| Fan Fiction |
by shattered teardrops
“Ga Eul-sshi… Tell me, do you have a boyfriend?” A dearly elderly woman, who looked discreetly ordinary, beamed at Ga Eul as soon as the younger woman approached her to get her order. She looked so happy upon seeing Ga Eul that she might be mistaken to be the younger lady’s Grandmother. Furthermore, Ga Eul was surprised that the elderly woman knew her name but she smiled politely instead.
“Ehh?” Uh… pardon me, Ma’am, but how did you know my name?” Ga Eul asked.
“Oh… Uh… I heard your friend call you by that name.” The elderly woman replied, still with a smile. “You’re very pretty… I wouldn’t mind if you date my Grandson… You two would make a lovely pair.” She grinned and held Ga Eul by her hand, not letting her go.
Ga Eul smiled uncomfortably. “Uh… So… What would you like to order?” She asked instead.
Ever since that day, the elderly woman would randomly show up at the porridge shop and especially ask Ga Eul to serve her. She introduced herself as Haejin but insisted that Ga Eul call her ‘Halmoni’ or Grandmother. She would request Ga Eul to sit by her table and tell her about different stories, mostly about her Grandson, whom she adored dearly. Sometimes, Ga Eul was also surprised by how much knowledge the elderly woman knew about the history and culture of South Korea. At first, Ga Eul was freaked out by the elderly woman’s behavior. She treated her ever so familiarly that it made Ga Eul uncomfortable. Eventually, Ga Eul got used to her and began to look forward to her visits. Long before she knew it, Ga Eul and the elderly woman were like a Grandmother and her Granddaughter.
“Halmoni!” Ga Eul greeted as soon as she saw the elderly woman enter the establishment. Delight was clearly written on the younger’s woman’s face. The elderly woman’s lips also curled up into a bright smile upon seeing Ga Eul. “Would you like the usual?” Ga Eul immediately asked to which Halmoni nodded with a smile. “How’s your Grandson?” Ga Eul asked as in on reflex. After hearing several stories about Halmoni’s Grandson, Ga Eul felt like she knew the person by heart even though she never met him.
Hearing Ga Eul’s question, Halmoni breathed out a tired sigh as she took her usual seat by the window. “Same as usual. He’s been going around doing nonsensical stuffs. I swear that young man would be the death of me. He and his elder brother are… too uncontrollable.” Halmoni exasperatedly narrated.
As soon as Ga Eul settled a hot bowl of porridge in front of Halmoni, she settled herself opposite the elder lady and began to earnestly listen. “You never told me you had an elder Grandson. Would you tell me about him?” Ga Eul asked.
“Ah… I must have forgotten… Anyway, this elder Grandson of mine… well, he wasn’t really blood related to me. His Father was not my son, but of course, it’s a long kept secret. He lived independently on his own after getting married. I haven’t seen him in years.” Halmoni recounted.
“I see… So where is he now?” Ga Eul asked again.
“Last time I heard, he was a barista in a small coffee shop which he opened on his own.” She replied.
Days passed and turned into weeks, weeks passed and turned into months, Ga Eul had to admit that she has been quite busy coping up with her own life. However, this didn’t hinder her from worrying over her friend who looked incessantly sad and down trodden. Jan Di would put up an act around her whenever she sensed that Ga Eul was trying to cheer her up but Ga Eul knew that her friend wasn’t happy. Added more was the fact that Goo Jun Pyo never once called or even sent a mere message.
Ga Eul wasn’t going to let Jan Di’s situation remain as it is. She just had to do something about it. So, she decided to see the person she knew who was just as concerned as she was. It had been months since she had last seen him. And it had also been months since she began to take a liking to the story of the Phantom of the Opera that she researched the novel and slowly began to memorize the parts by heart. All because of So Yi Jung.
She knocked on his workshop and found no one answering her. Since the door was not locked, she took hesitant steps inside, only to be greeted by the sight of the master potter, So Yi Jung, working on his delicate craft. It was the first time she had seen him looking so serious, without any hint of mischief written on his eyes. It was like he was so lost into his own world that none around him mattered. He looked so… captivating that Ga Eul found herself involuntarily smiling at the sight of the man who unconsciously captured her heart.
“Do I look that cool?” Yi Jung suddenly spoke which awakened Ga Eul from her trance-like thoughts. Ga Eul found herself flabbergasted and embarrassed but she was thankful enough that Yi Jung wasn’t looking her way, or else, he might have witnessed the way her cheeks suddenly sported a crimson hue. “No girl hasn’t fallen for me after seeing me like this.” Yi Jung spoke but continued to work on his craft. He sounded like a show-off but it was the truth so why deny it?
“Fallen for you?” Ga Eul repeated with a disgusted and uncomfortable tone, as if hearing what he said appalled her. The truth was, it didn’t. “Anyway, I came here because I have something to say…” She spoke in a weak attempt to change the topic. Thankfully, Yi Jung responded accordingly.
“About Jun Pyo and Jan Di?” Yi Jung asked as he finally lifted his head and looked at her.
“Yeah…” Ga Eul replied, waiting for Yi Jung to say something about the concerned individuals he just mentioned.
“Tell me…” Yi Jung began which both puzzled and surprised Ga Eul.
“About what?”
“Is there still no change? In your belief about waiting for your one and only soul mate?” Yi Jung asked with that irksome glint of mischief and amusement clearly written on his eyes as he looked at the woman before him.
“That doesn’t have anything to do with this.” Ga Eul countered, obviously uncomfortable discussing such topic with So Yi Jung. She knew that if their conversation about such topic persisted, they would eventually argue once again. And that wasn’t good because she had not come to argue with him. She had come to discuss Jun Pyo and Jan Di.
Yi Jung smiled at her reply and decided to taunt her some more. “Do you really believe that Jun Pyo is Jan Di’s one and only love?” It was a trick question and he knew that she was bound to fall for it. “Lifetime partners… Even soul mates… Do they really exist?” He added.
“That…” Ga Eul was about to answer but Yi Jung cut her off shortly.
“You’re just imposing your fantasies on Jan Di…” Yi Jung said. He specifically used the term ‘fantasies’ to highlight his point that soul mates do not exist. It’s just a mere made-up fairytale that people made themselves to believe.
“What did you say?” She asked. Her voice hinted that she was offended by his statement. However, Yi Jung made no move to withdraw what he said earlier.
“If I were in Jan Di’s place, I’d use the time away from Jun Pyo to search for my soul mate. Though I don’t even know if such a thing exists.” Yi Jung coldly stated. He admired Ga Eul’s naivety and passionate beliefs. However, he was a realist.
“I obviously came to the wrong place.” Her voice was mocking and her expression painted distaste and aggravation towards the man whom she thought would be concerned enough to help her. “Then, I’ll just take my leave.” She said as she turned her back on him and headed towards the door. However, before she could completely exit his workshop, she threw one aggravated look at him and decided that she wasn’t going to walk away defeated. She took a few steps back and bravely faced him once again.
“Sunbae, you believe in it too, don’t you?” She suddenly spoke. Her statement caught Yi Jung off guard and caused him to look at her with a wary gaze. “In lifetime partners… In soul mates… In true love that you only find once in a lifetime… You believe that such a love exists too, right?” Her statement was bold and challenging as was her expression and tone.
“What?” His expression was a mixture of discomfort and pure seriousness. Never has his motives and actions been interpreted this way. And what surprised him was that, deep inside him, he knew that she what she spoke of was the truth.
“You know that such fierce denial may actually mean acceptance, don’t you?” A small triumphant smile played across Ga Eul’s lips. “I think I understand it now. Sunbae, you do believe in soul mates. You’re just scared that it really exists. I wonder why…”
“Don’t act like you know everything…” It was a warning. His expression was devoid of any form of amusement or mischief. His features hinted seriousness and long-hidden secrets that she unconsciously brought forth in front of his eyes. He didn’t like how she had made him feel vulnerable and weak or the fact that she had, in part, understood his underlying meaning behind the context of true love and soul mates.
Ga Eul smiled warmly, the kind of smile that was both glad but it was as if she pitied him. “For the first time, I feel as though you’ve become humane… Like a real person… I’m glad I came here. Maybe I could come some other time to talk about Jan Di. I’ll be going.” Leaving those words behind, Ga Eul left Yi Jung to ponder on her words.
Not knowing what to do or what to feel, Yi Jung chose to smile. She really was a cut above the rest.
After a few minutes, while Yi Jung was putting away some of his newly molded pots, the door to his workshop suddenly opened. Thinking it was Ga Eul, he did not turn his head to see who it was and spoke out loud instead. “Back so soon?” He asked.
“Were you expecting someone?” He heard a man’s voice. When he turned his head to see who it was, he was surprised to see Jae Joong standing casually with a familiar smile on his face. He was clothed in commoner’s clothes though it was obvious in the way he carried himself that he was no mere commoner.
“Ah… Aniyo… I just thought… Never mind… So, what brought you here?” Yi Jung asked while taking off his working robes and placed them hanging by the back of a nearby bench.
“Honestly, I thought since you know that I’m back in Korea, you’d come and pay me a visit… I mean, we were good friends, right?” Jae Joong shrugged and looked around his workshop. He carefully eyes Yi Jung’s pieces as if measuring their value. Obviously, he was one who had sharp eyes when it came to detail. He was, after all, bred as a part of the infamous So Family.
“Mianhaeyo… I’ve been a little busy… Would now be a good time to catch up on things? How have you been?” Yi Jung asked casually.
Jae Joong chuckled. “Let’s skip the formalities, shall we? Let me get straight to the point. Tell me about Ga Eul.” Jae Joong frankly dared to ask openly about Ga Eul. It was Yi Jung’s turn to chuckle, remembering that his Grandmother said the same thing. A lot of people had been coming over to see him and what was weird about each visit was that they were somehow related in part with that girl…
“She’s a friend of Goo Jun Pyo’s girlfriend. I guess, that makes her my friend too… Well, in a way…” Yi Jung replied shortly.
“I see… Is that all she is to you?” Jae Joong further inquired.
“Of course.” Yi Jung riposted. Personally, his voice resounded loudly inside his head. “What else would she be?” He added, trying to add weight to his response.
“Yokatta…” Jae Joong spoke in Japanese which Yi Jung did not understand. However, he had a perfectly clear idea about what it meant judging on the pleasant expression on the other man’s face. “Then, I don’t have to worry about you… I just have one man left to worry about…” Jae Joong loudly spoke. He was actually hinting Yi Jung of a presence of another man who might be a threat to his supposedly ‘plan’ of pursuing Ga Eul. When those words left Jae Joong’s mouth, he triumphantly smiled when he saw Yi Jung’s face abruptly dropped its pleasant demeanor. Ga Eul clearly affected him more than he openly credited her for.
“Another man?” Yi Jung repeated in inquiry.
Jae Joong pretended to sigh. “Well, apparently, I would have liked it if I could walk her home from her part time job. However, another man has already been doing that. I don’t know what his relationship he shared with her though… They seem pretty close.” He added, spicing up Yi Jung’s mood a little. “Anyway, I’ve confirmed what I needed to hear from you… So… See’ya around.” Jae Joong smiled and casually walked out of the workshop, leaving Yi Jung with another pound of thoughts to ponder.
‘Another man, huh?’ He thought silently. Somehow, knowing that news made him very curious about the man Jae Joong was talking about.
-oOo-
“Uhm… Boss, I was wondering if… Uh, I was wondering if I could get an advance...” Jan Di hesitantly asked their boss one random afternoon. She had spend quite a considerable time calculating expenses that it made her best friend wonder what she was up to.
“Hmm… I don’t think I could give you an advance at the moment, Jan Di… I need to sell at least a thousand of this new porridge in order for me to give you an advance. Seeing the number of customers we have in a day, that’ll take at least a few months…”
Jan Di pouted disappointedly. Ga Eul felt the need to know why her friend needed money. She guessed along the lines of her Father’s gambling perhaps? Or maybe her family owed a huge debt from loan sharks. However, the answer Jan Di gave Ga Eul was one she did not expect. “What?! You’re going to Macau?!” Ga Eul bellowed in surprise. She had known Jan Di for her brave acts but this one was totally unexpected.
With F4’s intervention, excluding Jun Pyo, somehow, enough orders of the new porridge were sold, allowing Jan Di to have the salary advance she had asked for. Well, the mere fact that the F4 graced their presence at the porridge shop made damn sure that enough women passed by had bought at least a pack or two of their new porridge. Ga Eul was amazed at just how appealing these men were. However, since it proved to be at their advantage, she chose to speak no more and await Jan Di’s next plan of action.
They learned that Jan Di decided to venture unto Macau all on her own. She said something about being unable to rest until she faces Jun Pyo and personally get answers to her questions. Personally, Ga Eul worried over her friend. It wasn’t like Jan Di was the brightest girl in class to be able to hold out on her own in a foreign country. And this time, Ga Eul would not be there to accompany her. This made her worry more.
Before the F4 left the porridge shop, Ga Eul made sure to pull Yi Jung aside and talk to him. She honestly looked like she was desperate enough to seek Yi Jung’s help though she didn’t like talking to him. “Yah. You guys… Are going to Macau too, right? I mean, surely, you guys also plan to talk to Jun Pyo too, right?” Ga Eul asked.
“What are you getting at? Just say it already.” Yi Jung impatiently asked.
Ga Eul looked at him sharply, his eyes boring into his with unparalleled intensity. “Yah. Promise me you’ll watch over Jan Di for me, araso?” It sounded more like a demand than a request. It made Yi Jung smile. Ga Eul was doing her antics again.
“And why would I do that?” Yi Jung taunted.
“Well… because if you didn’t… I’ll tell everyone that the great Casanova So Yi Jung believed in soul mates.” She raised one brow to prove her point. “Besides, you promised.” She added.
“Promised?” He asked puzzled. “When?”
Ga Eul swiftly picked up his hand, linked his pinky with hers and sealed a self-dictated pinky promise. “Since… Now.” She smiled triumphantly and walked away, leaving Yi Jung dumbfounded. He found himself smiling again. The girl just tricked him to follow her way. And he didn’t even see that one coming.
“Araso… I promise…” He whispered with a smile as he looked at his hand which Ga Eul had touched earlier.
To Be Continued…
- - - - - - - - - -Preview for Chapter Fourteen: “Jae Joong & Seung Hyun”
“Jae Joong-sshi…” Ga Eul smiled kindly but also too sadly for comfort. “I hate to break your bubbles but… I am not the woman meant to tame Yi Jung…”
“Ga Eul-yang… Do you believe in destiny? In fate? In lifetime partners? In soul mates?” Jae Joong unexpectedly asked. For a moment, Ga Eul was taken aback by his question. She was about give an answer, but before she could do so, Jae Joong already spoke again. “Haven’t you ever thought about the point of having choices when in the end, all would fall into place? Why were we given the freedom to choose when in the end, we’ll have someone who’s meant for us? Don’t you think that having a choice is completely in contrast to the idea of destiny and soul mates? I don’t mean to persuade you into giving up your belief towards soul mates. Actually, I would like to do the opposite. Let’s just say that sometimes, destiny also needs a little push… I’m willing to give that push for you, but I could only do so much if you won’t cooperate with me.” He explained.
-oOo-
a/n: I love Jae Joong bluntness! So what are you gonna do now Yi Jung? Now that there's another guy?! haha
-oOo-
Date Written: March6,’09
Date Posted: March13,'09