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"I keep trying to uncover the trap." Yi Jeong told his brother two days later. They were all gathered in Il Hyun's cafè, just before closing time, still astonished at the terse meeting with their grandfather's manager earlier that day. "It can't be that simple."

"Maybe he just saw the error of his ways," Eun Jae tried, stirring her coffee. "Isn't that what you were hoping?"

"Yes, but it isn't like harabeoji at all." Il Hyun sighed, leaning back against his chair. "I never thought he would actually see our point. Eun Jae, his letter said I'm welcome back in the family. I'm starting to wonder if he was drugged or something like that."

Eun Jae laughed softly and looked at her fiancé with affection. "Or he regrets casting you out to begin with."

"Harabeoji never regretted anything in his life." Yi Jeong pointed out. "I can't see him starting now."

Ga Eul shook her head. "It's a test. He wants to see if we can last, all four of us. Can't you see it?"

Yi Jeong had to agree. "She's right. Hyung, he demanded you go back to the family business, on top of managing this cafè. He's leaving the museum to me, but he wants you to manage the rest of our properties. He's pushing you."

"Well, he can push all he wants." Il Hyun shrugged. "I won't crumble. He wants to see if I really want to be part of the family again? I'll give him a challenge. I'm more worried about you two."

As am I, Yi Jeong silently sighed. That trip his grandfather ordered wouldn't be easy, neither for him, nor for Ga Eul. "In different circumstances I would even agree with him, you know. Sweden has good specialists for my hand and great classes to improve my pottery. But he doesn't want to help me get better, he wants to separate me from Ga Eul and see if we last. I mean, a four years course, away from Korea? He's so transparent that even a child could see it."

"And he offered to support my education." Ga Eul added. "I see a lot of lessons about proper etiquette in my future and formal dinners and stuff that will make me want to run for the hills screaming. I'm not sure I'm ready for that particular kind of dance."

"If someone can do it, that's you." Eun Jae smiled at her. "And I can help. I grew up in that environment, I won't leave you alone."

"You don't have to do anything, if you don't want to." Yi Jeong took Ga Eul's hand. "He's trying to scare you. We can still walk away from all of this, you know?"

"We won't." Ga Eul shook her head. "As I said, it's a test, and I intend to pass it. He wants to make you see that you can live without me, and he wants to show me how unfit for your world I am. We'll prove him wrong, sunbae."

Yi Jeong smiled at her, but inside he was screaming. Four years without her? It would be worse than dying.

...

In the end, it had really been hell. Despite telling themselves that it would pass, that it wouldn't be forever, it hadn't been easy. The last day together had been agonizing. They had tried to keep it light, to do something fun but they had ended up holding each other at the kiln, watching the fire burn and memorizing each other's features, smells, textures... committing to heart everything they could.

"I wish we didn't have to do this." Yi Jeong whispered in Ga Eul's hair, dragging her in his lap. She leaned her head in the crook of his neck and sighed.

"I hate this," she whispered back. "I hate even more that we have no choice. Not if we want to live our lives without constantly watching our backs."

"It will be torture," he acknowledged "but we'll come out stronger on the other side. I won't give up, Ga Eul yang. Please, hold on to me as well."

"Always." Her voice was so low that he strained to hear her.

"I want to..." Yi Jeong hesitated and she raised her head, trying to smile.

"What, sunbae?"

He looked worried for a moment, then a look of resolve showed on his face and he helped Ga Eul off his lap, turning toward her and lifting a hand to caress the chain hanging from her neck.

"This ring..." he started, before taking a deep breath. "Please, give it back to me for a moment, Ga Eul yang."

She raised her eyebrows in a question but lifted the chain over her head, handing it to him.

"It means a lot to me, you know that." Yi Jeong caressed the ring slowly. "It's been my lucky charm for so long, a symbol of sorts. Then I gave it to you, because you're the only lucky charm I need now... you always will be. And I want... I want you to wear it somewhere else, now."

He looked at her, taking her left hand in his. "Wear it as my promise to you, Ga Eul yang." He said, sliding it on her ring finger. It was big and would probably fall off, but Yi Jeong closed his hand on her fingers and squeezed it. "My promise that I'll come back for you. A promise that when this is over you'll be the first person I'll seek out. A promise that when we're together again, I'll..." He swallowed and looked at her right in the eyes. "I'll ask you to marry me."

There had been letters. And phone calls. And tears, and fights and reconciliations, Ga Eul recalled almost fondly while helping her young students molding the clay. She hadn't been a kindergarten teacher for long, but she loved this job, loved the innocence of her students. They had helped a lot in keeping the sadness away. Yi Jeong had managed to convince her to spend every holiday known to man with him, booking first class tickets from Korea to Sweden and coming back home as often as he could. The first months had been terrible: before finally relenting and conceding that Ga Eul was indeed very strong willed and wouldn't be swayed, Yi Jeong's grandfather had done everything in his power to show her how unsuited she was with his grandson, but Ga Eul's friends had closed ranks around her. Eun Jae had always been there to help and so had Jan Di and Jae Kyung.

Ga Eul smiled thinking about the heiress... which had indeed come back to Korea after being kidnapped and married by her Prince Song. Not that she put up much resistance, as she liked to remind everybody. Ga Eul had been visiting them just the other day and still marveled at the peaceful look in Woo Bin's eyes while he held his toddler daughter and very pregnant wife. It was incredible to think how much he changed from the boy she first met. He was more centered, a great husband and dad. She was so happy for him.

Jun Pyo sunbae was scheduled to come back from the USA in a couple of days and Jan Di had been hysterical since she heard the news. Ga Eul didn't know how she could have survived without her: she'd been her rock, always encouraging her, sharing her tears when they were both missing their men and confiding in Ga Eul in return. She'd never forget the night where they had stayed up till dawn talking, Jan Di needing the support after talking to Ji Hoo... and convincing him to finally try to date a pretty girl from their medical school. It hadn't been easy for Jan Di because, as much as she loved Jun Pyo, she always relied on Jii Hoo as well, and pushing her White Knight to open up to someone else meant that he inevitably withdrew a little from her.

But you should see him, Ga Eul, she had smiled a couple of months back, it was worth it. It made me just a little bit lonely, but his eyes light up when he looks at her. They're happy together.

"You're still using too much pressure on your wrists." A laughing voice said from the door. Ga Eul froze, raising her head and then shooting to her feet.

"Yi Jeong sunbae!" The shocked exclamation was out of her mouth before she could even think about what to say. He was back? Why hadn't he warned her? Had something happened? He wasn't supposed to be back until the end of the month!

"Hello." He said, and the sweet smile on his lips calmed her. His eyes were full of tenderness and love and longing and she hitched to run to him, hug him, kiss him until they couldn't remember anymore all the years they spent apart.

She heard like in a dream Yi Jeong speaking with her students, and almost died of embarrassment when one of the girls told him he had to be her boyfriend.

Yi Jeong just laughed and then, very solemnly looked at the children. "I have a promise to keep to your teacher. You know you always have to keep your promises, right?"

The entire class vigorously nodded and Yi Jeong took that as the cue he needed to grab her hand and lead her outside the room. She tried to protest but then she saw Yi Jeong wink to one of her colleagues as she entered the class to stay with her students. As always, Yi Jeong thought of everything.

"Once a F4, always a F4," she muttered under her breath, still trying to convince her heart to slow down its beating. Yi Jeong just grinned while leading her to his car and having her seat inside. The drive was short and silent, neither of them capable of uttering a word, just holding hands and looking at each other.

When they stopped and Ga Eul saw where they were, her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh sunbae..." she whispered, as Yi Jeong helped her outside the car and squeezed her in his arms like he wanted to absorb her into himself.

"I missed you, my little country bumpkin." He murmured in her ear. "More than I will ever be able to say."

The fire in the kiln was burning bright, just like that day four years before, and Ga Eul finally started to cry when Yi Jeong released her and went down to one knee before her.

"I came back for you Ga Eul, just like I promised. I swear we'll never be apart again, that part of our lives is finally over. Are you ready to start the next one, my love? Will you marry me?"

She didn't answer. She didn't have the words for it. She just showed him his ring, still on her finger where he'd put it before leaving and sank to her knees next to him.

"I've been married to you since you put this ring on my finger, sunbae", she said softly, raising her hands to caress his cheeks. "It's about time we make it official, right?"

Yi Jeong took a deep breath, leaning his forehead to Ga Eul's one. "I love you, Ga Eul yang. You came to me and never gave up, no matter what I did, no matter how much I tried to push you away. You stayed by my side like a guardian angel, healing my wounded heart and making me complete again. I'll spend the rest of my life making sure you know exactly what you mean to me, I promise you. I'm yours."

Then he kissed her. Four years of longing flashed before her eyes as she slipped in Yi Jeong's arms and let him hold her. Four years of tears, commitment, four years of holding on to each other.

It was over. But oh, the rest of their lives was just beginning. And she couldn't wait.

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Author's note: and after 8 long years, I can finally say it: THE END!

I hope you enjoyed the ride, I hope I managed to make you live this dream with me. I hope you felt Yi Jeong, Ga Eul and everybody else just as much as I did because I love these characters and I tried to share my love for them with you all. With all my heart, thank you all!