DEALING WITH THE CHEESY GRINCH
PRINCE YOUNG TAE JUN
I got up immediately at the sound of my alarm. Headed straight for the bathroom as I gazed upon my image in the mirror. I recalled the event from yesterday when she unbuttoned my shirt…it felt kinda good you know, it's the first time I've had a lady do that. You should've seen the look on her face, that nervous look alone is full of satisfaction. I can't wait to make her feel that way again. The flush of her cheeks and the look in her eyes, her smell. Damn! What am I thinking about!
I wore my white Omar Oliver's branded men shirts with a matching pair of black trousers and a pair of black sneakers.
I descended the stairs and fetched for my keys, Gi Tak didn't return home yesterday and only God knows where he spent the night.
"Where are you going to this early morning?"
"Geez you scared me!" I jumped back, it was Hyang and I mean what's he doing in the living room with the lights off?
" Did you sleep here?"
"Oh no….I came down here to complete an assignment of mine that I left on the table last night." He said with a sluggish tone and I nodded.
" Okay…"
" Where are you headed to?"
" To the castle…I've got an appointment with the Queen."
"Oh…I see…say hello to the Queen for me."
"Sure."
I walked out the door and could hear him yawn from where I was. I swiped my card on the door sensor and the lock clicked into place.
I dialed her number a couple of times but no answer and when I received an answer it was another person…I mean Sandra.
"Wake up…he's on the phone." I heard Sandra say.
" Won't this Grinch just leave me alone? Tell him I'm on my way." I heard her voice. She sounded like someone who was already awake and why wasn't she picking up? Did she call me a Grinch? She'll come to meet me here!
"Good morning." She greeted with a bow and I hesitated before replying.
" Get in and let's go." I ordered and she did as she was told.
The atmosphere was awkward. She called me a Grinch…my goodness how dare she. I mean how do I look like a Grinch?
" I guess you love the movie Grinch don't you?" I said breaking the silence and she nodded.
" Yeah a lot, it's one of my favorite and I even find myself around a lot of them too." Her reply was plain.
"Oh I see."
" Okay."
Then the silence was back as we drove on to the Castle where I pulled over at the parking lot and she followed me to the entrance.
" Welcome back your Highness. The Queen informed me about your visit the last time. Did you bring her along?" Ma'am Cheong Jo asked and I smiled.
"Yes please (Hoo Nan steps forward with courtesy) she's the one. Hoo Nan meet Ma'am Cheong Jo and Ma'am please meet Hoo Nan." I introduced them to each other.
"Such a beautiful young lady. I hope my Prince isn't giving you a hard time." Ma'am Cheong Jo said to her.
" Not that much. He is sometimes a headache." That was so uncalled for. I thought she was going to go like "No please…he isn't a bother at all" but then she just blurted that out and Ma'am Cheong Jo chuckled with delight.
" I think I'm starting to like her already." Ma'am Cheong Jo said with delight and I just stood there dumb folded as she led the way with Hoo Nan following behind and they were already getting along.
She is so unbelievable, telling me to my face about how she is surrounded by so many Grinch and she… I just hope she doesn't kill me before my time.
I couldn't go to mother's chambers because she had left for some important business meeting outside the country jusr this dawn leaving Mr. Kim(Hyang's Dad) in charge of everything.
I paced back and forth in the garden waiting for her to go through all her series of tests. I wonder how long it's going to take but then I was told earlier that is wasn't going to be that long. It wouldn't even be up to five hours.
"Chocolate?" I turned and it was Soo Hyung, she was holding in her hand a bar of chocolate.
" Sure…thanks." I said taking the bar of chocolate and unwrapped it.
"I heard you brought in someone for the recommendation test." She asked and I nodded.
" She is one honest young lady." She added and I turned to her totally surprised.
"Why are you saying that."
" I overheard her conversation with Ma'am, you sure are a headache sometimes. Not just sometimes…most of the time." She replied with a thoughtful look as she bit a piece of chocolate and chewed on it.
"Ya!"
"What… I just hope she passes all the tests so I get to know her more. I think we will both get along pretty well."
"Why is everyone siding with her?"
" Well, take it from me, you have to be cool too. Just behave sometimes and you wouldn't get busted after sneaking out at night."
"Yeah about that... Why didn't you call me to inform me that my dad was waiting for me?" I asked and she gulped.
" I called to inform Gi Tak so he could inform you too. I can't be on the look out for both of you." She blurted out and stepped a feet back.
"You know very well that's unfair…now I'm stuck with Yeon Ah for life." I cried and she winced.
" About Yeon Ah__ please pardon me for not adding her title but then. Why did you agree to get engaged to her of all people? There are a lot of Princesses across the country and even outside who are willing to be by your side and not just any Princesses but then humbly, kind and caring ones. But then boom you go for Yeon Ah…the news hit me like thunder when my father informed me."
" I do have my reasons. I'm not engaged because I'm in love, I just did as a responsibility of the crowned Prince." I replied as I sat next to her on the swing.
"I see… Well I just pray you fall in love with another person in the process so you will have a feel of what true love is like."
"From how you say it, how does it feel?"
"You tend to think about them all the time, they are the first to come to mind, you always miss them and make up excuses just to be with them. You tend to smile when you think of them and when they call your name, it gives you this exciting shiver. It's an amazing feeling all together." She explained with such tender voice and warmth in her eyes that I found myself admiring how beautiful she looks when she's caught in her own world.
"Did anyone tell you how beautiful you look when you're lost in your thoughts and in your world?" I asked more to myself.
"Huh?' She asked turning to me but then I shook my head side ways. Thank God she didn't hear me. What was I even thinking?
"About that love, what if you get irritated by the mention of her name, wants to rip her apart for being rude and always wished she gets into trouble…is that also love?"
"Of course not, it's either hate or …I don't know." She replied with a chuckle.
"Oh I see. That's a relief." I said with a smile.
"But…"
"But?"
" That's how some love begins. Others start with hate which turns into unbreakable love. Those kind of love are hard to get rid off and when they tend to fall in love…nothing can come in between them."
I don't know why but those words got me scared for some reasons unknown.
We spent some time together, she kept me company for a very long time. My phone kept buzzing in my pocket only to bring it out and see like twenty messages in just two minutes.
"Hey…where are you."
"Get your butt back here"
"I can't believe I have to work in this farm."
" I hope I fail the tests" I read and scrolled through the last messages and my heart skipped a beat as I read through.
"Tae-Jun-ah…can you please come back. Are you there?" For the first time in her life, she called my name and used the word please in a pleading manner. Well she texted it anyway.
"Soo Hyung-ah, I think we should get going. They are done with the tests " I said to her and she nodded.
"Over here!" Soo Hyung shouted on top of her voice when she saw Hoo Nan from the distance.
"Hi I'm Soo Hyung, nice to finally meet you." Soo Hyung introduced herself as Hoo Nan approached her.
"Ha..Hi… I'm Hoo Nan…Han Hoo Nan, nice to meet you too." She replied stretching for a handshake. This time around she didn't put spit in her palm before shaking hands. Did she do that intentionally the other time?
I went to meet Ma'am Cheong Jo and excused Hoo Nan and her newly found friend.
"So how was she?" I asked and Ma'am smiled.
" She's got charms son, she's one handful. She's smart and I just love her honesty. I've taken a lot of women through this test but then she's an exception. You shouldn't give her a hard time."
"Does it mean she passed the test?"
"The Queen would have to confirm and her decision will be final, for now from my prospective, she's going to come out with flying colors."
"That's a relief, we will be on our way then."
"Okay son. Take care."
I said goodbye to Soo Hyung and dragged Hoo Nan along with me, sat her in the car and drove off.
"Thanks for the ride. I hope I fail all the tests." She said as she got out of the car and slammed the door so hard that it drew the attention of the other students.
"I think you shouldn't be seen with me often, they might think we have something going on between us." She said with a low tone.
"Don't worry about that, even when the media asks me I'll let them know that you're just a maid/personal assistant of mine." I replied.
" Oh I see…bye."
"About the test…don't think you gonna fail cause I'll do everything in my power to get you as my maid." I said with a smirk and she groaned at me.
" I hate you!!" I heard her scream as she walked out on me.
It's so fun getting on her nerves.
HAN HOO NAN
I was shocked and shivering after receiving the call, I can't believe I passed the test I was so eager to fail. This is so unfair, very unfair. I walked to the bedroom and fell on the bed, Ga In and Sandra are both out and I was the only one left. I kicked my legs in the air with anger. Why me God, why me?
I stood up, paced from one end of the room to the other, chewing on my thumb nail, I was filled with anger.
I can't stand a day next to him, he's so authoritative and so annoying, always ordering people around, making me go through hell. He's selfish, mean, arrogant and irritating.
He sounded so happy when he broke the news to me, I can't believe I made him have his way and I'll have to spend a hundred days by his side. He better pray I don't be the cause of his premature death because someone should better hold me.
"Meet me in front of your dormitory in five minutes." I read his text and sighed, patience Hoo Nan, patience.
I got dressed, wore my blue jeans trousers with a cream flowered designed blouse. I wore my black sandals and headed for the door when I realized I had forgotten my cell phone. I walked back into the bedroom and fetched my phone from the dressing table, I wrote a short note and left it on the table for Ga In and Sandra before heading out.
He tossed his car key at me and I caught it because of my dumbass reflexes.
"You will be driving today." He said walking to the passenger side at the back.
" Why?"
"Aren't you my personal assistant? Do you really need to ask that question?"
" Yeah rub it in my face, go ahead and rub it in it." I said to myself as I opened the driver's side and sat down.
I started the engine of the car, reversed then turned a little to my right trying to turn around towards the direction of the main gate.
"If I may ask…where are we going to?" I asked but I didn't hear him reply.
" Do you expect me to just drive without knowing where we are headed?" I asked but still no response.
"Ya!! Can't you hear me?" I screamed at him when I realized he had a headphone on and wasn't even paying attention.
"For crying out loud, why would you let me waste my precious time by letting me drive you without a destination… I'm talking to you." I said trying to take off his headset.
Before I realized the car went running into a nearby pole. That was when I realized I had left the steering wheel unattended and the car was on it's on. The airbag came up as we crashed and I hit my head on it.
Oh my God what have I done? My eyes grew wider as I stared at cheesy Grinch and he stared at me back. I'm just hoping no part of the car was damaged.
" Do you plan on Killing me? Just look at what you've done!!" He yelled at me and went out of the car and I followed suite.
" Now see what you've done due to your carelessness!" He yelled again.
" Do you know how much this car costs?!"
"Ya! This is all your fault in the first place, only if you had answered me when I asked you where we were headed. We wouldn't have found ourselves in this situation right now!" I yelled back at him.
"Oh so now it's my fault that you drove carelessly!"
"I didn't drive carelessly, you were ignoring my questions when I asked you because you your stupid headset of yours and wouldn't even answer me. So don't stand here and blame me for what happened! You think you can just use me anyhow uh? I have a life of my own and instead of you asking if I'm alright…all you care about is your stupid car! You know what? I've had enough!!" I yelled at him and he was dumbfounded as he stared at me with disbelieve and I breathed heavily. It was later that I realized my right arm was bleeding, I had a glass stuck in the flesh of my lower fore arm.