides, I don’t date women who had a body less than Lee Hyori and a face less than Kim Tae Hee…” Yi Jung itinerated which made Ga Eul furious and revved up to start another argument with So Yi Jung. So what if she didn’t have the cup size and the S-line to compete with Lee Hyori? And she didn’t have a face nearing Kim Tae Hee’s beauty? She was still pretty! And why was she being too revved up in the first place? It’s not like she wanted to date So Yi Jung! HAH! That would be the day she’d hang herself twice.
“Oh yeah? Well, I don’t date men of your type! I go for those smart, talented gentlemen who are caring and protective.” Yi Jung chuckled. Truly, Ga Eul was idealistic.
On the other hand, Ga Eul suddenly fell silent after speaking. She realized that she had just described So Yi Jung. If she had itinerated more characteristics of her ideal man, she would’ve rambled that her ideal man would be someone whom she can argue with, someone she can cry on, someone who would hold her hand, someone who would tell her that she’s pretty, someone who would call her Jagiya, someone who would brighten her day with just a smile and someone whose initials start with S,Y and J. She would’ve made a complete fool of herself if she said her thoughts allowed. She secretly scolded herself and thought that she was hopeless.
“We’re here…” Yi Jung smiled and stopped the car.
Ga Eul looked around and found herself looking at an extravagant-looking theater house. “Eh? What are we going to do here?” She asked.
“We’re going to watch Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera.” Yi Jung replied.
Once again, So Yi Jung proved that he was a man of the arts. He had been fond of watching theatrical plays when he was younger. His mother brought him to watch and he had always been fascinated by plays such as Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, the Phantom of the Opera and just about every other classical plays known. He often went to the theater by himself to watch. It was in the dim lighted theater houses that he finds himself enthralled by the lights and the make believe world.
“The Phantom of the Opera?” Ga Eul asked to which Yi Jung nodded. Ga Eul had never once watched a professional play in a highly respected theater house. But the thought of being able to actually watch one thrilled her that she could not help but smile. “I’ve never watched a play with professional actors before… And I’ve never watched The Phantom of the Opera before too…” She explained in an embarrassed tone which amused Yi Jung. He wasn’t quite sure if she was being honest or was just really acting cute.
“Well, let this be your first time then… Shall we?” Yi Jung smiled as he led Ga Eul inside the prominent theater house. Truth be told, she was not the first woman he had brought with him to the theater. And as much as he didn’t want to admit it, the dim lights inside the theater proved to be an advantage to his philandering. However, Ga Eul was not a woman meant for philandering. ‘Leave the innocent be.’ He thought.
As expected from Yi Jung, he and Ga Eul occupied the best seats inside the theater. After a few minutes of waiting, the play began as the curtains were drawn up. With child-like enthusiasm, Ga Eul stared wide-eyed and enthralled at the luxurious and splendid setting of the stage. Everything was colorful and magical. The actors and actresses wore turn of the century costumes and impressive make ups. And then, there she was, the one woman which captured Ga Eul’s admiration, the woman who played Christine. Her voice was angelic and emotive, paired with an equally beautiful face.
“She’s singing an aria, a song meant to be sang by the female protagonist…” Yi Jung explained as he sat beside her.
“She’s… beautiful…” Ga Eul gushed in awe and admiration.
Yi Jung smiled as he stared at her. He had watched the play for a dozen of times with different women. It was safe to say that he had memorized a good portion of the play just by watching it. But he had never seen a woman who looked so amazed and as earnest as Chu Ga Eul. The expression on her face was simply too priceless. Yi Jung was more amused by watching Ga Eul’s facial expression than the play itself. Suddenly, he saw her gasp in surprise.
“It’s him!” She spoke and turned to Yi Jung. Of course, Yi Jung was forced to shift his attention unto the stage. “Your cousin!” She pointed out. And right there, onstage, was Hero Kim Jae Joong, wearing the costume of an English vicomte, Raoul. “He’s a stage actor too?” Ga Eul asked.
“It… appears that way…” Yi Jung replied uncertainly. It was the first time he had seen his cousin in that play. The coincidence was simply too appalling. For some reason, Yi Jung felt… suspicious.
Anyhow, the play went on with Ga Eul gushing over how beautiful Christine was and how melodious Raoul’s voice was. Her expression would turn into admiration, pity, sadness, joy and even annoyance with every change of scene.
“Stranger than you dreamt it. Can you even dare to look or bear to think of me? This loathsome gargoyle who burns in hell. But secretly, yearns for heaven, secretly, secretly…” Yi Jung spoke out aloud in unison with the Phantom as he gazed dreamily unto the stage. Hearing his voice, Ga Eul looked at him sideways and noticed the melancholic expression on his face, even amidst the dim lighted theater. “See, Ga Eul, not everyone has a soulmate… Erik, the Phantom, never found his…” Yi Jung whispered.
“But this is only a play…” Ga Eul reasoned out.
“A mere play indeed… But do you know that according to the author, Gaston Leroux, this was based on a true story? It was set in 19th Century Paris, at Opera Garnier, which was built between 1857 and 1874. It was necessary to pump underground water from the foundation pit of the building, creating a huge subterranean river…” Yi Jung explained.
“You’re scaring me…” Ga Eul pouted and Yi Jung merely smiled. “If I were in Christine’s shoes, I would pity the Phantom too… But pity is different from love. And if I were the Phantom, I would have openly shown myself to Christine instead of hiding behind the false identity of the Angel of Music… I think that it is only when a person shows his or her shortcomings and faults, that he would be able to know which people truly accepted him…”
It was Yi Jung’s turn to be scared. He had brought along a lot of women with him to watch the same play but none of them had ever spoken of the Phantom the way Ga Eul did. Most of them spoke grandly about watching the same play in Paris or in some other foreign places. But for someone who had watched it for the first time, Ga Eul unexpectedly highlighted a hidden angle to the story. And this was what scared Yi Jung. The fact that Ga Eul was perceptive, she was innocent and naïve, she was a nice girl, above all, he was afraid that she might be able to unveil his own hidden flaws.
The Phantom. If there was ever a character that he could most relate with, it was the Phantom. So Yi Jung always had been and always will be a person who hid beneath a thick and glossy mask. He grew up prancing around in his self-built image that both showed his brilliance and veiled his imperfections. His full proof charming smile had the ladies swooning over him, but none of them had ever seen what was underneath the mask. And So Yi Jung still hasn’t decided whether it would be wise to show his imperfections to the one woman who affluently believed in notions of soul mates.
“Ga Eul-ah…” He spoke slowly…
“Hmm?”
“Consider this as a gift.” He answered.
“A gift for?”
“I don’t think we should meet each other when it’s not necessary.”
To Be Continued…
- - - - - - - - - - -Preview of Chapter Twelve: “Ugly Pigtails”
Eventually, she began to discover the identity of her bodyguard as he wore the same baseball cap the night he saved her. Ga Eul thought it was quite nice of him to get out of his way every night just to make sure that she was safe. And he wasn’t even trying to get himself noticed. He just followed her discreetly, he even hid whenever she tried to look back at him.
Finally, one night, Ga Eul decided to acknowledge the presence of her bodyguard. “Yah! Choi Seung Hyun! Komaowoyo!” She called out into the street, loud enough for him to hear her even as he hid. She took out a can of orange juice from her bag and left it outside the gate of their home. “I’ll leave this orange juice for you to drink, araso?! Make sure you drink it!”
On her next night shift, Ga Eul found Seung Hyun waiting outside the bakeshop. This time, he was no longer hiding himself and he silently handed her a can of orange juice, the same brand she gave him on the night she acknowledged him. “Well, what’s the use of hiding if you already know it’s me?” He reasoned out to answer her silent question. Ga Eul found herself smiling as she walked along side Seung Hyun.
-oOo-
A/n: I love the phantom of the opera… XD
-oOo-
Date Written: March2,’09
Date Posted: March6,'09