CHAPTER 13

SAFE AND SOUND

 

“Mommy, I love you…” – The child touched her face, and smile sweetly

 

They were sitting on a bench in an unknown park… It was autumn, she could clearly tell, because she saw those golden leaves fell down and covered the ground.

 

But she was wondering…

 

“Why does it have fog in the middle of autumn like this? Why is this place so foggy?”

 

She smiled back sweetly and bowed down to kiss him on his forehead.

 

“Mommy loves you,too…”

 

“Mommy…” – The kid called her while he was playing with a swing from afar…

 

“Waeyo?” – She shouted back, smiling brightly

 

“They told me my Mommy is a Princess, is it true?”

 

“Well, you know… I guess they’re right!” – She playfully answered, coming closer to the kid

 

“Can you promise me this, Princess Mommy?”

 

“What promise, boy?”

 

“Please be strong, I will protect you, Princess Mommy…”

 

“…”

 

“Princess Mommy?”

 

“Yes…”

 

“I love you, Princess Mommy…”

 

… And that was in her dream, one day before she came to the hospital to receive the checkup result…

 

 

 

 

…

 

They asked her to come in person, and together with her husband.

 

Was there anything serious that just happened so that they want them to come?

 

She was so nervous, even though Min Ho tried to assure her that, nothing would happen, it was just a regular checkup, but she couldn’t help herself, her heart was so heavy.

 

“It’s ok Ssul, just come in and take the baby checkup first, I’ll wait here, don’t worry, our baby is ok… We’ll talk to Dr. Kim later…” – Min Ho gripped her hands one more time before planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

…

 

But Min Ho didn’t stand there, he came straight away to the doctor’s office.

 

“Please come in…”

 

“Oh, Mr. Choi, I mean, Min Ho ssi… when did you come?” – The doctor lifted up his head, smiling…

 

“Good afternoon, my wife is having a re - checkup now, can we talk first before she comes here? I mean, can I ask you, is there something wrong with our baby or… with her?” – Min Ho asked, his eyes became serious…

 

“Well, frankly to say Min Ho ssi, I’m glad that you’re that sensitive to realize…

 

“…”

 

“Does your wife notice it?”

 

…

 

“Dr. Kim, can you do me a favor? Please don’t tell her about this today. I’ll tell her about it, I’ll tell her… I’ll find a way to tell her, but not today…”

 

…

 

He was driving her home, the weather was still cold, but they can easily realize the spring was its way to come, the sky was brighter and the spring breeze blew freshly, passing by those flowers and trees on the roads…

 

“Wow, how fresh it is… The weather is so good…” – Sulli smiled brightly, to Min Ho, her smile was even brighter than the sun, even more gorgeous than those blossom tulips in the park they were driving by, her hand was in his, tight…

 

But this time, Min Ho wished she didn’t smile this way, no matter how much bright and beautiful it was… It hurt him… Hurt to death…

 

“Oppa…” – She called him, her puppy eyes sparkled

 

“Uhmmm, waeyo, giant baby?” – His eyes were stick to the road

 

“Can we drop by the department store for a while, I want to buy some… eh… Some stuff…” – Sulli suddenly giggled, her cheeks became pinky.

 

 

 

…

 

“Oppa, look at this… This is too cute, right?” – Sulli happily waved at him, a baby hat with a Pororo face on it… She giggled, looked like she was in her own world.

 

Sulli danced over the Baby Wear Store, she picked this thing up then bow down to pick another thing… This pink one, this purple on, this blue one, this yellow one… this Winnie the Pooh one… this Tigger one… This Tom one, this Jerry one…

 

Min Ho just stood still and looked at is wife’s happy and cheerful reaction.

 

A sword stabbed right at his heart whenever he saw her looked at him and smiled brightly with some cute things on her hands. She was like a little girl, lost in her own world of fairy tale… Full of amaze and beauty…

 

“Ssul, can we go home early, we can come back here later…” – He came, tugging her sleeves

 

“Wae, oppa? What do you think? This one is cuter, right? The blue one is much more better for a baby boy, right?” – Sulli innocently asked for Min Ho’s opinion, not realizing the hurting glint in his eyes

 

“How do you know it’s a boy?” – Min Ho gently asked, is wife’s hair

“I saw him in my dream… He has your eyes, those big brown eyes and your nose… this manly nose…” – She answered, pecking her pouting lips on his nose

 

“Can we leave now, Ssul?”

 

“Wae, oppa? Why are your eyes teary?” – Sulli looked up, and was back off by her husband’s face

 

“Nothing, Ssul… Just…”

 

“You’re feeling unwell again, huh oppa? Wanna vomit or something?” – She touched his face, and then gulped down, pouting at her belly – “Baby, I told you, don’t make Daddy suffer that much…”

 

“Can we just go home, Ssul?”

 

“Ok, ok… Sniveling baby and his Daddy… Home…” – She pouted

 

“Baby ah, what should I do? How can I tell Mommy?”

 

 

…

 

“Oppa!” – Sulli rushed in from the entrance way, she happily called for Min Ho who was busily preparing for dinner.

 

“Who? And how is your seminar today? Has your foreign team mate left?” – Min Ho lovingly looked at his wife

 

“Seo Hyun unnie. Good. He’d already left, I and Vic unnie saw him off at the airport this afternoon.”

 

“Mwo?” – Min Ho asked again, rasing his eyes brows

 

“Heeeeee, you asked me 3 questions and I answered them one by one…” – She laughed

 

“Alright, alright… So what?”

 

“I met Seo Hyun unnie…” – She excitedly said and waited for Min Ho’s reaction

 

“Seo Hyun?”

 

“… with her husband, Jung Yong Hwa!” – Sulli happily said, her voice echoed like a cheerful little bird

 

“Her husband? Actually Key told me that he was coming back to Seoul…” – Min Ho said, placing the plate of kimchi fried rice on the table.

 

“You already know that?” – Sulli gasped

 

“Uhm… Key told me, last time when you and her, you guys were both at the hospital, Tae Min decided to contact Yong Hwa and told him everything, I guess that is the reason why you met him at the airport today…” – Min Ho smiled softly, plating a kiss on his wife cheek while he passed by her to get some bows and more plates

 

“Aish, but you didn’t know this, oppa…” – Sulli became very excited

 

“Know what?”

 

“She’s pregnant! Seo Hyun unnie is pregnant!” – She yelled in happily

 

“Seo Hyun? She is pregnant?” – Min Ho’s eyes widened

 

“Last time, when she collapsed and was rushed into the hospital just like me, they acknowledged that she was having baby and she even wasn’t aware of it… But she was too confused because in the US they told her she didn’t have the ability to give birth again after her miscarriage, and she kept it as a secret. She didn’t wanted to confused Yong Hwa oppa, but she didn’t know that one of the doctor who took care of her was Yong Hwa’s best friend from the childhood, that friend contacted him who was actually in US planning for a trip back to Seoul to find her… Yay, you know, it was even before Tae Min oppa called him, and he asked Taem oppa to keep it as a secret, as he didn’t want her to think too much… Such a fairy tale, right, oppa? I’m so much happy hearing that, I and Seo Hyun unnie even cried in front a lot of people… Even though how hard it is for her to be pregnant, God also gives her another chance in those hopeless and desperation… And it truly happened… A miracle…”

 

“It means that she was already pregnant in the US but she didn’t know that?”

 

“Yeah… Cute, right… She told me she spent the last night with him before disappeared without telling him… Yay, how romantic…” – Sulli blushed a little bit, this story reminded her about their first night, too… How they made out, how were the touches… Her cheeks became red…

 

Min Ho smiled and came towards his wife now was shyly gulping down, avoiding his look.

 

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer for a hug.

 

“Are you that happy for her?” – He lingered a kiss on her head.

 

“Ne, really really happy…” – She answered, hiding her face onto his chest.

 

“…”

 

“Oppa, I’m so much happy that we can give birth to the babies in the same years…” – She whispered, still clutching to him.

 

He held her back, tighter… Hearing her those words made his heart stop for a while.

 

“Ssul… What should I do with you?” How can I tell you?”

 

…

 

She was standing by the window, looking up at the starry night sky, the Teddy bear was on her hand.

 

She smiled at herself, thinking about Min Ho, about their baby, she wondered how Min Ho would look like when he truly became a father.

 

“He would be a very caring and loving daddy, wouldn’t he?” – She whispered to the bear

 

“What are you doing, baby?” – A hug came to wrap her from behind, it was Min Ho

 

“Talking with Mr. Teddy bear…” – She answered back, resting her head on his chest, enjoying his back hug, his aura…

 

“Ssul…” – He lovingly kissed her hair

 

“Waeyo, father – to – be?”

 

“Remember the Ballroom dance 3 years ago in our University?” – He suddenly asked, holding her hands…

 

“Uhm, what about that?”

 

“You were dancing with a guy, right?”

 

“Nope…”

 

“Huh?”

 

“He’s a Prince with a mask on…” – She said softly

 

“He gave you and apple and a paper, right?”

 

“How can you know that, oppa?” – Sulli turned around to face her husband, surprising and confusion were in her eyes

 

“Do you still remember what he wrote on the paper?”

 

“It was written in English…”

 

“Does it say: “I have tried it… No poison – Uncharming Prince”

 

“You… you are that Prince, you’re him?”

 

“You’re always that smart, Princess…” – He smiled, pecking on her pouting lips

 

“Is it true that it’s you? Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“Because I’m stupid… And I was too close to you, too close, but the coward inside me prevented me from grabbing your hands and ragging you out of that silly party, if I had been more brave, we would have sneaked out and ended up in the garden that I and Onew hyung were prepared for the whole week… that time, I decided to confess, but I was so scared of hurting you and you always avoided me, that’s why, instead of giving you the apple in the garden, I gave it in the party and left without revealing who I was… Stupid, right?” – He said, caressing her face

 

“But, but why did you want to give me the apple, and what does it mean?” – Sulli asked in dazz, her heart flustered upon hearing the truth from Min Ho.

 

“I said “No poison…”,  I don’t want anyone or anything to hurt you, my pure princess, and I’m always be there for you, love you and protect you, that’s what I mean… If there is any poisonous apple is given to you, I’ll never let you bit a piece of it… I’ll protect you…”

 

“I love you, Min Ho oppa…” – She whispered and kissed him sweetly

 

Min Ho kissed her back, but he was stunned after hearing her whispered in between their kiss.

 

“Baby ah, Mommy loves Daddy so much, he loves you, too, you know that, right? You know that he will protect us, right? Daddy is the best, right?”

 

“Ssul…”

 

“Uhm… Oppa…”

 

“I know, if it’s not about the apple, maybe the Prince would never find the way to meet Snow White, he would never fins the way to rescue her from the curse… But can you promise me this, Ssul?”

 

“Promise what?”

 

“If you know that the apple was poisonous from the very beginning, can you please not to eat it? Can you please don’t touch it? Maybe it’s hard to tell, but even the Prince don’t know where you are, and it may take more time to find you, but can you please not to take it if you now that apple is poisonous… Can you please trust your prince and let him find the way? Can you please let him protect you?”

 

“Oppa, what do you mean?” – Sulli was getting confused as she looked at Min Ho who was now gulping down onto her belly

 

“Ssul, can you please listen to me, this time only?”

 

 

 

…

 

“Go away! I told you go away, and don’t touch me!” – Sulli yelled out, she was crying so hard and using all of her force to push Min Ho out of the room.

 

“Ssul, please, please let me in… Please listen to me…” – Min Ho struggled to hold her back, trying to calm her down.

 

“Go away, go away! GO AWAY! DON’T TOUCH ME!” – She didn’t stop yelling and crying at the same time.

 

Finally, she could shrug him out and clocked the door.

 

Min Ho kept on slamming on the door, wanting her to open it for him.

 

“Sulli, please, please listen to me!”

 

“Go away!”

 

“I beg you, Ssul, please let me in!”

 

“Abortion? What do you mean by abortion? How can you speak out this word from your own mouth? Are you a father? Or are you a truly human being?” – She yelled, in between her sobs.

 

Min Ho could feel her pain hearing him saying that word, but they had to choice.

 

 

He had no choice.

 

Choosing between her and their baby, how could he choose? He was a father, saying that he had to choose between his wife and the baby, how could they tell him to choose?

If he held on to her, it meant that he was getting rid of his own baby. But if he let her keep the baby, it mean he might lose both of them, if he let her take risk of her life to hold on the baby, it meant the mother – his Sulli and his own baby might end up lost.

 

He would lose both of them!

 

He was going crazy for this! He knew it.

 

Her sickness… That sickness that she was diagnosed 8 years ago would be back if she was in a condition that could make it grow again. That sickness might harm her blood and brain again, and in this case, she was pregnant. It would make the sickness back.

 

That disease… It once made her temporarily lost her memory…

 

That disease… They… No, he nearly lost her for it…

 

This time…

 

“I don’t want to lose you! I don’t want that sickness take you one more time!” – He shouted, trying so hard to hold the painful tears back. He wanted to be strong for her.

 

“Don’t ever say that oppa! I don’t want to abandon my own baby! You don’t want to lose me, but I don’t want to lose my baby, too!” – She cried, holding her chest…

 

It hurt her.

 

“Leave me alone, oppa… Just leave me alone…”

 

 

 

*Flashback*

 

She was staring at him with her emotionless eyes.

 

“Who is he? Grandma?” – The girl looked at her grandmother with a confusing face

 

“He’s Min Ho, your Min Ho oppa… Can’t you remember him?” – Her grandmother gently her hair, she signaled him to come closer.

 

“I don’t know who he is…” – The girl pouted, shaking her head

 

“Well, sweetheart, you guys were grown up together, and of course you know him, just because…”

 

“Grandma, she’s right… Now she don’t know me, but I will make her know me, again…”

 

…

 

“Now, tell me, who I am?” – The boy kept on stickling her, making her laugh so hard

 

“Min Ho…”

 

“What?”

 

“Min Ho… Min Ho oppa…” – The girl said breathlessly in between her laugh

 

“Good job, good job Princess!” – He stopped and ruffed her hair.

 

She looked at him with her teary eyes…

 

“Why, princess? Why do you cry?” – He sat down, weeping the tears away.

 

“Oppa, thank you…”

 

“It’s ok, princess…  Don’t cry…”

 

“What if I forget you, again? What if I can’t remember you again…?”

 

“Then I’ll start again with you just like this… Then I’ll make you remember me once again… Then I will protect you and hold on to you… Then’ll never get lost of you, princess…”

 

*End of flashback*

 

 

…

 

He knew she wouldn’t sleep the whole night, he knew it, he knew that she would stay awake and crying her heart out.

 

But he didn’t know what to do, she said she wanted to be alone, that’s why he just stood at the door for a while, until he didn’t hear her sobbing anymore and left to the another room.

 

He didn’t sleep, too.

 

He just lying on the bed and starring at the ceiling.

 

It hurt him.

 

This cruel fairy tale.

 

Then he heard the sound of the opened door, he turned around to see Sulli coming in, slowly.

 

She crawled on the bed, ignoring his look and lay down beside him.

 

He didn’t know anything but to hug her tight and kiss her forehead, it hurt him seeing her like this.

 

“Oppa…”

 

“Yes, Ssul?” – He hold her hand which was softly caressing his face.

 

“He told me he would protect me…” – She whispered, her eyes became watery again.

 

“Who?”

 

“Our baby… he said he would protect me… In my dream days ago… our baby came and he said he would protect me, he said he loved me, oppa…”

 

Min Ho felt a sting in his heart.

 

“This time, can you please keep your promise with me? Can you please let me hold on to our baby? Our baby said he would protect me… And I can’t let go of our baby… As you can’t let go of me… Can we fight together this time, the three of us?  Can we hold on together this time? And even if I might lose the memory again, can you keep your promise to bring it back? Can you promise to hold on to me and make me remember again? This time, you have our baby at your side, out baby is with you… Can you please be stronger and fight with me?”

 

…

 

“We’ll make it over again, even if it means I have to start it from the very beginning, again…

 

Even if she might lose her memory again… I would make my wife to fall in love with me, again…

 

I’ll hold on to her and our baby…

 

Story books ending, fairy tales coming true…”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My dear,

I'm back with chapter 13 for you...

 

Fairy tale, it is made by our own effort... So let they make it, let see how that make it...

How I miss to see those tiny beautiful orange notifications at the upleft of the page whenever I log in the page! it says "New story comments" ot "New subcribers"... I love them so much...

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter and come together with me on the road of White Horse...

Thank you <3

From Ceroro with love <3