Yonghwa arrived at the park overlooking the Han River. He was wearing a white polo paired with black slacks and loafers. He sat on one of the stone benches enjoying the calming view of the water and the gentle breeze touching his face. His heart was filled with happiness as he remembered what happened hours before…

                “What the…I thought The Palace is not yet open for business?” Hyun Joong asked as his eyes roamed on the scene in front of him.

                The rooftop of The Palace was littered with big buckets filled with roses of different colors, a small dinner table was set on the side with matching two chairs, candle holders and scented candles were also present and a…grand piano. The servants were swarming like busy bees sweeping, scrubbing and cleaning the entire rooftop. Amidst the chaos was an excited Yonghwa.

                “Yeah…The Palace is not yet open for business.” Yonghwa moved from the center of chaos to stand beside his cousin. “But I want to ask Shinhye to be my girlfriend tonight and I want to do it here”, he added.

                “Really? So how would you go about this plan?” Hyun Joong continued to look at the servants going to and fro.

                “I would set the table on that side; then Shinhye and I will have a candle light dinner while someone will play the grand piano. The floor will be littered with rose petals…at the center…there will be a large heart out of the petals of the red roses…after we ate our dinner I will ask her to be my girlfriend…then we will dance at the center of the heart while the breeze gently touch our faces. After we danced we can look at the view overlooking the beautiful city of Seoul while we’re holding hands”, Yonghwa described his plan in a dreamy voice reflecting his happiness and excitement.

                “Wow…and I thought that you don’t have any romantic bones in your body.” Hyun Joong commented chuckling at the dreamy look of his cousin. Yonghwa was already captured in the web of deep adoration and love for Shinhye.

                “Yah…of course I have a romantic side. I’m just waiting for the right time to show it”, Yonghwa said trying to look insulted but failed because he could not control his smile from showing.

                “Know what, Yonghwa, there are times that I-I envy you…it’s not what you think, okay? How do I say it? I envy what you will have with Shinhye after this. You had found the one person in this world who will love you and care for you and accept you for who you are. Me…despite all the beautiful women I met in the industry when I took over the management of K Channel after dad died; I haven’t yet found the one for me.” Hyun Joong sighed deeply and smiled wistfully as he watched the servants polish the newly swept and scrubbed floor.

                “Hyun Joong, don’t be discouraged. I know that somewhere out there is a woman who’s destined to be with you…to share your life and love you. Who knows you might meet her this month, next month or she might just be at the corner. Love comes to us in the most unexpected ways and in the most unexpected times.” Yonghwa encouragingly tapped his cousin’s shoulder in encouragement.

                “I hope everything will end blissfully for you tonight. I really admire Shinhye…I even fancied courting her myself when we were in college if not for you. You really deserve each other…best of luck, cousin.” Hyun Joong flashed his handsome smile happy for his cousin who was like a brother to him.

                “Thank you, Hyun Joong. By the way, can I ask you a favor?”

                “What favor?”

                “Can you please stay here for a while to monitor things while I meet Shinhye? We’ll meet around 4:30 this afternoon. We’ll probably be here around 6:30”, Yonghwa asked his cousin.

                “Sure…no problem I don’t have any appointments this afternoon until evening today.”

                “Hyun Joong, I feel so excited and happy…I can feel deep in my heart that I would be very fortunate tonight. She’ll be my girlfriend after tonight”, Yonghwa happily remarked. Or so he thought….

                Yonghwa continued to enjoy the calmness of his surroundings. After a while he looked at his watch…it was already 4:20; it was only a matter of ten minutes before they see each other again.

              Shinhye arrived and parked her Porsche on the vacant spot beside Yonghwa’s red Volvo. She went out of her car and even from the distance…sitting at one of the stone benches facing Han River was Yonghwa, her best friend…her love. That afternoon, Shinhye wore a one inch below the knee blue dress with sleeves that reach to her elbows and a wide black belt that accentuated her tiny waist. She paired her dress with two-inch black heels; her hair flowed freely at her back.

                 She walked to where he was sitting.

                “Shinhye”, Yonghwa called even without looking at her.

                “Really, Yonghwa”, Shinhye chided him.

                Yonghwa stood from where he was sitting and faced her. He enveloped her in a tight embrace…savoring the fragrance of her hair and the softness of her body. She embraced him back as tight as he did…inhaling his mild perfume, laying her cheek on his chest and feeling safe and secured in his embrace.

                “I’ll know you in the midst of so many even without seeing your face. I know your perfume even, the sound of your footfalls and your voice”, Yonghwa gently whispered.

                “Thank you, Yonghwa.” Shinhye raised her cheek from his chest and looked at his chocolate brown eyes.

                “For what?” Yonghwa let go of their embrace only to drape his right arm to her shoulders as he steered them to sit at the bench.

                “For the embrace…for the welcome… for being my b-best friend…I really miss you so much.” Shinhye smiled to Yonghwa despite the pain she felt in her heart at the word best friend. “Is that all we’ll ever be?” she silently asked.

                “I really miss you, too, best friend.” Yonghwa smiled at her. “I hope…no… I know that after our date tonight, I’ll end up your boyfriend”, Yonghwa told himself. He was so happy yet he tried to act nonchalant unless Shinhye would notice and his grand plan be revealed. But then, he noticed that Shinhye’s smile did not reach her beautiful eyes. Her eyes were glassy as if she just cried.

                “Shinhye, is something wrong?” Yonghwa held her chin and looked at her eyes. He felt worried because Shinhye was not someone who was given to crying unless there was a reason for her to really cry.

                “Yonghwa, I’ve got something to tell you…a problem that I don’t know if I could find a way out this time.” Tears already flowed from her eyes.

              “Shuussh…Shinhye, please don’t cry, okay? If you couldn’t find a solution…I’ll help you or we could ask help from your parents even from my mother; even from Hyun Joong and Hyun Joong’s mother. Now tell me what is it?” Yonghwa wiped her tears with his thumbs and his gentle voice and loving gaze caused more tears to fall.

                “Yonghwa, I’m getting married”, Shinhye dropped the bomb.

                The world would have ended at that moment…the ground would have shaken…the water in Han River would have run dry but nothing…absolutely nothing prepared Yonghwa for what he heard. He was shocked…his world was frozen…his heart lurched in pain within his chest.

             “M-married? How come? I-is he from Incheon?” Yonghwa forced himself to be calm when deep inside his heart was already bleeding…torn…broken into pieces.

                “I was promised by Grandfather Park into marriage with Mr. Cho’s son, Kyuhyun”, Shinhye replied her voice sounded broken…drained…tired.

                “He was the one who hurt you years ago before you transferred in our school during third year high school.” It was not a question from Yonghwa; it was a statement…being privy to everything about Shinhye…well almost everything because the contract was something he did not know …yet Shinhye and her family just found it out, too…Grandfather Park unfortunately died without informing his family about the arranged marriage.

                “Yes…the very one who hurt me immensely; the one I hated”, Shinhye said her voice took a steel edge as she remembered Kyuhyun’s face.

                “What did your parents said?” Yonghwa asked controlling his emotions when he already wanted to shout, cry and hit something…anything.  

                Shinhye narrated her conversation with her parents when she arrived at their mansion…

                “He went to see you at Incheon?” her father asked surprised. Shinhye told her parents about Mr. Cho’s visit at the University of Incheon.

                “Yes, dad, and he gave me this.” She handed them the brown envelope.

                “What’s this, little angel?” her mother asked worriedly when he noticed the glassy look on Shinhye’s eyes.

                “A marriage contract, mom, saying that I’m promised by Grandfather Park in a marriage with Mr. Cho’s only son, Cho Kyuhyun”, Shinhye informed her parents.

                “A what? Husband, do you have any knowledge about this agreement?” her mother asked shocked at what Shinhye dropped at them.

                “Dad was friends with Cho In Su’s father but I didn’t know that they would have this kind of agreement. Maybe this is what dad was trying to tell me…tell us before he breathed his last”, her father replied as he perused the document.

                “Dad, Mr. Cho said that he will set a meeting between him with his wife and you with mom in order to negotiate my marriage to his son”, Shinhye said in a low voice trying not to succumb to tears.

                “Are we going to honor the contract?” Her mother turned to his father.

                “We’ll meet with In Su and his wife but it doesn’t mean that I’ll agree to this immediately.” Her father set the document down on his desk at the library.

                “Cho In Su is one of the favorite cabinet members of the president, he was the Secretary of Education. He also has strong allies in the government like the Secretary of Trade and Industry and Secretary of Defense just to name a few”, her mother commented.

                “Yeah…he has allies in the government...his family although not as wealthy as ours wield a strong influence particularly in politics. But…I never liked him at all. Our dear departed fathers were friends but I and In Su never formed any connection with each other. He was bully and manipulative. I’ll see what I can do to retract this contract but I won’t promise you, Shinhye.” Her father looked at her intently.

                “That man…he went behind our backs and pounced immediately to bully our daughter!” her mother exclaimed angrily.

                “The contract stipulated that unless both parties agreed to end the contract; the contract stands and the marriage will take place. Another is…if you were married before you reach the age of 22; the contract would automatically be invalid”, her father read aloud the stipulations. “Shinhye, you’re already 22 and still unmarried”, her father commented afterwards.

                As Yonghwa heard the conditions…the more he wanted to hit something but most of all someone…particularly himself.

                “If I didn’t hesitate years ago…if I made her mine years ago…this wouldn’t happen”, Yonghwa told himself…mentally kicking himself while his heart bled more…the more he controlled his emotions the more he feared that he might choke himself to death.

                He would have still told her his feelings despite everything…he would have opened up his bleeding heart and broken soul to her when he looked at her and found her sleeping…leaning on his shoulder…holding to his hand. He concluded that she must have been unable to sleep because of the news only he did not know that Shinhye was not able to sleep more at the thought of not being with him forever.

                “Shinhye, my love, I’m sorry for not telling you of my feelings before. I’m sorry for being such a fool…I’m sorry…I’m sorry… I love you…I love you so much.” Yonghwa allowed tears to fall…as the sun was setting down…

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