*Note: There will be some dialogue in Tagalog but I made sure to translate everything to the best of my ability. The translated part will be italicized and located right below the dialogue.

Chapter 1

15 Years Earlier, Seoul, Korea

A young Seohyun lugged her bag onto the pick-up truck. She slowly picked it up over her shoulder but had trouble lifting it. A strong hand appeared and pulled it from her hands. She turned and frowned.

“Kyuhyun…”

Kyuhyun tossed it into the truck.

“Seohyun, do you really have to leave?”

Seohyun’s father stepped out from the empty home dragging two suitcases behind him.

“Kyuhyun, I’m afraid there’s no turning back…”

Kyuhyun wiped his tears as Seohyun stepped into the truck.

“But, you can stay at my house, my Mom and Dad would be real welcoming!”

Seohyun’s father tossed his bags into the truck and slammed the door shut. He went over to Kyuhyun and placed his hand on his shoulder.

“Your family would be truly welcoming but little Seohyun and I need to move…with my new job in America, it would be only right to move there…”

Kyuhyun felt a sharp pain strike his heart as Seohyun’s father stepped into the truck. Kyuhyun ran up to Seohyun’s window. He looked inside and found her in tears.

“Seohyun, please don’t leave…I won’t have anyone else to play with…”

Seohyun didn’t respond and continued to weep. Seohyun’s father spoke up.

“Kyuhyun, we won’t forget you…especially Seohyun…be a good son to your parents and study hard…you never know, we might see each other again, right Seohyun?”

Seohyun was in a lot of pain.

“Daddy…please…”

Kyuhyun leaned in and touched her hand.

“We’ll find each other again, Seohyun…”

Seohyun looked to Kyuhyun and smiled weakly beneath her sadness. The truck’s engine started and Kyuhyun stepped back. The truck slowly began to move and drive down the dusty road leaving the small neighborhood. Seohyun poked her head out of the window and saw Kyuhyun chasing after them.

“Seohyun! Please write!”

“I will! I promise!”

The truck sped up leaving Kyuhyun far behind. Seohyun turned and sat back. She looked at her father.

“Daddy…”

“It’s okay, where we’re going, life will be better…I promise…”

“But Daddy…I will miss him…”

She continued to cry as the truck vanished off into the distance. Kyuhyun slowly stopped running and was panting heavily. He wiped his tears.

Present Day, Los Angeles, CA

UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles)

The bell tower rang loudly as the huge wave of students merged onto the campus grounds. The sounds of chattering voices, heavy footsteps, and loud music engrossed the college atmosphere. Seohyun, now 21 years old, stepped out from the humanities hall. Her head was still spinning from the intense final exam she had taken and she worried about her performance. The sunlight was beaming upon the school, which bothered her.

“Oh my god…THE SUN!”

Her irritability level was high after staying up late studying for the past two days so she wasn’t in the mood for any humor of any sort. Suddenly, Seohyun felt someone’s arm wrap around her. Seohyun quickly turned and found Tiffany laughing at her.

“Seo-baby!”

She sighed.

“Unnie…I’m not in the mood right now…”

Tiffany giggled and pinched her cheeks.

“Aww…what’s with the long face?”

“Unnie! Please!”

Seohyun bumped into a cheerful group of football players.

“Whoa, excuse me lady…”

Seohyun freed her self from the group of burly men and they continued their way down the campus. Tiffany was worried.

“Wow, you are right…you seem really on the EDGE…”

“I’m running on fumes right now…”

“Cheer up Seohyun, finals week is over after today…”

“I know, but this recent exam means a lot to me and if I fail, then I have to take it over again making my GPA go into the pooper then-“

“Seo-baby!”

Seohyun woke up from her rant.

“You’ll be fine…you need to take a break, seriously…let me finish my finals and I’ll meet you back at the dorm…I have some news for you…”

“News?”

“Yes ma’am, but you’ll need to wait for it…”

“It’s good at least, right?”

Tiffany winked.

“You’ll have to wait, little Seohyun!”

Tiffany hugged her.

“Okay, I need to go! Wish me luck, okay?!”

Tiffany dashed off towards the drama hall leaving Seohyun alone in the crowd.

“Good luck…”

After returning to their dorm, Seohyun placed her bag in her room and lazily dragged herself into the living room. She slumped down on the couch and the TV. A re-run of Seohyun’s favorite Korean drama, “Lovers in Paris” was showing then. Seohyun quickly grew excited and swooned.

“Aww, my favorite drama of all time…”

On the screen, the lovers stared into each other’s eyes and the lead male character, Carlo, confessed the feelings he had been harboring for a long time. Seohyun hugged the pillow and sighed.

“All this work and studying makes me think, will I ever get anything meaningful out of it?”

She recalled from her childhood, her dedicated father who worked himself to the bone to support her after her mother passed away. Seohyun looked out the window and stared at the blue sky.

“I really hope there’s something waiting for me out there, Dad…”

The doorknob began to shake and she could hear Tiffany unlocking the door. She poked her head inside.

“Did you miss me?”

Seohyun tossed a pillow at her face.

“I bet you failed!”

Tiffany giggled and picked up the pillow. She shut the door behind her and sat beside Seohyun. She looked towards the TV and snickered.

“Seo-baby, are you serious?”

“I love this drama though…”

“It’s not even in Korean…it’s the Filipino version…”

“So? I find the language romantic and their actors are very handsome…”

“Really huh?”

“Yep!”

Tiffany turned off the TV.

“Unnie!”

“Seohyun, pay attention! Remember the news I had?”

“Oh yeah, so what’s going on?”

Tiffany stood up and cleared as if she were going to perform a speech in front of the student body.

“Do you remember Go Ara?”

“I do…she moved out a couple years ago…I was only a freshman when she was moving out…what’s up?”

“Well she’s getting MARRIED!!!”

Tiffany leaped into the air in joy while Seohyun remained seated. Tiffany landed and looked awkwardly towards Seohyun.

“Are you not excited?”

“I’m happy for her but I’m not going to be jumping into the air in celebration…I barely knew her…”

“Well, to make things just a bit more interesting…”

Tiffany went to her purse and pulled out two plane tickets. Seohyun’s eyes widened with excitement.

“Unnie…”

“Yes, these are plane tickets…”

Seohyun approached Tiffany but she pulled the tickets away.

“Unnie!”

“Go Ara was so impressed by our hospitality and cleanliness while we lived with her and with your brains and my divine eye smile, Go Ara never forgot about us and has invited us as bridesmaids to her wedding!!!”

“Oh my goodness! Where will it be held?!”

“Manila, Philippines!”

“We’re going to the Philippines?!”

“Yup, and we’ll be staying at the snazziest hotel with room service, massage parlors, and relaxing spas! After all this studying and what not, we deserve it, right?”

Seohyun pulled the ticket from Tiffany and examined it. She was simply amazed by the sudden turn of events and couldn’t stop the excitement from overcoming her. Tiffany placed her hand on her shoulder.

“Also, there will be men…”

Seohyun slowly looked up to her.

“And, you will be having some fun…”

Tiffany smiled and winked. Seohyun blushed intensely.

“Unnie!”

Tiffany laughed loudly and ran to her room to grab her luggage. Seohyun continued reading the ticket.

“So how long will we be there?”

Tiffany tossed her suitcase onto the couch.

“We’ll be leaving tomorrow afternoon and staying there until next Saturday…”

“That’s a week…”

“Just enough time to get wild and crazy!”

Seohyun shook her head in disbelief as Tiffany started to pack.  Seohyun the TV and resumed her drama show.

“I wonder if Carlo will be there?”

Tiffany looked to the screen and saw the actor playing Carlo.

“Please, there will be plenty of men there…you never know…you might end up leaving your heart there…”

Seoul, Korea

The rain poured down heavily as a tall, slender man leaned against his car. He opened his cell phone and looked at a picture of a cute, fair skinned girl. He shut the phone and sighed. He brushed his wet hair back and saw bright headlights heading towards him. The background of the Han Bridge made the whole setting romantic mixed with a sense of mystery.  The car pulled up and stopped in front of him. He blocked his eyes from the bright lights and waited for the driver to step out. The car halted its engine and a slim female stepped out from behind the wheel. The tall man spoke up.

“So you came, Mi Young…”

Mi Young brought her umbrella out and opened it.

“Kyuhyun, we can’t be together anymore…it wasn’t meant to be…”

Kyuhyun approached her.

“It doesn’t matter what you have to say now because it doesn’t change what we both share in our hearts…”

He caressed Mi Young’s cheek and she began to cry.

“Please Kyuhyun…don’t make it harder than it needs to be…”

Mi Young dropped the umbrella and Kyuhyun wrapped his arms around her and whispered into her ears.

“It’s Ji Soo…”

The rain stopped and the huge spotlights flashed on.

“CUT!!!!”

Kyuhyun eased off of Yoona and he walked off the set. The short, chubby director signaled to Yoona.

“Yoona! Get over here!”

Yoona sighed and walked over to the director.

“Yeah?”

“That scene was almost right but…”

“But?”

“When did Ji Soo become KYUHYUN?!”

Yoona didn’t realize she was saying Kyuhyun’s name the whole time and felt embarrassed. The director yelled out.

“We’ll be taking a 10 minute break to reset the scene! Ms. Yoona, get your head into the game!”

Yoona felt embarrassed and angry and stormed off the set. Her entourage tagged along behind her trying to fix her hair. Kyuhyun sat on his side of the set and smirked.

“All those years of acting, what a pity…”

Jiyeon approached Kyuhyun with a towel and a bottle of water.

“It’s crazy how Yoona broke character like that…”

“She’s still hasn’t gotten over of our recent break-up…she needs to realize that it was only a publicity stunt…”

Kyuhyun chuckled as Jiyeon dried him off.

“It’s crazy how we have to keep doing this rain scene, you’re going to get sick…”

Kyuhyun stood up from his seat and looked to Jiyeon.

“Jiyeon, how long have you been my personal assistant?”

Jiyeon fixed her glasses.

“I guess a couple of months or so, why?”

“So you’ve recently joined my entourage which means I barely know you…so…your concern for my well-being isn’t necessary…”

Jiyeon was stunned by his conceited remark and eased back as Kyuhyun returned to the set. Another one of Kyuhyun’s assistants approached Jiyeon.

“Try not to get too close to him, he’s really full of himself…”

Later that night,

Jiyeon helped the drunken Kyuhyun up the stairs to his fancy studio apartment in downtown Seoul. Jiyeon staggered up the steps as Kyuhyun’s weight rested on her shoulders. Kyuhyun, with his arm around her, smiled and spoke up.

“I take back what I said earlier about your ‘concern’ for me…I really appreciate it…”

Jiyeon ignored his drunken remark and continued up the steps. The cityscape of Seoul could be seen from the glass windows, making the challenge up the steps strangely romantic. Kyuhyun hiccupped.

“That’s my room…”

Jiyeon released Kyuhyun quickly, dropping him to the floor. He stumbled back up and brought out his keys. He fumbled at the doorknob so Jiyeon took his keys and opened it for him.

“Thanks sweetie…”

They entered the apartment and Jiyeon was amazed at how classy it all was. He had expensive paintings, marble floors, and white leather couches. The whole interior layout of the home was white.

“Amazing…”

Kyuhyun fell onto the couch while Jiyeon placed the rest of his things onto the dining table. Kyuhyun quickly sat up.

“Don’t leave! Please, have some wine!”

Jiyeon tried her best to heed the other staff members’ warnings.

“Don’t get too close to him…”

Jiyeon turned to Kyuhyun and couldn’t resist staring at his handsome face.

“Just one drink?”

“Fine…”

Jiyeon put down her purse and Kyuhyun walked over to his pantry. He didn’t seem drunk anymore which confused her greatly. The pantry doors were huge and they slid open revealing several shelves filled with canned food and other snack assortments. Kyuhyun pushed one of the shelves in revealing a secret stash of the finest wine. He came out holding a bottle of red wine.

“This is from the vineyards of Tuscany…”

He opened up one of the kitchen cabinet doors and pulled out two beautiful wine glasses. He placed them on the dining table and popped the cork off the bottle. He filled the glasses with thick red wine and handed one glass to Jiyeon.

“Wait, are you legally allowed to drink wine?”

Jiyeon thought for a moment.

“Actually, no…”

“Who cares? This one is on the house…”

Kyuhyun brought his glass up and smelled the strong fragrance from the wine. He held his glass out indicating for a toast. Jiyeon was an amateur at wine drinking and followed Kyuhyun’s lead. They clinked glasses and took a sip. Jiyeon tasted the wine and was overwhelmed by the strong taste. She had never tasted anything remotely alcoholic beforehand. She placed the glass down and Kyuhyun smiled.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah…it was just my first time trying wine that’s all…I’m sorry, sir…”

Kyuhyun suddenly gave her a seductive look.

“Just call me ‘Kyuhyun’…”

Jiyeon turned to Kyuhyun and could tell he had something else on his mind.

“Kyuhyun, I should get going now...”

She went for the front door but Kyuhyun held the door closed.

“Just help me finish the wine…”

Jiyeon felt nervous.

“Kyuhyun, we should really stop this…”

Kyuhyun moved closer to her and placed the chain lock on the door. She could feel him breathing on her. Suddenly, his phone began to ring. With Kyuhyun distracted, Jiyeon ducked around him and went for the phone.

“Hello?”

Kyuhyun sighed and returned to the table for more wine.

“Oh yes, he’s here…hold on one second…”

Jiyeon placed her hand on the phone speaker.

“Kyuhyun, it’s Leeteuk-Oppa, he has some news for you…”

Kyuhyun walked over and took the phone. He looked to Jiyeon as he spoke.

“Yeah?”

Jiyeon ignored the conversation and walked over to the table to try more wine. She couldn’t get used to the taste and decided to stop trying.

“Ok then boss, thanks for the word…goodnight…”

He hung up the phone and walked over to Jiyeon. He placed his hand on her shoulder, which sent a sensual shiver down her spine.

“I apologize for my advances, Jiyeon…alcohol is one of the things I have low tolerance for…I guess you should be leaving…”

“I guess so…”

To prevent any more awkwardness between them, Jiyeon quickly went for the door and unlocked it. Before she stepped out, Kyuhyun spoke up.

“I need you back here by 8 in the morning though…”

“By 8? Why?”

“We’re heading to the Philippines for a commercial shoot and I need you there beside me…”

“The Philippines?”

Kyuhyun smirked.

“Yup…”

Jiyeon grew excited.

“I’ll see you then, sir- oh I mean, Kyuhyun…”

Jiyeon slowly shut the door behind her and she rushed down the stairs. As she hurried down the steps, she thought to herself.

Onboard Philippines Airlines

The roaring of the plane engines kept Seohyun awake. It was another 7 hours until they would arrive in the Philippines and already she was growing irritable. Tiffany was busy playing on her IPad when Seohyun nudged her.

“Talk to me…”

Tiffany pulled off her headphones.

“What’s up?”

Seohyun sighed.

“Never mind Unnie…”

“You were excited earlier today but now you’re all frowns again…”

“It’s been awhile since I’ve been in a plane…actually if I remember…I was 7 years old when I flew from Korea to California…”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah…wow…that was so long ago…”

“I never been to Korea…of course I speak the language and everything but to visit the homeland has been a dream…but…it really isn’t my priority right now…”

Seohyun seemed to space out after remembering the last time she was in Korea. Her memory of the country was very blurry.

“Seo-baby? Are you listening?”

“Oh! Sorry Unnie…”

“You should probably get some rest or something…we have a lot of partying ahead of us…”

“Who will be picking us up at the airport? Will Go Ara Unnie be there?”

“Actually, I’m not sure…I was told that someone will indeed be there for us…don’t worry…”

“Just asking since we’re going somewhere foreign…we have to be cautious…”

“We’ll be fine…go to sleep…”

Manila, Philippines,

Ninoy Aquino International

The moment the front entry door opened, Seohyun was overwhelmed by the sticky humidity and sweltering heat. As they marched through the motor tunnel leading to the terminal, Seohyun could feel exhaustion setting in. She looked in front of her and saw the rest of passengers sweeping past her. Tiffany held her hand.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry Unnie, the weather is a lot more different than I expected…”

“The heat is pretty bad but strangely, I like it…let’s hurry to the baggage claim…”

The moment they reached the bottom floor leading to the baggage claim, Seohyun was stunned to see the crowded lines heading through immigration and the massive crowd that formed around the cargo conveyor belt. Tiffany went ahead first and presented her passport. Seohyun was fanning herself hoping to get some sort of relief. She turned around and saw a small Filipino girl looking at her. Seohyun stared back. The girl smiled and ran to her mother and whispered.

“Nay, nakita mo ang magandang Koreana? Mukang artista s’ya…”

Mom, did you see the pretty Korean girl? She looks like a celebrity…

Seohyun was curious.

“Hmmm…”

The immigration agent signaled her up and Seohyun presented her passport. The agent scanned over it and stamped it. She then handed Seohyun her passport and looked towards her.

“Enjoy your stay here, ma’am…”

Seohyun nodded and joined up with Tiffany, who was overwhelmed by the sight of the crowd.

“Well then Seohyun, let’s dive in!”

They went ahead and walked through the sweaty crowd to find their appropriate cargo belt. Tiffany fetched a cart while Seohyun waited for the suitcases. As she waited, a chubby-looking man, who was wearing a tight white collared shirt, faded blue jeans, and slippers, approached her.

“Excuse me, ma’am, do you need some help with your luggage?”

Seohyun was surprised by the offer.

“You will help us?”

“Sure thing!”

Seohyun figured there was nothing wrong for a little service and anticipated that he wanted a little tip back.

“Thank you sir…”

“What does your luggage look like?”

“They’re both pink suitcases…they stand out….”

Seohyun blushed with embarrassment as the man searched for the luggage. Tiffany returned with the cart and spoke up.

“Is he helping us?”

“Yeah, he’s helping us out…”

Suddenly, their suitcases appeared and the chubby man quickly grabbed them.

“Sir, thank you-“

The chubby man ignored Seohyun and dragged the bags into the crowd.

“Wait!”

Seohyun and Tiffany gave chase and burst through the crowd. People gasped as they forced their way through screaming. The airport security overheard the commotion and ran after them. Seohyun saw the chubby man toss her suitcase to another accomplice.

“Fany! He split the cases! I’m going after the second guy!”

“Seohyun, wait!”

Seohyun went the other way and started chasing the second thief. She followed him outside the airport where the sweltering heat struck her face first. She began to perspire as she ran after him.

“Wait!!!”

The people outside awaiting their love ones gasped as they watched the chase. They spoke in their native Filipino language of Tagalog.

“Wow, why is that pretty girl chasing after that man? He’s hideous!”

The airport security personnel seized the chubby thief and threw him in to a police car.

“Sorry about that, ma’am…”

“Thank you but my friend…”

They looked to the other end of the airport but couldn’t see across the sea of people. Tiffany decided to go after Seohyun.

“Seohyun!”

Seohyun began to pant harder as the distance between her and the thief grew.

“Stop! Please!”

As he was about to make a quick right, a quickly thrown clothesline belted him across the chest. The thief did a backflip and lost grip of the suitcase. Seohyun stopped in her tracks, almost losing her breath. As she slowly rose to catch her breath, a firm tan-skinned hand was held out.

“You must be one of Go Ara’s guests…”

Tiffany came running along, dragging her suitcase behind her.

“Seo-baby!”

Tiffany stopped and was stunned by the man who was helping Seohyun. He had a toned, muscular body with a heavenly shaped jaw line. His hair was nicely combed and he was wearing a clean white long sleeved shirt that was rolled up to the forearms. Her breath was taken away. Yet, he was busy helping Seohyun.

“Thank you…”

Seohyun looked up and smiled towards him. Her beauty struck him quickly.

“Wow…”

Seohyun turned and saw Tiffany.

“Fany-Unnie, I’m sorry for worrying you! It was my mistake for suddenly breaking away to chase after them…”

Tiffany continued to stare at their mysterious hero.

“It’s fine…by the way…who is he?”

Seohyun turned and faced her quiet savior.

“Umm, I didn’t get your name…”

“It’s Piolo…”

Tiffany smiled and nudged Seohyun.

“My god, he’s gorgeous…”

Seohyun playfully shoved Tiffany away. Piolo smiled and the girls were blown away by his smile. Suddenly, airport security arrived. They spoke in Tagalog.

“Pasenya na po pero, sya nagnaukaw ang bagahi?”

I apologize sir but was he the one that stole the luggage?

Piolo responded.

“Oo, sya nagnaukaw ang bagahi…”

Yes, he was the one that stole the luggage…

The security nodded and apprehended the thief.  Piolo turned to the two girls.

“I apologize for not arriving sooner and helping, so again to introduce myself, I’m Piolo and I was sent by Jung Yun Ho as your personal driver for the duration of your stay here in the Philippines…”

“Jung Yun Ho?”

Tiffany bumped Seohyun.

“That’s Go Ara’s fiancée…”

“Ah…”

“So, if you two ladies could please follow me…”

Tiffany smiled and grabbed Seohyun by her hand.

“Let’s go!”

The car they were riding in was a fancy black Lincoln suburban with tinted windows and leather seats, not a common sight in the Philippines. These types of vehicles are only reserved for diplomats or celebrities. Seohyun was known to be a very curious girl, who couldn’t stop playing 20 questions with Piolo. Yet, Piolo was humble and answered each question to the best of his ability. After he placed their luggage in the back, Tiffany quickly sat in front leaving Seohyun alone in the back seat. Seohyun shook her head in disbelief. 

“Seriously Unnie…”

They shut their doors and Piolo turned the engine on. The air conditioner quickly blasted on, hastily relieving the two girls. Piolo drove up to the parking booth and paid the small parking fee. Seohyun looked through the window and continued to observe the crowd.

“Piolo, there’s so many people outside...”

“Yeah, it’s like that here…not only are they waiting for their loved ones to return home, there are also people selling things and the usual panhandlers…”

“Oh…”

Tiffany bit her lip.

“So, Piolo, how did WE get so lucky to have you?”

Piolo chuckled.

“Well, I’m one of Mr. Jung’s assistants…he’s personal driver actually…Ms. Ara wanted to accommodate you two properly so I was sent in…they are very nice…”

Tiffany and Seohyun were amazed. Seohyun spoke up.

“So, how long have you been driving for Mr. Jung?”

“For a year or so, this is just a job to help pay for my school fees actually…”

Seohyun quickly grew even more interested with Piolo especially when the topic of education got involved. Tiffany quickly interjected into the conversation.

“So which hotel will you be taking us to?”

“I’ll be taking you to the Manila Hotel which is across from the Rizal Park…”

“Oh…the Rizal Park?”

“It’s a monument to one of our nation’s heroes…”

“We’ll have to go there sometime, Piolo…”

Tiffany turned to Seohyun and winked. Seohyun giggled and turned to look out the window. They were driving on the freeway that ran through the city. She could see the giant billboards displaying Filipino celebrities advertising products ranging from alcohol to shoes. They stopped at the intersection and Seohyun noticed the chaotic traffic and dozens of pedestrians cutting through the stalled vehicles.

“Is it common for people to just walk up and down the street?”

“Yes, traffic laws here are very lenient and because of that we suffer many roadside fatalities…it’s a real pity but that’s how the culture is here…”

“I see…”

After several minutes of driving and exploring the city, they arrived along Bonifacio Drive, which led up to the timeless Manila Hotel. Seohyun turned and looked through the window.

“What’s that giant monument there with the flags around it?”

“That’s the Rizal Park I was speaking about…it’s a memorial park dedicated to one of our founding fathers, Jose Rizal…”

“Wow…”

The drove up the hill leading to the hotel and arrived outside the golden front doors. Several hotel employees arrived and helped open the doors for the girls. Seohyun and Tiffany were startled by the hospitality. Piolo chuckled.

“Don’t worry, this all comes along with the wedding package. Since you two are guests of the bride, you will be fully accommodated…”

Their luggage was taken out and placed on a hotel cart. They were then escorted into the hotel. The inside of the hotel was amazing with elegant European architecture with a touch of homemade Filipino furniture. They arrived at the front counter where they met up with one of the hotel guest clerks.

“Hello! My name is Marian and I’ll be helping you today with your room. What is the name on the reservation?”

Tiffany spoke up.

“Oh, we are guests for the Yung and Go Wedding this coming Saturday…”

“Ah yes! Go Ara’s wedding!”

“My name is Tiffany Hwang and this is my friend Seo Joo Hyun…”

Marian quickly began to type on the computer to call their names up.

“Here we go…”

Tiffany smiled back at Seohyun.

“You two will be staying in the Sunset Suite…”

The girls smiled and hugged each other. Marian prepared the paperwork and handed them their keycards.

“Checkout time will be 11AM on Sunday…”

Tiffany handed Seohyun her keycard.

“Thanks Marian!”

Tiffany and Seohyun followed the rest of the helpers to their room. Piolo entered the lobby after parking the car. He spoke up to Marian.

“Kumusta ka na, Marian?”

How are you doing, Marian?

Marian blushed and answered back.

“Eto…pagud…gutom…kailan tayo lalabas ulit? Miss na kita…”

Eh…tired…hungry…when are we going to go out again? I miss you…

Piolo smiled.

“Sa susunood…kailangan ko uusapin si Yun Ho kung kailangan n’yang driver mamaya…”

Next time…I need to speak with Yun Ho if he needs a driver for later…

“Piolo, nakakainis ka…walang kang panahon para sa’yo?”

Piolo, you’re such a major letdown…don’t you have time for yourself?

“Working student lang ako…sana meron akong panahon para mag-gimmick sa gabi pero hindi…sa susunood, Marian, pangako ko…chaka saan nagpunta ang mga Koreana?”

I’m just a working student…hopefully I have time to go out at night but I don’t…next time, Marian, I promise…also where did the Korean girls go?

“Sa Sunset Suites sila…”

They’re at the Sunset Suites…

“Wow…”

“I know…”

“Ok, hahanapin ko sila…”

Ok, I’ll go look for them…

“Hey, ang drink natin?”

Hey, what about our drink together?

“Next time Marian…”

He winked at her and hurried off. Marian sighed and fell back into her chair.

Meanwhile back at the airport, little did Seohyun know, the crowd that was actually forming was for an old friend of hers. The photographers arrived outside the baggage claim waiting to snap a picture of the popular Korean actor and model, Cho Kyuhyun.

“There he is!!!”

The girls began to swoon and scream as security fought to hold back the lines. Kyuhyun emerged wearing a white suit jacket with a white v-neck shirt underneath. He smiled and waved as he hurried to the black tinted van. As he rushed through, he turned to see Jiyeon trying to keep up with him. The security guard slid open the van door and Kyuhyun hopped inside followed along by his manager Leeteuk and Jiyeon. Jiyeon slammed the door shut and the driver drove out of the airport. Jiyeon turned to Kyuhyun.

“Oh my god…that was nuts…”

“That’s very typical…you need to get used to it…so, Hyung, where are we heading?”

Leeteuk held his finger up as he spoke on his phone. He hung up and turned to Kyuhyun.

“Looks like we’ll be at the Manila Hotel today and the shoot will be tomorrow afternoon…get some rest and don’t party too hard…”

Kyuhyun chuckled.

“Party? Please…”

He turned to Jiyeon.

“Is this your first time here in Manila?”

“I never traveled before…”

“That’s good, we’ll all go out tonight for dinner, they have some great restaurants downtown…”

“Alright…”

Kyuhyun could tell Jiyeon was a little culture shocked and touched her shoulder.

“You wanted to work with celebrities and travel right? Well this is how it is…we’re always on the move…you’ll need to keep up, baby…”

Jiyeon smiled.

“I understand, sir…”

“It’s Kyuhyun, remember?”

“Yeah, Kyuhyun…sorry…”

Leeteuk rolled his eyes and returned to his phone. He whispered to Kyuhyun.

“She’s young…don’t toy around with her alright?”

Seohyun opened the curtains to the suite exposing the bright sun and the amazing view of Manila Bay. The cruise ships were parked out in the harbor and the sea was bluer than ever. Tiffany leaped onto the bed and threw her heels off.

“How did we get so lucky, Seohyun?!”

Seohyun sat next to her.

“We need to thank Ara-Unnie for all of this…”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Seohyun quickly jumped up to answer it.

“I’m coming!”

Tiffany slowly rose up to see who was visiting. Seohyun answered the door and was happy to see Piolo.

“Ah, Piolo, what’s up?”

Piolo strangely felt Seohyun’s presence comforting and hesitated for a moment.

“Oh Seohyun, yeah…ummm….I just wanted to see if you two needed anything else…I’ll be contacting the couple that you’re here and you should expect to see Ms. Ara very soon…by the way here’s my contact number if you need to get a ride or anything…”

Piolo handed Seohyun his calling card.

“Thanks Piolo, we’ll be sure to let you know if anything comes up also…I’d like to see Rizal Park tomorrow if you’re available…”

Piolo smiled brightly.

“Certainly!”

Seohyun gave him a quick bow.

“Thanks again for your hospitality…”

Seohyun closed the door and Piolo walked down the hall with his hands shoved into his pockets. He turned back and smiled. He murmured to himself in Tagalog.

“Wow…talagang maganda s’ya…”

Wow, she really is beautiful…

He shrugged and returned to the elevator. Before he could press the button, it opened up and a slim, fair skinned man with fine clothing passed him. Piolo moved out of the way and looked towards the man’s eyes. Another man in a suit and an innocent looking girl followed him behind. The girl spoke to Piolo.

“Excuse us sir…”

“Oh no problem…”

Piolo could tell the man was arrogant but he was used to seeing rich, overbearing men in suits so it didn’t real bother him. He entered the elevator and disappeared from the floor. Jiyeon turned to Leeteuk.

“Wow, this hotel is real fancy…”

“The agency is real friendly for paying for our week-long stay here…we need to be on our best behavior…by the way…here’s your keycard…your room is down further…please oh please keep yourself protected…if you know what I mean…”

“Manager-oppa?”

“You know what I mean…don’t let Kyuhyun get to you, okay? He’s very promiscuous and has a low tolerance for alcohol AND women…just be vigilant…”

Jiyeon nodded.

“I understand…”

“Ok then, you go ahead and I’ll contact you if anything comes up…”

Jiyeon bowed and walked passed Leeteuk. Kyuhyun was waiting by his door and saw Jiyeon walking nearer.

“Jiyeon, how about a drink later?”

“Oh, Kyuhyun, I’ll see…”

Kyuhyun smirked.

“I’ll see you then…”

Jiyeon nodded and walked passed him. She hurried to her room and quickly opened and closed it. Leeteuk approached Kyuhyun.

“Let’s play nice during this trip…she’s still young…her resume said she was really book smart and responsible…let’s not change that okay?”

“Hyung! I got it man…”

“Remember what happened with your last assistant Hyomin? Because of your little stint with her, there was media fiasco about a possible pregnancy, which thankfully, by God’s help, was only a false alarm...”

Kyuhyun opened the door the suite and smiled to Leeteuk.

“All is well my dear Manager…”

“Fine…”

Later that night…

Seohyun couldn’t seem to fall asleep. She rolled over to look at the time.

“7 o’clock…what to do…”

She felt impatient and quickly got up. She walked through to the living room to get to Tiffany’s room. Seohyun slowly pushed the door open and saw Tiffany asleep.

“Unnie…”

Tiffany snored loudly and Seohyun slowly closed her door shut. She sighed and went over to the hotel phone. She pulled out Piolo’s calling card and dialed the number on it. The phone began to ring.

*RING RING RING*

“Hello?”

“Piolo? It’s Seohyun…”

Piolo was outside in his neighborhood enjoying some soup from the street corner. The sound of kids running around, dishes clanging, and basketballs dribbling flooded the background.

“Oh Seohyun! Hi!”

Piolo’s petite sister, Erich, saw her brother suddenly brighten up with cheer. She whispered to her mom in Tagalog.

“Bakit ganon si Kuya?”

Why is big brother like that?

Piolo’s mother, a large stocky woman with a lot of love and attitude, shrugged.

“Hindi ko alam pero sana babae yan sa telefono…gwapong gwapo ang kuya mo pero wala syang syota…”

I don’t know but hopefully that a woman on the phone…your brother is so handsome but he doesn’t have a girlfriend…

“Hinihanap nya ang tamang babae, Ma…”

He’s looking for the right woman, Ma…

“Whatever…”

Piolo’s mother stared him down as he spoke. Piolo look back and winked.

“Ay naku, it must be a girl…”

Piolo ignored his family and listened in on Seohyun.

“So Piolo, I’m not really tired…my whole sleep cycle is going haywire…”

“That’s how jetlag is I guess…you will be real tired tomorrow morning…”

“Maybe...I wanted to ask if there’s anything fun to do in the hotel at night…”

“Well, there’s the bar if you want a drink…then…there’s the spa if you want help relaxing…”

“The spa huh?”

“Yup…”

“I guess I’ll try that out, thanks!”

“Well, have fun…by the way….Ms. Ara apologized for not stopping by today…she was swamped with all her preparations but she promises to take you two girls out for breakfast…I will be there bright and early!”

“Thank you Piolo can’t wait! Well, see you then…”

Seohyun hung up and walked over to the bathroom to grab a robe and headed downstairs to the spa.

“Hmm…this should be good…”

Piolo returned his cell phone to his pocket and continued slurping his soup. His sister suddenly came up and knocked him on the head.

“Hoy Kuya!”

*WHACK*

“Hey! Erich!”

Erich placed the laundry basket on the stool beside her and she sat close to her brother.  She whispered to him.

“Sinong tumawag, Kuya?”

Who called, big brother?

“Isang cliente ni Yun Ho…yun lang…”

One of Yun Ho’s clients…that’s all…

“Isang cliente?! Naks naman si Kuya! Pero akala ko ikaw driver lang ni Yun Ho...”

One of his clients? Alright big brother! But, I thought you were only Yun Ho’s driver…

“Oo ako ang driver! Chaka, buong linggo ako ang driver para sa dalawang magandang Koreana taga States…”

Yes, I am the driver! Also, for the whole week I’ll be the driver for two beautiful Korean girls who are from the US!

Erich laughed

“Ang yabang mo! Anong sabi nga babae sa telefono?”

You’re so arrogant! What did the woman on the phone say?

Piolo responded back in his slang English style, which Erich found hilarious.

“She was lonely and wanted to know what’s fun to do in the Manila Hotel…”

Erich giggled then looked down.

“Sana…mayaman ako din…”

Hopefully…I could be rich too…

“Erich, wag ka mag-ganyan…pupunta tayo sa Manila Hotel…”

Erich, don’t be like that…we’ll go to the Manila Hotel…

Erich laughed sarcastically.

“Pwede ba, Kuya…pagud na ako sa mga plano mo…kailangan ko mag-laba…chaka hinihanap ka si Ma…”

Could you please, big brother…I’m fed up of your plans…I need to do laundry…also Ma was looking for you…

Piolo grew worried.

“Oh, thanks…”

Erich sighed, grabbed the laundry basket, and returned to her chores. Piolo finished the rest of his soup and left a tip for the cook.

“Thanks, Tita Rose!”

“Oh my dear Piolo, you keep getting handsome!”

Piolo smiled and returned home. He walked down the busy street filled with tricycles, broken down jeeps, and shirtless kids chasing each other with sticks.

“Hey watch out!”

The young children laughed and answered back in unison.

“YES KUYA!”

Piolo laughed and pushed the wooden door open and found his mother folding clothes as she watched a Filipino drama on their small TV. She put out her cigarette and turned to Piolo.

“Piolo, kumusta nga pasuk mo?”

Piolo, how was work?

“Ok lang…hindi masyadong marmaming trabaho ngayon…kumain na ako sa Tita Rose…”

It was okay…there wasn’t a lot of work today…I ate already at Aunt Rose’s…

“Kumain ka sa labas ulit?”

Did you eat out again?

“Oh Ma…sa Tita Rose lang…”

Oh Ma, it was only at Tita Rose’s…

His mom stopped folding the clothes and turned to him.

“Piolo, tumawag ang tatay mo…gipit sya sa pera doon sa Korea kaya hindi darating ang pera para sa tuition mo sa buon to…”

Piolo, your father called…he’s tight with money over at Korea so money for your tuition won’t be arriving for this month…

Piolo was upset.

“Ma, hindi pwede tayo mag-delinquent  sa tuition ko…noon nag-bigyan ako leniency pero ngayon hindi ko alam…nakakahiya…“

Ma, we can’t go delinquent on my tuition…before they gave me some leniency but now I don’t know…it’s embarrassing…

“Hoy! Bakit ganon ka?! Alam mo walang tayong pera! Kailangan sila magintindihan!”

Hey! Why are you like that?! You know we don’t have money! They will need to understand!

Piolo deeply sighed and took a seat by their small dining table.

“Piolo, wag kang magtingin sa akin ganyan…”

Piolo, don’t look at me like that…

“Ma, hahanapin ko ang paraan…”

Ma, I will find a way…

“Bakit hindi mo tanongin ang boss mo kung gusto mo mag hiram ang pera? Mayaman s’ya di ba?”

Why don’t you ask your boss if you could borrow some money? He’s rich isn’t he?

“Ma, hindi pwede ko maghiram sa boss ko! Kakasal s’ya kaya maraming gastosan…nakakahiya naman…”

Ma, I can’t borrow from my boss! He’s getting married so there will be a lot of spending…that’s so embarrassing…

Piolo looked down and felt the pain of his family’s financial plight.  He heard his mother sobbing to herself and got up to comfort her.

“Ma…”

He hugged her.

“Lintik ang buhay to!”

Damn this life!

“Hahanapin ko ang paraan…”

I’ll find a way…

Seohyun felt like she was trapped in a golden maze searching for the hotel spa. She finally made it to the front lobby, where she found Marian on the phone.

“Hello Marian…”

Marian finished speaking on the phone and smiled towards her.

“Yes Ma’am…”

“Yeah, I’m looking for the spa…”

“Oh, it’s on the opposite side of this building…here’s a map…just head towards the gym and you should find the spa nearby…”

“Oh, thanks!”

Seohyun looked through the map and followed the directions. As she walked around, she observed the other hotel guests and was interested to see the vast diversity of everyone. From Chinese to German, there were all roaming around the halls and enjoying the amenities. Seohyun arrived at the gym where she saw older men and women walking on treadmills. She continued down the corridor and found the sign pointing towards the spa.

“Here it is…”

She walked in and found a small, petite woman behind the counter.

“Hello ma’am, I’m Maja, how may I help you?”

“Yes, I wanted to utilize the spa…”

“Did you want a massage, steam bath, sauna, or the whole package?”

“I believe I’m on the Star Tourist Package and I’m entitled to one Premium Spa Package so I’ll take all the services provided…”

“Ok, could I see your card?”

“My card? Wait…”

Seohyun brought out her keycard.

“No ma’am, it’s a gold card…”

“Oh no…hold on…”

Suddenly, the slim gentleman she saw sitting on the far corner interjected. He brought out his credit card out and slid it down the counter to the spa associate.

“If you don’t mind, I could assist you…”

“Umm…I appreciate it but I don’t need your help…sorry for the mistake, Maja, I’ll be back another time…”

Maja nodded and Seohyun quickly stepped out.

“Wait! Hold on!”

Kyuhyun took his credit card and chased down Seohyun.

“Wait a second!”

Seohyun turned around.

“I apologize I don’t speak too much Korean, but I know enough to feel insulted…”

“Insulted? I didn’t mean to put you on the spot…by the way…you’re Korean? Wow…a very beautiful one as well…”

“Haha…very cute…I don’t need your sympathy or anything so if could excuse me-“

Kyuhyun took her by the arm.

“Wait, let me make it up to you…my name is Kyuhyun, how about a drink?”

Seohyun pulled her arm away.

“NO THANK YOU!”

Kyuhyun released her arm and Seohyun stormed off. Kyuhyun scratched his head in confusion.

“Wow, she’s pretty strong…and pretty familiar…”

Kyuhyun watched as Seohyun vanished up the steps leading back towards the lobby. He shrugged and returned to the spa. Maja spoke up as he entered.

“Did that girl not recognize you?”

Seohyun returned to the suite feeling her sudden rage of anger slowly subside.

“The nerve of that guy…flashing his money like a moron…”

Seohyun walked over to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. She quickly gulped it down to calm herself.

“Ah…easy Seohyun…just another douchebag…it’s okay…”

Seohyun refilled her glass and walked over to the window to stare over the Manila Bay. There were lights on the ships parked out in the harbor, which beautifully reflected off the water of the bay.

“He said his name was Kyuhyun though…it couldn’t be the same one though…”

Seohyun sighed and closed her eyes. She remembered her childhood friend’s smile and laughter. The friendship she shared with the Kyuhyun she once knew was precious and unforgettable. She longed to see him again hoping their friendship they once had could evolve into something deeper and more special.

“But the Kyuhyun I just ran into is a monster compared to him…”

She chuckled to herself and continued watching the lights shine in the harbor.

“But still…could it be him?”

Finally, the SeoKyu love story is back! With a whole new setting, story, and conflict, does SeoKyu have what it takes to fall in love? Seohyun, a strict, headstrong girl and Kyuhyun, the slick, arrogant superstar, what do their chances look like? With the addition of Kyuhyun’s innocent and cute assistant, Jiyeon, and the mysteriously handsome Piolo, Lovers in Manila is assured to make readers cringe with anger, laugh with happiness, and cry in pain.

With Tiffany and Seohyun finally settling into Manila, what does the city have in store for them? Will Piolo’s crush on Seohyun evolve into something more? Will Kyuhyun’s playboy antics get the best of him and ruin his professional relationship with Jiyeon? What ‘surprise’ does Jiyeon have for Kyuhyun? After their first encounter, does Seohyun and Kyuhyun actually remember each other? There’s more to see in the next chapter of “Lovers in Manila”!