Prologue

Autumn,.. the most seasons who anticipated by enough people. Leaves start molt slowly and change it's color to be a red yellow, before falling along the way. The sun shines quite hot but wind so fast and when near to dusk, the weather was cold, and pierce your skin, but strange the sights look so beautiful but make a goose bumps the whole body.

There is a myth says that evening in the fall, not good time to get out of the house, because during sunset is an opportunity of the witch runs its action. But it was only the myth of the ancestors earlier, never exist evidence about it, especially considering the rapid advancement of technology today.

However, is the other case with Lee family. they believe in the myth about the existence of witch. Lee Jae Dong one of them, he believes himself and his family has been exposed by the curse of a witch.

It was still fresh in his mind. He remembered well that words was the woman said, that his lifetime, he will never got happiness, and will lose his family one by one. He only considers it was  just a result of pique the woman against him. But in one night it happened.  A month after his wife gave birth to their first child, she had an accident and death. He began to fret, but still positive thinking, that this is nothing to do with what has been said by the woman.

He has suffered due to death of his wife. He never able to sleep soundly, and always have a nightmare. One consecutive weeks, he always have the same nightmare, where his wife had a tragic accident, which claimed her life. He not a quietly person, he will talk to his best friend what was happen in his life, include his dream.  He thought, he   was fortunate to have a friend who want to share a bit of his suffering, and his one-mont baby, Lee Hyukjae, which makes him feel a little better.

In one night he dreamed met a old woman in red hooded, bringing a basket of apples, hung in her arm.

The woman offers him one red apple, to exchange for money, because she was very need for  her husband who are sick. He pitied with her.

Looking at the old woman, remind him to his late grandmother, he so fond of his grandmother. He reached into his pocket, looking for his wallet, but he did not find it, he continues to reach into pocket, who knows there are still money left there, but he found no, he did not find anything, which may be able to buy apples of those old woman.

"Sorry ma'am, it looks like I left my wallet" he said honestly. The old woman smiled lightly, and nodded understand. Before her eyes focused on the ring on his finger. He knows, and immediately to hide it, ' do not tell me, if this old woman, want my wedding ring' his mind said, he saw the old woman smiled again..

"It does not matter son, you can exchange this apple with that ring on your finger" said the old woman, his thought right.

"But Ma'am. I can't give this wedding rings. It is the only goods which reminds me about her" he said, and sad smile, when remembered about his wife

"You love her so much, right?" The old woman said, he nodded sadly" We both equally have a valuable people, and very we love, I understand what you feel, and you must understand what I also feel, right?" yeah he undesrtand , but this is only the precious good he had. He saw the old woman have tears in her eyes. What the hell he have done, OMG! He make those woman in tears. What should he do??? 

He started thinking, when suddenly an idea appears his head. He can sell the ring is then buy it back. Well why not? He pleased with the idea. He is a genius, or stupid one, he did not know, but the idea pretty good.

"All right Ma'am, I will exchange this ring with money. I hope it's  enough to treat your husband" he said, the old woman looked up at him with eyes glazed and full of hoping. Suddenly he also feel like to cry.

" Thank you son, I know you have a big heart, I will give you all this apple" said the old woman " You can take this one to eat, please"

" But ma'am, I'm not yet get the m-" the old woman cut off him

"NO problem son, consider just as a bonus, because you have helped me" should him?, it will be very outrageous if reject it, right?, but also happened he felt a little hungry

" Thank you Ma'am" he took the apple and eat it a bit. He was a little surprised, the apple was so sweet and delicious, but he suddenly feel dizzy, but he can still hear clearly a voice whispered in his ears.

"Find out someone who have a birthmark like the one apple fruit, then unite your child with those person before his old was 23 years, or his soul will be taken away forever"  

His eyes wide open when hear it. He looked at the old woman and swearing, he saw the old woman grinned, before everything suddenly become black and he woke up of his sleep with one red apple and yellow golden leaf of maple on his palm.

The next day, he said all what he had experienced in his dream, to his best friend, DaeHan.

" Give this apple to the next life" Daehan his friend read from what is written on maple leaf " What will happen then?" He asked Jae. The man just shrugged, do not have ideas.

" She said that I have to find someone with a birthmark apple on the body" Jae recounted what has been the woman said

"This might be associated with the apple and what is written on this maple leaf" his friend said, but Jae just shrugged.

" I do not know, it is just a dream Han, I'm sure about it . There may be some of the servants tried to joking with me, and then put those apple and this leaf of maple in my room" he said

" As they have an advantage to do that" said his friend" How are your son, Lee Hyukjae?" Hear the question of his friend, making Jae smile.

" He grow up well, but I was a little regret not have time to play with him" he said sadly. Daehan put his arm above the shoulders of his friend, and pat gently.

" You must take a lil your free time Jae, He needs more presence of his parent" he said and Jae nodded understand" Then, what we have to do with this apple" twirling apples in his hand " For me this sounds like is not a just any mandate of"

" You can give those apple to your wife, she will soon make a new life, isnt?" he said before moving of his place seat " We need go to back to the office"

" You serious kidding me??" He followed his friend and Jae nodded" What if, this really made to break the curse?"

" If so, you are new born baby will have a apple birthmark on the one part of its body" he blurted, Daehan hit his shoulder, honest.. it's make him a little goose bumps if it true happen.

" Are you crazy??!! Yes, if it that girl, what if it a man, Yahh! You want your boy to be a gay??" He shook his head

Jae smiling lightly "I will throw my pride for it, if can break the curse and save his soul, I will not mind" he said

" Aish, since when you become so dramatic? You almost makes me cry" said his friend " I do not care, I will do anything to my beloved friend and the people who he loved" They both laugh, and joking about being too dramatic. Little did they both know that the curse has been slowly break, since the apple moved from Jae to Daehan's hand.

Lee Hyukjae has 9 month old he grow well and healthy such as other children in general, but not deny Jae to remain the extra protective on his son. No doubt, he employs two nanny to take care of his son, as well as a bodyguard, if there is something, which is not he wants to happen. He wants to do itself, but not have the time for him, except Sunday, holiday or night. He tried hard to Hyukjae, his son, not lose a parent figure.

Until the one night, he heard such as a falling objects, before followed by the sound one of the servant shouting hysterically. He ran out of his room, and almost fainted when looking at his son, Lee Hyukjae, lying on the floor, with blood out of his head. "Oh no!!" he said shouted, he felt like to cry, but this is not the right time for it. He immediately ordered the servants to prepare a car to the hospital.

While Jae is have unfortunate situation, Daehan his friend, pacing in front of the surgery room. His mind is divided into two, one because his wife will soon gave birth and another, the son of his friend had an accident fall of the stairs today.

Inevitably, he begin think about the curse, it is possible?, because he knows the curse that his friend received is to make him lose his family one by one, if it is true, he should not accept the apple, it may be Jae will need it. But he knows, his friend is a stubborn.

His attention immediately get distracted when heard some noises from behind him. He saw his friend, Jae with doctors and other nurses take a small body lying in bed hospital, he seems helpless, with all media equipment in his body. Jae stopped his step when doctors say it to wait outside while they will do surgery on his son.

" Jae" Jae heard the familiar voice  behind him and immediately turned to see Daehan, oh he had forgotten if he also be in the hospital to his wife. Without thinking, he soon come and embraced his friend. This is not the first time DaeHan saw Jae crying because the person who he is  very loved being hurt.

.

He has to know this man has a high self- esteem. He is not someone who is easy to cry in front of many people, he smart hide his tears. But if it is related to his wife and his son, he will forget all his pride, throw it to the edge,  only to his loved ones back to his side.

Daehan rubbed his is back, until he realized, he also cry" Let pray for them Jae. My wife and your son is struggling in there now" Jae nodded, they began to pray, for safety their loved ones.

Jae not have power to refrain himself  to cry. He felt mad, weak, destroyed and fragile when looking Hyuk's small body lying on the floor with blood out of his head. He thought the boy died, because he found him no longer breathing, but his heart still ticking, he remembered, when put two fingers on his neck. He could feel the pulse beat very weak hardly feels, and during the way to the hospital, he continues to put his ears on the Hyuk's left chest, so that he knows Hyukjae never left his side.

Two hours have passed, still no signs of both, the lamp operating room is still lit red, make bored to see it. They both feel like to kick the door to open, to see the state in or what makes it becomes very long time. Luckily their thought about it soon disappear when the one of doctor and nurse out of the surgery room or they will be reported to the authorities, because disturb the course of surgery.  Their eyes focused on the incubator is being carried by a nurse, they could hear a baby crying echoed around the room.

Daehan and Jae, hardly believe what they both see.

"Congratulations sir, your wife has successfully given birth to a baby boy safely" said the doctor. The nurse taking carefully the baby that is in the incubator for his father. Daehan can not hold a sense of his happy feeling,  this feeling like the first time he welcomed to his first son, Donghwa.  

He took the baby who are still crying into his arms. He was so small and fragile, his body wrapped in fabric, his hand and leg move not calm and keep to cry.

" He so small Han" said Jae beside him, he also happy with the birth of his friend's secon son.

Looking at this situation, make him remembered when Hyukjae,  the first time was born. He also so small and fragile, so make him should be careful when holding him. Thinking about his son, why its the surgery has not finished? He wondered, and can not hide his worried. Daehan see it, he put back the baby back into inkubator.

" Do not worry Jae, I am sure Hyuk is great fighter.  You see here, the prince has been waiting for him" he said jokingly, but enough to make Jae smile.

"Yeah, yeah, perhaps your baby have the apple birthmark" Jae said jokingly,.and he saw the strange expression on his friend, 'oh do not say, he took seriously to what is I said' his mind said. And it Indeed seriously if Daehan take his words. He immediately open the fabric that was cover his baby's body and his eyes widened, as well as Jae." H- han."..

"J-Jae, it possible.... " before Daehan can continue what he want to say, the surgery's room door suddenly open, and his baby stop crying, he swore, saw his baby smiling while having his thumbs in his mouth. And what more frightening the two is Hyukjae are in the sling one of the doctor who have surgery on him. The more horror he dont have any medical devices attached to his body, except the bandage of his head.

" Mr. Lee,... I never find the strange events like this, but this really a miracle" said the doctor who are brought Hyuk in his arms, before give the baby to his father. " He suddenly woke up after we took off all medical equipment of his body" Jae and Daehan shock hear what is the doctor said. " Yes, sir, we have stated that your child had died some minutes ago, but fifteen minutes later, precisely after this baby was born, he also woke up and crying, this really a miracle" said the doctor.

They both still shock could not speak, except grateful and thanks to God and medical officer who have attempted to help or maybe to new born baby too. Hyukjae has been sentenced to die, and now he had returned, even be in his arms. He kissed his son's cheek repeatedly, tears fell out flowing on his cheek.

" a... ae... ae.." Jae and Daehan's attention distracted on Hyukjae. He pointed the baby that is in the incubator.

"What do you want my son?" Ask his father

" Ae... ae.." Hyuk pointed at the  incubator once again. Jae understand what his son's want. He took Hyuk close to the incubator. Jae and Daehan, see how their son touch each other glass. Hyuk was giggling and the baby blink his eyes before smiling.

Daehan and Jae swallowed their saliva.  "You know what this sign?" Ask Daehan

"I ready to throw my pride, for him Han" replied Jae, they both nodded.

"AE... AE... AE..." Hyuk continue to whine all night, when he and the baby split up.

I know this ridiculous but thanks for read !