Fourth update!!! today

Niya opened the door fully and let him in.

“Mandy just came into my room and told me that…” Woo Bin started when he saw that there was no one else in the room except him and Niya.

“Yeah, you came first, no one is here yet” she said. She was dressed in a tank top and a pair of sweat shorts.

“And, uh, where is Mandy?” Woo Bin asked

“Um, she’s in the washroom”

At that point Ji Hoo and Yi Jung also came into the room. A few seconds after that Ga Eul came and Mandy also came out. Last were Jun Pyo and Jan Di.

“So, what are we here for?” Yi Jung asked

“Um, a couple of announcements actually” Mandy said

“Announcements? What kind?”

“First off, since my parents are gone, Yi Jung, you and Ga Eul can share a room tonight”

“Finally” Yi Jung heaved a sigh

“See, that’s the benefit of marriage” Jun Pyo said smugly

“Don’t be so happy, it’s bad news next” Mandy warned him and then continued “When we reach the venue tomorrow, all you guys would have to share a room and the girls would stay with me”

“No way” Jun Pyo crossed his arms in front of his chest

“Please Jugnu” Mandy said sweetly

“This is so not fair”

“I know, but nothing can be done. The bridesmaids are supposed to stay with the bride in her suite; that’s the tradition in my family.” And then added “Come on, Jugnu, it is just one week; please” Mandy said

“Ok fine” Jun Pyo said with a sulk

“Thank you, I really appreciate it” Mandy said

“We all are sharing a room?” Woo Bin asked

“Yeah; first only you and Ji Hoo were sharing a room but then I had to put Jun Pyo and Yi Jung with you. Bhai, you have to ensure that they don’t sneak into our room in the night.” Mandy said

Yi Jung’s expression also changed into a sulk.

“You were thinking that weren’t you?” Niya asked Yi Jung and he nodded his head lightly

“Omygod, you were so right!” Mandy said to Niya

“This was your idea?” Woo Bin asked

“Yep”

“But how did you know that he was planning to sneak into the room at night?”

“Because, he’s a guy”

“Huh?”

“You won’t understand” Niya simply said and turned to Mandy “Can we sleep now? Or are there any more announcements?”

“No, no more announcements”

“Unnie you haven’t told us where we are going” Ga Eul asked

“To one of papa’s resorts; it’s one of my favorites”

“What’s so special about it?”

“It was actually a palace before it was renovated and turned into a hotel/resort”

“A palace?” Jan Di and Ga Eul said together

“So how far is it from here?” Ji Hoo asked

“It’s a half hour flight, but the airport from here is again a whole hour and then after we land down, it’s another half hour by road to the venue. So I suggest we all go to sleep now.”

The next day, everyone reached the resort by 4 in the evening and the girls retired to their suite. The F4 guys also retired to their suite, all except Woo Bin. He was feeling frustrated that he couldn’t do anything for Ji Hoo, so he decided to take a walk around the premises. He was roaming the lawns when he heard voices. He walked towards the sounds and found Niya and Gagan sitting on a bench and talking in whispers. As their back was to them, he didn’t get noticed as he walked over to them.

“You need to start trusting her” Niya was saying to Gagan “You know she doesn’t like being answerable to anyone.”

“I know, but she has changed a lot otherwise too”

“People don’t change that much, they just grow up. Sometimes their tastes and likes change but they don’t change as a person. She is still the same Mandy we knew when we were young”

“Doesn’t seem like it” Gagan said sourly

“Are you having a change of mind? Because if you are then say so now”

“No, I still want to marry her; I just feel like I don’t know anything about her anymore”

“What do you want to know?”

“I don’t know; it could be anything. Like why did she leave the States and go to Seoul? What is her relationship with that guy?”

“You have to ask her yourself about why she transferred; I think you should hear it from her; and about Ji Hoo” Niya said and Woo Bin’s ears pricked up “they are just really good friends, best friends even” Woo Bin gave out a disappointed sigh. He knew that Mandy told Niya everything, and if she had told Niya that they were just friends then that is what she thought of Ji Hoo.

Woo Bin had been hopeful, that if somehow Mandy also liked Ji Hoo, even though it was just a bit, there was still chance for him to help his best friend in some way. But now hearing Niya say that Mandy thought of Ji Hoo only as a friend, he felt his hopes being shattered. He had been hiding behind a tree and then turned around to go back the way he came when he saw Miraya standing in front of him. He hadn’t noticed her and was scared out of his wits when he saw her, which made him shout in surprise.

Niya and Gagan heard him and walked towards him.

“What are you doing here?” Niya asked him

“Uh, I was just roaming around…”

“No, he was listening to you and uncle talk” Miraya interjected

Niya looked at Woo Bin with one eyebrow arched and he decided to fess up “I was just roaming around and heard your voices and I got curious” he said sheepishly

Niya then directed her attention to Miraya “Why are you here?” she asked sweetly

“I came to meet Maasi’s new boyfriend” the little girl said

“Me?” Gagan feigned surprise “Oh, I’m honoured” he said and picked the little girl up. “Why did you want to meet me?”

“I wanted to see what you looked like, so that I know whose shoes to steal at the wedding”

“You are not supposed to tell him that” Niya laughed at the little girl’s innocence and Gagan joined in as he let her down and she ran off to her room.

“Why would she steal your shoes?” Woo Bin asked

“It’s a custom, that the girls from the bride’s side get to steal the groom’s shoes and then they would only give the shoes back after he gives them all gifts in return.” Niya explained

“And what’s the purpose behind it?” Woo Bin asked

“No purpose, just ways of stealing from the poor groom” Gagan said

“Poor groom? You get to take away the bride with you forever, I think we have the right to steal from you” Niya said

“Thanks for your advice Niya” Gagan said gratefully to her

“No problem” Niya smiled at him

“I should probably hire you as my advisor permanently, the last time also when I came to you; your suggestion helped me a lot”

“Sorry, you can’t do that; she is my employee now” Woo Bin interjected and Gagan gave her a questioning look

“Long story; I’ll explain some other time” Niya said

“Ookaay, but use her well huh” Gagan said to Woo Bin “she is a diamond in the rough, just needs someone to recognize her potential”

“Will you just go and apologize to her already” Niya said to Gagan and pushed him away a little

“You two seem close” Woo Bin commented when Gagan was out of hearing distance

“Yeah, we have known each other for some years now”

“And what was the other advice he was talking about?”

“Nothing, just some legal trouble he got into a few years ago” Niya said vaguely

“You must have been just a college student back then”

“Yep”

“And he still took your advice?”

“It’s a matter of whom you trust; he asked for advice from me as a friend, not as a client”

Woo Bin didn’t say anything for a few minutes and they roamed the lawns in silence, but there was something that he had to ask

“What is it?” Niya said

“Huh?”

“What is it that you want to ask?”

“How did you know?”

“Body language”

“Huh?”

“Your body gives away what’s on your mind” Niya explained

“So what was my body giving away?” Woo Bin asked in a mocking tone

“That there is something troubling you; there are some questions that you want to ask, but don’t know if you should ask them or not”

“Wow, you’re good”

“When you win best female international mooter for 3 consecutive years, you learn to read people”

“I should probably hire you”

“You automatically hired me when you bought the company”

“No, I meant as my personal advisor”

“Giving some advice to a friend doesn’t qualify me become a professional advisor”

“It doesn’t matter; it’s final, you are my personal advisor from now on”

“But…”

“No buts; it’s decided and you start after Mandy’s wedding. Double the pay, plus perks and all expenses provided for your stay”

“My stay?”

“You will be moving to Seoul, of course”

“WHAT?!”

“What good would my personal advisor be when she is in a different country.”

“But but”

“What is the problem?”

“I don’t know the language!”

“Neither did Mandy, but she managed fine on her own”

“Yeah well I’m not as optimistic as she is; and she had you guys to support her”

“You are saying it like we all would ignore you when you are there”

“Yeah, I know that, but I can’t afford to stay on my own like her”

“As I said, all expenses paid for”

But he saw indecision and doubt in Niya’s features.

“Ok, let’s settle your heart; I am redeeming my wish”

“Huh?”

“The wish I got when you girls made us dress up.”

“What does that have to do with this?”

“It’s my wish that you become my personal advisor”

“I thought there was a reasonable boundaries clause to it” Niya muttered

“Chicken” Woo Bin muttered loud enough for Niya to hear

“Ok, deal” Niya said and extended her hand

“I knew you were smart enough to take that offer” he smirked and shook her hand

“But I only did it because I wanted to, not because of your wish”

“So that means that my wish isn’t used yet”

“Yep, if you want to”

“Great”

Niya and Woo Bin's story developing. I'm writing a Niya and Woo Bin side story too and will post it after the first few chapters are down. So any suggestions about how you want the story to go, just PM me ^^