Chapter 3

It was hot and humid as Seohyun and Tiffany lay floating in the pool on top of the inflatable floating devices they borrowed from the recreation room. Tiffany had on a skimpy red bikini while Seohyun remained conservative with a navy blue one-piece swimsuit. The groomsmen watched from the bar and observed the attraction the two girls were showing in the pool. Taecyeon whispered to the other men.

“Hey guys…check this out…I’m going to see how that girl in the red bikini is doing…”

The men snickered as Taecyeon swaggered his way to the pool.  He stretched his arms and flexed his muscles as he prepared to engage with the young females. Tiffany recognized him as he was walking over and nudged Seohyun. Seohyun took off her reading glasses and looked to Tiffany.

“What’s up?”

“It’s one of Yun Ho’s boys…the hunky one…”

“I see…”

“Uh oh…get your game face on…”

Taecyeon sat on the edge of the pool and placed his legs underwater. He had a bright grin on his face.

“I remember you…Tiffany, wasn’t it?”

Tiffany giggled and placed her shades on her forehead.

“It is Taecyeon, right?”

“Yes, it was…enjoying the water, I see…”

“You can say that…such a nice and warm day…we just had to go for a dip, right Seohyun?”

Seohyun simply smiled and returned to her reading. Taecyeon recognized Seohyun wasn’t into talking and continued to pursue Tiffany.

“Well Tiffany, would you like a drink?”

“Sure…”

Tiffany slipped off her floating device and climbed up the ladder out of the pool. Taecyeon his lips as Tiffany’s body, dripping wet, swayed side to side as she strolled up to him. He took her hand and they were off to the bar. Seohyun shook head and smiled.

“Such a flirt…”

Piolo arrived at the poolside in search of Seohyun. He looked around the benches and bar. He saw Tiffany chatting with some of the groomsmen.

“Hey Tiffany, where’s Seohyun?”

Tiffany was just finished laughing with Taecyeon and caressed his muscular chest. She saw Piolo and quickly embraced him.

“Piolo! HI!!!”

“Hi, so I was looking for Seohyun-“

“You are always speaking to Seo-baby! Stay and hang out with us!”

“I would like to but Seohyun wanted to go out so-“

“Fine! Go out with Seohyun! I’m jealous…”

Tiffany began to playfully pout.

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay…Seohyun is in the pool…”

Tiffany pointed over and Piolo saw Seohyun reading on the floating device. He finally got to see her smooth, bare legs and her pretty figure.

“Take care of Seohyun, alright?”

“Don’t worry…”

Tiffany returned to Taecyeon while Piolo hurried over to the pool. Tiffany watched as Piolo spoke with Seohyun and the smiles they shared as they spoke with each other. Tiffany didn’t know why she was jealous of her but it kept bothering her. Seohyun exited the pool and went over to the bar.

“Hey Unnie, I’m going to visit some places around the city with Piolo, want to come?”

“It’s fine…I’ll be here with these handsome men!”

The groomsmen laughed as Tiffany winked. Seohyun responded.

“Ok then Unnie, I’ll see you then!”

Piolo nodded towards Tiffany and whispered to her.

“I’ll take care of her, don’t worry…”

Kyuhyun and Jiyeon walked out of the hotel to attend their next scheduled event, which was a press conference over at SM Mall of Asia. He was still hung-over from the previous night and was extremely woozy as he stepped into the sunlight. Jiyeon observed him as he rubbed his temples.

“Kyuhyun, you still hung-over?”

“I am…this interview is not going to be good…”

Jiyeon went to remove his dark sunglasses but Kyuhyun leaned back.

“Whoa, watch it…my eyes hurt from the sunlight…”

“Sorry…”

The van arrived and Jiyeon slid the door open for Kyuhyun. He slipped in quickly and sat against the window. Jiyeon followed and closed the door behind her. As the van turned the corner to exit the hotel driveway, Kyuhyun caught sight of Seohyun exiting the hotel. Kyuhyun quickly removed his shades.

“Seohyun?”

Piolo followed behind her and they were both laughing and smiling.

“I wonder if he asked her already?”

Jiyeon looked to see that Kyuhyun was watching Seohyun. She narrowed her eyes and felt slightly jealous.

“Kyuhyun, Manager-Oppa texted me that he’s already there so-“

“What should I wear tonight?”

“Huh?”

“I’ll be taking that Seohyun girl out tonight…should I wear a suit or just a normal shirt?”

“Whatever…”

Intramuros

One of the oldest sites in Manila, Intramuros was an old fort that housed the government during Spanish rule. Currently, it is a popular tourist attraction and it houses many of the Philippines’ prestigious colleges such as Lyceum and Mapua University.

Piolo walked over to the cart to buy some soda while Seohyun walked on the second floor of the fort. She ran her fingers along the rusty cannon and looked over the ledge that gave a view of the city.

“The history of this place is so rich…”

Piolo walked up the old stone steps, holding two clear plastic bags filled with coke, and went to join Seohyun. He arrived to the top floor, overseeing the city, and saw Seohyun at the end sitting at the ledge. He observed her as he walked and noticed her gentle smile. She combed a strand of hair behind her ear and closed her eyes.

“She’s so beautiful…”

Seohyun turned and smiled as Piolo handed her a bag of soda.

“Oh wow…it’s in a bag…”

“Here in the Philippines, the vendors like to recycle the bottles so they pour the soda in a plastic bag…anything to save some money, you know?”

“I understand…I wonder why other places don’t think of these things, you know?”

She placed the straw in and lightly sipped. Piolo watched as she drank and saw the perspiration on her face and under her neck. Seohyun completely finished her drink and burped. Piolo laughed.

“Wow, you’re thirsty…”

“I know, thanks for the drink!”

She tossed her bag in a trashcan and continued her walk through the Walled City. Piolo sipped on his soda as he followed behind her. Seohyun spoke up.

“This place is incredible…I love historical places…”

“Yeah, the Department of History has been always involved in preserving our country’s historic sites…”

They arrived at the corner of the fort and looked over at the view of the city. She turned and smiled.

“Thanks for taking me here…”

Piolo can tell she was sincere and it made his heart beat faster. He has never met any girl like her and he knew he would probably never meet someone as calm and gentle as her. He wanted to reach out and touch her but he knew this whole moment was temporary and that she was simply being kind. But still, he found himself getting lost in her smile.

“You’re welcome, Seohyun…”

Suddenly, Piolo’s cell phone began to vibrate. He pulled it out and saw it was from his mother. She usually doesn’t call and when she does it usually urgent. Piolo smiled and walked down the steps to take his call.

“Ma?”

“Piolo? Saan ka? Kailangan ka dito sa bahay!”

Piolo? Where are you? You’re needed here at the house!

“Bakit? Anong yari? Nasaktan ka?”

Why? What happened? Are you hurt?

“Dali na! Uwi ka na! Ang kapatid mo nalayas!”

Hurry up! Go home now! You’re sister ran away!

Piolo suddenly felt his whole world being rocked. He hung up the phone and ran up the steps. Seohyun was examining another old, decaying cannon.

“Piolo?”

“Seohyun, we need to go! I’ll bring you back to the hotel…”

“Wait, what’s wrong?”

“It’s a family emergency…”

“But-“

“I’m sorry, Seohyun, but we need to cut our little outing short today…I promise to take you sightseeing tomorrow…”

Seohyun watched as Piolo zoomed out of the hotel driveway and back on the expressway. She felt worried for him and wanted to know what was troubling him. She felt helpless, as she always does, and ventured back into the hotel. She walked passed the lobby and saw Marian twirling her pencil and chatting on the phone. Seohyun gave her a friendly nod and continued back to her suite.

She unlocked the door to her suite and decided to take a nap. She tossed her purse onto the counter and fell back onto the cozy, leather couch. She tossed off her slippers and stretched. She began to think about how helpless she felt when Piolo left her behind. She always felt as if she were a child who was simply getting in the way. She knew it wasn’t Piolo’s intention to make her feel like a child but it seemed to her that throughout her life she was always treated like one. Then she began to reminisce about her father.

She had always wanted to be like her father. He was calm, gentle, kind, and inspiring. He was an English teacher in high school and loved to recite poetry, act, and especially, write. He often went out and simply observed people, weather, animals, and pretty much anything revolving around life itself. Even after her mother passed away, her father still continued to teach but his passion for education began to wither away. When they arrived in California, her father became a teacher at a local community college teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). She remembered his long, lonely nights in his study and his faint smile.

She recalled the day she told her father she wanted to become a teacher. She was just beginning high school and her English teacher gave a writing assignment that was about future goals and aspirations. She remembered the joy her father had while teaching and wanted to experience that same joy. Seohyun entered his study and told him her goals.

“Daddy…”

“Yes Seohyun…”

“Is it hard to be a teacher?”

Her father looked up from his book and removed his glasses. He smiled and pointed to the seat in front of him.

“Sit, honey.”

Seohyun smiled and sat down.

“Teaching is all about prospective…for instance, teaching calculus could be extremely easy while teaching one how to write their name in kindergarten could be beyond difficult…everyone has different levels and different ways…”

“So…”

Her father chuckled.

“What I’m saying is one thing could be hard for one person while another thing can be easy for someone else…teaching is all about balancing those levels between yourself and your students…that way everyone can learn in harmony…”

Seohyun bit her lip and tried to understand what her father was saying.

“Balance…got it!”

Her father laughed again.

“Sweetie, if you want to be teacher, I will support you…I would be proud to see you teach…”

Her father always knew how to make her feel happy and comfortable and because of that she always lived a very sheltered life, similar to a small child. Her mother was gone and she was an only child so it was expected that her father would be over-protective. She didn’t mind being watched upon by her father until it was during senior year and she wanted to go prom. Her father wasn’t too big on boyfriends and always discouraged any males who would walk her home. Seohyun was annoyed but understood until her long time crush in high school, Dominique, asked her to the prom. Seohyun was ecstatic but kept it a secret from her father.

The day of the prom, Dominique, arrived at her house and presented her with a corsage and peck on the cheek. That moment, her father overreacted and yelled at Dominique to leave. She argued with her father and left without saying goodbye. Seohyun had her first kiss after the dance when she was returning home. Once she arrived, her father was sitting in his study. She ignored him and continued to her room. Her father spoke up.

“Teaching is a discipline…”

Seohyun stopped in her tracks.

“Discipline comes from respect…if you don’t learn to respect others then you will never learn discipline…without discipline…you will never be able to teach…”

Seohyun peeked through the doors and saw her father crying. She hadn’t seen him cry since her mother’s funeral.

“Dad…”

“Honey, forgive me…I was just scared I’d lose you too…”

Seohyun walked over to her father and hugged him. His weak, pale hands embraced her and he whispered.

“I’m sorry for treating you like that earlier…when I spoke of teaching and respect…I speaking to myself…I guess I’ve lost that discipline…”

“No Daddy…you haven’t…”

Seohyun slowly opened her eyes and realized it was already nighttime. Her nap went longer than she expected. She slowly got up and walked over to the bathroom to get refreshed. After relieving herself, she washed her face to remove the sleepiness from her eyes. After drying off, there was a light knock at the door. Seohyun placed the towel back on the rack and hurried to the door.

“Yes?”

Seohyun opened the door and found Kyuhyun.

“Oh, hi!”

Seohyun lifted her eyebrow.

“Hi…”

“Ummm…so what was your answer?”

“Answer? Answer to what?”

Kyuhyun bit his lip and thought to himself.

“Crap, that loser didn’t ask her my special question…”

Kyuhyun grinned.

“Yeah, I asked your buddy, Piolo, to relay a message for me but…I guess I’ll do it myself…”

“Ok…”

“Would you like to go out and have dinner with me?”

Seohyun hesitated for a moment and thought to herself.

“I really don’t want to give this creep the time of day but…Tiffany is out with the groomsmen…Piolo is handling some personal business…I might as well try to go out a bit…”

Seohyun sighed.

“How about your friend, Jiyeon, will she be joining us?”

“Oh, her? No! She’s out…doing…things…”

Jiyeon was actually asleep in her room.

“Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt right? Plus, you are a celebrity so you wouldn’t try anything fishy…right?”

“Of course! I’m a gentleman, through and through!”

Kyuhyun knew that wasn’t a fact and that he’s notorious for his flirtatious ways but something “different” drew him to Seohyun.

“Ok then, I’ll get ready…I’ll be out in ten minutes…”

“We’ll meet up at the lobby?”

“That will be fine…”

Piolo glanced over the piece of paper and looked towards the sign to see if everything matched up. Xian lived in a gated community filled with modern two-story homes. Piolo knew he was well off and his family was a lot more liberal when it came to relationships. Piolo walked over to the sleepy guard.

“Excuse me, Manong, saan ang 212 Liberty Drive? Hinihanap ko ang Lim Residence…”

Excuse me, sir, where is 212 Liberty Drive? I’m looking for the Lim Residence…”

The guard woke up from his slumber and wiped the dried saliva formed on the corner of his mouth. He didn’t seem too happy from the disturbance and pointed Piolo away.

“Di ko pwede mag-bigyan ang address sa kahit sino…alis ka na…”

I can’t just give an address to anyone…leave now…

Piolo wouldn’t give up.

“Manong, hinihanap ko ang aking kapatid…sabi nga ibigan nya napunta sya dito…kasama nya si Xian Lim…anak ni Henry Lim…kung pwede ba tawagin mo sila kung kasama nila sya?”

Sir, I’m looking for my sister…her friend said that she went here…together with Xian Lim…son of Henry Lim…if you could just call them to see if she’s with them…

The guard was getting annoyed.

“Sir, this is a private community…alis ka na o tatawagin ko ang pulis!”

Sir, this is a private community…leave now or I will call the police!

Piolo backed off and tried to see over the gate. The homes were huge and the streets were clean, an obvious contrast of what his neighborhood looks like. He crumbled the paper up and tossed it into the bushes. As he walked back to the car, a huge white Range Rover playing loud hip-hop music came pounding towards the gate. The guard stood up and went over to the truck. The windows rolled down and it was Xian.

“Manong! Buksan mo ang gate!”

Sir! Open up the gate!

Piolo noticed Erich was sitting in the passenger’s seat.

“Erich!”

Erich couldn’t hear over the booming music. Piolo ran towards the truck as it was entering the gate. Piolo knocked on the glass and Xian halted the truck. Erich was frightened to see her brother. The guard ran over to Piolo to hold him back. Xian hopped out his truck.

“Wow, you came all the way here, Kuya?”

“Saan si Erich? Erich, lumabas ka sa kotse!”

Where’s Erich? Erich, get out of that car!

Xian smirked.

“Manong, bitawan mo sya…I’ll speak with him…”

Sir, release him…I’ll speak with him…

The guard let go of Piolo and he quickly approached Xian.

“Tarantado ka…hindi mo nariring ang sabi ko? Iwanan mo Erich…”

You bastard…didn’t you hear me? Leave Erich alone…”

“Kuya Piolo, I didn’t do anything…Erich came to me…so if you could stop making a scene in front of my home…that would be nice…”

“Wag ka mag-english sa akin…”

Don’t you dare speak English to me…”

Erich hopped out the car and ran to Piolo.

“Kuya…tama na…”

Brother...stop…

Piolo looked to his sister and slapped her.

“Don’t you have any shame? Ma was at home crying and worried…you just disappeared…”

Erich held her face and began to cry. Xian pulled her towards him. Piolo was about to rush him then Erich held her hand out.

“Tama na, Kuya…pagud na ako sa buhay natin…puro mahirap walang masaya…”

Stop it, Brother…I’m tired of our life…everything is difficult and no happiness…

“Pero…si nanay…”

But…Mother…

“Sawa na ako…si nanay…hindi nya ako mahal…puro utos utos…puro pera lang ang salita…I want to be free…”

I’m tired of it…Mother…she didn’t love me…just kept giving out commands…only spoke of money…

“Erich…”

Xian spoke up.

“Let her stay here for a bit…we’ll care for her…”

Piolo felt helpless and watched as Xian escorted Erich back into his huge home. Piolo wiped his tears and felt the pain his sister was explaining. Piolo was also tired of living his life in poverty. Everyday, he had to use what little cash he had to get himself around and it wasn’t easier working in an environment filled with affluent people. He felt like his whole body got smothered with a gigantic boulder and he began to drag his legs. He walked out the gate and ignored the guard’s glare. He entered his car and slammed the door. The only thing that has been making his life easier was the car he used for work, which was paid for by Yun Ho. Yet, even the car was expensive to maintain and it drained most of his funds. He started the car but he didn’t have the strength to return home to tell his mother what had happened. He could imagine her fainting after she heard what Erich had to say. Piolo decided to drive back to the hotel.

The downtown sushi restaurant was crowded with young, urban, socialites. From ties and nice slacks to y dresses, Seohyun knew she was in an upbeat restaurant. Kyuhyun sat across from her but he couldn’t keep more than ten seconds of his attention on her without having to wave or wink at another loyal supporter.

“Wow, it looks like it was a great night to come down here…”

Seohyun simply nodded and continued to stare at the menu. She wasn’t as hungry as she thought she was and she was growing annoyed by Kyuhyun’s constant grinning. It was as if he was in some kind of toothpaste commercial. The handsome waiter finally arrived.

“Sir and ma’am, may I take your order?”

Before Seohyun could speak, Kyuhyun blurted out the orders.

“Yes, so she’ll have the spicy tuna roll while I’ll have the dragon roll with a side of vegetable tempura…”

“Drinks?”

Seohyun spoke first.

“A sprite?”

“Sure, and for you, sir?”

Kyuhyun was surprised by Seohyun’s bland taste and ordered his drink.

“I’ll have a martini…”

“Good, I’ll be right back with your drinks…”

The waiter folded up the menus and hurried off. Seohyun spoke up.

“You didn’t have to order for me…”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?”

Seohyun rolled her eyes and fought to remain patient with him. She knew it wasn’t a good idea to go out with him but she didn’t want to be left alone in the hotel. She was trying her best to uphold one of the foundations of being an educator, which is “Carpe diem” or “Seize the day” in Latin. Yet from the looks of things, this day wasn’t particularly in need for seizing. The waiter arrived with the drink and Kyuhyun took a sip of his martini.

“Yummy…thank you…”

The waiter nodded and hurried back to check the other customers. Kyuhyun noticed Seohyun was fidgeting with her sleeve and was staring down.

“What’s wrong? I hope I didn’t offend you…”

“Oh no…it’s all good…”

Kyuhyun narrowed his eyes.

“You don’t go out on dates often, do you?”

Seohyun shot up with a bothered look.

“Excuse me? I do go out on many dates…well…some…”

Kyuhyun noticed she was blushing and smiled.

“Don’t worry, you’re on vacation, right? Just relax and go with the flow…I know I might be a celebrity but this a different country…I might have supporters and stuff but I’m on vacation as well…so…I’m also kicking back and putting my feet up!”

“I see…”

Seohyun sipped her cold beverage. Kyuhyun could tell Seohyun wasn’t too fond of his confidence and assertiveness so he decided to cut back on his burners.

“So back home, what do you do?”

“Oh, I’m a student…”

“College? Hopefully not high school...”

Seohyun giggled and shook her head.

“No…college…UCLA…”

“LA huh? I’ve been there once or twice…”

“I bet you have…”

“What are you learning? Like, your major?”

“I want to be a teacher…”

“I see…I had a friend who moved to LA…she wanted to be a teacher too…”

“I see…”

Seohyun and Kyuhyun looked away from each other and there was a momentary awkward silence. Seohyun tried to keep the conversation going.

“You know, I watch a lot of dramas but I never seen your shows…which shows were you in?”

“Oh, well I have recently become the lead actor in my most recent drama, “Seoul Lovers” which won’t be out until another month or two…most of my other dramas I was in a supporting role…yet…I still gained a small popularity…”

“I see…do you like acting?”

The music and voices got louder and Seohyun and Kyuhyun found themselves trying to speak over the noise.

“Acting? Do I like it?”

“Yes!”

“It’s okay, I guess…not a lot of privacy, you know?”

“I’ve heard!”

The food finally arrived and Seohyun and Kyuhyun quickly dug in. Seohyun found a weird coincidence that Kyuhyun would order the spicy tuna roll for her since it was actually her favorite one. She thought to herself.

“I guess it’s one of his playboy antics to order for the date but, I actually like this roll…”

Seohyun had a piece of the roll in and Kyuhyun looked to her. She looked back and smiled with a stuffed mouth. Kyuhyun chuckled and thought to himself.

“She’s so cute…”

They continued to devour the sushi rolls until their plates were wiped clean. Seohyun didn’t want to cramp Kyuhyun’s style and withdrew from arguing with him about the bill and let him pay for their date.

“Don’t worry, Seohyun, I got the bill…”

“You sure?”

“Oh, I’m sure…”

He flashed a bright grin making Seohyun roll her eyes and laugh. They exited the packed restaurant and Kyuhyun dialed for a taxi. Seohyun looked over the Pasay River and saw the glimmering city lights.

“The city life…so diverse…so much culture…”

Kyuhyun joined her by the railing.

“You bet…”

Seohyun and Kyuhyun looked to each other and smiled.

“When was the last time you visited Korea?”

Seohyun sighed and made a thinking face. Kyuhyun found her face peculiar and laughed. She began to count with her fingers.

“I say about…15 years…it’s been awhile…”

“Wow…15 years…”

Kyuhyun tried to do the math and see if she could be the same Seohyun he once knew. His memory was blurry and he couldn’t quite remember the exact day Seohyun left.

“My Korean has gotten pretty bad so forgive me if I didn’t say or comprehend anything well…”

“Don’t worry, I’m not judging…your English is far better than my own Korean…and I lived in Korea all my life!”

Seohyun and Kyuhyun both laughed. Seohyun looked at Kyuhyun and wondered how did they get along so quickly. The taxi going back to the hotel arrived. Kyuhyun hurried over and spoke to the driver through the window.

“Seohyun, let’s go home!”

Seohyun nodded and joined Kyuhyun in the back seat. Kyuhyun shut the door and instructed the driver to return them to the Manila Hotel. Seohyun looked out the window as they zoomed down the expressway. She whispered to Kyuhyun.

“There are so many freeways…”

“You should see Korea…freaking maze!”

“LA has endless traffic…not enough freeways!”

They both laughed and Kyuhyun accidently grazed her hand with his. Kyuhyun hoped she didn’t notice and quickly brought his hand to his lap. Seohyun wiped her tears from all the laughing.

“Boy, you have the giggles, huh?”

“I like to laugh…”

“And I thought you were always irritated…”

“I don’t why I was so irritated with you at first…I’m usually calm but I have the tendency to get annoyed quickly…I don’t why I was…”

“You’re like an old man…”

“Am not!”

Seohyun slapped his shoulder. Kyuhyun winked.

“My bad…”

The taxi finally pulled up in front of the hotel. Seohyun opened her purse to pull out some cash.

“Let me at least get the fare…”

“Fine then!”

Seohyun paid the driver and they stepped out the car. She spoke up in Tagalog.

“Maraming salamat, po!”

Thank you very much, sir!

The driver smiled and drove off. Kyuhyun shook his head in admiration.

“Impressive…”

“Stop, you’re playing with me!”

“No, seriously!”

As they walked into the hotel, Marian stood up from behind the counter.

“Ms. Seohyun! There’s a message for you!”

Seohyun looked to Kyuhyun.

“Hold on one sec…”

Seohyun walked over and took the message from Marian. The message was from Tiffany.

****

Hey Seo-baby! I’ll be out all night so don’t wait up! There are plenty of boys around the hotel so don’t worry! By the way, Piolo came by looking for you…he likes you…just saying! Ok then bye!!!”

****

Seohyun shook her head imagining Tiffany’s silly smile. She turned to Kyuhyun.

“Well, I had a lovely night…”

“Let me at least walk you back to your room…”

The elevator opened and Seohyun and Kyuhyun walked out.

“Yeah so Jessica is a wonderful kisser but a horrible actor!”

Seohyun laughed.

“I loved her in Wild Romance though!”

“Well, it was her first time acting so everyone gave her some slack but, when she tried to go further, it simply didn’t work out so well for her…that’s why she does action movies and plays the role as the “damsel in distress”…easier lines…”

Seohyun laughed.

“I never thought I would ever converse with an actor…”

Seohyun made it to her door and began to unlock it. Kyuhyun stood behind her, smiling.

“Well…”

Seohyun turned around and could tell Kyuhyun was expecting something.

“Oh…ummm…”

Kyuhyun brought his hand out.

“Until next time, right?”

“Oh yeah! Sure!”

Seohyun and Kyuhyun lightly shook hands. Kyuhyun peered into her cute, round eyes and saw the innocence behind her soft smile. Out of all the girls he’s met, she was only one he felt was wrong to make a move on. The vibe he got from her was something precious and warm.

“Goodnight Seohyun…”

Seohyun looked to Kyuhyun and could tell that he wasn’t used to friendly gestures like shaking a girl’s hand but she admired his attempt. She could imagine that he was used to sweeping girls off their feet and straight into bed but she felt strangely comfortable knowing he had some respect for her. Even though he did come off as a bit arrogant earlier in the date, she found him tolerable at the end. They released hands and Seohyun entered her room. She smiled and shut the door. Kyuhyun stared blankly at the white door.

“That was some date…no kiss…but…I strangely don’t feel so bad about it…still got some time though…”

“I could probably use at least one drink, right?”

Tiffany was sitting on a curb outside a bar in Malate. Piolo slowly drove through the crowded street searching for her.

“Where is she?”

Piolo scanned the crowd and gasped to find her seating on the ground. He pulled up near her and got out.

“Tiffany, what are you doing out here? You could get snatched by someone or mugged…”

Piolo helped Tiffany to her feet and smelled the heavy liquor on her breath. Piolo almost vomited but fought through it and carried her inside the car. He shut the passenger’s side and hurried to his seat. After getting in, he looked towards Tiffany. She was pale and exhausted. He could tell it has been a long day for her.

“Tiffany, what have you been doing all day? You know you can’t be alone…it’s dangerous…”

Tiffany burped and looked towards him.

“Thanks…”

Piolo felt disgusted the way she looked and the way he was talking to her was like his little sister.

“Tiffany…geez…you’re welcome…you just had me worried with your call, you know? You were crying…”

“I was…my god…I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay, I’ll take you back home…”

“Thank you…my god…I’m so embarrassed!”

“It’s fine…that’s why I’m here…to keep you safe and transport you safely around this city…Manila…it’s not safe…especially since you’re a pretty girl and it’s night time…very dangerous…”

Tiffany looked to him with her flushed face and smiled.

“You think I’m…pretty?”

Piolo glanced at her and noticed she was staring at him. He brought his eyes back to the road.

“Yes, you’re very pretty, that’s why I was-“

Tiffany slowly brought her hand to his thigh sending shock waves of excitement down his spine.

“Tiffany, wait! I’m driving!”

“It’s ok, I can be gentle…”

Piolo pulled her hand away.

“Tiffany, please…don’t…this is embarrassing…”

Tiffany pouted.

“I knew it!”

“What?”

“You don’t like me…you like my friend, Seohyun…”

Piolo refused to look at Tiffany.

“Admit it…you LOVE her!”

“I just met you two a couple days ago…the wedding is in two days…how can I love her so quickly?”

“Please…”

Piolo decided not to push the issue any further since she was drunk and he decided to drive in silence. Tiffany leaned against her window and stared outside. Piolo didn’t know how much drama he could take in one day. From his sister running away to being accused by a girl he barely knew, he felt his head was ready to explode. He could see the hotel within view and felt a sigh of relief.

He pulled into the parking lot and slowly parked. He helped Tiffany out the car and escorted her through the hotel lobby.

“My head is spinning, Piolo…”

Piolo saw Marian and she quickly stood up to see what was going on. Piolo simply nodded and passed the front desk. Marian felt worried but she didn’t want to question the situation and left them alone.

“None of my business I guess…”

Piolo and Tiffany entered the elevator and he quickly pressed the button to her floor. Tiffany had trouble standing on her two feet so she leaned her shoulder against his and had her head resting on his shoulder. She slipped her hand into his grasp and whispered.

“You know, Seohyun is out with that actor tonight…why don’t you stay here for the time being?”

Piolo totally forgot about Kyuhyun and his proposal. He wondered if they actually went on that “date” he asked a favored for. He looked to Tiffany and saw her sleeping against him. The elevator arrived and Piolo physically carried Tiffany down the hallway to her room. Upon arriving to the door, Tiffany had enough strength to grab her key and wave it in front of Piolo’s face. He took the key from her waving hand and unlocked door, while holding her with one arm.

“Geez…you’re strong…”

The door opened and Piolo brought her to the living room and placed her onto the couch. He looked around to see if Seohyun was there.

“She must have went on that date then…”

Piolo felt sad knowing that she decided to go with Kyuhyun when earlier they had a date set up between them. Piolo cursed his current situation with his runaway sister and the drunken friend of Seohyun. Piolo spoke up.

“Tiffany, you get some rest and remember to be more careful out there…”

“Piolo…”

Tiffany stood up from the couch and seductively walked over to Piolo. She placed her arms around him and planted a deep wet kiss on his lips. Piolo was startled and tried to resist but he slowly gave in and grasped her waist. He could taste the booze from her lips but after all the drama he saw today, he just wanted a little affection. Suddenly, the door unlocked and Seohyun and Kyuhyun entered.

“Did you want to try becoming an actress, Seohyun? You’re pretty enough to do it…”

“I think you need to be more than pretty, right-“

Seohyun was shocked to see Piolo and Tiffany kissing. Piolo saw Seohyun and quickly held Tiffany back.

“Seohyun! Oh…oh god…”

Seohyun looked to Kyuhyun and gave him a look expressing her desperate need to escape from the room immediately. Tiffany spoke up in a slurred speech.

“Sorry baby…Piolo and I wanted to see what it was like to taste each other…”

Seohyun ignored her drunken friend and grabbed Kyuhyun’s hand. She whispered to him.

“This is awkward…let’s go…”

“Sure…”

Kyuhyun looked to Piolo and shrugged. Seohyun and Kyuhyun quickly disappeared leaving Piolo in the arms of a very intoxicated Tiffany.

“Sorry…”

Suddenly Tiffany made a nauseating face and turned green. She placed her hand on and dashed to the bathroom. Piolo could overhear her vomiting into the toilet. He also felt sick after realizing his day couldn’t have gotten any worse and slowly dragged himself out the suite.

Seohyun and Kyuhyun slowly walked down the promenade overlooking the Manila Bay. The streetlamps were neatly aligned with park benches in between. Numerous couples were also roaming around that night. Kyuhyun didn’t know what exactly he was doing out with Seohyun but he felt it was only right to console her after running into that awkward moment in the suite. Seohyun lightly laughed and looked up towards the night sky.

“It’s funny…”

Kyuhyun looked over to her.

“What’s funny?”

“For a moment, I was beginning to like that guy…”

“Piolo?”

Seohyun smiled.

“Yeah…he was real kind and gentle…we shared a lot of things in common…”

“Take it from me, I’m an actor and I’ve ventured the crazy celebrity world and what we saw up there…awkward, yes but, there has to be an explanation for it, you know?”

Seohyun felt weak and didn’t know how to respond to what was happening. She tried her best to cover up her naivety but it was beginning to be evident that she wasn’t experienced in these sensitive areas.

“I don’t know why I’m acting like this…I barely knew the guy…”

“It’s understandable…you had a crush on him and you’re hurt to see him like that…”

Kyuhyun didn’t know where his “counseling” side came from but he could tell Seohyun wasn’t used to these types of things and he felt like protecting her. It felt strangely natural for him to do this for her. Seohyun turned to Kyuhyun and smiled while tears began to form on her eyes.

“Oh geez, Seohyun…you’ll be fine…don’t let this ruin your vacation…”

“I probably shouldn’t have gone out to the bar with you…I’m kind of tipsy…”

“Oh Seohyun…you’re so innocent…”

He brushed a strand of her behind her ear and smiled. Seohyun began to feel her heart beat faster as she stared into Kyuhyun’s deep brown eyes. She moved closer to him and lightly kissed him on the lips. He was surprised by her kiss. She eased back and smiled.

“Sorry…I just wanted to kiss too…”

Kyuhyun was drawn to her. He leaned over and continued to kiss her. He placed his hands around her waist and brought her closer. Seohyun felt her frustration and awkwardness that was festering within her during the vacation melt away as she linked lips with him. They eased off and stared at each other. She wasn’t sure if the rush of emotions stemmed from her momentary heartbreak or was it just a desperate attempt to get back at Tiffany for thinking she could have all the fun. One thing she did know was that she wanted to kiss Kyuhyun again.

Not only did SeoKyu go out, they already kissed! But, was it just desperate chance to get even with Tiffany or is she actually falling for Kyuhyun? Does Kyuhyun simply lust for Seohyun or is he actually falling for her as well? Maybe they just had too much alcohol, right? With Piolo and Tiffany’s awkward moment, will it effect the last days of the vacation? Will Piolo’s situation at home improve? So much to tell in the next chapter of “Lovers in Manila”!