Please Stay

Love For The Twinflower
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Song inserted in this chap: Love You by Howl (credit to owner)

 

Lee Min Ho sits in front of his study table as he looked at his organizer mindlessly. He heaved a sigh before he flipped the book opened and took the dry twinflower that he has been keeping in his organizer for 16 years. He held onto the dry flower very softly and looked at it with a sad expression.

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“The scientific name for this flower is called Linnaea Borealis. It was also known as the twinflower.”

“Twinflower?”

“The scent of twinflower is very fresh and pleasant.”

“It’s really very special. I never see any flowers that come in pair. They looked exactly the same like twins.”

“Of course it’s identical if you only take a brief look. But if you take a closer look, you will slowly find the differences. Even twin siblings don’t look exactly the same. People have different characters and personalities.”

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“Do you… still remember me?”

“I… of course I remembered.”

“It has been a long time. I thought I wouldn’t see you again. I went back to the place where we first met but I couldn’t find you. I didn’t know you were studying in this school.”

“The place that we first met?”

“The tangerine farm in Jeju Island.”

“Tangerine farm?”

“You… don’t remember?”

“Even though I can’t remember much about our first meeting but I’m glad that we meet again now.”

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Min Ho balled his hand into a fist as his jaws clenched tightly together. “You had already lied to me since the first time we met.” He gritted his teeth. “Choi Yoon Suh.”

He closed his eyes as he massaged the bridge of his nose, trying to make the headache to go away. There was too much heart wrenching truth that revealed today and it make every part of his body ached. Every nerve inside of him was on fire and boiling hot. He hates himself for being so stupid and hate Yoon Suh for her lie. What should he do now? This was a huge mistake that has ever happened to him. He felt rage building up inside of him, like molten lava surging through his veins. He was sure he hates himself more. How can he be so careless? 10 years. He had wasted 10 years on the wrong person.

He slowly put the dry twinflower down as he closed his eyes and buried his face into his palms. “How can I be so stupid? How can I mistaken her as that little girl in the tangerine farm?” He murmured with a deep sigh.

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“Do you know what is the name of this horse?” Min Ho asked.   

Shin Hye stared at him in confusion with his sudden changed of topic. She slowly shook her head.

Min Ho bit his lower lip hard before he took another deep breath.

“Twinflower.”

Shin Hye’s brows creased as her eyes still looking at him. “Twinflower?” She turned back to the front as she gently the horse’s mane. She let out a soft smile. “She has a very unique name.” She tilted her head slightly to look at him again. “You gave her this name?” She asked.

Min Ho nodded his head softly as he stared into her eyes. “Yes. I was the one who named her Twinflower.”

“Twinflower is a very rare flower species especially in Korea. As far as I know, there is only one place in Jeju Island that has twinflower.” She said. “How do you know about this flower?”

Min Ho swallowed a hard breath, a long, sharp, painful breath that felt as though it bruised his insides. His entire body hurt, spasms of intense pain ripping through every part of him as his eyebrows knitting together. “Someone showed it to me a long long time ago.”

Shin Hye saw the sudden pain that crossed his eyes and she couldn’t understand why. She averted her gaze back to the front, avoiding his painful gaze. She knows that she wouldn’t be able to pull away when she saw that gaze in his eyes. 

Min Ho tightened his grip on the reins even more, trying hard to use his strength to stop his hand from shaking. “How about you? How do you know about this flower? You saw it before?”

Shin Hye nodded. “Of course. I stayed near that area. The twinflowers grow in the little forest behind my father’s farm.”

Min Ho bit his lip as he exhaled sharply. “It’s a very special kind of flower, right. It comes in pair and it looked exactly the same. Just like you and Yoon Suh. Both of you looked exactly the same. Just by looking at the outlook, I can’t even differentiate who is you and who is Yoon Suh.”

Shin Hye sighed silently. “Nothing is the same.”

Min Ho exhaled another sharp breath. After 16 years, he heard the same familiar words again.

She smiled slightly. “You couldn’t recognize us because you were blinded by the identical outlook and face. If you take a closer look, not with your eyes but with your heart, you will slowly find the differences.”

Warm tears started to pool in Min Ho’s eyes and he blinked frantically, trying to blink away the tears that were threatening to fall.

Shin Hye’s hand continued to brush the horse’s mane. “I remembered very long time ago, I saw this little brother near my father’s farm. He was looking for some kind of special and unique flower to do something that I can’t really remember what. I showed him the flower and he said the same thing as you too.” She paused as she smiled. “Nothing is the same, nobody is the same too.”

Min Ho couldn’t hold it anymore as a tear slowly rolled down his cheek. She remembered him. Although she couldn’t recognize that the little boy was him but she still remembered about the boy that she showed him the twinflower. He let go of the reins and wrapped his arms around her waist very tightly, buried his face in the crook of her neck.

Shin Hye gasped in shock with his sudden embrace from behind and his warm breath on her neck. She wanted to struggle and pull away from him but she dare not to do so since they were both sitting on the horse now. She was frightened that he suddenly let go of the reins and the horse were moving slightly forward. She quickly tightened her grip on the reins.

“W-What are you doing?” She asked, turning her head slightly to the side to look at him but could only see his hair. He was hiding his face in her neck. She let out another soft gasp when his hands tightened around her.

Min Ho remained silent as Shin Hye suddenly felt something wet on her neck. She widened her eyes and tried to look down at him. “What’s wrong? Are you… crying?” She was totally stunned by him.

“Please stay like this for a while. I just need to be like this for a while. Please…” He murmured against the smooth skin of her neck.

Shin Hye froze in place hearing his pleading tone. She stayed very still as one of her hand slowly let go of the reins and caressed his arm softly, trying to soothe him.

After a long moment, Min Ho finally broke the silence. “I’m an idiot.” He sniffed silently. “I’m sorry.”

Shin Hye was very confused as she slowly leaned her face against his head. “Sorry for what?”

He didn’t reply her but just tightened his arms around her.

She let out a long sigh. “I should be the one who apologize. I was the one who lied to you.” She bit her lower lip. “And I’m sorry that my sister hurt you.”

“Please stay.” He whispered. “If you miss your father, I can bring him over to stay with us. Or if you want to go back, we can go with you. If you are worried about Yoon Suh, I’ll find a way to settle my problem with her. I won’t drag you into our problem. Just promise me you will stay.”

Shin Hye’s eyes reddened as tears started to form inside. It’s not as simple as he thought. “I can’t.”

Neither of them dares to say another word. They just remained silent and stayed at the same position for a long time until they heard So Won’s voice behind them. Min Ho quickly pulled away from her neck and looked away as he rubbed his eyes. Shin Hye stole a sideway glance at him before looking down at So Won who was already standing beside their horse.

“Daebak! Eomma know how to ride a horse now? Appa is very good in riding a horse. He can be a good instructor.” So Won said cheerfully.

Without replying his daughter, Min Ho got down from the horse as he looked up at Shin Hye with his hand lifted up at her. She stared at him briefly before she took his hand and let him to help her down. She stood in front of him as their eyes locked at each other. A pang of pain hit her chest when she saw his reddened eyes.

“Eomma…”

Shin Hye broke the eye contact to look at So Won. “Yes?”

“This is the first time you ride a horse with us. Twinflower must be very happy that she finally could ride by her owner. She is so beautiful, just like eomma.” So Won said happily.

Shin Hye smiled slightly at her before she turned to Min Ho who was not looking at them.

“Appa, where are we going next?” So Won asked hopefully.

Still not looking at them, Min Ho heaved a deep sigh. “Let’s go home.” Without waiting for their reply, he passed the reins to the man at the side and walked towards the horse stable.

Shin Hye looked down at So Won who held her hand with her pouted lips. She smiled softly at her. “Let’s go.”

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Min Ho opened his eyes slowly as he looked down at the dry twinflower on the table. He inhaled a deep breath before taking his phone and scroll down for the number he wanted to call. After a few beeps, the person at the other side answered the call.

Min Ho: Secretary Oh, it’s me.

Secretary Oh: Yes, sajang-nim.

Min Ho: I need you to do something for me.

 

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“Eomma… eomma… eomma…”

Shin Hye almost jump up of the bed when she felt a warm tiny hand touched her arm, shook her off from her deep thoughts. She looked down at So Won who was lying beside her and let out a soft smile.

“Yes?” She asked.

So Won pulled herself up in a sitting position and looked at Shin Hye with a curious gaze. “What happened to eomma and appa during the horseback riding this morning?”

Shin Hye sighed softly. “Nothing.”

“But appa looked very sad after the horseback riding. He wasn’t like that before we go there this morning.” So Won moved closer to Shin Hye and asked carefully. “Did you argue with appa again?”

Shin Hye was confused too. She doesn’t understand what was wrong with Min Ho either. Of course he has been very aggressive to make her stay but he was even crying. This doesn’t look like him. She tried to think for the whole day but still couldn’t remember what she said that have hurt him and make him so sad. She still remembers the sadness in his eyes. Was it really because he doesn’t want her to go? She wasn’t sure.

She let out another long sigh before looking at So Won and shook her head. “I didn’t argue with him.”

So Won grasped Shin Hye’s hand and looked at her with a serious expression. “I know appa is very fierce sometimes but eomma please don’t angry with him. Appa loves eomma very much.”

Shin Hye caressed her cheek gently. “How do you know appa love eomma very much? He told you?”

So Won shook her head. “He didn’t tell me but since eomma came back, appa have changed so much. He will smile, he will talk to us, he will come back early and he even didn’t go to work today just to bring us to see Snowball and Twinflower. He has never skipped his work before.” So Won smiled at her. “Eomma changed a lot too. You are so different since you came back and sometimes I’ll even think something silly.”

Shin Hye raised her brows. “Something silly?”

“Sometimes So Won will think you are not my eomma but someone else. But it’s impossible because your face is eomma’s face.” So Won replied.

Shin Hye sighed silently and looked at her niece without saying anything.

“Since I was very very small, I don’t have any memory of eomma carrying me or hugging me in your arms. When I grew up, eomma seldom talk to me and you seldom stay at home. Even if you are home, you don’t let me to disturb you. You never sleep here with me before. But after you came back one month ago, everything changed. You sleep with me every night, you eat with me every day and you even bring me to the garden to play together every evening. You are so different. Even ahjuhma was surprise. But we like you now.” So Won continued with a smile.

Shin Hye the side of her face gently. “If one day… I mean if… if one day eomma go missing again or eomma change back like how eomma used to be last time, what will you do? Will you be very sad?”

So Won looked at her in confusion. Then, her face slowly turned pale. “Eomma want to go again? Eomma don’t want So Won and appa again?” She asked worriedly.

Shin Hye bit her lower lip as she pulled So Won into her embrace. “I’m sorry.” She whispered. “Of course I want you. If can, I want to stay with you forever.” She paused as warm tears welling in her eyes. “And your appa…” I want him too. But I was too late, I met him too late. He was already belongs to another woman. And that woman is my sister.

“What about me?”

Shin Hye pulled away from So Won when she heard Min Ho’s voice behind them. When her gaze met his, their eyes simply locked at each other. Intense emotions clouded their minds immediately.

So Won quickly get down of the bed when she saw her father. She ran over to Min Ho and held his hand tightly. “Appa, eomma want to leave us again.”

Shin Hye sighed as she stood up of the bed too, her eyes still locked at Min Ho. She felt so helpless looking at both of them like that. She doesn’t know how to explain to them that sooner or later, she will have to leave. No matter she agrees to stay or leave, she will have to leave. What is the point for staying longer when it will only make both of them feel worse?

Min Ho inhaled a deep breath before averted his gaze to So Won. He smiled softly as he her hair. “Eomma is just joking. Don’t worry. She won’t leave us. Appa will not let her to leave us.” He squatted down in front of her and caressed her cheek. “Didn’t appa tell you this morning that starting from tonight; eomma will move back to appa’s room and sleep with me? Appa will hug eomma very tightly so she couldn’t run away when we are asleep at night. During day time when appa go to work, So Won will take over the job to make sure eomma won’t go anywhere. You will help appa during daytime and appa will help So Won during night time. Okay?”

So Won smiled as she nodded her head. “Okay. So Won will make sure eomma stay at home with me when appa go to work.” She then turned around and looked at Shin Hye. “Eomma cannot run away anymore. So Won and appa will take turns to make sure you stay here with us forever.”

Shin Hye looked at them as she let out a scoff of disbelief. She glared at Min Ho with dissatisfaction. “Yah, how can you…”

“So Won should sleep earlier so that you can wake up on time tomorrow before appa go to work.” Min Ho cut her off, still talking to So Won, ignoring her sharp gaze. “Appa came in to bring eomma back to appa’s room.”  

So Won nodded her head vigorously as she walked back to her bed, facing Shin Hye. “Eomma, So Won need to sleep now. You have to go back to appa’s room.” She said firmly.

“So Won-ah, I…” Before she could finish her sentence again, Min Ho already walked to her and grasped her hand, pulling her with him towards the door. “Yah, let go of me.”

“Good night, So Won.” Min Ho said with

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jasey_park
Hey guys...I just finished my class n I hv a dinner appointment later.I only wrote half way of the next chap so I'll be updating slightly late today.

Comments

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tonnettie
#1
Chapter 28: You are making me cry again.
etiket #2
Chapter 28: reading it again n still make me cry??
ShinHye24 1340 streak #3
Here again reading this amazing story
painless
#4
Chapter 28: ALTERNATE ENDING IS SO GOOD... I PREFER HAPPY ENDING
koster
#5
Chapter 4: why are you so good author-nim! You're doing it again. Its 2 in the morning and I'm still up reading your story rather than studying for my midterm
anejae #6
Chapter 28: Re reading this
Story again
crazyforkdrama #7
Chapter 28: Read again. No matter how many times I have read your stories they still give me the feeling I had when I was reading them for the first time. Really amazed with your talent. God bless you.
mspandora #8
Chapter 28: I just finished reading this for the 2nd time and I cried a bucket. Daebak Jasey!
tonnettie
#9
Chapter 28: I don't know which ending really works, though the 1st one seems more realistic, even though it's really the definition of heartbreak and pain. (The Journey is also painful, though it's just a montage of things) 2nd Epilogue is to appease the broken hearts.

A WOW story!