This is the rewritten version of my story 'Run for it'. I didn't like where it was heading so I took it off and I'm currently working on improving it.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Dae Mi Young, Kim Hana,Yoon Hae, Ye Jin and Hye Kyo belong to Momo, an author on this site. The only reason I use them is because I totally love them and I wish so desperately they were canon.

Chu Ga Eul was a diligent girl. This applied to everything she did. It included her performance at the porridge shop and her studies but it also extended to her love life. The same diligence was used in pursuing So Yi Jeong. Ga Eul believed that whatever she did was best done if her heart was in it. Because the heart was passion and passion was a good, good stimulator. But what if at one point she ran out of fuel? Her determination, out the window! What then? Was it just like in the case of cars? Would she just stop? No gas, no movement. Right?

Better yet. Could she just stop? After all the time and effort she invested in her relationship with Yi Jeong, could she honestly be at peace with herself if she gave up now? The answer was obvious, staring her down, its power crushing her. No. Of course not. She would never be truly fulfilled with anyone else besides Yi Jeong. She could find happiness, if she looked hard enough, but genuine satisfaction would forever be beyond her reach.

She didn't have a choice though. 'You can't force love.' A voice in her mind rasped out, hushed and tired. Love, it either existed or it didn't. It was as simple as that. And in her and Yi Jeong's case love just didn't seem to be there. To be more accurate, his love was the one missing. A good metaphor for the strange bond between them would be that of a battery and its charger. Like the charger, Ga Eul gave Yi Jeong everything. She gave and gave and gave until there was nothing left to give. Any other ounce of energy spent on him would mean the end for Ga Eul. The end of her. And love wasn't supposed to be like that. It was supposed to be a partnership. Love should be one heart beating in two different bodies, an indestructible bond.

At least that had been Ga Eul's perspective on love until she met So Yi Jeong. Had it not been him the young woman would have remained blissfully blind to the cruelty of the world, in terms of emotion. But what was better, living in a charred world with no hope or being unaware, passing through life as if it were a dream? Ga Eul had no idea. All that she knew was that until she truly opened her eyes she had been happy. Happy to be alive and happy for the possibility of finding her soul mate.

So Yi Jeong was either unaware of her feelings or he just turned a blind eye. For what it was worth she hoped that it was the first, that way she could believe that this wasn't a game to him and he was not purposefully hurting her. She needed to believe that he had no idea she still loved him. And perhaps he didn't. After all, what kind of guy would flaunt his girlfriend in the face of another girl who loved him? Not even Yi Jeong was that cruel. And to be honest, Yoon Hae was a charming woman inside and out. There was no way Ga Eul could hate such a person. It was like hating Jae Kyung. Two words: not possible. Yoon Hae made it impossible for other people to hate her. She was such a person, the kind that was loved by all. Yi Jeong included. But just because Ga Eul didn't hate her it didn't mean she did not feel threatened by her constant presence around Yi Jeong.

However, Ga Eul could take comfort in the fact that she wasn't the only one with a messy love life. Her two other friends, Hana and Mi Young, were in the same situation as her. Ji Hoo had Hye Kyo, much to Hana's chagrin and Mi Young seemed utterly crushed by Ye Jin's hold on Woo Bin. While they were not showing it, Ga Eul knew this whole love thing wore them out.

'Why does life have to be so complicated?' This was probably one of the most frequently asked questions in their little group. Ga Eul knew she'd like nothing more than to find a way to make the pain stop before it sunk its claws too deep in her soul. She wished she could be indifferent to the girl in Yi Jeong's life. Maybe apathy was the answer to their problem. Numbness would also help a lot.

Ga Eul took a sip of her apples-and-honey tea and stared out the window. The rain was hitting the window as she absently drummed her fingers on her tea cup. Next to her Mi Young subtly rolled her eyes while Hana, who sat on her other side, bit her lip trying not to laugh. Jan Di and Jun Pyo were arguing, yet again, for reasons unknown. Mi Young's other sitting neighbour was Woo Bin, who looked bored, and next to him Yi Jeong was watching the 'loving' couple argue. Ji Hoo shook his head slightly from his place next to Hana. The only good thing about this outing was that it was only them. No Yoon Hae. No Ye Jin. No Hye Kyo. Just them. Ga Eul wondered if it was wrong of her to be this happy about their current situation.

A sigh escaped her lips as she noticed that all of her tea was gone. Annoyance seeped through her system as she saw that everyone's attention was now on here. With a small huff she sent them an inquiring look. "What?" Her question was simple, cutting even. If any of them had been surprised at her straightforwardness they didn't show it. Instead Hana's mellifluous voice came from somewhere next to her.

"Nothing in particular. It's just that you seem out of it today…" Her sentence trailed off and Ga Eul had to wonder at the how Hana could sound like a goddess even when using her 'I'm bored' tone. "I was just thinking." Once again Ga Eul's reply was short but this time it was accompanied by a benevolent smile.

"Well don't think too hard…" Mi Young said in an amused tone. While not as melodious as Hana's voice, Mi Young's own voice was slightly pitched, reminding Ga Eul of little silver bells,"…or you might seriously hurt yourself." And she was as sharp with her tongue as with her mind. Ga Eul just scowled at her friend's words while her other companions joined in a snickering galore. She too had to laugh at that. Mi Young was good; humour was after all the girl's strong point. Given her situation it was a good thing, she would always manage to keep things light.

The sudden ringing of a cell phone crashed the party. Ga Eul could have recognised the melody anywhere as Yi Jeong fished through his pants pockets for the device. Ga Eul had a hunch about the caller's identity. And true to her belief Yi Jeong smiled and told them all that it was Yoon Hae calling him. This deflated the good spirits of the present female folk. Not wanting her frustration to be apparent Ga Eul turned her attention to the pouring rain. All around her conversation was resumed while Yi Jeong finished with his phone call.

"The girls want to meet with us tomorrow." The statement was addressed to Ji Hoo and Woo Bin. Obviously Yi Jeong's mood was lifted by the fact that Yoon Hae wanted to see him the next day. 'The girls want to meet us tomorrow…' Ga Eul mocked in her head 'the girls…what about Hana, Mi Young and me? What are we? Rice cakes?' She gave an inaudible snort as the other two guys nodded their heads. Mi Young and Hana looked slightly uncomfortable but not enough to alarm anyone.

'Life sure sucks…' Ga Eul couldn't help thinking it as misery crawled over her and got her in a chokehold. Her other two single friends were in the same state.

"Welcome to hell." Mi Young sketched a smirk with her lips as Hana and Ga Eul looked at her and smiled.

.

.

.

"And I suppose you just stood there and took it with a smile on your face. You, you really are something." Ga Eul rolled her eyes as she listened to Jae Kyung on the other line."Yah, Chu Ga Eul! Don't make me come all the way to Seoul just to beat some sense into you. If you really love Yi Jeong as much as you say you do then don't just stand there. Do something. Aish!" Jae Kyung's shrill voice boomed out of the small device. Ga Eul went to defend herself but something stopped her.

"You know? She's absolutely right." Hana's curt statement reached Ga Eul's ears. Shrugging her shoulders Ga Eul went back to her conversation with Jae Kyung.

Meanwhile, Hana was reading a book, once in a while taking a peek at the TV or at Ga Eul. Mi Young had her head propped against Hana's shoulder and a maniacal grin adorned her face as she watched an old horror flick. The screams of the protagonists were proving to be a distraction for Hana who only wanted to read her book in peace. Another scream travelled the room. Hana was annoyed. She put her book down and turned her attention to the offending, not to mention loud, device. This was the part were everyone figured out they had no way of escaping. Hana glanced sideways and almost choked.

Mi Young was staring at the TV with her eyes popping out of their sockets, mouth opened and fingers holding popcorn really close to her mouth. She looked shockingly hilarious and Hana couldn't help snapping a picture.

Mi Young was so engrossed in the movie she didn't even realise anything until Ga Eul burst into a fit of laughter. Looking at her friends Mi Young saw they were grinning back at her. 'Oh this is not good.' Still laughing Ga Eul held Hana's phone in Mi Young's direction. A horrified gasp left Mi Young's lips at what she saw. "Oh, God! Delete that right now!" Her outburst only made her friends laugh harder. "This is not funny."

"On the contrary my dear Mi Young, this is very funny. For us." Hana replied. A snicker followed her statement.

Ga Eul just shook her head still smiling as Mi Young crossed her arms over her chest. A pillow hit Ga Eul square in the face while another knocked into Hana. Now it was Mi Young's turn to laugh. Ah, sweet revenge.

Outside the rain was still pouring from the sky. Dark cloud blanketed the high infinite, and occasional silvery lightning sparkled through, along with a loud thunder booming. A pillow fight was started, the horror movie forgotten as feathers flew around the room and popcorn got strewed all across the floor. Yells and laughter mixed like the water and earth outside.

The lights suddenly went out, which startled the girls. Having just watched a horror movie the screams of terror were a natural reaction. More so when a cell phone started ringing and insistent knocking on the door sounded through.

"I'm too young to die." Mi Young complained as she made her way to the door. "Girls open the door!" Jan Di's voice reached her. Mi Young however was far from relieved. Ghosts could change their voice when it suited them. Praying that it really was Jan Di on the other side of the door and not some dark creature Mi Young started unlocking the door. The light suddenly came back, making her squeak. Jan Di pushed through followed by Jun Pyo and the rest of F4, minus their girlfriends. Mi Young was positive she looked rather foolish with her mesmerised features. But who could help it. The F4 were after all soaking wet, dripping water on her floors and just being their delectable selves.

"Mi Young…breath!" Hana whispered in her ear making her flinch.

"Huh?" Mi Young stared at her friend. 'Right, intelligent comeback, girl. Way to go Mi Young, you made a fool of yourself yet again.' She watched as Hana invited everyone in and went to get some towels. Following her friend Mi Young realised that they left Ga Eul alone with the sharks. 'Sacrifices have to be made sometimes.' Hana piled some towels in her arms and sent her out the door, closing it after. So, Mi Young had no choice but to go back alone. At least Ga Eul would be there with her. And sneaky Hana just had to make her escape. Once she reached the room they all entered she gave each newcomer a towel and plopped on the couch, mindless of the feathers and popcorn.

"What are you doing here?" Ga Eul's question grabbed Mi Young's attention. "Not that we're not happy to see you, but whatever it was you could have waited until the rain got a bit more shallow."

"Ga Eul-yang, for someone who calls herself our friend, you sure don't look all that thrilled to see us." Yi Jeong had Ga Eul cornered and was ready for a K.O.

"It's not that." Hana's voice cut Yi Jeong off as she entered the room, a tray in her hands. "Excuse the mess. We were watching a horror flick before you guys made it here and well…things happened." She didn't elaborate. Instead she threw Mi Young a look. "Mi Young you'll have to clean this up, capicé?" Mi Young dutifully nodded and Hana smiled. The rest, excluding Ga Eul, had no idea what that was about and just exchanged questioning glances. Taking pity on them Mi Young decided to explain.

"We had a pillow fight." Jan Di clapped her hands once, understanding dawning on her face and the guys shared an amused expression.

"You were the one who started it, right?" Woo Bin's question got everyone by surprise and Mi Young who knew it was addressed to her glared at him. "None of your business." She said. They traded lines for a minute or so, with Hana and Ji Hoo playing referees.

"They are almost as bad as Jan Di and Jun Pyo." Ji Hoo quietly whispered to Hana who nodded her head and smiled an 'I'm-amazed' smile.

"You never did tell us why you came here." Ga Eul broke the fight between the 'couple'. "The thing is," Woo Bin started "there is this carnival and since we don't really get to see each other all that often we wanted you to come with us. Besides Ye Jin, Yoon Hae and Hye Kyo have missed you and wanted to see you. It seems like the perfect opportunity."

At the mention of the other girls Ga Eul suddenly went into a coughing fit while Mi Young drummed her fingers on her leg and Hana looked like she was thinking really hard. Perhaps of a way to get out of it.

"We'd love to go, but…" Mi Young started but trailed off wracking her brain for a plausible reason. None came to her.

"Oh please don't say no. We haven't been together very much lately." Jan Di pleaded with them. 'Damn, now we can't get out of it.' thought Ga Eul.

"Ok, we'll be there." Hana concluded in a firm voice. Mi Young and Ga Eul shot her horrified looks and she added. "It is true that we haven't had so much time and we overlooked you lately. Mianhe, Jan Di-ah. Let's have fun at the carnival, okay?" Hana continued. She sent an apologetic look to Mi Young and Ga Eul.

Jan Di was ecstatic and the guys seemed pleased. The only ones who got nothing good out of the deal were, once again, Ga Eul, Hana and Mi Young. They really needed to learn how to say no to a pleading Jan Di. Harder said than done. In the end their fate was sealed. There was nothing more to be done for them from that point on. 'Thank you, Jan Di.' was the thought shared by all but mentioned girl; and sarcastic or not, it was there.

Hana had to wonder why they were even bothering trying to say 'no' when it was inevitable that 'yes' would come out. Jan Di was persuasive when she needed to be. So Hana just went along with it. 'Jae Kyung-unnie, where are you when you're needed? It can't get any worse. It's only a few hours. I mean, it's not like we'll have to stay with them every minute of every hour on that day.' She thought.

The universe however disagreed and accepted Hana's challenge. It could get worse; she just didn't know it yet.

.

.

.

Mi Young glared at Hana, who looked apologetically at her and Ga Eul. They were at the carnival with F4 and the new loves in their lifes. Not that those girls had done something wrong; Ye Jin, Yoon Hae and Hye Kyo were perfect ladies, very friendly, always trying to get Jan Di's friends to talk to them. It pissed Mi Young off to no end. Couldn't those girls understand that their friendship was unrequited? How was she supposed to hate Ye Jin, when the girl was all smiles and goodness to her?

Mi Young squinted her eyes, looking ahead of her at Woo Bin and Ye Jin holding hands. Beside her, Ga Eul made a strange choking noise which brought her attention to Yi Jeong who gave Yoon Hae a quick kiss.

Ji Hoo and Hye Kyo were smiling at each other, lost in their own world. Again she glared at Hana, her eyes clearly saying 'This is so your fault!'

"I didn't mean to, okay?" Hana's irritated cry startled the couples. Everyone's attention turned onto the quarrelling friends. Mi Young clicked her tongue in response, which only aggravated Hana more, so she continued to speak."Look, I had no idea this was going to happen." Both Ga Eul and Mi Young shot her disbelieving looks."Okay, so I knew it might happen. But how was I supposed to know that the universe would accept my challenge?"

The F4 and their girlfriends had no idea what was going on. What was Hana taking about? What challenge? Jan Di, ever eager to find out was the one to break the fight. "Hey, what are you talking about? Girls, hello! HEY!"

"Jan Di! Not so loud. Ow, my eardrums!" Mi Young complained as she covered her ears."It's just something stupid Hana said." She explained, not really revealing anything. To her extreme annoyance Ye Jin took the interrogator position.

"But what could it be? You seem pretty angry about it. Surely it can't be that bad."

Mi Young's eye involuntary twitched as she tried to keep the venom out of her voice. "It's kind of personal." A grin accompanied her statement. By the look on the girl's face she was successful in covering her exasperation. 'I want to go home.' Mi Young cried internally. 'One more lovey-dovey scene between them and I'll gag. Help me God!'

This is the rewritten chapter one! :D