A/N: When I saw this quotation, I was like “This quotation totally describes this chapter!” xD Look forward to a sporty Yi Jeong! Pardon me if I made some errors regarding the basketball scenes, rules or positions @_@ I’m not really knowledgeable in the basketball area but I did some research so it should be accurate :] And the coach is a fictional character. His name actually means “strong and big”. I thought it fitted his image very well. I was inspired by shattered_teardrops’ “Capturing the Casanova”, you’ll see why ;P This chapter is kind of long ._. The main purpose of this chapter is to provide some background information about the characters.

P.S. I know we’ve been seeing a lot of jealous Yi Jeong and there’s not a lot of development for SoEul. I promise that there will be something cute/romantic going on in the next chapter~

@madz67: Yes, a rival for Ga Eul, an evil one too ><
@lidz_is_kpoplovaz: Thank you and I hope you enjoy reading this fanfic ^^

Chapter 5: Family

The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy.

–      Sam Levenson

A great tumult of emotions has fallen upon Ga Eul and she was torn this way and that by alternating fits of sorrow, anger and anguish. Faced with Yoo Jin’s request to help her in her pursuit for true love, the country bumpkin was torn between supporting and refusing. She couldn’t ignore the earnest expression on her friend’s face neither could she suppress the searing agony in her heart.

“Uh. I—”

“Ga Eul-ssi, Yoo Jin-ssi, there you are! We’ve been waiting for you guys.” The coach moved towards them and offered his help. A rather plump figure, Coach Kang Dae had silky black hair, with waves of grey and white in it. He took a few bottles from each of them and started chatting with Yoo Jin about the basketball club.

Relief broke across Ga Eul’s face because she didn’t need to reply Yoo Jin’s question. Saved by the coach, she vowed to repay him one day. But for now, she’ll diligently play her role as the manager. Surprise flitted across her face when she entered the indoor gymnasium.

Ga Eul was aware of the tryouts today. The coach had mentioned that the previous small forward had quit school for personal reasons. Therefore, they held tryouts today to search for a replacement especially since the intercollegiate basketball competition was a few months away. But this didn’t meant that she expected him to be here for the tryouts.

Flashing his brilliant teeth, Yi Jeong had successfully scored a field goal as he panted heavily. A radiant smile unconsciously appeared on Ga Eul’s face. She had never seen Yi Jeong played basketball before, thinking that the rich would never indulge in such commoner sports. Riding and skiing were activities that came into her mind when she thought of sports for the wealthy people. Furthermore, F4 proved that this was true since they were always engaged in such sports. Ga Eul didn’t think that Yi Jeong would be willing to partake in exercises that made him perspire. Nevertheless, she was delighted to have seen this other side of him.

“Not again.” Coach Kang Dae sighed heavily while rubbing his temples.

“Is something wrong?” Ga Eul asked, concerned.

“That guy.” Coach Kang Dae pointed a finger at Yi Jeong that only made Ga Eul more confused than ever. “He was playing really well at the beginning. Team player and all. Good chemistry with the team members. But, well… With Si Won, the two just can’t get along. Once they got their hands on the ball, they’ll just score without passing it to each other. They’re playing separately even though they’re in the same team. That’s odd. Si Won is our best passer.”

Ga Eul gave the coach an awkward smile, unsure of what else to say. She would have to give them a scolding when she reached home, especially Yi Jeong who was behaving like a child these few days. He picked a fight with Si Won this morning for no reason. Thinking back, she was rather curious about what happened during the time she went to change her clothes. No matter how she thought about it, Si Won didn’t seem like one who will start a fight. So, it must have been Yi Jeong.

After an hour of testing out other applicants, the coach felt that Yi Jeong was the cream of the crop and gave him the position of the small forward. He did point out the fact that Yi Jeong and Si Won didn’t get along well and expressed his wish for them to be friends. Ga Eul noticed how both of them just shrugged their shoulders without nodding their heads in agreement.

The coach then gave Yi Jeong the uniform. The shirt and shorts were white in color with blue stripes, mirroring the school colors. The school logo was also embroidered on it. The university’s simple yet solid logo symbolized its reliability and professionalism but it was still a far cry from Shinhwa University where only children of the top 1% of the wealthiest families in Korea could attend.

A small smirk came to Yi Jeong’s lips. To think that the infamous Casanova would be wearing a uniform. And not the most prestigious university’s uniform at that. What was he thinking, to apply for this position? He loathed sweating for such vigorous exercises. What was the point in that? The reward? Ten million South Korean Won? That wasn’t sufficient for his weekly expenses at all. But… Well, that’s a lot to him now. He couldn’t rely on Ga Eul anymore for his expenses. Besides, nothing was difficult for So Yi Jeong. Winning the competition was a piece of cake.

Yi Jeong cast his eyes upon the country bumpkin who was currently chatting gleefully with the point guard. He couldn’t believe it. How could that jerk be the point guard, the team’s captain? Even though he discovered that nothing happened between them the previous night, he still had doubts about Si Won’s character. He had a sickening intuition that the jerk harbored feelings for Ga Eul. This would be an opportune chance to keep a close watch over them.

“Hwanyŏnghamnida!” Ga Eul cheerfully greeted the elderly lady that entered the porridge shop. When the training ended, Ga Eul immediately left the school, not bothering to wait for Yi Jeong because she was already late for her part-time job. Although Chun Sik, her boss, only reprimanded her mildly, Ga Eul felt that she was at fault. Hence, she was working doubly hard now to rectify her mistake.

Ga Eul’s boss had been kind to her, allowing her to take the night shift while Jan Di took the afternoon shift. After Ga Eul agreed to be the manager, she had called to ask Chun Sik during her lunch break. He must have asked Jan Di whether she was willing to take the afternoon shift because Jan Di kept sending her text messages why she changed shift. Thus, Ga Eul told Jan Di everything, including Yi Jeong enrolling in her school.

One of Jan Di’s text messages surfaced on her mind as she chuckled inwardly.

It must be difficult taking care of Yi Jeong. Cause my hands are tied just looking after Jun Pyo and making sure he doesn’t get into trouble @_@

Ga Eul could easily imagine Jun Pyo as a spoiled child. But somehow Yi Jeong’s behavior these days caused him to fall under the same category as Jun Pyo.

With a warm smile, the elderly lady called out to Ga Eul. “Miss, I would like to order a bowl of jatjuk.”

“Sure, halmeoni.”

“Hyun Ae.”

“Huh?”

“Call me ‘Hyun Ae halmeoni’.” The elderly lady smiled at Ga Eul.

The little bell above the door rang when another customer entered the porridge shop.

“I want a bowl of jeonbokjuk.” The newly arrived customer ordered. She was around the same age as Hyun Ae halmeoni. Judging from her Dalmatian fur coat, the newly arrived customer was wealthier.

As Ga Eul went about serving the two customers, she observed that they were exchanging hostile glances at each other.

“What’s your name, young lady?” The wealthier customer asked while patting Ga Eul’s hand.

“I’m Ga Eul, halmeoni.”

“Hey! What are you doing? That lady was serving me first.”

“So? She’s serving me now.” The elderly woman ignored the other and continued to look at Ga Eul. “Ga Eul, are you single right now?”

Ga Eul choked at the elderly woman’s abrupt question. “A-Aniyo.”

“Ga Eul, come here.” Hyun Ae halmeoni gestured Ga Eul towards her. Ga Eul nodded her head and went to her side while the other elderly woman was absorbed in deep thought.

“Ga Eul, you seem like a really nice girl. Do you want me to introduce a promising young man to you?” Ga Eul laughed nervously while Hyun Ae halmeoni elaborated. “My grandson is handsome, smart and did I mention suave? A nice girl like you would definitely make his life brighter.”

“Yeah but he’s not rich. He’ll only be a burden to Ga Eul,” the wealthy lady interrupted as she inspected Hyun Ae halmeoni from head to toe.

“He was rich… once. He has some financial problems lately. My son, daughter-in-law and myself aren’t as affected by it because we only own a small amount of the company shares. Moreover, my son has established his own business. Though our income is greatly reduced, we can still survive. But my grandson… He has the most company shares, about half of it. And since most of his income was from the company, he’s in a financial crisis,” Hyun Ae halmeoni paused, frantic with worry.

Sympathizing Hyun Ae halmeoni’s plight, Ga Eul patted her shoulder in encouragement.

“Well, if that’s bad, mine’s worst. My grandson detested the fact that he’s the heir to our reputable company. Do you know what he did? He left home to be independent. Fortunately, someone ordered our service so we managed to locate him. Our whole family persuaded him to return. We even created a homecoming party at the most expensive hotel but he told us not to bother him or he’ll disappear again.”

The rivalry between Hyun Ae halmeoni and Hae Won halmeoni (Ga Eul realized the other elderly woman’s name at the end of their first encounter) had turned into implacable hatred from that moment onwards. The two grandmothers became regular customers and frequently visited the store during Ga Eul’s night shift. They were always bickering and comparing their grandsons while Ga Eul would raise her hands in defeat, not wanting to be involved in World War III.

Yi Jeong was trembling with rage, resulting in the lump of clay to distort and topple. Seconds later, he pounded his fist on the potter’s wheel in frustration. Although he couldn’t retain his workshop, he was lucky to have moved the necessary pottery equipment into Ga Eul’s house before the workshop closed down. Since the apartment was small, he was only given a corner in the living room for his pottery equipment.

His eyes smoldered with rage as he thought about the basketball practice. It had been a week since he joined the basketball club and he did try his best to get along with Si Won but it always failed. They must have been enemies in their previous lives. When Si Won wanted a private chat with him, Yi Jeong was certain that he would comment on his lack of cooperation. However, what Si Won told him took Yi Jeong by surprise.

Si Won had chastised Yi Jeong for not helping out in reducing the household expenses. He even told Yi Jeong to work instead of doing pottery everyday. Who did he think he was? To tell him, the famous So Yi Jeong, what to do.

Every so often, Yi Jeong glanced at the round, flat-faced clock on the wall. It was eight o’clock. Ga Eul was really late. Even though he didn’t want to admit it, he knew that she was working hard at the porridge shop just to support their expenses. What was worst was the fact that most of their expenses were his.

After spending a few minutes enveloped in his thoughts, Yi Jeong decided to drop by Ga Eul’s workplace.

Looking through the window, Yi Jeong saw Ga Eul wearing the familiar red apron as she merrily served the customers. A subtle smiled played on his lips as he followed her movements with his eyes. Then, a tall figure appeared beside her.

The Casanova set foot in the porridge shop instantly. “What are you doing here?”

“Can’t you see? I’m working,” Si Won replied bluntly.

“Siwon-ssi just started working here today. He wants to be independent so he’s earning his own income. He doesn’t want to rely on his family or become their burden,” Ga Eul explained, “But sunbae, why are you here?”

“I’m here to work,” Yi Jeong blurted out without thinking. This sentence had been lingering on his mind the moment he saw Si Won.

Before Ga Eul could ask the reason behind Yi Jeong’s sudden impulse, Chun Sik dragged Yi Jeong away with a wide smile pressed upon his face. He obviously felt that Yi Jeong was an asset to the shop.

Yi Jeong immediately regretted his decision when Chun Sik forced him to wear the uniform – the red apron. He looked down in disgust at the feminine apparel. What had become of the Casanova? To be reduced to such a miserable state was something he had never dreamed about. Yi Jeong shot a glare at the country bumpkin who let out peals of delighted laughter at his ludicrous appearance.

“S-Sunbae, you look so adorable!” Ga Eul said in between chuckles.

“Hmph.”

One hour had passed and the porridge shop was packed solid with customers. With the addition of two charming males, more female customers were patronizing the store. Ga Eul noticed how all of them ogled at Yi Jeong and Si Won.

After receiving an order, Yi Jeong’s mouth curled into a slightly mocking smile as he looked at Si Won. The battle for the top employee has begun! The two male employees exploited their most charming traits while customers swooned over them. It was an equal fight. Both of them had the same quantity of supporters.

Ga Eul shook her head at the two of them. Were they really here to work? Or are they dying to create chaos at her workplace?

“There are too many orders. We need another chef. Can one of you volunteer?” Chun Sik inquired.

Yi Jeong had never done any cooking in his life so he politely rejected Chun Sik. Moreover, the fight wasn’t over.

Si Won declined the offer too.

Left with no choice, Ga Eul volunteered and she went to the kitchen. On one hand, she was glad to leave the battlefield but on the other hand, she thought that it would be worse without her supervision.

The tinkling of bells notified another customer’s entrance. Yi Jeong tilted his head reflexively in the door’s direction only to be frozen in place. Two elderly women were literally squeezing through the door, not wanting to give way to the other. And one of them looked exactly like his halmeoni.

“Halmeoni, why are you here?”

The two elderly women looked at Yi Jeong as a grin stretched across Hyun Ae halmeoni’s face. “Yi Jeong!” She pushed herself forward and managed to enter the porridge shop. “Oh my, this apron really suits you.” Hyun Ae halmeoni clapped her hands in delight.

“Si Won?” Hae Won halmeoni was filled with utter horror. “Why are you here? Does this have something to do with Ga Eul?”

Yi Jeong’s head snapped up and his eyes fixed upon Si Won.

“My decision is final, halmeoni. I’m not going home. Did you check my neighbors? All of them? Even where they worked?” Si Won rebuked as his brows creased with annoyance.

“Here’s the porridge.” Ga Eul entered the dining area, careful not to spill the bowl of porridge. Two familiar figures came into view. “Hyun Ae halmeoni! Hae Won halmeoni!”

Yi Jeong and Si Won stared at Ga Eul, astounded. How did she know their grandmothers?

Ga Eul spent some time explaining her first encounter with the two grandmothers. After her explanation, Hyun Ae halmeoni and Hae Won halmeoni dragged their grandsons away to give them a scolding. They also had a heart-to-heart chat about how they were doing. Then, the grandmothers left together with teary eyes.

“What did the two of you say to them?” Ga Eul questioned them while placing her hands on her hips.

“She’s here to say how unfilial I am. Not visiting her and all.” Yi Jeong shrugged his shoulder.

A small smile found its way to the corners of Si Won’s mouth. “My grandmother missed me.”

After bidding goodbye to Chun Sik, the three of them headed back home. In the tranquility of the night, Ga Eul began to converse with the two men little secrets the grandmothers told her.

“So you’re the heir to Choi’s Security System Company?”

Si Won nodded his head shyly at Ga Eul’s question. He wasn’t used to telling people how wealthy he was.

Yi Jeong knitted his eyebrows, remembering that he ordered the company’s service.

“I heard about your Taekwondo skills,” Ga Eul stated while closing her fist and punching the air to imitate a Taekwondo hand attack. “Hae Won halmeoni was really proud of you – being the youngest in Korea to hold the fourth rank in the black belt.”

That explained why he could push me off the other time… Yi Jeong narrowed his eyes at Si Won. He was dealing with a tough opponent. “Did my grandmother say anything?” Yi Jeong cut in, wanting to know if his grandmother told Ga Eul anything inappropriate.

Ga Eul’s cheeks burned as she recalled how Hyun Ae halmeoni tried to hook them up. “S-She said nothing,” Ga Eul lied, averting her eyes.

Yi Jeong eyed Ga Eul suspiciously, not believing a word she said. I wonder what halmeoni told her.

Yoo Jin’s face was livid with anger. From what she heard, Yi Jeong and Ga Eul spent every single day together. They lived together. They went to school together. They had extracurricular activity together. They worked part-time together. She knew that Si Won was Ga Eul’s neighbor and also worked part-time with the couple so nothing could have happened between the two. But the fact that there were two charming princes surrounding the country bumpkin made her blood boil. Ga Eul didn’t deserve such caring treatment.

Yoo Jin curled the corners of into a sly grin while an evil plan brewed in her head. She spotted three girls walking towards her – the Mean Girls Trio. Right on time!

“Ginger, Sunny, Miranda, I have something to tell you.” Yoo Jin waved her hand at them as a devilish grin crossed her face.

A/N: Both grandmothers are fictional characters. The Korean name “Hyun Ae” is composed of elements meaning "smart, clever" and "loving". The Korean name “Hae Won” is composed of elements meaning "grace" and "head".

Glossary

Hwanyŏnghamnida: Welcome (to greet someone)
Jatjuk: Korean porridge made by boiling finely ground pine nuts and rice flour or soaked rice in water. It is seasoned with salt and garnished with pine nuts and sliced jujubes. The dish has been regarded as a quality food in Korea because of its rich and creamy taste, nutritiousness, and easy digestibility. It is not a staple of the Korean diet, as pine nuts are expensive and not readily available, so jatjuk used to be served as a special treat for breakfast, as a supplement for someone who is ill or elderly, or as a snack.
Halmeoni: Grandmother
Jeonbokjuk: Korean porridge, made with abalone and white rice. Abalone is regarded as a high quality ingredient in Korean cuisine and was often presented as a gift to the king of Korea.The dish is a local specialty of Jeju Island where abalones are commonly harvested. Jeonbokjuk is known as not only a delicacy but also as a nutritional supplement and digestive aid, especially for ill patients or elderly people.Jeonbokjuk can be made with or without the abalone's internal organs. The former type of jeonbokjuk has a green tinge while the latter is more ivory in color
Aniyo: No