Prologue

“Here… take my baby dookoong with you…”

A crying young girl held out her green plushies that resemble a pea pod towards the silent Taeyeon.

“T-hank you…”

Young Taeyeon’s voice cracked a bit as she tried her hardest to not cry in front of her bestfriend. Because she knows that when she did, the girl would cry even harder till her eyes swell and that’s something that Taeyeon never liked, making Miyoung cry.

“Here… take my marbles… keep them safe, okay? Because they are one of a kind! You know how hard I collected them over the years and—“

Taeyeon stopped talking as she sniffed back the snot that was threatening to drip down her little nose.

“Promise me, Miyoung… that you’ll take care of them and that you won’t forget me! Never ever!”

“I promise, Taetae! You can count on me!”

“And I promise to you that when I grow older I’ll go look for you! And when I find you, I will never let you go out of my sight! Never ever! I will marry you and they can never separate us! Never ever again! I promise!”

The young Taeyeon innocently blurted out those promising words, not really knowing how deep those words really mean, still no one really blame her innocent and pure heart for only saying what it truly feels for the young Miyoung, whom could only sadly nod her head towards her bestfriend as she too tries her hardest not wail is cries in front of Taeyeon.

“Okay Taetae, I’ll wait for your promise!”

“I—“

“Taeyeon!”

The two young kids got startled when they heard a loud shout coming from below their tree house. Their eyes widened in fear when they saw that it was Taeyeon’s mother shouting at them and looking angrier than ever to Miyoung.

“Get down here this instant! How many times do I have to tell you to stay away from that girl?!”

Kim Jihae angrily pulled her daughter by her arms when Taeyeon had come down from the ground.

“U-umma… I’m just saying goodbye to Miyoungie…”

“I don’t care! When I told you to stay away from that girl it means that you stop whatever that has got to do with her!”

“Um-ma, I don’t understand…”

“Let’s go!”

Kim Jihae forcefully drag her young daughter away from the ladder of the tree house while little Miyoung could only look down from them with tears violently streaming down her face.

“This will be the last time that you’ll ever talk and see that girl! Do you understand me, Kim Taeyeon? You will stay away from that ’s daughter! Do you understand me?”

“U-mma… It’s not Miyoung’s fault!