Shinhye walked back to the Department of English and Literature, she dried her eyes along the way; she would not want to be subjected to inquiries. She composed herself and continued with her classes that afternoon.

                "Class, please be reminded that the more creative your presentation of the role play the next meeting; the higher your grade will be", she reminded her students. She grouped them for a role play on the story Pyramus and Thisbe for her Greek Mythology class.

                "Yes, ma'am", the students chorusly replied...as they started to chatter with their classmates about the scenes that they would be presenting.

                "Okay, I'll see you next week...goodbye, class", she said as she started to gather her things from the teacher's desk.

                "Bye, ma'am", some replied while the others just continued chattering with their other classmates as they went out of the room.

                After her students left, she felt drained...she put her hands on her throbbing temples...

                "Ahhh...heavens...why do I have to be submitted to the torture of the news at so early hour in the morning", she told herself remembering the events that morning while massaging her temples.

                She reclined at the chair and stayed there for around 10 minutes before she decided to leave. She rode her blue Porsche and manuevered out of the university. She had three cars, the other two she left at her parents' mansion in Seoul; but, the Porsche she kept...it was her favorite car because he chose it for her when he went with her to shop for a new car last year.

                She arrived at her apartment at the far end of the town. She decided to call her mother. After a couple of rings….

                “Hello”, her mother answered.

                “Hello, mom”, Shinhye greeted back before she sighed deeply.

                “What’s with the sigh, little angel? Are you okay?” her mother asked worriedly.

                “I’ll go home tomorrow…I’ll see you and dad”, Shinhye said in a low voice…

                “And that’s a reason for you to be sad?”

                “Nope…actually, actually, actually…” Shinhye was trying to figure out how to tell her mother about the meeting she had with Mr. Cho that morning. She could not think of how to blurt it all out over the phone. “Mom, I’ll just discuss things with you and dad tomorrow when I get there”, she instead said.

                “Okay… Ms. Actually, we’ll just wait for you here…kekeke. But seriously, know that whatever happens we’ll always be here for you…love you, little angel”, her mother lightly reminded her.

                “I love you, too, mom…please kiss dad for me…bye”, Shinhye ended the call.

                After the call, she took a hot shower…she also cooked her favorite Japanese ramen. She brought her bowl of ramen at her living room and opened the television to watch the evening news at K Channel. The sight of the person being ambushly interviewed set her heartbeat fast…it was him.

                “When is The Palace going to be opened to the public?” one of the reporter asked.

                “So far…it’s already on the final touches for the lobby and interior decorations for some of the function halls. Maybe sometime next month we’ll open it for the public”, he answered smiling patiently even though the reporters were almost shoving their recorders and microphones to his face.

                “How is The Palace different from the other large hotels that your family owned?” another asked.

                “Aside from being the largest of all the ten hotels we own in the entire country, maybe because of the theme…considering that this one is named The Palace so it’s more grand…it has the appeal of being inside the real palace combining the modern with traditional concept”, he explained animatedly…his excitement reflected in his smile.

                “Does your profession still allow you to participate in the supervision of your family business?” another reporter asked.

                “Honestly, I’m not that involve in the day to day supervision since I’m also busy teaching at the university but I make sure that I help when I have the time”, he replied still smiling his heart warming smile. “By the way, everyone I have to leave now…if you have other questions feel free to ask them on the opening ceremony of the The Palace…we’ll send you all an invitation…thank you very much”, he said friendlily before he bowed politely effectively escaping other questions that the reporters would still want to ask.

                Shinhye smiled to herself…he really carried himself well. He knew how to diplomatically answer questions and pacify people. He was so cool…so intelligent...so patient…so handsome…so princely. Yet, she had known him in his most vulnerable moments. She must also admit that she had met a lot of men her age and most were members of the elite like her and like him but she had never fallen in love with anyone the way she loved him

                “Why do I love you so? Why do you have to be so dense? Do I need to make the first move to make you mine?” Shinhye asked forlornly as she watched him walked away from the press people. She turned off the television after his interview and washed the eating utensils she used before she performed her beauty rituals.

                As she was lying on her bed, she looked at his picture in a photo frame; his lovable smile…his hair cut short with his bangs covering his forehead…his beautifully-shaped nose…his expressive chocolate brown eyes. He was wearing a red sweater over white shirt. It was a picture taken when he visited her in Incheon three months ago.         

“I’ve waited all these years for you…for almost six damn long years but you are just there…now I’m going to be forced to honor an agreement made years ago…where will it leave me? How am I supposed to survive knowing I’ll be given to someone else…when I love only you…” Shinhye sobbed as she embraced the photo frame.

                She would not want to call him…she was promised by her grandfather to someone else and negotiations with her parents would seal the deal unless she and her parents would find a way out of it. Yet, she wanted to hear his voice. His voice calmed her…soothed her…she had not talk to him for a week because of her busy schedule and the days that passed felt like hell…She did not want to call him but she found herself dialing his number.

                After a couple of rings, “Hello”, his husky but soothing baritone greeted her ears.

                “Hello,Yonghwa”, Shinhye greeted back; euphoria flowed from her heart…to her soul.