Thank you for all of you that give me strengh to overcome the sadness that I've been through.

All living person will die when the time has come. We need to accept the Fate that had been written for us.

A big thanks to you all.

Kamsahamnida and Happy reading.

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“ You are going again dad?”

“ Yes my Shinnie. I need to supervise them from time to time. I’ll be going for only 2 weeks. I’ll buy you gifts okay.”

“ Dad, I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“ You will always be my little girl darling. And I know what thing that can make you happy.”

"Arasseo dad. Be careful okay."

"I will darling. Now smile give me a hug."

I smile and give dad a tight hug before I kissed his cheek. Dad kissed mom before he depart to airport with Uncle Lee. He never let us send him off at airport. Reason? He don't want to trouble us.

It will be two long weeks without dad again. There will be just me and mom. Oppa will only come back during Christmas which is 3 months later. We see Dad's car drove away before we get in.

                                               ***

“Let’s go to school together tomorrow.”

“But I’ll go to school very early tomorrow. It is my turn to check up the students at entrance.”

“ Is it? Kenchana. I’ll go earlier than usual.”

“ Arasseo Oppa. Pick me up at 6.50 then.”

“ Alright princess.”

“ Sleep well Oppa.”

“You too my Shinnie.”

I smile giddily as I put down my phone on the coffee table.

“Wae shin dear? Handsome wants to pick you up tomorrow?”

Mom is sure very sharp.

“Yes mom. Can I go to school with him?”

“Sure. Why not. I think this will happen sooner than now. Jaejoong’s action is very slow. He is really the mirror of your Dad. But fortunately he took only two weeks. Your dad start to pick me up to school  2  month after his love declaration.”

“Mom, you told me that your’s is an arranged married right?How come? ”

“Yes it is. I totally hate your father from the first time we met. He is serious. Only talk when necessary. I am cheerful and bubbly young girl back then.”

“You still had that attitude mom. Not changing a bit. Kekeke”

We both laugh.

“I know that very well dear. So, the thing that always popping in my head back then is how can I be in a relationship with a boring, serious and cold man.  I even had to think to be friend with him, how can I agree to that arrange marriage?”

“ Wow. Is it that serious? What make you change your mind mom?”

“It was a long story dear”

“Please tell me mom. I really want to know.”

“ Hmm let me think. Should I tell you?”

I show my popular aegyo to my mom. She will fall to it right away everytime. And she fall for it again this night.

“ Arasseo I will tell you another day.”

“Another day? Shirreo. I want to know it right now mom. Palli tell me. I can’t sleep if I didn’t know the whole story tonight.”

I plead while tugging the low end of my mom’s blouse.

“ Fine, I’ll tell you. Since dad isn't around. We got a lot of time to talk.”

I smiled happily as I pay full attention to mom. Then she starts reminiscing her life when she still a teenager.

“ I was 16 years old at that time. The same age as you. My parents, your late grandparents and your father’s parents were good friends. They had promise that they will married me off  to your father when we grow up to make their friendship more stronger. They make that promise as soon as I was born. Your father was 4 at that time.

“Both our parents run a textile company. Your father and his family moves to Seoul when I was 7 years old. Things go on as usual, I go to school,make many friends, and study happily. When I was 16, we moves to Seoul too. We met them again after 9 years. Your father grows up handsome but he always put his cold expression. I want to make friend with him but he doesn’t show any interest. He always ignore my eye contact. I guess he didn’t like me. Then, I came to hate him. No one had ever reject my hand of friendship when we still in Busan. I swear that I will not face him anymore.

“But luck is really not on my side. Your grandpa asks me to stay at your father’s house for two month when they need to go to China for a seminar.

“I had to share the same table with him, share the same living room and even bathroom. I try to protest but my world go upside down when your halmoeni says that I need to be close to him because he will be my future husband. How will you react if you are at my place at that time?”

“ I think I can’t accept it. How old are you that time mom?”

“Your halmoeni tell me about the marriage when I was 16 years old dear. After we moved to Seoul for about 3 month.”

“Tell me more.”

“I get many friends shortly after I enroll in my new school. And after a month, I’ve found my man of interest too. The man was a teacher on training. He ask me to be his girlfriend. I say yes right away.”

“But mom. A teacher and student relationship. How?”

“ I know but how can I say no to him, I’m still young at that time. He is manly, gentle, and loves to jokes around. He makes me smile everytime. He is my ideal man. He is the same age as your dad but their character is totally opposite. There is no restriction to have a relationship with your teachers in training back then.

“ One day, he ask me out on date. Without anyone knowing, I sneak out to meet him. I had known him for about 2 weeks at that time.”

“ It means that you are still at dad’s place.”

“You are right. That was the start of our story.”

Mom left out a sigh. She looks gloom.

“What happen mom? You don’t look happy.”

“I just remember the incident that occurs that night.”

“ Why? You didn’t met him?”

“ I met him. Can you guess where he brought me? To his room.”

Wow. Bringing a girl to his room in first date. That’s shocking.

“Room? “

“Hmm. He lives alone. His parent live far from Seoul. That what he says to me before. And I never ask more. As we walk towards his room, he ask me if I love him sincerely. I don’t know if I am. I told him I don’t know. Then he ask me to follow him inside the room. I’ve sense something wasn’t right at that time. Although I’m still a teen, my parents always tell me not to do something unappropriate. I feel that going into a room with a guy is unappropriate so I decline.

“ The most shocking thing is that he drag me harshly. Because of the sudden reaction, I stumble. He pull my hair up and drag me into his room.”

Mom’s eyes began to drop some tears. She wipe her tears with her fingers. I hold her hands to give her my support. Mom smiles and continue.

“As we enter the room, he slam shut the door and lock it. He throw my body on top of his bed. I was so scared at that time. My ideal man had changed in a second. How hurt I am at that time. He slaps my face so hard a continuosly. I can feel my mouth bleeds. I was so scared as my whole body was shaking. I can’t even shout for help.

Mom grip my hand tighter. I can feel how scared she were at that time. I feel her hatred towards the man. I feel guilty for asking her to share her story. Mom continue after a short pause.

"He wants to hit me more when suddenly, his door room breaks open. Guess who breaks the door?”

“ It is dad right?”

“Maja. I have no idea how he know I was there. Dad punch his face and gives him a round of beating. A words that come from dad’s mouth that makes me so touch is ‘Don’t you ever touch my wife’.

"I'm speechless when i heard that word."

“That was so cool mom.”

“Yes Shin dear. I was so ashamed of myself. I don’t want to accept the reality I will get married to the most boring man I ever met. I didn’t realise that a man can be perfect from outside but rotten inside. He accept with with all his heart the moment he know that we will get married. I hugged him to hide all my fear. He hold me lovingly while whisper sweet soothing words to calm me down.”

“ He is the sweetest man ever mom.Did dad tell you how he know you are in that room.”

“He followed me. He sense something wasn’t right when he saw me sneaking out. He feel that something bad will happen. So, he decides to follow me. He watch me from far. When he saw that teacher drag me inside, he rush to save me."

"What happen to the teacher?"

"Your dad ask him to resign and don't show himself in front of us again. He said that he will not hesistant to kill him if he ever show his face.

" I'm so surprised that your dad will say things like that. He seems serious when he utter the words."

"What did that man do? Did he agree to resign?"

"How can he refuse? Your dad's face was scary at that time. I can't even lift my head up.

"That man agreed straightly. He took his important belongings shivering. He rush out of his room limping after apologising and bowing to me several time."

"Your dad took my hands gently and hold it tightly. He wrapped my body with his coat. He bring me to his car carefully. We didn't even talk in our way back home.

“When we get home, your grandparents ask me why I had the bruise on my face. Dad hold my hand and tells them that I met with a little accident on my way to see him. He blame himself for my foolishness. They scold him for letting me go by myself. I cry very hard when he just bow his head and accept all the scolding. I tried to speak but he grasp my hand tighter, smile lovingly to me, signaling me to not say anything.

“At that night, he ask me to promise to keep that incident from everyone. He don’t want me to get into trouble if they knew about it. He says that eventhough I can’t love him, do as he said as a token of our parents friendship. He is so kind. He never ask anything for himself. I ask him why did he do all this. His answer make me cry even more.

‘I love you so much to ever ask anything from you. My love for you is enough for me to build our marriage life. I will try my best to make you happy. I won’t ask anything in return. I will never force you to undergo life according to my liking. Even if you don’t like me, try to like me as a friend. We need to get married to not hurt our parents. We should give it a try. Maybe we will get used to it. Lastly, I beg you to keep that incident to your self. There will be only you, me, that scoundrel and God who knew about it.’

“After that night, I vow to myself that I will never leave his side. I will always stay by him in any situation. I told him that I will try to love him. We started to grew closer. After few month, I started to love him. I confessed to him. He ask me to be his girlfriend. He is still the serious, cold man but I can see many good qualities in him.

“He is sometimes romantic too. He bear with my childishness. Sometimes we do argue but I can’t stay mad at him for long. He will try to coax me in weird ways, in his own serious way.After 6 years being in a relationship, we got married when I was 22.”

“Your love story is sweet mom. And some kind of complicated too.”

“Yes it is Shin. But it's your dad who makes me mature. He is my first and last love. Although I am an unni in my family, I  acts like a dongsaeng. You aunt is more mature than me.”

We laugh together. Mom is indeed immature. She still show her childnishness to Dad sometimes. But dad always treat her lovingly. Even they had been married for 25 years, they still show their endless love towards each other in their own way. How I wish I will stay being in love with Jae Oppa all our life.

“ I really want to go through love life like yours mom. I bet you are very happy.”

“ I am very happy Shin. But remember. Not all love story will be the same. We will face many obstacles in life. We should go through it to get to the finishing line successfully. Be strong to fight for our love. Don't let anyone destroy it. If you believe he is the one, fight together with him.”

Mom is right. Real life love story isn’t fairy tale. In fairy tales, there were no obstacle, no hardship, no worries. When the princess met her prince charming, they will live happily ever after. But in real life, to achieve our dream to live happily ever after, we need to work hard.

“Enough of hearing my story dear. it's very late already. Now go to sleep. Make preparation for school before you sleep okay!”

“Arasseo mom.”

Mom kissed my forehead and I kissed her cheek. I say goodnight before I walk to my room. I lay down on my bed staring at the ceiling. Today, I learn a new lesson in life. People have their own worries. We should never judge them about their appearance or character.Mom is an example.  Mom always smile, I never see her feeling down even once. Who can guess that she face the most scariest moment in a girl life before? My respect towards dad becomes stronger. He sure has his own way at showing his love. He is a hero. Our hero.

I glance at the alarm clock besides my bed. It is 12 midnight already. I never sleep this late. I rise quickly and pick my books for tomorrow classes. After I finish organizing, I drop my body on top of the bed. I hope I won’t be late tomorrow. My future hero will pick me up tomorrow.