Mandy’s POV

Mandy was still smiling from last night’s incident. How someone of his age could be so naïve, she didn’t understand. Her phone then beeped to show that she had received a text message.

‘I’m free now. Come online.’ It said.

The text was from her elder sister.

Mandy’s sister was 9 years older than her and the person responsible for her upbringing. She was the main reason why Mandy’s was still sane. She shared everything with her didi(elder sister in Hindi). In their circus of a family and roller coaster ride of a life, her sister was her holding post, the person who kept her centered.

She was married to an hotelier who had a chain of five star hotels and resorts all over India and was now expanding globally. She herself was a famous Jewelry Designer and had her own brand name, Miraya Jewels, named after her daughter.

When she got married at the age of 24, she and Mandy made a pact that they would communicate somehow with each other daily. Their favorite form of communication was video chat and had overtime become a sort of ritual.

Mandy switched on her ipad and waited for the connection to set. She was still smiling at the gullibility of her new friend.

“You look awfully happy this morning”

“DIDI!!”

“Hey kiddo, how are you today? Because last time I checked you were missing me miserably”

“I still am, but am not that upset anymore”

“What happened overnight that made you so happy?”

“Devdas took me for Italian last night”

Like Niya, Mandy told her elder sister everything, so she was fully aware of Ji Hoo and the F4.

“He did?” her sister’s eyebrows shot up asking this

“Don’t worry, it was nothing like that. F4 was also there with the girls.”

“Good; don’t make me worry about you. See I am even starting to show signs of aging” her sister said in fun. In her mid 30’s, Mandy’s sister looked 10 years younger than her age, with baby like soft features and a pretty and warm smile.

“Yeah right as if, everyone knows that I would show signs of aging before you do didi”

“But be careful okay”

“Yes mom ……”

“Make fun now, but you will regret it later if you are not careful. Now make me choose an outfit for my meeting with the certification board.”

One of the main reasons for the sisters’ preferred mode being video chat was just this. They always helped each other chose outfits when in a crisis.

“How about that green dress you bought last year with your new Charles and Keith peep toes with the emerald drop earrings and bracelet from your Enigma collection?”

“I didn’t know what I’d do without you” her sister said ostentatiously

“My drama queen, do you further need my services or am I allowed to have lunch now?”

“You are free now slave, do as you may wish”

“Bye didi, love you, muah!” Mandy said as she finished the call.

Her sister was always like this. Caring but carefree; restricting but always letting her choose what was best for her and learn from her mistakes. One of the many reasons Mandy loved her so dearly.

Mandy walked to the refrigerator barefoot and took out a bottle of water. She filled a glass and chugged it down. She took out leftover tamarind rice and micro-waved it. After finishing her lunch, she continued unpacking her stuff from where she left off yesterday.

As she had joined her classes the very next day of arriving in Seoul, she hadn’t had time to unpack before.

She finished unpacking by 6’Oclock. Now she was left with nothing to do. All her chores were already done and all her class notes were complete. So like the last night she was again left frustrated. ‘I have to buy some DVD’s first thing tomorrow’ she thought. ‘I should ask Ji Hoo for directions’ and the thought brought back last night’s memory. She had to check up on him and find out if he had talked to Woo Bin yet. And something told her that he hadn’t brought up the topic.

She was super excited as she dialed his number. He picked up after three rings.

“Yebeseyo?”

“Hey it’s me”

“Oh hey, what’s up?”

“Where are you right now?”

“At the F4 lounge”

“F4 with you there or are you alone?”

“Only Jun Pyo is not here, others are. Why are you asking?”

“Can I come over? I was feeling bored alone at my apartment, so I was wondering if maybe I could hang out with you guys.”

“Yeah sure, why not”

“Great! Text me the address”

“I can pick you up if you like”

“Oh don’t worry; I’ll get there on my own just fine.”

Being bored was actually only half the reason of going to the F4 lounge; the main motive was to see the flustered expression on her friend’s face and the good laugh she would have by teasing him.

She quickly got ready, grabbed her essentials and ipad and ran out her door.

Ji Hoo’s POV

‘Okay this girl is definitely up to something’ Ji Hoo thought as he texted the address for the lounge to Mandy’s number. She didn’t sound bored even a single bit on the phone. ‘Well, maybe she was just excited to come over’ he thought. But something told him, there was some other reason behind her visit.

“Who was that?” Woo Bin asked

“Mandy, she wanted to come over so I gave her the address”

“You both have gotten quite close in the last week” commented Yi Jung, eyes still on his game of pool.

“Yeah well, she is that type of a person. She worms her way in unknowingly.”

“So has she ‘wormed’ her way to your heart?” asked Woo Bin, teasing his friend “Because it definitely seemed like it when you dragged her out of the restaurant yesterday, in the middle of when I was asking her out”

“Aish! Why do you have to take everything the wrong way, huh? She is just a good friend, that’s it; nothing else. And the reason was just that; YOU were asking her out, even though I told you not to.”

“Bro, listen carefully when I say this; a guy and a girl can never be Just Friends.”

“Well you are wrong, because Mandy and I are just that; friends and nothing else” Ji Hoo was never the one to defend his relationships with women, but Woo Bin suggesting that there might be something else than friendship reserved for them, made him feel all jittery.

10 minutes later Mandy arrived at the lounge.

“I brought ice cream” but stopped with what she saying. “Where are Jan Di and Ga Eul? You told me that only Jun Pyo was not here and the rest were here.”

“But you only asked about the F4” said Ji Hoo

“Oh right, maybe I should have said F6 instead of F4. The girls are always with you, so I thought they would be here. Well you guys would just have to do then.” She let out an exasperated sigh as she plopped down on the floor near the coffee table. She opened the tub of ice cream and started to dig in.

She looked up at the guys who were staring at the strange girl who had claimed their area as her own.

“Well I’m not going to finish the whole tub, help me out here.” The guys just shrugged in a ‘what the hell’ manner and sat down around the table with a spoon each.

“So where are the two girls anyway?” Mandy asked while eating a spoonful of vanilla ice cream.

“Jan Di and Ga Eul are busy with wedding preparations. The wedding is scheduled for two months later, so a lot of things have to be taken care of.” Replied Yi Jung smoothly.

“And you didn’t offer to help?”

“Do you know how scary those two friends are together? I value my life too much to get caught in their trap.” This little comment was added by Woo Bin. Truth was that Jan Di and Ga Eul had asked for F4’s help to finish their work more easily, but all the guys had somehow got out of it, making some lame excuses and instead had provided them other men like drivers and organizers to help them out.

“So, Yi Jung, if you don’t mind me asking, how are things going with you and Ga Eul?” Mandy inquired

Yi Jung smirked at her “No, I don’t mind you asking, because there’s not much to tell. Since I have returned from Sweden, I haven’t gone on a single date with her. I mean I never really went on a date with her before. The fake one we went on to bring Jan Di and Jun Pyo together doesn’t count. I have been trying to work out a day when we can both just spend some time together alone, but she is either always busy with her school kids or Jan Di’s wedding preparations. I can’t even get her undivided attention for 10 minutes, because she is always worrying about flowers, or dresses or the cake. I mean they have the best wedding planners at their disposal, but no, these two girls have to do everything themselves.” Yi Jung let out a frustrated sigh.

“Well I also wouldn’t want some random person to plan mine or my best friend’s wedding. It’s one of those important days of your lives where you want just everything perfect and can only trust friends and family in these matters” consoled Mandy.

“But I can help you get that one day with Ga Eul. While you are with her, I can help Jan Di in anything she needs, so Ga Eul won’t be worried about leaving Jan Di alone and I’m sure Ji Hoo and Woo Bin would be more than happy to help” she said, hitting Ji Hoo in the chest lightly with her elbow.

“Yeah, yeah why not” said Ji Hoo

“Yo, I never said yes” protested Woo Bin

“Your opinion doesn’t count” said Mandy in a tone that said that there was no arguing with her.

“Really? I can’t thank you enough. Ask anything you want, I’ll give it to you” said a grateful Yi Jung

“Can I cash in that favor some other time? Because I really can’t think of anything right now”

“Sure anything you ever want, just tell me.”

“Yo bro, since when did you start granting people’s wishes like this? You owe me a lot too, where are my three wishes, genie?” demanded Woo Bin

“Well she has given me the best gift ever, a chance to go on my first date with Ga Eul. What have you done for me huh?”

“Mwo? I didn’t do anything for you?” said Woo Bin, getting up from his spot and moving in Yi Jung’s direction. Yi Jung knew what was on Woo Bin’s mind and started to get up too, but before he could flee, Woo Bin put him in a headlock “Say it again. I didn’t do anything for you? If I wasn’t here to protect her from other guys, Ga Eul wouldn’t be yours to claim. She would already be married with a kid on the way. And you say I never did anything for you. Aish! You are such an ungrateful friend” Woo Bin was now cursing in Korean as he let go of Yi Jung.

“Well what do you want then?” asked Yi Jung as they sat down again

“Hmmn, how about you give me the phone numbers of some of your Swedish ‘friends’, huh?”

“Well believe it or not, I didn’t make any ‘friends’ in Sweden. Ga Eul’s thoughts never left me. But I could give you the phone number of an artist friend I had there, Christopher, and I’m sure he would very much enjoy your company” said Yi Jung playfully, hinting at something in between the lines.

“No thanks, I have lots of friends here” said Woo Bin quickly “Look the ice cream is finished” trying to change the subject

Yi Jung started laughing his off seeing his friend’s nervous act.

The mention of ice cream brought an expression on Mandy’s face like she had remembered something. She pulled Ji Hoo towards her a little and spoke in a low voice to him.

“Ji Hoo, did you finish your homework?”

“Homework?” asked a confused Ji Hoo. They didn’t get any homework at the med school, so what was she talking about.

“The one I gave you yesterday; have you done it?”

“No, I thought you were joking.”

“Well I wasn’t; so ask him now”

“Now? Like right now?”

“Yes; and ask him in English, so that I know what you are talking about.”

He looked at Mandy like she had lost her mind; but unfortunately knew that she wasn’t going to rest until he did as she wished.

“Uh, Woo Bin, other than being a flavor and a scent, what does vanilla mainly signify?”

Woo Bin and Yi Jung both looked up at him with the expressions that you have on parents’ faces when their children ask how babies are born. Both friends kept looking at each other then back at Ji Hoo, trying to figure out how to break it to their friend.

Then Woo Bin pulled Ji Hoo in his direction and whispered something in his ear.

The moment he heard the meaning, a deep blush crept up Ji Hoo’s neck and to his cheeks.

“Yah! Is this t-the kind of thing t-that a l-lady should talk about?” he tried to sound more convincing is his chiding, but was too uneasy to talk properly. Mandy was having the time of her life at the expense of her friend’s embarrassment.

“You put him up to this?” asked a shocked Woo Bin

“We were talking last night about vanilla being my favorite in almost everything and I said that even though I haven’t experienced all things vanilla, I might enjoy them someday.” She said simply “and said ‘you know what I mean’ and he was like ‘I don’t know what you mean’. I seriously didn’t know that he would turn out to be so naïve!” she was now clutching her stomach to stop the pain from her rolling-on-the-floor-laughter.

She started getting up from her spot to get a hold of herself.

“Okay, now you have to go on a date with me; I’m too intrigued by you” said an amazed Woo Bin.

“Sorry Woo Bin, but there is a problem with that proposition”

“And that would be ……”

“You are not my type. You give off more brotherly vibes than any guy I’ve ever met who is not family. I even had the urge to call you BHAI, which means brother in Hindi; just FYI.”

She had now started to pick up her things and head for the exit

“Actually you know what; I will call you ‘Bhai’ from now on, because you are a ‘Bhai’ around here. Woo Bin Bhai, even has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? And don’t ask me what I mean by that. If you are curious go find it out yourself. You can even take Ga Eul’s help. I’m sure she’ll be able to help you out, because she, you know, watches Bollywood movies and would probably know what I mean. And Yi Jung, just tell me which day you want to take her out, so I’ll plan accordingly. So I’ll be going now; take care of each other. Byeeee” And she hugged both the stunned guys.

As she was at the door, she called out to Ji Hoo, who was hiding behind the pretence of listening to music on his headphones. The truth was he was still very much flustered by the events that had happened.

“Bye Devdas; see you in class tomorrow” and with that she was gone.

“Did I just get rejected?” asked a dumbfounded Woo Bin.

“Come on, I think you should sit down” said Yi Jung, trying to comfort his shocked friend

“Who is she?” Woo Bin was still too shaken after receiving his first rejection.

“She is someone who is going to make our lives very interesting” said Yi Jung to himself and just kept looking at the door and smiling.

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