First of all, let me give you all a huge apology...turkey size if you will.

I'm so sorry for not updating last weekend.  I was busier than I had expected to me.

I said I would write about Thanksgiving, and this chapter will be about that. 

I know it's really belated, but this was what I was originally going to post the week of Thanksgiving, but never got around to it.

So...MIAHNE! CHONGMALYO! I hope you'll be able to forgive me.

This extra extra long chapter is also part of my apology (I hope you'll all like it) It's about 10 pages long on Word...

Enough with my begging, and one with the super late chapter update.

Previous Chapter:

I nodded as he turned around and began to walk down the driveway. Something made me run down behind him and throw my arms around him. He slowly pried my arms off and turned around, cupping my face, his eyes searching mine.

“Wae geu rae?”

“Moreugaesseo. I just feel like something is wrong.”

He bent down to kiss me lightly on the lips before pulling away.

“Gwen cha na.” 

And he smiled before walking off. I stood there on the driveway watching him drive off before going back into the house, with a strange feeling in my gut.

Korean Vocabulary:

Munchae obseo: No problem

Oppa neomu motdwaesseo: Oppa is so mean

Yeppeo: Pretty/beautiful

Meoschida: Handsome (M is pronounced like a B)

Chaebol: Son of a notorious and wealthy family.

Hanaboji: Grandpa

Chuseok: Korean Thanksgiving

MT: Korean word for overnight fieldtrips

Gambe: Cheers

The week following the dinner was a strange one.  Jin Ki just wasn’t in his regular mood, and although he donned a smile when we were talking or while he was talking amongst his friends, there were times where I caught him frowning slightly or glazing off when he thought people didn’t notice.

I tried numerous times to bring it up, just to find out what was going on, but Jin Ki refused to talk about it, constantly brushing it off and saying it wasn’t important.  It was the Thursday before break, and I wondered what would happen.

The school was hosting a fieldtrip during the period of the break, and at first, although I was reluctant to go, Umma and Appa encouraged me to go.  Normally, we would have a quiet family dinner or go visit some family, but this year Umma and Appa were invited to the house of their friend, and since they had no children my age, they thought it would be more fun for me to go on the field trip.

Naturally, Jin Ki and the rest of his friends would be going, in addition to my friends Hee Mi, Ha Ni, and Ji Eun.  I admit I was excited. This would be my first school field trip, and my friends, who had gone on it during the previous years were thrilled that I would finally be able to go, especially since this was my last year in high school.  We were leaving tomorrow at 6:00 pm after school.  It was an MT, somewhere in the mountains or something, and we were taking the bus there.  The trip would be about 4 hours long, so we would arrive at camp around 10 pm.

Personally, I was hoping that I would be able to get some alone time with Jin Ki and possibly find out what had been bothering him for the last two weeks. I also wanted to find out if he was finally willing to tell me about his rumored past that I had been curious to know weeks ago.

Once 6:00 pm had arrived, and everyone was on the bus, the excitement grew.  Conversations and cheering could be heard all throughout the bus as it took off to our MT destination.  I personally wanted to sit with my friends, but somehow (though I have idea how, though I had a feeling it was because of my friends) I ended up sitting next to Jin Ki.  Rather, I already had my seat, and Jin Ki was pushed next to me.

I blushed as the rest of his friends and mine gossiped among ourselves about the two of us.  Jin Ki just grinned and settled down in his seat for the rest of the ride.  There was one seat left in our row, since the seats came in triads.  I wondered who would sit in the last seat.  Min Ho and Tae Min were in one row in front of us while Ki Bum and Jong Hyun were in the seats behind us.  To the right, Hye Mi, Ha Ni, and Ji Eun took up the three seats on their side. 

Looking toward the front of the bus, I saw Hee Mi get up from her seat near the front and move toward the back.  I hadn’t seen her in awhile, and I shivered at the sight of her.  For some reason, I felt Jin Ki stiffen next to me and I looked at him curiously.

Hee Mi looked around and when her eyes spotted Jin Ki, she smiled.  When she glanced over at me, her face twisted into a frown before quickly turning back into a smile as she glided down the aisle toward Jin Ki. 

“Is this seat taken?”

Hee Mi pointed to the last seat in our row.

“Yes, it is,” Jin Ki said matter-of-factly.

“Then why isn’t anyone or something in it?”

“They were in a hurry for something, so they forgot.”

“Well, I’m sure that person won’t mind if I sit here for a little bit, right?”

And Hee Mi plopped herself down into the empty seat.  Then, as if realizing that I was there, she leant forward and greeted me.

“Oh! I didn’t see you there Yun Hee.  What a coincidence!”

“Ah, keu dae?  Nice to see you too.”

She laughed lightly and nodded.

“Yes, it’s always nice to see you Yun Hee. I’m surprised you’re still talking to Jin Ki.  I was sure he would have dropped you by now.”

I could sense the sarcastic bite in her words. 

“Yeah, well, I guess I’m pretty lucky, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Hee Mi said before breaking out in a fit of giggles.

Nodding slightly, I leaned back into my own seat and took out the book I had brought for the ride.  If she was going to stay in that seat, then I might as well accept that Jin Ki would not be free for the rest of the ride.  I would also have to put up with her antics and indirect insults.

Just then, I saw Jun Ki stand up from his seat in the very front of the bus.  Watching him walk down the aisle, I saw his eyes look around for an empty seat.  His eyes landed on me, and he smiled briefly.  Out of politeness, I nodded my head and went back to my book.

“I’m sorry, but this was my seat…I saved it earlier.”

I looked up to see Jun Ki by our row and looking at Hee Mi.  Hee Mi looked him up and down before turning to Jin Ki.

“Is this the guy who had you save the seat for him?”

Jin Ki hesitated, but I decided to but in.

“Yeah, Jun Ki had the seat before you…so I think you should move to another seat.  It’d be rude to steal it, don’t you think?”

I smiled at her as she gasped and stood up abruptly, taking her bag and moving toward the back of the bus.  Jin Ki looked at me in curiosity, wondering why I had done such a thing.

“Thanks Yun Hee.  I would’ve been sitting alone if it weren’t for you.”

“Deh, mun chae eobseo...”

“And gwen cha na, I won’t bother you.”

He smiled and turned toward the row next to us, which just happened to have my friends; coincidently, Ji Eun was in the aisle seat, and that was the first person Jun Ki decided to talk to.  It made me happy to see Ji Eun happy, now that Jun Ki had actually taken the initiative to talk to her. 

Now that Jun Ki was occupied, Jin Ki got my attention.

“Why did you do that?”

“I figured you’d be happy to get rid of Hee Mi.  I know you don’t like Jun Ki, but I think you’ll be able to deal with him a lot better than Hee Mi, keu cho?”

Jin Ki sighed and nodded.

“Besides, I don’t think you’ll have to interact with him too much.  It looks like Ji Eun has captured his attention.”

I looked over to see and hear the two of them in an animate conversation, something along the lines of music. 

“So do you think you can be a little nice towards Jun Ki? For me?”

“Arasso…but you have to give me something in return.”

“What?”

He leaned toward me and pecked me on the cheek.  He pulled back and grinned at me before setting his head back on the headrest and closing his eyes.  He was so sly, doing that and then making it seem like it was nothing.  I leant my head on his shoulder as I began to read the novel that I had.

“Oppa neomu motdwaesseo..”

He laid his head atop of mine as he answered.

“Waeyo?

“Aniyo.”

“Yun Hee, tell me.  Aren’t we past all of the secrets?”

“You’ve been so cold toward me lately and then all of a sudden you show affection. What am I supposed to think?”

He felt him sigh.

“It’s not like that…”

“Then what have you been doing for the last week? Frowning here and there, hiding things from me.  Aren’t we past all the secrets?”

I had used his own line against him and waited as he tried to come up with a retort.  After a while, I heard nothing from him, so I guessed that I had hit the spot.

“Oppa?”

“Miahne.”

“For what?”

“You were right about the secrets thing.  I really need to tell you all of this stuff.”

“Only when you’re ready.”

“I”ll tell you..soon.”

“I’ll wait oppa, no need to worry.”

He reached over and grasped one of my hands, holding on it it tightly.

“I promise I’ll tell you.  It’s about time.”

***

Although Jin Ki promised me that he would talk, I didn’t hear anything from him during the whole first part of the week.  Once we arrived at camp, the girls and guys were split into two groups, each going to their respective sides of camp where the cabins were.

Each morning, we would wake up to eat breakfast, and then go off in our own groups (that were assigned the first morning) to do activities.  I wasn’t in the same group as Jin Ki; however, I was stuck with Hee Mi.  Luckily, I had Jong Hyun in my group, so that was nice. His bluntness and sense of humor kept me company and amused through fire lighting or hiking on the forest trails.

The only time I really got to see Jin Ki was during meals, but even then it was too crowded and noisy to really talk.  I jus satisfied myself by joining in conversations at the table, but I was still longing for that time alone. Finally, when Thanksgiving came, the camp counselors gave us the whole day to ourselves.  They told us we could do anything as long as we notified the adults and stay within the boundaries of the camp. After the meal ended, Jin Ki dragged me off toward the lake.  When he finally stopped, I saw a boat with two oars and lifejackets.  I guess we were going out to the lake today.

“We’re going boating?”

“Yes, it should be nice and quiet, don’t you think? I’ve already asked the counselors for permission.  And besides, I’ve rowed boats for some time now.”

“Arasso.”

I walked over to the boat and donned the life jacket while Jin Ki did the same.  Once we were fully equipped, Jin Ki carefully got on the boat first.  When he was on safely, I turned around and held his hand out to me.  I was determined not to make a fool a of myself while entering the boat, but I failed. As I got on, the boat rocked slightly and I slammed into Jin Ki as I held on for dear life, hoping the boat wouldn’t turn over and dump us in the water. He chuckled as he held me steady.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall in..yet.”

I flushed embarrassedly as I unpealed myself from him and sat down. He grinned as he sat down and grabbed a hold of the oars on either side of the boat.  Slowly, he pushed us from the dock and rowed out toward the middle of the lake.  I sighed and look around us.  It was around 8:00 am now (camp made us sleep at 9 and wake up at 6).  The sun was rising over the tall pine trees and peaked through the branches.  The Leaves on the oak and maple trees were a bright orange, and were beginning to fall. All around the lake, there was green grass that ruffled in the soft breeze.

“Why did you sigh?

I looked back at Jin  Ki and smiled.

“I was just admiring the beautiful scenery.”

“It’s yeppeo…but not as much as you.”

I cringed from the mushiness.

“Oppa…that’s a little cheesy, don’t you think?”

“What? I’m only speaking the truth.”

“That was an exaggeration, and besides, even if that were true, it’s still super cheesy.”

Jin Ki pouted.

“Now I can’t even compliment my girl…fun.”

I shook my head and leaned in to peck his lips before pulling back.

“Ani, I acknowledge that it was a sweet attempt at complimenting me.”

He grinned as he continued to row out to the middle of the lake.  When he had finally got there, he finally stopped and let go of the oars, carefully making sure they were in the groove before letting them go; we would need them to get back. Then, he relaxed and rested his elbows on his knees as he clasped his hands together in front of me.  Staring at me intently, he spoke after a while.

“Well, now that we’re alone and it’s nice and quiet, why don’t you ask me your questions. They’ve probably have been driving you crazy with curiosity.”

I chuckled and tilted my head to the side for a bit.

“Well, they have kept me curious, but I’m not sure if they made me crazy or not.”

“Well?”

I held my hand up, signaling that I wanted to think for a second.  What did I really want to know? Why was he so cold lately?  What was his past with Hee Mi? Why did he come to hate girls? Those were the questions I wanted to be answered.

“First off, explain to me why you’ve been acting strange lately.”

“Strange? How so?”

“Oppa, don’t play innocent.  You’ve been very cold lately.  Everytime you think no one is looking, you frown, and I just happen to be the person who looks at you.”

“Are you now? Am I that meoschida to stare at?”

I blushed and punched his arm.  This wasn’t the time to be cheeky.

“Oppa!”

“Arasso, arasso.”

He cleared his throat as his grinned disappeared and his face became serious.

“I’ve been acting like that lately, because, well…my parents don’t seem to approve of me dating you.”

“I don't understand…”

“They don’t know you yet, but they think I shouldn’t be spending all of my time with you.  I should be focusing on other things, like school and working to take over the family business.”

“Your father wants you to take over his business?”

“Yes.”

“What does he do?”

“He’s the CEO of the Lee Dong.”

I gasped once I heard that.  The Lee Dong group was one of the most successful companies in Korea, and was one of the highly respected ones.  They had stocks and markets in almost any department imaginable, from real estate to technology such as computers, and many more, of which I was unaware of.  But, if Jin Ki’s father was the CEO of the company, then that made Jin Ki a second generation chaebol.

“So…you’re a..”

“Third generation.”

“Third?”

“My hanaboji was the first, which means I’m the third.”

“And, do any of your friends know about this?”

“Of course they do.  They’re chaebols themselves.”

“They are?’

“Yes, but their groups aren’t as notorious as mine.”

I had a hard time wrapping my mind around this.  How was it that I never found out? Sure, Jin Ki seemed to have a little more wealth than the others, considering he had a car and all, but I never really was able to tell.  They blended right in.

“What about the rest of the school? Do they know?”

“More or less.  My Abeoji has taken care to keep my face away from the tabloids until he felt I was ready enough to take on the business, and the pressure.”

“So, does he think that I’m impeding that process of you becoming ready to take on the business?”

Jin Ki sighed and nodded, as he looked away.

“Yes, to some extent.  He feels as if I haven’t been focusing on school lately, and that I keep hanging around you.”

“Well, he’s wrong on the school part.  You’re a freaking genius! What does he have to worry about?”

“At least someone thinks so,” Jin Ki said grinning wryly.

“Wait a second, Lee Jin Ki is your real name, right?”

He stared at me before he burst out laughing. While he continued to laugh, I looked at him bewilderedly.  Was it that funny of a question?
 

“Wae?’

“No, Lee Jin Ki is my real name, don’t worry. Now, next question.”

I hesitated before asking this question, because I knew it was a touchy subject for him.  Clearing my throat, I asked the question.

“Youre past which involves Hee Mi…what is it?”

Jun Ki was silent before answering.

“She used to be the girl I liked.”

He looked at me for a reaction.  I just motioned for him to continue.

“When I was younger, I was very shy.  I couldn’t even make a friend on my own.  When my mom dropped me off at school, she was forced to stay with me the whole day because I was so insecure. There was one day that she just couldn’t stay, so she left without me knowing.  When I realized she was gone, I got so scared. I began to cry, but Hee Mi was the one to console me.  She stayed with me and reassured me that school was a fun place to be.  She took be around and introduced me to people, of them were Min Ho, Ki Bum, Tae Min, and Jong Hyun. 

I became outgoing because of Hee Mi, and thus became much more popular. Even with other girls following me, I didn’t see anyone but Hee Mi, and soon I realized I liked her. Of course, I didn’t do anything about that.  I was still too shy for that business.

Going into middle school, I found out that my mom had been cheating on my father with another man.  I always wondered why she had been jittery and almost nervous 24/7, and now I knew.  I knew that if she had the audacity to cheat on my father, then she didn’t care about me, or what happened to me.  She didn’t even fight to get custody of me when my father filed the divorce.  She just left without a good bye.  Seeing the state of my father after she left was painful.  I vowed to never fall in love, because it would only hurt me.

Hee Mi made me change my mind though, so eventually, I worked up the courage to confess to her.  She rejected me, but she kept on leading me on.  Like a pabo, I let her, and began to like her even more.  Then, one day, I saw her making out with someone else.  Right then and there, I decided that women weren’t to be trusted, and that all they did was cheat on you.  Going into high school, I gained my cold image.  I guess you know the rest from there.”

“Keu sae...you met a girl, someone who was different, and decided to let down your walls and connect with her….am I right?”

Jin Ki smiled amusedly.

“I guess that sounds about right. Anymore questions?”

“Mm, I think you answered the one I was going to ask with this explanation.”

“And which one was that?”

“Why you didn’t like girls.”

“Ah…”

I nodded to his response.  He cleared his throat and looked at my curiously, almost in a worried way.

“I’m at bit perturbed though.”

“Wae?”

“You’re not having any normal reactions to what I’m telling you. You should be surprised, or mad, or shocked, or something along those lines.  But you’re just sitting there, calmly responding to me and asking me questions.  Am I sensing an after shock soon?”

I thought about it.  I guess I wasn’t really surprised.  For some reason, I just felt prepared for all that he told me.  Maybe it was because I’ve been wanting to know for so long, that I prepared myself for something truly dramatic and life altering.  I guess this stuff wasn’t that bad.  Still, I had a feeling the info would sink in after.

It was also interesting to learn about the fact that Hee Mi used to be nice and caring.  I mean, Jin Ki did fall for her, right? For some reason, it made me jealous.  But what mattered was that that was the past.  It was all over.

“I’m not quite sure.  I mean, I guess I am a little surprised, but in a way, I was also expecting something like this.”

“You were expecting to find out that I was from a noteable chaebol family, and the fact my heart has been broken by two of the people I cared about most? You must be psychic or something.”

I scoffed.

“If I was psychic, I wouldn’t have to ask you about these things, would I? Anyway, I think I will have an after shock soon, but I’m not sure when that will be, so be prepared for it.”

All I was met with was his stare and silence.  I waved my hand in front of his face after a little while, but he caught it and held it in his own.  With his free hand, he reached over to brush the hair away from my face and then slid it down to cup my cheek.

“What did I do to deserve someone like you.”

I smiled and laid my hand over his, pulling it down.

“I should be the one asking that question.”

Jin Ki smiled before leaning in an capturing my lips in a sweet kiss.

***

That night, there was a feast, all for Thanksgiving.  We had two turkeys, which were divided among all the campers. Plenty of pie and other foods, and you couldn’t forget Song pyeon on Chuseok. Everything was merry and happy, smiles on everyone’s faces.  Tonight, Jin Ki’s face seemed a little more happier, a little more free.  Was it because he finally let everything out? What ever it was, I’m glad he’s better now.

“All right, quiet here!”

Ki Bum stood up and quieted our table. 

“Since it is chuseok, why don’t we take a moment to go around the table and say what we’re thankful for.  I’ll go first.  I’m thankful to the school for hosting this MT.”

“I’m thankful for the food we have to eat,” said Tae Min.

“I’m thankful for the warmth we have tonight among friends,” said Ha Ni.

Ji Eun said, “I’m thankful for the friends I’ve made.”

Next was Min Ho, and he said, “I’m thankful to my parents.”

“I’m thankful for fun times we’ve had here,” said Jong Hyun.

Hye Mi said, “I’m thankful for the break that we have.”

It was Jin Ki’s turn, and he pondered for a moment before speaking.

“I’m thankful for patience.”

Everyone was curious to what he was talking about, and tried to get him to answer, but he refused to budge.  They finally gave up and went to me.

“I’m thankful for the answers I’ve found.”

My response held the same ambiguity Jin Ki’s had, and they all tried to get an answer out of me too.  Jin Ki and I just looked at each other, understanding each other.  Finally, Jin Ki just proposed a toast for everyone to settle down.

“To the best MT yet! Gambe!”

And everyone toasted as well, laughing into the night on this thankful day.

 Done!

I know it's not totally Chuseok, but I kind of mixed in a little bit of Western Thanksgiving in there too.

I hope you all liked this chapter...and forgive me for the late update >.<

I WILL update this weekend ^^

Btw, I hope everyone had a nice break, and Thanksgiving (if you celebrate it) I enjoyed mine..made apple pie for the first time..hehe.

Bye bye~

Comment and Subscribe!

<3 WinterRose

kelsey: Yes, Jin Ki and Yun Hee are very cute together...and I think you know what the phone calls was about now...^^

amyra961: How you know what the phone call was...what do you think of it?

Liv2Dance: I think your list for who is who in SHINee is just right ^^

--iluvreading--: Yeah, that phone call...was why he was frowning.  Wonder what will happen next...btw..did you change your username? Add the little dashy thingys at the ends? LOL

rialoves: I think everything is okay, for now.  Wonder what will happen when his Dad meets Yun Hee...

Lorena: Yea, there are plenty of secrets, but I think Jin Ki has pretty much dished out everything ^^

Zimraphel: Doesn't that always happen? :( Lol, but we'll see how it goes here...

Vengeance: I like Yun Hee's mom as well.  I always wondered what it would be like to have a mom like that xD And Jin Ki has no ex...unless you count a former crush as an ex :/

Iheartlife: I hope you liked his belated update! Sorry >.<

starlove: Lol, yes. As long as dinner is fine...everything will be okay ^^

pinkittenluvsxkpop: Yeah, that person needs to be caught....

ke_xin: You'll be seeing DBSK quite soon.  I can promise that ^^

crazy4you: You're probably right ^^ Thanks for the heads up!