Five minutes past four. She took a deep sigh and convinced herself to be more patient. Her irritation slightly went on the down low when the waiter delivered her favorite cinnamon swirl with her fourth cup of Iced Caramel Macchiato (Venti size, nonetheless). She knew that he’d nagged and scold her to no end when he finds out of her excessive caffeine intake (one of the cons of being engaged to a total health freak; but that’s a little sacrifice compared to her love for him…she thinks…whatever) but right now, she couldn’t care less.

He’s making her wait (again) so she feels that she’s only entitled to the simple joys in life he’s been depriving her lately. Number one on that list would be coffee. She didn’t have to worry about her personal bodyguards blabbering about her recent coffee escapades since she’s bribed (or rather, threatened) them to keep their mouths shut. After all, it’s been quite some time since she put the spoiled and pretty rich kid act to use. A tactic which never gets old.

4:44pm. She glanced upon the café’s large digital clock on display and frowned. How dare he make her wait for more than half an hour! Who does he think he is? Granted, he’s Korea’s Most Eligible Bachelor (and eleventh worldwide according to some reliable list or so), self-made billionare, Jung Yonghwa, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a guy and she’s a girl; and good guys don’t make pretty girls wait. Especially if said girl is someone named Seo Joohyun. She may have been born with a silver spoon in but like him, she too, worked her way to the top.

Truth be told, that’s how their love story began. Their pursuit of success and the need to prove themselves worthy to make a dent in this world amidst of all the drama, were what brought them together. He was disowned by his family when it was revealed that he was his mother’s son out of wedlock during the time his father (the chaebol heir) was preoccupied establishing their music empire in Japan. He was just sixteen at the time. It was one heck of a makjang when such news was revealed to the public.

With the chaotic legal battles being publicized and all the messy drama that came along with it, he swore that he’d become the son they wished they never threw out. Despite all protests, he insisted to remain on his prestigious high school under scholarship, with part time jobs to keep his expenses afloat. Once he graduated, he took a year off to study and prepare himself to get into one of the Ivy League universities.

Through blood, sweat, and tears, he finally earned his diploma from Yale. He moved to New York shortly after graduation and that’s where he started fiddling in the music industry.  At first he did it to spite his father, but later on, he discovered that’s where his passion truly lies. His family mocked his attempts since they never saw him play an instrument, let alone,sing, but such insults were put to rest the moment they heard his first single.

They were speechless upon the talent that they never knew existed. The very thing they spent years to scout for in the streets was right beside them all along, but it’s such a sad twist of fate that they themselves were the ones who quickly threw it away. They pretended it was all nothing, and just decided to discourage the young man from pursuing his dreams. It was a project that everyone doomed to be a failure from the start, but Jung Yonghwa is not Jung Yonghwa (he dropped his former surname, “Lee” and took after his biological dad’s last name, “Jung”) if he isn’t stubborn.

Against all odds, he made it. He began his slow and steady rise to the top, but not without colliding with a fellow stubborn headed person in the form of SeoJoohyun. He had the riches to rags and back to riches story. He was the Prince then a Pauper and back to being the Prince again. But how can a fallen prince regain such footing when he’s facing THE princess of all princesses? How do you win an argument against a girl who’s so used to having her own way? How can such a fallen prince, who’s barely just regaining his title, compete with a girl who has everything?

He tried to deal kindly with her, but Seohyun (a nickname she gave herself to signify her “rebirth” or being one with herself; whatever that means) challenged him until he gave up and decided to play it dirty. Whereas the characters on that tv show she’s so addicted to (what were their names? Charles? Chuck? Blare? Blair? Chair? What? Who cares) are good enough on their own, but better whenever they connive with each other, Yonghwa and Seohyun were different. They plotted behind each other’s backs, tried to get the other to fail, and the cycle just went on and on. They competed in every single business venture to the point that they even competed in their personal lives.

When she bought herself a Maserati just because she said she needs to put some of her cash to use, he bought a Lamborghini an hour later, conjuring the same lame excuse. When he donated to thirty charities (with an additional ten he kept in secret) and had it headline the papers, she too did the same. It was a childish display of power and wealth. Their friends (including the mutual ones) teased them that it all boils down to their inevitable attraction to one another. Of course they just laughed it off and followed up with comments from her and him such as:

“Eww. As if. He looks sooo…yuck.”

“NO way! Me? With that stuck up princess? No.”

The others would laugh it off and pretend that they’re oblivious to it all. Everyone thought the cycle would go on for another decade, but a kidnapping incident and a near-death tragedy was all it took for them to be upfront about their feelings. When they were finally rescued after spending five weeks in the middle of some unknown creepy island (where they ended up after the chase from their abductors; really, rich kids and their bigger than life dramatic tendencies) and got back to their lives, they tried to keep it all professional.

However, no matter how hard they tried, despite their denials, the truth will always resurface and prevail. So, after a few months of going around in circles, he finally asked her to be his girl, to which, she said yes. They wanted to be out of the limelight so aside from the confirmation that they were indeed together, they kept everything else private. They don’t even follow, let alone, post anything related to each other on their public SNS accounts. Of course their personal Facebook accounts were an exemption, but that’s beside the point.

His proposal was nothing of the grandest scale. It was just a simple, intimate moment between the two of them (if you consider a proposal on yacht somewhere in the Caribbean with all the flashy fireworks and a jet bearing that “say yes or you’ll regret!” banner, something you could label as “simple”). Okay, maybe it was still a bit too much for an ordinary couple, but for a power couple such as Yong and Seo, this was short of other people’s expectations, but, for the two of them, it was more than enough.

Everyone pressured them to have this picture perfect fairytale wedding ceremony and though at first they thought it was brilliant, later on, it was all too consuming.The wedding preparations took its toll on her, especially when he kept making excuses just to get out of it (the preparations, not the wedding). She was fed up and stressed from it all. During one of their fights, she yelled,

“Am I marrying myself here, Yong?! Why do I have to go through this alone?!”

After that, she took her hands off all preparations and went MIA for two weeks. He panicked and used up all his connections to find her. However, when a person doesn’t want to be found, one can only do so much but to wait. And so he waited. He waited and waited until his patience wore thin. He started to get serious with the wedding preparations and only then did he understand her sentiments. He felt all defeated, sleepless, and his perfectly styled hair was now in a huge disarray when she just walked inside his office, calmly took a seat, and even drank his coffee.

He enumerated everything he has done, all those sacrifices he made, how much he missed and love her, and everything else he could think of. At the end of his desperation speech, he pulled his hair, and finally knelt before her to say sorry. She looked at him with that beautiful clear eyes of her, that face of an angel, until the gentle smile turned into a scowl.

She rolled her eyes, reclined her chair as she said,

“Now you know.”

He held her hand tightly and pleadingly asked her not to leave him and that he’ll treat her a thousand times better than before. She looked at him and smiled. Not the cute, innocent, kind of smile, but the “Hahahaha! I won! Yeah! Victory is mine!” kind of smile.

She wordlessly tossed him a file, which he obediently pored through. He saw every single details of their wedding taken care of. Everything was set. Making him go through hell was just another one of her tricks to make him understand the stress and pressure she went through herself.

“Y-you? You’ve done it all?” he asked disbelievingly.

“Yep.” She answered, putting an emphasis on the “p.”
 

“Since when..?”

“Four months ago. It’s all done. Finished.You didn’t think I’d want to be a bride in such a disorganized wedding? Hell no. I’m still Seo Joohyun. Seohyun. And I’m not Seohyun if perfection isn’t a part of me.” she smirked.

“BUT WHY!” he whined like a child.

“Aww, now don’t be such a whiny grump. Smile, love!” she pinched his cheeks and forced the corners of his mouth to turn upwards.

“There! Just like that! Omo you look sooooo cute!” she giggled.

“YAH!” he snarled.

“Don’t worry, Yong. Everything else is ready. All you have to do is to look as dashingly handsome you always are, add in a little extra since it’s a special occasion, walk down the aisle, and wait for me at the end of it. Ahrasseo?”

He shook his head in disbelief as he muttered a sarcastic,

“Ne.”

He curled his fists and gritted his teeth. How could she do this to him? Does she think going through a dozen bridesmaid dresses, choosing the perfect one for each lady, not to mention, him picking the bride’s corset and all the shoes or girly stuff was okay? Especially for a guy like him? It was more than embarrassing!

He was furious beyond comprehension but before he could utter a word, she finally rushed into his arms and flooded him with hugs and kisses.

“Gomawoyo! Oppa is the best! I love you, Yonghwa-yah. Saranghae.Can’t wait to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. You’re jjang!”

He sighed and just reciprocated her hug while saying,

“Aigoo, this girl. You’re so lucky I love you more than you’ll ever love me.”

She smiled and buried her face into his chest. He kissed the top of her head and whispered how much he loves her too.

And just like that, she knew that she’s forgiven.

She could feel her nails digging through the velvet cushion of the sofa. It’s been an hour now. Excuses be damned. Meanwhile, he was sweating and cursing every single thing or person he laid his eyes on. Of all the days, he had to be caught up in a sudden snow storm causing his flight to be delayed, and just when he thought he could make it on time, traffic was such a . Any other day would’ve been okay. Just not on the days he was scheduled to have a date with his lovely fiancée.

Back in the café, she was plotting the ways she’d make him pay for this when a group of girls entered the place and took the table right next to her (since it was the only available one). She took out her earphones, put her playlist on shuffle, and tried to concentrate on reading a book (one that he forcefully recommended to her. Why does he have to be so obsessed with self-improvement books?!). However, she couldn’t help but to overhear their conversation.

“Omo! Is that his new pictorial? OMG! He’s such a hottie!” one of them said as she flipped through the other girl’s magazine.

“Aish. This is the last we’d ever get, girls. He said that after this, he won’t be doing such pictorials again.” the other frowned.

She took a quick glance at the magazine and scoffed. Of course it had to be his Men’s Health cover. The one wherein he was half- in the desert. She didn’t question or argue with him about this since that contract was signed before they started dating and he didn’t do the same when she had a slightly provocative shoot for a clothing ad.

“Why not? It’s such a shame he’s going to keep those hidden.” Another one commented as she dreamily swiped her hand across the glossy page.

Seohyun could feel herself firing up. This is the reason why she never really went through the celebrity/movie star route despite her talent and connections. The reason why she stuck with Broadway and being a producer/song-writer. She hates being objectified and these creepy, DUF (Designated, Ugly, Fat) peeps drooling over them like a piece of meat. It’s just….disgusting.

He shared the same sentiment with her too, but not before going through the popular rocker-boy lifestyle. After they started dating, they decided to lay low and focus on a different aspect of their careers. Most preferably behind the scenes.Like a director, writer, producer. Being an actor/actress, singer can be dealt on the sideline.

“I heard his fiancée is such a spoiled brat. She’s the one who doesn’t want him to come out with another album, let alone, do photoshoots of this kind.” The other snorted.

“Oh yeah. What’s the girl’s name? I forgot. She’s not that famous anyway. Just a daddy’s girl. So what if she’s rich?” the second one added.

“She looks hella gorgeous though. I’ve seen pictures of them together….” The last girl commented.

Seohyun readjusted her position just in case that girl would recognize her. She earned some brownie points just because she called her gorgeous, but all of that went down the drain when the girl added in,

“But yeah. She really is such a . I saw her once in Myeongdong. She kept glaring and rudely asking her bodyguards to let the fans and reporters leave. I dunno what Yonghwa saw in her.”

“ME?! A ! Excuse me, but if you had a dozen paparazzis and a few extra crazies who kept flashing their cameras at you, while you’re on a date with your boyfriend, who wouldn’t be pissed?!” Seohyun thought to herself. opened in shock and anger. She was about to silence these girls when she heard the chimes ringing, signifying a new customer has entered the shop.

To her relief, or dismay, said customer was none other than her dear fiancée.

Jung Yonghwa tried to calm himself but he knew that the best way to deal with an angry Seohyun was never to apologize on the first try. He confidently walked his way towards the empty chair right next to her (against all the warning glares his and her guards were sending him). He wasn’t looking at anyone in particular when he asked,

“Is this seat taken?”
 

He was expecting no answer at all, but the five girls squealed a unanimous,

“NO! YOU CAN HAVE IT!!!!”

Both Yong and Seo didn’t miss the hidden innuendo in that seemingly harmless answer, but since she was still mad and he is still nervous, they just let it go. The girls started chatting him up every time he thought he has mustered the courage to talk to the other lady quietly reading her book in the nearby table. He kept missing his chance, much to his irritation, and her amusement.

One even went as far as to boldly ask for a kiss, to which, he politely declined, saying he’s a nearly married man and that it wouldn’t be fair to his future wife for him to give consent to that. The girls called him out on this but they still tried to seduce him. Seohyun was irritated by the moment, coupled with the reality that she was waiting for him for two hours now, when they heard one of the girls ask,

“So this girl….this fiancee….”

“Wife.”Yonghwa corrected.

“Yeah…fiancée. You’re still not married. Or wife. Whatever you prefer…so? Do you love her? Like really really head over heels in love with her?

The question was sincere and they held their breath as they waited for him to respond. He finally had the guts to stare directly at the girl who now owns his forever, that goofy, cheek bursting smile painted across his face.

The other girls followed his line of vision and instantly, gasps of surprise and possibly embarrassment and horror, filled the atmosphere as they realized that the girl they so blatantly called names (“,” and “snotty princess” plus “spoiled brat” being their favorites) was just sitting right next to them all along. The question still hung in the air and once when Jung Yonghwa saw the faint tint of a blush decorating his lady love’s adorable cheeks, he finally gave the answer everyone else didn’t expect but were waiting for:

“More than my life.”

The other girls grew green in jealousy and unconsciously gave off dreamy sighs. However, he didn’t pay attention to them. His gaze was fixed on the beautiful girl who still refused to say a word. He counted to three until the corners of lifted to form a smile, and no matter how hard she tried, she knew that he saw that.

And just like that, he knew that he’s forgiven. After all, yongseo equals forgiveness.

The end.

Author’s Note:

The term DUF was something I saw as a novel’s title, except it was DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). I did not think of that on my own. For those waiting on the update on my other ongoing story, I am, for the nth time, battling writer’s block. Add in my hectic schedule. But needless to say, I am trying my best to continue that. I want it finished ASAP but find it difficult to do so. Excuses, excuses. Rest assured, it won’t be abandoned. :D

Anyway that’s all. Gotta go before any of my colleagues or boss catch up to what I’m doing using our laptop. Lol. Have a pleasant day. Don’t get too caught up with the stress/pressure like me. :p