"Haha, you don't even have a mother!" a little boy said. "Do you not have a father as well?"

"I have a mother," you said persistently. "She's working right now!"

"Oh really?" said another kid. "Hmm...that's not what my mother said." He smirked, "Maybe she thought you were so ugly that she threw you away."

"Yeah, I feel so bad for ajumma, how could she ever take care of you?" a girl giggled.

Just then a tomato slammed right into your forehead. "Score!" the boy shouted. 

"I want to try," said the other boy. Soon, you were pummeled with tomato and eggs. You looked down sadly, a tear slipping through your eye. **Ajumma...where are you?"**

"Yah!" shouted the shop keeper. "What are you doing to my tomato and eggs?" 

"Run!" the boy shouted. They ran away just in time as the shop keeper came back with a broom. You stayed there, curled up in a ball, crying.

"Yah! What did you do to my tomato and eggs?" he shouted.

"I-I-I didn't do it," you babbled. 

"I don't care, what are you going to do about my tomato and eggs?" he continued shouting. 

You screamed in pain as he whacked you with the broom.

*Thwack thwack*

Pain seared through your back, and you felt warm blood trickling down. 

"Eun Mi! Where are you?" 

You looked up and spotted ajumma running towards you.

"Oh my, what happened to you?" she asked. You didn't say anything, but instead hugged her and cried.

"Yah! Are you the owner of this girl?" the shop keeper asked.

"Yes," she said.

"What are you going to do with my tomatoes and eggs?" he shouted.

"First, there is no need to yell. Second, you can obviously tell she didn't touch your tomatoes or eggs. She was obviously the victim of them," she said calmly. "Go and find the right kids if you want to yell."

The shop keeper fumed with anger. "I don't care, I want to you to pay for it!"

"I don't care either," she said. "I want you to apologize. I work at the palace and I can assure you that I will make sure that I never, ever, buy vegetables from someone like you."

He stopped speaking and walked away angrily. Ajumma looked down at you and wiped away the yolk and tomatoes. "Mommy's here."

---

You sat straight up as sweat dripped down your forehead. You touched your back, feeling the outline of the scars.  

"You're awake," you turned around and your heart wanted to burst. "Ajumma..." 

She gave you a warm smile as she sat by the bed. "Here, I made your favorite; green tea," she said with a smile. 

You gratefully took the cup and sipped the tea, savoring the taste. "You still make the best green tea," you smiled.

"One and only," she said. You giggled as you drank the green tea. 

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm doing well..." you said. You didn't want to worry her, so you lied. 

"That is good," she said. "Are you communicating well with the Crown Prince?"

"Yeah...I mean, I guess...he reminds me of; well, me. We are stubborn and persistent, always wanting our ways. But no matter what...I can't hate him for some reason."

"Why would you hate him?" 

"I can't, that's the point. Even if I want to, I can't," you sighed. "By the way, how...how did I end up here? Wasn't I cleaning the dust off of the Crown Prince's bookshelves?" 

"Oh, you don't remember? You came to visit me when you suddenly fainted," she said. 

"I-I was? But I thought..."

"It's your fever, dear," she said. "Now, go back to sleep while I go boil some chicken soup."

"Okay," you sighed. 

Ajumma got up and left, gently closing the door. She turned to the Crown Prince and sighed, "Now tell me, why did I have to lie?"

"She hates me," he sighed. "If she found out it was me...then she won't accept my help."

"And why wouldn't she accept your help?" she asked.

"Well I-..." Ilhoon kept his mouth shut, he didn't want to tell the shameful punishment he had given. 

"Ilhoon, I have known you since you were a kid, and I have known Eun Mi just as long. Now tell me, what happened."

"I...I got angry," Ilhoon said. "So...I told her to kneel in the garden all night."

Ajumma sighed and shook her head, "How could you give her such a punishment? Then tell me, what did she do wrong?"

"She left without my permission," he said. 

"Then shouldn't her punishment be...less of a punishment?" Ajumma said. 

*Sigh*

"I know, I wasn't thinking," he said.

"I'm going to make some chicken soup, would you like some?" she asked. 

"No thank you," Ilhoon said. 

Ajumma walked away but then stopped, "Oh I forgot to tell you, Eun Mi doesn't hate you."

**She doesn't? After what I've done? Why...?** Ilhoon thought. "But-" But Ajumma had left already. 

Ohlala~ hehe so do you guys think Ilhoon deserves a second chance? Comment your answer ^^

-iHartCupcakes (: