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Chapter 1

Yi Jeong looked at Ga Eul as she sniffled slightly. The snowstorm raged unperturbed outside the window and he knew that she was worried for her best friend. Even he couldn't deny that he was worried for Geum Jan Di and Jun Pyo (who had disappeared without a trace…again). A part of him wanted to console her and his hand had even twitched as if ready to reach out for her but he stopped himself. Now wasn't the time. Ji Hoo was on edge and he had tried multiple times to storm out the door to retrieve Jan Di.

"You'll just cause more trouble. Calm down," Yi Jeong said to Ji Hoo, keeping a firm hold on his arms.

"The roads are blocked and who knows where exactly she is. You could be up there for hours," Woo Bin said, maintaining just as firm of a grip on Ji Hoo as Yi Jeong.

"J-Ji Hoo sunbae," the timid voice that spoke up had all three males turning to look at the girl sitting on the couch. Ga Eul got to her feet unsteadily and moved to stand before Ji Hoo.

"Please let go of him," she said to Yi Jeong and Woo Bin.

"Ga Eul, he'll ju-."

"Please," she repeated, cutting across Woo Bin. Yi Jeong opened his mouth to tell her off but she turned those tear filled brown eyes of hers to him and he cursed himself for weakening with that look she sent his way. Ji Hoo made a move towards the door but stopped immediately when Ga Eul placed both her hands on his chest, an action that made the violinist and the ceramist freeze.

"I know you're worried. I know you're scared. I am too," she said softly, her eyes lifting to connect with Ji Hoo's dark ones.

"But she wouldn't want you to hurt yourself because of her, sunbae," Ga Eul said, stepping closer to Ji Hoo. A pang of annoyance shifted through Yi Jeong as he watched how focused his best friend was on Ga Eul. He was completely lax and wasn't moving a muscle, eyes too focused on Ga Eul and her words, so entranced that Yi Jeong felt a strong urge to hit his best friend upside the head. More importantly, he was wary of the slowly disappearing distance between the duo. He was so used to hearing her refer to him as sunbae, it just didn't feel right when she used it for anyone else.

This stupid girl. She shouldn't be so close to him, he thought angrily. There was something akin to possessiveness swirling within him. The feeling that had been born quite recently and one that he hadn't been able to shake off once he named it. Although he did try his level best to push it away and not feel this way towards Ga Eul of all people.

The rational side of Yi Jeong knew that the moment he made a move to take Ga Eul away from Ji Hoo, he'd just go storming off into the snowstorm to look for Jan Di. He had to rein in his emotions and keep them in check for the sake of his friends. Yi Jeong so wished Jun Pyo was around, at least they could've had some semblance of order.

"She's a strong girl and I…and I…," Ga Eul broke off and Yi Jeong's heart plummeted when he saw her bottom lip quiver as a tear dripped down her cheek.

This girl and her tears. If there was one thing he couldn't stand to see, it was her tears. It was a fact that he'd accepted when he'd chased after her on Valentine's Day and had mocked her for misunderstanding what had happened between them. The moment she'd turned to look at him with those brown eyes of hers swimming with tears, it had taken all of his willpower to not apologize for his words and keep the façade of the Casanova in place; his heart twisting and churning in his chest.

Now, he wasn't about to stop himself from comforting her. He simply couldn't, not when those tears flowed so freely. Yi Jeong didn't think twice, getting ready to reach for her like he couldn't do all those months ago.

Except, his best friend was faster. He saw something shift within Ji Hoo and before Yi Jeong could even touch Ga Eul's shoulder, she was flush against Ji Hoo's chest with the violinist wrapping his arms tightly around her, shushing her and consoling her as she began to sob. The green eyed monster reared its head and clawed within Yi Jeong's chest, roaring and snarling at Ji Hoo as he stood there, hands hanging limply by his side. The feeling only intensified when Ga Eul's fingers clutched at the grey sweater Ji Hoo wore.

"I'm sorry. You're right, I…she wouldn't want any of us to hurt ourselves. I'm just worried sick," Ji Hoo said to her, his hand going up to stroke the dark locks of her hair. They waited patiently while Ga Eul calmed down, Yi Jeong shifting uncomfortably and avoiding looking at the two as he tried to maintain his composure while Woo Bin watched the scene unfolding before him with keen interest. When her sobs subsided into a sniffle here and there, Ji Hoo gently let go of her and bent down to her eye level.

"Let's stay strong, okay?" He said to her. She hesitated slightly but nodded and the two finally (Yi Jeong took a deep breath) moved away from each other. He took this moment to reach for her arm and in his classic manner, he tugged her out the room towards the hallway.

"Sunbae," she protested but he continued to drag her to her room and finally halted at the door.

"Freshen up and come back out here. Your face is swollen and I told you that I don't find women that cry very beautiful," he said. His heart twisted painfully when he saw the hurt flash through her eyes but what surprised him more was her turning away from him without a word.

"Lastly, don't get too comfortable with Ji Hoo," he said, not being able to contain the words. She paused with her hand on the door knob before she dropped her head in a light nod and disappeared into her room. He waited patiently for ten minutes and when Ga Eul didn't appear, Yi Jeong knocked on her door. When there was no response once more, worry began to settle in and he reached for the door knob. He made a mental note to scold her for not locking the door and pushed it open to step into the room.

Darkness enveloped him and Yi Jeong splayed his arms out trying to find the wall and the light switch. His searching stopped when he heard a sniffle and soft words.

"I can't do it anymore. Why do I have to be the one to suffer? Sunbae is just as bad as the rest of them," she croaked as she began to sob quietly. The words sent a chill up his spine and he swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. He reached for the wall again and when his fingers found the light switch he flicked it open. As the lights bathed the room, his gaze caught the figure that was hunched over on the ground in the corner. She looked up and when she spotted him, her eyes went wide and she scrambled onto her feet.

"Y-Yi Jeong sunbae, I was just about to come out," she said, hastily trying to wipe the tears. But it was already too late, he'd seen them and he was once more finding himself weakening as he took her in. His gut churned when he saw the way she hugged herself, almost as if protecting herself from him.

"Ga Eul," he said taking a step towards her. She flinched and shuffled away from him, making him freeze in his tracks. Silence fell over them and Yi Jeong only stared at her unabashedly, his heart thumping wildly in his chest.

"Am I…really just as bad?" He asked her quietly once he was able to find his voice. Surprise flew across her face before she shook her head, still she said nothing.

"Ga Eul, I think we should talk," he said and this time, he found himself right in front of her in three giant strides. Grasping her shoulder, he led her to her bed and sat her down before he took a seat on the chair.

"Ji Hoo sunbae and Woo Bin sunbae will be waiting for us," she said, starting to get up.

"Do you know who I am, Ga Eul?" He asked her, ignoring her remark. She sat back down and looked at him, the slight crease of confusion forming on her forehead.

"So Yi Jeong," she responded, albeit a bit hesitantly. The beast within him purred contently as he heard her address him with his full name and he tried his level best not to let that satisfaction show on his face.

"Also known as…?"

"The Casanova," she finished for him. The look of pure innocence on her face was slowly beginning to cause something within him to hurt and he had a hard time saying the next words. But he also knew that they had to be said. She was too sweet, too kind, too caring for someone like him. An image of her and Ji Hoo painted his mind's eye and he pushed it away.

"Precisely. So, don't tell me that you are still hung up on that fake date? I'm telling you again, don't misunderstand anything that happened between us," he said to her, looking down to play with his ring. He couldn't bring himself to look at her in the eyes as he said the words, knowing what it was he'd see.

"Us?" She asked after a few minutes. When he looked up, he found her face completely void of any emotion.

"I was right, wasn't I? You're just as bad as Su Pyo," she said, a sad smile touching her lips as her hand lifted to rub her eye.

"You did the same thing. Went on a fake date with a girl, made her fall in love with you, and then just pushed her aside," she said, shaking her head.

Love?

His mind went blank as her words registered. He had his admirers, but never had any girl had said she'd fallen in love with him.

"You told me from the beginning it was fake but…why did you even do it, sunbae? I guess I was too easy of a catch. The foolish girl too swamped in her romantic dreams. You played your card of being the knight in shining armor very well," she continued, that sad smile never leaving her face.

"And you know what the worst part is?" She asked him.

"You've hurt me countless times and I know you'll continue to break my heart, but this stupid heart doesn't want to give up on you," she continued. Ga Eul wiped her tears away before she stood up.

"Don't worry. My love for you will never be a problem between us. For the sake of Jan Di and Jun Pyo sunbae, I'm accepting my defeat," she finished by giving him a bow and then quickly fled from the room, leaving him too shocked to move a muscle.

Her words sunk in and the more he thought about them, the more he realized that she was right. He had indeed ended up using her as an excuse to get rid of all the anger he'd been feeling. After seeing his father do what he did to countless women, he'd jumped at the opportunity of treating one woman right and in his haste, he hadn't even thought about the consequences.

But you can't deny that the moments you shared with her meant something to you too, a voice in his head said. It highlighted the main concern, the main battle that had ensued within him since that day. The inner battle between his heart and his mind that was causing his behavior towards Ga Eul change constantly.

His mind told him she was just another girl while his heart reminded him how at ease he was with her presence. How helping her find her confidence had assured him that he wasn't his father. To see her smiling, blushing, and accepting his affection for that night alone had given him the assurance he needed. She was the type of girl that he never would pursue but she was also the girl that calmed him down and made him the better man.

The constant back and forth between his heart and mind had been causing him to behave very differently with Ga Eul. One moment he was teasing her while the next he would insult her. And her…

Love? Why on earth would she fall in love with me?

The girl was definitely foolish to fall for someone like him.

But why did she give up so quickly?

Had he truly pushed her to her limit? His mind spoke up again that it was good he had pushed her away and she had accepted; she was just a splinter in his path. His heart immediately countered with questions of whether or not he was really okay with seeing her with another man. The image of her in Ji Hoo's arms flittered through his head once more and the beast growled dangerously.

Swallowing, Yi Jeong pinched the bridge of his nose before heaving a sigh. His emotions were too scattered and the cure was simple: the further he stayed from Ga Eul, the better it would be for his sanity.

~oOo~

"Are you sure, Ga Eul?" Ji Hoo asked calmly as he set his tea cup down. It had been just over a year since the disaster ski trip and everything seemed to have been going smooth since then. That is if you don't count the constant bickering between Jan Di and Jun Pyo and threats of break ups flying out both their mouths but never being acted upon.

"Yes," she responded quietly as she tightened her grip on the folder that contained the sheet music. Ever since that day, Ga Eul had found herself getting closer and closer to JI Hoo and had even requested if he could give her piano lessons when she'd heard him playing at Jan Di's birthday. The piano lessons had only brought the two even closer and the more she got to know him, the better she had come to understand why Jan Di had fallen for him. Yoon Ji Hoo truly was a gentleman in every sense.

"Is Yi Jeong going to be okay with this?" He asked. Ga Eul bit her lip and glanced at the said man as he sat at the end of the couch going through files for the museum. She was successful in ignoring him, their conversations being limited to pleasant exchanges of greetings.

"He has nothing to do with this. Besides…I'd feel more comfortable if it were you," she said before Yi Jeong could say anything, although it didn't look like he had been planning to say anything at all.

Her parents had been nagging her about her whereabouts since she barely called them anymore what with handling two jobs, college, and her piano lessons. To shut them up, she'd made up a lie that she was seeing someone. It had done the trick but it had also put her in a predicament for her parents' anniversary was coming up and she was expected to show up with her 'boyfriend'. She'd tried her level best to get out of it but her parents were having none of it. To top it all off, her only female cousin, who was a well-known model, had been teasing her saying that it was just a lie and...well, Ga Eul wasn't going to sit and be ridiculed just like that by Park Hwa Young.

"Why lie to them anyway?" Woo Bin asked from where he was lounging on the opposite couch. Had it not been an emergency, she would've chosen to approach Ji Hoo when these two weren't around, yet here she was.

"I think Ga Eul's developed a crush on Ji Hoo," Yi Jeong spoke up, flipping a page. Her heart did that thing it did whenever she was around him and she chose to ignore his comment. His nonchalance prickled her and she wasn't going to take the bait again. She'd done a good job shutting away her feelings (minus those few times where her heart fluttered) and she wasn't about to let them get in the way of her conversation with Ji Hoo.

"Sunbae," she said to Ji Hoo.

"Yes?" Yi Jeong responded, looking up at her. Ga Eul's eyes snapped towards him before she looked at Ji Hoo, who was watching the two of them blankly.

"I meant Ji Hoo sunbae," she corrected. Ga Eul missed the sudden flash of annoyance that passed over Yi Jeong's face and the way his hands tightened on the file he'd been stuck on since the last forty-five minutes that she'd been there.

"Alright. I accept," Ji Hoo said, setting his guitar aside and holding out his hand to her. She looked at it and a smile finally quirked his lips.

"We have to make it believable, Ga Eul. Skinship is a primary part of romantic relationships," he told her. She glanced at the other occupants in the room; one too absorbed in his file, the other looking at her and Ji Hoo with amusement. Tentatively, she reached her hand out to lay it into Ji Hoo's offered one. The delicate fingers curled around hers and he held her hand gently, a smile touching his lips.

"Very childish," Woo Bin said before he hopped onto his feet and moved to stand behind Ga Eul.

"Let me be your date, Ga Eul. A woman needs to be treated properly and our Ji Hoo treats women a bit too properly," he whispered and Ga Eul jumped, her face flaming as his warm breath tickled her ear. An arm slipped around her waist and she was twirled around to find herself staring into Prince Song's mischievous eyes.

"To put on a convincing show, you need to get very close," and to highlight the word, he pulled her flush against his chest, touching his nose to hers.

"Woo Bin, we want her parents to think she's dating you. Not fucking you," Yi Jeong's voice cut across. Ga Eul glanced at him through the corner of her eyes. She'd thought his tone had an edge to it but she rubbished the thought when she found him simply signing something off and moving onto another file, not once looking her way.

"Isn't that dating though?" Woo Bin asked. Her sneaky 'Observe So Yi Jeong' session was cut short with her squeaking when Woo Bin's fingers slid underneath her shirt to touch the skin of her lower back. Jumping away from him, Ga Eul smacked his chest before glaring, face red from embarrassment.

"I knew there was a reason why I didn't pick you to help me," she snapped.

"Ah, but you considered me?" Woo Bin asked, looking the least bit worried that she was glaring at him nor worried about the fact one of his best friends looked about ready to kill him.

"I had to choose someone," Ga Eul defended.

"And poor Jun Pyo is already taken…but tell me something, was I number one?" Woo Bin asked. She dared not answer that question, not only because he wasn't number one on her list but mostly because she made one hell of a lousy liar with everyone's attention on her. If she spoke, it would only be a matter of seconds before they picked up who her number one choice would always be when it came to picking a boyfriend, real or fake.

"Ji Hoo sunbae," she said, turning to Ji Hoo while he strummed at his guitar.

"Let her be, Woo Bin," he said and Ga Eul relaxed visibly.

"We all know her first choice will always be me."

"Sunbae!" Ga Eul screeched at Ji Hoo as he chuckled at his own teasing remark.

Why couldn't they just drop it?

She was doing her best to avoid looking at Yi Jeong, afraid that if she looked at him, he'll pick up on the difficulty she faced burying her feelings for him deep within her. The last thing she needed was Yi Jeong teasing her about her attraction to him. Brushing a hand through her hair, Ga Eul bent to grab her purse and swung it over her shoulder.

"Please pick me up at 8 AM tomorrow, sunbae," she informed Ji Hoo before she departed.

Once she left, it was Yi Jeong's cue to finally focus on one of his best friends. Woo Bin crossed his arms and gave him a challenging look.

"I'll break your fingers if you ever touch her again. She's not that type of girl," he warned.

"And I'll be the one stealing her heart away if you're not going to act on your feelings for her," Ji Hoo stated, putting down his guitar. The ceramist's target switched to Ji Hoo, who was watching him with displeasure. He denied his friends claims almost immediately. He felt nothing for the country bumpkin. Nothing at all.

"I don't feel anything for her. You know that," Yi Jeong said, bristling at the insinuation and refusing to look Ji Hoo in the eye.

"Yi Jeong, Ga Eul is a sweet girl. I don't know what she feels for you but I do know that she holds some form of fondness for me. She's told me herself countless times," Ji Hoo said. The words sent a cold wave rushing through him and Yi Jeong stared at Ji Hoo, anger evaporating as quickly as it had set in.

"She's an easy girl to fall in love with. We're both dealing with broken hearts and the last thing I want is to have to fight with another one of my best friends for a girl," Ji Hoo told him. Yi Jeong stared at him as the words processed. Ji Hoo didn't mean…did he?

"Yah," Yi Jeong started but Ji Hoo waved him off, picking up his guitar and heading towards the exit that Ga Eul had walked through short while ago.

"To be honest though, I think Ga Eul and Ji Hoo look good together. He's very caring and she's a precious little flower. Together, they'll give Jun Pyo and Jan Di a run for their money," Woo Bin said.

A sudden vision of a smiling Ga Eul standing with Ji Hoo, who had his arm around her, sprung forth in Yi Jeong's mind and his hands fisted by his side. Rage boiled within him but he contained himself, his eyes turning to Woo Bin coldly.

"Oh come on, Yi Jeong. Don't act like you've never dreamt of having a girl like her by your side. If she wasn't so wrapped up with Ji Hoo, I'd definitely snatch her up in a heartbeat," Woo Bin continued, unaware of his best friend's icy glare.

The country bumpkin clearly had to be protected from one Song Woo Bin and kept far away from the gentle Yoon Ji Hoo.

Chu Ga Eul…you're going to be the death of me.

We all need that SoEul couple fix, don't we? Here's Chapter 1 of a new fic that will probably be a roller coaster ride of emotions with humor and romance leading the way! Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter! Don't forget to leave your thoughts by hitting that Review button! Until next time!