March 30, 2014

Jihoo had stepped through the first set of doors; it was pitch-black.  The police chief was right behind him and handed him a flashlight.

 - "Yoon Jihoo-ssi, let me go in first, juseyo."  The police chief could say this with confidence knowing that Jihoo would never back down.

 - "Anieyo, Ajussi wants to talk to me, I need to respect him.  Gwenchana, I can defend myself If I need to, just make sure Harabeoji doesn't come in."

 - "Deh, may the gods keep you safe," Jihoo smiled, Kim SeungRyung would have something to say about that.   He sent his own prayer to the God in Heaven.

 - "Turn the flashlight off," WooBin's disguised voice said.  "Jwasangmnida, it will be easier for me to speak to you in the dark.  Have mercy on me, juseyo.  I'm a coward," WooBin was getting into his role, making it hard for the others to keep from laughing.

Jihoo gave the police chief back his flashlight and took a deep breath before stepping into the dark unknown.  Crossing the inner doors Jihoo was blinded by a bright light.  Everything happened in a flash before his brain could understand, things were falling all around him and did he hear singing?   Two people were pulling him further into the room.  Suddenly the haze and shock began to wear off replaced by anger.  In front of him were JaeKyung and JunPyo with a lighted cake, singing happy birthday.  It was still dark in the room, except for the spotlight and the candles.

 - "Yah!!  What's this all about?  How could you make up such a thing?  Are you ever going to grow up?  What about Harabeoji and the police chief...."

Gu JunPyo had had enough.  "Yah Jihoo-ah, shut up and make a wish already."  Jihoo tried to step forward to wipe the grin off JunPyo's face but was restrained.  He’d completely forgotten about the two holding him.  He turned and could just make out a giggling JanDi; he turned to the other side only to see Ilana smiling up at him.  All the heat left him and he relaxed his shoulders and arms.

 - "Pabo Ajussi, blow out your candles; everyone is waiting for cake," Ilana giggled at the perplexed face above her.  Jihoo was shocked but definitely not unhappy to see her.  She was always a light in his day and it never failed to amaze him how really pretty she was.  "Jihoo-ah!!  The cake is going to melt!!"  She yelled, in panic.

 - "Anieyo, we know how stubborn Jihoo is," JaeKyung said.  "These are special candles, they’re slow burning."

Jihoo remained quiet; shocked by the party but more shocked that Ilana was there in front of him.  He turned to the cake; he didn't have anything to wish for.  Wasn't everything he valued there in that room?  Including the crazy girl next to him.  Perhaps it was a selfish wish to have things always as they were at this moment with the people he loved, he blew out the candles and then all the decorative lights .  The F4 family had surrounded him, the girls were hugging him and even the guys gave him their manly back pounding and neck strangling hugs.  Ilana looked happily at the scene unfolding in front of her.  She had been jumping and clapping and shouting with everyone else when he blew out the candles.  Now she stood there grinning like a dork, so she thought, and getting emotional.  Never before could she ever picture herself celebrating with people she hardly knew.

 - "Chukahae, child," Harabeoji said gruffly but with a little boy's mischievous grin on his face.

 - "Yah, Harabeoji, was this idea yours?"

 - "Anieyo, I cannot take credit for such an elaborate scheme."

 - "WooBin-ah, I should've known."

 - "Anieyo bro, it wasn't my idea."

 - "Yah, Jihoo-ah, blame your mischief making admin," JunPyo said.

 - "Mwo?"

Ilana bit her lip, bracing herself for a severe scolding.  He was looking at her sternly like he did when she got sick.  She tried to keep a straight but ended up fighting a smile, instead.  Had it been anyone else Jihoo most likely would have walked out.  His lips couldn't help twitch; she had left her friends to be here for him.

 - "Ilana-yah, this was your idea?"

Ilana giggled; wide-eyed, she quickly covered to stop it and nodded 'yes'.

 - "Sunbae, don't be upset with Ilana," JanDi stood next to Ilana.  She had seen that stubborn set of his face before but her Sunbae was all bark and no bite.  Ilana might not know this and think he was truly angry at her.  "Ilana-yah asked us to throw you a surprise party but we came up with the plan and Harabeoji just agreed to get you here."

There was something in the way Jihoo looked at her, Ilana thought.  He wasn't angry; he was amused and trying to not to show it.  Ilana gave up all pretenses and just laughed; Jihoo gave up too and laughed with her.

 - "Come on, Ajussi, I want cake," Ilana said, making everyone laugh.  She helped serve cake, taking it to the security guards as well as the cleaning crew that had also come to wish their employer a happy birthday.

WooBin music and set the lights to simulate a disco ball.

Having served the last piece of cake, Ilana sat down gratefully, with a piece of her own; she had been on her feet most of the evening.  Jihoo noticed everything about his admin.  He hadn't been able to stop thinking about her all evening and really couldn't believe she was here.  She’d had him enchanted as the sun played with the shimmer on her dress and the way her hair was dressed in the hair comb he had given her.  The wrap she had worn earlier was now replaced by a filigree poncho and instead of heels she wore flats but to Jihoo, she was still as enchanting.  Her beauty was simple and unassuming, not a supermodel beauty; just natural, not unlike JanDi.

 - "Yah!!  Jihoo-ah!!!  Are you even listening to me?"  JunPyo could tell his friend had left the conversation some minutes before.

 - "Ani,"  he flashed a grin at JunPyo.  After over twenty-five years of friendship, it was still fun to harass him.  "Jankanman chingu, I'm going to talk to Ilana."

 - "Yah!  You see her every day!"  JunPyo called after him but Jihoo was already walking towards his admin.

 - "Gu JunPyo!" JanDi scolded her husband.  "Let him go, this is what we wanted, right?"

 - "Deh, but he still doesn't have time for us," JunPyo complained.

 - "He'll come around eventually."

 - "Yo bro," WooBin placed a hand on JunPyo's shoulder.  "Give him time, if it weren't for Ilana, he wouldn't be here now."

 - "Ara," JunPyo sighed.  WooBin and Jihoo had really bonded during the time JunPyo was in the U.S. and YiJeong in Sweden; he understood him better than any of the others.  JunPyo, despite having been gone and then married to the woman Jihoo had also loved, still claimed and cherished Jihoo as his best friend.  He mourned the loss of said best friend’s company.  The business didn't take him to the U.S. quite as often as it used to, while WooBin, marrying J.K. Group's daughter was in the U.S. much more often.  It was almost safe to say JunPyo was more jealous of WooBin than he ever was of Jihoo.

Jihoo sat next to Ilana with his own slice of cake, startling her enough to make her jump and almost upset the plate in her hands.

 - "Goyangi," she complained at the chuckling Jihoo.  "Should I have bought Jihoo a bell to tie around his neck, instead of a necktie?  Jihoo-ah, what did I tell you about sneaking up on me?"

Jihoo let her rant at him and smiled.  "It's late, you must be hungry again; I'll get you some food."  The F4 catered many different foods. 

 - "Anieyo, anja, juseyo.  It's your birthday, let me get you something."  Ilana stood and reached for his plate but he moved it from her reach.

 - "I don't need anything, anja."  He tugged on her arm until she sat back down.  "Gomawoyo," he said, suddenly feeling awkward.

 - "Wae?"  She smiled at him.

 - "Instead of being with chingu, Ilana is spending her evening here."

 - "Jihoo-ah, you're my chingu too.  Besides, this surprise party is what you get for making fun of me."

 - "Ilana-yah," he was stunned by what she said.  "When did I make fun of you?"

 - "At Abigaíl's party...remember?  I said I don't celebrate my birthday and no one was listening and Ajussi just laughed at me?"  Jihoo couldn't help it and laughed again.  Her eyes looked stern but was in a pout.  "Yah!  You're doing it again!"  Jihoo was still grinning and Ilana tried to scowl at him but inevitably began to twitch and was soon giggling.

 - "You have confetti in your hair," Jihoo pulled out a few pieces.

 - "Jihoo does too," Ilana reached to take a piece of blue confetti out of his hair but found she couldn't for her hand trembled.  "I'd better not; I don't want to pull your hair."

 - "Na don't think you'd pull very hard.  Does this hurt?"  He tugged lightly on a strand of her hair.

 - "Anieyo," she grinned.  Reaching for the lodged confetti in his hair, she removed it while pulling just a tiny a bit of hair with it.  "Does that hurt?"

 - "Anieyo."

Both burst into fresh laughter.

Gaeul was the first to notice the laughing pair off to the side.  "Yeobo, do you see that?"

 - "Deh, I don't think I've seen Jihoo laugh like that since High School."

 Soon, the rest of the F4 Were looking on fondly.

 - "Yo guys!  What are we standing around for?"  WooBin shouted.  "Let's dance!  It's a party!"  JaeKyung grabbed Ilana and JanDi pulled Jihoo.

 - "Unnie!!”  Ilana tried to pull away from JaeKyung.  "I Just came from a wedding, I'm all danced out."

 - "Come on, just for a little while!"  WooBin had turned up the music and they had to practically shout to be heard.

Harabeoji thought this was a good time for him to make his exit and leave the kids to themselves.  He walked up to his Grandson.  "I'll be leaving first, child.  Chukahae on having such good chingu, I'll see you in the morning."

 - "Deh, Harabeoji, anyeonghi jumuseyo (formal good night)."

The police chief also excused himself and walked out with Jihoo's Grandfather.

Ilana was dancing with the girls while the men were just being boys, dancing, singing, drinking and hanging all over each other.  Ilana looked over and laughed at the sight.  Jihoo was having a good time and was happy, she could tell by the smile on his face.  Briefly, she wondered why he was in New York and not here with his family but she could never ask him.  He would ask her the same question in return.

JanDi noticed Ilana's smile as she watched the men.  "Gomawo," she said to Ilana.

 - "JanDi Unnie, wae gomawo?"

 - "Ilana-yah returned Jihoo to us."

 - "Anieyo!"  Ilana laughed.  "I have no power over him."

JanDi laughed with the younger woman.  What she knew and Ilana didn't was Jihoo had been under her spell for some time now.

They had been dancing for a little under an hour and Ilana's feet and legs could no longer take it.  "I need to sit!"  She told Jihoo as she walked towards a chair.  Jihoo followed, grabbing a few bottles of water on the way.  "Gwenchana?" He asked as he handed her a bottle of water.

 - "Mmm, gomawo, it's just, my feet and legs are killing me."  She then smiled at him. "Jihoo-ah is having a good time," playfully pushing his leg with hers.

 - "Oh, deh, I'll admit it.  It's nice.  I'm always so busy when I'm here and it's just...easy to go fishing or catch a concert with Harabeoji then have a crazy evening with the gang."

 - "Ah, nae goyangi, I'm sure you'd prefer a quiet sunny window, more than a noisy club."  He laughed at her analogy; in reality, if there was a sunny spot somewhere she would be the first to curl up.  It was past midnight and she didn't know how much longer she could stay awake.  Jihoo watched Ilana as she smiled watching the others dance and toss balloons around.  He had seen her yawn about five times in the last three minutes.

 - "Ilana-yah, what time were you up this morning?"

 - "Si-ix," came her muffled answer that was punctuated with another yawn.

 - "Should I run you back to your hotel?"

 - "Anieyo!!!  You haven't opened presents!"  

Generally, it was considered rude to open gifts in front of the giver but they'd all spent enough time in places where that wasn't the case.  "Arraso," he walked over and turned off the music.  "Yah!!  Ilana is tired and I'll be going to our furthest clinic later today.  She wants to see the gifts, does anyone mind?"

 - "Aww, it's over too soon," JaeKyung complained.

 - "We can just get together again when Ilana comes again," Gaeul said, with no doubt that Ilana would return.

 - "We could all go to New York again," JunPyo added.  He was Chairman, husband, and Father but still the same impulsive JunPyo.  Get a phone call at night and be on the Shinwa plane the next day for some unknown location.

Ilana smiled at the group of adults pouting like children.

 - "Sunbae, anja and I'll bring the gifts to you."

 - "Deh, I'll help JanDi."  There were a ton of gifts from the staff and a few of the students, mainly food gifts or handcrafted gifts.  Jihoo opened them all with a smile on his face, he was truly touched.  He did his best as Chairman and employer, now he regretted slightly not being around as much.  JanDi crocheted him a white scarf with a musical note embroidered into it and JunPyo gave him an extravagant colorful pen set that made Jihoo think he could find an identical one in JunPyo's office.  From YiJeong and Gaeul a set of dishes for two, complete with teacups and saucers.  "JeongYul Appa (YiJeong) let me make the saucers," Gaeul said proudly.

 - "Gauel is almost as good as me.  Don't worry, those saucers passed the test."  YiJeong could make almost unbreakable porcelain dishes.

Next came JaeKyung:  "I picked it out," she said, "or you'd be wearing leather."

 - "Yah!  What's wrong with leather?"  WooBin wore leather almost year round.  In the box was a very nice tan vest for spring and summer as well as a bag and belt to compliment.

Ilana thought that would go perfectly with the shirts she bought him.  Hers was the last gift.  Jihoo was surprised it was yet another gift from Ilana.   There was no card this time, just a tag in the shape of a violin.  It read simply:

To:  Jihoo

From:  Ilana

I hope you enjoy your party, you're daeback

 - "Ilana-yah...," Jihoo wanted to scold her for spending money on him, even though he was already tearing into the gift.

 - "Wae, don't even tell me I wasn't supposed to get you anything."

 - "You tell him," JaeKyung said as Jihoo pulled out the three shirts.

 - "Nice!!" YiJeong said.  "Ilana-ssi knows him well."

 - "Deh and they all go with the vest I picked out."

 - "I was thinking the same thing, Unnie.  YiJeong-ssi, I just thought he would look handsome in those shirts."  Ilana caught what she said and immediately tried to backtrack turning the exact shade of pomegranate she'd seen on Suzy earlier.  "I-I just m-meant...well he's tall and works out and the shirts would compliment him well," that wasn't any better.  "The shirts themselves were nice!"  Everyone was laughing, including Jihoo.  Her face was completely perplexed as if she wished to be swallowed by the ground.

 - "Ilana-yah, the F4 are the most handsome men in Korea," JaeKyung tried to reassure her.  "They look hot in just about anything."

 - "Yah Monkey, just make sure you think I'm the hottest."

 - "Greomyo, nampyon," JaeKyung and WooBin embraced, bringing their lips together and murmuring ‘saranghae’.

 - "Newlyweds," Gu JunPyo huffed.  "Yah!  Go somewhere private and do that."

The passionate couple slowly untwined themselves without a care.

 - "Gomawo," Jihoo said, squeezing Ilana's hand in reassurance.  "Agassi is very tired," he was staring right in her eyes making her blush even more.  "Come, I'll take you back to the hotel."  He was already standing and reaching for her hand.

 - "Anieyo, let me help clean up."

 - "The cleaning crew can do it in the morning."

 - "That's not right!"  Ilana protested.  "It wasn't their mess!"

 - "I'll pay them extra, come."

 - "Sunbae, wait," JanDi called out.

 - "Deh, one more song,” WooBin said.  Ilana nodded.   She was tired and could fall asleep standing up but she wanted Jihoo to enjoy his party and not leave because of her.

 - "I can survive one more song," she smiled bravely, even though her feet and legs ached considerably.  YiJeong dimmed the lights added fog and floating music notes and the music.

Ilana recognized the song; she had heard it at the wedding.  It was one of Kim HyunJoong's songs.  "This...is the song...about the smile (Music)."  Ilana yawned in between words.  Jihoo chuckled.  "Mianhae, I just can't stop yawning."  Now, the song was definitely a couple’s song and the guys planned it that way so Jihoo and Ilana had to hold hands at the very least.  Jihoo went one step further, holding one of her hands in his and the other at her waist in a traditional dance form.  She was struggling to keep in step with him.  Jihoo spun her around and she almost managed to get back into step with him but her step was off just enough to send her crashing into his chest.  She was so embarrassed; she burrowed further into his chest.  Ilana hid her face with both hands and giggled beneath them.  Jihoo wrapped both hands around her waist and held her close, chuckling to the top of her head, for the rest of the song.  Neither noticed the wide smiles of the rest of the F4.

Ilana had fallen asleep as soon as the car set to motion.  It was past one thirty in the morning when they arrived at the hotel.  The porters were already opening the car door but Jihoo told them to wait.  "Ilana-yah, we're at the hotel."  There was no response from the comatose girl next to him.  "Ilana-yah...," Jihoo tried nudging her awake...nothing.  He chuckled, unbuckling her seatbelt; he would just have to carry her.  Opening the door to get out, he heard her mumble something.  "Mworago?"  She was still asleep.

Dreams work hand in hand with sleep to help the brain sort through everything it collects during the waking hours and Ilana's brain was still at the wedding.  "Love cov--s...mul-tude sin...," she mumbled again.  "How?"

 - "Mollah?"  Jihoo answered.  He'd forgotten Ilana talked in her sleep.  He vaguely remembered hearing something like that at the wedding.  "Wae?"

 - "Not...me."

 - "Wae...doesn't God love us all and waits for us to come to him?"  His own faith in God, he felt, was shallow; though he did have it.  You can't really be a Doctor and not have it.  His medical knowledge alone wasn't enough to save lives, he needed help.

 - "An-yo," Ilana's subconscious said.  Jihoo wondered what she was saying no to and why he was having a conversation with someone who was asleep.  He couldn't help it.

 - "Sarang...true sarang is accepting everything about the other person, whether rich, poor, temper, sometimes faithless, sometimes flighty, good family or bad."  He was thinking of his friends love stories as he looked at his sleeping companion.  He stepped out of the car and opened her door to slide her out.   He smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear.  "Agassi is stubborn, doesn't make the best choices, is always hurting herself, but is also a good worker and kind and sweet and yeppeun (pretty).  I think anyone would love you, despite your sins."  He pulled her out gently and hoisted her on his back.

 - "Ani," Ilana mumbled her response to his statement.

 - "Even in your sleep you’re stubborn," Jihoo told her.

The porter took her bag from the car and handed it to a steward who followed Jihoo.  Everyone knew him, so all he had to do was give the steward Ilana's name and he was ushered directly to her room.  The bed was already turned down and Jihoo lowered his burden gently onto it.  He tipped the steward and then returned to remove Ilana's shoes, jewelry, and poncho.  Ilana didn't stir at all.  After tucking her in, he kissed her forehead.  "Ajussi says jalja."

Ilana smiled in her sleep.  "...ssi Uissa."

 - "What am I going to do with you?"  He chuckled at her mumbling.  Realizing, he’d forgotten to remove her hair comb, he did and ran his hand through her hair to bring it out from under her.  With the hotel stationery, he wrote her a note and stuck it on her cell phone, which he dug out from her bag and placed on the nightstand.

March 31, 2014

YoungSaeng dialed Ilana's number for about the fifth time; she wasn't responding.  They had agreed to meet at the hotel by nine and leave at nine fifteen, arriving at Lotte World by the time it opened at nine thirty.  They had passes already, so they could just walk right in and wouldn't have to wait in the line to buy tickets.  But it was Spring and the tourist season and they were supposed to get an early start.  It was now past ten.

 - "Kim HyungJun-ssi, maybe she lost track of time in the bathroom and left her phone outside."  So YiHyun could see the guys were starting to worry and YoungSaeng was wearing a hole in the floor with his pacing.

 - "Deh, but that's not really her, she's not that girly."

 - "HyunJun-ah," So Yi Hyun was older than HyungJun by a year, so she didn’t always speak formally to him, "every yeoja is girly, sometimes.  Don't tell me Ilana-ssi wasn't girly yesterday, I'm sure she'd be insulted."

 - "She looked yeppeun, jeongmal," YoungSaeng said.  He just didn't want others thinking his Cinderella pretty.  "I'm calling the front desk."

Ilana had been out cold since Jihoo tucked her in.  After waking early, helping to decorate, and dancing for hours her body refused to send the wake-up call to her brain.  Somewhere a phone was ringing, she wished someone would pick it up, never thinking it was hers.  Around eleven or just before, Ilana heard knocking.  Wondering who could be knocking so early in the morning, she tried talking her eyes into opening; which they didn't.  She realized she had that sticky mouth feeling that only comes from not brushing your teeth before bed.  That opened her eyes immediately.  Why hadn't she brushed her teeth?  Realizing she was in her hotel room, Ilana sighed.  Wait?  How did she get here?  She remembered getting in the car but not getting out of the car.  She kicked the blankets off, "ow, ow, ow," every centimeter of her legs and feet hurt.  "Lotte World!!!"  The pain reminded her that she needed her feet and legs today.  Ilana groaned as she realized she still wore the clothes from yesterday.

A buzzing noise coming from the nightstand stopped her self-scolding.  It was her phone, covered by the note from Jihoo.

Have fun at Lotte World. All your jewelry is in the top right dresser door. Your shoes and poncho are in the closet. Sleep well.

- Jihoo

The note confirmed her suspicion of how she got to her room.  Why did she always have to be such a sound sleeper?  As a child she often fell asleep on the living room floor; her Papi would carry her to her room.  Later in life, after her parent’s accident deep sleep was her escape from life.  Her phone still buzzed beneath her.  "Fifteen missed calls and ten texts?"  The texts were all from YoungSaeng and so were the missed calls.  She was about to call him back when her phone rang again.

 - "Mianhae, Oppa!!!  I just woke up."

 - "Omo!!  Cinderella-yah, we've been so worried.  We're outside your door."

 - "Mwo?  What time is it?"

 - "About eleven."

 - "Mianhae!!!  Mianhae!!

 - "Gwenchana, open the door, we're getting weird looks."

Ilana had to laugh at that.  Getting out of bed was a painful challenge.  Making her way slowly, she finally opened the door.  "Jeongmal, mianhae!!!"  She said again to the four people at her door.

 - "Gwenchana," So YiHyun said.  "Lotte World will still be there when we get there.  Hajiman Ilana-yah is still in yesterday's dress and why are you walking funny?"

YoungSaeng had wanted to ask the same question.

 - "I kind of slept in it and my legs are protesting all the dancing from yesterday.  Mianhae!!  Give me thirty minutes to shower, juseyo?"

 - "Guerae," HyungJun sat on the other bed, getting comfortable and patted a space next to him for YiHyun.

YiHyun didn't budge from her spot, thinking Ilana was not going to want the guys in the room.  The other two were also getting comfortable.

 - "Yah!  I don't want you guys bugging me while I'm trying to untangle the knots in my legs.  So Yi Hyun-ssi can stay but the rest of you need to go.  My room key is in my purse, I think.  Go to the Grand Club Lounge and hang out."

 - "If the key is in your purse, how did you get in?" Again, So YiHyun asked.

 - "Mollah?  The spare?  Just don't ask me where that key is either."

So YiHyun laughed, “Ilana-yah, were you drunk?"

 - "Nae Cinderella doesn't drink," YoungSaeng said tensely.  "Cinderella-yah, did the same person who picked you up drop you off?"

 - "Anieyo, Dr. Jihoo brought me back.  I think I was more asleep than awake; I would never sleep in my dress.  Now, are you guys going to let me shower?"  She playfully pushed YoungSaeng towards the door oblivious to his strange mood.

Once In the lounge, YoungSaeng ordered a bottle of Soju.  "YoungSaeng Hyeong why are you drinking before we get to the park?"  Maknae asked, oblivious to how tense his friend was.

 - "Leave him be, Maknae, I think I'll join him.  Hyeong, chill, she's ours for a few more days."

 - "Huh?"  Maknae was clueless.  "What are you guys talking about?"

 - "Anieyo, have a soju Maknae, this is our last vacation as civilians."

Forty-five minutes and a round of soju later YoungSaeng was much calmer.  He could forget about Dr. Jihoo's existence for the time being.

 - "Begopayo," Ilana announced.  She hadn't eaten breakfast and it was past noon.  They had just arrived at Lotte World.

 - "How about McDonald's at the Lotte Mall?"  HyungJun suggested.

 - "Maknae just wants a happy meal," YoungSaeng teased.

 - "YoungSaeng-ssi, what’s wrong with happy meals?"  So YiHyun was quick to side with her man.

 - "Anieyo," YoungSaeng said.  They couldn't pick on HyungJun with girlfriend around.

 - "McDonald's sounds like fun.  I can say I went to McDonald's in another country."

 - "The bulgogi burger is not bad," KyuJong said.

 - "Arraso, let’s go."

Once in the park, they rode the monorail first and Ilana was able to set the ground rules of what rides she would and would not go on.  Maybe one or two were open for negotiation, most were not.  The park was alive with color as it was during the time of their Mask Festival.  Characters in carnival masks danced around the entire park. 

They rode the Carousel, shot at grumpy dragons, and cruised through the 'The Adventures of Sinbad' before kicking it up a notch.  The drunken baskets were up next and YoungSaeng went from cute and cuddly otter Oppa to spinning maniac.  Ilana screamed as he and KyuJong wouldn't let go of the wheel.  She couldn't open her eyes to see how HyungJun and So YiHyun were doing.  "Yah!!!!  If you two don't stop I'm telling your Hyeong!"  Ilana shouted.  They knew enough to stop when she threatened to tell HyunJoong.

 - "Aww, Cinderella, we're just playing,” YoungSaeng he threw his arm around her shoulders and cuddled her closer.

 - "Anieyo, you can cuddle with KyuJong Oppa."

 - "Anieyo, he's not my type."

 - "You're not my type either," KyuJong retorted back.  "I prefer Sunbae."

 - "Ugh!!!"  Ilana smacked her forehead.  "You two are impossible."  Ilana ignored their laughter.  The ride came to an end and Ilana hurried off to find HyungJun and So YiHyun.

 - "Can I hang out with you guys; these two are driving me crazy."

 - "Greomyo, Ilana, we'll save you."

 - "The newlyweds texted, they'll be here soon," HyungJun said.  "Let's go on the flume ride."

They all began to walk and YoungSaeng threw his arm around Ilana's shoulders.  "Mianhae, forgive Oppa for being mean."  Ilana pretended indifference and took his arm off her shoulder.  She walked away, but he caught up to her and put his arm around her.  Once again she removed it and kept walking.  They continued this game until they were both laughing and he was chasing her around the floor until she called a truce.

 - "I can't anymore," Ilana was panting. "You win."

 - "Do I win a kiss?"

 - "Tch, pabo.  I'll just pinch those cute cheeks, instead."  Ilana pinched and he screamed, pretending he was in pain.  She rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm to go find the others.

Jung Min and Suzy arrived just in time to go on the Bumper cars.  "You two haven't had enough of each other; you’re going to ride in the same car?"  HyungJun said in mock disgust.

 - "It's not like you haven't been memorizing each other's face and..." KyuJong coughed.  "other features for the last twenty-four hours."

 - "Oppa!!"  Suzy said shocked and turning that pretty pomegranate red again, while JungMin just gave his famous laugh.

YiHyun and Ilana had already made a pact to bump the guys as often as possible.  The ride began and they placed their plan into action.  They chased and bumped the three bachelors unmercifully, while the newlyweds cruised the perimeter and avoided getting entangled.  Only occasional shouts of 'yah!' were heard as the guys were too busy fighting for their lives.  At one point, Yi Hyun and Ilana had the guys corralled.  They couldn't move or be bumped.  Unfortunately, they were told to break it up.  The two girls Hi-fived each other at the ride's end.

 - "What was that all about?"  HyungJun complained to his girlfriend.

 - "Mollah?  What was what all about?"  YiHyun grinned at her partner in crime.

They took in Pharaoh's Fury and the Dynamic Theater before getting dinner.

 - "So what should we eat?" HyungJun asked.  "We've got everything, Mediterranean, Western, Spaghetti, even Korean...you name it, they have it."

 - "Ilana should decide, this is her first time." Suzy offered.

 - "That's easy," Ilana said.  "I came to Korea for Korean food."

 - "I thought you came to see me?"  YoungSaeng had his pouty face on, making Ilana laugh.

She thought about making a comment but shook her head instead.  These guys had a comeback for everything and at that rate, they wouldn't get dinner.

 - "Arraso," JungMin the tour guide called everyone's attention.  "Ilana-yah, we got the place for you.  Seokchon serves a Royal dinner from Joseon dynasty.  After that,we'll head over to Magic Island."

After an almost two-hour dinner, everyone needed to walk off the excess food.  "Ilana-yah, since we're here, do you want to see the folk museum?"

JungMin asked; it would be something worth seeing for a first timer.

 - "Wau!"  Ilana was enthralled by everything.  "I think your history is so much more colorful than the U.S."  They stopped to watch a real sword fight

 - "We're just a lot older than the U.S., we have more history to tell of," Jung Min said.  He punctuated his speech with a kiss to his wife.  Everyone thought it sweet how they conveniently got stuck behind other groups.  By the time they caught back up, they would be blushing, making it evident what they had been up to.

HyungJun got distracted by a traditional Korean game.  "Play with me, KyuJong Hyeong."

 - "Anieyo," KyuJong shook his head.  "This game takes forever; I used to play with Harabeoji all the time."

 - "I want to play, teach me?"  Ilana asked thinking she could play with Jihoo's Grandfather.

 - "We don't have much time," Mr. Tour Guide said.  "They close in three hours and we still haven't been to Magic Island."

 - "But it's my first time!  I want to see everything."  Ilana tried whining.   HyungJun gave her a thumbs up but it was no use.

 - "If you want to see everything, you don't have time to play games."  Really, JungMin just wanted to go on rides.

 - "I can come back tomorrow and do what I didn't do today."  Ilana thought that idea was brilliant.  HyungJun offered to come back with her, provided So YiHyun also came.

The idea was shot down.  JungMin reminded Ilana patiently, that she only had two more days to see the rest of Seoul as she had a commitment on Thursday and she left on Friday.

 - "Arraso," Ilana and HyungJun sulked.

 - "We can buy a set from the gift shop and I can teach you," HyungJun offered.

 - "Arraso!"  Ilana brightened at the idea.

 - "If someone hadn't slept until noon, we would have had time to stop."  YoungSaeng just had to rub it in.  It was so unusual for Ilana to oversleep, plus it irked him that the Doctor had brought her home.  She had obviously been half asleep, if not completely out.

 - "Did not!  Only until eleven and I was really tired!"

 - "Did you really not wake until eleven?"  Suzy asked in disbelief.

 - "That's what happens when you party too much," YoungSaeng continued to tease or scold, whichever way you want to look at it.

 - "Ilana must have overdone it yesterday to be that exhausted," KyuJong tried to save her from his Hyeong.  "YoungSaeng Hyeong must have really tired you out yesterday."

 - "Deh!!  I was already exhausted when I got to the other party."

 - "Guerae, maybe you should have ended it at a more decent hour."  YoungSaeng could hear himself nagging like an Ajumma but he couldn't stop himself.

 - "Yah, otter, stop picking on me or you can ride with KyuJong Oppa next time."

 - "Anieyo, he can ride by himself."  KyuJong was giving him a look that said 'you're blowing it'.

 - "Yah, otter, why don't the namja go have a drink and the yeoja can go on a ride by themselves," their tour guide suggested.

 - "Deh," Suzy quickly followed her husband's lead.  "We can go on one of the cute rides."

 - "We can just all go.  I don't have to see more of the museum.  I think we're visiting a few museums on Thursday anyway," Jihoo had promised to take her to So YiJeong's museum and his own.

So YiHyun didn't quite understand what was happening, she looked at HyungJun and shrugged.  "One ride just us girls?  That sounds like fun."  She locked arms with Suzy and Ilana.  "Just one ride, so make sure you have only one drink."  They all parted ways.  The girls dragged Ilana to Atlantis, a flume roller coaster with steep drops and turns, while the boys headed for the hotel bar to administer medicinal attitude adjusting soju to their Hyeong.

 - "Hyeong," KyuJong called the meeting to order after the first round of soju.  "Are you going to spend the next two days sulking?"

 - "I'm not sulking," YoungSaeng stared down at his shot glass, lower lip slightly protruded.

 - "Why is Saengie Hyeong sulking?  Is Hyeong really amgry because Ilana overslept?"

 - "Hyeong is jealous over Ilana's new friends," JungMin just cut to the chase.

 - "Wae Hyeong?  Princess has never had friends before, doesn't Hyeong want to see her happy and have lots of friends?"  Leave it to the youngest to be the most rational.

 - "Dehhh."

 - "Greon?"  Each question so far was marked with a shot.

 - "Mollah?"  This time YoungSaeng took two shots.

 - "Hyeong," JungMin's tongue was nice and loose now.  "You two are close chingu.  That Doctor is also close to her, a chingu.  So far you're even.  Suzy says he knows nothing about her.  You have a one up on him.  She tells you everything."

 - "Not anymore and he has something I don't.  He's there with her, for her, every day, and I can't be, even if I wanted to."

, - "Hyeong likes nae Princess?"  Slowly HyungJun realized what this was all about.

 - "Pabo, you just got it?"

 - "Shut up Min."

 - "You shut up."

 - "Both of you shut up," KyuJong said.

 - "Yah, you guys think I don't know anything."  It was HyungJun's turn to sulk.  "But you know what?  I don't think she looks at him any different than she does you.  Take it any way you want.  Either Princess and that Doctor are just as close as she is with you or you were never that close."  Everyone knew how close Ilana was too YoungSaeng.  Out of all of them, it was him she turned to the most.  The only problem was, it wasn't a consolation.  Just the fact that she was as close to that Doctor as she was him drove him insane.

 - "Mianhae guys, it's just the timing is all off.  Maybe if I had more time to pursue her, I can't be in her life for two years but others will and I don't want to let her go."

 - "Hyeong," KyuJong said.  "Don't ruin your friendship or her trust in you.  Let things go and just see what happens.  She still claims, she never wants a boyfriend or to be married.  You'll have to wait and see; if it's meant to be it will."

 - "Arraso," YoungSaeng resigned himself to wait and see.

 - "One more shot and we better catch up to the yeoja."

The guys did their best to cheer up their friend but they knew he had a point.  The one next to her day after day would likely the one to take down those final barriers.

By The time everyone met back up by the Magic Island Castle, they only had two more hours until the park's closure.  The game plan was Comet Express, Armada, Geneva Cruise and Atlantis again if they had time.

 - "Shiro," Ilana protested.  "I'm not going on Atlantis again."  They all shared a good laugh at the picture of her trying to hold on and cover her face at the same time.

 - "I'll protect you from the big bad drops," YoungSaeng was back to being cute Oppa and threw his arm around her.

 - "I didn't like it; I thought I was going to fall out."

 - "Scaredy cat," he pinched her cheek.

The comet ride was dark and perfect for snuggling with a date.  YoungSaeng scooted Ilana close.  She tilted her head up and kissed his cheek; it was too dark to see him blush.  He was in pretend namja-chingu mode again, she finally got it.  Unfortunately, a kiss on the cheek was all she could give him.  It only took her all day to realize it but at least until she went back to New York she could pretend with him.

When they got off the ride, they spotted KyuJong waving to a group of British girls.

 - "Oppa, Who was that," Ilana asked?

 - "Oh," he smiled.  "A new chingu.  Since I went ahead of you guys in the single rider line, I met Emily.  She and her chingu are doing medical internships, here.  Her internship is two years.  We exchanged phone numbers."

 - "Wau Oppo, we leave you for five minutes and you get a yeoja chingu?"

 - "Anieyo, at the very least someone to hang out with on leave and if something more develops?  Mollah?"  He shrugged his shoulders making Ilana laugh.

They finished off the night on the lake taking a cruise first and taking a ride on pedal boat swan for two.  All the couples had split off into their boats.  Even KyuJong had conveniently found Emily again.  It was chilly on the lake and Ilana was happy she had taken her jacket from the locker after dinner.  Ilana pedaled the best she could, considering how tired she was; YoungSaeng was doing most of the work.

 - "This has been such a nice day, Oppa."

 - "Deh."

 - "When I think I'm only here for three more days, I get sad.  How long before we all see each other again?  KyuJong and Maknae will be in military soon.  Is Oppa going to be a landlubber now?  Or will you go back to the ship without the gang?"

 - "Cinderella can stay in Seoul?"  YoungSaeng changed the subject.  "There's hospital's here or you can do what you studied for?  You should be anonymous here.  You can start over?"  Ilana smiled.

 - "That's a lovely thought Oppa but I have started over and I'm actually happy in New York.  Had this vacation come a year ago?  Who knows?  Perhaps I would have thought about it."  YoungSaeng remained quiet.  "Oppa," Ilana took his hand.  They had stopped pedaling.  "I was in New York when I...received...the news of my parents.  The pain...hasn't gone away but I'm happy."  Ilana blinked to try and avoid tears.

 - "I'm happy if you're happy," even if it meant he was dying slowly.  The bell sounded, it was time to head back to the docks.

 - "Yah, pull your weight this time."

 - "Ay ay captain," Ilana saluted and they began to pedal back.

Arraso, nae chingu.  Everyone have a good time at the party and Lotte World?  I did.  I actually want to go check out the museum.  It looked cool. Anyway, more vacation fun to come.  Raise your hand if you think Jihoo spun Ilana on purpose.  Ke ke ke.