| Fan Fiction |
by shattered teardrops
“Ga Eul-yang, you said you wanted to go on a date with me, right?” These were the exact words that came out of the Casanova’s lips upon seeing Ga Eul walking out of the porridge shop. Yi Jung looked every inch a charmer in a dark blue suit as he smiled at Ga Eul. “Am I still eligible for the date?” He asked.
Hearing what the Casanova said, Ga Eul’s lips slowly turned into a smile. What she didn’t know was that, Yi Jung’s good-natured smile easily disappeared when she wasn’t looking. For the Casanova, he was giving Ga Eul a chance to escape. He was giving her a chance to witness the lifestyle he had come in terms with and hopefully, she may be scared enough to distance herself from the monster he has become.
Their date turned out to be one of Yi Jung’s usual philandering affairs. Yi Jung waved at every other women who passed by and even smiled suggestively at some. Ga Eul found herself deeply disappointed and hurt when she was flung in a corner all by herself while Yi Jung was surrounded by two skanky women dressed in skimpy clothes. They were inside a dimly lighted bar with loud sounds, liquors and dancing. Finding Ga Eul in such a place was like seeing a sheep in a lion’s den. She merely busied herself drinking her juice as she watched Yi Jung with hurtful stares.
Finally, unable to resist his act, Ga Eul stood up and excused herself. She didn’t see how Yi Jung’s flirtatious smile disappeared upon seeing her leave. He didn’t want to appear to Ga Eul this way. However, he knew that if he wanted Ga Eul to forget about him, he must erase himself completely from her heart. What better way to do it than to show her how much of a player he was? It was better this way than to allow her to continue liking him when he knew that he didn’t reciprocate her feelings.
On the other hand, Ga Eul went inside the comfort room and washed her hands. As she stared at the reflection on the mirror, she couldn’t help but pity herself. How did it come to happen that she began to like such a philanderer? She sighed and decided to leave instead of staying to witness Yi Jung’s act. What she didn’t expect was that Yi Jung was already outside, waiting for her. “If you’re going to after this then you shouldn’t have asked for a date.” He spoke and then came nearer to where Ga Eul was standing to whisper in her ears. “You haven’t seen the highlight yet.”
Wordlessly, he took Ga Eul’s hand in his and led her into a pricey restaurant. Ga Eul expected to at least have a decent dinner with Yi Jung for their date. However, she was bound to be disappointed as she saw that Yi Jung’s Father was joining them. She greeted the man politely and bowed. She didn’t know what was happening but somehow, she didn’t like the atmosphere around them.
“You said Ga Eul was your name, right?” Yi Jung’s Father asked. “It’s an honor to formally be introduced to my son’s Jagiya…” He added with a smile. Although, he took appreciative glances at Ga Eul, he knew that his son wouldn’t formally introduce the girl to him if he was simply playing around. He knew Yi Jung too well. He was definitely up to something. “Eat well. The food here is great.”
Ga Eul smiled and nodded. “Kamsa Hamnida…” She replied.
Yi Jung didn’t like how his Father looked at Ga Eul. He definitely didn’t like it. Not even a bit. “It seems that you fancy Ga Eul.” He commented.
“She’s cute and innocent. What is there not to like?” His Father replied.
“I guess I really am similar to you, Abeoji. Even though mother is at the hospital, you have your son dating and you, yourself, having dinner with a cute girl. I guess we can’t fool our blood.” Yi Jung narrated with a hint of ascerbity evident on his voice. He hated his Father and he grew up hating his mother for loving his Father too much. This is one of the main reasons why he kept himself from having a woman love him deeply. For him, love equates insanity.
“Yi Jung-ah, let’s keep our household stories for later…”
“What should we talk about then?” Yi Jung asked with a cruel smile on his face. He placed a hand on top of Ga Eul’s as he continued to converse with his Father in a politely cruel manner. “I think this young lady is your type. Should I lend her to you?” He asked.
Hearing such a statement from Yi Jung, Ga Eul felt insulted nonetheless. “Yi Jung-sunbae…” She spoke sharply.
“Why so serious?” Yi Jung seemed unfazed as he continued with his stunt. “Her age is similar to that girl before. How about it, Ga Eul-sshi? My Father is alright, isn’t he?”
That became the last straw. Ga Eul abruptly pushed Yi Jung’s hand away as she stood up with a mixture of disappointment and hurt on her face. Without another word, she picked up the glass of water on the table and courageously splashed it on the face of the man who downgraded her. She wasn’t just going to sit there and be insulted. Although, she was the one who asked to have a date with So Yi Jung, she wasn’t going to allow herself to be trampled this way. She was nobody’s toy, especially not So Yi Jung’s.
“Excuse me…” With that, Ga Eul abruptly walked away with steady strides as she exited the fancy restaurant.
“Today, you crossed the line, son…” Yi Jung’s Fathers stood up as well and turned to leave.
Unknown to Yi Jung, there was one other person who was aggravated by his actions to Ga Eul. It was a certain man who secretly cherished Ga Eul and couldn’t just stand there without doing anything in revenge for the humiliation of the woman he highly respected. He wasn’t going to let Yi Jung off the hook easily, especially now that he treated Ga Eul this way.
Yi Jung paid for the bill and with a tired sigh, he went on his way out of the restaurant. He was about to go inside his car, when somebody held the door open, not allowing it to be closed. When Yi Jung looked up, he was surprised to see no other than Choi Seung Hyun, wearing a waiter’s uniform and with a dangerously scary expression on his face. Yi Jung exasperatedly got out of his car and decided to confront the man. “Oh, it’s you… What is it that you want?” He asked.
“You’re not worthy of Ga Eul’s tears.” He hissed in a dangerously low tone.
“Ah… I get it… You’re in love with Ga Eul…” Yi Jung smiled smugly. “Too bad, she already told me she liked me. She even asked me out on a date.” He added, even fueling Seung Hyun’s aggravation. Apparently, he was successful, for in the blink of an eye, a fist came landing on the Casanova’s jaw, sending him toppling off on the floor.
“I won’t hold back next time.” Seung Hyun warned and took off his tuxedo. He ruefully flung his bag to his side and ran after Ga Eul, leaving Yi Jung stunned and with an aching jaw.
Ga Eul could feel her chest tightening in pure despair as she trudged the streets with heavy footsteps. She could feel the tears threatening to fall from her eyes but she refused to allow them to simply fall. She felt… downsized and degraded. She bit her lip in unuttered despair as she stopped by a corner and finally frowned. Suddenly, she felt a soft tap on her shoulder. She expected it to be Yi Jung, however, she was surprised to have seen Seung Hyun, standing there with a tender expression on his face.
Wordlessly, Seung Hyun slowly pulled her into a comforting hug. “Ssh… It’s okay…You can cry now… You don’t have to hold it all back…” Seung Hyun whispered gently as he held Ga Eul. He could feel his own heart shattering into pieces at the sight of Ga Eul crying. He had come to realize that Ga Eul really liked Yi Jung. However, what he didn’t understand was how Yi Jung could withstand hurting such a girl. If he was in Yi Jung’s position, he would have chased Ga Eul the first time he met her. Apparently, life can be very cruel.
Ga Eul continued to sob and vent out her despair and frustration through her tears as she cried on Seung Hyun’s shoulder. This was the first time she dared to courageously show what she really felt. She didn’t realize how much of a jerk Yi Jung could be. How could he? Of all people, how could he treat her like that, knowing about her feelings for him? Was he really intentionally hurting her?!
Seung Hyun ended up treating Ga Eul to dinner in a small yet very homey restaurant. He continued to try his best to make her feel better after witnessing how Yi Jung became a big bastard and made her cry. “Seung Hyun-ah, komaowoyo… Thanks for making me feel better… I’m so sorry that you had to see that awful scene…” Ga Eul spoke in between sobs after finally calming down.
“Nah… It was nothing. Don’t worry. I got you even…” He smiled.
“Got me… even? What do you mean?”
“Well, I… Erm… It’s nothing.” Top laughed nervously, trying to hide the fact that he literally got even with Yi Jung. “Let’s just enjoy dinner, okay?” He said instead. “Oh, and if that guy does something rash again, you have to tell me… Araso?”
Again, Ga Eul’s face suddenly turned lifeless upon remembering Yi Jung’s behavior earlier. Questions keep popping inside her mind. She wanted to know what prompted Yi Jung to behave as he did… But of course, she knew that he wouldn’t tell her anything. She just knew that Yi Jung’s Father had a lot to do with Yi Jung’s change in demeanor. Unable to keep her thoughts in secret, Ga Eul suddenly spoke out loud, letting Seung Hyun a glimpse inside her mind. “Why?” She asked. “Why would he act that way? Yi Jung-sunbae… Had always been cool and composed… Why?”
Seung Hyun sighed. “Well… Everything has a reason… But I don’t think it was right to treat you like that, whatever reason it may be, I don’t think it’s justifiable…” Seung Hyun replied, trying his best to comfort Ga Eul. And he was successful, however, her reaction wasn’t one he expected.
Suddenly, Ga Eul stood up. Her face was no longer sullen and dejected. Instead, her determination has sparked once again. 'Everything has a reason...' She thought. What Seung Hyun just said gave her an inspiration to face Yi Jung once more. This time, she was out to get answers and she wasn’t going to let him treat her like that again. “Seung Hyun, you’ve been a very big help. I can’t thank you enough for making me realize some things. Thank you very much!” With that, Ga Eul suddenly ran away from the restaurant, leaving Seung Hyun in deep wonder as to what has gotten into her.
-oOo-
Yi Jung was drunk. Scratch that, he’s very drunk, in fact, he couldn’t even manage to properly put his key into the keyhole of his work shop. And he couldn’t even manage to stand properly. He was so drunk that he just fell on his butt right on the floor, unable to enter his workshop. However, almost as if on cue, Ga Eul appeared and picked up his keys. She good-naturedly opened the door for him and helped him inside. Despite experiencing a very brutal, not to mention, very horrendous date from So Yi Jung, Chu Ga Eul wasn’t that heartless. She knew that she still loved the man despite his foolish actions.
Ga Eul assisted Yi Jung to lie down on the nearby bench. She came to find him because she wanted to ask him why he acted the way he did. Why did he suddenly decide to offer her to his Father, when in the first place, he was the one who told her to get away from the man? His actions were all too puzzling. If he didn’t want to date her, he could have just let her off. He already refused her in the first place? Why date her to only hurt her?
However, since Yi Jung was in no condition to answer serious questions, Ga Eul decided to simply walk away. She was about to turn her back to leave when a hand suddenly shot up and held hers, not allowing her to go. She slowly looked at her hand, only to find Yi Jung’s hand holding hers. He was holding onto her tightly that she thought he was actually sane enough to talk to her. Apparently, she soon found out that Yi Jung was sleep talking.
“I was afraid… Because that child might cry… Just like my Father… Like my mother… Because that child might cry because of me…” Yi Jung talked coherently despite his drunken state. And his words were clear enough for Ga Eul to understand why he did what he did. He didn’t want her to be hurt because of him. In a way, he was trying to make her despise him so that she won’t get hurt by loving him.
-oOo-
A few days after her confession and very cruel date with Yi Jung, Ga Eul had been back to normal, although it has been a little obvious that she wasn’t as cheerful as before. She was still curious as to why Yi Jung acted that way, however, she knew that it wasn’t the time to go wallowing over her heartbreak. Jan Di was experiencing financial crisis as well as emotional problems with Goo Jun Pyo. The least she could do was not to add anymore burdens to her friend.
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.”
Ga Eul did as she was told and soon found herself staring into Yi Jung’s all too charming face with that sinfully-charming smile. He looked like nothing untoward happened between them. Ga Eul felt a little aggravated by how he could act so normal despite the fact that he just humiliated her and even insulted her. “How did you…?” She was about to ask however, she was reminded by his oh-so-insane answer. “Ah… I know. It’s your Chu Ga Eul GPS Tracker again, isn’t it? What is it that you want?”
“You’re learning, Jagiya… I like that…” He replied before he dropped his celphone and ended the call. He slowly took steady steps across the road to finally meet Ga Eul. “Well, I heard Jan Di moved into a new place so I thought we should give her a house-warming gift.” Yi Jung explained.
“A house warming gift?” She repeated.
“Yes, and since you know Jan Di best, I thought you’d be able to tell which colors would she prefer for her new home. Now, that’s the help I was talking about.” With those words said, Yi Jung suddenly grabbed Ga Eul’s hand and led her to the nearest hardware store.
-oOo-
The F4, excluding Jun Pyo, together with Ga Eul personally repainted and re-arranged Jan Di’s new home. For paint, it was Ga Eul’s idea to use baby pink in order to add some feminine touch to the home. As for the wallpaper, she chose a floral design which was again, colored pink. Together with Ji Hoo, Woo Bin and Yi Jung, the four of them spent an entire afternoon waving paints and paintbrushes. However, all of them seemed to be enjoying the work so they didn’t think of it as much of a hassle.
By evening, everyone was contented and happy as they sat around the table for dinner. Ga Eul and Jan Di personally worked on the dishes themselves in order to satisfy the appetites of the three gorgeous men who took time to give Jan Di a very nice house-warming gift. After dinner, since everyone was bored, Ga Eul suddenly had the idea to play a game. “Since it’s a little boring…” Ga Eul began, however, she was soon cut off by Woo Bin’s teasing.
“Since it’s a little boring…” He repeated. “You don’t mean… we start kissing or anything, right?” He cheerfully added, making everyone burst out laughing. However, this earned him a somewhat violent shove from Yi Jung who seemed to have gained a little conservatism despite the fact that was used to kissing women listlessly.
On the other hand, Ga Eul found herself blushing and uncomfortable because of Woo Bin’s statement. “Do you want to play a game?” She said instead, trying to divert the topic from Woo Bin’s not-so-conservative remark.
“Game?” Yi Jung repeated. “What game?”
“Truth or dare game.” Ga Eul replied.
Suddenly, Jae Kyung budges through the door and cheerfully spoke. “Me too! Me too!” Unexpectedly, following her shortly was Goo Jun Pyo who looked a bit surprised upon seeing his childhood friends cozily sitting in a table with his ex.
The truth or dare game became an exciting twist for the evening. Although there were awkward moments between certain people, the game became an enjoyable one. Ji Hoo ended up kissing Yi Jung for choosing not to answer Yi Jung’s question. And Woo Bin ended up being ganged up by the other F4 for saying that Goo Jun Pyo was obnoxious, Ji Hoo was strange and Yi Jung was a cold-blooded Casanova.
By the end of the evening, everyone finally decided to let Jan Di rest and go home. Jun Pyo and Jae Kyung went on their way. Ji Hoo went home riding his bike. Woo Bin was escorted home by his comrades. So, Ga Eul was left alone with Yi Jung. As always, being the gentleman that he was, Yi Jung offered to drop off Ga Eul home instead.
The drive home was uncomfortably quiet until Yi Jung finally broke the silence when he spoke one much unexpected line. “Mianhaeyo…” He apologized.
Ga Eul felt like she heard something wrongly. The fact that the Casanova was apologizing to a girl, more so, was the fact that she was the girl in question, astounded her. However, when she looked at her side and saw Yi Jung’s serious demeanor, she knew that the Casanova was lowering himself enough to apologize to her. And this, she greatly appreciated, so she smiled. “Araso… Apology accepted… However, I have one condition…” She replied.
Yi Jung finally smiled. “Alright… What is it?”
“Truth or Dare?” She asked.
He shook his head and continued to smile. “Aren’t you tired of this game? We’ve been playing this game all evening.” He asked.
“Well, the game ended just before my turn… And I want it to be my turn now… so truth or dare?” She asked again.
“Truth…” He replied.
“Hmm… Why are you… Why do you keep on playing with girls?” She unexpectedly asked.
Yi Jung ordered the driver to stop by the curb and turned to Ga Eul. “If my memory serves me right, this is the curb where you get off and start walking to your home because it’ll be hard for my driver to make a U-turn if we drove further.” Yi Jung smiled and evaded to answer her question.
“Yah… That’s unfair… We’re still playing…” Ga Eul pouted and sulked like a child.
Yi Jung got off on the opposite side of the car and opened the door for Ga Eul as she stepped down. “I think I’ll walk you up until your door steps. It’s safer that way, right?” Yi Jung continued to ignore Ga Eul’s protest about their truth or dare game.
“Yah… Sunbae, answer my question now…” She vigilantly pestered but Yi Jung remained quiet and simply smiled as they walked along. “Come on, Sunbae… I’m really curious!” She kept on pressing him for the answer but Yi Jung kept on ignoring her.
When they finally stood in front of Ga Eul’s doorstep, only then did Yi Jung spoke again. “Well, this is the part when I bid you good night and allow you to enter your house. Good night, Chu Ga Eul…” Yi Jung greeted with a warm smile.
Ga Eul pouted and sulked. “Good night…” She greeted and turned her back on him. Apparently, before she could take a step away, Yi Jung suddenly grabbed her by the arm and planted a soft kiss on her right cheek. Ga Eul’s eyes widened in shock at the Casanova’s sudden bold move. She suddenly felt her heart hammering wildly inside her chest as her mind slowly processed what just happened. So Yi Jung just kissed her on the cheek.
“I think you forgot the consequence for choosing not to answer the question.” Yi Jung spoke after the quick kiss. “Good night again, Jagiya…” He greeted and walked off, leaving Ga Eul stunned rooted to the ground while dreamily touching her right cheek. However, before Yi Jung could go any further, he turned to look at her again and smiled. “I don’t really mind answering your question. I just thought it was much better to give you a kiss instead. Consider this my peace-offering for my foolish actions. As for the answer to your question… Well, I am F4’s Casanova… It’s my nature to play with women…”
To Be Continued…
- - - - - - - - - - -Preview of Chapter Twenty-Three: “Hide and Seek”
“Yi Jung-ah… Why are you here?” Surprise was clearly written on Eun Jae’s face upon seeing the person who captured her heart years ago. His face was the same, even the way he looked at her. But somehow, there was something strangely different from the man that was in front of her now.
“I always had to do the hiding and never had to do the seeking. Turned out, it was a little difficult. Cha Eun Jae, didn’t you hide a little too well? I almost gave up playing hide and seek.”
What they both didn’t know as that, Ga Eul was listening to their conversation by the door. And a mixture of horror and despair was deeply imprinted on her beautiful features as she realized that the guy Eun Hae referred to as her childhood friend whom she loved dearly… was in fact, So Yi Jung.
-oOo-
A/n: I wrote an extra-long chapter for Chapter 22 to minimize the heartbreaking part… and I added a little kiss as a consolation for the emo parts… There will still be emo parts for the next chapter because it is quite inevitable but there might be a twist… *winks*