Chapter 4

“Wait…”

Kyuhyun held Seohyun.

“What?”

“This is going too far…”

“We can go to my room…”

“No…we’re both pretty tipsy…a little infatuated…and I’m real vulnerable…not a real good mix…”

“Seohyun, I’m sorry if I-“

“No…it’s my fault…sorry…”

She turned around and began walking back to the hotel. Kyuhyun felt a real connection with her was beginning to transpire. He watched as she moved farther into the distance and disappeared. He sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets.

“She’s a great kisser though…”

Piolo exited the elevator and ran into Seohyun as she was returning. They looked at each other for moment then Seohyun walked around him.

“Seohyun, wait…”

“Piolo, we barely know each other so…don’t feel like you have to make it up to me…I’m sure you have a good reason for what happened…”

“I don’t have a good reason but I simply don’t want you getting the wrong impression of me…”

Seohyun turned and looked into his eyes.

“We’re all very tired…this trip has been a whirlwind of events…it’s best we all get some rest, don’t you think?”

“Seohyun…”

She entered the elevator and the doors slowly shut. Piolo stared at the metallic elevator doors and thought about what Seohyun said.  

“Not once did she judge me but she did have a point…we barely know each other…”

Piolo was disappointed with his actions and felt he failed at trying to create a new friendship. Even though she didn’t want to say it, he could tell Seohyun was unhappy at what occurred between him and Tiffany and expected more from him. He sighed and slowly walked out of the hotel. Jiyeon was at the lounge and saw what had taken place between Seohyun and her handsome Filipino guide.

“Wow, they’ve only been here less than a week and drama is already happening…what a pity…”

She sipped on her cocktail and watched as the gorgeous jazz singer hummed dreamy melodies into the microphone followed closely by a y tune from the saxophone player. She closed her eyes and followed the rhythm of the singer.

“It’s best just to relax in these types of places and forget all those problems…”

Kyuhyun slid in beside her and whispered into her ear.

“I thought you were asleep…”

Jiyeon slowly opened her eyes and found Kyuhyun watching the jazz singer along with her.

“I thought you were out fooling around…”

“Not really…just had a drink or two with my favorite fan…”

“That Seohyun girl?”

“Yup…”

“I saw her a minute ago dismissing that handsome …”

“Ah yes…”

Kyuhyun went to take a sip of her drink but Jiyeon snatched it out of his hands.

“You don’t have anything to do with that, RIGHT?”

“Oh Jiyeon, quit being silly…as a matter of fact, I was gentleman with her all night…it looks like that Piolo fellow might have struck out with her though…”

Jiyeon snickered and sipped her drink.

“Men, always competing for pointless things…are you also trying to win that young girl’s heart?”

“No…just having some fun, right? It’s a vacation anyways…by the way…did you watch the interview from today? Was I bad?”

Jiyeon stared at him with a grave look.

“I guess it was THAT bad, huh?”

“Actually, it wasn’t too bad…but…your interview tomorrow needs to be better…you know…to surpass this one…”

“I gotcha…hey…you’re not that bad, Jiyeon…”

“How so?”

“Not only do you protect me, you also reassure me that I’m a professional that needs to strive better in his job…kind of like…a coach? No…actually I prefer…a friend…”

“Oh I’m a friend now? Interesting…”

Kyuhyun chuckled.

“I don’t know what I’m saying here…I’m drunk and I need some sleep…I’ll see you tomorrow…”

Kyuhyun touched her shoulder and excused himself. Jiyeon watched as he stumbled into the elevator and disappeared. She smiled and felt happy knowing she was at least a “friend” now instead of just an assistant or bodyguard.

The Day Before The Wedding

Seohyun opened her bloodshot eyes and squinted from the sunlight coming through the window. She could taste the liquor in and cringed from the bitter taste. She slowly rose, with her tangled hair all around her, and looked to see if she was alone.

“Oh thank goodness…”

She could remember her dinner date with Kyuhyun but the rest of the night was a blur. She had an aching feeling that something happened that she might have regretted but she was relieved that it didn’t end up in bed. She staggered out of bed and stumbled out the doorway to see Tiffany sleeping on the couch with her head buried in the pillow.

“Unnie…”

She walked over to her, with an aching head, and turned her over. The rancid stench of vomit came from Tiffany’s mouth making Seohyun gag. She quickly jumped back.

“Tiffany! Wake up!”

Tiffany made a pain-wrenching face. Her hangover was far worse compared to Seohyun’s.

“Seohyun…what? What’s going on?”

“You smell horrible…like you’ve been throwing up all night…what happened to you?”

“I don’t want to talk about it…go back to sleep…”

“I know I should but…isn’t there something important today?”

Tiffany rolled over facing her back to Seohyun.

“Just go back to sleep…”

Seohyun sighed and walked to the bathroom to get freshened up. She the faucet and washed her face with warm water. She stared at herself in the mirror and tried to convince herself that she was having a good time.

“In the movies and books, wild nights and hung over mornings always spelled out a good time but is it really all a ‘good time’?”

Seohyun wasn’t used to all the alcohol and waking up in the late afternoon and felt a shadow of guilt coming over her. She sighed.

“Get it together, you’re a young woman who deserves to have fun…a little fun doesn’t really hurt right?”

Suddenly, Tiffany appeared behind her in the bathroom doorway.

“Seohyun, I think I kissed someone last night…actually…I kissed lots of people last night…”

Seohyun turned and smirked.

“Unnie, I think I did too…”

Tiffany’s jaw dropped and she quickly embraced Seohyun.

“Oh my god! I knew it! Who was it?”

Seohyun lightly pushed Tiffany back.

“We can talk…after you clean yourself up…”

Tiffany giggled.

“My bad…hey…I told you it would be a vacation, right?”

“Yeah…”

“We deserve it too…we work too much…”

“We do…”

“Ok, I’ll be right out…”

Tiffany turned to the toilet and gasped. Seohyun looked over and felt light-headed.

The glorious ballroom in the Manila Hotel was the location of Go Ara and Yun Ho’s wedding. The slim and y wedding planner, Sooyoung, marched up and down the aisle as she went through the steps the couple would be taking during the wedding. Sooyoung was very professional and wanted the entire event to go exactly as planned.

“The groom will be standing on the right while you, the bride, will be here on the left…”

Go Ara nodded and carefully followed Sooyoung’s instructions.

“Ara, are you sure your fiancé can’t make it? I mean, your wedding is tomorrow…it would be highly encouraged for him to show up for this rehearsal…”

“I know…but…he’s finishing up a couple of things for work…the Korean Vice-President is visiting in a couple days so he’s needed at the embassy…”

“Still…these weddings are complicated…”

“Yeah…”

Seohyun and Tiffany stood in their places for the wedding and watched as Ara went over her steps repeatedly. There were two more bridesmaids who had just arrived the day before standing beside them. The y redhead, Hyuna, murmured something to the other bridesmaid, Bora that caught Seohyun’s attention.

“Bora, did you hear the rumors?”

“What?”

“About Yun Ho…”

“No, what’s up?”

Seohyun nudged Tiffany and signaled her to listen in to the gossip.

“Well, my ex-boyfriend used to party with Yun Ho in college and they made frequent visits here in the Philippines…”

“Yeah…so…”

“Well, he said he’s had tons of girlfriends here…and well…he’s still in contact with one of them…”

“Yeah right…”

Tiffany cleared and the two girls looked to her.

“Hi…so…what you’re saying is Yun Ho is still seeing someone even though he’s getting married?”

Hyuna felt embarrassed.

“That’s what I heard-“

“He’s spending millions for this wedding, flew all of us down here and paid for our rooms…you think he would do that for nothing?”

“I don’t know…I just heard about it-“

“Do you think that woman over there, who’s going to get married to the man of her dreams, would risk everything to marry a man who’s a cheater? We’re all here to support her and support the decision she’s made…if you have no faith in their union then you should just leave…”

Hyuna began to breathe heavily and tears began to drop from her eyes.

“I’m sorry!”

Hyuna hurried out of the ballroom and burst through the doors, catching everyone’s attention. Bora looked around with a puzzled look then dashed off to join her friend. Sooyoung removed her glasses and glared towards Tiffany and Seohyun.

“You girls better get your head on straight! If you do anything to ruin this wedding, I swear…”

Seohyun spoke up.

“We’ll handle it…”

Seohyun turned to Tiffany and grabbed her hand.

“Unnie, you need to apologize to that girl…”

“For what? She was being a little gossip girl and acting immature! She’s supposed to be supporting Ara…”

Go Ara approached them.

“Hey girls, what’s up? Everything okay?”

Seohyun spoke up.

“Sorry Unnie, those two girls were talking and it annoyed Tiffany…”

“My dear cousins…always chatty…”

“We’ll go apologize to them so we can get back on schedule…”

“Thanks Seohyun…”

Go Ara looked Tiffany.

“You’re okay, right Fany?”

“I am…I was just being a little irritated, that’s all…we’ll go speak to them…”

Seohyun and Tiffany headed out of the ballroom to find the two cousins. Seohyun whispered to Tiffany.

“You’ve been looking annoyed these couple of days, Tiffany, everything alright?”

Tiffany angrily sighed.

“Seohyun, don’t start with me…”

Seohyun could tell she struck a chord. They turned the corner and Seohyun held Tiffany’s hand.

“Unnie, we should talk…”

“About what?”

“I feel something is growing between us, I started to notice it when we first arrived here…was it something I said?”

“Seohyun, you’re a nice girl…”

“Unnie…”

“Too nice to the point that you’re so naïve…”

“Naïve?”

Tiffany took a deep breath.

“I don’t know what’s going on with me…it might be the jetlag…this wedding…maybe even the food…I don’t know…”

“It’s probably just the time change and weather…it can be a little stressful…”

“I guess so…”

Downtown Makati

Piolo was parked along the sidewalk beside an expensive apartment building. He was used to driving Yun Ho around the city, business or personal, and he never once questioned Yun Ho’s affairs. The guard opened the glass doors and Yun Ho’s emerged, fixing his black tie. He quickly opened the back seat door and entered.

“Piolo, any calls?”

“Several actually…two from Go Ara and two from the wedding planner…”

“Shoot, today was the rehearsal…I’ll make it up to her…”

Yun Ho fixed his hair and placed two pieces of breath mints on his tongue. Piolo carefully watched him from the rear view mirror. Piolo always knew that Yun Ho had several girlfriends around the city and never questioned him about it but it was becoming more challenging for Piolo to refrain from judging him since his wedding was the very next day.

“Aren’t you going to drive now? I need to get to the hotel…”

“Right away…”

They headed down the boulevard and joined the expressway.

“Sir?”

“Yeah Piolo…”

“I’ve been your driver for two years and I’ve never questioned your affairs but something has been bothering me lately…”

Yun Ho was fixing his cufflinks.

“Go on…”

“You’re getting married tomorrow to a very beautiful and kind woman…wouldn’t it be best to stop the infidelity and work on being faithful?”

Yun Ho smirked.

“Ah, you’re worried about me huh?”

“I am…”

“Well, typically the image of marriage is about love and the eternal bond between two lovers right?”

“Sure…”

“Well, in reality, that’s not the case…Go Ara is a very lovely woman…she’s smart, beautiful, and kind like you said…but…she and I aren’t looking for love in this marriage…”

“Huh?”

“Don’t act confused my friend…in all partnerships including marriages, both parties are looking to gain something like for instance, Ara and I, she’s looking for security and financial stability while in my case I’m looking for social status and political upward mobility…”

Piolo wasn’t too sure what Yun Ho was trying explain.

“Basically, I want to be a level up in my political career but the public aren’t too fond of young, successful bachelors and rather see married men…Go Ara will be my wife to help my career…we might not both say it out loud but the signs are there and we both totally understand…”

Piolo felt sad knowing the reality of Yun Ho’s marriage and felt hopeless about the idea of a perfect woman.

“Yun Ho, is everything like this?”

“Sadly, yes…the human race is all about survival…love is a beautiful thing but those only belong in books…”

“I see…”

Piolo wanted to find the right woman but with his current situation at home and his questionable career, he wasn’t too sure if any woman would like to get married with him. He wanted to believe in true love and it’s possibilities then he suddenly remembered Seohyun’s sinking expression when she walked in on him and Tiffany.  He knew he barely knew her but if he were to meet Seohyun under different circumstances and different locations, he can imagine an ideal relationship with her.

“Piolo, how do I look?”

Piolo looked through the mirror and smiled lightly.

“Like you’re getting married…”

“Good, make sure you hand me my cologne when we arrive…I don’t want to hug Go Ara smelling like Kristine Reyes’ s…”

ABS-CBN Studio

ABS-CBN is one of the most popular TV stations in the Philippines and its shows range from noontime game shows to nighttime drama series. Kyuhyun was in the make-up room awaiting his last interview of the week with the popular TV host and personality, Kris Aquino. Leeteuk paced aimlessly up and the down the room with a worried expression.

“Kyuhyun, make sure you do this interview right, okay? Last time you didn’t look so good and the management back home wasn’t excited about your hangover expression on international TV…try to make us look good, alright?”

“I got you, Hyung…I’m feeling good today…”

“Good, good…”

Leeteuk turned to Jiyeon who was sitting quietly on the couch.

“You don’t have anything to do with this, right?”

“I’m not sure, do I, Kyuhyun?”

“Actually you do...”

Kyuhyun turned and winked towards Jiyeon.

“It’s that charming personality you bring to the table that makes me smile…”

Jiyeon rolled her eyes and giggled. Leeteuk spoke up.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you two but please be professional…”

The stage director poked his head into the make-up room.

“Kyuhyun, you have 10 minutes…”

Kyuhyun nodded and the make-up artist finished the last of his touches.

“There you go…so HANDSOME!”

Kyuhyun held the artist’s hand.

“Thanks Ernesto…I couldn’t do it without you…”

“Ai! Don’t be so flirty!”

Jiyeon laughed as Kyuhyun hopped out of his chair and hurried out the room. Jiyeon and Leeteuk followed behind him. They hurried down the white hallway and turned right into the stage room where the audience and host were eagerly waiting. Kyuhyun found the stage director and followed his lead. Jiyeon and Leeteuk stood back and watched anxiously. Jiyeon turned to Leeteuk.

“Why are you so nervous, Oppa?”

“I don’t know…Kyuhyun is so unpredictable sometimes…he always gets distracted and speaks with the audience members…”

Jiyeon shook her head and carefully watched Kyuhyun do his work. She thought to herself as he walked up on stage and shook hands with the other crewmembers.

“I know he’s a celebrity and all…but…he really is handsome…”

Jiyeon blushed as she watched Kyuhyun. He saw her looking at him and winked. Jiyeon nearly melted but tried her best to keep her composure.

“Jiyeon, you got this…”

She promised herself when she began working for Kyuhyun that she would act professional and avoid all of his rumored playboy antics. She wanted to prove that she can work with the charming Kyuhyun and not be swayed by his charms. Yet, being around him and constantly conversing with him made it hard for her to keep that personal promise. She shook off her loving gaze over Kyuhyun and headed to the employee’s snack bar to grab a bottle of water.

Kyuhyun watched as Jiyeon vanished to the back and wondered if she was also nervous for him. He appreciated her hard work and felt that she was slowly beginning to grow on him.

“That skinny girl is more than I thought she would be…”

The lights shined brightly over him as the show began to start. The studio audience cheered loudly as the host came on wearing a bright yellow blouse and a tight black pencil skirt. Her make-up was placed heavily and her teeth gleamed brightly white.

“Hello everyone! Welcome to the Kris Show! Today we have the popular Filipino chef, Tony Sanchez, serving his twist on a traditional dish, Pancit Noodles, and the y, hunky, Korean actor Cho Kyuhyun!!!”

Kyuhyun smiled brightly towards the camera and waved to the fans sitting around him. The eccentric host quickly approached him and gave him a strong embrace around his waist.

“My god you have been my idol since your first drama!!!”

Kyuhyun laughed humbly.

“It’s nice to be here, Kris!”

After all the introductions and cheering, Kris started the interview. The guest chef served the delicious rice noodle dish and Kyuhyun and the host dug in.

“So Kyuhyun, after all that drama over your last assistant this past year, how have you been coping with everything?”

“Kris, I’ve simply been working and perfecting my craft…I used those events and hardships as inspiration for my acting…”

The crowd swooned as Kris cringed with excitement in her seat.

“I want to know why you love to star in romantic dramas…where does that inspiration come from?”

“A lot of places…stories I’ve read…moments in my life that I have experienced…”

“Your current character in ‘Seoul Lovers’ is about a man trying to find his old lover, seeing her again, and trying to persuade her to return to him…my goodness its so heartbreaking…where did that experience come from?”

Kyuhyun began to think and intimately looked out into the crowd. The crowd continued to swoon from his heartfelt stare.

“I was child when I first met my true love…I mean it didn’t feel like true love since we were kids but when I look back at it…she was everything to me…my only real friend…”

The crowd, the host, and the crew hung on to every word from Kyuhyun.

“I must have been 8 or 9 years old at the time when she left my neighborhood for the US…we were neighbors and we always played together…we shared secrets and comforted each other in times of pain…”

Seohyun sat in the hotel café, reading a magazine about boats and sipping her caramel Frappuccino. Tiffany was lying outside on the pool chair, sunbathing. As she read, she overheard the baristas swooning over Kyuhyun.

“Ay naku naman si Kyuhyun…ang gwapong gwapo sya!”

Oh my goodness Kyuhyun! He’s so handsome!

Seohyun saw the TV over the bar and walked over to watch it. It was Kyuhyun on a talk show.

“Wow, he does look pretty handsome on TV…”

Kyuhyun was in middle of discussing his inspirations for acting.

“So Kyuhyun, your inspiration for your romantic dramas has always been about your first love?”

“Yes…as I said before…if I find her again I will tell her how much she’s impacted my life and…how much I missed her…”

“Aww…Kyuhyun, if you don’t mind, what was her name?”

Kyuhyun froze for a second and it seemed as if he realized something important. Seohyun found it wildly coincidental on how his past seems similar to hers. Suddenly, a bombshell was delivered by Kyuhyun, which made Seohyun almost choke on her beverage.

“Her name was…Seohyun…”

Kyuhyun looked directly at the camera and made an expression as if he discovered something missing under the sands of time.

“Seohyun…”

Seohyun shook her head.

Jiyeon looked over to Kyuhyun and noticed he hadn’t said a word ever since they finished the interview and left the TV station. He stared deeply out the window. She wanted to say something but she didn’t know what to say. Leeteuk broke the silence.

“Do you remember your old friend, Jung Yun Ho?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“You heard about his wedding, right?”

“I have…”

“We’ll, we’re invited and since we don’t leave until the day after tomorrow, it shouldn’t hurt your PR to poke your head and socialize with some of the big wigs in the Korean government…”

Kyuhyun remembered Seohyun would be there too.

“Yeah, we’ll check it out…”

Jiyeon spoke up.

“I need to find a dress to wear…”

Kyuhyun turned to her and smiled.

“We can go together, I need to find something too…”

“Oh, alright…”

Jiyeon bit her lip and hid her smile from Kyuhyun. She couldn’t wait to be with him alone.

“Hey Hyung, why don’t you drop Jiyeon and I over at the Rustan’s? We can go get our shopping done there…”

“Alright.”

Rustan’s, Makati

The sales representatives whispered amongst each other as Kyuhyun tried to figure out an outfit for Jiyeon.

“Kyuhyun…I can do this myself…”

“Wait a second…”

He tried to match her up with a blue, backless dress. Jiyeon was embarrassed.

“Kyuhyun! I can’t wear that!”

“Why not?”

“I’m rather modest when it comes to fashion…”

“Your figure is so slim and slender, Jiyeon…you have been blessed with a model’s body! It makes me wonder how you got involved in taekwondo and all that jazz…”

She snatched the dress out of his hands.

“Fine then! I’ll try it on…”

“Awesome!”

“You go look for a conservative tie or something…”

Kyuhyun smiled.

“Tell me when you’re ready alright?”

“Fine…”

Jiyeon turned and bit her lip.

“I don’t wear things like this but if he insists…”

She followed the saleswoman to the fitting room. Kyuhyun shook his head and went over to the men’s clothing section to search for his clothes.

Moments later…

Kyuhyun had already picked out several ties and wanted to see what Jiyeon thought. He returned to the women’s clothing section to find Jiyeon standing by the mirror as she examined her backside. Kyuhyun was struck by how beautiful she was and the confusion on why she was hiding it. She had her hair on side of her shoulder revealing her flawless skin and her pretty neckline. Jiyeon quickly turned as she saw Kyuhyun’s reflection.

“Oh Kyuhyun! Were you there the whole time?”

“I just…wow…who are you?”

Jiyeon laughed.

“Kyuhyun…stop…you’re embarrassing me…”

“No, I’m serious, kiddo, you’re very pretty…I rarely say that too so you should feel honored…”

Jiyeon smiled.

“Thanks, I guess…”

“We’ll go ahead and get that dress…even though it’s a simple wedding…you’ll blow the crowd away…”

She blushed and returned to the fitting room to get out of the dress. She nodded towards the saleswoman in the fitting room.

“I’ll take it…”

“Very well then…”

Jiyeon entered the booth and tried her best to keep her composure.  When Kyuhyun told her she was beautiful, she felt her heart skip several beats ahead. She smiled foolishly at herself in the mirror.

“Jiyeon, get a hold of yourself…he’s good with words…that’s it! Even though you’ve loved him since high school…don’t be fooled by his tricks…”

Yet, another part of Jiyeon pushed her to fall for his tricks to get closer to him and hopefully win his heart. It was beginning to dawn on her that being a closet fan of him and his personal assistant at the same time was becoming a burden.

“I must endure though…”

Go Ara and Yun Ho’s Wedding

The hotel ballroom was elegantly decorated with gold and white interiors bringing a mix of pureness and elegance to the atmosphere. Yun Ho’s groomsmen were dressed in white suits with light gold ties while the bridesmaids were dressed in slender white dresses. Seohyun looked into the crowd as they stood in their places for the wedding. She whispered to Tiffany.

“It’s real crowded huh?”

“Yeah…I’d be super NERVOUS…”

Seohyun caught Sooyoung scrambling around the area trying to place everyone in his or her right places. She pointed to the caterers to head to the banquet hall to set up there. She looked pooped.

“Makes me wonder what kind of wedding I want…”

“What was that, Seohyun?”

“Oh, nothing…”

Kyuhyun and Jiyeon arrived and sat towards the back, hoping to avoid any attention. Kyuhyun complimented Jiyeon on her dress and was glad she went ahead with the backless.

“I’m sure you’ll break a lot of hearts tonight, Jiyeon…”

“Gosh, you have been complimenting me all day…”

“I’m just saying…”

He looked to her and smiled. She smiled back hoping Kyuhyun would be the man she could have tonight. Kyuhyun looked over to the altar and caught a glance of Seohyun.

“Oh, wow…”

After the interview and emotional flashback, he was beginning to grow confident that the Seohyun he’s recently met and kissed, while drunk, was possibly his long lost friend. On the outside, he felt nervous, hoping she couldn’t be the same girl because it would save the awkward reunion but deep down inside, he wanted to reunite with Seohyun. He examined her as she patiently waited for the wedding to commence and tried his best to remember her old mannerisms.

“Seohyun used to be very timid and avoided any eye contact with people yet this one is somewhat social…but…”

Seohyun stood at the end of the bridesmaids and fidgeted with her hands.

“Seohyun used to fidget with her hands when she was anxious or bored…gosh…I don’t know…the chances are so slim…”

Kyuhyun couldn’t stop from watching Seohyun and was in awe of her striking beauty. She had the perfect balance of innocent cutie and bombshell goddess. He almost salivated as he scanned over her curvy figure and long slender legs.

“If she’s the old Seohyun I once knew, she certainly filled out in the right places…”

Jiyeon nudged him.

“I know you’re looking at the bridesmaids but its time to pay attention, it’s going to begin…”

Yun Ho entered first with his mother and sat her down in the front and joined the rest of the group at the altar. He nodded and smiled at the audience as he began the famous wait for the bride to walk down the altar. Seohyun observed that he was very calm and collected.

“I guess he knows what he wants…”

The organ began to play and everyone turned to face the bride. As everyone turned, Kyuhyun continued to look at Seohyun. Kyuhyun thought to himself.

“She seems like a child who’s full of curiosity…”

The wedding commenced and the priest went through the process of marrying the couple. They shared their vowels and smiled intimately at each other. Piolo stood by the corner near the stage and felt a sting of guilt as Yun Ho kissed his bride. Piolo knew the world wasn’t perfect and he’s been experiencing it firsthand but his troubles didn’t make much impact compared to his boss. He remembered their conversation about the “reality” of marriages nowadays and how love barely exists.

“It really isn’t my business to interfere…he pays me well so I guess I have to respect that…”

Piolo knew if he decided to argue the principle of Yun Ho’s marriage and how status isn’t true love then he might as well kiss his job goodbye. The crowd began to disperse as they followed the couple out of the ballroom towards the banquet hall. Piolo saw Seohyun slowly stepping down from the stage, along with Tiffany, but was met up with Kyuhyun. Piolo froze and decided to avoid speaking with her. He moved back and walked along the pillars towards the exit.

“Dang…the actor is speaking to her now…”

Kyuhyun waved to Seohyun as she stepped down.

“Hey there…”

Jiyeon could hear the hint of infatuation in his tone. Seohyun responded.

“Hi, I didn’t think I’d find you two here…”

Seohyun nodded towards Jiyeon yet was ignored.

“Oh, Yun Ho invited Jiyeon and I…you look stunning by the way…”

Tiffany giggled and touched Seohyun’s hand.

“Well, we need to get going…the reception is going to begin and we prepared something for the bride…”

“Oh…”

Seohyun and Tiffany smiled and walked past him. Jiyeon spoke up.

“You really think she’s your long lost childhood sweetheart?”

“I don’t know…”

“Kyuhyun, don’t be so sentimental…she’s just some American girl vacationing here…you just have a crush on her, that’s all…”

“I don’t know, maybe…”

Kyuhyun quickly headed towards the banquet hall leaving Jiyeon behind. She sighed.

“What a fool…”

Jiyeon turned and saw Piolo standing by the glass door. He saw her and simply nodded. Jiyeon smiled back.

The visitors cheered as Yun Ho’s best man, Changmin finished his speech. The light shined on Tiffany to come up and speak on behalf of the bridesmaids. Tiffany was nervous.

“Seobaby, I’m freaking out…”

“You’ll be fine, Unnie…”

Tiffany smiled brightly as she went up to the microphone.

“Hello everyone, I’m Tiffany Hwang and I used to be roommates with Ara. She was so nice and very clean so Yun Ho, you’re lucky!”

The audience laughed.

“Anyways, we parted ways 3 years ago but remained in close contact. We’re very proud of her accomplishments and we’re forever indebted to her and her husband for the awesome week-long vacation she provided for my friend and I. Best wishes to you all and congratulations!”

Tiffany walked up to Ara and they both embraced. The crowd clapped and whistled loudly, chanting for Yun Ho to come up and speak. Tiffany handed the microphone and returned to her seat.

“Well everyone, I finally did it and got married! Whooo!!!”

His buddies all cheered. Piolo sipped on his drink by the bar and glared towards Yun Ho.

“Wow, Ara is so beautiful and kind to me…I’m seriously the luckiest guy on the planet! Thanks baby!”

Yun Ho returned the microphone to the stand and quickly smooched Ara on the lips. The audience kept clapping and screamed for Ara to stand up. She laughed and quickly hurried to the microphone.

“I don’t know what to say! Yun Ho, when I first saw you, I thought you were so handsome but as we got to each other more I found out you were also very kind and caring to others and to me…thank you so much for making me happy!!!”

The couple kissed again and the dance music erupted. Kyuhyun poked his head over the crowd to look for Seohyun.

“Where is she?”

Jiyeon decided to hit the bar and found Piolo drinking.

“Hi there…”

“Oh…hi…”

“You might remember me, I tried to beat down your friend, Seohyun…”

“Oh yeah…so you were invited too?”

“You can say that…”

Jiyeon signaled to the bartender and ordered a margarita. The bartender quickly made it and Jiyeon paid the bill. She sipped her drink and continued to speak with Piolo.

“You’re a handsome man, where’s your date?”

“I don’t have one…”

“Funny, I thought I had one but he keeps trying to find his mystery girl…”

Piolo looked over to the crowd and saw Kyuhyun looking around.

“Did you see the entertainment news yesterday? Kyuhyun was there…”

“I didn’t see it…”

“Well, to make a long story short…he thinks Seohyun is his lost childhood love…crazy huh?”

“Yeah, I guess…”

“I wanted to speak to you about something…I know you like Seohyun…very much…”

“What?”

“I saw you two fighting near the elevator the other night…drama huh?”

“It was a misunderstanding…”

“Doesn’t matter…I was hoping we could help each other out…you know…I scratch your back, you scratch mine…”

“Ok…”

“Seohyun is leaving real soon right?”

“Tomorrow…”

“Same here…why not tonight…we distract those two from seeing each other…”

“But…why?”

“Let’s say if they actually sit down and finally reunite…we won’t be getting the love we deserve…”

“You love Kyuhyun?”

“I didn’t bust my to simply be his assistant…”

Piolo was very worried about this plan but he was following Jiyeon. Piolo would do anything to be able to win Seohyun’s heart even if he had to step on someone else’s.

“I can take care of Kyuhyun…you should try to speak with Seohyun and explain yourself to her…explain that misunderstanding you spoke about…”

Piolo quickly chugged his beer.

“She’s leaving tomorrow anyway, I might as well talk to her…”

“That’s what I’m talking about…”

Piolo and Jiyeon smiled at each other and Piolo quickly walked past her, disappearing into the crowd. Jiyeon finished her drink and joined Kyuhyun on the dance floor.

“Hey Kyuhyun…”

Kyuhyun couldn’t hear her over the loud dance music and continued to scan the crowd. Jiyeon placed her hand on his face.

“Dance with me…”

Kyuhyun looked down and smiled. He placed his hand around her torso and they began to go along with the rhythm. Seohyun was finished speaking with Ara and saw Kyuhyun dancing with Jiyeon. He found their grinding a little too offensive and decided to get some air. She walked out towards the balcony, which had a beautiful view of the Manila Bay.

“I thought he wanted to talk to me…”

She wanted to get to the bottom of that statement he made during his interview about a girl named Seohyun. She found it peculiar how similar his story and her story was. She wanted to believe he was the long lost little Kyuhyun but she wasn’t convinced. The way Kyuhyun spoke and expressed himself, even though he was charming and smooth, didn’t reflect anything of what she remembered Kyuhyun from her past being like. Yet, there was something romantic about this wild coincidence. She sipped her champagne and looked up to the stars.

“I don’t know if it’s really worth looking for Kyuhyun anymore…I bet he’s happy somewhere…I should just leave it like that…”

Seohyun felt a presence beside her and she turned to find Piolo leaning on the railing.

“Why aren’t you inside dancing?”

“I don’t like dancing very much...it’s much more fun out here, under the stars…”

“Yeah…Seohyun, I wanted to explain myself-“

“Piolo, it’s fine…we should let it go…Tiffany didn’t even bring it up so I guess it was just a night full of booze, right?”

Piolo smiled.

“You can say that…”

They stared out towards the cruise ship that was harbored at the dock.

“It’s a pity I never got to visit your neighborhood…”

“Yeah, maybe next time…”

“This week really did fly by fast…probably the best vacation I’ve ever had…”

“Oh really?”

Seohyun lightly laughed.

“Yeah, I barely go out…I’m pretty timid actually…”

“How so?”

“Like I said, I barely go out and socialize…I’m a pretty private person…but I’m not frightened to speak to anyone…I’m just used to being alone…”

“How about Tiffany?”

“She’s a real barrel of laughs…we met each other in high school and we stuck together ever since…we shared a lot in common especially our cultures so we understood each other…I mean there are times when we get jealous and argue but we get over it quickly and forgive each other…but…Tiffany has always been there for me…especially since my father is sick…”

“Oh…I’m sorry…”

“It’s a real tough time…”

“Cancer?”

“Yeah…”

Piolo felt closer to Seohyun and realized why she was always deep in thought and barely spoke. As much as she was beautiful, he also found her very sad and lonely. He wanted to hold her and kiss her. Seohyun finished the last of her champagne.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Piolo…I really hope we see each other again…”

“Of course…”

Seohyun touched his hand and slowly walked up towards the party. Piolo wanted to grab her and kiss torridly but he didn’t have the audacity to do it. He decided to go against Jiyeon’s little ploy.

“Seohyun!”

Seohyun turned around.

“Yes?”

Piolo approached her and held her by the shoulders. Seohyun was shocked.

“You should go speak with Kyuhyun…”

“Wait, huh?”

“He might have something to say to you…”

Seohyun was surprised by Piolo’s actions but gathered enough confidence to approach her problem.

“I will…thanks…”

Seohyun lightly kissed Piolo on the cheek and returned to the party. Piolo touched his cheek and realized he had let go of a girl who he had fallen in love with and handed her over to another man. He was hurt but he wasn’t bitter about his actions.

“I guess it’s best this way…”

Seohyun returned to the table to find Tiffany passed out with her head down.

“Unnie?”

“Seobaby, I’m so sleepy…I want to go to bed now…”

Seohyun wanted to speak with Kyuhyun but decided to help Tiffany to their room. As she helped her out of the hall, Ara met them at the door.

“Guys, you can’t leave now! I haven’t thrown the bouquet yet!”

“Let me take Tiffany back and I’ll return…”

“Ok, hurry!”

Seohyun brought Tiffany into the elevator and pressed the button for their floor. Seohyun looked at Tiffany as she struggled to keep standing.

“Unnie, you’re ridiculous…”

“It was the tequila with the groom’s boys…”

Seohyun chuckled as they arrived at their floor. She helped Tiffany down the hall and opened their suite door. She dragged Tiffany to her bed, removed her shoes and placed her under the blankets.

“Unnie, I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Piolo likes you, you know?”

“Huh?”

Tiffany sat up, half awake, pointing at Seohyun.

“That cute Filipino boy who has been taking us around the city…he’s always liked you…you couldn’t see it?”

“I mean…he’s handsome and kind but-“

“Seobaby, if you don’t take him, I will…”

Tiffany fell back to her pillow and began to lightly snore. Seohyun couldn’t quite register what Tiffany was saying and shrugged it off. She left the bedroom and lightly closed the door. As she was leaving the suite, Kyuhyun appeared by her door.

“Seohyun?”

“Kyuhyun, I thought you were at the party?”

“Oh, my friend Jiyeon had too much to drink so I took her back to her room…you doing the same thing?”

Seohyun smiled.

“Yeah…drunk friends, right?”

“Yeah…”

There was an awkward silence between them. Kyuhyun spoke up.

“I was wondering if you wanted to take a walk with me…maybe back at that park…Rizal Park, I think…”

Seohyun thought for a moment and smiled.

“Sure, who cares about a bouquet, right?”

“Marriage is overrated…”

Seohyun smiled and locked the door behind her.

Rizal Park at Night

As Piolo said, the park was indeed romantic at night with many couples walking together. Seohyun and Kyuhyun walked side by side from the hotel to the park. During the daytime, Seohyun found it pretty far but it was different at night. They were silent as they walked together.

*WHOOSH*

The jeepney flew past them as they were about to the cross the street leading to the park. Kyuhyun held onto Seohyun.

“Oh, I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine…”

Kyuhyun felt natural around her and was able to wash away his celebrity image.

“So, did you see my interview?”

“Actually, I did…”

Kyuhyun looked to Seohyun but she continued to stare down at her feet as they walked. Kyuhyun looked down and saw she was in slippers.

“Weren’t you in heels?”

“I was…but…my feet got tired so I switched out before we left…”

“I see…”

Kyuhyun smiled as they both stared down at her cute feet. He decided to change the tone of the conversation and finally got serious.

“Seohyun, how come you never returned?”

Seohyun was quiet and stopped in her tracks. Kyuhyun tried his best to hold back his tears.

“My dad told me never to look back for it would bring back old wounds…”

They stood next to the giant Rizal Monument, which was surrounded by several Philippine Flags.

“Did you forget me, Seohyun?”

Seohyun tried not to look into Kyuhyun’s eyes.

“I never forgot you, Seohyun…I promised I would find you again…but…I didn’t know where or how to look…you were just a sweet memory that remained in my mind since I was in elementary school…and because of that memory of you I decided to become an actor…to keep reliving my memories through different characters…”

Kyuhyun touched her chin and brought her face up.

“I knew it was you when I first saw you but I didn’t have the courage to confront you…”

Seohyun moved her face away.

“Seohyun, speak to me…”

“Kyuhyun, I never forgot you either…I cried every night when I was child hoping to see your bright smile again…but…I grew up…”

She turned to Kyuhyun with teary, reddened eyes.

“What took you so long? I missed you so much!”

Seohyun leaped into Kyuhyun’s arms and they tightly embraced each other. Seohyun eased back and they stared deeply into each other’s eyes.

“I have always done scenes like these in movies and drama shows, trying to capture the right feeling but now that it’s reality, I don’t know how to feel…”

“I don’t either…”

Seohyun released Kyuhyun and they held hands as they quietly walked around the park. They haven’t seen each other for 15 years so it was troubling for them to find a good topic to speak about.

“Seohyun, how’s your father?”

Seohyun was reluctant to respond.

“Seohyun?”

“He’s…well…”

“Oh, that’s good…my parents ended up divorcing…”

“Oh, I’m sorry…”

“You remember how much they loved us?”

“They let us play in the backyard all day…”

“Yeah…they loved us…they loved me…but…they didn’t stopped loving each other…”

“How old were you when they separated?”

“I was 16…it was tough…I ended up moving in with my Mom…my dad remarried and now he has a whole new family…”

“I see…”

Kyuhyun gripped Seohyun’s hand tightly.

“During those dark times, I wanted to see you…see how you were doing…I was so lonely…”

“Kyuhyun…you couldn’t imagine how lonely I was when we moved to America…”

They sat down and Kyuhyun listened closely.

“My dad became very sad and barely went out…he became a workaholic…I usually spent time with my aunts and uncles while my dad worked…we grew closer when he discovered I wanted to be a teacher…”

“You want to be a teacher?”

“I remember how much joy my father had and I wanted to experience that and well…somehow bring that joy back to him…”

“Oh…”

“I thought about you a lot, Kyuhyun…how you were doing…”

“Yeah…”

“But here we are…I’m a vacationing college student and you’re an actor…”

“I know…”

They stared deeply into each other’s eyes.

“We sure did grow up…”

Seohyun and Kyuhyun moved near each other and lightly kissed. The kiss they shared previously couldn’t compare to the passionate one they were having at the moment. They finally realized who they truly were and they wanted to hold onto the moment for as long as possible. Seohyun began to cry.

“I don’t want to leave, Kyuhyun…I don’t want leave this place…”

“I don’t either…”

“But…how will we see each other again? How will we speak to each other again?”

Kyuhyun smiled and caressed Seohyun’s face.

“Don’t worry, times are better now…with the Internet and social media…we’ll never be too far apart…plus, I can visit you…”

Seohyun felt slightly relieved but she knew long distance relationships were harsh and typically ended in heartbreak.

“When do you leave, Seohyun?”

“Tomorrow afternoon…”

“I leave tomorrow night…”

Seohyun looked into Kyuhyun’s eyes and placed her head on his shoulder.

“I never thought I would see you again…and at first I thought you were an arrogant actor…”

Kyuhyun smiled and held onto Seohyun’s hand.

“I am an arrogant actor…”

Ninoy Aquino International Airport

The flight back to Los Angeles was in an hour and Seohyun and Tiffany stood in a long line to the security check out. Ara dropped them off at the airport and they said their goodbyes. The two girls knew they would probably never see her again but it didn’t bother them too much since she was moving onto bigger, better things. Seohyun kept looking around her shoulder hoping to catch a glimpse of Kyuhyun’s face.

“Seobaby, who are you looking for?”

“Oh, no one…”

“Piolo?”

“Oh, no…”

“He did say he would say goodbye…guess he was too heartbroken…”

“Unnie…”

“Just kidding!”

As they got closer to the security scanners, Piolo appeared behind the rope.

“Hello!”

Seohyun saw Piolo and waved.

“Piolo, you made it!”

He crossed the line and hugged Seohyun. He looked over to Tiffany and they simply smiled at each other.

“I wanted to wish you guys good luck and a safe flight. It was really nice meeting you two…”

Tiffany spoke up.

“Same here…”

Seohyun spoke up.

“Make sure you do well so we can be teachers together, alright?”

“Of course…”

Piolo moved closer to Seohyun and hugged her again.

“I will miss you…”

“I’ll…miss you too…”

He released her and left the line. Seohyun showed her boarding pass to the guard and proceeded through the scan. She looked back and saw Piolo leaving. Tiffany spoke up.

“It’s so obvious he loves you…”

“No…he’s just being friendly…”

Tiffany sighed.

“I liked him though…”

“Then why didn’t you speak to him?”

“Because you kept hogging him!”

“Whatever…”

Seohyun turned back one more time but didn’t see Kyuhyun. She wondered where he was.

Kyuhyun arrived to the airport. Leeteuk was confused.

“Kyuhyun, what has gotten into you?! We need to make it to that luncheon before 3pm!”

Kyuhyun ignored his manager and hopped out of the car. He ran through the loading zone and through the front doors. He scanned the crowd then looked up to the departures schedule. He couldn’t find Seohyun.

“She left…and…I never said goodbye…”

Kyuhyun had his hands to his waist and let out a deep sigh. He had finally found the girl from yesterday and she had turned out to be the girl of his dreams. He had fallen in love with her instantly and he wanted to hold her again but she was gone. Leeteuk approached him.

“If it’s some girl you met in the hotel, it’s over buddy, she’s gone…let her go…there’s more at home…”

Kyuhyun frowned.

“What time was that luncheon?”

“Soon, let’s hurry!”

Kyuhyun turned back one more time and realized that Seohyun had returned to being a sweet memory. He shoved his hands in to his pockets and slowly disappeared through the automatic doors.

2 Years Later…

 San Francisco, CA

The rain poured down heavily as she drove down the Highway 101-South heading towards San Francisco International Airport. The windshield wipers squeaked loudly as she sped down the freeway in her teal-colored Toyota Prius. She exited onto the airport road and headed towards the international arrivals. She was nervous and excited in the same time.

“I can’t believe he made it here…its been so long since we’ve seen each other…”

She parked into the parking garage and ascended up the stairs. She passed through the corridor with the large, majestic windows and took a left to enter the arrivals’ meet-up point. She took a seat by the gate where he would be arriving and anxiously waited. She quickly pulled out her make-up mirror to scan her self over.

“I wonder if he will notice my changes or not…”

Seohyun had matured a little with an unnoticeable weight gain and a darker shade of brown hair. She was modestly dressed in a navy blue pea coat, white blouse, and dark denim jeans with black flat shoes. She looked up towards the screen to see the incoming visitors. She saw his face and she instantly felt cheerful.

“There he is…”

The large sliding doors opened and several elderly women stepped out before him and ran to their relatives.

“Ang mga pamakin ko!”

My nephews and nieces!

Seohyun wrapped her arms around him and smiled.

“Nice to see you again, Piolo…”

Piolo embraced her back warmly.

“Nice to see you too, Seohyun…”

The dream vacation came and went, just like SeoKyu’s moment. They were finally able to see each other only to vanish from each other’s arms, once again. After the time gap, what chances does SeoKyu have to reunite again? Does this mean Piolo might get his chance to fulfill his love for Seohyun? More to come in the next chapter of “Lovers in Manila”!