Princess

Lights entering from the glass windows were rubbing his eyelids making him wince in pain. Slowly, he shut his eyes open. The bright and summery room welcomed him from slumber. The curtains were drawn and were swaying, blown by the wind. Placing enough force on his arms, he pushed his upper body into a sitting position. He searched his eyes on every corner, indeed he was in that same room he had been last night. Still, he couldn't help but be confused. He lifted the comfortable comforter as he slid his legs down the floor. Right away, he walked out of the room in a lively manner. The moment he went up to the dining area, he heard clatters, sound of utensils somewhat being placed on glass plates. With his swift and smooth movement he had hit the area in a second.

On that point, he immediately gave off a sigh of relief. Staring from the time he opened his eyes he had thought that everything was merely a dream, but now that he had set his eyes on the sight just across him, Yi Jeong was sure that all of it was reality and indeed, true. He watched her tilt her head a little and seemed to adjust her vision to see clearly. At the time she had recognized who it was Gaeul rewarded him her sweet and bright smile.

"Good morning, Sunbae!" She greeted him and then diverted her gaze onto something and speaks. "Oppa, Yi Jeong Sunbea is awake already." And then she raised her finger and point to his direction. The next thing he saw was his best friend peeping slightly at the wall across him that blocked the view.

"Yo! Morning! Please come and have breakfast with us. Pri... Gae... Princess has cooked something edible here." Yi Jeong noticed how Woobin stammered on his words but brushed it off aside when he saw Woobin signaling his hand for him to come.

"Morning to you both!" He smiled brightly and settled himself beside Woobin.

He watched as Gaeul placed another set of plate on his table side. She shoved in some sunny side-up and honey glazed bacon in the middle of the round glass table. She sat in front of them wearing a scrunched expression and then stated, "Yah! Oppa what do you mean edible? FYI my cooking is not just edible but it tastes good. Yi Jeong Sunbae might get reluctant to eat what I cooked. Take it back."

Yi Jeong whipped his head to Woobin who he caught sticking his tongue out and making faces to Gaeul. And before he could even blink his eyes Woobin was already hissing in pain from a slap Gaeul granted him.

"Ouch! Okay, I'll take it back." Woobin gazed back to Yi Jeong and gave him a forced smile. "She cooks good food, Yi Jeong-ah. Suit yourself." He said to him and another slap went in but Woobin was fast to escape it and the second time he stuck his tongue out to Gaeul and laughed in carefree.

With the sight in front of him, Yi Jeong didn't know what to feel exactly, he was in the middle of two hitting rocks. He could sort it like he was happy to have Woobin with him and Gaeul beside him, being amused to see how his best friend could be so childish and immature, glad to have Gaeul greet him 'good morning' and made him breakfast, and then envious of how normal it was for Woobin and Gaeul to be crazy around being in the same room with him like he was not there. But despite the fact that he was washed with confusion, he preferred to enjoy their presence and continue to be amused by the two person he treasure so much.

Gaeul noticed Yi Jeong was looking at them, not even touching his food. "Sunbae" She called and saw him smile at her lightly. "You aren't eating anything", Gaeul said while pointing on his plate.

She also caught him glancing at her and Woobin while they exchange banters and teases with each other. He must have missed having similar events like this. She suddenly felt sorry for him for being so insensitive and for not minding what it was that he’s currently experiencing. Gaeul suddenly stood from her seat earning attention from both Woobin and Yi Jeong who just dived in and was stuffing food in their mouths.

"Gaeul-yang?" Yi Jeong called to her. "Excuse me Sunbae, Oppa. I'll go make some fresh orange juice for us. You two have some chat first. I'll be back in a few minutes." Then she left the table and went straight to the kitchen.

"Did I do something wrong?" Woobin heard Yi Jeong ask.

"You did nothing wrong, Yi Jeong-ah. It's just that she can sense you being a little uneasy."

Yi Jeong turned to him with bewildered reaction. "I was just watching both of you as you exchange conversation, that's it. It's just... I haven't seen you guys for so long." Yi Jeong sighed.

"I understand. Pri... Gaeul..."

"Call her the way you wanted to call her, Woobin-ah. And don't stutter when you call her 'Princess', it is okay I can adapt to that."

"Fine”, Woobin sighed. “She became more sensitive to people close to her. She can easily sense if something is off that is why we had tried our best to be cheerful around her even if things are a little bit on the edge. But there were still times when she can notice."

"Oh? I see."

"Don't worry you'll get used to it. She hasn't changed that much and as you said you can adapt, right?"

Yi Jeong nodded as if ending the conversation when he spotted Gaeul heading for them with a pitcher filled with orange juice. She placed it on top of the table and took the empty glasses near her. She poured them with juice and filled it a few centimeters under the lid, then turned over the glasses to both Woobin and Yi Jeong who were looking at her for a while now. She sat on her seat again folding her arms in front of her chest, lifting her left eyebrow.

"Are you two talking about me when I'm at the kitchen?"

Both Woobin and Yi Jeong looked at each other. Woobin raised his left brow while Yi Jeong scrunched his face. They both look back at her and said, "Yes!" An almost instinct answer coming from Yi Jeong, "Ani!" Answered by Woobin but both of them said those at the same time which earned them stern smirk from Gaeul.

"Aish! You two!"

…

"Yah! Sunbae don't sleep yet I'm still talking to you and it's still early in the morning. Why so sleepy? What happen? "

"I stayed late outside… last night. So please let me sleep Jandi. I have a surgery in the next hour."

Jandi watched Jiho bend and settled his back on his seat. Without a choice she stayed seated in her place and let Jiho do his business. Jiho pressed his eyes close trying to catch a chance for slumber. His mind drifted to the time he had been torn between two rocks, wondering why he had opted to let go and gave in. For once in his life he had loved someone so true without expecting anything in return. He had cared less about the fight he experienced before because he wanted to be selfish, and it nearly won over him. But in the end he chose to let go moreover he even managed to stick by her side even though it's like putting salt on an open wound. As days, weeks, months and years had passed, he could tell now that what he did before was right and in fact the best thing he had ever done. 

Will his dear friend to the same?

…

"No! I said I won't do it."

"Please! The children will be the beneficiary and it's not that hard."

"I can't do that. Why would I do it then? And heck it would feel like the whole country is going to me. Do you know that?"

"As if they aren't doing that for a long time now…"

He heard voices along the hallway and it was coming from the front room, it sounded like a little argument. It wasn't a while ago when he left them to change his clothes and just now, they're arguing already? He altered his gait fast and headed straight to the front room. He saw his friend covering his eyes with his right hand while Gaeul was clinging to his other arm shaking it gently.

"I said I won't do it." He heard him speak.

Gaeul then pulled his friend's left arm or more like tearing his sleeve. "Oppa! Please just this once. Please please please." And he saw Gaeul grab Woobin's right hand down.

"Don't give me that look, Princess. Please." Woobin had shut his eyes forcefully but a glint of smile was evident on his lips.

"What look? This look?" Yi Jeong heard Gaeul ask Woobin. "Aish! You..."

"Is there something wrong?"

Yi Jeong instantly cut in when he felt uneasy about what he saw. With Woobin eyes still close, Gaeul tiptoed to get nearer to him and was trying to reach for his face. Their position was a little off for Yi Jeong especially from his point of view where he faces Gaeul's back.

"Sunbae", Gaeul whipped her head to Yi Jeong when she heard him speak. Woobin had opened his left eye and looked directly at Yi Jeong who caught his glance right away. Yi Jeong saw his friend shaking his head signaling a 'no', confusing him of what Woobin meant. He went near them and faced Gaeul who had a big smile on her face.

"Sunbae will you help me convince Oppa? Please?"

"Convince him for what?" Yi Jeong asked with furrowed brows.

"To attend my photo-shoot… To make the story short, his pictures will be sold in an open auction and the proceeds will be given to Jiho Sunbae for the kids at the Children's Hospital."

"Oh? I see."

"So”, Gaeul showed him hopeful glowing eyes, “Sunbae will you help me with Oppa?"

Gaeul gave him her cutest eye-smile with her 'puppy' looking face and Yi Jeong didn't know how to respond to it since he hadn't recovered yet from the impact that it had gone forth on him. In a swift, Woobin had covered Yi Jeong eyes when he's about to open his mouth and speak.

"Don't look at her. If you will I'm dead." But Yi Jeong was fast to pull Woobin's hand down.

"Yah! Woobin-ah it wasn't that bad. Why don't you give it a try... For the children?"

"Yes! For the children. Oppa, Yi Jeong Sunbae is right. Please."

The only thing that Woobin could do about his current situation was to face palm himself mentally. How nice of you So Yi Jeong.

"Tell me. Who's behind this sudden monumental sabotage?"

"Oppa, it was my idea. Isn't great?"

"Oh...? It is." Great just great, Princess.

"So it's an 'okay', right?" Gaeul shifted her gaze from Woobin to Yi Jeong and saw the later nod his head to her. "Sunbae has nodded for you, Oppa. I'll take that as a 'yes'."

Woobin whipped his head to Yi Jeong and gave him a glare but his friend just smirked at him. Tsk Aish! Within a minute, Woobin and Yi Jeong battled with glares and mental conversation. They weren't uttering anything but just by their eyes one could say they were arguing. With the final strand of his guts and patience, Woobin retreated against the fight earning a smile of victory from Yi Jeong.

Both of the guys turned their eyes to Gaeul whose back was facing them, she was quite busy with her phone.

"Gaeul-yang, what are you doing?"

"Hmm? Ah... texting.""

"Who?"

"Ahhh… Jiho Sunbae."

"Why?"

"I'm saying 'thank you' to him for giving me the idea..."

"What idea?" Woobin inquired with his eyes almost bulging out.

"Ump. The idea of having you for the photo-shoot."

"What?!" Woobin exclaimed then he heard Yi Jeong laughed out loud beside him. Yoon Jiho, you're dead once I see you.

"Stop laughing So Yi Jeong!" He was trying to save himself from embarrassment and reprimand his friend, but yet he was never given any choice. With a deep and audible sigh, he continued. "Fine. I'll go. But with one condition…"

"Anything Oppa!"

…

Right after he had finished his surgery which lasted for an hour, Jiho went back in his office to get some rest. At the time he flopped on his seat, he pulled his drawer open and took his phone. He swiped the unlock key and saw two messages; one from Junpyo saying he's coming to check Jandi and then the other message coming from Gaeul. The latter had texted him saying her thanks regarding the idea he shared with her. She also mentioned that Yi Jeong had helped her convince the poor Prince Song. He was staring at his phone looking at Gaeul message when the door flung open.

"Yah! Yoon Jiho, what's with that smile?" It was Junpyo's remark who had just come out of the door with Jandi trailing behind.

"Oh... Good morning to you." He answered him rather dryly.

The couple had settled themselves on the couch right beside his table. "Sunbae, what's the good news? We saw you smiling a few seconds ago." Jandi's inquisitiveness surfaced again.

"Ah... It was just about Gaeul." Jandi arched her brow while Junpyo gave him his attention and asked over, "What about, Princess?"

"It's about the fundraising activity we will be having next month. She told me she wanted to help by having some of her photos for an open auction. It was a great idea so I suggested her to persuade Woobin to join the photo-shoot..."

"As a model?" Another question had thrown in by Junpyo.

"Yes. And she was able to make him say 'yes' too." Jiho and Junpyo chuckled while Jandi remained silent at her seat.

"I love to see Woobin's face now. I bet he looks like hell”, Junpyo snickered again before he continued, “I can't help remember how Gaeul forced him to take a weeding photo with Monkey just to shoo away monkey's weird suitor. The power of Chu Gaeul!" Junpyo exclaimed in between his laughter.

"She said she obtained the help of Yi Jeong..."

"What? What did you just say? Yi Jeong Sunbae? So Yi Jeong is with Woobin Sunbae and Gaeul?" An extremely surprised statement coming from a confused and astonished Jandi who had raised her voice a notch higher than her usual.

"Yah! Geum Jandi, you don't have to yell at Jiho. Yi Jeong and Gaeul had talked already. Yi Jeong went on the patio last night, they had catch-ups..."

"Why? Why didn't you two tell me? Huh? Why?"

"Yah! I said stop yelling, okay? I was supposed to tell you this morning but you were ignoring me since yesterday. And that is why I don't have any choice but to come here." Then there, they set out their bickering routine again. Just by the look of it, Jiho had another affirmative reason on to why he had chosen to remain behind a shadow before. Clearly he didn't have much energy to battle out with Jandi just like what Junpyo was doing. He mentally patted his back for consolation and he smiled inwardly at the sight across him.

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A/n: Although I was not able to say thank you personally (I mean sending a PM) to those that made subscription with my stories, here I am to say