Eleven

+

Jiyong leaned on his car in front of the campus lobby.

“Hey, Barbie.” Jiyong waved at her.

Chaerin scoffed and look around because some people are mumbling.

“Jiyong-ssi call her baby.”

“No, its Barbie.”

“Oh right, she does look like Barbie.”

“Does it mean she call Jiyong-ssi Ken?”

And even though they are already told the whole campus that they are together, people still interested in staring at them like some kind of weird thing.

“Where are we going?” Chaerin get into the car.

“Cloud Nine.” He named a restaurant on top of a luxury hotel building but also a phrase means the peak of happiness or euphoria feeling.

He smirked while Chaerin scoffed, he likes teasing her like this.

“But I’m only wearing casual clothes!”

Jiyong pointed at the back seat. There’s a box.

Chaerin take it and open it then she found a pretty dress.

“Who’s dress is it?”

“Yours, I asked mr. Jang to buy one for you to go for a dinner date with me.” he said, “and this afternoon, one of mr. Jang’s man brought this to me.”

“Mr. Jang is really reliable, right?” she said.

Jiyong nodded.

“But… a dinner date?”

Jiyong smiled. “If people go eat at night doesn’t it call dinner? And if couple go out together doesn’t it call a date?”

Chaerin blushed when he said couple.

“Where should I change?”

“Here.” Jiyong said.

“What??”

“Its high way, I’ll go in high speed so people won’t see from outside. Also my window is dark.” He said.

“But what about you?”

“What about me?” he asked back.

“You will—”

Jiyong laughs,”Ya! Barbie, I’ve seen everything, don’t worry about me. I won’t you… at least not here and now.”

Chaerin smack his back, “You ert bastard!”

+

“So, this isn’t a dinner date actually.” Jiyong said after they sat in the special table with the most beautiful city view.

“So?”

Jiyong took his tablet. “It’s a wedding meeting wrapped in a beautiful dinner.”

Chaerin dropped her jaw.

“I met my parents and tell them that I am ready to get married, they will take care of everything but I ask if we could still arrange something for us.”

“Like what?” she asked.

“Like the wedding gown and suit, you want them to pick for you or you wanna pick your own? And the wedding theme, the color, the place…”

“They will allow us to choose?”

“We will give our preference and they will reconsider it later.”

“Wow, I thought it would be just like our engagement day.” Chaerin siles bloom. She’s happy to know she could still having a piece of her dream wedding, she thought she’d be sit, do nothing, and forced to accept whatever given to her.

“So…” he shows something on his tablet. “what kind of wedding you want t have?”

Chaerin’s heart pounding because she’s excited.

They scrolled down some wedding inspiration websites after they order some food, Jiyong show her the kind of suits he likes, she tried to match the gown with Jiyong’s suits options.

“I don’t want the big gown.” She said.

“I prefer this one.” Jiyong pointed at a picture.

“Zuhair Murad is the best…” she mumbled, “but isn’t it too y?”

“Hmm… lets see what Vera Wang have,” he type another designer name.

“Jiyong?” Suddenly a voice calls his name.

Jiyong lift his head towards the sound and he instantly frozen.

“Its really you.” The tall girl walked towards Jiyong and Chaerin’s table.

Chaerin followed Jiyong’s gaze and found a slender girl in long slim red dress, her short black hair is brushed neatly behind her ears.

Jiyong immediately stand up after clearly had an blank wave for a second.

“How are you?” she arched her red lips into a smile.

“Good,… great, you?”

The girl turned to Chaerin without answering Jiyong.

“Oh, Chaerin,” he called Chaerin. And she also stand up. “This is Kiko Mizuhara.” He continued.

Chaerin bowed.

“Kiko, this is Chaerin…”

“… your fiancée, right?” she smiled.

“Y-yes…” he said.

“You’re prettier than your pictures.” She said to Chaerin.

Chaerin smiled, having people tell her that she’s pretty is not something new, but there’s something in this girl that makes her uncomfortable.

“Please continue enjoying your date, I’ll be on my table. Good night.” She bowed.

Chaerin bowed again and sat while Jiyong still stunt.

Chaerin cleared , “she might be one of your ex or your crush, but you can’t have that face in front of our fiancée, really.” she said.

Jiyong sat down, “w-what face.”

“A drooling face saying ‘I miss you so much.’ Towards that woman.”

“What the heck, I don’t have that face.”

“Yes you have, Jiyong.” She scoffed, “Oh whatever.”

+

Jiyong came home still thinking about his encounter with Kiko earlier, never in his mind he got to meet her. He holds his chest, all the pain is still there, and he pray everyday not to see her again.

Suddenly his phone beeps

My Love Kiko:

I hope your number is still the same. Happy to see you and seeing that you’re happy and healthy make me relieve. Kiko.

“.” He realized that he hasn’t changed her name. but instead of changing her name, he spent the next few hours re reading some texts between him and Kiko that he saved on archive folder from their relationship that ended more than three years a go.

2011

Jiyong : thank you for agreeing to accompanying me to my father’s company event, usually it’s always boring but you make it better.

Kiko    : Hi, your most welcome. Hahaha… are you always this good at praising someone?

Jiyong : no, people said I’m bad at praising, unless to the person who really worth to be praised.

Kiko    : smooth talker.

Jiyong : I’m not, really. thank you again anyway, I really want to pay you back.

Kiko    : how?

Jiyong : Can I treat you dinner sometimes?

Late 2011

Kiko    : when will you go to Japan again? I miss you

Jiyong : Soon, Being a new college student is not easy, babe, why don’t you come here to Seoul?

Kiko    : you know your parents never seems to like me.

Jiyong : they will like you once they got to know you better. Come here! I miss you.

Kiko    : no, I will wait here… I need to work also, I’m not born rich like you.

Jiyong : oh my soon to be Hollywood actress is mad?

Kiko    : I have several auditions for drama and photoshoots tomorrow, TTYL. Love u.

Jiyong : love you too, babe, always.

2012

Jiyong : why you have to go with those directors?

Kiko    : I’ve to do that to get role on their movies, duh!?

Jiyong : But must you drink with them every night? I hate to hear you whine that you get hangover almost every day.

Kiko    : oh come on! We don’t talk about it again! if you hate it than I’d will not whining to you again.

Jiyong : that’s not solve anything, just quit being actress, marry me and you don’t have to work again.

Kiko    : really?

Jiyong : yes, lets get married.

Kiko    : see? Your parents don’t like me because I’m not a heiress! I’m different than you! I have to work my off to live, unlike you!

Jiyong : babe, we’ll try to figure it out okay…

Kiko    : I’m sick of everything! Lets just break up.

Jiyong : hey, don’t say break up so easy like that, babe. I’ll go to japan now, I’m on my way to airport. Lets talk it out, okay?

2013

Kiko    : Ji, I’m sorry…

Kiko    : Jiyong, I don’t mean to.

Kiko    : you know its actually not fully my fault!!

Kiko    : whatever, if you want to ignore everything. I DON’T CARE.

Kiko    : Ji… I’m sorry… I know you hate me, I’m sorry, I hope you happy.

+

Chaerin was at the campus when she bumped into Youngbae.

“Hi, Chaerin.” He said.

Chaerin just nodded, but then she grabbed Youngbae’s arm, “have you eat lunch? She asked.

Youngbae sat in front of Chaerin in a café in their campus.

“Anyway…” Chaerin said. “who’s Kiko Mizuhara?”

Youngbae coughing, he’s literally got choke from the coffee he’s drinking.

“What the…” Chaerin murmured but do nothing to help him.

“Uhukk.. uhuk…” he tried to calm himself.

“Are you okay?”

Youngbae nodded.

“Why you suddenly ask?” he asked.

“Because I wanna know…”

“But why Kiko? Must be something related to Jiyong, right?”

Chaerin shrugged.

“How do you know her?”

“We met when me and Jiyong had a dinner.” She said. “And he introduces us.”

“Oh… okay…”

“What? Why? Do I need to know something? I mean, I know that he obviously like that girl, because he was suddenly become dumb after meeting her.” she said.

Youngbae startled to see Chaerin’s reaction, of course there is no jealousness, he thought, they don’t even have feelings for each other, and that’s kind of pathetic.

“She’s Jiyong’s ex girlfriend. The one who made him give up on love.” He said.

Chaerin paused.

“Jiyong loved her so much even though they’re just together for less than two years.” He continues.

The smile on her face faded. “Oh…” Chaerin nodded. “Tell me more about her.”

“Uh…” Youngbae hesitated.

“Or else I’ll call Dara and told her that you think she’s bad in bed.”

“What the—” Yongbae speechless, “you’re so mischievous.”

She grinned.

“Well, so… Kiko is Japanese, as you know, and she’s a new actress back then, they met when Jiyong had a party with our friends in Tokyo, at that time Jiyong is still young and wild, he was living his life mostly in Japan because he doesn’t want to get enroll in Hyun Suk, he was refusing become the heir of Kwon ent. and decided to become artist.”

“He was like that??” Chaerin shocked.

“Yes, Chae, there was time where Jiyong was so rebellious.” He sad. “And then, Jiyong and Kiko were start dating around five years a go I think, they were so in love, I mean, I’ve been friend with him since we’re little and that was the first time he done so much for a girl. Jiyong was only 19 but he’s thinking of being serious with her, so he tried to introduce her to his parents, but Mr. and Mrs. Kwon didn’t like her. And that made Jiyong and Kiko started to argue more until one day Jiyong asked her to marry him…”

Chaerin popped her eyes.

“… when she agreed, Jiyong tried to talk to his parents again but, as expected, they refuse, but that time Jiyong try to bargain, I could say he sell himself to his family, he gave up his dream of being artist and agree to become the heir of Kwon.”

“Wow… she’s soooo lucky.” Chaerin feels a strange sting in her heart.

“But she didn’t feel so grateful about it. Because when Mr. and Mrs. Kwon started to considering Kiko, Jiyong went to Japan to surprise her, but then he found her cheating on him, right in front of his eyes.”

“What the f—”

Youngbae nodded, “What worse was, all the time they were in relationship, Jiyong paid her bills because money was her problem as a new comer actress, Jiyong thoughts she saving her money to her parents or to something more important, but turns out that she use all her money for partying and worse, to pay for her cheating partner’s bills.”

“She pays for another guy’s living cost while hers is paid by Jiyo