TWO

Smile Flower
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"You should start writing back to him," Jaewook said, looking at her. The cool breeze swept her hair back as she closed her eyes. "He's upset these days. I heard him and Seokjin Hyung talking about you. He really has gotten the idea that you don't like him," he continued, staring at her beautiful face from the side. He couldn't yet believe the girl was already married. It felt unreal.

"I want to," she started after a lot of contemplation. "What if the letter...what if it doesn't turn out to be what he wants?" she was almost talking to herself, sighing as the wind carried most of her words away but Jaewook was sitting close enough to her to hear her words. "What if I end up disappointing him?" Her wandering eyes eyed the way the trees swayed in the late autumn breeze. The golden leaves danced from branch to ground, a last wistful dance before the wintry embrace would claim them. The sun would be going down in another two hours and its rays were soft. Winter was at hand, knocking on doors. Christmas was near.

"You know, he'd like anything you'd write," Jaewook crossed his legs on the green grass, the faint sunlight shining on his face. "Last time I returned, he was staring at me expectantly and I...could give him nothing. He seldom lets his feelings show in his face but when it comes to you, he always smiles and sighs every time I tell him that I don't have a letter for him."

"God knows, I try," she sighed, "I really do. But my mind goes blank and my fingers around the pen freeze, Jae," she closed her eyes, "I want to write to him."

"So, you're saying you don't have a letter that I can carry back to him?" he asked, "That I need to disappoint him again?" He heard her sigh in that soft voice of hers. "You know how to write, for god's sake. He will wonder if you even read his letters."

"How long is the trip to your camp, Jae?"

"Can be a day long. It's far from here and Hyung doesn't have the time to travel all these roads and come home frequently." Jaewook said, "Why do you ask?"

Sarang bit her lips as the cold wind caressed her face. It wasn't the bite of the wintry blusters but just a gentle nip, saying Winter was near. "Can you take me with you?"

Her sudden request made him blink in disbelief. "Why would you want to go there?"

"I know, I've disappointed him," she sighed, "I want to go there myself and tell him it's not what he thinks. I always wait for his letter and read them at least thirty times whenever his thoughts cross my mind." She wanted to go tell him that he needed to practice his handwriting and that his letters should be bigger. "Jae, please?"

"Hyung wouldn't be pleased to see you there," Jaewook shook his head.

"Oh, why would he not be?" she whined, "If he wants me to write back to him, he'd be happier if I go meet him myself, won't he?"

"No, he won't," he argued,"The road's dangerous and... and I can't risk taking you there. God knows, I might get demoted by your husband."

"No, you won't," she made that face that could make anybody give in, "Jaewook, take me with you. I want to see him."

Jaewook sighed, "Why are you so stubborn?" his voice was as soft as the wind blowing on their faces. "I'll take you there the next time."

"You promise?"

"Yeah, whatever."

  Dear Sarang,

You really don't like me, is that it? I don't even know if you're reading this or if you've read the previous four letters. Jaewook says you're his friend and he even thought of adding that fact that you promised you'd marry him when you two grew up. He said you two used to play together and do literally everything together starting from going to school to doing your homework. This feels weird. I'm jealous. Are you even reading this? I have no idea.

Writing some letters on a piece of paper and giving that to Jaewook wouldn't hurt, now, would it? You can even write about just how much you hate me, about the complications you're facing at the moment, about how you have to all the work in the house and that you want to go back to your home. At least I'd know that you're reading my letters.

How is Omma doing? Do you read these out to her? I know she bugs you a lot about the letters and I hope you don't mind her. Omma just wants to stay updated about her son. Please don't get bothered. I would've sent letters to her too if she could read. Omma would've definitely written back to me...unlike someone.

Sarang sighed, wondering how much of a disappointing wife she was being. She didn't want to imagine the look on his face when he'd find out that Jaewook had once again returned empty-handed. Her eyes darted away from the letter as she thought about him. She too, wanted to know how he was doing, and what was going on in the camp. Sarang wanted to tell him that she loved his mother and that she was glad to be where she was at the moment. She knew she could trust her old friend when he had given her his word but she felt insecure, wondering if Sehun would like it. Perhaps he would send her back the moment he'd set his intimidating pair of eyes on her.

"Is it a letter from him?" Startled, Sarang dropped the piece of paper on the grass. She turned to find Jinhye looking down at her with her arms folded, a beautiful smile on her face. Sarang nervously chuckled, before reaching down for the piece of paper. Her brows arched when she couldn't find it. Her face contorted as she stood up from where she was sitting. Jinhye called out her name, "There, Sarang!"

 She pointed towards the river and turning around, Sarang found the paper being blown away by the wind. A gasp escaped her lips and she picked her skirt up to make a run after it. Jinhye followed her as they chased the piece of paper. "I haven't done reading it," Sarang mumbled with worry written over her face.

"I know, I understand," Jinhye responded, running after the paper along with her. Jinhye was older than her and her husband happened to be in the army too, along with Sehun. Before she came to her new home, Jinhye was always the one to read the letters Sehun sent to his mother to the old lady. Unlike her, Jinhye actually wrote back to Seokjin, being the good wife she was.

 The grass under her feet was not at all soft like they had been some two weeks ago. The bank of the river was filled with tiny rocks with rough surfaces, sharp to her tender soles and the river had its smooth seductive curves, beautiful in the morning light. Jinhye had said the river had swollen past the high marks of previous years. The village on the other side had lowered its embankments and the village she now lived in had done quite the opposite. "If we can't save both sides we let one flood in the hope that it saves the other," Jinhye had said so as well. Sarang had found it strange but then again, she seldom noticed people on the other side of the river. 

 The wind grew stronger, that was how unfortunate Sarang was for the day. Her only fear was the river where the paper was headed to. "No!" An exclaim left her lips when the paper touched the water. She heard the same response from Jinhye but the older girl stopped in her track when the paper disappeared into the water. Sarang still made a run after it. She hadn't finished reading it and she was eager to know what else her husband had written for her. Even if those were his words of disappointment, she had to read all of it. He had written those for a reason, and that was for her to read.

A gasp escaped her lips when she stepped into the icy water, sending droplets scattering over the surface. She had half a mind to stop and go back but she couldn't when the paper was right in front her, visible in the crystal clear water. "Sarang, come back here!" she could hear Jinhye. Water flowed around her limbs as she was already knee deep, her hand shaking as she reached out for the paper some feet away. The waves frightened her since she didn't know how to swim, but nevertheless, it wasn't time to think about that.

Jinhye took slow steps towards the girl. Sarang had held her skirt high enough so that it didn't get wet but Jinhye was afraid. She had been in the village for five years now and knew the river more than Sarang did. It was dangerous to let her anywhere near the river since the little girl didn't know how to swim. "Sarang, get back!" she exclaimed but to no avail. Sarang had given the letter her undivided attention, taking slow and steady steps further into the river, "Gods, you're stubborn," Jinhye sighed helplessly.

Sarang let out a groan when she noticed how the letters were becoming blur every passing second. "No," she felt the cold water sting her legs. The second her finger touched the letter underneath her feet slipped past the rock and she landed on the river bed. "Sarang!" Jinhye exclaimed. The first time her head bobbed beneath the waves, Sarang wasn't much worried. She was not afraid of a little water above her head. Panic started to rise in her eyes when she couldn't find anything under her feet; it was all water everywhere. After what felt like eternity on her part, her legs were tired and struggling to bring her back to the surface, her hair had risen up like seaweeds under water.

With a superhuman effort, she broke the surface again, gulping at the autumn air and with barely a splash, she was under the water again, her heart hammering against he

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saltymuffin
#1
Chapter 8: i just finished thisstory and i love it!! it a pure love story and im having butterflies in stomach rn🥰🥰 thankyou for this❤️❤️
usereri #2
Chapter 8: This story is so beautifully written. It was so heart warming. This is one of the best story I read. Every time he says he would come back I'm afraid he wouldn't. It was such a touching story.
Thank you for writing such a beautiful story....... ❤️
LysaHanny
#3
Chapter 8: This story is so beautiful! I subscribed before this but only have the time to read it yesterday and today. Thank you for writing this beautiful story!
GDaeHyun
#4
Chapter 8: Good jobb
Such an amazing story.
I di really like this story. Glad finded it on random tags.
The plit and grammar are perfect. It make me into this story.
But i want more bonus chapter about their life with jaemin hehehee
thakurpriya203
#5
Chapter 8: This story is heart warming ❣️
asetamida #6
Chapter 8: Aww this story is the best!
900326011197
#7
Chapter 8: This story warm my heart, i always afraid to read story with militaryau, but i cannot stop once i read your fic. This is so beautiful!
yeollercoaster_ #8
Chapter 8: cutiesssss i loved it
yeollercoaster_ #9
Chapter 4: the way he keeps saying he’ll come back makes me even more scared that he won’t. pls don’t make me cry author-nim