"The Recognition"

Blur

A week had passed like a blur. And there he was inside his newly renovated studio. The place was a little bit bigger now. All corners and walls were painted in white. The wooden shelves before was replaced with glass and steal cabinets where his new pots would be displayed. His potter's wheel was the only thing that had remained from his old studio. He just couldn’t afford to lose it because of all the memories it held. Yes. Even the bitter the ones.

"Young Master. The ordered clay form Sweden has arrived. It will be here in a moment. "

"That's great. Thanks Mr. Park."

"Do you still need anything, Young Master?"

"No, everything is fine. You can leave now."

…

"Good Morning Ms. Chu!"

"Good Morning to you too, Dr. Han."

"If I'm not mistaken your monthly evaluation is still next week. What made you visit this early? Are you feeling fine?"

"Yes Doctor. I'm totally fine. I'm actually here to visit Dr. Yoon."

"Oh I see. He's in his office with Ms. Geum"

"Okay. Thank you. I'll just go ahead Dr. Han."

"Okay. Bye"

…

"Have you figured it out that we still need to know what had happen to him?"

"I don't know. Do we have to?"

"Yes. Everybody needs closure here. And we also need to tell him about her."

"All right! Whatever you say Sunbae. But you're not going to force me to talk to him, okay?" Her voice raised a notch higher.

"Whatever you say Jandi."

A knock was heard from the door.

"Excuse me Dr. Yoon. Ms. Chu is here to see you."

"Annyeong Doctors! Can I come in?" She teased.

"Oh... Princess!" They chorused.

"Again? When will you stop calling me that?"

"You're asking us to stop calling you Princess but you are letting Woobin Sunbea call you that. Why?" Jealousy hung on Jandi’s statement thus her piercing eyes said so.

"That's because it sounds fine with him and sounds weird from you. Especially Junpyo Sunbae, he also looks the weirdest when he call me that."

The three laughed out loud and even Jiho snorted a chuckle.

"What brings you here by the way?" Jandi asked after their laughter had died down.

"Oh. I came to give this to you Sunbae." She turned to Jiho and handed him a compilation folder.

"Is this it?"

"Yeah. I hope they'll like it."

"No. They will love this."

"Let me see Sunbae." Jandi snatched the folder from Jiho's grip.

"Wow. You took all of these?" She said and still scanning.

"Of course. I took them during my first visit to the children's clinic. Jiho Sunbae took some of the photos and I had included them also."

"Really?"

"Uhmm. But I kept some of his personal and solo pictures with me."

"Why?" Jandi asked while Jiho raised his brow.

"I'm planning to put it in an auction to have some proceeds. You know it would sell tons of bucks." She revealed with a tinge of teasing.

"Yah! Chu Gaeul!" The quiet doctor exclaimed and then the girls laughed again heartily.

Gaeul was all giddy with Jandi and when she tossed her hair back, her eyes suddenly caught the sight of the wall clock. "Oh... It's an hour before lunch already. I think I have to go."

"Aren't you going to give this to the kids?"

"I'm afraid I can't Sunbae. I still need to get my new pairs of lenses. Will you give it to them for me?"

"Sure. No problem."

"Can I come with you Princess? It's my end shift already. Is it okay with you?"

"Of course! How can I say no to the queen?"

"Okay that's enough of the teasing. You two go ahead already and be safe. Okay?"

"Okay. Anyways you're just sleeping." they chorused and dashed out of the door giggling before Jiho can even retort back.

Sighing in defeat; Jiho just smiled, shook his head and shifted his seat to take his daily noon nap.

…

No visits? Yi Jeong didn't know if it was good or bad that he didn't have any visitor. Days had passed and its afternoon already but nobody from the gang had come to see him. Maybe he's expecting too much of a welcome, but them appearing after what had happened would also be weird. In those times, he had thought about how he should tell his friends that he was gone for long because his grandfather told him so.  Wouldn't it sound so absurd? Yes, indeed. Ah... I don't know.

Another thing, Gaeul's actions towards him or more like him being ignored by her had been haunting him for days now. She looks the same but she seems different. Her calling Woobin Oppa bothered the hell out of him. He knew that she's not the kind of girl that would act too intimate with male friends.

Gaeul-yang is a cautious girl. Maybe they had just grown closer with each other. But... he calls her Princess. Why?

Woobin could have gone softer and a little cheesy, he thought. But he would never be like that to a friend. But he also called Jandi, Queen. Right? Maybe. Just maybe they had gotten closer in years. He was nodding his head and more like convincing himself.

Preoccupied mind was not good when molding clay and it's a big 'No No'. Guess it was obvious what happened next. Damn! So Yi Jeong. This was you 6th time  He was there standing in front of his wheel with hands on his waist.

"Ah... what a bummer So Yi Jeong!"

"Having a bad day?"

"Huh!" The infamous Casanova almost fell on the floor with the presence.

A soft chuckle erupted inside the studio and then Yi Jeong immediately fixed himself and stood up straight.

"Yah! Yoon Jiho. When...?"

"Few minutes ago, from the time your 6th pot became a hill of clay until the 'what a bummer' phrase." He had counted the distorted pot placed on the drying table. What he said was enough to tell that he had been there for a while.

"How did..?"

Pointing at the door, Jiho gave him a smirk. "I knocked but you're on clouds to notice. So I came in and helped myself."

"Yoon Jiho, since when did you start speaking like Song Woobin?" (Interrupting-the-speaker way of talking)

"I don't know. He's contagious but it's fine as long as it is not Junpyo." Jiho said in between shrugs.

Has it been long since he had last laughed heartily? Yes, maybe because it felt elating at the moment. Trust it to his friends to randomly appear to lighten his mood. Four years had run like a breeze but they never failed to make him feel better even after his long untold absence. It's a little unusual though that it's Jiho who appeared and not Woobin or Gaeul.

"By the way I came to check up on you. And like what I expected you don't look fine."

"I'm a little okay now, better than this morning. Do you have… anything to say?"

"A lot but not yet at the moment."

Yi Jeong nodded in comprehension. "Junpyo and Woobin?"

"Junpyo said he'll come to check you up after his business trip. And Woobin is still sorting things out."

Gazing down at the floor after what he heard was the only thing he can do. Still mad at me

"He's not mad at you anymore, Yi Jeong-ah" Jiho explained after he saw him looking at the floor. He knew he was upset of himself and he knew what it was that's running on his mind. Above all Jiho knows why Yi Jeong is all so confused. Gaeul & Woobin He was getting the idea even before the precedent reunion but chose to keep it to himself.

"I know it's a little too soon for her. But why don't you go and meet her?"

"You don't know how much I wanted to... but I think I have to wait a little more. She..."

"Seems different and oblivious of you. I get it and everybody does expect it."

"What do you mean?"

"In time, Yi Jeong-ah. I hate that I can't tell you anything at moment but like what you said we need to wait a little more."

"I understand. I hope you guys would find the heart to understand my reason as well."

"Cheer up. She's doing fine so you should as well."

A small smile broke from his face "I'll do my best, Jiho-yah. Thanks."

____________

A/N: Hey guys! Just new here and have three stories running. I've been a silent reader most of the tme in AF but i decided to post my fics in here too. So, I just want to know how things are going on and if my stories are in a way 'readable'. Will be very happy to hear anything from you. Thank you very much :)