A/N: Did I get the university name correct? The one that Kim Bum and Kim So Eun were enrolled in.

This is how Yi Jeong’s clothes look like [http://www.yesstyle.com/en/garma-hooded-snap-button-front-jacket-navy-blue-one-size/info.html/pid.1023922740]

I realized I’d never let Yi Jeong directly addressed Ga Eul. So this chapter he will finally call her “Ga Eul-yang” but in a mischievous way ^^

@sue_ada: Jealous Yi Jeong is so cute ;P The two of them won’t kill each other but they’ll be fighting a lot xD
@madz67: I’ll try my best to update every week :]
@pinkgirl: Oh my! Spot-on! Yi Jeong didn’t sleep the whole night xP It’s his turn to suffer now.
@sleep_deprived: I’m glad you like the celebrities here. I promise there’ll be more jealous moments :D
@lilacgirl28: Thank you for supporting this fanfic! Here’s the latest chapter~

Chapter 4: Friend or Rival?

The sun also shines on the wicked.

–      Seneca

Instinctively, Ga Eul approached the two men. She swiftly placed her hands on both of their arms in an attempt to stop them. “What are you guys doing? Stop this childish fight now!”

After a few minutes of her persuasion, they calmed down and obeyed her instructions. Ga Eul questioned them for the reason of their fight but they kept mum the entire time.

“Siwon-ssi, you need to change. We’re going to be late.”

When Si Won went to change his clothes, a heavy silence filled the air in the corridor.

“Where are you going with him?” Although he didn’t want to, a small fraction of Yi Jeong’s rage seeped into his voice.

“I’m going to school.” Ga Eul answered, unsure of what else to say. Yi Jeong hadn’t explain why he turned up at Si Won’s apartment or why he was looking for her. She thought that this was the best time to ask. “Why—”

Her question was cut off when Si Won returned. “Let’s go!”

“Okay.” Ga Eul followed behind Si Won who was headed towards the gates. After a few steps down the corridor, she turned back to Yi Jeong.

“Take care of the house, sunbae! Don’t mess up anything!” A smile played around the edges of her lips as she thought of Yi Jeong in an apron, like a typical househusband. The sorrow from the previous night long forgotten.

The apartment, which had no air conditioner, was stuffy. Yi Jeong wasn’t used to the slowly rotating ceiling fan. So this was some commoner device. What a great disparity between the rich and the poor. Couldn’t Ga Eul afford an air conditioner?

His forehead creased with worry at the thought of Ga Eul. He found himself anxiously pacing the room, long legs carrying him too fast from one end to the other. That dumb country bumpkin spent a night with a man. Alone. What was she thinking? Images of Ga Eul in Si Won’s white dress shirt swirled in his mind. Did they…?

It can’t be.

Yi Jeong failed miserably in persuading himself that nothing happened between the two. What was he thinking? Why did he act so impulsively? He should have considered all the consequences. But it was Ga Eul he was talking about. She was an unpredictable person. Who would have known that she would run to a man and spent a night with him just because she was upset? It didn’t make sense.

If he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have brought the brunette back. To think he spent the whole night worrying about her when she was having fun. He should have realized that she would seek Si Won for help especially since they were neighbors. With nowhere else to go, Si Won’s apartment was the best refuge. He only wished that he had gone earlier to that lascivious guy’s house and fetched her home. His wrong move had sent an innocent sheep to a lion’s den.

He could still remember the dispute in the morning…

As soon as Ga Eul left, Si Won blurted out the burning question. “What did you do last night?”

“It's none of your business.” Yi Jeong didn't like discussing their affairs with an outsider.

“I'm her friend.”

“Well, you're merely her friend. Nothing more than that.”

“I heard you're a friend of Jan Di's boyfriend. Isn’t that a further distance between Ga Eul-ssi and you than Ga Eul-ssi and me?”

“At least I don't do anything indecent to my friends.”

“What did you say?!”

“Are you deaf?”

Before Yi Jeong realized, both of them were already holding each other by the collars.

The shrill ring of his cell phone brought him back to the present day.

“Yes, this is So Yi Jeong. What? What did you say?”

The dull tone of the disconnected receiver buzzed in his ear. That Kang Hee Soo has gone too far. How could she expel him from Shinhwa University? The Casanova was still infuriated when he was suddenly fired with an idea.

It seemed like the witch was doing him a favor this time.

The familiar clang of the bell could be heard as throngs of students headed for the cafeteria. After ordering bibimbap, Ga Eul took her tray to an empty table. She found herself pecking at the dish with increasing enthusiasm. A few minutes later, Si Won joined her for lunch.

“Ga Eul-ssi!” A cheerful voice caught Ga Eul’s attention. It was Kim Yoo Jin. Just like Si Won,Yoo Jin was Ge Eul’s classmate.

A grin stretched across Ga Eul’s face. “Uee-ssi! Come, join us for lunch!” She moved closer to the wall and patted the empty seat next to her. Yoo Jin gladly accepted the invitation. Their chatter was punctuated by laughter every few minutes until a voice broke in on them.

“Ga Eul-yang!”

The voice was loud and clear over the happy chattering of voices in the cafeteria. From the diction and tone, it unmistakably belonged to the one and only Casanova Ga Eul knew. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a familiar figure approaching her.

His navy blue hooded snap button-front jacket was buttoned partially. The hood of the baseball jacket was dangling at the back. One hand was dipped into the faded jeans’ pocket while the other one was waving at her. Despite his effort of keeping a low profile, his outfit still arrested many students’ attention, especially the girls. Yet, Ga Eul knew that he disliked such apparel because it wasn’t his style and it was cheap. Nevertheless, it didn’t change the fact that he remained attractive even in commoner’s clothes.

“S-sunbae, what are you doing here?” Ga Eul stuttered. Her surprise was evident in her voice and expression.

“I just enrolled at Chung-Ang University. Kang Hee Soo expelled me from Shinhwa University.” Yi Jeong explained while reluctantly taking a seat beside Si Won. He was faced with a girl he has never seen before. Perhaps, she was Ga Eul’s friend.

“Ga Eul-yang, your bibimbap looks delicious.” The innocence of Yi Jeong’s tone was in discord with his mischievous expression. He lost no time in taking the spoon from Ga Eul’s hand, scooped one mouthful and devoured it.

“I’m starving.” He stated simply after taking a few more scoops from the bibimbap. After the spoon clean, he gave his trademark dimpled smile that took Ga Eul’s breath away. Her heart thudded erratically and a tint of red rose to her cheeks. What was he doing? Why did he call her “Ga Eul-yang” now of all times? Why was he giving her that breathtaking dimpled smile? Didn’t he know that these small little actions would make her heart malfunction?

To relieve the building tension, Ga Eul changed the conversation topic. “Uee-ssi, this is So Yi Jeong. Sunbae, meet Kim Yoo Jin. You can call her ‘Uee’. That’s her nickname.” She turned to both of them for the introductions as they smiled and nodded at each other.

“Ga Eul-ssi, have you heard from Siwon-ssi about the basketball club’s recruitment for managers?” Yoo Jin chirpily asked.

Ga Eul turned to face Si Won who was sitting in front her. She hadn’t heard him mention it.

Detecting Ga Eul’s curiosity, Si Won briefly elaborated. “The title of ‘manager’ sounds nice but the manager’s duties are basically equivalent to chores. For instance, providing bottles of water and clean face towels. That’s the reason why I didn’t mention it.”

“Come on, Ga Eul-ssi, let’s join together!” Yoo Jin persuaded her.

“I don’t think so. I have a part-time job and—”

“I heard there’ll be a reward for the winning team of the intercollegiate basketball competition. The managers will get paid too for their efforts.”

This extra information was successful in capturing Ga Eul’s attention and crumbling her resistance. With an additional occupant in her house, the household expenses have risen tremendously. Ga Eul had thought of finding another part-time job but the pay was low. It couldn’t cover Yi Jeong’s enormous expenses. She wanted to tell him that he was spending money like tap water but she didn't know how to break the news.

“Alright, I’ll join.” Ga Eul nodded her head in agreement to Yoo Jin’s proposal.

After lunch, Yi Jeong dragged Si Won to an empty classroom for a private conversation. Ga Eul and Yoo Jin had left for their own lessons with baffled expressions on their faces. Ga Eul, who witnessed the violent struggle between the two, was certain that Yi Jeong and Si Won weren’t on good terms. Despite their assurance, her face morphed into a mask of worry. In the end, Yoo Jin had to push her in the direction of their next classroom.

“So what did you want to talk about?” Si Won crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against a table.

Yi Jeong’s menacing eyes blazed as his eyebrows knitted together. His voice was stern and deadly cold. “If you’re dating that Uee, don’t play with Ga Eul’s feelings.”

“What gave you the idea of me dating Uee-ssi? And when have I played with Ga Eul-ssi’s feelings?”

“Uee knew about the recruitment. You must have told her. And don’t play dumb with me. Don’t you remember this morning? Your apartment? Ga Eul’s clothes?”

“I’m friends with Uee-ssi, just like Ga Eul-ssi.”

“What?! Merely friends? So you weren’t serious with Ga Eul? Then, why did you do that with her?”

Yi Jeong gave his anger a fighting edge as he charged at Si Won and locked his hands around the latter’s throat. At the sight of Yi Jeong’s assault, Si Won retaliated as his instinct to defend himself kicked in. With a burst of strength, he gathered his legs and sent the Casanova soaring off backwards.

Panting heavily, Si Won defended himself verbally. “I didn’t do that with her. What were you thinking? She spilt her drink on her pajamas so I offered her a new set of clothes.”

Relief exploded over Yi Jeong at the realization. “So n-nothing happened?” He sputtered almost in shock and disbelief.

Ga Eul and Yoo Jin were successful in applying for the basketball club managers. The basketball team welcomed them with thunderous applause, delighted to have some refreshing females in the crowd of stinky men. After the introduction, the coach told them to buy isotonic drinks for the basketball players. The two managers then left the gymnasium. After purchasing the required drinks, they head back to the gymnasium. The journey back was longer than usual, particularly for Ga Eul…

“Ga Eul-ssi,” Yoo Jin spoke in a shy and low voice, “Can I ask you a question?”

Ga Eul was amazed at her friend’s sudden change in tone. Yoo Jin was a happy-go-lucky girl and Ga Eul hadn’t seen this embarrassed side of hers. “Sure.”

“What’s your relationship with Yi Jeong-ssi?”

Ga Eul was struck dumb with Yoo Jin’s blunt question and it took her a few minutes to regain her composure as her mind furiously worked to choose the right words. “We’re friends. Sort of. He’s the friend of my best friend’s boyfriend.” Somehow, the answer came out weirdly.

“Oh… I see.”

“Why are you asking this, Uee-ssi? Is it very important?”

“Well…” Yoo Jin bit her lips as she looked at Ga Eul shyly. “I’ve had a crush on Yi Jeong-ssi for three years now. So I was wondering if you’re his girlfriend.”

Ga Eul’s heart ached at Yoo Jin’s frank confession but she quickly pushed that feeling out of her mind. “No, I’m not.” Ga Eul shook her head to reinforce the statement since her hands were occupied with holding the bottles. “Sunbae doesn’t have a stable girlfriend right now.”

“Yes!” Yoo Jin punched the sky in victory while grasping the drinks. “Urin seoro cheonnune banhaesseoyo.”

“Mwŏragoyo?”

“I said it was love at first sight.” A tidal wave of happiness flooded Yoo Jin as she reminisced about the past. “Three years ago, I worked in a restaurant. One day, there was a delivery order to Shinhwa High School. I volunteered to do it.” Yoo Jin became softer as if ashamed to continue. “I was bullied by many students when I reached the campus.”

“Why?”

“I was really ugly then. Obese and spectacles, you know. Like an overweight nerd.” Yoo Jin’s face brightened as a radiant smile broke across her face. “But Yi Jeong-ssi saved me! After that, I swore to repay him. I worked hard during the three years to slim down and began to wear contact lens.” Even though she was carrying a few bottles of isotonic drinks, Yoo Jin managed to use gestures for emphasis.

Ga Eul could only give Yoo Jin a bitter smile as the latter recounted the first encounter with Yi Jeong. Yi Jeong was like a Prince Charming who came to the rescue of the damsel in distress. Perhaps, deep down, Ga Eul was like Yoo Jin too – waiting for her knight in shining armor to come and save her from the evils of the castle. But it wasn’t like she was in any predicament. So how could she wish for something like that? She began to exercise herself with new thoughts. Yoo Jin had worked hard for three years. All for Yi Jeong. Could Ga Eul do that? Would she be able to persevere?

While Ga Eul was deep in thought, Yoo Jin was musing on her relationship with Ga Eul. During the three years, she had kept track of Yi Jeong – where he was studying, what he was doing, who his friends were. She recently discovered that Yi Jeong was always going out with this same girl. This girl was no other than Chu Ga Eul. It didn’t make sense since Yi Jeong, the infamous Casanova, wouldn’t go on dates with the same girl multiple times.

After learning that Ga Eul studied in Chung-Ang University, Yoo Jin applied for the school. Then, she executed her plan of becoming friends with Ga Eul. It didn’t take much effort. The girl was naïve and easily trusted her. But she didn’t have a chance to meet Yi Jeong through Ga Eul. Thinking back, she was ecstatic and relieved that Ga Eul wasn’t Yi Jeong’s girlfriend. This meant that Ga Eul didn’t pose much of an obstacle for the relationship between Yi Jeong and her. Yet, she needed to be wary of this country bumpkin. Although Ga Eul appeared innocent, she actually managed to convince Yi Jeong to stay with her in the same apartment. Unforgivable! Chu Ga Eul!

It was time for the fatal blow!

“Ga Eul-ssi, I really like Yi Jeong-ssi. Will you help me?”

A/N: “Peach Girl” inspired me in the creation of Uee’s character. She will play Ga Eul’s evil best friend. I chose her because she acted like one in “You’re Beautiful”.  Please don’t hate me, fans of Uee!

I was thinking whether to write out Yi Jeong and Uee’s first encounter. Are you guys for or against it?

Glossary

Bibimbap: A signature Korean dish that literally means “mixed meal”. It is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with sautéed and seasoned vegetables and chili pepperpaste. A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating.It can be served either cold or hot.
Yang: Used moderately on very formal occasions to a female only. This honorific usage is restricted to unmarried women.
Urin seoro cheonnune banhaesseoyo: It was love at first sight
Mwŏragoyo: I'm sorry! (if you don't hear something)