For Love Or Money: A Hana Yori Dango Fanfic

Chapter 3: And They Called It Puppy Love

Years ago when I got the opportunity to go to Seoul for a family vacation, I enjoyed a summer fling with a Korean girl named Ameera. She was the love of my life then and we spent the whole summer learning about our family businesses and met constantly for trips to popular tourist attractions.
Ameera showed me that I can be caring. She made me see how wonderful it was to be in love. My okasan approved of our short romance but my father didn't. He wanted me to marry the daughter of a judoka, Shigeru Akane. Akane resembles a supermodel: tall, lean and has porcelain white skin. However, she's a snob and hates sharing her possessions with others. Someone I would never dream of dating or ever being intimate with.
When I woke up this morning and went to check my apartment's mailbox, I found a wedding invite.
"You're cordially invited to the union of Ameera Hwang and Stephan Daimler.
On the 23rd day of June in the year of our Lord 2014. Attire: Korean traditional wedding clothes for the entourage. For other guests, cocktail dresses and tuxedoes are strictly requested. For strict compliance. RSVP Stephan - +51 904 56781."
Are you kidding me? Why would I or how could she think of seeing me/her after all these years? Part of me wanted to tear the invitation to shreds but mostly I wanted this chance to bid Ameera and her beau omedetou on
their wedding day.
I was chosen by Ameera as a man of honor. My gosh! She still yearns for me, doesn't she? Why else would she choose me for such an undeserving role? All we had was a summer romance back when we were teenagers in Seoul.
I gave Stephan's number a ring. After a few minutes, he picked up.
"Dubuseyo?", asked Stephan.
"Hello, Mr. Daimler. I'm Soujiro. Your wife's choice as her man of honor. May I ask to speak with her if it isn't a bother?", I went on.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Mr.?"
"Soujiro. Nishikado Soujiro? I got your wedding invite just now by air mail. Wasn't this from you?", I inquired.
Silence permeated the air for about 5 minutes until a female voice came on the line.
"How are you doing, Nishikado-san? I'm sorry but there has been a change in wedding plans. I wasn't able to inform the printers of the invite to change the name of the man of honor.", Ameera said with much despair in her voice.
"Is that so? Then were you planning on informing me at the day itself and not at the moment you noticed the error? I was about to order a hanbok as we speak!", I exclaimed without concealing my disappointment.
"Gomennosai, Soujiro-san. You were my only choice but Stephan found out about my past. OUR PAST. I tried to explain that we were just---", she trailed off.
"JUST WHAT? PUPPY LOVE? Is that what you're telling me now? Darn it, Ameera. You knew it was more than that. You left me out in the cold! We agreed to meet 8pm along Han River but you never showed up. How was I to know you stood me up for a date with your groom-to-be!", I argued.
"Sayonara, my first love. My only love. I'm sorry...."
Rejected again. Dumped. Duped and taken for granted. You're a fool, Soujiro. A huge idiot. You expected too much. What makes you think what that last part she said was ever true? Let her go. You can do better than that.
Can I ever learn to love again or am I doomed to be a beast?
"Who could ever to learn love a beast?"
No one. Not even the girl of my dreams.
FLASHBACK: 1999
Setting: Garosugil, Gangnam
"Asuka, it's time for Soujiro to attend class. Go and wake him!"
I could hear my mom's footsteps as she came rushing to my room, knocking ever so loudly to make sure I'd get up and let her in.
"Soujiro, time for class! Get ready in 20 minutes or I'll have to send your father up. Or should I send Akane?", my mom warned.
"Okasan, there's no need to threaten me. I was up an hour ago. I just decided not to bother with calligraphy class and why should I learn Hangeul anyway? It's not like it would benefit me or our businesses.", I replied. Can't she see I was hard set not to attend any more classes? I wanted to go home to Tokyo or visit Domyouji, Rui and Akira in Hokkaido where they are spending summer vacation. I was the only one who wasn't present as my parents so graciously thought I should start learning the ropes of the family business this early on in life.
"If you don't get ready within the time I alloted, you better be ready for the consequences. Oh, before I forget, you have a limo waiting for you out front. I believe it might be your F4 friends."
Did she just say a limo was waiting out front here in Gangnam? Why, thank you, Domyouji! Thank you for coming to my rescue.
"Soujiro! Where are you, buddy? Time to get up! We missed you so we decided to fly in at the last minute. Hokkaido was boring without you, man."
"Rui! Akira! Aren't I very glad to see you guys. Where's Tsukasa? Isn't he supposed to be with you?", I asked, wondering where the curly-haired brute was hiding.
"He's waiting for us at a Droptop cafe nearby. He said there's someone you definitely have to meet.", offered Rui, who handed me some clothes and a pair of loafers to match. I stood to leave for my bath and left him and Akira to tour the house as I bathed.
30 minutes later after Rui, Akira and I rode the limo Domyouji sent to fetch me, my phone kept ringing. I decided to let it go to voice mail. It was Akane! How the hell she got my number is beyond me. Must be my mother's doing.
"Soujiro-kun! Let's have lunch here near KBS studio. I am done with my photo shoot. I want you to try their bibimbap. It's absolutely marvelous! Please call me at......" I deleted her message and ignored her invitation for a lunch date.
Tsukasa was waiting for us at Droptop with a woman I have never seen before. She sat quietly and looked at me strangely. Yet, something tells me I have met her before.
"Oy, Soujiro! Come sit here with us. This is Ameera. She's the daughter of Mr. Hwang Doojoon, a PD and movie director. Her dad is the one who's directing Shigeru Akane's next big starrer here in Gangnam.", Tsukasa informed me.
So that must be why Akane wanted us to meet for lunch. All because she was going to make a huge announcement regarding her new Korean drama film and guesting at Showbiz Korea.
"Nice to meet you, Ameera. I'm Nishikado Soujiro. How do you do?"
I offered her my hand to shake and she did so without hesitation but she seemed so shy or a bit... weird.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Soujiro. You too, Rui and Akira. Akane and Tsukasa have told me a lot about you. Please enjoy your patbimsoo and refreshments. Akane will be here with my father any moment now."
True enough, Akane arrived with Ameera's father looking like a million bucks. She made sure everyone knew it too.
"There you are, Soujiro-kun! This is Hwang PD and I see you've met Ameera, his daughter. Er-- why are your friends here? Weren't they in Hokkaido?", said Akane who was in awe earlier but looked glum the moment she saw I was with Rui, Akira and Domyouji whom she never got close to and bothered to befriend.
"What are you trying to say? We don't have the liberty to dine here or visit Soujiro? Just what are you trying to say, Akane-chan? Apologize to Soujiro-sshi immediately!", Ameera demanded and when she saw that Akane stood her ground and wouldn't do so, she gave Akane a hard slap on the face.
"That's gonna hurt!", Rui and Akira murmured.
"Damn you, Hwang Ameera! I'll sue you. Damn you to hell. I'm sorry, Hwang PD. Your daughter and her puny little friends get on my nerves." Akane walked out of the cafe; clearly embarrassed by her own doing.
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"You were chosen to be HER man of honor? Ameera Hwang chose YOU? Man, she has eggs to fry!", Domyouji told me during a Skype call we had earlier this week. I could not recover from the shock and disappointment I felt after I called the number provided in the invitation and got an answer I wasn't expecting to hear.
"How would you deal with a woman like her, Tsukasa? I envy you so bad. Makino is way more bearable to be with than her. You remember how she humiliated Akane back then! Both she and Akane are heartless!"
"Maybe you need a vacation. In fact, we all do. It's been a while since we visited Rui in Fukuoka and Gu Jun Pyo called to say Jan Di, Ji Hoo, Ga Eul and Woo Bin have contacted Yi Jeong to check if they could come to his pottery exhibit at an art museum not far from where Rui's resort is located. I say we do this, Soujiro. It might get your mind off Akane and anything else that worries you.", Tsukasa suggested.
I'm tired of being alone so hurry up and get here, sang John Mayer. Please get here and save me from my misery, the woman who shall be Mrs.Nishikado Soujiro.