Starbucks Coffee
Tom Bradley International Airport
Los Angeles, California

Tiffany tapped her foot while she waited for her coffee. She was palpitating.

Weird.
She hasn’t a taken a sip of her espresso yet.
And she doesn’t normally palpitate just by having a cup of coffee.

Yet, she was palpitating.

She can feel it.

The girl is nervous.

Even her hair strands and her eyelashes were anxious that very moment. She tried to think of something else to do; to avert her attention and keep herself from worrying yet she ended up getting a caffeine fix. Funny that it will obviously add up to her shaky and restless being.

Tiffany just arrived in Los Angeles. In a normal situation, if a person arrives home, he/she would have felt safe and happy. But Tiffany’s feeling otherwise. Kwang Jin and his Grandparents arrived with her that day but they haven’t spoken that much with each other that thirteen-hour travel or so.

She and Kwang Jin are getting married.
She told Kwang Jin she’s in love with Choi Seunghyun.
Both things are made clear.

But it’s obviously a done deal. Tiffany can’t run away anymore; she’s in Los Angeles to get married isn’t she?

“Tiffany?” The barista called her name for the third time.

“Oh, sorry.” Tiffany, who spaced out, hurriedly got her coffee. “Thank you.”

“Tiffany.”

Another person called out her name.

A familiar voice.  
A very familiar voice.
 

Oh .

She need not turn back to know who it was.
She knew that voice.

She tightened her grip on her coffee cup. It was warm but she was too nervous, it felt cold.

Tiffany panicked and looked for Kwang Jin and his grandparents. Her heart’s pounding like crazy now; she can hear it. The palpitation level had gone up with that ‘Tiffany’ in a deep baritone voice she just heard.

Then she saw her fiancé scanning a magazine page while his grandma and grandpa were both reading newspapers. They looked preoccupied with whatever they’re reading, with whatever that something that caught their attention. Bottom line, it’s safe to turn back… and smile.

Then she loosened her grip on her cup…

Then the same cup suddenly felt warm...

Then she turned her back...

“Seunghyun…”

Then she smiled.

“Tiffany.” Seunghyun repeated. Apparently, it came with a handsome smile.  

“What are you doing here?” Tiffany whispered and came closer to him.

What a question.
As if she didn’t know the answer.

“Am I not the best man?” He smiled evilly.

You are Seunghyun, as always, baby.

Note: there was something in his smile.
Forget that it was a handsome smile.

A very handsome one.
Again, always.

“Best man, my .” Tiffany shook her head. “Choi Seunghyun!”

“You know why I’m here.” Seunghyun turned serious.

“You got to be serious.” Tiffany told him, “You can’t just stop my wedding just like that.”

“I’m not stopping your wedding.” He replied. “I just need to ask you something, then I’ll go home… I will go…. I’ll go back to Korea.”

“Wh-what?” Tiffany was confused on what Seunghyun was trying to do.

“Who do you want to wake up married to?” He smiled handsomely; that trademark Choi Seunghyun smile.

Then Tiffany smiled, “Do you really need to ask that question?”

Seunghyun nodded.

“There are things that are too obvious that you need don’t need to ask, Choi Seunghyun.” Tiffany’s eyes smiled. “And this is one of those.”

“Who?” He prodded, still smiling handsomely like that.

“Bingu.” Tiffany cutely laughed while she nervously looked at the Lees once more if they caught on to them.

“Answer me…” Seunghyun pouted like a kid. “Are you calling me Bingu or are you answering ‘Bingu’?”

Cute.
Cute, that Choi Seunghyun.

And he still manages to be cute on a time like this.
Whatta man.
And yet he’s seconds away from being caught.
And Tiffany, a week away from getting married to Lee Kwang Jin.

Tiffany just had to make sure once again Kwang Jin and the old Lees aren’t looking before she can come a little closer to Seunghyun before she can speak.

“I love you.” Tiffany tip-toed and gave him a sweet short kiss on the lips. “I love you Seunghyun.”

“Who do you want to wake up married to?” He repeated his question without saying ‘I love you too’ but still smiling again.

“You.” Tiffany replied. “Just you… again.”

Then it was Seunghyun’s turn to initiate a kiss and said, “I just needed to hear that. It's not what you think. I’ll go now. I'm letting you go. Be happy with Kwang Jin Hyung.”

“Choi Seunghyun… what was that?” Tiffany was confused.

But Seunghyun was already on his way out of the coffee shop, waving goodbye with his back turned to his teary-eyed ex-wife. But he was smiling (again).

He was smiling.
He was smiling wide.

Oh dear.

What was that?

Grandma and Grandpa Lees House
Somewhere in Los Angeles
(they were seemingly hiding from someone)

“Grandma…”

“Tabi…” Grandma’s smile faded. She was talking to her neighbor, another halmoni, when a familiar looking young lad came up to her when she was about to tell another story.

Seunghyun saw her flushed expression.
He saw the worried look of the old lady very dear to him.
He felt the tension.

Seunghyun suddenly felt sad himself.

“I knew I would have a hard time finding your place… I couldn’t speak good English, and I couldn’t read it well either, so it’s almost a miracle I made it here.” Seunghyun almost said shyly.

“I-I-I thought you couldn’t come…” Grandma Lee stammered. She suddenly forgot she had someone that she was talking to.

The other Grandma looked pale herself. She must’ve known the story between Kwang Jin, Tiffany and Seunghyun. She excused herself and left.

“I’ve changed my mind, Grandma.” Seunghyun smiled, “For old times’ sake, I think I should come to Tiffany’s wedding. We’re… we’re friends after all. And Hyung, he’s my friend too. And you… you and Grandpa. You are special to me. I shouldn’t be missing this special event, should I?”

Then he smiled.
Grandma had to hold on to a steel bar to keep her balance.

Something’s not right.

Seunghyun is smiling handsomely.

Grandma, that is normal. Seunghyun smiling handsomely; I bet you know that.

“Grandma, what’s wrong?” Seunghyun asked, sensing that Grandma Lee is unusually not her talkative and accommodating self. Although he knew his arrival was not anticipated and definitely an unwanted surprise, he was least expecting, the old woman could’ve hidden her current expression for old times’ sake.

Old times’ sake.

That again.

Oh dear.

“I’m alright, Seunghyun.” Grandma told him, “Would you like to come in?”

And Tabi is Seunghyun now.
Oh dear.

“Yes… Yes Grandma…” Seunghyun excitedly nodded.

When Seunghyun entered the Lees home, he immediately looked for Grandpa. He was told he was napping. He was a Bingu, alright, but it was ten in the morning and he caught a glimpse of the old man trying to sneak in to one of the rooms. That broke his heart even more.

Grandma Lee spoiled him. But he and Grandpa shared secrets too. Man to Man. Seunghyun felt he had a real Grandpa in him too; like he was someone who would always take his side if his parents would not. Now, Grandpa Lee was avoiding him. Running from him; hiding from him. He was clear that he’s just there to attend the wedding.

Why are the Lees acting so weird?
Because he came up to them telling them his feelings for Tiffany?
He was just being honest.

BUT he said he would let go.

“Would you like to have coffee… or….” Grandma’s worried expression hasn’t changed a bit even inside the house.

“It’s not the best time right now, isn’t it?” Seunghyun stood up and smiled. “I’ll just come back later Grandma. You too, take your nap first. I won’t disturb you. You look restless.”

“Seunghyun…” Grandma had nothing to say but his name.

“Oh, I’m coming with someone on their wedding, by the way.” Seunghyun informed him. “It’d be too lonely for a guy my age to be attending such events without a date. I hope you don’t mind. Please tell Kwang Jin-Hyung and Tiffany.”

A date?

You.got.to.be.kidding.me.

A date.

Heol.

“I thought you still love Tiffany?” Brave Grandma had to ask now… or she forever she had to hold her peace.

Seunghyun nodded. “Choi Seunghyun has to move on.”

Awwww.

“Not good at moving on actually; never good at it. But I will try.” He added.

“I’m sorry, Tabi.” Grandma finally looked relieved and went back to being a ‘Grandma’ to him. “You know I know I love you right?”

Seunghyun nodded.

“I’ll go Grandma.” Seunghyun smiled, “Maybe it’s better if I should just see you all at the wedding. You don’t need to worry about me. I won’t create a scene. I won’t mess it up. Except maybe I’ll live up to my role… you know, the best man.”

Grandma laughed.

Of course.

Seunghyun walked up and hugged Grandma. “A real man knows when to let go. You and Grandpa told me that. I can’t be the best man without being real first.”

Then he let go of Grandma and looked into her eyes, “I have let go, Grandma. I have let Tiffany go.”

“Tabi…”

“I have been a threat for a hundred reasons and one, but not this time.” Seunghyun confessed. “But I have let go.”

The best man has spoken, everyone.
He had let go.

“Tell Grandpa, it’s too early to take his nap…” Seunghyun laughed when he was at the door. “And do you really take your naps inside the bathrooms here in America?"

Boom Shakalaka.

Bodega Wine Bar
Santa Monica, California

Lee Kwang Jin was not at peace.

Of course, the enemy just entered his territory.
And this is the United States of America.
Corny, but oh well.

“Bro.” Michael, his best friend, who wears thick glasses, (as thick as his sweaters) stood up and raised his beer, “Let’s go find that .”

“Exactly what do we tell him, Mike?” Justin, another close friend asked. “What the hell are you doing here? When he’s actually part of the wedding entourage… for goodness sake, he’s the best man!”

The gathering of the old friends.
Kwang Jin and his college buddies.
The Nerdy boys.
The Software engineers.
The worried friends of the groom-to-be.

“He shouldn’t attend the wedding…” Kwang Jin said seriously cutting everyone’s individual conversation. “Tiffany still has feelings for him. And he still feels the same.”

“We talk him out of it.” Sean, the chubby friend, suggested.

“Not easy.” Kwang Jin shook his head. “The guy is hard-headed. He does what he wants.”

“We’ll make him not want to attend the wedding, simple.” Sean answered Kwang Jin.

“Okay, why don’t we pick the best looking amongst us and he’s the one who’s going to talk to him?” Su Ho suggested.

It took them awhile…

Really awhile.

“No, it can’t be you, Kwang Jin.” Mike shook his head.

“Sean?” Justin was even unsure.

“Does it really have to be handsome?” Mike asked.

“Well, rumors had it, the ex is handsome.” Su Ho drank his beer and eyed Kwang Jin. “Isn’t he, Kwang Jin-ni?”

“Shut up.” Kwang Jin smirked.

Kwang Jin’s friends started teasing him.

“What does he do?” Mike asked, “I mean, what does he do for a living?”

“He sings and dances… and acts sometimes…” Kwang Jin didn’t have any idea why they came to point wherein he has to brief his friends of Seunghyun’s career, but well, he’s doing it now.

“Ooooh.” His friends chorused.

“He made Tiffany cry. He hurt her so many times…” Kwang Jin added, without being asked.

“And you say Tiffany still has feelings for him?” Justin teased.

“Damn you Justin Choi.” Kwang Jin shot at him. “And I hate your surname by the way.”

“Oh, so the last name is Choi.” Mike nodded his head so many times, “And you say his name is Seunghyun. Choi Seunghyun… Oh, Choi Seunghyun… Choi Seunghyun? As in Choi Seunghyun, TOP? BIGBANG T.O.P.?”

Moments of silence.
They waited for those momentous seconds where Lee Kwang Jin nods his head.

Then Kwang Jin nods.
Then all of his friends held their breaths.

“Let’s cancel your bachelor’s party, bro.” Sean said in a soft voice. “Tiffany will run away with him. I swear she will.”

“Damn.” Su Ho’s head dropped, “I lost my chance of seeing the entire Girls’ Generation in pretty bridesmaid dresses in one event. This isn’t pushing thru.”

“I will talk to him.” Mike offered.

Kwang Jin stood up and hugged Mike. “You’re my only true friend here, Bro. You are. When everyone else is saying Tiffany will choose him, you will go and talk to him.”

“Pabo! I will ask for an autograph and a picture for my girlfriend!”

Oh .

“Guys! Seriously.” Kwang Jin slammed his beer. “You aren’t helping me.”

“Man, if Tiffany wanted to get back to TOP, she wouldn’t go this far.” Justin told him, “And if that TOP wanted to get her back, he wouldn’t have talked to your grandparents like that, like what you told us. So chill. Nothing to worry about.”

“You asked him to be your best man, so he flies here to be the best man.” Mike added. “After all these years, you still have some trust issues Lee Kwang Jin. C’mon man, you’re days away from getting married.”

And Mike is not done, “And Tiffany is a smart girl, if he had made her cry, then she would be smart enough not to choose him.”

Kwang Jin sighed.
He can only do that.

Sigh, not trust.

“Call him.” Sean urged.

Kwang Jin surveyed his friends’ eyes. He didn’t get a NO. From a man’s standpoint, he knew he just got to get his phone and press that green phone icon next to Seunghyun’s number.

He’s got to call the enemy.
The enemy who entered his territory.

Then a woman’s voice answered.

“Hello?”

Damn.
Damn and .
Damn… .

It was past midnight.
It was a woman’s voice.
She sounded as if she just woke up from sleep.

She answered after a few rings.

Kwang Jin had to see if he was indeed calling Choi Seunghyun, the enemy.

No mistakes.

It was the enemy.

Then the woman spoke again.

“Tabi… someone’s calling you.” She said, in a more, bedroom-y voice. “Baby, someone’s calling you.”

Bedroom-y.

There’s no such a word.

But that woman.
There is such a person.

Damn.
Damn… again.

Kwang Jin and his friends breathe a sigh of relief.

The territory is still safe after all.

Tiffany’s Home
Diamond Bar
Los Angeles, California

“Tabi is here.” Tiffany sat on her sister’s bed.

“I know.” Michelle smiled.

“You know?” Tiffany’s eyes widened.

“We had dinner with him yesterday.” Michelle had to sit up too to face her worried sister. “What’s with the face, princess?”

“What did he tell you?” Tiffany asked, scared of the answer.

“That we need not worry about him ruining your wedding with Kwang Jin.” Michelle’s voice was sad. “Honestly, I was expecting he’