Chapter 1: I miss you
"The Queen of Korea visited Cheonsa Children Village, one of Seoul's most reputed orphanages, today morning and made a donation of 186,673 won. She also personally met the children of the orphanage and had a friendly discussion with them about their life. She commented that she was delighted to see that the children had huge amount of talent in them in various fields- sports, music, arts and dance and that in them, she sees Korea's future," a reporter of a local English news channel blabbers on a 21-inch color TV. You can see a living room with everything that a typical living room has- TV, dinning table, sofa, couches and framed photographs of near and dear ones on the wall (among them one being of that 'special someone').
A young man of 21 is in the kitchen making ramen topped with eggs. It is his favourite dish and it reminds him of 'her' every time- not only because she is a food maniac but also because it is 'her' who introduced him to it. Actually, there are many things which remind him of 'her' and he can't help but smile stupidly every single time. He carries the bowl of noodles on a tray into the living room and makes himself comfortable on the sofa to enjoy his favorite food. The reporter in the news channel is still talking about the Queen of Korea, his sister, who lately has been attending several interviews and participating in various welfare campaigns, something that a Queen is ought to do as a part of her duties. She is hailed as a heroine by the Korean public. People love her and that is the biggest achievement a ruler can achieve- love of fellowmen. He suddenly feels respect for his sister. Well, its not that he did not respect her before. Of course he did. But now he feels that he had taken the right decision two years back by passing the throne to her. He begins to wonder if he was the King now, would he be able to sit as high in the hearts of the people as his sister. He shrugs at the question and then decides to forget about it. His focus should only be on that one thing for which he has flown all the way here to Paris, leaving 'her', his family and friends. Yes, Lee Shin, the former Crown Prince of Korea passed the throne to his sister, freed himself from all the royal duties he was ought to perform as a Crown Prince, proposed to Chaegyung, the woman he loves and after getting married to her (the second time) in a church in Macau, he left for Paris to study Film Studies, something he was greatly interested in while Chaegyung left for Tokyo to study Fashion Designing to fulfill her almost-given up-dream of becoming a fashion designer. The elders expected them to live like a happily married couple in Korea and Shin's grandmother had this big misconception about Chaegyung being pregnant on the day they got married in Macau because she felt nauseated. The misconception was, however, cleared by the couple by explaining that it was just due to some eating disorder, probably caused by the egg tarts she ate the previous day. The elders least expected them to come up with the decision of going abroad. So, when the couple kept their decision before them, it was a big astonishment to them, especially to the ex-Queen, Shin's mother. After a long chain of negotiations and pleading, the couple was finally permitted to go abroad. Though Shin's mother was still half-hearted regarding the permission, she had no other choice but to agree with her husband and mother-in-law. What disturbed her was the fact that even after getting married, the two would be living in two different countries, separated by a thousand miles. Shin assured his mother that they would reunite in Korea after they achieve their respective goals and settle as husband and wife. He explained her that now that he was free from the position of the Crown Prince, he wanted to make the best use of his freedom. He wanted to do what he wanted to do and live his dreams- that is the biggest lesson Chaegyung taught him. However, now he sometimes reflects on that 'decision' when he misses Chaegyung badly. He asks himself if he and Chaegyung should have lived together in Korea like his mother wanted instead of flying off to two different countries or maybe even if they had to leave Korea, they should have gone together to the same country. At least they could be with each other. He wonders when he will get to see that cheerful face of Chaegyung.
His eyes fall on his cell phone lying on the couch and he picks it up. He starts dialing Chaegyung's number- a reflex action. But in the midway of dialing, he remembers the 'pact' he and Chaegyung made on the day they were supposed to leave for their respective destinations. According to the pact, they would not call each other, not even once, during the time they are abroad. As you can guess, Chaegyung was the one who set up this pact and Shin felt that it was stupid and lame. She told him that that way they could focus on their goals and would not be distracted. Shin accepted the pact, rather was forced to. Now he regrets his action. Frustrated, he dials the number and almost presses the 'Call' button on the keypad of his cell phone, when he pauses, thinks for a moment and presses the 'Cancel' button. He buries his head in his hands and mumbles to himself, "If I call her now, I'll loose to her. I can't let that happen. She will keep on teasing me for that throughout my life." There goes his pride again! "But I am desperate to hear her voice and her laugh. What am I supposed to do?" He feels the same hopelessness he felt when Chaegyung wanted to divorce him and move out of the palace to win back her freedom. Well, that was a story of two years back when their lives were in chaos and almost everything went wrong. He doesn't want to think of that anymore. It is a past but he also can't help missing the love of his life. He longs to see her and feels irritated at the same time. "What was the need to set up such a meaningless pact? Shin Chaegyung, that girl, does she want to emotionally torture me?" He mumbles to himself again.
Just then his phone rings. It is a call from his friend Jang Kyung from Korea. He turns OFF the TV and picks up the phone. Actually, he was expecting the call to be from Chaegyung. Somewhere deep in his heart he knows that Chaegyung will not call, yet at the same time he has this ray of hope that she will.
Jang Kyung: Hey, Lee Shin, the former crown prince!
Shin: Yeah, whatever. What's up?
Jang Kyung: What? You don't even make a damn effort to call your friends and when one of them does, you just ask 'What's up?'
Shin: What else am I supposed to ask then? Oh wait, should I ask how is your girlfriend? (Laughs)
Jang Kyung: Are you making fun of me? You know I am still…I am still…single. And yet you are asking…
Shin: You couldn't get yourself a girlfriend in all these years. What the hell are you doing?
Jang Kyung: Kang Hyun is the perfect girlfriend material for me. But she only sees me as an annoying useless brat. What am I supposed to do?
Shin: Well, you are.
Jang Kyung: What? What did you say?
Shin: Nothing. Aren't you two in the same college?
Jang Kyung: Yeah, we are. Hey, hey, Shin…
Shin: What?
Jang Kyung: Can't you ask your wife, I mean Bingung Mama to help me with this. Kang Hyun is her best friend.
Shin: Shut up. Don't expect anything from me. I am not a match maker. I am not going to do anything to help you get a girlfriend. Learn to solve your own problems.
Jang Kyung: What a useless friend!
Shin: Thank you for the compliment. What else going on?
Jang Kyung: Nothing much. Have to submit this damn first semester project by Saturday. You say.
Shin: Nothing much here either.
Jang Kyung: I know you are missing your wife so just say it out loud, you shy prince (Laughs hard).
Shin: Who is missing whom? (Coughs)
Jang Kyung: The cold prince who didn't show much emotion has become Romeo!
Shin: Okay, okay, fine. I am missing her. So what?
Jang Kyung: Yes, this is it. You should express your feelings well.
Shin: I am going to hang up.
Jang Kyung: Alright, alright. Man, you are still the same. Grow up, man.
Shin: Look who is talking. It is you who need to grow up.
Jang Kyung: Sorry, that dialogue has become a bit old fashioned. Oh, Shin, I gotta go now. Class is about to start.
Shin: This is surprising. Since when did you become so sincere?
Jang Kyung: Well, you see, to impress Kang Hyun I have to do this.
Shin: (Laughs) I see. Good luck.
Shin disconnects the call. That was some conversation he had with one of his buddies. He now feels a bit relaxed and optimistic. He feels thankful to Jang Kyung for calling him and making him feel good, otherwise he would probably have been immersed in the thoughts of Chaegyung which would make him want to see her and talk to her which is impossible as of now and that would further lead him to feel miserable and helpless. From the sofa he shifts to the bed in the bedroom and begins his work on his laptop with Alfred, his lovable teddy bear by his side.
