Slowly, Seungwan opened his eyes to realize that he’s been sleeping in the haystack after silently crying for hours. His legs felt like jelly and he could barely even stand up after what his father (his uncle, actually) had done to him.

Then he tried to crawl toward the opened doors of the stables, groaning in pain every time her moves. Glancing at the gate, he sees Hanseol and Soonyoung playing a simple game using sticks and rocks just by the front of the gates. He tried to call them out though his feeling a lot of pain in the shins and could barely even utter a word.

“Ha…Hanseol! S-Soonyoung-ah!” he croaked. Luckily, the two heard him and saw him lying limply outside the stables. “Seungwan! Are you alright?” asked Hanseol. Seungwan nodded and told them that they can come inside after Gyuri and Hyunbin have left the farm to buy some vegetables.

“Joohyun Noona was crying a lot an hour ago.” Soonyoung pouted adorably. Hanseol helped Seungwan up, wrapping his friend’s arm around his neck while his own arm was wrapped on the boy’s hip.

“Th-Thanks,” Seungwan lets out a yelp after his feet touched the ground.

Hanseol then guided him inside the stables, helping him sit down on the haystack.

“Where’s Joohyun? Did she go back to town?”

“Yeah, Soonyoung and I came with her after she asked us to.”

“She’s even super mad at your parents, Hyung. She really wanted to scold them for treating you like that.” said Soonyoung.

Seungwan lied down on his back on the haystack while the two boys sat on the ground in front of him.

“Have you two seen the town?”

“Yeah, Joohyun showed us her huge flower field as if she didn’t cry a lot a while ago.” shrugged Hanseol. “Yeah! I even visited their flower shop and Aunt Ji gave us seaweed soup! It was really scrumptious!” grinned Soonyoung.

Seungwan chuckled, remembering the time he visited Aunt Yulbi’s flower shop with Joohyun

“Anyway, are you coming with us in visiting Joohyun again tomorrow?” Hanseol asked.

Seungwan’s smile faded, knowing that he could never ever go back in town after what his parents had told him.

He couldn’t go back because he is also embarrassed after what happened and decided to just abide on his parents’ rules instead of just coming back to Joohyun. And somehow he felt an immense feeling of sadness after knowing that he couldn’t see Joohyun anymore.

“Sorry, but I guess I’ll stay here.”

His answer shocked the two boys. “But, Hyung, she wants to see you!” Soonyoung bleated. “Soonyoung’s right. Why don’t you want to see her again?”

“I-I have my own reasons. Now go, the two will be here in any minute now.” Seungwan said. “Okay then, bye.” Hanseol got up from his seat and took his brother’s hand.

Soonyoung then looked at Seungwan with a sad pout. “Bye, Hyung.” He waved goodbye before the two quickly left the stables and the farm, leaving Seungwan behind, lying on the haystack with his injured and bruised legs.

Loud knocks could be heard in the doors of the stables, causing the eighteen-year-old to open his eyes in surprise, realizing that he’s already late for his job.

“Son Seungwan! Get up from your stupid haystack and milk the cows this instant!” Gyuri’s roars could be heard from behind the doors. “Coming!” he abruptly got up from bed and rushed out of the stables to see Gyuri standing in front of the entrance with her arms crossed and glare plastered on her old face. “What are you waiting for? Go and milk the cows!”

Seungwan nodded and immediately ran towards the cows in the far right of the farm. Taking a bucket from the front gates of the cow pen, Seungwan rushed towards the water pump to wash the cow’s udders before milking it.

“Hurry up, you slow idiot! There are villagers already waiting for the milk bottles!” barked Gyuri from the house, which is blocks away from the pen.

“Alright, alright! Jeez…” Seungwan clicked his tongue in annoyance and took the bucket full of water towards the cow pen.

Recently, all Seungwan could think is work. He’s been thinking that if he works and works nonstop, he would ignore his distracting thoughts, especially his thoughts about Joohyun.

He still hasn’t forgot about her and always thinks if she’s doing okay back in Taewon. It’s also been eight years and he still saw no sign of her.

After finishing milking the cows in the pen for almost an hour, he quickly brought the buckets of milk into the shelter where he usually puts the newly harvested milk bottles into a box full of ice. He then went out of the shelter to go get his large, forest green cart behind the shelter and ran towards the second shelter on the right. “Gosh, I’m already late!” hissed Seungwan. In one swift move, he took the bottles from the boxes inside the shelter and puts them into his cart.

“Yoon Gyuri! Where are the milk bottles?” called one lady living near the farm with an impatient frown. Gyuri, who’s busy guiding the cows towards the grassland behind the villager’s house, lets out a frustrated sigh. “Hold on! That mindless man got up late!” yelled Gyuri in response.

“Finally! There you are!” the villager clicked her tongue in disappointment after Seungwan finally arrived in front of her house.

“How many bottles, Ms. Geum?”

“The usual, do you forget about it?” sassed the villager.

With a sigh, Seungwan took five bottles from his cart while rolling his eyes. “Here you go, Ms. Geum.” He puts the bottles near Ms. Geum’s feet. “That’ll be one large strunling, please.”

“Finally, glad to hear that you reduced the price of milk. That Gyuri was making your milk too pricey before.” Ms. Geum said with a delighted grin. “Kids! Give me my money pouch!”

“Mom! Minseok just took my yoyo!” shrieked one of the villager’s kids with an angry pout. “Geum Minseok! Go and take my money pouch in the dining table!” Ms. Geum clicked her tongue. “You have another one coming?” Seungwan asked while looking at Ms. Geum’s small baby bump through dark brown dusters.

Ms. Geum is still twenty years of age when she already has six kids with different men, including the upcoming child. Yes, she works in a pub in the main town and entertains men there in desperate need of money.

At first, Seungwan never really understood why she had a lot of kids despite being low on money and her reason behind it is because she’ll be using the kids too to get some riches once they get older, which is clearly upsetting after Seungwan had already experienced on being used until to this day.

“Yes, it’s another girl.” She answered while getting a piece of cigar in the pockets of her dirty dusters. “Sure…congratulations, I guess.” Seungwan said with a hint of sarcasm before hearing another deafening scream inside Ms. Geum’s household.

“Jungho! Stop pulling your sister’s hair or else I’ll send you to the orphanage!”

“No!” yelled the five-year-old as he pulled his sister’s hair again.

Seungwan flinched at the siblings fighting. He never even had siblings before but if he