THE WEDDING PLANNERS

A boy walked in from the entrance of the hospital. He took his steps slowly, whistling to himself as he hugged a rattan basket filled with variety of fruits close to his body. Then he stopped in front of the elevator, pushed on the button and waited for it to be opened for him. Once it reached the floor, he stepped in and headed straight to the fourth floor.

“Morning, grandpa…”, he greeted an old man, lying motionless on the bed. The boy closed the door behind him and walked over to stand beside the bed. He curved a small smile to that old man. His grandpa weakly opened his eyes but once he saw his grandson, he chuckled.

“Morning…how do you do?”, the sick man asked him as he raised his head from the pillow, trying hard to support his weight in order to sit properly. The boy quickly held his arm, helping him to lean back on the head of the bed. After he had settled down, the boy grinned and pulled a chair to sit beside his grandpa. He placed the basket just now on the bed’s side table.

“I’m as healthy as the horse…so how about you old man? Are you taking the medicine according to its time now? Didn’t cause any trouble to Ms. Ling???”, the boy started to ask as his questions followed by a laugh. He was asking about Ms. Ling, a nurse that was in charged to take care of everything for his grandpa in this hospital. That old man has a habit to be very difficult to pursue when it comes for the time for him to take his medicine. He hated it all, the bitter taste of multi-types medicine that he has to take. His grandpa sighed as he shook his head slowly.

“It’s none of your concern, young man…you should take care of your own business…”, he replied but the boy shook his head in rejection.

“You’re my only grandpa…of course I need to care for you…about me? Don’t worry…I’m capable of myself…”, he concluded as his grandpa tilted his head slightly to stare into his grandson’s young face. A sudden pity crept in his heart.

“Yeah…maybe I have to worry about you right now…but after you’ve married to Ms. Kyung, I can finally put down my guard…”, he said to him, making his grandson to release a heavy sigh. He bit his lips. This is the real thing that they needed to discuss, about his marriage. So he took a deep breath before looked up to that man.

“Grandpa…I’ve something to be talked with you…”, he started, staring seriously to the old man. He frowned as a reply to that boy, making his forehead decorated with more wrinkles as he did that.

“What is it, Lay?”, he asked, calling out his name. The boy pulled his chair closer to the bed and rested his hands on the edge of the bed.

“I’m afraid that I’ve to cancel the wedding…”, he muttered as the old man spontaneously chocked upon hearing the news. He rubbed his throat for a few times before Lay stood up, patting his back.

“What did you say???”, his grandpa asked again in disbelief, staring toward Lay with such wide eyes. Lay sat back on his chair and sighed.

“I’m sorry, grandpa…but I can’t lie to myself…I can’t pretending to marry a mature woman like her, be her husband and live happily ever after…that’s…that’s not my things…”, Lay explained as he covered his face with his palms in frustration. His grandpa shook his head as he shut his eyes tight. He didn’t believe it that his beloved and obedient grandson could possibly objected the long-planned wedding ceremony. Lay was an orphan. His parents died since he was a kid and from that moment, he started to live with his grandparents. But 5 years ago, his grandmother, left them too, leaving his grandfather to take care of him alone. They lived happily together until he was admitted to this hospital due to the low blood pressure and couldn’t afford to work anymore. So Lay took that responsibility, working alone and at the same time trying to focus on his studies. Even after he finished his high school, Lay didn’t manage to enter any college because he felt the burden to care for his grandpa. He let go of his dream and started working again, earning money for his medication. That was why the old man felt really pity and sorry on him. He knew that he needed to find someone that capable enough to live with Lay and built an establish life with him. So that Lay won’t be troubled anymore.

“Lay...I not going to cause any trouble to you…you have to marry Ms. Kyung so that she can help you with your life…you didn’t want to stay working at that café for the rest of your life, right??? You have to move on…find a better life…”, his grandpa reasoned out, still trying to convince him to proceed with the wedding.

“But what good will she brings to me??? I do not know her…she’s a complete stranger to me…just because she is one of your old friend, that doesn’t mean that you can put your full faith in her…she doesn’t know me either…”, Lay exclaimed back as he gazed up to his grandpa, face completely in trouble. The old man sighed again and shifted uncomfortably in his bed.

“I know…but I just want to find someone that capable to take care of you…that’s the only way I can die in peace…”, once he mentioned about being dead, Lay instantly frowned at him.

“Don’t say like that…you wouldn’t die…you can’t leave me alone…I wouldn’t let you too…”, Lay pressed his voice deeper, trying hard to ignore the fact that his grandfather was too old to handle all about his life anymore. Then he cracked a weak smile to Lay.

“Look at how reckless you’re…how on Earth should I leave you like this???”, his grandpa mumbled again as he leaned his head on the wall behind him, suddenly feeling tired. “If you get married to Ms. Kyung, surely she can look after you…at least your life will also properly arrange…then only I can finally feels relieve…”, he added.

Lay bit his lips as he cursed silently. He shouldn’t show him the weak side of him. He has to be strong. That was the only way his grandpa will let him go about the wedding. Lay cleared his throat and looked up again. He grinned broadly.

“Aigoo, grandpa…we don’t have to think about the wedding now…let’s enjoy some bananas, okay???”, he suggested cheerfully and stood up to get the fruits. The old man glared up to his grandson before he shook his head. Then he grabbed the newspaper from the side table and flipped it open.

“Get my glasses…”, he ordered Lay and the boy pulled open the drawer below the table to take out a black box. He handed the box to his grandpa. The old man took it and put on his spec. He read the headline and frowned.

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People walking along the bustling city were glancing suspiciously on someone. They took their steps slowly in front of a person before they shook their heads questioningly and walked away. Ara cursed and rolled her eyes upon seeing their reactions. She let out a long sighed and finally put down a large board that she held in her hands. She threw the board to the side of the road and landed her on the rail beside it.

“Aish… Why on Earth I’m doing this??? Aish!!!”, she complained, fanning her face with her hands. She glimpsed down to the board and chuckled.

“I guess this method doesn’t work at all…who in their right mind want to hire a wedding planner so suddenly in the middle of this city??? Yeah…I must be out of my mind…crazy girl!!! Aigoo!!!”, Ara scolded herself as she shook her head in disbelief. She stared down to her feet and kicked the small rocks below her shoes. Suddenly she heard something, voices that argued with each other.

“I don’t care! I know my grandfather want me to marry you but I can’t tolerate with it anymore…I’m not marrying anyone…now just go and cancel everything that you’ve set up!”, Ara narrowed her eyes at the boy that was now standing next to the traffic light across from her standing place. She seems to recognize this person somehow. But then Ara rubbed her hair, where was it??? Where did they meet before this??? Ara thought dully as she walked back to pick up her board. She started tiptoeing to the couple, covering her face behind the big board so that they didn’t see her face. She peeked at them from behind it as she grasped. It was the handsome boy that she met accidently in Ms. Park’s office. She remembered he was sleeping while his bride was discussing about their wedding plan. Ara frowned again. Now he was asking for the wedding to be canceled??? How could that be??? Ara shifted her eyes to the woman, standing in front of him. She was frowning as she massaged her forehead in confusion. Ara heard her let go of a weak sigh.

“But this is his last wish…we have to grant it for him…I promise, I’ll do my best to take care of you…I’ll be a perfect wife for you…”, that woman said, yeah that old bride of him. The boy smirked.

“Thanks but no thanks…I’m not hoping for any girl…or woman to be a perfect wife for me…and for your information, I’m no longer a kid…I can take care of myself! I have my job and I love my recent life…let’s not create another problem, shall we??? So stop the wedding!”, he urged her, raising his voice impatiently. He put his hands on his hips as he looked away from her. That was when their eyes met each other. Ara froze on her legs as she quickly hid her face behind the board. She bit her lips silently. Why on Earth she was spying him??? Ara cursed her own mind. She picked up her paces, moving quickly as she pushed herself among the races of people that walked on the zebra-cross. Lay’s eyes followed the moving large board that written clearly on it, ‘A COMPLETE PACKAGE TO PLAN YOUR WEDDING’. He smiled as he shook his head. He knew that girl. He remembered their coincidence meeting in front of the office the other day. Ms. Kyung glanced back to look at the thing that was stared by him. He chuckled as he cleared his throat, darted his eyes away from that girl. Ms. Kyung looked back to him.

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“Aunt Jung, I’m going out for a while!”, So Eun shouted as she pushed the door open and stepped out from her shop. Aunt Jung glanced up to the now empty door before she shook her head slowly. So Eun was too busied today since she has to arrange the wedding for her latest client. This time, they were facing a little problem since the couple was quiet demanding over their wedding plan. They wanted So Eun to arrange everything according to their requirements. They didn’t even give her any chances to decide even the simplest thing on her own. Still, So Eun was trying hard to fit their demands. Aunt Jung sighed silently and resumed her work, spraying the flowers around the shop.

“Yes, Mr. Kang…I’m on my way right now…do wait for me, okay??? Thanks…”, So Eun mumbling over her phone as she waved her hand to stop any taxi to get a ride. As a white taxi stopped, she hastily pulled open its door and jumped in.

“Please go to Gwang Sook Hotel…”, she told the driver as she darted her eyes back to the screen of her phone, checking the list for the wedding plan. She needed to rush to the hotel for now to get the reservation on its grand hall. There was where the wedding will be held. Next, she has to contact the bridal shop to make confirm of the couple’s attires and lastly, she needed to rush to the couple’s favorite restaurant to pick the menu for the meals on the wedding day. So Eun sighed heavily as she slammed her body on the seat. She closed her eyes, feeling tired with her overwhelming duties. Finally, she reached the hotel and hastily took her way in after paying the fee to the driver. She ran around the lobby to find the person that was supposed to in charge the reservation.

“Hello, Ms. Kim…please, take a seat…”, the man greeted her at the cafeteria as he motioned her to sit in front of him. So Eun smiled and bowed politely at him. She landed her on the chair as a waiter came to give her the menu card.

“A cappuccino, please?”, she ordered and handed back the card toward the waiter. Then she fixed her eyes on the man in front of her, he was frowning as he stared on the file he was holding in his hands.

“Can you make clear again about the wedding date with me? I need it to confirm with the hotel’s schedules…”, he requested and So Eun nodded understandingly. She zipped off her handbag and pulled out her dark blue notebook before she flipped through the pages to find the date.

“It’s on this 30 April…can it be fit?”, she answered while raising her head up to look at him. Mr. Kang slightly nodded and he frowned again at the list in front of him, biting his lips.

“It’s…em…”, he was hesitated and it makes So Eun to start feeling worried about this matter. If she didn’t managed to make the reservation, what should she do??? Should she arrange the venue to another place???

“I’m sorry, Ms. Kim…but I’m afraid that we can’t deal about the reservation on the grand hall because on 30 April, the hall is booked for other bigger event…the government officers are coming here, they’re holding their ceremony in this place…I’m sorry but I guess I have to let you down…”, Mr.Kang concluded and it makes So Eun to shake her head in frustration. She leaned on the chair as she rubbed her face with both of her palms. Mr. Kang was smiling apologetically at her as he bowed.

“I’m terribly sorry, miss…I guess this is our fault since we didn’t manage to arrange our schedules properly…please forgive me…”, he explained and bowed once again. So Eun immediately shook her head in rejection.

“No, it’s not your fault…it just that the date didn’t really match with this place…it’s fine then…I’ll inform the couple and help them to reserve a new place…”, she replied politely as she stood up, placing back her notebook into the bag. Mr. Kang cleared his throat.

“Didn’t you order a drink just now??? Don’t you wanna wait and take a rest for a while?”, the man asked her but she shook her head and smiled.

“I would love too but I have to rush over the time…there are many things to be settled before the wedding…”, she said and Mr. Kang nodded understandingly.

“I’ll take my leave now…thanks again, sir…”, So Eun said her farewell as she arranged her steps weakly, leaving the cafeteria. She got out from the lobby with her fingers busied dialing the contact number of the couple.

“Please leave your message after the ‘beep’ sound…”

“Ugh!”, So Eun cursed as she clicked off the line. She let go of a long sigh as she looked up to the bright sky. It was a very hot day yet she didn’t even settle a thing regarding this wedding. Plus the real couple had gone missing. Great! So Eun thought as she immediately racked her brain to think about another fabulous place to hold a wedding. Suddenly her phone ringing. So Eun hastily picked it up, hoping that it was the couple that contacted her back but instead it was a formal woman voice that greeted her.

“Good evening…may I speak to Miss Kim So Eun?”, she said over the line and So Eun nodded as thought she could actually see her.

“Speaking…”, she replied and walked down her steps from the stairs to the main road in front of the hotel.

“Miss Kim, can you please come to our bridal shop? We seem to be having problem about the dress…”, now what??? So Eun frowned as she scratched her neck in confusion.

“Yeah…I’ll be there in ten minutes…”, she answered and hung up the phone. She took a deep breath; she knew she shouldn’t give up on this. Not yet. Then she speed off, heading straight to the bridal shop. Once she was there, she found herself panting in front of the door as she was running too fast to be here. A young lady came to open the door for her.

“Welcome, miss…come in…”, she invited her as So Eun smiled up and took her step into the fluffy white shop. All around this shop was decorated with laces. So Eun eyed the surrounding with great interest before a middle aged woman approached her.

“Hi, I’m Yuri…”, she greeted her and held out her hand to shake So Eun’s hand. They smiled to each other before they took a seat around a small table situated at one corner of the shop. So Eun had always used to this kind of discussion. It was part of her job- sitting around a table, having a drink and talked about the plan. It was her life style after all.

“I was told that your shop seem to face a problem regarding the dress…may I know what the problem is???”, So Eun started the discussion with her most business-like tone. Yuri sighed and nodded. Then she called out to her assistant, whispering something to her before she left them again. So Eun watched in silence before she came again a few minutes later, bringing white dresses in her hands to be hung in line in front of So Eun. So Eun eyed the dresses in confusion and darted her gazes back to Yuri.

“What’s with all these dresses??? I thought Mrs. Song had made her choice on her wedding dress…”, So Eun said but she was cut off when Yuri stood up. She walked over to the dresses and touched one of them. Then she looked back toward So Eun.

“I guess as her wedding planner you need to choose a new one for her…because the dress that she had booked was bought by another bride this morning…”, her explanation made So Eun’s mouth to hang opened wide. She blinked at her before she gulped silently.

“How…how could you let this happen??? You know that dress had already booked by someone…it was reserved so you can’t simply sell it to other customer!!”, So Eun snapped angrily as she shook her head in a very fast mode. Yuri shrugged as she raised her shoulders, acknowledging this matter.

“I’m completely aware of it but the customer this morning was willing to pay for higher price…we’re running our business and profit is our top priority so…yeah…I sold it to her…”, she said selfishly, making So Eun to jerk her eyebrow high.

“Yeah…profit is so important to you…however you ignore the privilege of your other customer…very ‘clever’ and funny!”, So Eun commented sarcastically as she shook her head, turning her eyes away from Yuri.

“I’m sorry but you can always pick another dress…our shop offer your many other fancy dresses for the bride…”, Yuri simply replied as she waved her hands in very extravagated way. So Eun chuckled in disgust.

“Yeah…but I’m not in the right position to decide on her dress…plus even if we did plan to replace it with new dresses, still I will highly suggesting Mrs. Song to get it from another bridal shop…your shop won’t get a dollar from her as a reward to cause this mistake…”, So Eun concluded and she stood up to walk straight away out from the shop. Yuri stared transfix at her back before she sighed and resumed her own work.

“Aish!!! What should I do??? I lost the venue and dress!!! Aish!!!”, So Eun cursed to herself as she stamped on her feet, mumbling over the series of misfortune today. Poor her customers, she failed to get them all the things that they wished for their perfect wedding. She knew she needed to make up on this matter so that her client won’t be disappointed.

“Don’t ever give up, Kim So Eun!!! I know you can do this!!!”, she cheered herself up as she balled her hands into fists, braced up her heart to stay working hard on this project. She took a deep and long breath of the evening air and moved to deal with the next issue, food menu.

“What???!!!  This restaurant is no longer taking that service??? Then how on Earth should I reserve the entire menu???”, So Eun blurted out loudly as she slammed on the counter, nearly poked in half of her body into its area. The cashier was frowning at her as she covered herself with her hands, preventing So Eun from getting closer to her.

“We terribly sorry, Miss Kim…but our restaurant had stopped the service since a month ago…I’m afraid you have to make the order with other restaurants…”, she replied her in hesitation, avoiding her sharp stares. So Eun smirked wickedly.

“Bull! And this is the only favorite restaurant fancied by my client…”, So Eun exclaimed again as she shot the cashier with a last deadly glare. Then she turned around and walked out of the place. She felt like screaming on top of her lungs right now to let off her stress. But as she tried to open wide, her phone rang happily.

“Ugh!! What kind of hell do I have to face again???”, So Eun shrugged and she spontaneously answered the call.

“So Eun is here…”, she said with a weak voice as she heard the latter laughed.

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Kris twisted his slender fingers with one another before he glanced up to the room in front of him. He sighed and closed his eyes, deep in thinking. Suddenly the door in front of him was pulled open to reveal his girlfriend, Sooyoung. Kris snapped open his eyes back and curved a warm smile to her. She grinned happily as a reply and went to sit next to him.

“So, what did the doctor said???”, he asked, concern about her current state as Sooyoung winked and handed a piece of small paper to Kris. He took it and eyed the paper with serious face. It was the scanned picture of the little baby inside her tummy. Kris felt his heart going numb, thinking that he couldn’t afford to be his father. He gulped down his throat as Kris slowly looked up to Sooyoung. She had her eyes transfixed on the picture as she smiled brightly. Kris knew it that deep down in her heart; she was hoping to build a perfect family with him. Unfortunately, Kris was about to tear up that hope into pieces. Well, it broke his own heart too, leaving his beloved girlfriend.

“Sooyoung ah…”, he called up gently to her as he closed one arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

“Hmmm…”, she replied slowly and started to play with two upper buttons of his shirt.

“I’m sorry…’, he muttered out, stumbled with his words that dried in his throat. Sooyoung chuckled as she glanced sideway to look at him.

“For what are you saying that to me…you never do any mistake…I’m the one who at fault…I caused this trouble and eventually dragging you in to handle it with me…”, she explained but Kris shook his head. He let her go and he stood up from the seat, walking toward the nearby windowpane.

“This is not your fault either…I don’t want you to blame yourself…I want you to be strong…”, Kris mumbled to her as Sooyoung frowned weirdly to his broad back.

“I’m going to be fine…as long as you’re here…”, she said again and Kris turned his head so quickly to face her again. Sooyoung blinked upon seeing his stern expression.

“Why? What is it, oppa???”, she asked,  hesitated when she started to feel something strange in this conversation. Kris shook his head as he massaged his forehead, trying to ease the invisible star-twinkling around his head.

“Nothing…it just that…I want you to be strong to raise the kid even without me at your side…”, Kris slowly blurted out as Sooyoung shook her head in major mental rejection.

“I don’t understand it, oppa…why should I raise this baby alone??? Aren’t we wanted to get married??? Where are you going then???”, Sooyoung started to shoot him with heartbreaking questions that it makes Kris to freeze on his legs. He stared deeply into her eyes, long enough for her to come and stood before him. Seeing her beautiful flawless face so close like this making Kris felt that his heart had been shattered up into tiny pieces, realizing the fact that he was about to let her go. He gulped and bit his lips. He wanted so much for his mouth to be shut for eternity so he wouldn’t say anything that will place this girl in painfulness. He didn’t wish to hurt her but…he guessed the fate did…the fate wanted them to fall apart.

“I’m sorry…I bet we should cancel the wedding…because…”

“Because of what???!!!”, Kris didn’t manage to finish his sentence as Sooyoung had snapped at him. She stared at him with wide eyes as she put her hands on her hips. Kris silently sighed.

“…Because my mom objected it…and I can’t go against her…”, he added as Sooyoung cursed under her breath. She looked away for a while before she turned back to gaze straight on Kris’s sinfully gorgeous face.

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“Congrats!!!”, the workers of the Shulan Company toasted their glass together on behalf of finally finished their business together successfully. They cheered and clapped their hands in union.

“Yoo Na sshi…thanks for cooperating with us for these few days…I highly appreciate your dedication in work…”, an old man dressed in formal coat said to her as he held up his glass toward her. Yoo Na smiled sheepishly.

“Thank you, Mr. Bum…I’m only trying to do my best for the company because this business is really prominent for all of us…”, she replied in high formality in her voice when suddenly her teammate came to stand next to her seat.

“Aigoo, Yoo Na ah…don’t be so stiff…it’s time for party right now!!! The business is over!!!”, a man cheered as he slung one arm around her shoulders. She laughed along with Mr. Bum upon seeing his childish act but Yoo Na briefly removed his hand from her.

“Go and play somewhere else…I’m not in the mood to occupied your foolish mind…”, she as she got up from her seat to walk over nearing the bar counter. A handsome man, standing in front of the bar table curved an alluring smile when he saw Yoo Na took her seat across from him. She forced a fake smile to him and cleared loudly. She didn’t like the way he stared at her, it was distracting.

“Bir with lemon, please…”, they ordered together spontaneously as Yoo Na turned side way to look at the person beside her. She was struck to see a man, standing there as he hesitated to crave a smile to her. Yoo Na also blinked her eyes and darted her eyes away from him down to the table in front of them.

“Em…Hi, Lee Yoo Na sshi…what a coincidence to meet you here…”, she heard the man said as he landed his own on a seat next to her. She gulped but nodded silently.

“What are you actually doing here???”, he asked again as Yoo Na bit her lips, battling inside her mind whether to tell him the true or not.

“I…em…I’m only here for business…I have something to do with my work…”, she finally replied, still locking her eyes to the front instead of looking at him back. He chuckled.

“Same here…I have a convention to attend for a few days…”, he agreed while the bartender came to approach them, bringing two glasses of their drink and placed it down before them. The bartender winked naughtily to Yoo Na as she grinned horribly to him. He shrugged and turned away. The man beside her laughed out loud as he took a sip on his drink.

“I guess you’re still the same Yoo Na that I remembered…bright and eyes candy to everyone…”, he concluded for her while Yoo Na hastily shook her head.

“That’s not true…I’m changing a lot over these 5 years, I think…”, Yoo Na responded and this time their eyes met each other. He stared deep to her before they finally broke into funny laughter together.

“Don’t be so awkward…so how do you do recently??? Have you forget my name?”, he shot her with questions again and Yoo Na rolled her eyes.

“I’m doing fine…busy with my daily life as usual…but still, my memory doesn’t as weak as you thought…I remember you, Kim Bum…”, she answered, addressing him with his full name. Kim Bum smirked but he nodded.

“Glad to know that…”, he commented while Yoo Na grinned sheepishly. He tilted his head sideway to peer outside the club through the tinted glass wall. Then he turned back to the girl.

“Yoo Na ah…the weather is quiet nice tonight….wanna take a walk with me at the outside???”, he offered her suddenly as he raised an eyebrow to her. Yoo Na glanced back to her teammates before she raised her shoulders and nodded.

“For a few minutes, yes…”, she agreed and they both got up from the bar, carrying their glasses toward the exit door. Once they stepped on the sandy beaches, they sighed in relief together, enjoying the breezing soft air that wrapped around them. Yoo Na and Kim Bum walked over in silence until they reached the shore and stopped there, letting the wave to meet their toes with pleasure. Kim Bum glimpsed down to her, the weak moonlight fell on her beautiful face. He finally realized something. He missed her.

“Stop looking at me like that, Kim Bum ah…it’s not polite…”, he heard her and they laughed together.

“So tell me everything…”

“About what???”, Yoo Na asked and she sipped on her drink, hugging one hand around her body as the wind started to make her shivered.

“About your life all along these 5 years…”, he answered and suddenly pulled off his jacket. Instead he moved closer to her and wrapped the jacket around her shoulders. Yoo Na looked questioningly at him before she pushed his chest lightly, distancing their bodies.

“Like I told you just now…It has been great for all this time…I’m trying to move forward and…It turn out to be good because…I’m getting married soon…”, she explained to him as she held up her hand before his eyes, showing off her finger that was now ringed with that tiny silver ring. Kim Bum gulped but he tried to hide the awkwardness with laughing happily.

“Yeah…I see…that’s great then…when will the wedding be hold???”, he asked again but his heart was hoping that he didn’t have to hear for her answer. Yoo Na chuckled but she giggled excitedly after that.

“We have not yet decide on this but I think we will as soon as I get back to Seoul again…”, she replied and Kim Bum stayed silence, didn’t know how to react on this matter. Yoo Na breathed deeply and she looked up to him, smiling warmly.

“So how about you??? Have anything in mind???”, it was her turned to peek on his recent life matter so Kim Bum stretched and winked at her.

“Life is never better than this because I finally found someone to share my life with…”, he answered and Yoo Na frowned at him.

“You got married???”

“Nope…not yet but yeah…I already found a right girl for me…”, he concluded as Yoo Na nodded understandingly back. They both locked their gazes to the dark colored sea in front of them. It was vast and calming.

“It’s a kind of relief…finally knew that we both have move on with our life…at least that is enough to make up with the mistake that we have made together long ago…”, Yoo Na suddenly said as she gulped down , trying to resist the bitterness that slowly crept in her heart. Kim Bum was her first love back then in high school. They were together since the first year she entered the school until everything ended when she wanted to move away from the town with her family. It had been 5 years since every single memory about them faded in her mind. But meeting Kim Bum again made her heart to flutter inside. She suddenly feeling unsecured about this.

“We were really in love with each other back then, right???”, Kim Bum shot her with a question that simultaneously playing in her head. She broke into short laugh.

“Yeah…I guess we did…”, she agreed and strange silence wrapped them again. Suddenly her phone rang. Yoo Na pulled her phone from inside her pocket as she stared at the caller ID. It was Luhan. She sighed heavily, feeling the stubbornness that prevented her from answering the phone before she gulped and pushed on the red button. Kim Bum eyed her as she placed the phone back inside the pocket and kept her hand inside with it. He tried to read her blurry expression but he found emptiness instead.

“Who is it???”, he asked.

“Nobody…”, Yoo Na simply replied and Kim Bum nodded shortly. Then their conversation was interrupted with another phone ringing. Yoo Na watched in silence as Kim Bum grabbed his phone from inside his own pocket. He stared at the smiling face of So Eun on the screen before he gulped and carelessly shut the ringtone. He smiled sideway to Yoo Na.

“It is nobody…”, if their own girlfriend and boyfriend had became a total ‘nobodies’ to them, then how about their own impression about each other??? They thought questioningly before Yoo Na broke the silence.

“I think I have to get back to the hotel now…it’s already late and I need to catch the early flight tomorrow…”, she reasoned out as Kim Bum barely nodded to her. They stared toward each other before Yoo Na smiled brightly to him, ignoring the sharpest pain that cut through her heart.

“Nice meeting you again…bye…”, she said her farewell and turned around to leave him. As she took a few steps, ing her feet hard into the sand, her steps were suddenly being stopped when someone hugged her from the back. Yoo Na grasped as she tried to tilt her head to a side, to see the face of that person.

“Don’t look back…just stay like this for a while…”, she heard Kim Bum whispered into her ears and it makes her to gulp bitterly down . She closed her eyes, enjoying the warm that came from his body as she felt he tightened his grip around her.

“I miss you, Yoo Na ah…”, Kim Bum blurted out, finally admitted his long hidden feeling. Yoo Na felt her eyes became wet as the tears blurred her vision. She sobbed silently, holding back her tears.

“Me…me too…I miss you, Kim Bum…”, she agreed and she turned back to face him. They locked their eyes with each other before they laughed and Yoo Na leaned forward to return his hug. They stayed cuddling each other tightly as Kim Bum finally whispered to her.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

“Aigoo, Yoo Bi ah!!! Walk faster, will you??? We will be late!!!”, her friends yelled at her as they ran a few meters in front from her. She tried to reply but she was so tired in panting heavily. Finally they reached the place. The five young girls stopped in front of a cafeteria as Yoo Bi looked up to its board on top of the building. Romantic Diner. This was where her friends had been begging her to accompany them to be here.

“So this is it…we are here…let’s get inside then…”, Yoo Bi said, still panting as she wiped the sweat from her forehead and started to walk nearing the door but her friend pulled her hand, dragging her to stand back beside them.

“What???”, she asked as she frowned at them but one of the girls, wearing a pink shirt that wrapped around her body tightly and a brown mini skirt hastily combed her hair with her fingers before she cleared loudly.

“Remember, you guys are free to flirt with any other boys in this diner…but vitally etch in your mind that the piano prince is mine!!!”, she warned them as she stared sternly around the four faces of her friends. The three nodded determinedly but Yoo Bi rubbed her hair in confusion.

“Who’s the piano prince???”, she asked but the girls ignored her as they walked together, giggling as they entered the café. Yoo Bi shrugged alone before she too entered that place. This diner was fully managed by all the young boys. They looked really young, around their twenties maybe. Yoo Bi thought as she silently eyed around this place. The waiters, the performers and even the chefs from behind the kitchen, all boys. Now she knew why her friends been begging her like a desperate slave to accompany them to come here. They were indeed, good looking flower boys. They took their seats around a small table situated just in front of the small stage that they built for the performers to present their band for the customers. Yoo Bi sighed as she heard her friends started to gossip around about this waiter, that guitarist, this drummer and bla…bla…bla…until everybody in the café clapped their hands in union. Yoo Bi followed their gestures as she looked up to the stage. A boy, wearing a simple strip jacket with his faded dark blue jeans and a pair of sneakers coming up to the stage, he walked over to the piano and sat on its chair.

“That’s it!!! That’s him!!!My charming piano prince!!!”, Yoo Bi glanced sideway to her friend that was giggling cheerfully. She had her eyes fixed on that boy. Yoo Bi smiled but she shook her head in rejection. She thought her friend was too cheerful to see him. But then she crossed her arms together and leaned to watch that boy started his performance. Yoo Bi stared closely to his face as she narrowed her eyes. Maybe her friend was right; he was indeed one good looking guy.

“Good evening, everyone…I hope all of you enjoy hanging around our diner…tonight I want to present all of you with my newly written song…Tears Airport…it is another Chinese song from me…so hope you like it…”, he announced and they once again clapped their hands to welcome his performance. He took a deep breath, shut his eyes for a second before he opened it back and started to place his ten fingers on the board. Soft music slowly filled the air as he pushed on the key, playing smoothly.

“Dragging the suitcases…carrying my backpack…leaving for a far off place again…”, he started singing to the microphone in front of him. People were once again clapping their hands upon hearing his dreamy voice. Yoo Bi enjoyed it too as she moved her head slowly, following its calming rhythm.

“Aigoo!! What should I do??? I don’t understand Chinese…Yoo Bi ah, please translate it for me!!!”, her friend, the ultimate fan of this boy said as she shook Yoo Bi’s arm, begging to her. Yoo Bi chuckled.

“Sorry, chinggu ah…but I’m not in the mood to do that…just listen to him…”, Yoo Bi replied and she winked naughtily at her, teasing her. She stuck her tongue out to Yoo Bi before their friends laughed at them. Yoo Bi can understood Chinese very well because she took that language class at her school. Then they became silent again, watching the boy playing his piano and singing.

“Oh baby don’t leave…don’t leave me to wait alone…oh baby I’m in front of you…love is waiting for you to come by my side…”, he had came to its chorus as Yoo Bi heard her friend cheered again. She looked at her.

“Yes, honey!!! Come here…come to mama!!!”, as thought she understand the lyrics, she held out her hands toward the boy as Yoo Bi laughed funnily.

“Oh baby talking about letting go…don’t want to go on like this again alone…the one not letting go of love is me…want to become your guardian…”, he finished the chorus and the piano started to conquer the song again. Yoo Bi kept her stares at the boy as he continued moving his fingers freely on the board, flying smoothly like a small butterfly. Then she grasped in sudden shock when the pianist suddenly looked up to the audiences and his gazes stopped directly at her. Yoo Bi felt the blood rushed to her face under his deep stares. She looked down on her palms as she finally didn’t know what to respond. Then the boy resumed singing until his song was beautifully reached its end. Everyone clapped their hands once again and the boy stood up to bow politely to the audiences.

“Wow!!! As perfect as I always imagine him to be!!! My piano prince!!!”, her friend cheered again and the boy came down from the stage, walking straight back to a room behind the kitchen. Yoo Bi let go a relief sigh. She seems to be struck, thinking about his stares to her just now. Then she immediately shook her head. That boy was just keeping his eyes contact modestly with the audiences. She thought dully and they started to talk over another thing as the waiter came to pick their orders.

“Ah…it’s boring…doesn’t they have anything else to perform for us???”, another girl in their group suddenly said after half of the hour they sat here. The fan of the so called ‘piano prince’ shook her head.

“I’m not sure…maybe the usual band doesn’t come here to perform anything tonight…”, she replied as she took a quick glance at the back of the kitchen. Yoo Bi was spaced out again. She looked around before her eyes spotted a music machine. She curved a small smile and stood up.

“I’ll perform something for you guys…watch me…”, she muttered as her friends laughed. But they stayed watching in silence as Yoo Bi walked over to the machine and pushed in a few cents to request a song from the machine. As she browsed for a song that managed to attract her attention, someone tapped her on her shoulder. She gazed up.

“You should turn on this button if you want the song to be played…then only it will work…”, Yoo Bi gulped down in hesitation when she realized that it was her friend’s piano prince that was now standing next to her. She rose up again and she forced a fake friendly smile.

“Em…thanks for reminding me about that…”, she slowly replied and fixed her stiff stares on the music list.

“Come on…what song would you like to hear???”, she heard him asked so she hastily pushed on one title and the song was played instantly. She nodded and stood up straight back. The boy laughed.

“Alan Luo, Love Around the Corner…so you know this song??? You understand Chinese???”, he continued to ask, making Yoo Bi to hesitate from walking back to her seat. She rubbed her head in mental rejection before she dared herself to look up at him. Gosh!!! He was indeed very handsome with pure white skin. Then Yoo Bi cursed under her breath. She shouldn’t be thinking of all this right now. She should answer him. Yeah, start talking you bonehead! Yoo Bi scolded herself silently in heart as she smiled.

“Yeah…I learn about the language…so listening to Chinese song actually improved my fluency…”, she said in her most business-like tone and the boy nodded.

“You’re a Chinese???”, shut up! Yoo Bi tried to stop herself from conversing with him but the words just carelessly slipped out from . What should she do??? She might get kill by her friend in any minute. The boy nodded and laughed. She loved the way it be heard in her ears.

“Yeah…I bet everyone can easily tell it…judging from my face…it’s way too different from the Koreans…”, he reasoned out and Yoo Bi nodded with smile, tilting her head to look at her friends. They were now trying hard to calm this piano prince’s ultimate fan as she tried her hard to push their hands away from her. She wanted to get up and rushed toward Yoo Bi. Yoo Bi laughed as she covered with her palm. The boy frowned at her.

“What’s so funny???”, he asked as Yoo Bi shook her head. Then she looked up again to him.

“Why don’t you join me??? I’m sitting with my friends, if you don’t mind…they quiet…admiring your songs…”, Yoo Bi offered her and he agreed at once, making Yoo Bi to feel sudden thumping in her heart. So they walked together to the table and her friends now were all covering the way they sat on the chairs. Yoo Bi just shook her head in confusion.

“Hi…I’m Lay…”, the boy greeted her friends as he took a seat next to Yoo Bi and his secret admirer suddenly stood up to change her seat so that she can settled down next to him. They laughed at the obvious fangirling reaction.

“Hi…I have seen you around quiet a lot…are you working here???”, her friend started the interview part as Lay nodded his head, completely unaware about the lovey dovey situation.

“Yeah…I’m working here…as a singer, as a waiter, as the dish washer…well, I can be anything…”, his answered broke the group into loud laughter. Suddenly he titled his head to a side and saw that Yoo Bi was browsing from her phone, looking for a bride maid dress. Lay raised his eyebrow high at her.

“Are you attending a wedding as a bride maid???”, he asked her suddenly as Yoo Bi looked up to him and smiled.

“Yeah…my sister is getting married soon…”, she answered him cheerfully but her friends shook their heads in disgust.

“Not now, Yoo Bi ah…”, one of her friends said, didn’t want their only chance getting to know this piano prince was ruined by Yoo Bi’s unstoppable wedding story. Instead Yoo Bi rolled her eyes at them as Lay laughed.

“It is fine…speaking about marriage…I have something to ask you girls…from your own point of view…”, Lay started and her friends clapped their hands excitedly, like he was just finishing his political speech.

“Let’s hear it out!”, Yoo Bi’s friend=his fan grinned as she said, staring close to him. Lay frowned, he was hesitated about this.

“Em…I don’t really know how to explain this…but, what do you do when someone that is very important to you…let’s say one of your family members, ask you to marry a person…but you do not love that person and you don’t really know him or her…what will you do??? How do you react to it???”, he asked seriously as he stared sternly to all the girls. But he stopped at Yoo Bi, clearly waiting for her answer.

“If the request come from my own family, I’ll do it…I’ll marry that person…why???”, Yoo Bi simply gave out her opinion that made Lay nodded slowly at her. Then he grinned and shook his head.

“Nothing…just asking by the way…”, he replied, clearly hiding something behind his words. But Yoo Bi chose to drop the matter as she glanced to her wrist watch. It was already late!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Mrs. Wu sat on a chair as her hand busied flipping through the file on her lap. She was looking at one profile after another on the list of most incredibly richest young girls in this Seoul fancy city. She hated it that she needed to choose desperately for her soon-to-be daughter in law. As she stared through the profiles, she got tired and bored. None of the girls suited her requirements. Even though they came from CEO’s daughter, the President’s daughter of mostly established companies in Korea but it still didn’t manage to catch her interest. Mrs. Wu smirked in frustration.

“Aigoo!!! Look who is here!!! It’s Mrs. Wu from Wu Trading Company!!! Welcome, madam!!! Welcome!!!”, suddenly she was startled when a group of middle aged ladies came to surround her around this table. Mrs. Wu put on her fake sarcastic=friendly smile as she took off her sunglass and placed it down on the table.

“Hello, everyone…how do you do???”, she greeted them back as they shook her hand excitedly.

“Well, we don’t notice it that you came here to our news company…if we knew earlier, we could prepare something to welcome you, madam!!! Hahahahaha!!!”, one of the fattest women blurted out loudly as they laughed together. Mrs. Wu curved a plastic smile instead of laughing along with them.
 

“Don’t bother to do all that…I’m here only for a while…”, she answered and closed the file before put it into her handbag, didn’t want them to notice that she was in the middle of searching for the right girl for her son. It would be too twisted and weird since the news about his son getting married had already leaked out through the whole nation.

“Are you seeing our reporter regarding your son’s marriage???”, they asked again and Mrs. Wu nodded lazily.

“Oh, yes! I remembered something…since you want to hold a wedding for him, why don’t you come to this shop??? The wedding planner is the best that I could possibly found so far…I hired her to plan my daughter’s wedding and it turned out to be superb!!!”, another woman explained excitedly as she pulled out a card from inside her bag and placed it on the table in front of Mrs. Wu. She picked it up and read the details on the name card.

“She’s the wedding planner that you’re talking about???”, Mrs. Wu asked, jerking her eyebrow up toward her and that woman nodded with wide smile.

“Oh! And here is her picture…I took it during the wedding…she’s very pretty and charismatic indeed…”, the woman kept on praising her to promote this wedding planner. She once again handed Mrs. Wu a photo and Mrs. Wu eyed the girl from inside it. She chuckled and nodded sarcastically. For a career woman, she looks young and refreshing. Her smile is bright and she has a pair of sparkling eyes that really attracting anyone that stares at her face.

 “Em…Mrs. Wu???”, suddenly a man greeted the group from behind. They turned to the back to see a reporter with his cameraman standing in front of them, smiling politely toward Mrs. Wu. She sighed heavily, collecting the picture and card to keep it inside her bag before she motioned those men to take a seat with her. Spontaneously the other women left them to start their discussion.

“Hello…I’m here to write the special article regarding your son’s marriage…”, the reporter explained as he shook his hand with Mrs. Wu. That wicked woman smiled sweetly at him before she nodded.

“Please write something that beneficial and true for my son…what can I call you by the way???”, Mrs. Wu replied again as the reporter laughed.

“Just call me reporter Soo…here is my cameraman, Mr.Hara…”, he introduced themselves as Mrs. Wu nodded again.

“So what do you wanna know about my son’s marriage???”, she asked, heading straight to the business. The reporter frowned as he leaned forward to place his hands on the table.

“I’m wondering if you can tell us a little about your soon-to-be daughter in law…Kris didn’t leak any information about her when he made his press conference…”, he demanded as Mrs. Wu bit her lips. They came here so early; she didn’t manage to make her choice yet. Since the problem had come to this far, she needed to randomly choose then. So she held up her hand to the man, asking him to wait for her as she zipped off her bag. She was intended to take a picture from inside the file that she looked just now, the one filled with the richest girls’ profile but…her hand grabbed on another thing.

“Here she is…”, she said confidently as she put down the picture on the table. The reporter and his cameraman gathered their heads together to take a better look on that picture. Mrs. Wu didn’t care to do the same so she leaned back to the chair and fanned herself with her hand. The reporter exchanged interesting glances with his cameraman before they nodded in union and looked up again to Mrs. Wu.

“She is very pretty, Mrs. Wu…lucky you…”, praised the reporter and Mrs. Wu forced a fake smile. Whoever that was chosen by her was just a token for his son to escape from his problem with his suddenly pregnant girlfriend. Mrs. Wu felt the anger in her boiled up again when she thought about Sooyoung. The reporter jotted down something in his notebook before he raised his face to stare back Mrs. Wu.

“So what is her name??? Can you tell us??? We want to prepare a little introduction for her…she will be the front page for our news cover tomorrow…”, the reporter said again and Mrs. Wu glanced down lazily toward the picture, wanted to make sure which girl she had chose. But then her eyes widened. She chose the wrong girl!!! The reporter and his cameraman exchanged weird looks between them before reporter Soo cleared his throat loudly.

“Em…ehem…Mrs. Wu, are you okay???”, he asked, concern as they stared at now lost for words face of Mrs. Wu. She blinked her eyes for a while at the picture of the beautiful face of that…not a CEO’s daughter either a President’s daughter but just an ordinary wedding planner! She sighed after reality hid her hard on her face. Mrs. Wu felt a sudden heavy headache slowly blown up inside her mind. She gulped.

“Wait…wait for a while…”, she mumbled as her hands were once again rumbling inside her bag, looking for the name card that she got just now. Then she saw it and instantly picked it up. She read her name before let out a long sigh. Then she gazed back to the reporter.

“Her name is Kim So Eun…”, she told him, muttered out her name to the reporter. He nodded understandingly as he jotted down her name.

"I was supposed to be his wedding planners, not his bride!"