Who wants to be famous?

I do. Fame is something, I can’t explain. Maybe it is something like a fire, something like a fire that draws insects into it. In that case, I am an insect.

You see, in our university, to be famous, you must either be pretty, rich or talented. I decided I have to be all. Okay, I may not be the prettiest in school, nor my voice the most wonderful, but I think what I have will do. I have one problem though, financial status.

I am not rich.

In order to attend school, I work at a huge mansion near the university. The owner of the house is very pretty and kind. She treats me like a daughter, much to my delight, as I have lost my family a long time ago. She makes me wear branded clothes, branded bags and even jewelry. If not for Mrs. Jung, I would not even try pretending to be rich.

Funnily, I couldn’t even buy a single one of these clothes, I was lent. In exchange for a few won, I work as a housemaid.

This whole I-am-a-rich-kid business started for a year now, and I now established a reputation on our school, being one of the few queenkas and the fewer prima donnas. Being famous means I get thousands err... okay, hundreds of suitors, which translates to gifts. Lots of suitors would mean lots of es as friends. You know, cliques, birds of the same feather flock together. So I did get into a girl group. Not the kind who dances and sings (okay some of us do) but a group of friends who were bound together by social status.

Taeyeon, Jessica, Tiffany, Sunny, Yuri, Hyoyeon, Seohyun, Sooyoung, and Yoona All of us are famous, pretty and talented, and were friends dubbed by the whole campus as Seo Nyu Shi Dae or SNSD.

"Jessica! Will you stop looking at yourself on that mirror?! It's starting to annoy me!!" Yoona smirked as she snatched the mirror from Jessica, who is busily applying make-up on.

"So tell me, did Taeyeon get the part?” Yuri asked me.

"No. I think someone named Luna will play the role.”

We were talking about the play where Taeyeon auditioned to play belle in 'The Beauty and the Beast', on a way to a newly opened cafe near the school's premises. Tiffany has been bugging everyone to go there as she said that it was a cozy place field with handsome young boys as waiters. So I, Yoona, Jessica, Yuri, Tiffany and Taeyeon decided to go.

"Luna?! That poor ? She should be Cinderella dressed in rags, cleaning the fireplace. Tsk Tsk Tsk", Tiffany said with mockery and disgust.

"And then, when she'll be changed to a princess, I will take her place.” Taeyeon said as she twirl and turn as we enter the doors of the cafe.

"Welcome to the Bishounen cafe.” a handsome waiter greeted us as we enter the cafe.

"Hello, I am Yunho, and I will be assisting you so please do follow me." He said gracefully, as he showed us to a couch near the window.  Everyone was pre-occupied with their own things, but I was looking at Yunho, who was basically, taking my friend's orders. I have seen him somewhere. I think I really did saw that serious face. He, then, stared at me. I wasn't able to hear a thing, as I can only hear the sound of my beating heart.

He continued on staring at me until I realized what's happening, he was asking for my order.

I hurriedly took the menu and hid my face using it.

"Cappuccino" I quickly read the first item on the menu and handed it to him which he smilingly received.

"Thank you, Maam." He said as he turned to leave.

With him gone,

"Hey Sayu... You like that Yunho guy, ehh?" It was Tiffany who started opening the topic. I think my face is all red right now. I decided not to answer.

"Yeah, I do think Sayu like Yunho." Taeyeon winked at me.

"What's wrong with liking that guy? He's handsome, courteous, and...” Yuri was cut off by Jessica.

"Poor." Jessica said simply.

"Ayy, too bad he is poor." Yoona said with her eyes filled with what looked like pity.  “Don't worry, our Sayu is rich, she can always treat him to lunch.” Tiffany joked and everybody laughed. I stared at the man they were laughing at.

When he turned and saw me looking at him, he smiled at me shyly. If he only knew my friends were mocking him, he would never smile at me like that. I smiled sadly.

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

“Sorry ma’am but I just closed the café.”

“But… but… I forgot my bag in there.”

It is already 10 o’clock in the evening, and I went back to the café as soon as I realized that I left it there. The café has been a regular place the whole group visits. I often see Yunho around but we never really had the chance to talk, a few nod and a few greeting but it never amounted to what you can call conversations.

He smilingly opened the doors of the café. I entered and rushed to our usual place where I found my bag.

“Yunho?” I called out his name.

“I am here.” I felt a shudder on my shoulder.

My heart is beating manically. I turned my head only to see Yunho’s face a few inches near mine. His eyes, his nose, his smell… I don’t know if I could stand his gaze for too long. Thank goodness, the room is pitch black… Wait, it is pitch black?

“We’re locked.” He said in his calm, baritone voice.

I didn’t even hear the door slam? How deaf can I get?

And the lights went on.

“Sorry princess, looks like this is the best accommodation, I can give you.” He smiled as if the whole I’m-stuck-in-this-room-with-you is a joke, as he stand by the light switches.

“My name is not princess, Yunho.” I said firmly, disappointed that he doesn’t even bother to know my name.

“Of course I know that, Ms. Park Sayu. Shining reason, eh?” He speaks as he walks towards me. Park Sayu literally translates as Shining Reason.

“Sorry for the informality, calling you princess, but I guess you do look like one.”

I turned my back on him to hide my blushing face. “You fail at sweet talking, flatterer.”

And then, there was an awkward silence. No one spoke for a full hour. I sat down on the floor as I looked at him. He gathered all the pillows on the longest couch.

“You can sleep here, princess.” And then he points at a couch nearby with no pillows on it. “I’ll be sleeping here.” He has his tough façade and prince-like demeanor, but in his eyes I can see nothing but gentleness.

I stood up to sleep in the place he prepared for me.

I cannot sleep. I stared at the ceiling and decided to close my eyes, so I can sleep… but I can’t. Tell me, who can sleep when the hand you longed to hold is a few steps away; when the beating of your heart is the drums that would never put you to sleep? I admit, I’m in love

Yunho, he is perfect, perfect in his own way. Unlike me, I am full of pretenses, full of lies. He is poor but he seemed content, unlike me… unlike me…

Is it just the beating of my heart or I hear footsteps coming? I can feel him; the distance of a few meters is reduced to inches. He is standing by me. I decided to keep my eyes closed.

I suddenly felt his hands on my cheeks. His hands are cold and shaking but his touch is gentle, and then I felt a piece of fabric covering me.

“Princess,” He said caressing my face. “Do you know how I longed to touch you? How I longed to hold you in my hand like this? But you seemed so high, outside my grasp, beyond my reach. Do you know how your smile is replayed on my head? How you hid your blushing face with the menu? Do you know how much it pains me not to be able to say all of this with you awake? Not to be able to say that… I… I… Love you.”

I kept my eyes closed. It really is awkward. If only I could hold him right now and say that I love you too… I love you too, Yunho. But of course I could not do that.

Silence ensued.

“You rat, move away from my princess!!!” I hear Yunho exclaim. I immediately stood up.

“Yahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…….. where?”

“Sleeping, ehh?” He turned his back on me.

“Angry, ehh?”  I embraced his back how I always wanted to do it. He turned to face me, hugging me back. His face filled with tears.

“I could never be angry with my princess.” He said pinching my cheeks as he kissed my forehead.

“I love you; I have always been in love with you.” And we shared stories about us all night, both of us in the sofa, as I lay my head on his shoulder.

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

It’s been a three months now, after that night. We’ve been together for 3 months and of course, the café played an important role in our relationship. Yunho made me met the manager which is Rain, Rain Bi, I think. People who work in the cafe like teasing Yunho, because most of the waiters in the café quits after meeting the love of their life, but Yunho just shrugs them off.

“Princess, my break is up.” He stood up and went on to serve another costumer. 

The new costumer constantly twirled her hair as she looks at Yunho. I smirked. I must admit, I hate it when girls does that to him, but what can I do? He needs this job.

And then, I heard the baritone voice of my boyfriend.

“noona neomu yeppeoseo, namja deuri gaman andwo”

He sang while dancing in front of me. I was so shocked to see him do that. Every girl in the room was looking at him because of that uncalled for performance.

“heundeulli neun geunyeo ye maeum, sashil algo isseo

geunyeo ege sarangeun, hansun ganye neukkim ilbbun

mwora haedo na egen salmye everything

ama geunyeoneun arin naega, budam seureo unga bwa

nal bara boneun nuni malhaeju janha

And I think I’m gonna hate it girl, kkeuti daga oneun geol

gaseumi malhae junda, nuga mworaedo

noonan neomu yeppeo (geu- geunyeoreul boneun naneun michyeo)

hajiman ijen jichyeo (Replay Replay Replay)

chueogi nae maeumeul halkwieo (a- apaseo ijen mameul)

gochyeo da- daga oli byeore nan (Replay Replay Replay)”

He bowed, and the girls around clapped their hands, obviously awed by the dancing prowess of my boyfriend. He walked towards me and said, “don’t be jealous, princess.”

“I didn’t like it.” I said smirking.

“Wha..what?! Why?” He said obviously shocked.

“because, I’m not your noona.”

“ehh… that’s just the lyrics!!”

“Merong.”

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

 “I heard you got the main part, Sayu.” Yuri smiled as she sipped her tea.

“I heard Jessica auditioned too.” Seohyun entered the conversation.

“I wonder why they are not here.”

Ever since I got the part, Jessica and the rest of the girls didn’t show up, except Seohyun and Yuri.

“We are definitely here.”

“Jessica!” I stood up to offer her a friendly hug.

“Move away from me, you filthy social climber!” She threw me off the ground.

“yeah, we know already, poor ambitious maid.” Tiffany kicked me like a trash.

Yunho suddenly came up to them. “Leave her alone.”

“You leave him alone.” Jessica coldly said. “You do not deserve a poor liar like her.” She said hugging him. “You don’t know? You don’t know? Mr. Yunho Jung? You don’t know that she’s using your mother? She steals your mother’s things and money to pretend that she’s rich?”

“Jung Yunho?” I stuttered as tears starts to fall down my face.

Reality soon hit me. Yunho is Mrs. Jung’s son.

I stood up and ran way, taking note that I should send my resignation letter, later tonight.

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

“Mrs. Jung, thank you for the kindness I received from you, but after what I have done, I am not worthy of your trust anymore.” I said crying in front of a coffee I have not touched.

Mrs. Jung after I said my goodbye, asked me to drink a coffee with her on Bishounen Café, the very place where I use to fool everyone, including Yunho and myself.

All I wanted was to be famous. I know, I was wrong for lying, but it certainly brought me three most memorable months of my life. I loved Yunho, but I guess I do not deserve my prince.

“That’s Yunho, right?” Mrs. Jung said. “Come hija, I’ll introduce you to my son.”

I hid under the table before Mrs. Jung turned to see me.

“Mama” Yunho hugged Mrs. Jung.

“Son, you’ve been working here? I really miss you. I was going to introduce you to Sayu, but I think she already left.”

“Mama, I’m going to go now, but please tell Sayu that I know everything from the start. I know that she works at home. I know that she’s not really rich. I know that her bags and dresses are all hand me downs. But despite all I know, none of that matters. I loved her, and I love her still, and if only she’ll hear this…”

He knelt down and looked at me face to face. “I love you, and please… no lies, let me marry you.”

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

And so, Yunho left the café immediately after that night, leaving Mr. Rain Bi wondering why.

I married Yunho. And of course the happiest person in the family is… Mrs. Jung, Yunho’s mother. She now have 2 children around- I and Yunho.

I studied in the university still, but now as a common student, except that I have two pretty and famous girls as friends, Yuri and Seohyun. I also have given up on theater, which is of course much of a delight to Jessica and Taeyeon who is happy to be on the spotlight. If you wonder why, it is because I don’t want to be famous anymore.

As long as I have Yunho by my side, Duhh… Who will still want to be famous?

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

Written for Bishounen Cafe Oneshot Challenge. ^^ Happy ending for Once, ehhh?? :D

So, My previous readers, are you still alive? :)

Miyoko_Kato, signing off