So Min looked at herself on the mirror in her room. She wore a sleeveless red dress with an A-line skirt that reached one-inch below her knees. She paired it with a black stiletto with her silver watch, diamond drop earrings…and her engagement ring. She applied light make up and brushed her long hair and leave it untied at her back. She sprayed some vanilla scent perfume before she went downstairs and saw Si Hoo…handsome in his evening attire.

“You look beautiful”, Si Hoo commented as he admiringly looked at her.

“Thank you…you look good yourself”, So Min returned the compliment as she put her arm on his and they walked towards Si Hoo’s red Volvo.

So Min entered the passenger seat while Si Hoo went around and enter the driver seat. He started the engine and they drove to their destination.

So Min remained quiet as she watched the sights at the window and her thoughts went back to five years ago…

2007

“So Min, darling you can’t mean that? You can’t leave me here”, Hyun Joong pleadingly said as his eyes misted and tears flowed.

“I’m sorry, Hyun Joong, but I need to do this. This is the fulfillment of my lifelong dream”, So Min reasoned out.

“So Min, how about me? Did you even think about me when you made this decision?” Hyun Joong asked.

“I would be coming back for you, Hyun Joong. After I finished my studies in France…I’ll be back and we’ll get married”, So Min said as she intently looked at Hyun Joong as she cupped his face in her hands.

“Promise me, So Min, I beg of you…promise me”, Hyun Joong pleadingly said.

“I promise…I promise…” So Min said as she kissed Hyun Joong passionately and he kissed her back just as passionate.

She went to France…to Paris…to study…only to find out from her parents the truth…

“You are not going to see him or contact him anymore, So Min”, Mr. Jung said

“Dad, I agreed to study here because I thought that you’ll allow me to continue my relationship with Hyun Joong”, So Min said as she lifted her face and looked at her father.

“So Min, are you crazy?! Why would you waste your time in a relationship with a man like that Hyun Joong who lives in a creaking apartment with his sickly mother? Why waste your time with the person who could only go to college because of a scholarship? You’re an heiress and instead of marrying that poor man…you need to marry someone as rich as our family!” Mr. Jung angrily said.

“Dad, I love him! I love him so much!” So Min said as tears flowed from her eyes.

“Love doesn’t really exist, So Min! I married your mother because of a contract signed by our parents but later we learned to care for each other after we had you but still it isn’t love because love existed only in fiction!” Mr. Jung replied bitterly.

“Mom, please, say something…” So Min pleaded for her mother to intervene for her with her father.

“So Min, just follow your dad….I’m sorry”, Mrs. Jung said as she went out of the room followed by Mr. Jung.

So Min was left alone in her room crying bitterly…she wanted to escape but her parents assigned guards for her to monitor her movement inside and outside the university and the house. Later, after she entered school she dreamt of being the best so when she already graduated she would go back to Hyun Joong and they would escape. That motivation gave her the strength to finish her course…but when she went back…

“Hyun Joong already left after you went to Paris, So Min. He went to see your parents a week after you left to ask about you but your parents had him thrown out of your gates. A month later, his mother died of complications at the hospital because they did not have enough money to continue the medication”, Min Ho, Hyun Joong’s classmate said.

“Do you know where he went, Min Ho?” So Min asked.

“I heard that he received a scholarship to continue his studies in the US. I haven’t heard from him since then”, Min Ho replied.

“Thank you…I’d be going then”, So Min said as she walked towards her car. She entered the driver seat and cried…shouted…she wanted to go to her parents and blame them but she realized that she was more than blaming herself…if she did not leave…if she did not follow her dreams of becoming a designer…if only….so many ifs but still ifs did not gave her the relief from the pain in her heart.

Three months later, her parents arranged her betrothal to Park Si Hoo. The first time they met she felt cold to him until…

“I know that you don’t want me, So Min”, Si Hoo started.

“I’m sorry, Si Hoo, it’s that…” So Min could not continue for fear of offending Si Hoo.

“It’s okay…you can tell me anything. We may not love each other as couples should but we can at least be friends. I won’t take advantage of you or tell you not to think of him at all”, Si Hoo said.

“Why? You know about Hyun Joong so why aren’t you telling me to love you instead?” So Min asked curiously.

Si Hoo just smiled at her and said, “because I know you won’t ask me to stop thinking about her too”.

“Who?” So Min asked.

“Moon Chae Won, my ex-girlfriend, who like your Hyun Joong my parents drove away because she was poor. I love her so much and if only I know where to find her…I’ll leave my parents and my fortune and elope with her to a faraway place”, Si Hoo replied.

“Same with me…same with me…if only I could see Hyun Joong again”, So Min said as for the first time after she lost Hyun Joong she smiled.

“Friends?” Si Hoo offered his hand.

“Friends”, So Min said as she shook his hand. It started the friendship she had with Si Hoo and even after those years it remained a platonic relationship for them.

“So Min, we’re already here”, Si Hoo interrupted her thoughts.

“Yeah…let’s go”, So Min replied.

They went out of the car and walked to the entrance of the restaurant.

“We have a reservation here…it’s from my friend Kim Soo Hyun”, Si Hoo said.

“Yes, sir, please come this way”, the usherette said as they were led to a private room.

“Would you like to order now, sir?” the usherette asked.

“No, not yet, we’ll wait for our company before we order something”, Si Hoo said.

The usherette bowed politely before she went out of the room and closed the door.

______________________________________________________________________________

Chae Won went out of her room of her condominium unit. She was wearing a black halter dress that extended to below her knees. She paired it with black stiletto sandals. She applied light make up to her beautiful face and ponytailed her long wavy hair. She had her silver watch, ruby drop earrings and her engagement hair as her accessories.

“Hi”, Hyun Joong greeted her. He was wearing a white shirt topped with black blazer paired with black slacks and loafers.

“Hi, let’s go”, Chae Won said as she blushed seeing Hyun Joong staring at her.

“You look beautiful”, Hyun Joong told her.

“Let’s go, Hyun Joong, we’re already late”, Chae Won said as immediately she went to the door and opened it. She tried to hide her smile and her blushing from Hyun Joong who chuckled softly at her reaction.

They went to the parking lot and they rode Hyun Joong’s sleek silver Porsche and they started on their way. As they travelled…Chae Won silently looked on the road but her thoughts were somewhere else…

2007

“I love you, Chae Won, whatever happens I love you…always remember that”, Si Hoo told her as they were at the park near the public high school where she graduated.

“I love you, too, Si Hoo. Promise me that whatever happens we’ll always be together”, Chae Won said as she smiled and looked intently on Si Hoo’s smiling eyes.

“I promise…I promise…” Si Hoo said as he kissed her and she kissed him back. They embraced each other tightly as though never letting each other go. It was the third year of their relationship and she believed that they would continue for more years to come…

Yet, the promise that they would always be together was not to be…

“What do you mean, madam?” Chae Won asked as she trembled while staring at the eyes of Si Hoo’s mother.

“I said that you need to leave my son”, Mrs. Park said sarcastically.

“W…Why? I can’t understand, madam”, Chae Won asked as she tried to control tears from flowing from her eyes.

“What part don’t you really understand, huh? You’re beautiful and intelligent but you’re poor as a beggar who was raised in an orphanage. You won’t be a good one for my son…since he is an heir to a big construction company. You can’t bring anything at all to him if you marry him so you need to back off”, Mrs. Park acerbically said as she eyed Chae Won as though she was dirt.

“Madam, please, I love your son”, Chae Won asked as finally tears flowed from her eyes and her voice cracked.

“I don’t care how you feel. I’m only giving you two options…leave my son and accept a scholarship abroad in the US or stay here and I’ll make your life a living hell…” Mrs. Park angrily said.

“Madam, please, don’t do this to me”, Chae Won pleaded as she went to her knees in front of Mrs. Park…she did not care if everyone in that café was staring at her out of pity.

“The decision is yours”, Mrs. Park said as she left the café without a backward glance.

Chae Won stared at Mrs. Park’s retreating figure as anger built in her heart…

“Si Hoo, I received a scholarship abroad. I’ll be going there to study interior design”, Chae Won said a week later…she did not tell Si Hoo that Mrs. Park caused her to decide to leave him. Chae Won found out that Mrs. Park was responsible why all her applications for part time jobs were cancelled. She also learned that Mrs. Park convinced some of her rich friends to withdraw support for the orphanage where she came from causing the other younger orphans to face shortage in foods and supplies.

“Chae Won, darling, we agreed that you’d be studying here right…on the same university where I’m studying architecture”, Si Hoo said as he was surprised with what he heard.

“Darling, it’s just temporary…I’ll just study in the US and when I come back I can already face your parents as someone who is accomplished and right for you”, Chae Won said as she tried to stop herself from crying…from revealing the truth to Si Hoo.

“You’re the right one for me and no one else”, Si Hoo declared.

“Please, let me study abroad so I can also make something for myself…to fulfill my dreams”, Chae Won said as she convinced Si Hoo.

“Okay, but promise me that you’ll return and then we’ll get married…” Si Hoo said.

“Yes, I promise…” Chae Won said as she went to Si Hoo’s embrace and finally in his arms she let tears fell silently.

She went to US…to study…until she saw uploaded photos in the internet…

“I thought you love me…you don’t want me to go but I haven’t lasted three months here and you’re already being paired with one rich heiress to another”, Chae Won sarcastically said as tears fell from her eyes in anger.

She cancelled all contacts from Si Hoo and tried her best to be the best in her studies until she was hired to assist in interior designing one of the hotels where she met Hyun Joong who attended a seminar in medicine.

“Chae Won, we’re already here. Let’s go”, Hyun Joong said as it cut the flow of the painful memories of her past.

“Let’s go”, Chae Won said as she went out of the car and she and Hyun Joong went to the entrance of the restaurant where an usherette escorted them to the private room where they were to meet So Min and Si Hoo.

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for subscribing, commenting and reading my story. I made this story because of my unsatiable admiration on the chemistry of HyunMin in Playful Kiss and of WonHoo in The Princess' Man. Again, thank you so much for your support...