Uno Prinsesa (CMC Series #1)

Cheese 98

Austin's POV

Being a son who has a lot of responsibility is not easy. I can't even have genuine friends who will not use me because I have money and because of my popularity. I have been elected SSG President since high school, and it was tough to balance my priorities. Jare was the first one to approach me during my first year of high school. He asked me if we were in the same class because I was standing in front of our classroom, and I nodded my head as an answer. Jare introduced me to his twin and other friends, Hare and Asia. The four of us became friends. Of course, at first I thought that they had a hidden agenda, just like the other students who tried to be friends with me because of those reasons, but I was wrong. Their intentions of becoming my friends are genuine, and so I accepted them into my life. Fast forward: when we were in senior high school, my parents said that there was a possibility that I and Asia would become fiancè. I was shocked, yet there was a feeling of happiness. Asia is one of the women who's really genuine in everything that she does; she's a sweet, crazy, yet smart woman that you will fully admire. I admit that falling for her wasn't in my plan; this is not what I decided when I accepted them as my friends. I thought that the feeling of friendship would remain, but no, it grew to the feeling of wanting her and having her always by my side. 
 
I remember when I discovered my feelings for her, when she stood on me. I was accused of cheating during our exam in high school. There is a cheat code that was found under my chair. My reputation as president of the school is at risk, as is my reputation as a running valedictorian at that time. Without my knowledge, Asia made her move together with Hare, Jare, and Paulo. They helped her prove my innocence to those who doubted me; they trusted me; they supported me. After a week of their investigation, they found out that the cheat code belongs to our other classmate, who has a beef with me, and my innocence is proven thanks to them, especially to her. I know that she really had a hard time choosing between me and Hare on whom she will be married. I remember that I told her that she didn't need to push herself on us because she had the freedom to decline this arrangement, but her response affected my feelings for her big time. She smiled at me genuinely and answered, "I have freedom, but I chose this path, and I am determined to take this journey with you guys, with the people who love, support, and believe in me. I trust you, Austin, I trust Hare, and whoever I might choose between you two, I know that I am safe and that my future is in good hands." And starting that day, I promised myself that even if she does not choose me, she will decline and choose different paths away from us. I will support her, I will protect the future that she wants, and I will help her not lose her smile in this world. 
 
I never felt this happy when she chose me to spend her life with. I cried the night of it because of the happiness I could not contain. Of course, I courted her, I gave her everything, I treated her as my princess, and I do not have a plan for letting her go in my life. Months later, it's the day of our wedding. A simple wedding that our parents prepared, our parents and the twins are the only  people at our wedding; they are the only  people who know that me and Asia's are married at that time. Months after we got married, our relationship became stronger. We had a little misunderstanding, but we will not go to sleep if we don't resolve it. We continue our studies, of course, because our goal is to finish our degree so our future kids have a better future. But, before we stepped into the third year of college, me and Asia's got into a misunderstanding, and she got into a plane accident together with Hare. 
 
When I first heard the news from my parents, I did not hesitate to go, but they stopped me, saying, "You can't see her, Son. Her parents ask us a favor to let them take good care of their daughter. They want you to focus on your studies and other responsibilities. I'm sorry, Son." My heart broke into pieces, and my eyes shed tears of sadness and frustration. So I continued my study and hers. I helped her pass the requirements so that she would graduate with us. I secretly visited her at the hospital, but I did not have the intention to show myself in front of her because I respect her parents decisions. In my third year of college, Asia's still not going back here to the Philippines, and my parents told me news that made my heart shatter again. Tito North and Tita Eury transfer Asia to one of the schools in Italy for her to continue her studies there. Of course, that didn't stop me from seeing her, and so I continued seeing her and her smiles from afar, and seeing her happy, I was content. 
 
I promised myself that I would wait for her. Even how many years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds it would take. My wait doesn't become a waste because, after 2 years of waiting for her, she came in front of me, the same Asia whom I love, but she doesn't remember me. 
 
Loving Asia's gave me a reason to also live. Loving her made me believe in the things that I didn't believe in the past. Loving her made me love the things I used to despise. Loving her made me love this world. She made me feel at home.