| Fan Fiction |
by shattered teardrops
- - - - - - - - - - -Chapter Twenty One: “The Phantom’s Anguish”
Alcohol and women became the Yi Jung’s refuge as he struggled with the inner demons inside him. His Father’s words constantly reminded him of his cursed life as the heir of the So clan. His lonely heart silently screamed amidst the flirtatious crowd inside a bar, searching and hoping that someone could relieve him of his misery. Apparently, most people inside the bar only saw the Casanova, not the Phantom.
“After you lose a girl like that… All other girls will be the same… And everything will fall into an endless repetition…” His Father’s voice rung repeatedly inside his mind like a rattled chord refusing to be silenced. ‘Was… Eun Jae one of those other girls?’ He couldn’t help but ask. ‘How could Eun Jae be treated as only one of those girls when I cherished her so much…?’ Once again, he was reminded of the woman who was able to charm four men from the So clan.
Yi Jung was barely able to walk as he had more than his share of liquor. He was walking groggily until he stumbled inside a room full of women and a few men. His presence easily elicited admiring stares from the women. With a sluggish grin on his face, he suddenly planted a kiss on the lips of the woman nearest to him without even thinking of the consequences. Apparently his actions were soon condemned by the men who witnessed how he was able to charm off their women away.
So Yi Jung was soon ganged up by the men as he was so drunk and unable to defend himself. One man kicked him, another punched him. As they were in the process of beating him up, one man even stepped on his right arm and heavily injured it. Yi Jung screamed in pain but they wouldn’t stop. Luckily, Woo Bin soon came to the rescue. “Yah!” He shouted fiercely upon seeing his friend being beaten up by some bastards. He immediately rushed to his friend’s side. “Yi Jung, why did you drink so much?” He asked, wondering what had caused his friend to act as such. “Yi Jung… Are you alright?” He asked. However, Yi Jung still grunted in pain as he held his right hand.
“Young master, should we take care of this?” A burly man standing behind Woo Bin, who turned out to be his subordinates, asked.
“You guys don’t butt in. I’ll take care of the bastards who hurt my friends with my own hands.” Woo Bin spoke dangerously as his eyes were filled with rage. Without another word, Woo Bin stood up and suddenly kicked one of the men who hurt Yi Jung with full force, and started a violent brawl inside the bar, one man against three. “Do you guys know how much his hands are worth?” Woo Bin asked as he held one guy by the neck. “His hands are worth more than you guys’ lives! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!” With that, he threw another violent punch that sent the guy flying down to the floor with a loud thump.
After taking care of the bastards who hurt his friend, Woo Bin personally helped Yi Jung up and brought him to the hospital to have his injured arm checked. It turned out that Yi Jung’s hand was fractured and it may take a while for it to heal. It also meant that Yi Jung wouldn’t be able to create pots for the time being. This became a heavy blow to Yi Jung and he didn’t take it lightly. As Woo Bin looked at his friend, he couldn’t’ help but sigh.
Hearing that Yi Jung was injured, Goo Jun Pyo immediately came to see his friend. He found Yi Jung sitting on a bench inside his workshop. His expression was sullen as he stared blankly into space. He looked like he was drained of all the happiness in the world.
“How can a swimmer swim if her shoulders are unable to handle the pressure?” Yi Jung asked with a bittersweet smile on his face. Similarly, how can a potter be called a potter if his hands are injured, rendering him unable to mold pots?” Yi Jung replied. He began walking around his work shop, letting his uninjured hand graze along his pieces. Slowly, memories of his past came rushing back to him. Specifically, the log buried memory of the girl who shared his passion for pottery, the same girl he had deeply loved yet lost… Cha Eun Jae…
“Are you referring to Jan Di?” Goo Jun Pyo asked.
“Do we know any other swimmer other than Jan Di?” Yi Jung asked with a hint of sarcasm.
“Yah! Tell me clearly!” Jun Pyo insisted, even resorted to holding Yi Jung by his collar.
“Do you remember when Jan Di got hit by a chair in place of you?” Yi Jung smiled bitterly as his eyes became somewhat dense. “Do you know how much Jan Di cried when she learned that she couldn’t swim again?” He further asked. “You and I… We have nothing to give to the women we love but pain…” This was the main reason why up until now, Yi Jung refused to tie himself to any women, not even Eun Jae. He was afraid that he might hurt the one he loved by loving that someone deeply. After all, he was deemed the same as his Father, a philanderer.
-oOo-
It was evening already, a little past six. Ga Eul stood outside Yi Jung’s work shop, patiently waiting for the Casanova to arrive for she had something important to discuss with the man. Something which concerned her happiness and her heart. Suddenly, Ga Eul’s phone rang. It was call coming from Jae Joong. “Yobosaeyo?” Ga Eul answered.
“Ga Eul-sshi, mianhae for not calling you back soon. I’ve been a little busy with lots of stuffs… I’ve… I’ve received your message… I guess it would also be a wise decision to confront him frankly.” Jae Joong’s voice sounded calm and encouraging.
“Komaowoyo… You didn’t expect me to do this, did you?” Ga Eul asked.
“To be honest? Aniyo… But we both know that love cannot be achieved by mere patience. I was thinking of doing indirect tactics to win his heart, but I see that chose the direct one… This one takes a lot of courage… I must applaud you for your braveness.” Jae Joong spoke.
Ga Eul smiled. “Komaowoyo… Truth is, I want to try and be honest with myself. I want to give my best. If that doesn’t work on him, at least I tried, right?”
“I agree… Good luck to you then. I hope and pray that you capture the Casanova. Call me if anything happens, alright?”
“Araso…” With that, Ga Eul ended the call and continued to wait for Yi Jung to arrive. While waiting, Ga Eul briefly remembered how her teacher from Pottery Class encouraged her to confess to the man she grown to love. ‘Hurry up and confess before it’s too late, Ga Eul-sshi…’ Eun Jae’s words reverberated repeatedly inside Ga Eul’s mind. Fear of rejection gripped her heart upon hearing Eun Jae’s suggestion to confess, however, Ga Eul decided to be brave just as she always had been and try to onfess what she felt.
She remembered asking Eun Jae why she and the man she loved separated, and Eun Jae replied that it was out of selfishness. She wanted to stay by his side just as he wanted her to. However, she became selfish and wanted more. She wanted them to be more that just friends. Apparently, the man she loved couldn’t give her that. She advised Ga Eul to gather up her courage and confess before it’s too late. If she didn’t, she might regret it in the future.
After a seemingly long while, Yi Jung finally arrived with a visible bandage on his right hand. He was surprised to have seen Ga Eul in front of his work shop, however, he didn’t seem pleased of her presence. He was too occupied with his inner issues that this time, her presence wasn’t welcomed. “What’s the problem?” He asked. “I don’t like people who come over without a reason.” His tone was rude and unwelcoming. It was enough to tell Ga Eul that her presence was not welcomed, however, she chose to stand firm with her resolve.
Yi Jung walked past Ga Eul and was about to go inside his work shop when she suddenly spoke. “I have a reason.”
It was then that Yi Jung turned his head sideways, waiting for her to say more and state the reason why she came. Ga Eul’s features expressed anxiousness as she fiddled with the strap of her shoulder bag. She was tense and nervous about finally revealing what she had come to feel for the Casanova.
“Sunbae… Will you go out with me?” Ga Eul courageously asked.
Hearing that from Ga Eul, Yi Jung turned to face her with an expression of disbelief and surprise. He had never expected something so bold from sweet and demure Ga Eul. Furthermore, he was the complete opposite of her right? He was never her type… So why?
“A date?” He asked once they were safely inside his workshop. “Didn’t we do that last time?” He asked. He maintained the stoic expression on his face, completely hiding his surprise and wonder as to why Ga Eul was acting this way.
“Not the fake one. A real date.” Ga Eul explained.
“Ga Eul-yang, did something shocking happen to you?” Yi Jung asked, still pretty much in disbelief of what he was hearing from the country bumpkin, Chu Ga Eul. “Or maybe you were dumped by some guy?” He attempted to joke remembering their first make-believe date in revenge for the man who dumped Ga Eul.
“I’m not joking.” Ga Eul seriously replied. Her expression was a mix of eagerness and determination. “I… I like you, Yi Jung…” She finally confessed.
Yi Jung stared in disbelief at the woman who stood a foot away from him upon hearing her words. She was Chu Ga Eul, the woman whose very existence was a contradiction to his own, the woman whose ideals were in complete contrast to his lifestyle. She was the woman to whom he dedicated a pot he made on Valentine’s Day. The same woman he had called Jagiya and whom he found unexplainable amusement and awe. She was also the same woman with whom he spent a night in a hotel without doing anything but sleep. And here she was, confessing to him that she liked him. Almost too suddenly, Yi Jung found himself unable to react. It took him a few more minutes before he finally figured out what to say to her.
Finally, Yi Jung smiled in disbelief before speaking. “Komaowo…” He began. “Thanks but… I have a few rules when it comes to dating.” He explained.
“Rules?” Ga Eul asked.
Yi Jung nodded. “One, I don’t mess with good girls. Two, I don’t mess with idiotic girls. Three, I never mess with girls related to my friends.” With that, he looked at Ga Eul. “Ga Eul-yang, you fit all three criterias. You know that, right? So… My answer is No.”
“Yi Jung…” Ga Eul was about to protest with complete hopelessness etched on her pretty face. But Yi Jung refused her to do so. He easily cut her off and coldly brushed her aside.
“You know where the exit is, right?”
Looking down-trodden and melancholic, Ga Eul had no choice but to simple go. ‘So… This is how being rejected felt like…’ She thought bitterly to herself as she walked away. At least she tried. Slowly, she picked up her phone and dialed Jae Joong’s number. With a voice sounding no more than a croak, she spoke. “I got rejected…” A tear suddenly rolled down her eyes.
Jae Joong sighed. “Stupid bastard…” He whispered. “Give him time, Ga Eul… I’m sure he’ll come around…” He simply spoke.
On the other hand, the moment Ga Eul exited his work shop, Yi Jung’s features turned into a mixed expression of abhorrence and pain. God knew how much he had wanted to say yes. Knowing that Ga Eul liked him suddenly revved up his heart and made it beat rapidly. Her confession certainly came as a complete surprise to him. Her, above any other women, was someone who held a somewhat fixed position in his life. However, as much as he wanted to say yes, he had to turn her down. He didn’t want to taint her innocence. He didn’t want to hurt her. She was much too precious for a bastard like him.
To Be Continued…
- - - - - - - - - -Preview of Chapter 22:
A few days after her confession to Yi Jung, Ga Eul had been back to normal, although it has been a little obvious that she wasn’t as cheerful as before. Yi Jung’s refusal of her offer to date, made her think that she wasn’t pretty enough for the Casanova’s taste. Somehow, this disappointed her, but she chose to hide it and pretend nothing happened. Since Jan Di was experiencing financial crisis as well as emotional problems with Jun Pyo, Ga Eul decided that now wasn’t the time to go wallowing about her heartbreak.
She was walking along the sidewalk on her way home from school when her silent thoughts were suddenly interrupted when her phone suddenly vibrated. The called turned out to be the most unexpected person who’d call her: So Yi Jung. She slowly picked up her phone and received the call. “S-Sunbae?” She asked.
She heard Yi Jung let out an exasperated sigh. “Yah, country bumpkin, are you busy? I need your help.” He sounded quite normal.
“Eh? Uh… Well, I’m walking along the sidewalk right now…” She replied, unsure of what to say.
“I know that. Look across the street.”
-oOo-
a/n: I’m going on another trip for this weekend so I decided to leave this update for you guys. Hope you like it. I will try to compress Yi Jung’s emo scenes in two chapters. Maybe, this’ll be the first one and the next one would be the second. But I’m not so sure about that, okay? And I wrote this Chapter in such a way that Eun Jae didn’t have to appear. ^_^ I will attempt to do the same in the succeeding chapters…
-oOo-
Date Written: Apr10,’09
Date Posted: Apr10,'09