The day finally came.

Many people crowded in the auditorium, and families of the participants came. Even He Yi's strict and mighty parents bragged that their daughter will be the protagonist of the story.

Then, the stage lights dimmed, and a piano was heard. Tae Kyung sang the opening track of the song. His deep voice matched well the melancholy of the dark stage. Finally, when the lights were all , the band began to play a pop-rockish tune.

He Yi came out, wearing a gown, and she stayed on the left side of the stage, adjacent to the band. As she lay cozily on her couch, Tae Kyung could not get his eyes off her.

For the rest of the story, the scripts were sang, and the band did their best to play their compositions. 

And the story began to start.

******

THE WISH

"Princess Chime, it's time for your etiquette lessons now," her governess gently said.

"Oh, don't you stop me, will you?" Chime said to her governess. "You know this is my favorite part in Charlie's Angels, and I can't afford to miss it…"

She wasn't able to continue her litany of excuses because, as she turned around she saw King Aragon with a stern look on his face. So, Chime hurriedly turned off the laptop. Just a look of her father in that manner always compels her to follow instructions at once.

That is Princess Charlene "Chime" d'Aria, the only daughter of King Aragon Alfonsus d'Aria and Queen Sevilla d'Aria. For her, being the only child means getting everything that she wants even to the point of fighting with everyone who gets in her way. She always had done it to people, but only her father can stop her. Their kingdom, which was named after the first queen of that kingdom, Queen Sophia, was decorated with lots of roses of all kinds, and of course, Chime ordered it to be decorated so. That was one of her wishes that her father granted as decorating the kingdom would give a beautiful impression on the people, especially on the visitors. Chime is already seventeen but she acts childishly at times to get what she wants.

0_0_0_0

One day, she was strolling around the mall in the kingdom with her governess, who noticed that her highness was choosing clothes which the populace commonly would choose.

"Those are not the clothes fit for you, Your Highness," her governess said.

"Agnes, I am almost eighteen, but the only places where I have been are the palaces, malls, churches, ritzy hotels and restaurants, and the theatre. I know that soon I'll take over the kingdom, but what good is that if I haven't even gone to other places like the farm and all those places? Isn't my life boring?" Chime explained.

"So you mean that you are buying those things for disguises?" Agnes asked.

"Yeah, but please don't tell Father about it because I know he will forbid it while I am not yet eighteen," Chime confessed and pleaded.

"Yes, You Highness," Agnes said. "I promise."

0_0_0_0

Chime knew the schedule of her classes so she knew as to when she'll goof off. That afternoon, she slipped off again and wandered around outside the palace premises. She thought that staying in the palace would only make her inutile; she had only seen one side of the world and she wanted to see the other side. She roamed through the farms, markets, streams, rivers, everywhere! Although she studied to be a fine young lady, she was also tough since most of the movies she watched were action movies, with actors ranging from Jackie Chan, Harrison Ford, Keanu Reeves, Jet Li, Zhang Zi Yi—name them! So, roaming around like nobody was quite easy for her. Here's the princess material roaming around like nobody cared at all.

0_0_0_0

It was almost dusk when she passed by a paramedical school. She saw many students rushing out in order to go home and study. Just then, she saw a handsome young man, one whom she considered as the most beautiful being in this world that she had ever seen. She had heard his buddies talk to him.

"Hey, happy nineteenth birthday, Jerik," one guy said.

"Thanks pal," Jerik said.

"And a few days from now, we will be graduating," a second said.

"Yeah, I'll just tell my father and my mother that our celebration will only for today and no celebration on graduation day," Jerik said.

"Why?" the first asked.

"You know that I'm saving money. I want to be an efficient doctor someday," Jerik explained.

"Man, you rock! Although you are poor, but your intelligence can get you anywhere!" a third friend said.

"Yeah, while the rest of us will only settle to being just medical technologists," a fourth said.

The friends separated. Chime had her chance so she went over to him to greet hi.

"If you are planning to bug me, find somebody else because I'm still preparing for my requirements!" Jerik said in irritation.

Yikes! This guy had a bad temper!

"Hello? I am just coming over to say hello, and here you are, discarding me like some garbage! How dare you!" Chime retorted.

"Huh! You are livid because I deep-sixed you?" Jerik asked. "Get lost because I am very busy right now, ok?"

Jerik turned away, leaving Chime fuming in anger.

"I'll show him!" she vowed.

0_0_0_0

A day after Jerik's birthday, Chime slipped off again after her literature class. She was on top of a great elm tree when Jerik passed by. She threw a scrap of paper on his head, making him look
up.

"Hi," she called out.

Jerik was so not delighted with it that he rolled his eyeballs. Chime got down, extended her hand, and introduced herself. Jerik was confused so he grabbed her hand and introduced himself as Jerik
Swarovski. Chime, however, laughed, pulled her hand, and ran hard. Jerik was even more confused, so he looked at his palm, only to find soot on it. He was totally annoyed that he chased her everywhere. He was chasing her to retaliate, but he never noticed a truck full of commodities coming. He only came to his sense as the driver blasted the horns, but he was stuck in place because of fright at the sudden noise. All of a sudden, Chime jumped on him, and they fall among the tall reeds, so the truck was able to pass by. Jerik noticed Chime on his chest, so he pushed her gently.

"Hey, where have you been?" he asked in irritation instead of thanking her.

"Oh, don't you like my prank?" she asked slyly.

In anger, Jerik pushed his palm on her face, so her face was filled with the soot. Jerik laughed hard, stood up, and ran. Soon, Chime was the one chasing him. Soon, she stopped and looked at her watch. Oh no! It's almost time for her science class. She scurried back to the palace like a mouse. Of course, Jerik didn't know that she was going there for the place where they were chasing were far from the palace premises.

"Crazy girl!" Jerik thought.

0_0_0_0

After her classes, while she was in the room, she told Agnes all about him, and about her feelings for a commoner.

"Maybe you have got a crush on him because you described his assets intensely!" Agnes remarked as she combed the princess' hair.

"I want to marry him even if it is against Father's wish," Chime said. "That's why I'm doing my best to know him better. But he doesn't seem to like me."

"Why not?" Agnes asked.

When we first met, he had a very ill temper," Chime explained.

"That's your first impression right, but it might change soon," Agnes assured her.

0_0_0_0

Jerik finally entered medicine kingdom, and on his second year, Chime was eighteen and was ready to be introduced to the society. A few days before her birthday, she heard from her parents talking about a certain Duke Giordano Giovanetti, a handsome young man of twenty years of age. This duke lived in a neighboring kingdom, the Spaghetti kingdom, as the kingdom was famous for its delectable and sumptuous pasta everywhere. Aragon and Sevilla seemed to praise the young man highly, but Chime had a bad feeling about this at the pit of her stomach. Is she going to be betrothed to a person whom she'll meet only on her debut? What if she won't love him? What if Jerik will be the only guy in her heart?

0_0_0_0

The big day came. The celebration was grand, of course, for a royalty was celebrating her birthday. After the cotillion, King Aragon and Queen Sevilla introduced their daughter to the duke.

"So this is my bride-to-be, eh?" Giordano said with a smile. "You know, you'll be happy with me because I am a duke, and you are a princess, so getting along together will be a piece of cake. You
know, royalty stuff and all, noh?"

Chime cringed at the thought of it. He was repulsive. He had frills too! Ugh! Why would he be talking of things to come when they haven't even gotten well yet? For all she cares, let him dream on! Jerik may have frills too, but at least he is not talkative. This Giordano seems a bit campy. What a major turn off! Chime faked up a smile, and walked away, stating that she had to entertain the other visitors and the three just let her be.

The real thing was, Chime roamed around, searching for Jerik in case he might come. She knew it was impossible for the royalty only invited people who were like them, or the people who won their
favor. She wanted to believe he was there. So she stayed in the balcony watching wistfully after dinner, staring at the sky, dreaming for Jerik. Finally, she had to let go of her dream YET that night. She'll just continue dreaming tomorrow. What's wrong with wishing, right?

0_0_0_0

One afternoon after her math classes, Chime set out again for her lone adventure. Still, the king hadn't found out for Chime would climb up on the palace walls away from the guards at the stations.

However, it was drizzling, so she stayed in a nearby barn. Suddenly, Jerik came to the scene. He was placing a suede jacket over his head, and had a hard-bound book under his arms. Just then, Chime pulled and gagged him, dragged and tied him inside the barn. She did it so fast so that she was still able to salvage the book from the rain and mud.

0_0_0_0

Inside, she untied the gag from his mouth, and Jerik demanded for an explanation. She told him that she only wanted to make friends with him.

"You should treat me nicely if you want to befriend me. And are you supposed to be staying at home and studying your lessons?" Jerik chided her.

"I am done studying my lessons, Jerik. I study my lessons because I have to," was her rationalization.

"Good. If you have ambition in life, you should stay home and slurp your chicken broth while studying instead of goofing off on a rainy afternoon," Jerik admonished. "And aren't your parents
looking for you?"

"They're too busy to look for me," was her reason.

"They are busy or is it just you passing time by carelessly?" he asked.

"That's not true!" She ed.

Jerik sighed and leaned on the dingy wall of the barn. He confessed that he was happy that Chime "kidnapped" him, for he guessed that maybe, at this time, the tenant of their area, and a trusted man of the king, might have been in the house again, for he had threatened the young lad that morning before the latter went out for school. The tenant threatened to tear up all his medical books in front of him if Jerik would not break up with the tenant's daughter, Angelina. As an ambitious man, the tenant wanted his daughter to be married not to a commoner like Jerik but to the king's nephew, a distant relative, Duke Benjamin d'Aria. But the young lad won't give up.

"I love Angelina dearly, and I have an ambition too," Jerik reasoned out. "My ambition is as high as the skies above, and as deep as the abyss below. I want to study hard and graduate with flying colors, and be the best doctor I can be, all for her. I want to be more than good enough for her."

Chime was hurt, for she wanted Jerik for her alone. How selfish! She, being a princess, can give him anything that his heart desires. If he'll marry her, he'll be well-off. But she doesn't want to reveal her secret identity yet. She wanted to be his secret benefactor.

"God! I'm crazy for him!" she thought, her heart feeling as if being squeezed.

"I thank you so much for saving my life," Jerik said as he leaned to her shoulder.

Chime hugged him tight. She had to get this guy away from Angelina no matter what. She knew that it is against the male norms, but she had to do it anyway. She dropped a tear or two on his head, and she felt tears running down her arm: Jerik's tears.

0_0_0_0

Chime accompanied him to his home, but it was still raining. Although both of them were sharing the jacket, they were still soaking wet. Finally, when they reached the house, Jerik let her in and introduced her to his parents, a humble couple. The lady was invited for supper, which consisted of rice, broiled fish, and chicken soup. Fortunately, she ate them without the least problem. When she was asked all about herself, she used Agnes' story and pretended it was her own. She apologized that she had to go fast, for her parents might be looking for her. She didn't allow Jerik to accompany her, however.

0_0_0_0

In the palace, King Aragon was already scolding Agnes for being careless. Agnes knew what Chime was up to, but she pretended she knew nothing about it.

"And what would Duke Giordano say of us? That we don't care for our daughter? That we are reckless parents?" was the king's irate inquiry.

As Duke Giordano came in, Chime also came in and filled the king with apologies. It was not Agnes' fault; it was hers, for she went out without everybody's knowledge. Giordano cringed at his
bride-to-be's hideous appearance. He was bringing flowers to a girl who looked like a farmer's daughter!

"Oh shame!" was the duke's embarrassed reply as he threw the bouquet to the floor. The king looked in mortification as the duke left, but a smile of revenge lit up on Chime's face. She crossed
her fingers behind her for Agnes to see. And of course, the maid got the message.

"I'm just so glad that he left, Father," Chime said in triumph. "He may be rich but he is a loser!"

"Don't talk to him like that!" King Aragon rebuked her. "You know very well that the Kingdoms of Sophia and Spaghetti are close allies. With what you have done, you might create enmity between
the two kingdoms."

"Tsk, tsk, father dear, you worry about wealth a bunch! Dumping him is just a simple reason, and it's just Giordano and my problem, not yours and the other king's! Goodness!'" was her crisp remark.

The couple didn't say anything.

"And you and the other king shouldn't sacrifice the benefits you acquire from each other by gravitating all of these to just a nonsense reason, which is my dumping him!" was her continuation. "If you consider yourself wise and mature, you would analyze and see the reason beyond the act done. For goodness sake, it's just Duke Giordano's problem with me, and my problem with him."

"But Charlene, we wanted him for you," the king said in a fatherly tone.

"And let me regret the rest of my life for naively bowing to your will? Gosh, Father, I don't like him, that's all. Please remember that marriage is a matter of the heart, not of politics. And as of these common clothes, let me change and refresh first, and the four of us will talk about it."

"The four of us?" Queen Sevilla asked.

"Yes. Agnes will join us," Chime said.

So that was what happened.

0_0_0_0

Chime confessed that she and Agnes all planned it that she, Charlene, would slip away in a disguise, while Agnes will act as if she never knew anything about it. She said she did it a year before she turned eighteen.

"Charlene, if you only told your mother and me that you wanted to stroll outside the palace, we would call the driver to drive you around," King Aragon said dryly.

"But I am bored with that already. I went out in a disguise to see how people would react to people like them, not to people like me. And if I have roamed around as a princess, the guy who caught my eye would have treated me right. I just wanted to see the reality of things," was her explanation.

Hmm…makes sense!

The queen asked her about the certain "guy who caught her eye." Chime revealed her name and her social status. The king reacted brusquely when he knew that the guy was a commoner. The queen gently chided him for that. Chime related to them that although he was poor, he was a brilliant medical student, and that he wanted to be the best doctor in the kingdom. Too bad, she said, for Jerik was in love with Angelina. The king had a sudden change of attitude, and told his daughter to go for Jerik, for Angelina was betrothed to Duke Benjamin. The queen mused to herself of the romantic possibility of a doctor and a princess. The king noticed the demure smile of his queen and asked.

"I don't know what will happen, but I know that love will find a way," the queen answered vaguely.
"What do you mean by that?" the king asked without getting another concrete reply.

The princess sighed, much to the fatherly astonishment and concern of the father, who usually doesn't give her what she wants. She replied that she feared that if Angelina and Benjamin will marry, and she and Jerik, two broken-hearted lovers might meet and feel awkward. She didn't even wanted marriages to be broken.

"As I have said, love will find a way," the queen concluded.

o_o_o_o

For two years, Jerik and Chime had their misadventures together. Still, Jerik never knew of her secret identity. Since Chime was bit of a trouble maker (speaking of trouble, no animosity grew between the two kingdoms), they got the greatest adventures of their lives. Through it all, Chime fall for him all the more, yet Jerik only looked at her as a pal. He and Angelina were secret lovers, and since the relationship was secret, Chime had never seen Angelina.

During the graduation ball, Chime was invited to be Jerik's pal's partner for the night, and it was the first time that she had seen Angelina, who was looking radiant as an angel. After dinner, Jerik
and Angelina went to the garden to stroll, and Chime spied on them. After a few talks, Angelina kissed her guy on the lips, and he gave in. Chime was extremely jealous, and her childish second nature told her to go and grab them both apart. But to her surprise, she had grown up, for she didn't grab them. The only weapon she had against them was to cry in secret and walk away. Ouch!

0_0_0_0

The meal after graduation, Jerik and Chime met again, both at opposite emotions. Jerik noticed that Chime was dolorous, so he asked her why. She never revealed her true feelings, and she never told him she had a feeling that he will know her secret identity soon.

0_0_0_0

A few days after his graduation, Chime slipped off again in a disguise, and she met Jerik, who, looking dreary, was sitting near the stream. He was in tears as he related that Benjamin broke up with Angelina as he wanted to travel around the world and be free. Jerik would have been happier had not the tenant stepped in the scene again. Angelina was then betrothed to Duke Giordano, and so, the tenant resigned from his post, and his family moved to the Spaghetti Kingdom. So Chime hugged him as he poured all his sorrows. She couldn't bear to see him cry like this. The feeling in her heart was so full that she wanted to let go of all of it. She cried in pain. Without giving a thought, she confessed to him how much she loved him. She loved him not as a brother or a friend, but as a lover. In pain and anger, Jerik pushed her and shouted that Angelina will be the only girl in his heart forever. He stood up and walked away, leaving her in tears.

0_0_0_0

A few months later, he had his internship before becoming a full-fledged doctor. One day, the king had summoned Jerik, for the queen was deeply ill.

"The Princess will be here in a minute, Your Highness," Agnes said.

After Jerik looked on the queen, the king asked him what his reaction was when he heard that the princess is coming. He felt excited and honored to be able to meet her, he said. When the other servants called out Charlene's name, Jerik bowed down. When he stood up straight, he was shocked to find out that Princess Charlene was actually Chime. And Chime was shocked to see Jerik in the palace. She never knew he was the one called to look on the queen. Chime, in terror, turned away and ran, and Jerik followed her.

0_0_0_0

In the foyer…

"Why did you not tell me that you are the Princess Charlene?" Jerik asked.

"I went in a disguise to see the world, and gain friends who will accept me for being Chime, not for being Charlene the Princess," was her reason.

"You will always be my friend whether you are Chime or Princess Charlene," Jerik explained.

Chime cried all the more.

"Look, I am sorry that I pushed you. I didn't mean it…"

"Of course you did mean it!"

"Ok, I mean it because I was hurt and angry with what you told me. Now I know that you are the princess who always gets what you want. But one thing you can never command me to do is to command my heart to love you the way I loved Angelina. I'm sorry," was his honest reply. "You can put me in jail, torture me, or kill me, but this is one thing that I can never grant you. Never! Even if I risk my life, I will never love you. I'm sorry."

Chime realized that she had wanted him to be with her forever. She realized that it's not important always to give him anything his heart desires, but to be with him at all cost and circumstances. As he turned to walk way, she began to sing the chorus of Luther Vandross' song.

"I'd rather have bad times with you than good times with someone else
I'd rather be beside you in a storm than safe and warm by myself
I'd rather have hard times together than to have it easy apart
I'd rather have the one who holds my heart," she sang.

Jerik turned to her, and replied in tears, "Do svidaniya, farewell, Princess Charlene."

"Please be assured that my love is still open for you, Jerik."

"Are you still that steadfast, Chime? Never will I run to your love. I will be your friend, but I will never look at you as a lover," Jerik told her.

Chime wailed as Jerik left.

0_0_0_0

A year had passed, and Jerik became a resident doctor in the kingdom hospital. One night, Chime awoke in tears.

"Why do I still cry for you?" Chime asked Jerik in her mind, for she hadn't forgotten him.

0_0_0_0

During her birthday, Chime noticed a kite outside the palace walls. She ordered the guards to fetch it, but they wouldn't because they were given instructions not to obey her.

"And why not? I would tell my father!" she threatened.

"It was your father who instructed us," the guard told her.

Chime was annoyed in thought that she got out to retrieve the kite herself. Outside, there was a projected message on a cloth screen which said, "I love you, Chime." She wondered who fabricated such creepy message. Suddenly, Jerik came out from the trees. Chime was upset when he approached her, held her hand, and reiterated the message. The princess pulled her hand and walked away.

"No, this is not true!"

"Yes, Princess, it is true…"

"Go away! Go back to Angelina! You have hurt my heart. You broke it! And now, all I'm nurturing is a defeated spirit…," she cried.

Jerik was stunned when the princess fell on her knees and kowtowed in front of him.

"Please have pity on me. Please don't make me hope…," she begged in tears.

"But what I say now is true! I love you, Chime, and that is the truth. I hope you still love me."

"I don't want you to love me only because of your sense of gratitude that I have helped you many a time before, nor because I am a princess. It's rather unfair," Chime retorted, still facing the ground.

"I don't love you just because you are the princess. I know that is a lame excuse…."

"But you said that even if you risk your life, you would never love me…."

"That was before. Can' t you give me the chance to say my side of story?" Jerik pleaded.

So he sang to her the chorus of "I'd Rather." Chime was so shocked because that was the song she sang to him the day he had forgone his friendship with her. She was even more shocked when he helped her to her feet and got an engagement ring, and slipped it in her finger. He asked for her hand in marriage, and so happy was she finally that she gave her yes. As the trumpets blasted, the king and queen got out of the gates feeling happy. It turned out that Jerik planned the whole thing with the king and queen, and it was Agnes who told him of the princess' schedule of activities. He confessed that he had fallen for Chime, strangely, on Angelina's wedding day. He was afraid to approach Chime for fear that she'll reproach her, as he promised that he will not run to her love. He gathered his courage anyway, and did a leap of faith. To his surprise, the royal couple liked him, and they agreed to help him with the plan.

0_0_0_0

A few days after, a wedding was held, and the new couple was extremely happy. Hmm… a doctor and a princess…. A romantic reality!

*****

As He Yi and Mi Nam danced during their "wedding", Tae Kyung's attention got the best of him again. The lights flowing on He Yi's hair and arms and dress made her shimmer, and he was about to go speechless that he almost stopped singing. Meanwhile, Jeremy had noticed it, so when Tae Kyung stopped singing, the drummer pitched in. The leader hid his lips behind the mike, silently thanking Jeremy for saving him.

As for him, he could not get his eyes, as he was sure he had fallen in love with He Yi.

Then, the stage lights dimmed. Claps could be heard, and the intensity was like ripples in the pond. The crowd gave a standing ovation, and the younger set howled and whistled.

"Daebak!!!!!" the younger generation screamed.

"Marry me, Mi Nam-oppa!" the girls shouted.

The lights again, and the music teacher went on the stage with his casts and crew to take a bow.

"Gamsahamnida, gamsahamnida," everyone told the crowd.

The crowd went wild with delight that they could not stop cheering. The guys in the band exchange high-fives, then Shin Woo hugged Mi Nyu.

****

"The Wish" was a story I wrote back in 2005 under my other pen-name (for original stories) Renata Sabouraud. Here is the link to the story. 

http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2942410/1/The_Wish

I uploaded the story to Fictionpress just this year, but my manuscript is at home. The story had been edited to suit the changing times. Actually, there is a part in the story that I did not put in the play, the part after the wedding sequence. The last part was about Chime waking up, and she found out that the princess thing was just a dream.

Also, regarding the name of the Duke, Giordano Giovanetti. It is named after a low protein diet, low-fat, high carb diet, the Giordano-Giovanetti diet, which is intended for patients with renal insufficiency or liver failure.