Seung Hyun saw a four leaf clover beside his hand and slowly grabbed it between his fingers. He smiled at his little treasure remembering his foolish childhood. He had heard somewhere that if you find a four leaf clover you have to wish something and then eat it. One day he found a lot and gathering them in front of himself sat in his corner for an hour, wishing and eating clovers.

In the end he became sick and threw up the next day, all day. He had never felt so much pain before and he swore he'd never eat clovers again.

”In the fairy tales they always get three wishes but I have only one” he whispered, his eyes slowly shifting at Dara. ”To be with you, alive” then he chuckled. ”I guess that was two already.

If I have to choose one then...” he looked at the sky. ”To be with her." He sighed longingly. "Alive or dead.”

Would anyone hear his silent whisper? A fairy, a spirit, an angel, anyone? As the wind took his whisper and carried it away, it disappeared into nothing.

Seung Hyun guessed he had spent more than enough time with her. More than he could ever wish for. Once more he ruffled Dara's hair and smiled at her ever so gently. It had been months since he had smiled like that last time and probably he never will again.

”Fairy, your fool is running out of time.”

In fairy tales the heroes have to go through quite a journey.
It's full of danger and suffering.
But in the end they are always rewarded.
Always.


Right?



The warm comforter was heartlessly ripped off my body and my eyes fluttered open. There was this cold aura in the room, no wonder, angry Jiyong stood beside the bed, glowering at me like the devil himself.

My sixth sense told me to escape as far as possible but I was too lazy to listen to it and just my side, my hand pulling the comforter back to my chin.

”Get up!” he ordered furiously.

”Why are you so angry so early in the morning?” I asked, while rubbing my eyes, faking an innocent act.

”You are asking me why?” he yelled. ”What happened to my house while I was away?”

”Well, it was you who refused to take me home yesterday...”

”Do you know how expensive that painting was?”

”Blame Seung Hyun.”

”He has spent here months without breaking anything but you spend here one day and turn the whole place over!”

”I'm hungry.”

”Ya, I'm scolding you!”

”Whatever” I mumbled as I climbed off the bed.

”You! This is not over yet.”

”You should take a cold shover and calm down.”

”And you should lose some weight!”

”That was not necessary” I glared at Jiyong. ”Maybe you should get a plastic surgery done on that duck to make it look more human?”

He grabbed a pillow, his eyes glistening with murderous glare. I knew that was the cue for me to leave and quick. I managed to slip out from the room just in the time, the pillow hit the closed door with a thud. I wiped my forehead and breathed out in relief.

Dara 1, Jiyong 0. Hehe. With a smile on my face I made my way to the kitchen but there my good mood vanished into thin air when I saw Seung Hyun sitting at the table, a black Toshiba laptop in front of himself. When I get rid of one idiot the next is already in front of me. Life is full of challenges indeed.

”Good morning” I said dully.

”I have been waiting for you” His eyes darted at me and he smiled wryly. ”There is something I want to tell you.”

”What might it be?”

”I thought about it and decided to tell you everything.”

”No thanks” I declined promptly. What's the point? He'd lie anyway.

His smile transformed into a frown. ”What?” Did he expect me to scream oh my God and then squeal in delight, telling him how amazing he was? Then maybe faint in his strong arms. If he needed a man ego boost then he should go ask one of his who.res. I thought he knew this.

”I just don't want to hear.”

I swear he looked disappointed and confused. ”But why?” he asked, sounding like a little boy.

”I thought about it and decided it's better if I don't know” I lied successfully.

”Well, that's a good decision.” He slammed his laptop shut and picked it up, sulking adorably.

”A good decision indeed” he mumbled while walking away. I drank my water my eyes following his back. You have no idea what I have up my sleeve, buddy.

That afternoon I spent sitting in the kitchen and waiting for Jiyong to get ready to take me home.

As expected he just kept walking around, checking the damage and nagging like a bit.chy wife who was in need of . I closed his voice out from my head and totally ignored him, which probably made him even angrier because he started yelling even louder.

The door to the piano room was slightly open and beautiful melody kept seeping out. It was sad but at the same time comforting. I closed my eyes and smiled, letting that beautiful song caress my senses.

If angels could fall in love this is how their confessions would be, pure raw emotion. I slightly opened my eyes and saw Seung Hyun's side profile in the distance, he was so good at playing the piano. There he sat, his eyes closed and that gentle smile lingering on his lips. If this was the last time we ever met this is how I would like to remember him.

I don't know if he saw me when he turned to look at the door but I got this feeling our eyes met. His smile didn't fade away, it widened and he winked. Like the Seung Hyun I fell in love with.

Stay that way forever. Please. But I guess, I am really late with that request.

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Stress was eating me and I couldn't relax, all I could do was walk back and forth in my tiny apartment and sigh.

That's it! With just a few long strides I was in front of my bookshelf, my eyes searching for the photo albums. Quickly my hand reached to grab the one in the middle, our high school life captured on hundreds of colorful photos. Thank you dad.

For a while, nostalgia took over me. Nowadays you rarely get to look at real photos, it's all on the computer, there are too many photos and in the end all of them become meaningless. You keep snapping one after another randomly because you don't have to worry about the film running out. You take so many useless ones. But in this album, this precious photo album, was hidden the secret of my life. Thank you film camera. Thank you 90's. Thank you.

My foot kept nervously tap the floor as I turned pages. There was at least one clue and I was going to finally catch it. Too excited and nervous I didn't bear to sit down and stayed on my feet, my hand growing tired and numb from the weight of the photo album. Then I saw it, the beginning of it all.

As I another page, that's when Jiyong's lips became thin. On the picture, he stood next to me smiling a little awkwardly, his hands tucked safely in the pockets of his pants. We were both dressed in our casual clothes, me in a dress and him in sporty wear. Our house served as the background.

If I remember correctly it was the beginning of the summer and we were about to leave to the countryside. Dad always took this kind of picture since we started school, to see how we grew each year.

Back then I thought he was being silly but now I silently thanked him with tears of joy in my eyes. Starting from this picture, from that point in my life, Jiyong was already gone.

But this guy... I stared at the familiar face. This other guy totally looks like him, the same height, the same body build, same face, even voice. Exact copy of him.

Even now, their bodies are similar, Seung Hyun is thinner now and a little bit taller but that's all. If they had same faces no one would be able to tell them apart. Sometimes they have totally same facial expressions too.

Maybe the only different thing in them is their hair color and of course, their lips. Eyes too but because Seung Hyun's eyes are not his. Their voices changed as they grew up but back then, they were like twins, impossible to tell apart. Why? Why did they change places?

The truth was right in front of my eyes but I needed one last confirmation and it couldn't possibly wait until tomorrow. I was too impatient and truthfully speaking, I had been waiting for too log now. It was about time to find out what in the world was going on with these guys.

Without another thought I grabbed my jacket and after slipping my feet into my converses made my way to the Seoul Hospital N, hoping the answers would be waiting for me there.

When I arrived to the reception I knew exactly what to say. I told them my brother was really sick but was placed in different hospital because of certain circumstances. I needed his old hospital records for the insurance company. They asked me to wait for a minute and then asked for my ID because the files were protected and restricted from anyone but relatives.

I gave them my ID and after confirming I was Sandara Park I was asked to wait for a while. My hands were trembling in anticipation and my heart beat hard against my rib cage. I waited what seemed for an eternity before a brown envelope was handed to me. Would it be this easy to get all the answers I was dying to get? This easy? A creepy smile spread on my lips when I asked myself why didn't I do this earlier?

Any normal person would stuff the envelope in their bag and leave somewhere private to explore the secret information, afraid to get caught for their criBoml deeds right on the spot. But I couldn't wait. Who knows what would happen to me once I stepped out from the hospital? You can never be sure, that's what I have learned from hanging around Seung Hyun.

So I sat in the waiting room and took a deep breathe, almost afraid to see what was inside the envelope. For a second I contemplated whether it would be better to just throw it away and forget about everything. Do I really want to know? I do.

I peeked in the envelope and then, holding my breathe I stuck my hand in, taking out the papers. Painful knots formed in my stomach and I felt pressure pinch my muscles. Probably I have never been this tense before. Here we go then, all or nothing.

The first paper was a report of an emergency situation. The patient was brought in at 02:15 AM, he was not breathing and wounded in several spots. Broken leg, sprained wrist, loss of blood, 7 broken ribs, severe skin damage and 5 missing teeth. I gulped, shivering by the thought of his bloody body being wheeled in the emergency room. How did he even survive alive?

The next paper was about a heart transplant, the donor's name was Eun Tae Hoo. Eun? Eun Bom? I wondered if they were related in any way. But then again, Eun is a very popular last name in Korea.

Then an eye transplant, again Eun Tae Hoo. I noticed this happened on the same day.

Probably Jiyong had been lucky that someone like Eun Tae Hoo happened to die on the same day when he got deadly injured. Or was it even a coincidence? My eyes searched for the signature of approval or the payer of this all.

Kwon Se Ra. If I am not mistaken, that is Bom's mother. They have different last names but probably Bom has her father's. That's kind of strange. Well, going on, the next document.

My whole body froze as my heart stiffened in my chest. This was one of those moments when your world stops spinning and you forget how to breathe, you just stare blankly in front of yourself feeling like your brain is about to break. I had to read that line over and over again to finally understand it completely.

Plastic surgery.

The papers fell from my hands and scattered on the floor. I knew this was coming but I still wasn't prepared to face the truth. I don't know how long ago this thought started to harass me but I have been trying to push it away so hard. I didn't want things to turn out this way. This is the answer I dreaded like hell.

So that's why Seung Hyun's face is so perfect, so unnaturally perfect. So that's why he knows me so well. Because he freaking is Jiyong.

”Miss, are you all right?” I heard a distant voice asking me.

When I looked up I saw a worried nurse in front of myself but when she spoke I could barely hear, not to mention about answering her anything. I couldn't even open my mouth, heck, I couldn't move.

My vision became blurry and I couldn't control my trembling body anymore. I broke into tears, bitter salty tears. Flashbacks and memories started randomly flashing in my mind like a badly edited film and I thought I was dying. Because he freaking left me. He left me. And I never realized I was playing along his outrageous plans, like a stupid idiot, like a fool. I just got degraded from being a fairy, how fcking rewarding.

I shook my head, a sudden nauseousness hitting me and I wanted to throw up. I was not supposed to be shocked like this, I thought I was prepared but I guess it is impossible to be prepared for something like this.

”Do you want to take a rest?” I nodded while tears streamed down my cheeks.

Biting my lower lip I tried to control them but to avail. The nurse helped me stand up and walked me to one of the rooms where I could lie on a bed. I hated to be this helpless and pathetic. She asked if I wanted to contact any of my relatives and I begged to not contact anyone.

The message seemed to go through, she nodded and left to get the documents I had left behind, soon she returned and placed them on a tiny table next to my bed with a glass of water on top.

I buried my face in the pillow and weakly pulled the comforter over my body. Will this crying ever end? I wasn't even hurt, rather I felt empty and numb like I was unable to feel anything at all. Who would have known our lives would take such a turn?

I suddenly found myself missing my parents, I wish they could be here to explain everything, to pat my head and hush me. I swear, I have never felt so alone before. So Damn alone. And then Daesung's words crossed my mind making me feel a little better. I closed my eyes, trying to control my breathing so the tears would stop too.

”Everything will be all right nuna, for sure.”
 

Sometimes when you wake up you feel like you just closed your eyes a minute ago even though you have been sleeping for hours. You feel like you haven't rested at all. That's the feeling I got when I woke up, probably it was the next day already. Headache welcomed me as soon as I sat up and my body was so weak I had to lean my back against the backboard to keep myself in a sitting position.

I needed to snap from my weakened state and fast. Without another thought I pressed the call button and soon the same nurse who had helped me came in the room, a bright smile on her lips. She somehow reminded me of Daesung, probably because her eyes were so big and warm, it made her look very kind and she was cute.

I asked her if it was possible to order some food in the room, she said no but I over talked her into bringing me some chicken, hamburgers and donuts, giving her some extra cash to get something for herself too.

When she brought the food I already felt better from the sight of those take out boxes, not to mention that delicious smell which made my mouth water. I asked her to stay and eat with me and we ended up sitting on my bed with our legs crossed in front of us, stuffing our faces and watching some afternoon variety show. Damn, my life has become random lately.

When someone is going to ask me, what did you do that year that month I am going to say I was eating Mc Donalds in Seoul hospital N, the best and the most expensive hospital around, where all the celebrities and famous rich people do their check ups, plastic surgeries and therapy sessions.

The nurse told me I didn't need to pay because I never checked in and no one would ever find out I stayed over, she'd change the blankets after I leave. The room where I slept was out of use anyway, they were planning to make it into a storage room. I would say I was freaking lucky but then thinking about the reason why I ended up there just nullifies all the luckiness of the whole situation.

When the nurse asked what was wrong with me I came up with the most beautiful and breathtaking lies about my grandpa, his glorious deeds, deadly sickness and his courageous fight against it.

My tangled up family situation in which my little brother got involved with the gangs and now the police is after my grandma because he framed her for a murder. My grandpa is dying but he can't even meet my grandma whom he loves so dearly. My dad who is a truck driver had been stuck at the Russian and Chinese borders for one year already and wasn't allowed to even visit home on Christmas and my mom was struggling with seven kids. I said I felt like the Snow White.

It was stupid to lie but then again if I tried to explain what was really happening I was sure I wouldn't be able to do it properly when I was still in my confused state. And chatting with this adorable nurse took my thoughts away from the whole fiasco, maybe she was a little dumb too for believing everything I said. Or then she just thought I was crazy and decided to act polite. Whatever.

Those beautiful melodies of her girly laughter and the way her eyes turned into half moon shapes when she smiled, her dimples, her long eyelashes, bangs and fluffy bob. She was the epitome of adorable and I wanted to have her in my pocket, like a Pokemon. (I told you Pokemons are the best therapy.) Seizing the opportunity I asked for her number and told her we could hang out sometimes, she seemed to like the idea. When I have a chance I am so introducing her to Daesung.


In the end we had to part because she had a lot of work to do but she rest assured she'd meet me again, saying I could contact her any time. I told her the same. She had been very delighted to hear about my passion for books and confessed she had a lot of interest in that area too. I'm saying, screw men, should I go after her? Staring the closing door I noticed the light was slowly disappearing. When she left the room became so dark and lonely and my smile slash smirk faded away.

It was time to face the reality again.

Rubbing my forehead I systematically went through yesterdays events but only thinking about it brought the headache back. Shifting my eyes at the brown envelope on the table I let out a sigh, it disgusted me at the moment. So I turned away, lied down and covered myself with the comforter, trying to fall asleep again. I was reminded why my parents always told me not to eat in the bed, CRUMBLES!

Falling asleep, it seemed to be impossible. Behind the throbbing pain in the area of my forehead my brain was working hard, also the crumbles were really annoying. To stop thinking would be impossible. I was too agitated to fall asleep again so I just started thinking back until my memories stumbled over Bom's birthday party, her mother and finally Sil Jang.

"Tsh, I get different feeling. Besides, it's your fault my son died, you..." the man bit his lips together in anger.

"I never agreed to this. I am warning you. My patience is slowly fading away."

I lifted the comforter from my face and turned to lie on my back, my eyes searching something to stop upon. I found a dark spot on the roof and wondered what it was, then coming back to my previous thoughts.

Maybe Sil Jang's son was Eun Tae Hoo and if it was that means the Seung Hyun now is an exact copy of Eun Tae Hoo. Where else would they have gotten the face from? Or why would he even do the plastic surgery? Was it his decision or did someone decide for him? I really wonder how twisted and rotten this fairy tale actually was. Again, there is no use to guess. I have to face Seung Hyun.

My heart beat nervously when I dialed his number and I bit my lower lip in anticipation while waiting for him to pick up. When it already seemed like he would never pick up and I was about to cancel the call, he picked up.

”Yes?” He sounded a little surprised.

”Do you have time today?” I went straight to the point.

”Well of course” I heard him smile. ”For you, anytime.”

What's this? I cringed my face. Did he decide to go back to the player mode?

”So, where should we meet?”

”Hotel?”

”Yah!” I shrieked. ”I'm serious, we need to talk.”

”Did you change your mind?”

I cleared my throat. ”Jiyong's birthday is coming up and I need to discuss something with you regarding it.”

”Oh?” Did I catch a note of disappointment in his voice? ”Then, do you want to meet at the club?”

”What time?”

”I'll be there from 7pm onwards.”

”Good, see you then.”

”See you, fairy~” he said, causing me to grit my teeth. Fool, he had no idea what was coming his way. Seung Hyun, you are up to the greatest shock of your life! Or should I say Jiyong? No, it's too confusing to suddenly change their names back. Maybe later, but not yet.

I glanced at the t