“You look cute but I don’t understand why you have to dress this way, it’s not like we’re going to go to the President’s office.” Victoria said as she was fixing Khun’s necktie. They were about to embark on a private trip to Qingdao, Victoria’s hometown and Khun was all kinds of nervous, despite of his very GQ style of ensemble. The image of Victoria fixing his tie gave off that married couple aura.

“I just want to look good.” Khun pointed out.

“They don’t care how you dress. My dad will just be probably in his sweatpants when we get there. Relax.” She giggled.

“What did you tell them exactly, over the phone?” he asked.

“I told them that I’m bringing home my boyfriend. They don’t know anything about our entertainment business so I had to explain to them the whole Wikipedia version of 2PM’s background. It didn’t help that I said you used to be my husband though. Mother flipped until I reminded her that we were on a reality show. She did buy a tea set for your family once, so she had a good laugh about her almost heart attack.”

“And what did they say?”

“Well at first they were surprised, they thought it was reckless of me to be seeing someone without telling them beforehand. But gradually, they accepted the fact that their only daughter is old enough to decide things for herself.”

“Did they ask about me?”

“Only if you were Korean.”

“What?”

“Well Chinese elders always want their children to marry off to Chinese families too. But who cares, I told them you were Thai and that I don’t care. That shut them up.”

Khun blinked multiple times, as if taken aback. Was it worse that he’s Thai?

“I’m one-third Chinese if that helps.” He remarked.

“A little bit, but remember, they think we’re just dating a while. They don’t actually think we’re getting married.” She said as she went from fixing his tie to fixing his tousled hair. The scene looked like he was a nervous boy getting ready for school while his mother comforts him.

“Does your dad keep a gun?”

“Khun, RELAX. You’ll be fine. As long as you don’t tell them how many women you slept with, they will like you.”

They have been preparing for this trip for days. Khun had been refreshing his Chinese by browsing the Chinese dictionary and looking for the right gifts for her parents. They have both been talking intensively with their managements, asking permission to take this trip. Both parties have agreed to give them a private trip for two days, under the condition that their managers went with them. They had no other choice but to agree with the said condition. A day before the scheduled trip, Zhou Mi decided to go with them, to Victoria’s delight since Zhou Mi has become a family friend—he could help introduce Khun and he could be the translator when she was preoccupied. Khun and Victoria were now in JYP’s office, waiting for him to deliver his last reminders.

“I honestly don’t think this is a very wise idea.” JYP mused aloud.

“What I don’t think is a wise idea is trying to convince me to ditch my girlfriend’s parents.” Khun said passive aggressively.

“Well it’s not that I don’t want you to meet her parents, it’s just that I’m concerned how formal and elitist you look on your first meeting, my god Khun are you going to a senatorial campaign?” JYP grimaced at Khun’s expensive-looking suit as if it was too much for his eyes.

“Thank you, I told him to just dress casually.” Victoria chimed in.

“I want to look good!” Khun said defensively.

“Well in that suit you will intimidate them. Go and change.” JYP demanded.

“Fine,” Khun gave up. He turned to Victoria. “I’ll be right back.”

Khun left JYP and Victoria alone in the room. Usually when the situation is awkward Victoria would just smile and giggle but JYP was a high-seated public figure. Not only is he a respected senior, he is also one of the most successful CEOs in South Korea. She remained quiet.

“I believe we haven’t been properly introduced yet. Hello.” JYP extended his hand to her and she shook it quite shyly.

“Nice to meet you sir.” She said, immediately bowing 90 degrees.

“Please. No one calls me that. I go by hyung and oppa by my juniors.” He insisted, waving her off.

He told her to sit on the waiting couch.

“You know I’ve never seen Khun like this. His bold actions and daring behavior—nothing I expected to come out of him. He suddenly became brave.” JYP thought aloud, his eyebrows doing that funny thing again when he’s thinking.

“I think he’s capable of many things, he just needs a little pushing.” She said.

“He must really care about you, is what I think. He doesn’t talk to me about you. Usually when we all talk about girls he’s one of the most articulate about it. But when you two met each other, he wouldn’t talk about you. And I think when men truly find that one person they care about, they view it as a very personal and private matter. They brag about it, but they hold you in a very respectful and delicate grip. And they don’t talk about you because they think others would not understand the immensity of their feelings. I think Khun must have wanted you very much to be able to lie to me about you two.”

At this, Victoria smiled and looked down. She always knew he was very boastful when it came to talking about her but she never knew he was so private about it with the men.

“I’m not going to lie, I was against this at the beginning. But I was also young once. I, of all people, should understand 2PM’s love woes.” He went on.

Just then Khun walked in, but now in normal, casual clothes.

“Ah, better.” JYP sighed in relief.

“Were you both talking about me?” he asked skeptically.

“What makes you think that?” Victoria responded innocently.

“Well you better go before you miss your flight. Remember, don’t go anywhere publicly without your managers.” JYP said.

“We’re going, hyung.”

“Goodbye, sunbae-nim.”

They both then hurried downstairs where their managers are waiting for them in separate cars.

“I don’t understand why we have to go in separate cars.” Khun complained as they were in the elevator.

“Airport safety? I don’t know but let’s just be thankful we’re even allowed to go on this trip.” She replied.

“What about Zhou Mi?” he asked.

“He’ll be in a separate car too. We all meet on the plane.”

“Well this .”

On the plane, they were all seated away from each other. Not that they were not allowed to be next to each other but it was to avoid any further attention and exposure. It was best to lie low especially for celebrity couples. After the two-hour trip, everyone met ways as soon as they landed and got into one van for the first time. Zhou Mi was the last one to enter the van and as soon as he did, Khun greeted him politely, as if Zhou Mi was the senior. In reality, Zhou Mi was older than him, so Khun had every right to believe he should be the one greeting him first.

“Nice to meet you.” He told Zhou Mi as soon as he’s seated.

“Oh nice to finally meet you in the flesh. I’ve heard a lot about you.” He replied.

Victoria sort of eyed Zhou Mi like a hawk afterwards.

“Oh, really?” Khun smirked.

“Oppa, this is Nichkhun, my boyfriend. Khun, this is my best friend.” Victoria segued.

“Don’t believe her, Kyuhyun is her best friend. I’m just like a sub.” Zhou Mi joked.

As Khun saw him up close for the first time he could see he was a mix of Siwon and Leeteuk. He looked like a hybrid of Super Junior features that had Siwon and Leeteuk had a love child, Zhou Mi would pass. Khun was sure Zhou Mi was often told about it.

“Oppa you have to be the translator.” Victoria said.

“I know. My Korean isn’t good though.” Zhou Mi said meekly.

“That’s okay, my Chinese and my Korean are both not good.” Khun intervened.

“You’ll be fine.” Zhou Mi and Victoria said in unison to reassure him.

The experience was very surreal and blurry for Khun. It was a hectic day to begin with—he had a lot to worry about. He was worried first of all if her parents would like him, he was worried if he and Victoria would be able to stay in China in peace without crazy fans stalking them, and he was worried if he’ll ever come back here again as a husband. He had too much going on in his head; some were impossible scenarios already. When they arrived at Victoria’s house, her parents were already by the door, awaiting the visitors. Hugs and greetings were exchanged, hands were held and shook, and most importantly, smiles were abounded. It was a pleasant start, Khun thought. Maybe he was just being paranoid after all. He was glad he did not wear the suit; he was sweating madly from all the pressure and nervousness as he sat in the living room looking at the rows of picture frames. Even as a young kid, Victoria already possessed the grace and charm of a beautiful girl. She had countless photos of her in a ballerina dress, and in some she was in extravagant dancing costumes but in all of these photos she had a genuine smile. Zhou Mi did a good job at being an interpreter, although Khun felt a tinge of jealousy when he saw how love Zhou Mi was by her parents—it was as if he was already their son-in-law. Khun had given her father medicinal herbs from Thailand—expensive ones at that, because he knew he had recently suffered an illness. Khun gave her mother a very glamorous aromatherapy candle set along with a traditional Korean tea set. Khun was pleased at everyone’s reactions to his expensive gifts since they all had nothing but big grins on their faces as soon as they opened the boxes. Victoria had her mother’s smile. That big, glimmering smile he fell in love with was something she got from this frail, aging yet bright woman. During lunch, Zhou Mi was the busiest because this was the time when her parents asked Khun a lot of questions. Khun felt relieved that it did not involved stories about ex-girlfriends or religion. They only asked about how he got into the business, what his parents’ jobs were, if he finished school or not, and so on. Khun sneaked in a little bit of his knowledge in Chinese when he spoke to them so mother and father Song were pretty much amused at this small-faced boy.

“He looks like a teenager.” Her mother commented discreetly as Victoria helped her with the dishes while the men were in the living room.

“Mama.” Victoria rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“He does! What kind of man has a small face like that? A real man has to have a big face and a thick neck.” Her mother pushed, slightly imagining how her husband looked like when they were young.

“Ma, are you really going to scrutinize the size of his face?” Victoria scolded.

“Oh of course not. He seems alright.” Her mother gave in.

Victoria sighed internally. She was relieved that they didn’t hate or judge him, seeing as they always preferred Chinese guys for her ever since she was young.

“What about Zhou Mi, don’t you like him?” Her mother added as an afterthought.

“Ma!”

“Okay, okay.”

Her parents always had a soft spot for Zhou Mi. He was after all, mature, older than her, had a good head on his shoulders and most of all, Chinese. But she wouldn’t stand for it; she said if they wanted him so much, they both can date him. Her parents had insisted they all stayed in the house while they were in the country but space was limited and they had already booked a hotel for two days. Khun liked the idea of spending time in the house; he felt like he was officially a son-in-law already even though they still kept their engagement a secret. When it was time to leave, goodbyes were exchanged the way they did when they all met. Khun had asked Victoria and the rest to go in the van first as he wished to give something to her parents.

“More gifts?” Victoria whispered to him.

“Kind of. Go ahead, Zhou Mi and I will follow.”

Victoria did as she was told and waited for them in the van with the bored managers. Khun, Zhou Mi and her parents were there on the porch, seated formally on the wicker chairs facing each other. She wondered what they were talking about. After Khun handed them a small box, he and Zhou Mi said their goodbyes and went back into the van.

“Thank you for your hardwork.” Victoria told everyone as soon as they got inside.

“It was a bit tiring.” Zhou Mi said sleepily. He had too much to eat and now he felt like dozing off right away.

Victoria patted Khun’s hand.

“How are you feeling?” she asked him.

“Fine actually. Your dad said I had an abnormally small head.”

“Yeah I almost choked on my saliva when I had to translate that.” Zhou Mi laughed.

Victoria laughed as well but she could easily see that Khun was slightly affected by this small, petty comment.

“They like you. Lighten up.” She smiled.

When they arrived at the hotel, they all settled in their respective rooms immediately—it was after all, a busy day for them. Even the managers who had no business in being there were tired and sleepy from all the food they had to eat. Zhou Mi retired in his room and so did Minjae. Khun had to stay with Minjae, while Victoria had her own hotel room. Khun originally wanted to stay in one room with her but the request was denied by both their agencies. He thought that since they were out now, they can be more open but as it turns out, it was still difficult. It was late afternoon and everyone was eager for an afternoon nap. Khun however had decided to not waste time on sleeping. He rang Victoria’s doorbell.

“I knew it was you.” She said as soon as she opened the door.

“I’m not sleepy.” He said and let himself in.

“I actually wanted to go to the beach but seeing as our managers are in dispose…”

“They don’t have to come with us.”

“Actually they do, JYP said remember?”

Khun rolled his eyes and jumped on the queen size bed. Victoria stood in the balcony and admired the view and the aroma of her hometown. She rested her elbows on the railing and just let the feeling of home sink in. She knew she only had a few days to spare but being there even just for a while comforted her in many ways. She closed her eyes and relished the feeling. It was refreshing, until Khun ruined it for her.

“You know it’s been a long time since we, you know.” He called out from the bed.

Victoria made a face and glared at him.

“You know what, maybe we should abstain from now on. Abstinence is a test of loyalty and faithfulness.” She told him as she marched back inside.

Khun looked as if it was the end of the world.

“Are you…serious?” he whispered, unable to comprehend the word abstinence. The mere word made him dried up.

“Yup, and I hope it would stay that way until our wedding day.” She said in a snooty tone.  Khun looked absolutely crestfallen and devastated.

“Does it have to start now? Can’t it start next week?” he pleaded.

“It starts now, honey.”

Khun groaned in frustration and buried his face into a pillow like a child throwing a tantrum.

“We can do a lot of stuff without . Let’s try the neverending questions game.” She pointed out and sat on the bed with him.

It was a game they invented. They had to throw a question back and forth at one another; the person who answers loses.

“Fine. I always lose this.” Khun sighed as he sat up properly.

“I’ll start. How many girls did you sleep with?”

“Is that really necessary?”

“Don’t you think I should know?”

“Why should you?”

“Wouldn’t you want to know if I’d slept with many people?”

“Why, did you sleep with many guys?”

“Why are you changing the subject?”

“Don’t you think it’s too much if I reveal the number?”

“Why do you have to be such a promiscuous man?”

“How can you ask such a question like that?”

“Aren’t you the one that started all this?”

“Do you really want us to abstain from ?”

“No. I MEAN—“

“HA!” Khun exclaimed and pointed a finger at Victoria, who looked surprised at herself. She had never lost in this game before. More than that, her answer revealed too much.

“So you do still want to have with me.” Khun smiled slyly.

Victoria’s nose flared in indignation at first, but soon, sense was taking over. She was a mature, level-headed girl friend after all.

“Of course I do. Being in bed with you is something special. I love it. The only reason why I decided to do this is because, by the time we’re married in the future, you probably will be bored of it. won’t be something special anymore because well, we do it all the time.” She explained quietly.

Khun smiled at his future wife’s virtuous beliefs. He pushed a strand of her hair back from her face lovingly.

“I’d never get bored of you. Making love with you is never second best.” He said.

Victoria narrowed her eyes into slits again.

“That feels like a line from a song.” She pondered.

“It’s true though, what I said. What man would grow tired of your banging body.”

“I kind of dislike that slang.”

“Sorry, your beautiful body I mean.”

“Patronizing me won’t work.”

“Look I’m okay with this. If you don’t want to have anymore that’s fine, I’m okay with it. I’ll still be here. You can test me all you want but you’ll see it will prove I won’t leave you.”

Victoria stared at him for a while.

“Yeah that’s sort of working now.” She admitted.

Khun leaned in for an innocent kiss.

For the rest of the afternoon, they stayed in the room and shut out the room. That was how they liked it anyway—away from it all, wrapped in their own little bubble. It didn’t matter to Khun that it was a boring day—as long as they were bored together, that’s enough for him. Victoria was always used to being alone. Even in her dorm with the rest of her members, she felt somewhat alone. But now that Khun was always being an idiot beside her, she couldn’t remember the feeling of being alone anymore. They were so filled with ennui that they went as far as singing and practicing a duet song by Ra D. It was a beautiful song called Couple Song, and Victoria tried so hard to imitate the high-pitched voice of Kelley’s part. They laughed non-stop in the process. Everything was bliss. Shameless bliss.

When nigh finally came and the moon came out of hiding, they both went out to the balcony to see the breath-taking view.

“Wow. I feel like crying.” She said in awe as she looked up at another full moon.

Khun hugged her from behind and wrapped his arms around her in a secure manner. Victoria felt home. Not just because she was literally home but she found another overwhelmingly strong sense of home in his arms. He was her new home.

“Where should we spend our honeymoon?” Khun asked.

“Why are you thinking ahead? We’re not officially engaged yet you know. And my parents have to know beforehand.” She pointed out.

“Ask permission?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“I already did.”

Victoria turned to him in a slow sort of movement. That was why he told her to go ahead and wait for him in the van. He had personally asked her parents her hand in marriage.

“What? What did they say?” she said.

“They said not to rush. I said I understood, that we would wait. But what I vividly remember is them saying that they love you. So they want you to be happy…they said we have their blessing.”

Victoria clasped her hands over and slightly jumped.

“Oh my god!” she exclaimed, her voice muffled. She then hugged Khun tightly and violently.

“We’re officially engaged?” she asked him.

“Secretly officially engaged for now. Until the right time comes.” He replied.

Tears were slowly making their way out of Victoria’s eyes. She didn’t even notice it, she was overcome with happiness. She was looking into his eyes, and she could see his soul. She didn’t know how to explain it, but there it was, looking back at her. She had found her soulmate. He grew up in an entirely different culture, she spoke a different language, the barriers could go on forever…but it’s irrevocable—she had fallen madly in love with this foreigner.

“Do you want to dance?” he whispered.

“We don’t have music.” She whispered in return, leaning her forehead against his. He had his arms around her waist the whole time, moving her closer to his body.

“That’s not a problem.” He said.

He pulled her closer and they started to slow dance under the moonlight as he began to quietly sing Bap Kennedy’s Moonlight Kiss.

So many hearts were shattered, so many tears were shed. It wasn’t easy in the beginning, but love and faith paved way for the two paths to meet at the end. This isn’t a fairy tale as most people would like to believe; this is just another story of two souls meeting and then dwelling as one. It’s not exactly the best of love stories, but for them it is and it is just beginning. They swayed in slow dance, and in their head, made vows for each other silently.

 “I want a wedding by the beach, and a thousand ships. I want to launch a thousand ships.” She joked.

“Anything you want, my love.” He said.

If there’s one thing that would free every person from the weight and pain of life, it’s love. And anyone who is willing to believe that will find it, just like they did.

***************************************************************************

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Please be informed that the next chapter will be the the epilogue, the last one. :)

Songs in this chapter:

Couple Song - Ra. D  feat. Kelley 

Moonlight Kiss - Bap Kennedy