"I'm back!!" I yelled as I walked through the front door when I saw my mother walking past me with a simple nod and a light smile on her face. She has been avoiding me this whole time. Did I do something wrong before my time at the hospital?...

"Did you find everything well?" My father walked up to me from the kitchen to get the bags.

"Yes. But..."

"...But?"

"Father, do you know someone named Aeyoung?" My father looked at me wide-eyed and I heard ceramics hit the floor in the kitchen, so I ran there.

"Are you okay, mother?!" I kneeled down next to her and helped her pick up the broken cups.

"Yes... Don't talk to them." She said in a low voice.

"Talk to who?"

"Aeyoung and her family."

"Why? What's wrong with them?"

"Just don't."

I didn't say anything after that. Why didn't they want me to talk to Aeyoung? She was so shy... It's not like she could've done something bad, right? I decided not to think about it for now and helped mother with preparing dinner.





The next few days passed without anything extraordinary happening. It was a beautiful tuesday afternoon and I was taking a walk since my parents gave me a day off from farm work. There was a field of sunflowers at the other end of the village which caught my attention before, so I decided to go there and see who lives there. There was a board in front of the door:

'Hwang Family - Flower Shop - Opened Thursdays to Mondays: 10am to 6pm'

I sighed and was about to leave but when I looked over at the field full with flowers I saw someone in the middle of it that seemed familiar. I checked to see if anyone was around, knowing how people are when workers are disturbed during working hours, and ran over to the person when I saw that the area was completely abandoned. Once I got close to them, I saw them watering the flowers and I walked quietly so that they won't notice me. I moved closer and I poked their shoulder.

"Hello there! Long time no see!" I grinned.

"What are you doing here?!" Aeyoung started to look at her house in panic.

"Is this how you greet someone that saved you?" I pouted.

"I didn't ask you for help. Now please leave." She mumbled while looking at the ground.

"What is going on?!?!" I heard a deep voice yell from the house.

"Quick! Get down!" Aeyoung pushed my shoulders down making me lie on the floor. What the...

"Nothing, father! I just got surprised by some...bugs!! You know how I hate them!" She yelled towards the house.

I peeked at the person standing at the house. It was an older man, very built and with stern look on his face. He glared at his daughter. Fortunately he wasn't able to see me. The flowers around me grew very high.

"Just get back to work!! And be quiet!!" He stomped back inside the house.

"Please leave now." She whispered while pulling me back up after she put down the watering can away.

"But..."

"I'm free tomorrow. We can meet. Just not now."

"...6pm. My place. I live on the farm at the other end of the village."

"I know. I'll be there. Now go!" She turned me around and pushed me away lightly.

Since I was a little intimidated by her father I tried to get out of there as quietly as possible to not get caught by him.

Aeyoung will have a lot of explaining to do tomorrow...





I sighed angrily while trying to bring the animals back to their stables. It's past 6pm and there was no Aeyoung in sight. Go figure she wouldn't come. At least I finally managed to get the last animal in their right place.

"Hello?" I heard a faint female voice calling from outside the stable and when I looked around the corner I saw Aeyoung standing there, looking at me like a deer.

"Come in! I thought you wouldn't come anymore."

"I promised..."

"I'm glad you kept it. Let's go inside the house."

"Are... are you sure? I mean... your parents..."

"Oh, they're still busy with stuff so they're not inside yet. Don't worry."

After making sure everything's good with the stable, we went inside the house and I went to the kitchen to make tea with Aeyoung right behind me.

"So... that was your father yesterday, hm?"

"Yes..."

"He looks very strict."

"He's okay..."

"Who was the man from last week?"

"... My... My brother."

"Wait. So you're saying your brother is hurting you?" I turned around to her looking shocked but Aeyoung looked at the floor.

"Don't tell anyone..." I walked up to her and lifted her head so she'd look at me.

"Does your father hurt you, too?" She just looked at me but suddenly tears built up in her eyes.

"Where is your mother?"

"Dead..."

I sighed and hugged her while she cried her heart out. We just stood there for a couple minutes. I waited for her to calm down a bit.

"I don't want to let you go back home."

"I don't want to go back home."

I held her shoulders, pushing her to a arm-length away from me to look at her tear-stained face.

"I'll help you. I don't know how yet. I don't care how difficult it'll be. But I'll get you out of there." This made her cry again.

After she calmed down, we finished our drinks and talked for a little bit. It was getting dark outside and my parents would be home soon so she had to leave, much to my dislike. She started walking down the front yard but I took hold of her wrist.

"I'm keeping my promises, okay?" She smiled lightly, nodded and continued her way home.

I was waiting until she was out of sight, then went back inside to get some sleep. I need to be able to think well to help her as soon as possible.

__________

Bonjour~
Okay I said I'd be updating when the story is done but I feel bad for abandoning the story so I decided to update anyways haha
Though it might happen that I'll have to come back and change some things here and there~
(Depending what kind of ideas my weird brain provides me <3)
Anyways, I hope you like this chappy? :D
See you~ *mwah*